Hawker stall island

The food of Penang reflects the intermingling of its migrant cultures — British, Indian, Malays and Thais. PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES

The food of Penang is a gastronomic highlight of Malaysia, Lonely Planet discovers.

Penang

Offering up some of Malaysia’s best multi-culinary cooking, Penang is generally regarded as the region’s gastronomic ground zero. Kuala Lumpur residents have been known to make the four-hour drive to Penang for a single meal, and hungry Singaporeans pack out hotels on weekends.

Betelnut Island

While most people know of Penang as the pearl-shaped island off the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, Penang State also covers the mainland port town of Butterworth and the surrounding area of Seberang Perai. Chinese seafarers were aware of the island, which they called Pulau Pinang (Betelnut Island), as far back as the 15th century, but it was little more than a way station en route to trading ports.

It wasn’t until the early 1700s that colonists arrived from Sumatra and established settlements at Batu Uban and the area now covered by southern George Town, Penang’s capital.

The island came under the control of the sultan of Kedah, but in 1771 the sultan signed the first agreement with the British East India Company, handing them trading rights in exchange for military assistance against Siam (present-day Thailand).

In 1786 Captain Francis Light, on behalf of the East India Company, took formal possession of Penang, hoisting the Union Flag above Britains first Malay (and Southeast Asian) territory.

Light permitted new arrivals to claim as much land as they could clear and, together with a duty-free port and an atmosphere of liberal tolerance, this quickly attracted settlers from all over Asia.

By the 19th century Penang was considered one of the finest islands in the world for nutmeg and cloves.

The growth of the city’s spice trade was accompanied by the arrival of immigrants: Malays from Kedah, Chinese from Canton, Achehnese from Sumatra, Indians from British India, Thais from across the border and Burmese. The food of Penang reflects the intermingling of these cultures and is a gastronomic highlight of Malaysia.

Nonya cuisine

Nonya cuisine, from the Peranakan community.

Penang’s Peranakan community has its roots in the intermarriage of early Chinese migrants with local women.

Because of Penang’s geographical location, Peranakan cuisine (also referred to as Nonya cuisine) here is heavily influenced by punchy Thai flavours. Chillies, lime juice and tamarind pulp are frequently used to create distinctly sour, lip-numbingly hot sensations.

The classic example of this is Penang’s version of the noodle dish laksa, commonly known as asam laksa after the tart asam (tamarind) that is one of its key ingredients. The dish is made from rice noodles topped with a spicy and sour fish gravy, flakes of fish (usually mackerel or sardine, but sometimes skipjack tuna) and garnished with slivers of fresh pineapple, cucumber, chilli, mint and finely shredded torch ginger flowers. An optional splash of heh ko (dark shrimp sauce) provides an added flavour kick.

There are also differences in the way certain Peranakan dishes are cooked, such as with the spicy fish paste otak otak.

The classic Penang otak otak has the addition of betel leaves to its recipe and is wrapped in banana leaves before being steam-cooked. This gives the dish a soft texture and a milder taste than the Melaka version, which is grilled over charcoal and thus has a strong smoky smell and flavour as well as a firmer texture.

Other Peranakan dishes to look out for include jiu hoo char (stir-fried shredded cuttlefish with yam bean) and popiah, a type of non-fried spring roll that was brought to Penang by Hokkien and Teochew migrants during the British colonial period.

The Indian influence

The first Indians on Penang arrived as soldiers and sailors with Captain Light. With them they brought their spicy cooking traditions and tastes. The popular Penang meal nasi kandar (steamed rice served with a variety of curries and side dishes) has its origins in the Indian food hawkers who would carry around their buckets of rice and curry balanced at either end of a kandar (pole).

Another Indian Penang specialty is pasembur, a salad which is known as rojak in other parts of Malaysia and Singapore. The Penang version mixes up pieces of fried tofu, boiled egg, shredded cucumber, jicama (a type of turnip), prawn crackers and a selection of fried seafood, all topped with a thick and creamy sauce made from tomato, peanuts and sweet potato.

In hawker centres, look out too for murtabak (pan-fried dough folded around minced or diced chicken, beef or mutton, or vegetables).

King of fruits

People flock to Penang for durian during harvesting season.

Penang’s highlands have been cultivated for fruit crops, such as nutmeg, for centuries. But it’s the islands durian orchards, many of which were only planted in the mid-20th century, that have become renowned for the quality of their pungent fruits. From across the region, durian lovers flock to Penang in June and July for the main harvesting season, when the ripe, spike-encrusted fruits begin to drop from the trees.

There are dozens of different varieties to sample, including local favourite Red Prawn, so-called because this durian’s flesh has a pink, cooked-prawn appearance.

Penang pickles

George Town is Penang’s capital.

At George Town’s Chowrasta Market you can sample the region’s best jeruk (sweet and sour pickled fruits), a Penang delicacy. Among the locally grown preserved fruits on sale are familiar ones such as nutmeg, papaya, guava, mango and banana, as well as less familiar ones like salak (snakeskin fruit), kedondong (great hog plum) and cermai (a type of gooseberry). The fruits are sliced, soaked in brine, drained and rinsed before being soaked in syrup. The amount of brine and syrup used differs from stall to stall, so ask to sample before you buy — some pickles are sweeter while other are more sour.

Hawker-stall heaven

Not eating at a hawker stall in George Town is like skipping the Louvre in Paris — unthinkable! There are scores of hawker centres and stalls in and around town, from shophouse-bound kopitiam (coffee shops) to open-air markets made up of mobile stalls. Keep in mind that hawker-stall vendors run flexible schedules, so don’t be surprised if one isn’t there during your visit. A good strategy is to avoid Mondays and Thursdays, when many vendors tend to stay at home.

Gurney Drive Hawker Stalls

It is a must to eat at a hawker stall.

One of Penang’s most famous hawker complexes sits amid high-rise buildings bordered by the sea, about 3km west of George Town. Tourists and locals rush in for a large selection of Muslim and Chinese-Malay dishes.

Lorong Baru (New Lane) Hawker Stalls

Ask locals where their favourite hawker stalls are, and they’ll generally mention this night-time street extravaganza, located about 1km (0.6 miles) west of George Town city centre.

Prepare to battle for a spot if you’re visiting at the weekend.

Pulau Tikus Hawker Centre

Before those bland guesthouse breakfasts get you down, consider a visit to this busy morning market area. The market is about 2.5km (1.5 miles) north of the centre of George Town.

Sea Pearl Lagoon Cafe

The excellent seafood and unique location of this basic hawker centre seemingly hidden in a Chinese temple complex looking out over the North Channel make the Sea Pearl one of our favourite places to eat outside the city centre.

It’s 7km (4.3 miles) northwest of George Town.

Medan Renong Padang Kota Lama

One side of this seaside food centre, a short walk from George Town’s Padang, is called Islam and serves halal Malay food, and the other is called Cina and serves Chinese and Malay specialties, including the absolutely delicious rojak at the stall 101 Rojak.

Lebuh Presgrave Hawker Stalls

A famous vendor of Hokkien mee (yellow noodles fried with sliced meat, boiled squid, prawns and strips of fried egg) draws most folks to this open-air hawker congregation, in easy walking distance from central George Town.

Don’t Miss

Asam laksa — Rice noodles in a spicy, sour fish gravy, topped with flakes of mackerel, pineapple and fragrant herbs.
Perut ikan — A Nonya dish of salted and preserved fish innards cooked in a coconut curry flavoured with mint and dressed with sliced beans and pineapple.
Char kway teow — Broad, flat rice-flour noodles stir-fried with Chinese sausage and egg, topped with shrimp.
Pong piah — Hokkien flaky puff pastry filled with white molasses. Variations include tau sar piah (filled with red-bean paste) and tambun piah (with yellow-lentil paste).
Jus pala — Tangy juice made from nutmegs, grown on the island, and often flavoured with sour plums.