HAINANESE SPRING ROLLS or choon piah may be related to Popiah, but they are not the same thing. This uniquely Penang dish with origins from Nyonya and Hainanese kitchens is a deep fried, golden brown dish that is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Popiah, however, is not fried. Choon piah is served during the Spring festival—better known as Chinese New Year; it is an auspicious golden brown (by the way, choon means spring in the Hokkien dialect).
The original choon piah was served at old Penang’s heritage Hainanese/ Nyonya/ Western restaurants like Loke Thye Kee at Penang Road, Garden Hotel and Hollywood restaurants at Tanjong Bungah, and Chooi Lim Koo at Air Itam. The delicate, pancake-like skins enveloping savoury ingredients are served with cut chillies in ang moh tau eu, a local version of Lea & Perrin’s Worcestershire sauce.
Today, Garden Hotel, Loke Thye Kee and Chooi Lim Koo have closed down, and other restaurants in Penang have begun serving choon piah. Some are more authentic, using specially-made pancake-like skin, but many have swapped it for Popiah skins since these are commercially available and they are easier to keep crispy after frying. Some dip them in a thin batter before deep-frying, giving their choon piah a crunchier texture.
