Cooked in Penang

Be warned: the following post, including its pictures and words, are extremely capable of inducing feeling of hunger, salivation, yearning for food, and nostalgia. Penangnites or people who lived in Penang regardless of duration or time risk being infected with Penangnitis - the condition which one reminisces about the good o'l Penang days - food, shopping in the old town, a lazy afternoon.

It is said that at any given time, half of Penang is cooking for the other half. Like everywhere else in Malaysia, eating is a stately affair - and sometimes a frequent one too. Breakfast, brunch, lunch, tea, dinner, supper - every meal features a Malaysian favorite. The only etiquette in Malaysian dining - eat anything anytime you like, thanks to all the 24-hour chain stores mushrooming around the nation. Dining options are simply exploding - with your hands, with chopsticks, with sporks (spoon and fork); very spicy, normal spicy, not-so spicy, just-nice spicy, no spicy etc. One thing we Malaysians cannot leave behind is our dining legacy and richness of our food. So, eat on Malaysia!

Penang assam laksa - where others name laksa as noodles in a broth of curry, Penang's version of laksa features a thick fish stew served with herbs and spices to create a fusion of sweet, sour and spicy never experienced before

Ee Foo Mee - friend noodles bathed in a smooth gravy with greens, prawns and often, eggs (not pictured)

Sar Hor Fun - the cousin of the former, with a mixture of hor fun and rice vermicelli the Cantonese call yin yong (yin and yang)

Oor Koay - pieces of tapioca embedded in a fragrant, sticky cake eaten with prawn sauce (black) and chili sauce (red)

The king of fruits - the durian comes for only 2 months per year. So time your visit and challenge your nostrils to this heavenly fruit (just for the reference yours truly have abandoned the joy of savoring the durian 3 years ago)

Nasi kandar - the mamaks (Indian muslims) pride themselves of serving authentic Southern Indian fares. To eat, simply pour a little of everything on your plate of rice and enjoy the fusion of spices

Penang Hokkien mee - when others call in har mee (prawn noodles), Penangnites label it in association with the major ethnic Chinese on the island. Noodles served in a prawn-based soup, it comes in several interesting options. Mum like hers served with loh (thick starch gravy). I liked mine in maggie mee (instant noodles)

Koay Teow Th'ng - feeling uncomfortable over all the spices and richness? This koay teow (rice noodles) in light th'ng (plain soup) will sooth the senses and return everything to the basics

Law chicken drumstick - the Chinese cooking method features poultry cooked in a thick gravy of dark soy sauce and garlic, preserving the moisture and hence the suppleness of the meat