Today, I revisited the Food Place food court, located at Pavilion Mall. The food court is located beside the Oriental Kopi Restaurant.
This time, I ordered Yam rice with stew pork from the BM Yam Rice stall, which cost RM22.00 per set. BM here stand for Bukit Mertajam.
This dish is a speciality from Bukit Mertajam (BM), Penang, now served at the BM Yam Rice outlet inside Pavilion Mall’s food court. The rice is cooked together with yams, giving it a subtle earthy sweetness and a fluffy yet hearty texture. Traditionally, yam rice is seasoned with soy sauce, shallot oil, and sometimes dried shrimp, making it fragrant and savoury. It is paired with a rich dark soy-braised pork stew, where chunks of pork, hard-boiled eggs, and mushrooms are slowly simmered in a master stock made of soy sauce, garlic, star anise, and spices. The result is a dish full of umami depth and comforting warmth.
The bold, savoury notes of the braised dishes are balanced by a bowl of sour preserved vegetable soup (kiam chai th’ng). The soup, made with mustard greens and preserved vegetables, has a tangy, refreshing taste that cuts through the richness of the braised pork, completing the meal.
Yam rice with braised pork and preserved vegetable soup is a well-loved speciality of Bukit Mertajam, Penang, reflecting strong Teochew and Hokkien culinary influences. Traditionally served in small coffee shops as an affordable and hearty one-meal dish, it became a food identity of the town. Over time, “BM Yam Rice” evolved into a recognisable brand, carrying this comforting hometown flavour into cities like Kuala Lumpur.
The combination of fragrant yam rice, savoury soy-braised pork, and tangy preserved vegetable soup makes this dish not just filling but also a nostalgic comfort food rooted in Malaysian Chinese heritage.
