Lorong Seratus Tahun at SS2 used to be one of my favorite places to go whenever I think of Penang food. They had real Penang hawker food prepared with authentic ingredients and was one of the very few places where you could fine Curry Mee served with coagulated pork blood, which is to me, one of the most crucial item in the that dish.

I was so happy when I first discovered it and wrote a glowing food review.

lorong seratus tahun, pork free
Lorong Seratus Tahun at SS2, now PORK FREE (yawn)

We ended up there again this afternoon to find that the places is now renovated in the to a familiar Old Town/Kluang Kopitiam style. The menu expanded to include quite a few dishes that you can’t find in Penang hawker stalls, and prices too were increased by some 15-20%. The lady boss told me I can’t snap a picture of the menu, hmm..

Which to me, was still fine if they are still serving good old fashion good. I just wanted my curry mee with coagulated pork blood.

And then I was shown by Suan that the menu said PORK FREE! THE HORROR!

pork free curry mee and char kueh teow, disappointment
Curry Mee, and Char Kueh Teow without lap cheong (Chinese sausage)

Well since we were already there, we ordered anyway. The place was noticeably busy, so our food took a while to come. However, it was a bit of a bad job for them to serve Horng’s char kueh teow a full 15 minutes before Suan’s.

The Char Kueh Teow now does not come with Lap Cheong (Chinese Sausage), nor do they still use any pork oil in cooking it. A rather good good plate of ckt is now a very ordinary one, RM 7.50.

The Curry Mee, without coagulated pork blood, is not too different from any curry mee you can find anywhere else. Nothing special, RM 6.50. (3 years ago it was RM 4.50).

Horng also ordered a plate of Loh Bak at RM 9.50, and as expected, instead of pork we found chicken breast inside the loh bak. Quite a turn off.

In total, we spent RM 63.95 (5% service charge). Being slightly priceir than other places is fine, but removing all pork ingredients and still calling it “authentic Penang food” is just wrong. Granted the food isn’t terrible, but it’s not at all close to what it used to be.

I’m disappointed, that would be the last time I step foot in the restaurant if it stays this way.

p/s: Happy Merdeka.

When Good Chinese Food turns Pork Free …
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47 thoughts on “When Good Chinese Food turns Pork Free …

  • August 31, 2009 at 4:00 pm
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    Wah, that’s quite pricey, especially for disappointing food. Is this the first time you’re writing a non-awesome food review? 😀

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  • August 31, 2009 at 4:04 pm
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    no….i loved their curry mee 🙁 pork-free my arse.

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  • August 31, 2009 at 4:06 pm
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    Ya, I agreed with you. It will nvr be good and I think it’s over-priced!

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  • August 31, 2009 at 4:13 pm
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    i used to love them. now i will never go back, unless they bring back ze pork. i don’t think they will. they should have asked their customers before making such changes. good luck have fun, hope you enjoy watching your used-to-be faithful customers disappear.

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  • August 31, 2009 at 4:15 pm
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    The bane of globalization.. Everyone just wants to pocket the money and in the process, destroy traditions..

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  • August 31, 2009 at 4:22 pm
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    That sucks, that place used to rock. One of the only places to get proper authentic curry mee.

    Looks like it’s just the same as everywhere else now.

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  • August 31, 2009 at 4:39 pm
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    Ya, where is the babi?

    but it did make me think of Penang at that moment cos their food sucks now.

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  • August 31, 2009 at 4:41 pm
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    The food is over-priced and tasteless…
    Anyway, I.WILL.NEVER.EVER.GOING.BACK.ANYMORE!!!
    kthxbai~

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  • August 31, 2009 at 4:52 pm
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    OMG! that’s exactly how I felt when I went there last Sunday with my family. I felt really disappointed and cheated – ’cause the prices were up by so much to eat something that was not really what I was looking forward too!

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  • August 31, 2009 at 5:29 pm
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    RM 10.50 for two “Penang Chendol”???!!? o.O That cost like RM 1.20 in Penang – a good one at that! I think they are quite pricier after having the chance to appear in a quite a number of food shows on tv. And since it is run by the family of the good ol’ Lorong Seratus Curry mee owner in Pnenag so we’re paying for the name not the food.

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  • August 31, 2009 at 5:50 pm
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    I think they are trying to go halal. Maybe it is some requirement for something they are trying to do?

    They’re probably trying to justify a price increase. Too bad they don’t know where their bread is buttered.

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  • August 31, 2009 at 6:53 pm
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    I never even tried it yet and it turned to pork-free? Guess I will have to make my way to the real Lorong Seratus Tahun…

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  • August 31, 2009 at 7:15 pm
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    Mellissa,
    haha, this is the first time not-so-awesome review, but I had a few BAD reviews. 😀

    kimberlycun,
    I guess we need to find somewhere else!

    uLi,
    Yah, so sien!

    Simon Seow,
    Don’t know what’s up their sleeves. -__-

    suanie,
    Yah, they should have done a survey or at least talk to the customers first.

    rubinho,
    I don’t think they’re gonna pocket that much if ppl stop going. hehe

    ShaolinTiger,
    Yah, no more reason to go there.

    Myhorng,
    Bring back the babi!!!

    sotong,
    The feeling is mutual!

    pr3judice,
    Yah, I guess we’re not the only ones.

    Chef Mel,
    Was just giving it a try, the chendol was not really too bad, but too pricey for what we got.

    Christine,
    But it’s SS2, there are virtually no Muslim diners around the area anyway.

    JD,
    Yah, go to Penang. lol

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  • August 31, 2009 at 7:17 pm
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    RM10.80 for two bowls of cendol??? Better stick to those cendol vans.

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  • August 31, 2009 at 9:51 pm
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    Precious Pea,
    Yahh, a bit too expensive!

    Paul Tan,
    :S

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  • August 31, 2009 at 11:21 pm
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    Sad. Another good food place selling out its soul for the sake of getting a few extra customers.

    Speaking of pork, though, have you tried Ribs @ Oasis? It’s good, hearty non-halal stuff 🙂

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  • August 31, 2009 at 11:26 pm
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    this is what happens when some punk ass morons with Bachelors in Commerce or Marketing or something comes home to take over family business, then comes up with the brilliant idea of expanding the business, and ultimately… screws up…

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  • August 31, 2009 at 11:55 pm
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    WHAT HORROR!!! After 3 years in the UK, I lived for their curry meeee! Looks like I wont be going there anymore 🙁

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  • September 1, 2009 at 12:58 am
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    yucks. that day i had kuey teow teng it was so bad i couldnt even finish it. and my friend’s char kuey teow was hotter than hanabero. or however u spell it.

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  • September 1, 2009 at 2:17 am
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    I am familiar with places like these, but I unerstand how they might want to increase the clientele, at the expense of losing some. Profits does not always equal to good food.

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  • September 1, 2009 at 9:04 am
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    My experience from Taipan, Subang with my boyfriend. The food was lousy! lousy! lousy! I ordered the Meehoon Prawn Noodle (Darn Salty). His Char Kuey Teow looks so plain. Nothing to shout about. My drink Limau Barli is so cloudy and it looks like yesterday’s drink. We will NEVER EVER go there again for any meals. We will also NEVER recommend this place to any of our friends. STRIKE them OUT!!

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  • September 1, 2009 at 9:23 am
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    Enoch,
    And I’m not sure if they manage to get any extra customers that way. Ribs? Not yet, will do that when I have the chance. 😀

    RealGunners,
    Hahha very good analysis!

    Lydia,
    Very tragic! I know!!

    Cheesie,
    No point going there now lorrr

    hazza,
    At another location perhaps, but if you want to attract Muslim crowd, SS2 isn’t the place

    June T,
    Yah, out of my list already! 🙂

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  • September 1, 2009 at 10:13 am
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    MY first visit 2 mths ago was the 1st time and last time i stepped into tht place!

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  • September 1, 2009 at 10:48 am
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    went there recently and thought the food was just “meh”…managed to get shots of the menu since the staff were just rushing around and the tables and chairs were haphazardly placed everywhere there was a bit of space..can foresee disaster for any folks requiring physical assistance..

    if they bring back the pork, maybe i’d consider going there again, but not otherwise…

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  • September 1, 2009 at 11:37 am
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    aiks, such a sour post and Happy Merdeka? 🙂
    hehe, how ironic.

    i wasnt sold on the concept of modernizing the outlet at all.

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  • September 1, 2009 at 11:54 am
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    wow, now it has turn bad ha..
    i used to dine there quite often last year.

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  • September 1, 2009 at 1:46 pm
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    Went there one week after renovation/upgrade. Didn’t manage to order THE CURRY MEE as it has finished apparently (guess I didn’t miss much as there is no pork). Have to order something else as replacement. After eat when paying time, spoke to the lady boss. Apparently she receive quite a few customer comment/suggestion to upgrade the shop, and her “CONSULTANT” also suggested to change the style due to the business has come to bottleneck/stagnant…

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  • September 1, 2009 at 2:06 pm
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    thenomadGourmand,
    Can’t blame you.

    beetrice,
    Agree totally. 🙂

    J2Kfm,
    Hahaha, yah true, true!

    taufulou,
    Yah, same lor!

    snoop,
    change the style is fine, but change for the better instead of this change for the worse :S

    Reply
  • September 1, 2009 at 3:24 pm
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    why would they wanna make it pork free now? People knew that all these while that it’s not halal and it wouldn’t make a difference now! How silly…

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  • September 1, 2009 at 8:19 pm
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    I was there just yesterday.. around 1230pm! What a coincidence.. I actually don’t mind the CKT and rojak there.. Curry mee is alright too. It’s difficult to find decent CKT. And cleaner compared to coffeeshops..

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  • September 1, 2009 at 9:50 pm
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    I went there a day after their renovation and was looking forward to trying the curry noodles everyone was talking about. it was definitely a disappointment, the contents were little for that kinda price and the taste is more terrible than the curry noodle i get in ss2 coffee shop. worst thing is i had a serious bout of food poisoning about 4hrs after i consumed their contaminated food! i know its the curry noodles because i did not eat anything b4 that =( those damned noodles caused me so much pain, not to mention my medication fees! now i cringe inwardly whenever i see the words ‘lorong seratus tahun’. i really really discourage anyone from eating there again.

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  • September 2, 2009 at 9:44 am
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    eiling,
    Weirdest logic ever if you ask me. I don’t think it’s gonna work.

    Jac,
    True, but if you’ve had what they used to serve, you’d be disappointed. 🙂

    miss phe,
    Yahhh, I guess the search for a better place begins

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  • September 2, 2009 at 9:49 am
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    aiyohh i didnt even get to try the non halal version..tat sucks..

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  • September 2, 2009 at 12:08 pm
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    i went to this restaurant many times before, like thier char keoy toew. but now…. price increase , food tasteless …
    rojak need RM6.50 ++ …nothing special
    so , i wont go bk AGAIN

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  • September 2, 2009 at 7:57 pm
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    happy merdeka..that’s why..the concept of 1Malaysia isn’t getting ALL Malaysians to eat pork, but to get ALL Malaysians to go pork free!!!

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  • September 3, 2009 at 12:12 am
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    lotsofcravings,
    Too bad! 😛

    fattyjean,
    Yah, exactly how we felt 🙁

    Paul Tan,
    Thanks!

    Yatz,
    Blaaa nothing to do with 1Malaysia laaa lets not politicize 🙂

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  • September 4, 2009 at 8:31 pm
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    KY is the man.

    i will too, boycott pork free place

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  • September 7, 2009 at 2:58 pm
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    jason,
    Oh well, very tragic isn’t it!

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  • September 20, 2009 at 7:21 pm
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    Looks like a usual practice of trying to widen market share but unable to retain those market which they already have. They try to get new customers but push their die hard fans away. What’s a bad move.

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  • September 20, 2009 at 11:34 pm
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    Boon,
    Yah, how disappointing, haih

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    • March 10, 2011 at 8:26 am
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      peteformation: thanks for the tips! it’s awesome 😀

      Reply
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