Special thanks to Jia Xiang for extending this food review invitation.
Update: This business has ceased its operations.
Jia Xiang The Most Authentic Sagor Char (家乡古早味炒硕硪) is one of the three recently refurbished shops along Transfer Road.
The dining area of Jia Xiang is relatively small; it can barely accommodate 30 people.
The first thing which is obvious when I first stepped in: The proprietors take much effort to decorate the place elegantly.
On the walls are countless pieces of Lego toys. I guess these are the proprietors’ personal collection.
The decorations are not too fancy as most of these items can be handcrafted. This shows that economical and elegance are not mutually exclusive.
The concept behind Jia Xiang is to return to roots of traditional Penang delicacies, many of which have been neglected or commercialized in the name of profiteering.
The two signature dishes here, as the menu implies, are Sagor Char and Bihun Yam.
In addition, there are also a number of add-ons and side dishes to choose from.
The Bihun Yam (RM7.90) is one of the two house specialty. Unlike regular noodle soup, this dish is prepared by boiling taro (芋头) for several hours. As a result, the soup becomes very starchy and filling. Thick mee hoon is recommended for this dish.
Other goodies in this dish are minced pork, meat balls and Chinese cabbage. Overall, it is a well-balanced and hearty meal indeed.
As for the Sagor Char (RM8.00), this dish is rarely found in hawker stalls nowadays due to the long preparation process. It is similar to fried radish cake (炒萝卜糕), except that sago is used instead.
To prepare, raw sago is boiled until it forms a block of translucent paste. Once the paste solidifies, it is cut into manageable-sized stripes, such as the ones shown here.
The sago stripes are then pan-fried with various ingredients such as eggs, bean sprouts, fish balls and shrimps. The last two ingredients are suspect because I do not remember any seafood being used in the traditional recipe. I guess this does help to elevate the “value” of this dish up to a restaurant’s standard.
But what’s more important is that the sago stripes need to remain springy. Fortunately, this dish is well-prepared by my standards.
Next, the Lok Bak (RM1.80) is made of minced pork instead of pork slices. As the meat rolls are prepared in-house, I can feel the goodness of freshly minced pork.
For drinks, I had the Kopi-O which is not available on the regular menu. The coffee is served in a metallic cup for nostalgic purpose.
Homemade Lor Han Kuo Longan (RM2.20) is another beverage which is prepared in-house. This drink is available in hot or cold versions.
One of the proprietors also operates a catering business, so she generously offered us her signature cream puff. The puff is easy on the mouth and has well-balanced sweetness. A box of 30 pieces is available for RM10.00. Although it seems like a lot, you will be surprised by how much can eat after taking the first bite!
Overall, I think the dishes available at Jia Xiang are reasonably nice, although I believe some people may cry heresy for using shrimps and fish balls to prepare Sagor Char. As far as I am concern, I am OK with seafood.
I have yet to visit the other two adjacent eateries beside Jia Xiang: 200 Porridge (200粥) and Momochi. Perhaps I should!
Name: Jia Xiang The Most Authentic Sagor Char (家乡古早味炒硕硪)
Address: 200-A, Jalan Transfer, 10050 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 016-433-3302
Business hours: 9:00am-6:00pm, closed on Tuesdays
Website: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jia-Xiang/541502732646701
Coordinates: 5.41883 N, 100.32963 E
Directions: From Jalan Burma (Burmah Road), turn right to Jalan Transfer (Transfer Road). Jia Xiang is the middle of three shops on the left, directly opposite the police station. For parking, turn left to Jalan Kedah immediately after the shops. Street parking is available.