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.
Taiwanese street food has become a magnet for travellers everywhere, a delicious crossroad of comfort, colours and controlled chaos. Born in the glow of night markets and shaped by generations of hawkers, it now stands among the world’s most beloved street cuisines.
Set up your own 2- or 3-course lunch at Blacklinen
Situated on the ninth floor of The Millen Penang, Blacklinen, a contemporary grillroom, now offers a thoughtfully composed lunch set, inviting diners to experience its Michelin-recognised kitchen at a more approachable price point. Diners may choose between a 2-course set at RM78++ (starter or dessert with a main) or a 3-course set at RM98++ (starter, main, and dessert). The one-page lunch menu is concise, with options of four starters, three mains, and two desserts. A handful of additional items are also available à la carte for those who wish to explore further.
Written by Adrian Cheah and Josephine Choo
Cover design and book layout by Adrian Cheah
Designing a 204-Page Book Celebrating a Century of Healing and Care
Taking the Challenge
When the Penang Adventist Hospital 100th Anniversary book project came to me, I was tasked with designing the publication, while Josephine Choo was responsible for researching, collating information, and writing the stories that would take readers on an epic journey through a century of healing and care.
The introduction to Eleanor McEvoy came when my dear friend Maggie Territt asked if I could design the streamer, posters and tickets for a concert she was organising. The show was to take place at Healy Mac's Irish Bar & Restaurant, part of a series of Irish cultural events around St Patrick’s season.
There are some who believe that traditionally, the task of performing Cheng Beng rituals falls on the family of the eldest son, followed by the next in seniority and so on. The eldest son is thus entirely responsible in ensuring that the rituals of ancestral offerings are carried out properly.
In the unhurried hours of reflection, I sometimes find myself scrolling through old photos, their colourss faded, softened by time and among them, snapshots of life at the Risen Christ Catholic Church. If there is a Roman Catholic church in Penang that embodies the triumph of faith and the promise of new life, it has to be the Risen Christ Catholic Church (RCCC) in Ayer Itam. Founded in 1968, the very year I was born, this church was a steadfast presence in my life until my teenage years. Back then, my home was just a stone’s throw away, a mere 500 metres from its doors.
“The only reward of virtue is virtue; the only way to have a friend is to be one.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson, Friendship, Essays: First Series (1841)
So often, people say they want good friends, yet forget the underlying truth that friendship begins inwardly. It requires generosity of spirit, self-awareness, and the ability to show up without expectation. When insecurity, entitlement, or self-interest takes centre stage, genuine friendships struggle to take root. Emerson’s words remind us that friendship is not something to be acquired, but something to be practised.
Since its launch in January 2025, Siam Social has achieved a 4.9-star rating from 349 Google reviews (as of 13 January 2026), an impressive showing for a restaurant still young, yet already familiar in the way old favourites are.
On two separate afternoons, I stepped into a cosy bar-counter style dining room along Beach Street in Penang. The setting felt like a culinary theatre. Warm lights illuminated the counter, where Chef Chong Chian Fung was in his element, preparing works of art on every plate.
During my month-long holiday in London in 1996, I made a point of seeking out its theatres, drawn by spellbinding musicals like The Phantom of the Opera, Blood Brothers, Oliver!, Miss Saigon and more. What captivated me, time and again, was the convergence of creative energy, brilliant collaboration, and the art of storytelling brought to life through music, lights, and heart. The moment the curtain rises, something shifts. Live performance, in its immediacy, propels you almost instantaneously into another realm.
History
The history and practice of Chinese religious and cultural festivals go back a long way, some even beyond the span of written history.
Over the years, the traditions associated with these festivals are handed down from generation to generation within communities, with very little changes introduced. The only difference found in a festival celebrated in two different countries would be cultural ones.
The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language describes an open house as "a social event in which hospitality is extended to all". This could be taken to mean that the diplomacy of inviting one and all to your house to celebrate an event is not an unfamiliar practice. But one could conjecture that nowhere else in the world would you find an open house event as big and as merry as the ones held in Malaysia.