Taste of Thai in Hokkien enclave

Taste of Thai in Hokkien enclave

The Clan Jetties of Weld Quay, well known as a must-see heritage site in Penang, is now a destination for foodies hankering for, of all things, Thai food.

TUCKED away in a little corner of old George Town, another part of Penang’s history is still being lived on a daily basis: the Clan Jetties of Weld Quay. This sprawling settlement started around the late 19th century when Chinese from the mainly Fujian (Hokkien) province, fleeing poverty, inept government and starvation, came to work as coolies in the then bustling docks of Penang.

They settled down around the jetties, and each eventually became a little village housing a separate clan. In the 1960s, when Penang, then a free port, was a thriving harbour providing sufficient work, the Jetties were home to some four or five thousand inhabitants. Numbers have since dwindled in recent years.

Originally eight, there are now just six left: Lee, Lim, Tan, Yeoh, Mixed Clans, and Chew Jetty, which is the largest and oldest. Although water and electricity supply was installed in the 1950s, living accommodation is basic. But many contemporary modern conditions have crept in, like air conditioning, satellite TV, washing machines and even dial-up broadband.

Right next door to the Chew Jetty is the Tan Jetty, which in recent months has suddenly become popular. This is because about a year ago, Lee Siew Lan, 58, from Phanga in Southern Thailand, decided to start a small outlet offering visitors the sort of food she grew up with.

The influx of tourists has been, she feels, a result of George Town becoming a Unesco Heritage Site.

“People kept asking us for food and drink,” explains Lee, who married a Tan and moved to live in the Clan Jetty over 40 years ago. “As my friends had always asked me to cook professionally, I decided to give it a go.”

Assisted by her husband and her son Ah Hock and his Thai wife, she started in a small way. But as is usual in Penang, when word of a new eatery gets about, people are keen to give it a go. Online bloggers also helped to spread the word, and it is now definitely getting busy, although patrons are mainly locals looking for good Thai food.

“I didn’t even want to invest in new cutlery and crockery until we had to!” Lee says, laughing.

It’s not the sort of place to head for if you’re after luxurious, air-conditioned premises. Access can be via the walkway from the main road or by driving. If you choose the latter, beware the mud path and odd stray dog.

Tables and chairs dot the verandah outside the house, which stands on stilts in the water. The menu, like the premises, is simple and unpretentious – a small album with the photographs, names and prices of the dishes available.

There are about 20 or so items of mainly home-cooked food: Belacan or Pineapple Fried Rice, Pandan Chicken, curries and other popular Thai dishes she used to cook for her own family.

House specialities are White Tom Yam and Steamed Siakap with lime and chilli. As one unfortunate aspect of the past that hasn’t disappeared in the Clan Jetties is the lack of proper sewage facilities, the waters around there look quite grey and murky, so slightly tongue-in-cheek, I voiced my hope that the fish hadn’t been caught there. I was reassured that it had been delivered by their supplier.

Unfortunately, though the fish was fresh, the lime and chilli sauce was slightly watery that day so it didn’t have as much oomph as I would have liked. The Green Curry, which came with large chunks of chopped pre-cooked chicken, was also the same. The Glass Noodle Salad and Claypot Prawns with Glass Noodles were quite tasty, however.

It wasn’t too pricey either: for four persons the bill for the food and a few beers came to just over RM100.

As you wait for your food, take a walk out to sea on the newly-restored wooden plank way. However, it’s certainly not something I would attempt in the dark. There is a small wooden hut at the end which houses a tokong (temple).

The sight is serene; in the distance, you might see a lone ferry ploughing its way back from the mainland to the jetty which is not too far away. It’s quite nice to sit there eating, or indeed just have a drink, watching the sun set while the water laps gently at the stilts under your feet.

The Tan Jetty Thai Food Café is at 97A Tan Jetty, Weld Quay, Penang. It is open from 11am to 2pm for lunch, and from 5pm to 10pm for dinner every day except Tuesdays. Thai Laksa is available from 11am to 10pm or until it runs out. For details or reservations, advisable at weekend or holidays, call 014 907 1808.

Helen Ong loves Penang and food, not necessarily in that order. Her new book, Great Dining in Penang 2, was launched recently in Penang by the State Exco for Tourism Development and Culture Danny Law. Check out her website at www.helenong.com.

-News courtesy of The Star-