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.
How far would you go to uphold your faith? Would you, with unwavering conviction, embrace a strict vegetarian diet for nine days straight? Could you walk barefoot across burning embers or pierce your cheeks with a long steel rod, enduring pain as an offering of devotion? Or would you rather remain an armchair devotee, watching from afar, content in the safety of your comfort zone?
Zen Xin Vegetarian Restaurant is a vegetarian restaurant located along Nagore Road in the heart of George Town. One thing that strikes me when dining at a Chinese vegetarian restaurant in Penang is the creativity involved in preparing innovative vegetarian alternatives that closely resemble traditional faux meats or seafood dishes. It is almost like you are eating the real thing, from texture to taste! Using various plant-based ingredients such as tofu, seitan, mushrooms and soy-based products, the chefs are able to create wonderful dishes.
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".
Penang has a large community of Indians, broadly divided into those from the North (Bengalis, Sindhis, Gujerati, etc.) and the South (Tamils). It is not surprising then that the Penang landscape is dotted with Hindu temples, from the large and ornate to the unostentatious makeshift huts and lean-to's.
Born into a Chinese Peranakan family, I often find my culinary cravings leaning towards other cuisines – whether it is Chinese, Thai, Italian, Japanese, Vietnamese, Continental, Mexican, Indian or Malay – when dining out, unless I am hosting guests from abroad who crave for Nyonya cuisine. Sometimes when time allows, I will gladly roll up my sleeves and prepare a Nyonya feast to ensure that they depart Penang with a lasting impression of the vibrant and unique flavours that define Nyonya cuisine.
Penang, a haven for food lovers, serves up a sedap-licious escapade like no other, from street food stalls brimming with local delights to high-end fine dining restaurants, not forgetting cosy patisseries and bustling pubs. But when it comes to an izakaya, there is something inherently different – a taste of Japan served with a side of its rich cultural essence, much like how an Irish pub offers more than just a pint.
By Marcus Langdon, with photographs from the Robert Hussey Collection
Cover design and book layout by Adrian Cheah
Designing Pritchard’s of Penang
This year, I had the privilege of designing and laying out an extraordinary book, "Pritchard’s of Penang: Enterprise, Secession, and Murder". It will be launched at the George Town Literary Festival (GTLF). Scheduled for 28 November 2025, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., this long-awaited title by historian Marcus Langdon brings to life a fascinating chapter of Penang’s past.
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.
This is the most famous place of worship in Raja Uda, and indeed in the whole of Seberang Perai. The intricately designed Tow Boo Kong Temple sited on the northern end of Jalan Raja Uda was built in honour of the Nine Emperor Gods.
Originally set up as just an attap-shed shrine in the early 1970s, the temple was rebuilt to its current scale and grandeur in 2000. The majestic archway was completed in 2009.
Wat Buppharam may not appear on every traveller’s must-see list in Penang, but those who step into its tranquil embrace are often rewarded with sacred and unexpected discoveries. Can a silent statue whisper the truth of your wishes? Within its shrine hall rests a humble, one-foot-tall figure known as the “Lifting Buddha”, a sacred icon believed to be able to reveal just that!
Hameediyah Restaurant in Campbell Street serves good murtabak. Established in 1907, this is one of the oldest Indian Muslim restaurants in Penang.
Mum turned 89 this year and I was only too glad that I was able to celebrate her birthday at Maple Palace Restaurant with a scrumptious top-notch feast. Although owner Loy Tan was overseas when I contacted him, he was obliging enough to curate a luxurious 6-course menu for Mum. The individual serving of each course was beautifully presented, making it a delightful visual feast to whet the appetite.