Hameediyah (Est. 1907) is one of Penang’s oldest restaurants. It was started by Mr Nalla Kader who hailed from the Ramnad district in Tamil Nadu, India. Mr Nalla Kader arrived in Penang in 1890, and was an itinerant “nasi kandar” vendor until he bought the current spot at 164-A Campbell Street in 1907.
The ownership of Hameediyah passed from Nalla Kader to his son, Muhammad, then to the great-grandson, Abu Baker after World War II. Abu Baker later passed the ownership to his relative Abdul Sukkoor, whose two sons, Seeni Pakir and Syed Ibrahim, run the restaurant today.
Hameediyah is my go-to place for “murtabaks”, the delicious meat-filled Tamil-Muslim savoury pancakes, when I’m in Penang - still the best I’d tasted anywhere in Singapore or Malaysia.
- Mutton murtabak
- Penang-style murtabak filling is made from fresh mutton, onions, eggs and spices - different from KL-style murtabaks where the fillings are pre-cooked meats from existing curries in the serving restaurant.
- Pickled onions, served with a squeeze of lime, as a relish to undercut the richness of the meaty murtabak.
- A rich, spicy lamb curry, redolent of cardamom, complemented the murtabak beautifully.
- Teh Tarik (pulled milk tea).
Hameediyah on Campbell Street - 109 years old and still going strong:
