Back in the 1960s/70s, ๐ง๐ต๐ผ ๐ฌ๐๐ฒ๐ป (ๆกๅ่ถๆจ้้ฃฏ) on Campbell Street in Penang used to be famous for its Hainanese chicken rice, the best on the island. But the history of its Hainanese chicken rice goes further back - to the 1930s when Foo Say Chee, a true-blue Hainanese owner-chef, ran the place, and also cooked up the tastiest, most aromatic Hainanese chicken rice one has ever came across, anywhere. His Hainanese spot was actually called Chip Seng but, at one point, was taken over by Tho Yuen, sometime in the late-70s. After selling his restaurant, the elder Foo and his whole family emigrated to Australia.
The Leong family, who owns and runs Tho Yuen are Cantonese, and their specialties were the various types of Cantonese noodles and stir-fried dishes. But they did retain Hainanese chicken rice on their restaurant menu, but their rendition was a pale shadow of what the Foos came up with.
Two years ago, Tho Yuen stopped serving Hainanese chicken rice - and the dish which, for so long, was synonymous with Campbell Street finally disappeared from the street itself. Nowadays, those in the neighborhood are more likely to go to Chulia Street for their Hainanese chicken rice fix - from either Goh Thew Chik or Pak Hock.
Meanwhile, Tho Yuen busies itself with its popular early-morning dim sum breakfast offerings.
By mid-morning, Tho Yuen starts to prepare for the lunch crowd, and customers come here for its noodle dishes these days - and they come up with some very tasty options. We tried a couple today, and they were really some of the best weโd tasted in town.
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Fried beehoon and hor fun, with โchar siewโ (BBQ pork), chicken, fishballs and shrimps.
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โSang meinโ with freshwater prawns.
Address
Tho Yuen Restaurant (ๆกๅ่ถๆจ้้ฃฏ)
92 Campbell Street, 10100 Penang, Malaysia
Tel: +604 261 4672
Operating hours: 6am to 3pm daily, except Tuesday (closed).