Uncle Chee Muah Chee

Special thanks to Uncle Chee Muah Chee for extending this food review invitation.

Update: This business has ceased its operations.

My Own Café (我的咖啡馆) is a small eatery on Cannon Street (Lebuh Cannon) just behind the Choo Chay Keong (慈济宫) temple. It is within short walking distance from the main entrance of Khoo Kongsi (邱公司). Due to the shop's proximity to a historic attraction, you can expect to see a large crowd in this general area of George Town especially during weekends.

Right in front of My Own Café is a dessert stall called Uncle Chee Muah Chee (Uncle Chee 麻糍). As the name implies, the specialty here is muah chee, a type glutinous rice snack which most Penangites are familiar with. This business is managed by Mr. and Mrs. Chee, who lent their family name to their stall. The name quite catchy in a way.

There are 4 flavors of muah chee to choose from: Original Muah Chee (原味麻糍, RM3.50), Corn Muah Chee (玉蜀黍麻糍, RM4.00), Yam Muah Chee (芋头麻糍, RM4.00) and Pandan Muah Chee (香兰叶麻糍, RM4.00). 3 servings of any flavor is sold at RM10.00. Not all flavors are available every day. For today, the pandan type did not make the cut.

To maintain moisture and freshness, muah chee is only made to order. A portion of glutinous rice flour is cut to bite-size chunks, then shaken with sweetened ground peanuts, and finally given a light sprinkle of white and black sesame seeds.

No animal oil is used during preparation process, therefore this muah chee snack is suitable for vegetarians. Uncle Chee Muah Chee also does not use any artificial coloring or preservatives.

In terms of taste, the glutinous rice flour is well-prepared to give springy texture (colloquially called "QQ" especially by Taiwanese). This Original Muah Chee is neutral in flavor, but one can opt for flavored ones such as sweet corn and pandan extract. The coating of roasted peanuts and sesame seeds contribute to the flavor, while also lending some lovely aroma.

Although each serving looks average-sized, it is actually very filling due to the nature of glutinous rice flour. Treating it as light snack just to satisfy curiosity, I reckon that each serving is suited for two persons. If you were to finish a serving on your own, it is quite a heavy snacking experience.

One subtle observation is that food storage and preparation at Uncle Chee Muah Chee is hygienic. For instance, unused flour is kept in sealed containers, while roasted peanuts are covered properly when not in use. Such hygiene particularly important for roadside vending, but unfortunately the situation at many Penang stalls is still far from ideal.

Most customers stop by this stall for take-away orders, but some opt to walk in My Own Café to dine and relax. There aren't many tables around, but the indoor dining section is quite spacious and cozy. Other food stalls in My Own Café are Asam Laksa and Western breakfast. T-shirt printing service is also available here.

There are hundreds of wall art littered throughout downtown George Town, some indoors while others in public areas. My Own Café has one painting of a man carrying a shoulder pole. Look carefully: the shoulder pole is actually real.

Uncle Chee Muah Chee is open almost daily at My Own Café, but it has two more locations on specific days: Gurney Paragon's Penang On 6 (Saturdays 2:00pm-10:00pm) and Occupy Beach Street (Sundays 8:00am-12:00pm). At these locations, all four flavors are usually available. Until sold out, of course.

Name: Uncle Chee Muah Chee
Address: 2, Lebuh Cannon, 10200 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 012-575-4227
Business hours: 10:00am-4:00pm, closed on alternate Wednesdays
Website: https://www.facebook.com/unclechee
Coordinates: 5.41527 N, 100.33671 E
Directions: As a tourist spot, parking in this area is quite limited. Chances are that you need to park several streets away and walk here on foot. My Own Café is the first shop to the right of the one-way Cannon Street. It is exactly behind Choo Chay Keong temple and within short walking distance from the entrance of Khoo Kongsi. Uncle Chee Muah Chee is one of the stalls in front of My Own Café.