Local Penangites consider a meal of pork porridge and noodles at Hon Kei Food Corner a nutritious meal.
This restaurant is famous for the “Chee Chap Choke,” a porridge with all the mixed pork spare parts!
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History of Restaurant Hon Kei Food Corner
Hon Kei Food Corner originated from a small street-side pushcart to a full-fledged restaurant.
Many Penangites enjoy a light dinner of weekly (or even daily) hearty pork bone soups.
I have been eating at Hon Kei for the longest time.
Our favorite is the delicious Bak Moi (Pork Porridge).
We often go early and wait as the brothers set up a stall at Penang Road and Jalan Kampong Malabar.
This is a galore pork fiesta for pork lovers. You get to chow down on all porky parts in a clear, rich pork bone broth.
As a Penangite, I grew up eating a massive bowl of porridge for dinner.
Later as a working adult, we would have our dinners here with colleagues whenever we worked “overtime,”
Most locals consider a meal of pork porridge to be nutritious with the addition of pork parts.
The only snag back then was the long wait for our food to be served.
As soon as the stall opened at 5 pm, regulars would take a spot at their favorite table to wait.
Loyal fans are several generations strong, and most Penangites have had at least a bowl or two growing up.
Restaurant Hon Kei Food Corner
Recently they expanded and bought three adjoining shophouses just a stone’s throw from their roadside spot.
So now, having a good lunch is easy.
The restaurant is clean, bright, and airy, with many ceiling fans.
You can have your meal without breaking a sweat.
The restaurant is very spacious, relaxed, and comfortable.
Live Cooking Station at Hon Kei
The cooking is done behind a counter facing the dining section.
You can hear the hiss of the stove and see flames firing up the copper pots as the chef cooks your noodles.
You can watch their live-action in preparing your meal.
Generally, please stand far away so you don’t block the crew.
Tips: The soups are boiling and may cause scalding.
Chef uses a copper pot to cook the soups. The temperature is scalding hot! Photo: Doris Lim.
The chef pours the hot soup into ready bowls. Photo: Doris Lim
Hon Kei Soup Menu (Non-Halal)
The restaurant has a simple laminated menu you can order from.
There are two types of soup bases.
Both are equally delicious and “cooling.” However, some seniors may complain of joint pains if they take the” salted vegetable.”
Soups
- Salted Vege Mixed Pork Soup
- Bitter Ground Mixed Pork Soup
Soup Price
- Normal Soup RM7.50
- Mixed Pork Only RM6.00
- Add Choice RM0.70 (each item)
Delicious Scalding Hot Soups
There are two types of soups at Hon Kei Food Corner.
You can choose from Bitter Gourd or Pickled Mustard Greens Soup and Yam Rice Combo.
I would like to have my pork liver fixed.
My favorite is the Bitter Gourd Soup with sliced and minced pork and liver.
Hon Kei Food Corner Fried Items Menu
For deep-fried items for munchies, refer to the menu.
Hon Kei Food Corner – Signature Chee Chap Choke
The most popular order is the “Chee Chap Choke,” a porridge with all the composite spare parts!
It is one of the best Cantonese-Style Porridge in Penang.
Cantonese-style congee is more flavourful with added seasoning and is briny.
They add other ingredients according to your preference.
Back in the day, an order for Chee Chap Choke had spare parts or innards.
We were not health-conscious and would eat just about anything mom cooked.
Ingredients may include
- lean shoulder butt pork meat
- chin
- jaw
- brain
- ears
- heart
- liver
- lung
- stomach
- intestines
- kidney
- shoulder
- ribs
- intestines
- sinews
- blood
For Hon Kei, please check with the restaurant about your Add On orders and the availability of ingredients.
As more customers become more health-conscious, the request of innard may be confined to a few.
- pig’s kidney
- liver
- heart
- intestine
- tripe
- brains
What to order with my Pork Soup?
Hon Kei Food Corner is famous for its Pork noodles, Fish Head noodles, and Porridge.
There are a few types of noodles to choose from.
Thin noodles, thick noodles, vermicelli (Mee Suah)
The mix is Bee Hoon with Yellow Noodle. There is, of course, rice and porridge!
Hon Kei Food Corner
Hon Kei Noodles Menu
- Porridge
- Vermicelli
- Thick Noodles
- Thin Noodles
- Noodle Mix
Hon Kei Rice Menu
- White Rice
- Yam Rice RM2.50 per bowl
Hon Kei Food Corner
Char Hor Fun
The restaurant sells a Silky Egg Hor Fun or Wan Tan Wor.
We prefer it without eggs, and the restaurant happily obliges us to cook it this way.
The Char Hor Fun is an old-style product that has good taste.
Finding a food Char Hor Fun after all the excellent sifu retired is increasingly hard.
I particularly like this as it is pork-based and not cooked with fish cakes!
There are fish slices, pork slices, fresh prawns, and pork crackling.
Char Hor Fun (Pork) Photo: Doris Lim
Kopitiam style Kopi O and Kopi. Photo: Doris Lim
Hon Kei Food Corner Review
Over the many years, the food has been consistently good, and the price is fair for a decent meal of noodles.
[Update: 1 February 2020]
We had a good meal for below RM15 each, inclusive of drinks. The entire meal was RM26.30 for two.
- Char Hor Fun (without egg) RM10.00
- Bitter Ground Soup RM9.10
- Add On Minced Pork, Meat Ball, Liver
- Hot Coffee RM2.00
- Coffee O RM1.60
Hon Kei Food Corner is a MUST VISIT if you love pork noodles.
The restaurant is open-air, and ample parking lots are available opposite.
Hon Kei Food Corner for Below RM15 Meals. Photo: Doris Lim
Hon Kei Food Corner
Address: 55, Kampong Malabar, George Town, 10200 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Hours: Daily from 9 am – 3 pm and 5 pm – 12 am. (Thursdays Closed).
Travel Tips:
- Penang MBPP parking is available Monday to Saturday (including public holidays) from 9 am to 5 pm. Parking is free on Sundays.
- If you visit during peak hours, there’s a private car park further down the road with ample spaces.
