Art Sim Kitchen Cafe, the brainchild of Tan Chor Whye and his wife Justina Lee, served diners from 2017 until its permanent closure in 2023.
Hidden along Jalan Gajah, it was a little gem that made waking up early on a Sunday morning feel worthwhile.
Cozy, rustic, and delightfully quirky, the cafe reflected Chor Whye’s warmth, creativity, and boundless energy.
We remember Tan Chor Whye, who passed away in 2025, for his generosity, his booming laughter, and his unwavering belief in nurturing creativity.
His vision brought people together, turning simple meals into shared memories and helping make George Town a canvas for art and community.
Art Sim Kitchen Cafe was one of the many ways his spirit touched the city, and it remains a cherished memory for all who visited.
The rafters have just as much detail as the café level. Can you find anything you like?
Chairs hang from its ceiling and jostle for space with old pots, pans, cast iron woks, tiffin carriers, thermos, and wicker baskets.
You may recognize retro curios from the 60s and 70s.
Best of all, you can dine on real antique furniture. Every old piece is dated at least 50 years old.
Or older.
Pick a pan? Don’t worry; these are for display only and not used for cooking in the cafe.
The owner/chef has a small menu with Malaysian/Asian staples.
We started with our order of thick local coffee.
This is the real stuff made from “kopi lau”—coffee made by filtering through a sock-like cloth filter!
But then, you’ll probably know by now that I love santan to the MAX.
So I like my nasi to be super LEMAK, which means only I can cook it at that level at home!
Contents
Nasi Lemak at Art Sim Kitchen Cafe
Good rich Rendang Chicken with the Nasi Lemak.
Their Nasi lemak sets come with fluffy blue pea flower rice served with fried Ikan Bilis, peanuts, sambal, cucumber, and half a boiled egg.
There are two chicken choices: rich chicken rendang or deep-fried chicken.
Rendang is a thick, mild, aromatic curry with tender chicken thighs that break easily with a fork.
Spring Onion Pancake
I’ve never chowed down on so many pancakes in my life! Seriously. I love the crispy, crunchy texture.
A popular Taiwanese snack, this golden, chewy, savory pancake has the texture of a roti canai with its flaky crust.
I like it a little salty and crispy, and it goes so well with the dipping sauce.
Do we like it?
Yes, we ordered double portions to munch on as we chatted.
Sambal Hare Bee on Toast
Perfect for small eaters. Artist Christine Das is one!
Giant toast is smeared with spicy sambal hare bee and has a fresh coriander garnish.
Kerabu Bee Hoon
Spicy and nice! I love the taste of the Kerabu Bee Hoon.
The Kerabu Bee Hoon’s house specialty features blanched springy rice vermicelli tossed with a homemade spicy sambal sauce.
The dish is perfumed with kaffir lime leaves, torch ginger flower, coriander, mint leaves, and lemongrass.
The crunch is from raw shallots, bean sprouts, and roasted peanuts.
The squeeze of calamansi brightens it and makes it even tastier.
Yam Cake
There are lots of cubed yams in the yummeh Or Kueh.
The Kueh (Yam Cake) has a rice flour base packed with powdery Pinang yam or taro cubes.
It is topped with hare bees, spring onions, chilies, and deep-fried shallots, and served with a chili dipping sauce.
Guang Jiang
Guang Jiang
(Teochew Style Beancurd Roll)
The Teochew clan traditionally makes Guang Jiang by rolling yam and peanut stuffing in bean curd and frying it.
This delicacy is a must-have legacy food for a major festival and the first day of the Chinese New Year.
Almost forgotten by the modern generation, the café makes a great head start by introducing heritage recipes as café food.
Art Sim Kitchen Cafe Homemade Nyonya Kuehs
Justina makes other local Nyonya kuehs on a rotation basis.
Check with the café about the fresh kuehs made daily.
We sampled kueh talam, kueh Bangka, and kueh ketayap, which were gone before taking photos.
Left to right: Artist Christine Das, Smartdory, and on the far right, Justina Lee and Tan Chor Whye.
Drinks
Morning cuppas include local Kopi-O, Koki Suu, white coffee, and milo, available hot or cold.
Other drinks include honey, lemon, lemongrass, and herbal teas.
Art Sim Kitchen Cafe served diners from 2017 before closing permanently in 2023.
