ChinaHouse: The Longest Cafe in Penang (Malaysia) Stretching 400 Feet!

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This article is part of the Penang Food Trip series. Check out the installments in this series: Auntie Gaik Lean’s Old School Eatery (MICHELIN-Starred Peranakan Restaurant) | Hameediyah Restaurant (Nasi Kandar) | Kafe Ping Hooi and Tiger Char Koay Teow (Traditional Coffee Shop with Popular Char Kway Teow) | Kimberley Street Food Night Market | Lok-lok (Street Food Skewers) | Moh Teng Pheow Nyonya Koay (Traditional Snacks or Desserts) | Penang Road Famous Laksa and Teochew Chendul | Sister Curry Mee (Curry Noodles) | Toh Soon Cafe (Traditional Coffee Shop)

George Town (Penang) is a haven for coffee enthusiasts. You will not run out of hip or unique cafes to visit when you’re there. We visited one of the fascinating ones, which is ChinaHouse.

Established in 2011, ChinaHouse is one of the most visited cafes in Penang. It’s located in three heritage buildings that were converted into fourteen spaces, which include galleries, shops, restaurants, and the cafe. It’s also the longest cafe in Penang, with the length of 400 feet (122 meters)!

At the entrance of the Beach Street side is Kopi C Bar and Beach Street Bakery. The bakery serves fifty different cakes and desserts every day (more on its cakes later)!

Going further is the Reading Room, where there are books you can read:

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Beside the Reading Room is the Wine Room:

There’s also the Courtyard, where you can do open-air dining:

At the other end (Victoria Street side) is Canteen, a restaurant that features different live bands every night:

And at the second floor are the art gallery and a shop that sells Malaysian handicrafts:

It’s amusing to explore the different spaces in ChinaHouse. Each space has its own character. But let’s now talk about what we came there for—its cakes!

We tried their bestselling Tiramisu with Alcohol. Its cake is moist, covered with a creamy frosting that has a nice coffee taste. It’s also covered with a lot of candied walnuts, which give the cake some texture. I understand why this is a bestseller, and it’s easily my favorite at ChinaHouse!

We also tried their Decadent 6-Layer Chocolate Cake with Milk Chocolate Curls (yeah, it’s a mouthful). Nothing special about it so I suggest trying other flavors instead.

My wife loves potatoes so she tried the Chunky Fries, which is like British-style chips. It’s pillowy inside and perfectly seasoned. The textures vary per piece, and that’s good because we know that it’s really housemade. Overall, it’s good and filling!

The fries come with a barbecue dip but it’s unlike an American barbecue sauce. It’s just a sweet and sour sauce to me. Skip this one!

For the drinks, I got the Iced Coffee Milo Dinosaur. To the uninitiated, Milo Dinosaur is a popular drink in Malaysia and Singapore. It’s made with Milo, a chocolate malt drink, and topped with Milo powder. ChinaHouse’s version is a simple, caffeinated Milo Dinosaur, and I like it.

Left to Right: Iced Coffee Milo Dinosaur and Crushed Mint and Lime Soda

Lastly, my wife got the Crushed Mint and Lime Soda. Honestly, it’s tasteless. So we requested for sugar syrup, which improved the drink.

If you’re into cafes, then ChinaHouse should be on your Penang itinerary. It’s an Instagrammer’s playground, and a good place to hang out. They also make, I believe, good cakes (their tiramisu cake is good so I assume that most of their cakes are promising). Next time, I will try more cakes and savory items. I highly recommend it to you!

Address: 153 & 155 Beach St. & 183B Victoria St., George Town, Penang, Malaysia | Operating Hours: Sunday-Thursday, 9AM-12AM; Friday & Saturday, 9AM-1AM (Note: This schedule is based on their website. However, other sources, like their Facebook page, have differing operating hours. So it’s best to contact them before visiting.) | Contact No.: +60 4-263 7299 | Facebook | Instagram | Website

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