Productive day after a vacation. Thanks K for arranging a wonderful hotel to stay in and drive up and around Penang. My business meeting ended with good feedback and hopefully with a confirmation to proceed so I can proceed with the project execution. Either than the 2 hours business trip, the rest of the days are spent EATING EATING EATING ...
Here are some pointers for the local food tasted and review based on my latest trip.
Over the past few years, there have been some changes in some of my most recommended MUST eat places at Penang. One of them would be the Sawtow Lane Char Kuey Teow @ New World. The aunty is no longer working there and it is such a sad case. Fortunately, K found a new replacement - equally as tasty but a little hefty on the price. Look for a grumpy looking aunty using charcoal to fry her Kuey Teow at Jalan Selamat. She is wearing one of a kind of bakery hat and sometimes with a fancy oakley-look-alike eye shade. Piece of advise, please order your dish from her assistant, NOT HER!
My favourite Hokkien Mee (Prawn mee) has moved too. Somewhere at the corner shop street next to New World. Time of operation is only from 7am-9am. YES! 2 hours ONLY. If possible, ask your Penangite friend to book the dish in advance. The stall is called ... SUPER HOKKIEN MEE. Haha
Visit Pulau Tikus, nearby Pasar for great hawker food in the night. Locals recommend Char Kuey Teow (order from the stall that has the most people and a queue) and the Curry Meel. Very nice! Another great night eat out area is New Lane, near Sunway hotel. Recommendations; Fried Kuey Teow (order from the stall in the shop, not the road side), Lobak, Pig Porridge and desserts-drinks from an old uncle. Curry mee and Chee Cheong Fun not bad too. DO NOT ORDER; Laksa and Fried Oyster. Both the dishes has deteriorate in quality compared to the last time I ate.
If you fall sick and have a weak stomach, visit Wang Chau Juen at Rangoon road for stim Kuey Teow with Fish fillet or their famous clay pot fish head noodle.
If you can, go for lunch and taste the Peanut Butter Chee Cheong Fun (only one in Penang) near to Jalan Besi, along Jalan Utama. Its somewhere in the housing area... Can't recall the neighbourhood, so the best is to ask local for directions. Landmark are the shop is near to a local high school. Once you turn off from Jalan Utama (left if you coming from Penang Bridge or right if you coming from Tanjung Bunga direction), you just need to turn left at the first junction. Shop should be visible from then.
Drop by Joez Coconut and get the Coconut Jelly. One of a kind and super refreshing at very super cheap price too! RM2.60 per coconut. Get ready the cash as the shop is situated directly in front of a super busy road. Just park at the side, wind down your window and quickly request for the dessert. TAKE AWAY only. Hopefully the traffic light nearby turns red, that could buy you time to get the yummy dessert. Business operation hour is before 5pm.
DimSum that is VERY VERY NICE. Situated somewhere in Komtar. Morning to Night. Can't remember the lane but it is somewhere near Komtar buiding. The circular road around it... if you see a HOTLINK shop signboard, turn left and move straight till you see the word "点心". Corner shop on your right. Sorry ... cannot remember road name. Order Egg tart, a pao that has lotus paste in it and also their speciality pao (lo mai kai inside the pao). Skip the ordinary dim sum, nothing special.
Fried Oyster -very nice and big ones can be found at night before 11pm at Jelutong area. This one, I can't help with the direction. TOO MANY small roads to get there... but if it helps, it is near a wet market. Haha. Good luck in finding!
Supper, after 2am. Most places are usually closed. Best options are Nasi Kandar around Komtar area and the Kueh Chap & Duck meat at the corner shop on Macalister Road, Komtar area. If you are lucky, you may get the Hokkien Mee too, recommended by 8TV's Ho Chak!
Well, either than the food, please be cautious about the roads in Penang as well as their drivers. They are not reckless, but rather pushy and very KIASU on the road. Get used to cars suddenly turning out without signaling, cars speeding at emergency lane, super slow cars on busy roads, tons of bikes, cars stopping at road side without reason and also sudden honks.
Last piece of advise, don't travel in Penang during main holidays and festivals. The reason can be explained by the formula below
Narrow lanes + small road + no. cars on the road + island + one way streets = Overcrowded traffic ...
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