Ah Beng Rojak

Special thanks to Ah Beng Rojak for extending this food review invitation.

Kim Kim Food Corner (金金美食坊) was formerly known as Restoran Satu Sembilan Sembilan Lapan (1998美食中心). What remains unchanged over the years is the Ah Beng Rojak stall. The proprietor also operates a daytime stall at Bishop Street (Lebuh Bishop) in George Town. This explains why this nighttime stall only opens around 9:30pm.

Ah Beng Rojak sells one and only one dish: Rojak, or Fruit Rojak to be more precise. Serving sizes are available at prices of RM3.00, RM4.00, RM5.00, RM6.00 or any customized portion. One of the reasons why this stall remains wildly popular is because the pricing remains unchanged throughout the years despite increasing cost of ingredients.

The most important aspect of Fruit Rojak is the rojak sauce. The black, viscous sauce is prepared from scratch at home. Using premium grade belacan (shrimp paste, 虾膏), the sauce also contains tamarind (asam) juice and sugar.

With a consistency even thicker than honey, the dressing has a lovely combination of savory, sweet and tangy flavors. A unique aspect of Ah Beng Rojak's recipe is that the sauce does not disintegrate into its constituents even after several hours. Customers may also buy the rojak sauce in bulk. Pre-ordering is recommended because it takes several hours to prepare the sauce.

The Fruit Rojak contains various cut fruits including mango, pineapple, guava, rose apple (jambu air), jicama (sengkuang), ambarella (kedondong) and cucumber. Boiled cuttlefish is also thrown into the mix.

The rojak dressing includes a spicy blend of chili pepper cultivars: ghost chili (印度灯笼椒), Vietnamese chili (越南青椒), bird's eye chili (小辣椒) and dried chili (辣椒干). Belacan powder is also added for enhanced savoriness. Also included to improve mouthfeel are fried youtiao (油条), ground peanuts and shrimps crumbs (虾米碎).

Ah Beng Rojak enjoys nearly nonstop orders from the moment it opens around 9:30pm. The stall's customers have been known to travel from as far as Batu Ferringhi and Seberang Perai. Be advised that Ah Beng Rojak may close earlier as soon as its ingredients are sold out. The stall may also be closed if it rains.

Name: Ah Beng Rojak
Address: 288, Jalan Thean Teik, 11500 Air Itam, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 016-477-2705
Business hours: 9:30pm-12:00am, closed on Tuesdays
Website: https://www.facebook.com/ahbengrojak
Coordinates: 5.39788 N, 100.28830 E
Directions: Kim Kim Food Corner (金金美食坊) is located at the commercial square near Sunshine Farlim. The hawker center faces the main road, Jalan Thean Teik. Ah Beng Rojak is one of the stalls inside. There are parking spaces surrounding the commercial square.