So ‘Delicious’! Elena Kong Learns Cooking in Penang During Lunar New Year—Dreams Come True Learning Laksa & Hokkien Mee

This Lunar New Year, Penang is shining with stardom. While walking the streets or visiting friends for New Year greetings, you might bump into a celebrity at any moment!

Hong Kong’s award-winning actress Elena Kong took the rare opportunity of the festive season to vacation in Penang. Not only did she reunite with her longtime friends—Dato’ Chew Chun Ren, CEO of PENSONIC Group, and his wife—but she also seized the chance to apprentice in the kitchen under Chew’s mother, Datin Sri Tan Mei Jin, learning to cook the Penang Laksa and Hokkien Mee she’s always dreamed of mastering, finally fulfilling her culinary aspirations.

Elena revealed that after learning the dishes, she hopes to return to Hong Kong and personally cook them for her parents as a gesture of filial piety.

Her friendship with the Chew family is deep; every time she visits Penang, she always drops by their home, and Datin Sri Tan Mei Jin never fails to treat her to the most authentic Penang Laksa and Hokkien Mee, cooked with great enthusiasm.

In an interview on Wednesday, she laughed and said that after eight years, finally tasting Auntie (Datin Sri Tan Mei Jin)’s loving flavors again felt just as “delicious” as ever—she could easily eat four bowls of Laksa in one sitting and found it truly satisfying.

She recalled tasting Auntie’s home cooking multiple times over the years, and ever since the last time in 2018, she’d been thinking about it; they had planned for her to learn the recipes, but the pandemic and her busy schedule kept delaying it until now.

Recently, she had been extremely busy filming, traveling back and forth between Hong Kong, Macau, and Zhuhai, and dealing with moving and New Year arrangements so her schedule was packed. This year, she managed to take a break during the Lunar New Year, coming to Penang purely for vacation and to finally fulfill her cooking dream.

“In the past, coming to Penang was mostly for work, which was always very rushed. This time, it’s a true vacation.” She said that while Laksa and Hokkien Mee may seem simple, the cooking process is actually complicated, and every step requires care and love from the chef. Being able to taste Auntie’s handmade dishes made her feel especially blessed.

Besides “learning by observation” in the kitchen, she also took the opportunity to indulge in Penang’s street food. With Chew Chun Ren as her guide, she tasted authentic local delicacies such as Hokkien Char (fried noodles), Koay Teow Th’ng (noodle soup), and Char Koay Teow (fried rice noodles), which she found absolutely delectable.3d

However, she joked that she hadn’t yet eaten her favorite durian this trip—she’s still waiting for arrangements, hoping it will be fulfilled.

Elena also praised Penang for its lively and festive New Year atmosphere—especially being impressed by the grand scale of the Jade Emperor’s birthday celebrations the night before. At midnight, the sound of firecrackers and fireworks filled the sky, making the night bright and lively until dawn; the festive spirit was overwhelming.

She said the excitement from setting off firecrackers and fireworks during New Year reminded her of many childhood memories—traveling back to the countryside with her parents, setting off fireworks with family, and being surrounded by laughter. Now, experiencing the same festive atmosphere in Penang made her feel especially warm.

“Chinese New Year in Malaysia is so lively! As soon as I arrived in Penang, I went to friends’ houses for New Year gatherings, greeted by the God of Wealth and lion dance troupes, with the sound of firecrackers everywhere. It was so festive,” she said with a smile.

She added that she got to ‘lo hei’ (prosperity toss) almost every day, and every family had their own unique way of doing it, with lots of creativity and meaningful symbolism, which was eye-opening.

Besides the lively festive activities, the traditional New Year snacks also surprised her. This trip she tried steamed niangao (sticky rice cake) with coconut and crushed peanuts, and praised its sweet taste and non-sticky texture—it was delicious.

She mentioned that local niangao is similar to the version made by Fujian people in Hong Kong’s rural areas, but in Hong Kong, people usually eat it sliced and pan-fried. She plans to try steaming it when she returns to see if it’s just as tasty.

As for her future plans, she shared that if there’s a suitable opportunity, she would love to film in Malaysia and experience the creative atmosphere in a different cultural setting. As for her New Year wish, she laughed and said the most important things are safety, health, and happiness: “I hope to keep spreading positive energy, and I wish everyone a joyful day every day.”

She also specially praised local fans for being friendly and polite. During her vacation, no matter where she went, she ran into fans, but everyone was considerate—not disturbing her while eating or with friends, only politely approaching for photos when she was ready to leave. This touched her deeply.