Traditional Cantonese bakery, Leong Chee Kee, is actually named after the founder, who came to Penang from Zhongshan City, Guangdong, China, before World War II. He hawked his specialty biscuits: “Yeh Chee Taht” (coconut tarts), “Gai Dan Ko” (egg sponge cakes) and “Hor Chio Pheah” (pepper biscuits) on a cart in the streets of old George Town.
Nowadays, the pastry shop is located at People’s Court (accessible from both Campbell Street and Cintra Street) and run by his son, 60-year-old Leong How Keng, who’s probably the foremost traditional Cantonese pastry chef in Penang today. He’s been working in his father’s pastry shop since the age of 7.
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Cantonese-style coconut tarts or "Yeh Chee Taht"
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Cantonese-style sponge cakes or "Kai Tan Kou"
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Crisp pepper biscuits or "Hor Cheo Phneah"
Leong How Keng single-handedly bakes all the different varieties of traditional Cantonese biscuits, tarts and cakes here. His wife, Mrs Leong, is in-charge of the cash counter upfront. There’s a retro feel about the whole place, like everything’s unchanged and left as it is for the past half-century.
Address
Leong Chee Kee Pepper Biscuits
C8, Lebuh Cintra (People’s Court), 10100 George Town, Penang.
Tel: +60 16401 9211
Opening hours: 9am to 4.30pm Mon to Sat. Closed on Sundays.
