FOOD FOR THOUGHT - Penang, Malaysia

 ......the previous blog was an introductory post about our return to Malaysia after three years away......

We know some of our readers absolutely hate blog posts about food, and others cannot get enough of seeing the exotic dishes we're currently eating. Believe it or not, we do get requests for more food photos on our blogs! We can't please everyone, and since the main thing we have been doing in Penang for the past 6 weeks is eating, we thought we'd dedicate a entire blog post to the wonders of Penang cuisine. So, stop reading now if you're one of those sensitive souls who finds foodie blogs an annoyance, and read on if you rejoice in international dining delights!

Local night food market, Georgetown, Penang

Most people know Penang is a wonderland of food, with a mixture of Malay, Chinese and Indian fares on offer. We've always enjoyed eating our way around the island, but on this visit, perhaps after being away for so long, we've been super enthusiastic in trying more restaurants, stalls, and dishes and discovering some new favourites.

Economy rice

These cheap and cheerful joints serve a plate of rice and a choice of a plethora of toppings kept hot in metal trays. Mostly it is self service, and we found them best patronized early in the day whilst everything is still fresh and hot. We liked them for the large range of greens usually on offer, amongst all the other appetizing dishes. There are both Chinese and Malay Economy rice places, with the later called Nasi Campur, with a different style of toppings, and without the pork dishes.

Huge selection of food, economy rice, Penang, Malaysia

Nasi Kandar

This is the Malaysian Tamil version of economy rice, and we loved the halal thick curry specialities, especially the beef option, tender and flavoursome. Our favourite nasi kandar place to eat in Penang had been closed for the past two years and only just re-opened when we arrived. Unfortunately, they had attempted a renovation that stripped all of the old fashioned charm of the basic restaurant we had loved. That, along with the rise in prices and decline in the food quality had us searching for a new regular nasi kandar. Luckily, Penang is full of such places, and we were spoilt for choice.

Our new favourite nasi kandar place, Penang, Malaysia

Sumptuous meat curries, nasi kandar, Penang, Malaysia

Other Malaysian Indian Food

Malaysian Indian food has to be our favourite cuisine overall in Penang. Roti canai is the classic Malay breakfast- dough that's oiled, rolled, pulled about, and then flattened and cooked on a hotplate until a flaky piece of paradise is served up. The basic version is served with dahl and other curry sauces. There are many other versions with condensed milk, banana and other fillings also. Its super cheap, filling and a great start to the day. Simple street stalls selling roti and chapati are common in Little India in Penang.

Early morning roti canai stall, Penang

Banana leaf meals are basically the same as a thali, but served on a banana leaf. These affordable and filling feasts differ depending on the restaurant. The Tamil version is usually vegetarian, and generally consists of rice and variations of vegetarian curries, pickles, dahl and papad. We don't often indulge in banana leaf meals in Penang- it always seems a let down when compared to the experience of eating a thali in India. There, the waiter's hand dollops the rice upon a leaf on the table in front of you, then slops unlimited amounts of a cacophony of spicy delights on top with a ladle. You could literally eat all day for cents. Or then there's the fancy versions, such as the Gujarati variant where the spread is unbelievably diverse and plentiful and even includes dessert. 

Vegetarian banana leaf meal, Penang, Malaysia

Then there's what we've always know as dosa. To the Tamils it's called thosai- a large crispy crepe made from fermented batter. It's much more tasty than it sounds! Dished up for breakfast or dinner (but never lunch), it's served with sambar (a thin, dahl-like soup) and coconut chutney. The version with a potato and pea curry filling (masala thosai) is a particular favourite of ours. It's a staple we love in India, and we always seek it out in Penang.

Sloppy but yum, a basic thosai meal, Penang

Richard's daily treat in Penang was samosa from a small stall in Little India. The choice of fillings ranged from mutton, sardine, egg, vegetable, or Rich's favourite, chicken curry. Piles of fried snacks including vada, murukku, and samosa, as well as a colourful display of traditional sweets and bags of Tamil style tidbits were too tempting to resist!

Indian treats, Little India, Penang

Nasi Lemak

A classic Malay dish, there are many varieties of nasi lemak. Mostly there is coconut rice as a base, boiled egg, cucumber slices, peanuts, sambal (spicy hot or sweet sauce), and maybe pieces of fried chicken, fish or anchovies. This dish is very commonly found in the morning on street stalls wrapped in little banana leaf packages.

What a breakfast!

Wrapped up in banana leaves, nasi lemak packages

The goodies inside, nasi lemak

Hainan Chicken and Rice

One of the rare Malaysian Chinese dishes we regularly eat in Penang (Rich could eat it every day) is chicken and rice. It's a dish originally from Hainan island in China, now found all over South East Asia, and here has been modified over the years to suit Malaysian tastes. Delicious roast chicken chopped and marinated in soy sauce is served with “oily” rice and chilly sauce. There are alternative versions with roast or crispy pork, and duck, but generally we stuck with the chicken.

Chicken and rice- a regular for us in Penang

Noodle Dishes

From the humble mee goreng (fried noodles) to more complex creations, noodles are a staple in Malaysia, and a stall selling them can be found every few steps in most areas. 

Many of the following dishes are served in hawker centres, or food courts- modest open air covered areas where several tiny stalls specializing in one dish serve food side by side, with tables for patrons and a little drinks station.

Char kway teow is the most common noodle dish seen in Penang, and presumably the most popular. Chock full of flavour, it features flat rice noodles, egg, bean sprouts, Chinese sausage, prawns, and a mixture of spices and pastes. Delicious literally any time of the day or night.

Chee cheong fun for breakfast is like an explosion inside one's mouth. Thick rice noodle packages are mixed with a concentrated spicy and sweet sauce and combined with shrimp paste and sesame seeds. Accompanied by a strong kopi beng (iced coffee), it is a sure way to get going in the morning! An added bonus is the price, which at 2.60RM/£0.50 a portion, challenges roti canai as one of the cheapest breakfasts in Asia.

Sal's favourite noodle dish, however, was wanton mee, a comforting soup with sliced roast pork pieces, flour noodles, shallots, choy sum and minced pork wantons, usually served with green chillies on the side. Yum!

Wanton mee soup, Penang

Char kway teow for breakfast, Penang

Cooking up a storm, hawker centre, Penang

Yummy little parcels, chee cheong fun, Penang

Typical hawker centre, Penang, Malaysia

Laksa

This should probably be in the noodle section, but it is such an island obsession, I've dedicated a little section of it's own to the soup. I was amazed upon looking on the Wikipedia page about laksa, how many varieties there are spread out over Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. People here on Penang are very serious about their laksa, and will travel miles to try a reportedly good one. I kind of did the same, and took a bus to Balik Pulau, 1.5 hours away on the other side of Penang to try Kim's Siam Laksa. It is well know for being different to the usual assam (sour) version predominantly found on Penang. It was indeed wonderful - probably one of the best things I have ever eaten in Malaysia. Dense and packed full of tastes, I could distinguish fish stock, shrimp paste, thick rice noodles and pineapple. The tamarind and coconut milk, however, took this soup to another level.

The best laksa on Penang?

Drinks

Our preferred liquid accompaniment to a meal, depending on the place were as follows. Kopi beng- strong local coffee with condensed milk and ice. Teh halia- hot, milky ginger tea with a taste similar to Indian chai. Limau ice- lemon juice with or without sugar on ice with wedges of lime. Milo beng- cold Milo with condensed milk and ice. Milo made it to South East Asia years ago, and is now more popular here than it is in Australia. Obviously, we coped with the intense humidity by drinking gallons of water throughout the day and night.

Fruit

Although we missed the berries and stone fruit from Eastern Europe, we rediscovered a few tropical fruits that we delighted in. Beautiful blood red dragon fruit, mangoes and papaya were our main indulgences.

Cacophony of tropical fruits, Penang

.........please tune in to our next blog post when we highlight some more of the wonderful things to see around Penang island...........