GEORGE TOWN, Aug 26 — About 100 years ago, Lim Song Shen learned how to make oyster omelette (or chien in Hokkien) in his hometown in Shandong, China.

When he arrived in the then-Malaya in the early 20th century, he decided to set up a small stall in a coffee shop at the junction of Carnavon Lane and Carnavon Street.

Located near the Sia Boey Market and Prangin Canal, the area was a bustling trading site so the coffee shop Lim was in was always busy.

The or chien is served with chilli sauce.

However, a few decades later, Lim had to shift his stall to another coffee shop diagonally across the road, still along Carnavon Street.

His son, Lim Teong Liang, who often helped out at the stall at Seng Thor Coffee Shop took over the business sometime in the 1960s.

Teong Liang continued to man the stall for many decades while maintaining the same recipe his father taught him many years ago.

The batter was poured in to fry first.

Today, Teong Liang too has retired and his son, Nan Sheng, has taken over the stall.

"I took over about five years ago because my father wanted to retire and rest after so many years of doing this,” he said.

"This is all I know so when my father wanted to retire, it was natural that I took over,” he said.

He flips the omelette when it turns golden brown.

He said the recipe is still the same one his grandfather used.

Their style of oyster omelette is a balanced mixture of eggs, flour and oysters that is not too starchy.

Nan Sheng, 50, said different stalls have different ways of frying oyster omelettes.

Oysters are stir fried with garlic before being added to the concoction.

"I sometimes fry it in large batches to be able to meet more orders as customers are usually impatient,” he said.

The batter with generous servings of oysters is poured into the pan and fried to a fragrant golden colour before he turns it over.

The gooey mass of eggs, flour and oysters is ready when it reaches a firm and slightly crispy consistency.

Or Chien Seng Thor Coffee Shop (Town Cafe) Carnavon Street, George Town. Time: 1pm-5pm Closed on alternate Wednesdays