Stalwart Goh Thew Chik Hainan Chicken Rice is the last chicken rice spot standing on Chulia Street.
Back in the day, three shops lined the street: Goh Thew Chik Hainan Chicken Rice, Pak Hock Chicken Rice, and Chicken Rice at Sky Restaurant.
Ask any Penangite, and they’ll name their favourite without hesitation.
Loyalty runs deep here, and most locals rarely stray to other shops.
Chulia Street Hainanese Chicken Rice
My family and I have been to Goh Thew Chik Hainan Chicken Rice since I was a toddler.
Before that, my grandparents would take my parents there.
I’ve grown up eating here, and it is a familiar taste that draws you in, as all comfort food does.
Pak Hock Chicken Rice has relocated. I only realized it when I stood in the queue recently and met Christian.
It’s a Penang thing; we meet people we know when we queue for food and joke with each other.
I’ve only been to Pak Hock once with a former colleague in the 80s.
The Hainanese-style poached Chicken was very, very smooth.
I couldn’t tell if the Chicken was greasy or oily; I just remembered it was too silken soft for me.
And they had poached chicken livers and fried Firm Tofu (Firm Bean Curd)
Pak Hock has always been quieter than the ever-busy Goh Thew Chik.
Before that, Sky Hotel & Restaurant serves only Chicken (and other roast meats) and rice.
The meats were Char Siew (Honey BBQ Pork), Siew Yoke (Roast Pork), and lots of starchy gravy closed.
After Sky Hotel was renovated, a different stall took over. I went with Bee a few years ago for tapao, and the food tasted different.
Penang Hainanese Chicken Rice
Hainanese-style chicken rice restaurants and stalls are always in high demand in Penang.
You can always find a Chicken Rice stall in most Kopitiam in George Town.
But if you ask the old timers to recommend a spot for an authentic Hainanese Chicken Rice in Penang, you will hear these names.
- Goh Thew Chik Hainan Chicken Rice
- Wen Chang Hainan Chicken Rice
- Tho Yuen Restaurant (Cantonese)
Goh Thew Chik is the most popular spot and busiest, with two chopping stations and two shophouses.
My family and I go to Wen Chang Hainan Chicken Rice.
As usual, the taste and liking are all up to the individual.
Poached and Roasted Chicken with Liver, Giblets, and Chicken Intestines.
What is Hainan Chicken Rice?
Hainan Chicken Rice is simple, yet unforgettable.
Tender poached white chicken or roasted black chicken sits on fragrant rice.
Light soy sauce and sesame oil finish the dish perfectly.
The meal has three parts: chicken, rice, and soup.
Garlic-chili dip and soy sauce are essential sides.
Eating Hainan Chicken Rice embraces a nose-to-tail approach.
Nothing goes to waste.
Fat, protein, bones, and marrow are full of flavor and nutrients.
True fans savor every bite.
Chicken: Either poached or roasted. Everyone has their preference, and the poached Chicken is prized by those who like a soft and silken texture.
Chicken Offal: Poached Liver, Giblets, and Intestines.
Soup: has the essence of the poached Chicken, refreshing and tasty.
Rice: use the oil chicken fat to pre-cook the rice with chicken essence from soup to cook soft and rich rice.
Condiments: Salty, ginger-spiced, savory, garlicky, and chili-hot flavors in the combination you might like.
You need the salty, ginger-spiced, savory, garlicky chili dipping sauce!
Goh Thew Chik Restaurant
Goh Thew Chik is the most famous Hainanese Chicken Rice that continues to serve a generation of customers daily.
If you want to enjoy your meal, head there for brunch, as this is always a good idea.
At peak hours, you need to wait to secure a table.
Goh Thew Chik’s chicken rice is at a reasonable price.
There are two different chicken choices.
Whether Goh Thew Chik’s famous Chicken is poached or roasted, the taste is delicious.
The Chicken is good portion sized with the accompanying rice and soup.
You can get a serving of ½ Chicken with poached Chicken Liver a Giblets too.
Goh Thew Chik Hainan Chicken Rice was my childhood treat.
At Goh Thew Chik Hainan Chicken Rice, sometimes we order double Chicken!
Goh Thew Chik Hainan Chicken Rice
I remember going there for lunch in my school uniform.
Best of all, sharing a table often means meeting others who grew up eating Chicken Rice here.
The menu has two main offerings: Chinese-style roast chicken and traditional Hainanese poached chicken.
Today I grabbed half a roast chicken to tapao, along with poached chicken livers, giblets, and intestines.
It’s essential for a proper Hainanese Chicken Rice meal.
Nothing beats the chicken platter drizzled with Goh Thew Chik’s signature dark soy sauce.
And somehow, the food always tastes better at the shop itself.
Goh Thew Chik’s signature dark soy sauce dressing is what we love the most with the Roasted Chicken.
Discover the Best Chicken Rice in Penang in our full guide.
Goh Thew Chik Hainanese Chicken Rice
338-A Chulia Street, George Town, Penang 10200, Malaysia
Telephone: +604-2618650
Hours: 10.30 AM to 5.00 PM (Closed Wednesdays)
Facebook: Goh Thew Chik Hainanese Chicken Rice
GPS Location: 5°25’07.8″N 100°20’07.7″E
Blog Disclosure: This is a NOT sponsored blog post. All opinions are mine. This is one the writer’s family favourites.
Hi again, Dory.
I so enjoyed this post. LOVE Hainan chicken rice.
Of course, I am not the authority you are, as a local Penangite stretching back several generations, but the best HCR I have had were in Singapore at a very modest little restaurant on one of the top levels of Far East Plaza (Level 7 I think), and – surprisingly – at the restaurant very close to the Butterworth train station!
I wish we had known about the traditional ones you mention here. Next time!!!
Last time we were in Penang, in 2012, I was pointed to the restaurant below Sky Hotel by a staff member at the Hutton Lodge, where we were staying. He said they were legendary among locals as doing the best char sui in Penang, and that I would have to line up to get in. He recommended I go early, which I did one Sunday morning. Still had to queue, and took another 30 mins from time or ordering to receive the food, but boy was it worth the wait!
I was certainly intending to go again next time we’re in Penang, but going by your post, it seems there is now a new stall owner and the nosh is not as good!! Nooooo!
Hey Ross,
You’re almost local now. Please come back to Penang again when you can. I found some hidden places worth checking out for the freshest seafood brimming with the taste of the sea in a little bay.
I am very sure you will love it!
Next post. 😀
Dory
Delighted to accept the ‘almost local’ status you have graciously bestowed upon me, underserved though it may be.
Your next post is a tantalising prospect. Can’t wait!
Cheers!
Hi Ross,
I’ve have some new post on Chicken Rice if that’s still your favourite!
Enjoy Penang if you visit soon!
Dory