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Penang – A Food Tour Day 1

September 4, 2013 by Tania 20 Comments

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Welcome to George town, Penang- A Food Tour Day 1

A wonderful combination of the old and new

A wonderful combination of the old and new

IMG_1693

Have you ever been to Penang, an island on the west coast of Malaysia? There are beaches and mountains, monkeys, food and more food in this friendly enchanting city.

The capital George town is a melting pot of Malaysian, Chinese and Indian cultures with a food scene that is like no where else in the world. It is varied and cheap and here in this part of Malaysia is also the perfect place to sample Nyonya cuisine described as a mixture of Malay/Chinese with some Thai influences thrown in. That means coconut milk, chilli, turmeric, ginger and all the good things. This trip was purely a food related tour so there will be no further side trips for culture. Penang is hot and unless you are here for the nightlife it is advisable to get up early and start eating before the sun takes it’s toll. George town is a very managable place to walk around and when you are sick of it…go to the beach, an hours bus ride away. There are hotels for absolutely every budget from a $20 back packers up to the sky, but my advice is try and find one with a pool. They come in handy half way through the day.  Here’s some of the places you can try Penang food.

Georgetown streets

Georgetown streets

First stop to start your day should be Toh Soon cafe, a Penang institution. This small alfresco cafe in an alleyway off  Lebuh Campbell  (off Jalan Penang ) has been pumping out 1/2 boiled eggs, Kaya ( coconut jam) toast cooked on a charcoal grill and local coffee for around 50 years. It’s packed every day with local workers and tourists alike and tables are at at premium. Don’t be afraid to wait or share a table you might end up talking to some interesting locals like we did. Try an iced coffee ( kopi bang) or a hot sweet local coffee (condensed milk fuelled) Kopi when you finally nab a table. There is one work station and a drum holding charcoal charcoal, where the bread is grilled painstakingly, from a crouched position while the water boils on the top for coffee and those half done eggs. The whole cafe packs away at the end of the day. Don’t over think just enjoy the atmosphere .

Toh Soon Cafe

Toh Soon Cafe After breakfast a walk across Lebuh Campbell and onto Jalan Kuala Kangsar will take you to a smallish city market selling fruit and all kinds of meat and poultry. This market is on the verge of extinction, there is so much change in Penang. Buildings are being demolished and staff moved on, as the government tries to “change” and “clean up” the markets.  For now the market goes on regardless of the upheaval and mess.

Well behaved pup

Changing Penang

The changing face of Penang

Crazy tiger Prawns
Meat markets
Finding Nemo

carrots and Ginger Flower
Hot chestnuts
Stink beans

The pickle section in the markets

There’s a special section in the market for pickled vegetables a dazzling coloured affair where I met a salesman that would be good in any language, and I bought pickled & candied nutmeg

A good salesman in any language

A good salesman in any language

Chee cheong fun

Chee cheong fun. A popular snack to keep up strength while shopping. Sliced noodles with sesame and dipping sauces

Back out on the street we head for Joo Hooi Cafe on corner of Lebuh Keng Kwee at 475 Penang Rd. Here you will find some of Penang’s favourite dishes. Assam Laksa, Char Kway Teow and Popiah. Small serves for tasting in a busy forward cafe….street side fun. Outside is one hellishly popular Chendol stall .Think ice, fruit, noodles, coconut & lining up

Outside Joo Hooi cafe Chendol stall

Outside Joo Hooi cafe Chendol stall always packed

A bit of a walk to Larong Lumut a quiet laneway off Lebuh Carnarvan  will reward you with Thosai, fermented rice flour pancake a North Indian breakfast dish.

Fermented rice pancake restaurant

Fermented rice pancake restaurant

Ready to make pancake

Ready to make pancake

fermented pancake

fermented pancake

RICE PANCAKE

Thosai with egg

accompaniments

accompaniments

Crunchy , light and delicious

Crunchy , light and delicious eaten with the hands

Customers eating Thosai

Customers eating Thosai kicking back and reading the paper

wow

wow

This is a quiet and really interesting part of town with lots of little Boutique hotels and heritage buildings. After the crispy delicious Thosai we headed further down Larong Lumut where we encountered a convincing traveling salesman. This is how it went…around the corner to Larong Lumut is a long lane way. Just as we were walking down the lane…

Larong Lumut

The story of a sale 1

Once upon a time

Along came a salesman.

Sale 2

He whizzed along the lane and saw his chance…..

Sale 3

Sale 4

All aboard

Some hungry looking people …

The salesman

The salesman

Delicious sweet coconut buns. He suggested we buy 3 not one…. who could resist?

After a walk back along Jalan Carnarvon for sweets we retired to the pool to cool down and dream about dinner. ( Yes, I know)

Street sweets

Street sweets

 

Sweets on the street

Sweets on the street

Still useful. A grand Mother still has it.

Still useful. A grand Mother still has it.

Bording house

Boarding house

Bus Stop, girls in the cage boys free

Bus Stop, girls in the cage boys free

Weld Quay Restaurant (or Tree Shade)  down along Weld Quay opposite the ferry terminal is the place for seafood, or in our case Crabs. I was happy to indulge Birdy (my fearless eating travel companion) her need for as much Crab as she could eat in one sitting. This Chinese restaurant is rumoured to have been here for 30 years. It is busy with families and locals who are not as amazed at what’s growing over the walls in the back room as we were. It’s almost like a garage out the back with no ceiling and as you look up you see the tree that dominates the restaurant growing up through the walls. It’s almost like dining at one of the Cambodian temples in Siem Riep. Choose from the fresh seafood near the kitchen. Check the prices as you go and watch your catch being weighed. They will discuss cooking methods and accompaniments with you before whipping it up in a jiffy. There is no air-conditioning due to the natural state of the building but I didn’t mind, that’s why they have large ( 750ml) Tiger beers! A very large ginger and garlic steamed fish and well over a kg of crab along with vegetables and beer came in at 93 Ringgit ($ 31.00)

Steamed Fish

Steamed Fish

Chilli crab

Chilli crab

Finished crab

Finished crab……

Tree Shade or Weld Quay restaurant

Tree Shade or Weld Quay restaurant

Kitchen. The line of woks

Kitchen. The line of woks

choosing a crab

choosing a crab

Choose your seafood here

Choose your seafood here

Tree walls

Tree walls

Temple of Trees

Temple of Trees

Weld Quay restaurant

Weld Quay restaurant

Weld Quay restaurant trees

Weld Quay restaurant trees

After all that crab the only thing we could do was lay down…ah holidays…. Would you like to see what happened the next day?……. come back see a little more.

 

Muntri Cafe

Muntri Cafe

MKSHEADERLOGO

Thanks to Robyn Eckhardt (eating Asia)who showed us some of these places.

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Filed Under: reviews, Travel Tagged With: Char Kway teow, Food Tour Penang, Georgetown, Malaysia, Nyonya Food, Penang, Weld Quay restaurant

Previous Post: « Goat Labneh Roasted Tomatoes Chives and Pinenuts
Next Post: Penang Food Tour. Let the eating continue. »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Christina @ The Hungry Australian

    September 15, 2013 at 10:43 pm

    My dad was born in Penang and I’ve visited there a number of times over the years. Seeing your post is like seeing Penang again through fresh eyes and it makes me want to visit Penang again. Great post, Tania.

    Reply
  2. GourmetGetaways

    September 11, 2013 at 5:51 pm

    You have captured Penang so well in your images and in the food that you have eaten. So many of those food items I tried when I was there too, I would love to be eating them now!

    Reply
  3. Martine @ Chompchomp

    September 11, 2013 at 12:17 pm

    Awesome pictorial – some really cool photos in there! Looks like you had a fabulous trip with all the right elements of a good holiday: food, culture and fun!

    Reply
  4. Suzanne Perazzini

    September 8, 2013 at 1:41 pm

    I have never been to Penang. Great colours in the buildings and such delicious looking food. Love the tree walls.

    Reply
  5. cityhippyfarmgirl

    September 7, 2013 at 8:58 pm

    I have been to Penang, many moons ago and remember that beautiful blue house well. (I remember it being cool while the rest of the place was sweltering.)
    I also remember the food being awesome. Oh to have some of that this weekend!

    Reply
  6. Jas@AbsolutelyJas

    September 6, 2013 at 8:00 pm

    A trip just about food? Thats my idea of bliss!! Thanks so much for sharing – I’ve not considered Malaysia/Penang when looking at travel in SE Asia, but now I think I will!

    Reply
  7. Lisa the Gourmet Wog

    September 6, 2013 at 10:56 am

    You have taken me on a delightful journey Tania, thank you!

    Reply
  8. Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella

    September 6, 2013 at 7:38 am

    hehe this reminds me of so many trips to Asia. So much delicious food surrounding you and you just can’t help but try it all 🙂

    Reply
  9. Nancy/SpicieFoodie

    September 6, 2013 at 6:01 am

    What a great trip and lovely photographs! I would gain like 10 kilos with all that amazing food. Thanks for sharing, Tania:)

    Reply
  10. ChgoJohn

    September 5, 2013 at 10:49 pm

    How I would love to visit a place like Panang, Tania! Walk a little, eat a little, walk a little …
    The food all looks and sounds so good. I bet you had a fantastic time. 🙂

    Reply
  11. Dedy@Dentist Chef

    September 5, 2013 at 9:58 pm

    Damn, i think i would be satisfy when i visit penang…
    btw, did u buy their famous assam laksa paste???
    i had once from my friend, it’s preety damn good!

    Reply
  12. chocolatesuze

    September 5, 2013 at 8:23 pm

    i absolutely love penang! the food is so amazing!

    Reply
  13. Angie@Angie's Recipes

    September 5, 2013 at 7:45 pm

    I would love a plate of chee cheong fun! The spicy crabs look great too.

    Reply
  14. Kari @ bite-sized thoughts

    September 5, 2013 at 7:40 pm

    I love those tree walls – and the shot of the pickled vegetables. Not so much the crabs which freak me out!

    Reply
  15. nancy@jamjnr

    September 5, 2013 at 7:31 pm

    I’m hungry just looking at the photos. I’m looking for a Chinese New Year destination maybe I’ve just found it?

    Reply
  16. InTolerant Chef

    September 5, 2013 at 6:51 pm

    Oh I want to go right now!! It sounds amazing Tania, and Malaysia is on our next holiday short list- this post may have put it in the lead! Xox

    Reply
  17. Hotly Spiced

    September 5, 2013 at 12:12 pm

    It’s so interesting, Tania and so different from Sydney. Westerners have just never done the street food thing. That cafe is interesting! I’m not sure it would pass the OH&S standards back here! Very sad to see the girls in a cage – it’s like they’re no better than animals xx

    Reply
  18. Krista

    September 5, 2013 at 12:11 pm

    What an amazing trek through town. 🙂 I love these photos! All those different foods, the graffiti, the sweet dog sleeping under the table, I love it all. 🙂

    Reply
  19. tasha

    September 5, 2013 at 9:21 am

    Oh Tania it makes we want to weep looking at all that Hawker food – my favourite. I would love to go to Penang.

    Reply
  20. yummychunklet

    September 5, 2013 at 3:20 am

    Are those sweet sesame balls? Those are delicious!

    Reply

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Tania Cusack Hi, I'm Tania and this is My Kitchen Stories. I share all kinds of recipes here. Most recipes are quick and easy, just perfect for families. BUT, you could also find vegan, cakes and desserts too. Come and have a look around Read More
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