Old-world Hainanese favourites
RELISH the old-time ambience at the charming Yeng Keng Café Bar nestled in the heart of George Town, Penang.
Part of the acclaimed Yeng Keng Hotel, a boutique heritage establishment along Chulia Street, the outlet has been garnering rave reviews and a good following for authentic Hainanese-styled cuisine.
Executive chef Tan Jee Yong was born in Hainan, China, before emigrating to Malaya as a child with his father after the war years.
Upon finishing school, he took up work in a kitchen, learnt his trade from a Hainanese master chef, and has been a proponent of his native cuisine ever since.
“Real Hainanese cuisine can be hard to find nowadays, thus I hope my dishes can give guests an authentic taste. If they leave happy and keep returning, I’m proud,” said Tan, now in his late 60s.
Favourites here include the Ark Or (yam duck), which is a flavourful, stew infused with bean paste, ginger, yam and waterfowl, slowly boiled for over an hour.
The signature Spinach Lamb Roll has shoulder meat stuffed with cartoon character Popeye’s favourite vegetable and garlic, then slow-cooked for over two hours, resulting in succulent meat.
But his Choon Piah (spring rolls), packed with shredded crabmeat, mushroom, prawns, chicken, mengkuang and carrots, is the undoubted best seller.
Guests who try it usually order additional servings, Tan pointed out.
Also acclaimed are his Hainan Mee, Chicken Pie, Yeng Keng Chicken Chop, Macaroni Pie, and Hainanese Chicken Rice, which comes as whole chicken, to lock in meat juices.
Hotel manager Jacky Chung pointed out that Penang’s Hainanese cuisine invariably bears some English influences because the Hainan folk who came over to Penang usually ended up working in colonial kitchens.
Hence there are offerings like the delicious Crab Mornay which has chunky crabmeat, mushrooms, cream and cheese baked till golden brown in hollowed out crustacean shells.
The Bomb Alaska, another house specialty rarely found nowadays, is as much a treat for the eyes as it is for the sweet tooth. The butter cake, ice cream and mixed fruits covered with beaten egg whites are quite a spectacle when flambéed with brandy tableside.
The café also offers Traditional Hainanese Course Dinners, priced at RM530++ onwards per table of 10. Guests can customise their dish choices from a preset menu.
Private events can also be hosted at the well-equipped function room upstairs, with capacity for 40 pax.
The pork-free café is open from 7am to midnight daily, and also serves breakfast. Last call for the kitchen is at 9.30pm. After meals, adjourn to the hotel’s spacious courtyard for a few rounds of drinks.
Yeng Keng Hotel, built circa 1850s, is among the oldest surviving buildings in the area, and was once a private residence that later became a gentleman’s club, and then a budget hotel.
Bought over in 2009, and extensively refurbished to its former glory by mid-2010, it is now a 20-room boutique establishment.
It has also garnered an impressive list of accolades, coming first in the small hotels category for Malaysia, in TripAdvisor’s Travellers’ Choice Awards 2013.
For more details, visit www.yengkenghotel.com. Call 04-263 3177 for café reservations.
~News courtesy of The Star~
RELISH the old-time ambience at the charming Yeng Keng Café Bar nestled in the heart of George Town, Penang.
Part of the acclaimed Yeng Keng Hotel, a boutique heritage establishment along Chulia Street, the outlet has been garnering rave reviews and a good following for authentic Hainanese-styled cuisine.
Executive chef Tan Jee Yong was born in Hainan, China, before emigrating to Malaya as a child with his father after the war years.
Upon finishing school, he took up work in a kitchen, learnt his trade from a Hainanese master chef, and has been a proponent of his native cuisine ever since.
“Real Hainanese cuisine can be hard to find nowadays, thus I hope my dishes can give guests an authentic taste. If they leave happy and keep returning, I’m proud,” said Tan, now in his late 60s.
Favourites here include the Ark Or (yam duck), which is a flavourful, stew infused with bean paste, ginger, yam and waterfowl, slowly boiled for over an hour.
The signature Spinach Lamb Roll has shoulder meat stuffed with cartoon character Popeye’s favourite vegetable and garlic, then slow-cooked for over two hours, resulting in succulent meat.
But his Choon Piah (spring rolls), packed with shredded crabmeat, mushroom, prawns, chicken, mengkuang and carrots, is the undoubted best seller.
Guests who try it usually order additional servings, Tan pointed out.
Also acclaimed are his Hainan Mee, Chicken Pie, Yeng Keng Chicken Chop, Macaroni Pie, and Hainanese Chicken Rice, which comes as whole chicken, to lock in meat juices.
Hotel manager Jacky Chung pointed out that Penang’s Hainanese cuisine invariably bears some English influences because the Hainan folk who came over to Penang usually ended up working in colonial kitchens.
Hence there are offerings like the delicious Crab Mornay which has chunky crabmeat, mushrooms, cream and cheese baked till golden brown in hollowed out crustacean shells.
The Bomb Alaska, another house specialty rarely found nowadays, is as much a treat for the eyes as it is for the sweet tooth. The butter cake, ice cream and mixed fruits covered with beaten egg whites are quite a spectacle when flambéed with brandy tableside.
The café also offers Traditional Hainanese Course Dinners, priced at RM530++ onwards per table of 10. Guests can customise their dish choices from a preset menu.
Private events can also be hosted at the well-equipped function room upstairs, with capacity for 40 pax.
The pork-free café is open from 7am to midnight daily, and also serves breakfast. Last call for the kitchen is at 9.30pm. After meals, adjourn to the hotel’s spacious courtyard for a few rounds of drinks.
Yeng Keng Hotel, built circa 1850s, is among the oldest surviving buildings in the area, and was once a private residence that later became a gentleman’s club, and then a budget hotel.
Bought over in 2009, and extensively refurbished to its former glory by mid-2010, it is now a 20-room boutique establishment.
It has also garnered an impressive list of accolades, coming first in the small hotels category for Malaysia, in TripAdvisor’s Travellers’ Choice Awards 2013.
For more details, visit www.yengkenghotel.com. Call 04-263 3177 for café reservations.
~News courtesy of The Star~
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