History of Loke Thye Kee
The Loke Thye Kee Restaurant was set up in 1919 by two Hainanese brothers, Loy Kok Boon and Loy Kok Tai. The two of them worked as cooks for the tycoon Khoo Sian Ewe. They dreamt of opening their own restaurant. Khoo was a kind man – when he learnt of their dream, he released them from their employment and even helped them to set up their dream establishment – Loke Thye Kee.
The orignal name of the restaurant was Loke Hai Kee. The initial site of the restaurant was by the waterfront off Weld Quay, next to the Church Street Pier. However, the construction of the Victoria Pier led to the relocation of the restaurant to its present location.
The Loy brothers sought Khoo’s help again for the new site. Since Khoo owned much of the land off Burmah Road, they proposed relocating the restaurant to his land, and Khoo agreed. Khoo commissioned a three-storey restaurant to be designed and built in the shape of a ship at the corner of Penang Road, Burmah Road and Khoo Sian Ewe Road (which was only named later). After it opened, it was quite a happening place back then.
Sadly, the restaurant suffered a decline in business in the 1970s and it eventually closed down. The building became run-down and an eyesore.
When George Town was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site, many buildings of historical value which were in a forlorn state were given a new lease of life. Among them was Loke Thye Kee. A grant from ThinkCity, a subsidiary of Khazanah Nasional Berhad, helped in the restoration of the building. The restored shophouses along Penang Road, which included Loke Thye Kee, are now collectively known as Penang Road Heritage Row.
The reopened restaurant is operated by the food and beverage company FoodPeople. You can see photos of the dilapidated old building and the beautiful restored building at the Penang Travel Tips website.
Traditional Hainanese Kopitiam
The revitalised Loke Thye Kee serves traditional Hainanese food such as Hainanese chicken rice, kopitiam staples such as kaya toast with half-boiled eggs and Hainanese coffee, and other favourite local cuisine such as nasi lemak, char kuey teow, pai tee and popiah.
Front: Traditional kopitiam coffee. Back: Hainanese chicken rice. Both are nice.
Tasty fried spring rolls or popiah. It has more filling and a thicker skin compared to the traditional popiah, but is still good in its own way.
A must-try when in Penang – Nutmeg juice. I only discovered this drink 1-2 years ago when I saw it on a little banner at a small shop in Balik Pulau, Penang Island. Since then, I have become a fan. 😉 Perhaps it is an acquired taste, but if you like the taste of the pickled nutmeg snacks sold in Penang, you will like this too.
One of Loke Thye Kee’s signature offerings – chicken pie. It has ample filling and is creamy as a chicken pie should be. 🙂
We also ordered the nasi lemak and char kuey teow, but I did not manage to take photos before my friends tucked into them, but they said the dishes were quite good.
So, if you like traditional kopitiam fair, history and historical buildings, then you should visit Loke Thye Kee when you are in Penang.
Address:
Loke Thye Kee Restaurant
2, Jalan Burma, George Town, 10050 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
Phone:+60 4-264 1919
Hours: 7AM–11PM
Hui Min's Kitchen 