gourmet Pre-war shops
have undergone
a revival of
sorts, with many
converted into
Penangs boutiques and
award-winning tea houses
durian from a
private orchard
in Balik Pulau
A TASTE OF
PENANG
Traveling opens up not only the mind but also the
palate. Nena Wuthrich flies to Penang and quickly
I
becomes enamored with Malaysian cuisine and its
most popular fruitthe previously avoided durian
PHOTOGRAPHED BY nena wuthrich
Im sure I am not alone in saying
that one of the best things about
travel is the discovery of local
food. The exotic flavors made with unique
local ingredients and prepared in traditional
fashion gives you a taste of a places history
and culture just as much as its architecture,
festivals, and arts do. This is what lured me
to Penang. That its capital, Georgetown,
is a UNESCO World Heritage Site was a
delightful bonus. I was first introduced to
Penangs culinary treasures a few years ago
by blogger friend and Penang native, Bee of
<rasamalaysia.com>. I couldnt think of a
better way to sample Penangs delights than
with the guidance of a local expert.
Travel has indeed, broadened my palate.
It has given me the opportunity to try things
I probably never would have tried at home.
Take durian, for instance. Its smell has been
known to repulse even hardcore fruit lovers. I
politely requested that we scratch this off our
itinerary, to which Bee replied: You might
want to try a small one because Penang durian
is award-winning and many come here just to
eat it. Yes, folks, the durian we had at a private
farm in Balik Pulau deserved an award. In fact,
a monument should be erected in its honor! It
didnt have the offensive smell one normally
associates with durian, just a very sweet and
pleasant aroma that wafted delightfully up my
nose, enticing me to take a bite. The texture
was melt-in-your-mouth creamy, soft, and
buttery. I was up to my elbows in durian and
made a mental note to thank Bee for insisting
that we try this Penang pride.
We went on an early morning visit to
the Pulau Tikus wet market. Inside, you will
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lat_vol.6.2011_gourmet(penang).indd 94
EAT
Minced onion, chili, cucumber,
and ginger flowers are among
NASI KANDAR Curry dish served over
some of the ingredients that
make assam laksa a fragrantly
rice and topped with various kinds of gravy delicious dish
CHAR KWAY TEOW Stir-fried flat rice
noodles with prawns, bean sprouts,
eggs, chives, and cockles
TEH TARIK Indian pulled tea
CENDOL Shaved ice topped with red
beans and cendol (green, starchy
noodles), with syrup made from coconut
milk sweetened with palm sugar
NYONYA KUIH Steamed or baked
pastries
ROTI CANAI Flat pastry-like bread
served with dal or lentil curry
BELACAN CHICKEN Deep-fried chicken
marinated in shrimp paste
CURRY MEE Also known as curry laksa
find fresh vegetables, meats, and all varieties
of seafood, but the real gems are found in
the open-air stalls outside. From the back of
a parked truck, we tried our hand at making
Indian putu mayam which is rice flour mixed
with water, pressed through a sieve in a
swirling motion to form a fluffy patty above a
basket steamer, then served on a banana leaf ABOVE Learning to make putu
and topped generously with grated coconut mayam at Pulau Tikus market
and brown sugar. The result is the less-sticky
cousin of our own puto maya. Seng, a traditional soy sauce factory run by a
It was time for a proper breakfast at a fourth generation soy sauce maker. Rows of
local kopitiam or coffee shop, just beside the traditional barrels containing soy beans and
market. We had peanut pancakes, apom manis soy sauce in various stages of the fermentation
(Indian clay pot pancake), tuak (Malaysian process were sitting out in the sun. We were
sweet rice wineyes, for breakfast!) and told that the family has been producing all
my favorite deep-fried cempedak (jackfruit). types of high-grade soy sauce since 1912.
Happy and satisfied, we went on to see Thin A few minutes away was an Indian spice
11/21/11 11:20 PM
 GETTING THERE
Philippine Airlines
and Cebu Pacific Air
both have daily flights
from Manila to Kuala
Lumpur. From Kuala
Lumpur, you can get to
Penang by plane (Air
Asia, Malaysia Air),
train Malaysian Rail,
or bus (Plus Liner). For
more information, visit
<asiaforvisitors.com>
ABOVE A stall in
Balik Pulau where
you can find the
best assam laksa
on the island, and
possibly in the world
grinder which I had read about online.
Smells of curry powder mingling with cumin,
turmeric, ginger and fennel greeted us as we
stepped into this unassuming warehouse.
Large tins filled with ground spices lined the
wall and I got about a kilo of assorted spices
for a song.
One of my favorite meals in Penang was
in a hole-in-the-wall South Indian eatery
called Veloo Villas along Lebuh Penang.
Upon taking our seats, a banana leaf was laid
out in front of each of us. We were not given
a menu. Instead, the Indian staff approached
us carrying fried fish, rice, pappadoms,
vegetables, dal, chicken and mutton curry
and ladled these onto our banana leaves. This
was as authentic as I have ever come to Indian
food and I was enjoying every spicy bit of
it! We practically had to roll ourselves out of
there when we were done.
We drove south and rounded the island
towards Balik Pulau where the best assam
laksa can supposedly be found. Assam laksa is
ABOVE Spices
figure prominently
in Malaysian cuisine,
which makes daily
grinding sacks
and sacks of them
necessary
an addictive tamarind soup with rice noodles
and belacan (shrimp paste) and garnished
with ginger flowers, galangal, lemongrass,
mint leaves, julienned cucumbers, minced
onions, chili flakes and fish flakes. It was
incredible! I love laksa so I order it whenever
I see it on the menu, but nothing comes close
to this one.
Balik Pulau has lots in store for the
adventurous and curious foodie. Aside from
durian and laksa, one can also tour a belacan
factory and nutmeg plantation. The flesh of
the nutmeg fruit can be ground for its juice
or made into excellent jam, while the seed is
used to produce nutmeg oil or powder.
Penang has lots to offer, thanks to its
illustrious past and natural treasures. But
the food alone is enough to warrant a visit.
Nowhere else in the world will you find
such a diverse cuisine. Chinese, Malay,
Indian and Thai influences make this island
a gastronomic heaven so make sure to pack a
big appetite when you go.

Assorted deep-
fried snacks which
include my favorites:
deep-fried jackfruit
and banana

SEE
Banana leaf
Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion won the rice at Veloo
Villas, a South
UNESCO Asia-Pacific Cultural Heritage Indian eatery
Award for restoration in Little India
Eastern & Oriental Hotel was Armenian Street in
Penang is a favorite
established in 1885 by the Sarkies brothers of visitors for its
Kek Lok Si has temples, monasteries, pre-war shops and
charming cafs
and beautifully tended gardens
City Hall is a stately colonial building
which was once the seat of government
Goddess of Mercy Temple was
established in 1800 and is Penangs
foremost Chinese temple
Sri Maha Mariamman Temple is a Hindu
temple consecrated in 1833
Tropical Spice Garden contains a group
of private botanic gardens with the spice
museum and spice caf
Batu Ferringhi is a popular area of
beach resorts
Street of Harmony has houses of
worship representing Islam, Buddhist,
Christian, Taoist, and Confucian faiths
Fort Cornwallis & Esplanade is the East
India company fort built by Captain Francis
The Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion
Light in 1786 (also known as The Blue
Mansion) has opened its rooms
Little India is lined with Indian shops to guests who prefer to indulge
selling saris, spices, and Bollywood movies in the charms of this historic
home over a hotel
and music

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