For the past four decades, Penangites who love yam rice will traipse over to Chai Leng Park in Butterworth for their fix.
Note: what we call “yam” here is actually “Asian yam” or “taro” in America:
I was just recently introduced to 𝗭𝗵𝗲𝗻𝗴 𝗫𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗬𝗮𝗺 𝗥𝗶𝗰𝗲 on Rangoon Road, off Burma Road, which tastes just as good, if not better! It’s run by Andy Ooi, the son of the old couple who started the Chai Leng Park yam rice business back in 1984!
Very fragrant yam rice.
The main accompaniment is a very tasty “kiam chye th’ng” (preserved pork-and-vegetable soup) containing pork belly slices, pork meatballs, pig’s intestines, preserved mustard vegetables, etc. The balance of sour-salty-savory was sheer perfection here.
Don’t miss ordering their soy-braised pig’s trotters - slow-cooked till fall-off-the-bone tender and full of flavor.
Also, the more-ish soy-braised Teochew tofu.
The soy-braised egg was not as impressive - Chinese-style cooking yields dry, overcooked yolks, unlike Japanese onsen eggs.
Overall, a very impressive yam rice offering - the best I’d had anywhere in Malaysia, or even Singapore!
The owner-chef, Andy Ooi, was a stickler for perfection: he took 4 hours just to prepare the chili dip!
𝗔𝗱𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀
Zheng Xiang Yam Rice (正香芋饭)
11, Jalan Rangoon, 11450 George Town, Penang
Tel: +604-2290355
Opening hours: 10am to 3pm, 5pm to 9pm daily, except Tue (Closed).
