80 years Hainanese Kopitiam in Georgetown - Hai Onn Restaurant @ Jalan Burmah Georgetown Penang

The 80 years old Hai Onn Restaurant tucked in the bustling Jalan Burmah is one of the very few restaurant that sells authentic Hainanese dishes. Manned by the second generation, Hai Onn Restaurant dishes out many classic and no-frills dishes such as Hainanese Chicken Chop, Hailam Mee, Roti Babi, stir-fried dishes and many more. Interestingly, the price of here is relatively inexpensive but be prepared for a long wait if you go during peak hours. 

We like the Hainanese chicken chops here. The chicken cutlet has been sliced into small deboned pieces, then drenched with light brown sauce and served along with a small quantity of green beans, onions and potatoes. Lightly dress the chicken cutlet with some chili sauce for a more rounded taste. 

Another worthy try dish is the Hailam Mee. It is cooked with a light starchy gravy, unlike the conventional hawkers that usually will prepare the noodles with dark soy sauce. The starchy sauce offers a sleek taste that goes well with the mixture of noodles and vermicelli. You can request for a plate of sole yellow noodles as well, which is how the way Hainanese people would have it. 

Dress the noodles with a tad of sambal provided to give it a pleasant heat component.

Hai Onn Restaurant also serves Roti Babi, a type of Hainanese toasted bread (French toast) coated with egg, then filled with minced pork meat, onion and a range of spices. The filling taste is somehow similar to lobak, albeit with a relatively tuned down flavour. It is hard to find Roti Babi nowadays and we were excited to see it over here.

The Kopi Peng here will be a joyous factor for those hantu kopi then yearn for a cup of coffee with strong Robusta flavour. 

Overall, a plate of Hainanese Chicken Chop, Hailam Mee, Roti Babi and a glass of Kopi Peng cost RM 21.50, which we felt was relatively affordable. A Hainanese Chicken Chop at a restaurant probably would have cost about RM 15 - RM 20 solely.

Get yourself a taste of Hainan flavour at Hai Onn Restaurant, and hopefully the transformation of Georgetown into a modern city will not devour such a gem in the heart of the city.

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