Kedai 164 – Penang’s food address
By JereMY TAN KEDAI 164 is probably one of the most famous addresses in Penang. Never heard of it?
Well, it’s also called Hameediyah Restaurant and has delighted both locals and tourists with mouthwatering Indian- Muslim delicacies long before the nation was born.
Tracing its roots back to 1907, the quaint eatery at 164- A Campbell Street in central George Town has evolved and endured over the decades, surviving a global conflict and seeing thenMalaya declare independence.
Times may have changed, but its popularity remains constant.
The business was founded by Nalla Kader, who emigrated to what was then Prince of Wales Island in 1890 from a small village called Chittar Kottai in the Ramanathapuram district of Tamilnadu, India.
He initially rented the premises, UNDER British rule, this land saw a hodgepodge of governmental systems that created a list of problems for its people for centuries.
Sabah was governed by the British North Borneo Company. Sarawak belonged to the White Rajah Dynasty, rulers descended from Englishman James Brooke.
Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak and Selangor were called the Federated Malay States and the British were particularly protective of them because of their abundance of tin.
Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Perlis and Terengganu were the Unfederated Malay States, which were standalone British protectorates without a common legal system.
Penang, Malacca, Singapore and later Labuan – with their vital ports – the British held tightest, ruling them as the Straits Settlement and later, Crown Colony.
This set- up began in the late 1800s and was established by 1910.
After World War II, the British moved to strengthen their hold on which is still in use today, to sell mee goreng and pasembur. It was simply known as Kedai 164. Later, it became his base for preparing food that he would sell around town.
The items were placed in two large baskets tied to the ends of the sturdy kandar pole carried across the shoulder, which gave the assortment of delicacies its collective name.
In 1907, Hameediyah Restaurant was properly established and the early clientele ranged from port workers and civil servants to local traders and rickshaw pullers. Response was good, word of mouth help spread popularity and the business flourished.
After Nalla died in 1927, his only son Muhammad took up the reins. When World War II broke out in 1941, the eatery survived being strafed by Japanese warplanes that mistook a row of hand- pulled rickshaws nearby for cannons.
Emerging unscathed from the the land by forming the Malayan Union in 1946. But wanting more workers, they relaxed citizenship laws to the point that nearly anyone could get it.
They also reduced the powers of the Sultans greatly and gave nearly full administration powers to the Malayan Union governor and the states’ British Residents. This angered the local population, who all but boycotted state functions and meetings.
In a knee- jerk response, the British dissolved the Malayan Union and formed the Federation of Malaya just two years later. They restored the rulers’ powers conflict, the business then passed to Abu Baker, Muhammad’s grandson. Around that time they were said to have created murtabak, which they still spell as murtabah today.
British colonialists who returned after the war years called it the Indian Burger instead.
Abu Baker’s relative Abdul Sukkoor eventually took over. In 1957, the nation gained independence and business boomed.
He ran it for a decade or two before letting his sons Ahamed Seeni Pakir and Syed Ibrahim take the helm in the 1980s. They still remember the stories their father told them about the period just after the declaration.
“He said everyone was full of and tightened citizenship, but migration problems had set in.
“My grandfather came here in 1900 when he was just 18. He left India in search of a better future, but found himself nearly stateless because of the legal problems,” said foodstuff dealer Mohamed Meera Sahib, 46.
Mohamed Meera is named after his grandfather, who was literate and found a job as a clerk in a spices and herb shop in Penang street.
Years later, he was accepted as a company partner and in 1954, he took over the business entirely after the founders retired and joy. People were in high spirits and riding a wave of patriotism. “Many gathered their friends and family members, and came over to the shop to have the most lavish meals to mark the occasion. They spent a lot,” revealed Ahamed.
He and Syed have had their fair share of memories over the years, not least the multi- racial clientele that keep coming back.
“Over time, some have become like friends. They come back for reunions and it’s nice hearing them reminiscing about the good old days over good food,” he added.
The brothers still oversee operations today, but are assisted by Syed’s sons Muhamad Riyaaz and Abdul Sukkoor.
For an establishment to have survived this long in Penang where eateries abound, one thing is certain – the food must be good.
Ahamed puts it all down to their curries. Made with hand- ground named the shop M. Mohamed Meera Sahib.
Though he was already 72 and had settled down here for decades, his citizenship applications were mired in red tape by the British.
When Aug 31, 1957 came, it was settled. With the freedom to decide, the independent Malayan government took note of all the local people who had been part of the country’s growth and allowed citizenship applications.
The shop in Penang Street was set up in March 1957. It is named Mohamed Meera Sahib Sdn Bhd, after the young man who came from India and gave everything he spice blends, he believes they stand out from contemporaries.
“They are unmatchable and you can taste the difference. Back in the day when there weren’t many options, if people wanted nasi kandar they’d come here,” he claimed.
Beyond the food, Hameediyah is also forging into the future by embracing the latest dining trends. It recently opened a new outlet at Medan Perniagaan Pauh Jaya along Jalan Baru in Seberang Prai, which is unlike any of its kind.
Occupying 4,500sq ft across three lots, it is fully air- conditioned and utilises a computerised system for ordering. Food is prepared in a modern, high- tech kitchen, while the dining area has wall murals for diners to snap photos with.
Both outlets have introduced many new dishes but still serve time- honoured signature dishes like rose chicken, beef rendang andfish head curry, which are still cooked using the same recipes that rolled out all those years ago. had to settle down here.
Even the in- house brand “Meera 1882” recognises the year their grandfather was born.
The shop is one of Penang’s leading retailers in halal spices, lentils, dates, food and household products.
Despite being run by the fourth- generation descendants now, they still enjoy the patronage of those who knew their grandfather.
Always charge reasonably, their grandfather told them, so that customers will not feel the pinch.
“We have stuck to that motto all these years,” Mohamed Meera said, smiling.