Soo Hong Lane, one of George Town’s narrowest streets, tucked between Armenian Street and Lebuh Ah Quee.
I almost always missed Soo Hong Lane, the hidden street that straddles Lebuh Ah Quee and Lebuh Armenian.
For years I would toot along happily between Lim Kongsi and Kapitan Keling Mosque, never noticing it at all.
I would eat at Kapitan’s, the Lor Mee at Lean Thye Loh (defunct), or chapati with sardines at MAJ – Restoran Haji Kamal, but I never walked to the end of Ah Quee Street.
I’ve wandered these parallel streets for years. Armenian Street is always alive with tourists, murals, cafés.
One day, I decided to explore and finally found Soo Hong Lane.
It looked like a shortcut, narrow and tucked in, the kind of street you pass a hundred times without noticing.
A Quiet World Between the Streets
Soo Hong Lane connects the two, but it feels like another world.
Near Armenian Street it seems almost normal, then it slowly narrows, the walls pressing in just enough to make you notice.
I stepped inside.
The noise from the main streets faded.
The light shifted, and I slowed without meaning to.
I thought it would lead back to Armenian Street, and it did, but not the way I expected.
There were no shops, no cafés.
Just doors, windows, laundry, the quiet rhythm of everyday life.
It felt like passing through someone else’s world, a space not meant for visitors.
This section of of the lane contains five double-storey townhouses, numbers 3 through 7, built in the 19th century.
Each has timber shutters running the length of the upper level, and below them, spandrels with green ceramic air vents.
At the end of the narrow stretch, where the lane widens, there’s Gilda, a restaurant set in a zinc structure that reminds me of the experimental The Shed at Dulwich.
Except Gilda is a real functioning restaurant housed inside a zinc structure.
And in Penang you can always choose to eat at shabby chic places.
I kept walking, but more slowly than before.
This time, carrying a piece of that quiet with me back into the bustle of the city.
Soo Hong Lane is tucked off Armenian Street, easy to miss if you’re not looking.
View on Google Maps
Contrary to popular belief, Soo Hong Lane is not the narrowest road in Penang.
That title belongs to Boat Alley or Boatmen Alley, the road joining Stewart Lane to Chulia Lane.
When I was young there was a road signboard, but it seems to have disappeared.
Cheers Doris
Thanks so much for sharing this, AhPek Biker. I really appreciate the clarification and the bit of history too. Boat Alley sounds like a place with a lot of stories behind it. It’s a pity the old signboard is gone. Those small details add so much character. Cheers and thanks again for the insight.
Cheers,
Dory