The best things to eat in Penang, Malaysia’s food paradise – Hokkien mee, char kway teow, Nyonya kuih and more
Friends, friends’ relatives and a tour guide take Susan Jung on a journey to find the most delicious street and restaurant food in Penang. In the first of two reports, she heads to the historic state capital of George Town
The scene that took place as I was eating with a tour guide and a friend on the streets of George Town in Penang seemed so contrived I wondered if we were being covertly filmed by a Malaysian tourism group.
All of the local Penangites I had asked about where and what to eat insisted that the Malaysian state has the best food in the country. They said that people from other parts of Malaysia travel there on the weekends, and even Singaporeans make the long trip up just to eat there.
They advised me that it was best to visit on weekdays, rather than the weekend, when the state, especially the capital city of George Town – the historical core of which is a Unesco World Heritage Site – gets even more crowded with hungry visitors.
As if to prove their point, a group passing by our table spotted the apoms – small folded pancakes made from fermented rice flour batter – we were eating. “Where did you get those? We’ve been looking all over for them!” they said excitedly.
We gave directions to the vendor across the street, and the ladies told the men to go and buy some. “Get 20,” they ordered. Then they second guessed themselves. “Is 20 enough? Maybe we should get more...” We asked where they were from. Singapore, they said, adding: “We come to Penang for the food.”
The eating began as soon as I stepped off the plane. My friend’s mother sent her driver, Ah Soon, to pick me up (I had been warned to avoid Penang taxis). From our conversation, Ah Soon sounded as if he was a real foodie, although he became a vegetarian five years ago (he admits that Penang is not great for food if you’re a vegetarian).