Experience 50 Years of Flavor at Penang's Innards Congee Shop

You'll savor the rich, flavorful essence in every grain of congee to the point where just a bowl of plain congee without any side dishes feels delicious.

Experience 50 Years of Flavor at Penang's Innards Congee Shop

Chok Kee Innards Congee shop, located on Kimberley Street (Penang), lacks fancy decor and is rather dim inside due to the lack of lighting, but it has been bustling with customers for over 50 years. If you come late, your options are simple like century egg or salted egg—items always available in the shop—eaten with a few scoops of congee scraped from the bottom of the pot. However, that's enough to make you appreciate the unforgettable taste of this 'chee cheong chok' dish.

'Chee cheong chok' is a dish originating from Guangdong (China), cooked and sold by long-time Chinese residents in Penang, appealing to many palates. The highlight of the dish lies in the expertly simmered congee, so thick that at first glance, diners who have never tried it may easily feel overwhelmed. But contrary to expectations, when you taste it, you'll experience the richness and depth of flavor in every grain of congee to the point where just a plain bowl of congee without any accompaniments feels delicious. There are various side dishes to choose from such as lean meat, century eggs, salted eggs... and the star of the shop is the tender, fatty, non-smelly boiled pork innards. The topping layer of lard and spring onions makes the congee even more satisfying, sprinkle a bit of pepper and it's perfect.

Locals often line their stomachs in the late afternoon with a bowl of congee from the Lee family's Chok Kee cart located on Cintra Street (Penang) in the past. As Penang developed as a tourist destination, attracting visitors from both local and abroad, many fell in love with the dense congee upon their first taste, causing the congee cart to become increasingly popular. Therefore, in 2014, the cart moved to a new address on Kimberly Street and has now passed down to its third generation. According to locals, the taste of the dish remains unchanged from the past to the present. From Monday to Friday, the shop operates from 11 am to 4:30 pm, while on Saturdays and Sundays, it operates from 8:30 am to 1:30 pm. Especially popular items like innards often sell out within 2 hours. The price of a bowl is around 5 – 6 RM (approximately 29,000 – 35,000 Vietnamese dong).

Guide to Finding the Shop: Along Kimberly Street (this is a one-way street), you'll come across Kedai Kopi Bee Hooi on the left side, then continue straight until you reach Chok Kee Porridge Cafe on the right side, at number 188.

By Vi Yen/The Star

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Reference: Travel Guide from Mytour