Penang today is very much an amalgam of the old and the new – a bustling port, a heritage city and an industrial base. Perhaps it has more to offer per square mile than any other place in the world. For sheer variety of locales, cultures and foods, Penang is hard to beat. Here are stories about Penang and more.
I have always admired Chef Petr Fehér’s culinary artistry – his creations are delicate yet brimming with flavour, and each dish is plated with a refined elegance that reflects his passion and skill. His masterful touch transforms quality ingredients into sumptuous delights that enchant the senses and linger in memory.
The meticulous preparation of kee chang (alkaline dumplings) commences a week ahead. It entails the painstaking task of meticulously separating jasmine rice grains from a mound of glutinous rice, demanding both time and patience. This laborious process is essential to achieve the desired translucent look of the dumplings. Any presence of rice grains would mar the enchanting allure of the kee chang's transparency.
Different people crave different varieties of durians. However, I truly relish durians from older trees as they bear fruits that have buttery-smooth, thick and creamy flesh, often with a stronger "fragrance" and flavour. Even from the same tree, durians can vary from season to season as the trees are influenced by soil conditions and weather. Over different seasons, the Or Chi (Black Thorn) fruits do not necessarily taste the same.
Le Dux Patisserie – where passion rises with the dough
At the quiet break of dawn, while the city still slumbers, a warm glow begins to stir behind the glass walls of Le Dux Patisserie in upper Beach Street. By 5:00 am, Chef Belle Tan Phey Phey, a maître pâtissière, is already gently coaxing butter into layers of delicate croissant dough – a ritual she repeats each day (except on off days). It is here, in the heart of George Town, that craft meets care in the art of French pastry.
Thanks to Nazlina Hussin, I had the opportunity to attend an intimate food tasting session at Siam Social, a stylish new restaurant and bar on Noordin Street. We were welcomed by Calvin Lim, a former banker who has transitioned into the restaurant scene with a creative flair for interior design and a thoughtful appreciation for good food. The menu offers an interesting mix of Western fare infused with Northern Thai influences, including items ranging from pastas and pizzas to more regionally inspired dishes. To make selection easier, the menu also includes set items for both individuals and groups.
In the vast range of local fruits available in Penang, the rambutan is a popular choice among Penangites. Rambutans are tied up in bunches of 50 or 100 each and sold at roadside stalls, at marketplaces and by some fruit vendors when in season. Prices vary according to size and quality. Rambutans sold in Penang are always fresh as they come straight from the local orchards.
Traditional Bak Chang, a steamed glutinous rice delicacy, is seasoned with dark soy sauce and wrapped in bamboo leaves. It features a filling of pork belly, shiitake mushrooms, dried prawns, salted egg yolk, and chestnuts, while some variations opt for just white beans and a slice of pork belly.
About 100 years ago, large clans of sea-faring migrants from China settled along the foreshores of Penang island, building pier houses on the fringes of George Town.
Many of these humble coastal plank settlements, like the old Bang Liaw jetty in Weld Quay, still exist today, housing scores of fisher-folk families just as they did many decades before.
During the early period, every year on the fifth day of the fifth moon of the lunar calendar, the settlers would push out to sea lengthy specially built boats for a passionate day of racing. It was one of the great traditions they had proudly brought along from China.
I am game for all things durian. Durian egg tarts are delicious. Homemade durian ice cream is such a sinful treat, especially eaten with crispy kuih kapit (love letters). Passion Heart Cafe bakes one-of-a-kind Fresh Cream Durian Cake; it is a sponge cake layered with fresh cream and creamy durian paste, topped with durian kaya (coconut jam). This is one of my favourite cakes at the cafe.
It was a bright, sun-dappled morning when I stepped into the grounds of Penang Buddhist Association (PBA) and there it stood – the magnificent Bodhi tree (Ficus religiosa). I marvelled at its presence, imagining the journey of the sapling that once was – now grown into a towering testament of faith and endurance. This is no ordinary tree. A sacred gift from Sri Lanka, it is believed to be a direct descendant of the very fig tree under which Siddhartha Gautama attained enlightenment in Bodh Gaya. Its lineage, through the revered Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi in Anuradhapura – planted in 288 BCE – connects Penang to a living legacy of over two millennia.
“You should wash your hands using water poured over the inside chambers of a hollowed durian skin. It will remove the strong odour from your fingers", urged Mr Teh, my neighbour who accompanied me on a durian feast at one of the many durian orchards in Balik Pulau. That morning, we had a satisfying breakfast like no other, amidst the natural surroundings of the orchard, shaded by towering durian trees.
Penang is widely acclaimed as a food paradise, renowned not only for its delectable street food and authentic Nyonya cuisine but also for its eclectic mix of foreign flavours. During fruit seasons, Penang is celebrated for its famous Balik Pulau durians as well as a variety of exotic tropical fruits including rambutans, mangosteens, cempedak (jackfruit) and langsat.