Adrian Cheah loves Penang. He brings you interesting insights into the UNESCO heritage city of George Town where he calls home.
Hainanese chicken rice is an uncomplicated dish that comprises succulent poached chicken and aromatic rice cooked with chicken fat and stock accompanied by a chilli dipping sauce and a bowl of clear chicken soup. Some vendors may also serve it with other condiments like a ginger dipping sauce or some thick soy sauce.
"Life is a grand adventure, or it is nothing." – Helen Keller.
At T Palace Modern Cuisine, the rich legacy of Chinese cuisine unfolds with an avant-garde flair, a culinary haven where tradition coalesces with innovation, and familiar and new flavours intertwine in a symphony of taste. Impeccable quality and daring offerings breathe new life into classic recipes, each dish a visual and gastronomic revelation. Crafted by a creative team of talented chefs, my friends and I discovered this hidden gem, this banquet of delights, in Bukit Mertajam, Penang.
Tucked at the back of Jelutong Sunshine Kopitiam is an unassuming noodle stall run by the ever-friendly Madam Tan Saw Guat and her daughter. Here, they serve up a humble yet heart-warming dish – Hailam Char (Hainanese stir-fried noodles) – that is as comforting as it is delicious, a true taste of nostalgia for anyone who appreciates authentic flavours.
Located at one of the charming heritage shophouses at 31, Lorong Prangin, Wu Wei Tea offers creamy and smooth tea-based ice creams as well as handcrafted brews. Its ice cream flavours are divided into three main categories – tea-based, nut-based and fruit-based, allowing patrons to explore a variety of refreshing options. This unconventional tea house has found a way to marry the timeless elegance of tea with the playful delight of ice cream – an unexpected, yet harmonious combination.
Bak kwa, Hokkien for dried pork jerky, is one of the most beloved snacks during Chinese New Year and it is almost a crime not to have this truly "ho chiak" snack in your home all through the festive season. As the season approaches, roadside stalls across Penang pop up like mushrooms after a rainy day, offering not just bak kwa but also hampers, festive cookies and kam (mandarin oranges).
In the heart of Pulau Tikus, where the rhythms of Penang’s past still echo through its streets, there is a place where nostalgia simmers gently over a pot of moi (plain white rice porridge). The Teochew Club, the brainchild of Chef Su Kim Hock, is more than just a late-night eatery – it is a love letter to tradition, a quiet homage to the generations of Teochew immigrants who arrived on the shores of Penang in search of a better life.
A group of ex-classmates gathered at Wu Jia Chinese Restaurant in Pekaka Square to celebrate a dear friend’s birthday. What began as a simple dinner soon became a reminder of how good company can turn an ordinary evening into something memorable. I had curated eight delectable dishes, a feast that promised variety, flavour and texture. For a table of ten, it was a meal to be enjoyed at an unhurried pace, filled with laughter and easy conversation. After all, good food, like good friendship, is meant to be shared.
Ti kuih (or tnee kuih), the sweet, sticky rice cake prepared for the Lunar New Year, is known in Mandarin as "nian gao", literally meaning “year cake”. The name carries an auspicious homophone, symbolising "rising abundance" or "prosperity for the coming year".
Do you know that eating a meal with someone can actually be good for your health, and maybe even your longevity?
Most of us think of food as fuel or indulgence, but research tells a deeper story. Dr Will Bulsiewicz, a leading gut health expert, explains that sharing a meal reduces loneliness and stress, which in turn supports gut health; and chronic loneliness can harm health as much as smoking cigarettes. (The Diary of a CEO, 2026) Similarly, studies show that communal meals release oxytocin and endorphins, strengthen social bonds, lower cortisol, and improve mood and overall wellbeing. (National Geographic, 2023)
Traditionally, Kuih Ee graces special occasions such as weddings, symbolising longevity in the couple's partnership and the Winter Solstice Festival (known as "Tung Chek" in Hokkien), celebrated between 21–23 December, approximately a month before the Chinese New Year. In its popular local version, the vibrant-looking Kuih Ee features brightly coloured glutinous rice balls poached in sweet ginger-flavoured syrup.
Being a food paradise, Penang offers many avenues for full-fledged vegetarians to obtain scrumptious meals. From Indian vegetarian restaurants to Chinese outlets, there is a wider range of food available. During the Jade Emperor Festival (first to the ninth of the ninth month of the lunar calendar), more stalls mushroom all over Penang selling vegetarian delights from rice dishes to stir-fried noodles and from Chinese cakes to Italian pizzas. Furthermore with the creation of faux meats, some dishes are unbelievably "uncanny".
Celebrated by the Chinese on the 15th day of the eighth lunar moon (between September to October), the Mooncake Festival commemorates the overthrow of the Mongols, when the insurgent leaders, by way of smuggling secret messages in mooncakes, called the people to revolt.
The story of the mooncake stretches far back into the mists of antiquity. As early as the Shang Dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BC) and the Zhou Dynasty (1046–256 BC), their predecessor, the taishi cake, was already present. Over centuries, mooncakes evolved into a symbolic offering for the Mid-Autumn Festival, a tradition that continues to this very day. Though the classic baked mooncake has endured for thousands of years, the art of mooncake-making has never stood still. It has adapted, innovated and reimagined itself in step with the times.
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.
Penangites just want it all – fresh seafood, delicious flavours, beautiful presentations, a cosy ambiance, great service and above all, cheap prices!
We started our dinner at PUTIEN restaurant at Gurney Paragon Mall with the Starters Platter which had an assortment of four PUTIEN delights. They were cold pig's trotter jelly, seaweed with mini shrimps, braised pig intestine and braised bean curd. The cold dish of pig's trotter jelly topped with a dark chilli paste was packed with flavour and collagen. I enjoyed this dish very much.
Being more than half a century old, I have learned to watch with my own eyes and note down the "gloriousness" that is everywhere around me. As an artist and a photographer, this singular duty of being aware has helped me capture photographs that forge the narrative in my projects and creative endeavours.
In Penang, where do you go for classic home-cooked Hakka favourites? To answer that, I ventured to the village of Balik Pulau, where about 30 percent of the Chinese are presumed to be Hakkas. Perched on a hillock in Pulau Betong is a restaurant located at Balik Pulau Lodge. Some recognise it as the "Hakka Village".
It is vital for a restaurant to have popular signature dishes loved by many. This is an important factor in establishing a long and lasting clientele that will continue its patronage.
Emperor Villa, a family-run business offering accommodation and dining first opened its doors to the public in September 2019. It took two years to complete the construction of its rustic villas complete with a spacious swimming pool, nestled among nine acres of greenery in the hills of Sungai Ara, Penang.
Chinese New Year celebrations which last for 15 days offer an ideal time for family reunions as well as to catch up with old friends. When my classmates from Han Chiang High School decided to have a mini class reunion, Maple Palace was our top choice. The restaurant serves mouth-watering cuisine that is both traditional and avant-garde at the same time. It also offers festive Chinese New Year dishes synonymous with good luck and prosperity. On top of that, the quality of the delicacies at Maple Palace has been consistent throughout my visits in the past.