A culinary guide to Penang

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My relationship with Penang started when I was small: my aunt and uncle lived here and we would take a ferry to cross from the west side of the mainland to Penang Island, where George Town, the state’s capital, is. The ferry is hot and humid with lots of cars, motorcycles and traders selling snacks. One of my favourite memories is eating a rose syrup ice lolly on the way there. 

I really started exploring Penang when I moved from Kuala Lumpur, where I grew up, to do my pre-law studies in a neighbouring state. We visited Penang every two weeks – trips that always started with some really nice food, then dancing or karaoke. Even at 3am you can find something to eat or drink here.

After Malaysia began to be colonised at the end of the 18th century, the British brought migrants from China, India and Sri Lanka. Penang is one of the states in Malaysia where the three main races – Malays, Chinese and Indians – live harmoniously. Of course, I am not naive to the fact that there are still challenges and differences, but one thing they all agree on is that Penang does each of their cuisines best. I’ve seen Chinese cafés that have Indian traders selling roti and Malays selling nasi campur (a mixed rice dish). You’ll feel every part of Malaysia, all in the same space.

In front of the post office in George Town is a stall that has been selling apam balik – Malaysian pancakes with roasted peanuts, sugar, sweetcorn and butter – for 30 years. I get one every time I visit. I also travel to Balik Pulau, a suburb on the other side of the island, to eat Malay laksa at Pak Aaq. Where Nyonya laksa has a coconut broth, the Penang version is more sour and spicy with mackerel or sardines cooked in tamarind and chilli. On the way to Pak Aaq you’ll see Malay villages and paddy fields; the stall is right next to the road. Some people will think, “Oh god! Don’t want that.” But it couldn’t be more authentic. You can have unlimited refills of broth – and it only costs 50p a bowl. 

You don’t come here to spend £500 on food. You can get really good food for less than £2

Penang has been getting a lot of attention from Michelin. Restaurant au Jardin, a French restaurant with one star, is very accessible. They use local ingredients, which I find very clever: you’re eating French cuisine in Penang – yin and yang – but still celebrating local flavours. Kedai Makan Lidiana is another place to go for a celebration – it’s sharing dishes and very much about the Malay cooking of the north-west of the country. You’ll have rice, different types of side dishes, meat, seafood and sambal. Then you have what we call ulam, a traditional salad of Malay herbs. 

If you’re on your honeymoon you might want to be in Batu Ferringhi, a beach town on the northern coast of Penang Island. But the nightlife is all in George Town; that’s where I lie. The last time I visited I stayed at the Penaga Hotel, which was designed by Hijjas Kasturi, one of the most affluent Malay architects who designed some of the tall buildings in Kuala Lumpur. Then you have Cheong Fatt Tze, the Blue Mansion – it’s absolutely beautiful – and the Edison George Town has all these wood carvings in Malay and Chinese lace patterns. 

Down the road from the Blue Mansion you’ll find Hin Bus, a bus depot that’s been transformed into a cultural centre. But the best place to drink is Antarabangsa Enterprise, the direct translation of which is “international enterprise”. Why the name? Because you can find any drink in the world inside. It looks like an old Chinese grocery shop with rows of fridges full of alcoholic and non-alcoholic options. You sit on stackable plastic chairs outside the shop. I end up chatting with everyone and dancing in the street.

I’m not saying Penang is hipster, but people who like certain things – who have certain niches – can often find them here. There’s a new movement of coffee-hunting here; like bar hopping but for coffee. Many of the shops are in old houses that seem like someone’s home: you go in and choose different coffees from Indonesia, Malaysia – lots of south-east Asian coffee you don’t get in Europe. Some of my favourite spots are Lunabar, The Founders and Norm Micro Roastery.

I was told on my most recent trip that a lot of youngsters finish their studying and come back here; Penang is more affordable than Kuala Lumpur. You have the grandeur of the British empire architecture – one of my favourite buildings is the Penang High Court – but you still have the honesty of the community; they’re not grand. You don’t come here to spend £500 on food. You can get really good food for less than £2. That’s one of the reasons why Penang is so successful. It has its own identity