The capital of Malaysia might be Kuala Lumpur, but Penang Island – dubbed “the Pearl of the Orient” – is its cultural heart. George Town, the main settlement of the island, was founded in 1786 by Francis Light of the British East India Company and grew into one of the great trading ports of the far east. Sitting at the crossroads of many cultures, it became the drawing room of south-east Asia, where Malay, Chinese, Indian, Javanese, Thai and European people have all left their mark on the cuisine, architecture and rich traditions that made it the original cultural melting pot of the world.
Eat early: Cecil Street Market
In Britain, you might say ‘let’s go for a pint’, but in Malaysia, it’s all about ‘makan’ – to eat. The numerous ethnicities that have made up the rich tapestry of the nation for hundreds of years – chiefly, Malay, Chinese and Indian – brought their own cooking traditions to the table, which have created a unique fusion cuisine. Nowhere is this obsession with eating more apparent than at the countless street food or “hawker” stalls found in every Malaysian city and town. With its history as a centre of trade, Penang is the culinary capital of the nation. For early risers and brunchers, the place to head is Cecil Street Market, where street food wizards fire up their woks at 7.30am. Try char kway teow – a Malaysian Chinese dish as iconic as Yorkshire pudding – consisting of flat rice noodles with prawns, spices, herbs and “bloody” cockles, stir-fried to perfection in a blaze of smoke and colour. Also worth sampling here is Nyonya kueh – sweet, colourful rice-flour sweets cooked up by the mixed Chinese, Malay and Portuguese Baba Nyonya people and nasi lemak – a Malay dish of steamed coconut rice and crispy anchovy sambal. If you’re more of a night owl, then Kimberley Street Food Night Market should be your port of call after 6pm, where everything from popiah (fresh Teochew radish rolls) to grilled satay is there for the eating.
Cecil Street Market, 40-48, Lebuh Cecil, 10300 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Penang, open daily, from 7.30am
Eat late: LaDa and Er Yi Tai
While there’s no shortage of street food in George Town, if you’re after a bit more polish but still want to sample local flavours, LaDa, with its east-meets-west creole menu popular with both locals and viators, should satiate you. Housed in a “two-foot way” Chinese shophouse, the menu explores the cuisine of the Malaysian archipelago – and further afield. Dishes such as grilled sea prawns with apple, turmeric and curry leaf and charred kailan with kombu butter and salted egg reflect Malay, Indian, Chinese, Thai Japanese and European elements. Next door, there’s also buzzy sister bar, Er Yi Tai – meaning “second wife” in Mandarin – to sip the night away on libations flavoured with pandan leaf and exotic local fruits.
LaDa, 58, Jalan Kuala Kangsar, George Town, Penang, 10450
Er Yi Tai, 56, Jalan Kuala Kangsar, George Town, Penang, 10450
Drink: Manchu
Named after the ethnic origin of the ruling dynasty of Imperial China before the 1911 revolution saw Puyi (the last emperor) dethroned, Manchu is a late-night establishment. It has the allure of an opium den with the decor to match, from traditional hand-painted dēnglóng lamps to museum-quality changfu and changshan clothing. Set in a centuries-old Straits Chinese house, it offers alchemic concoctions with names and ingredients that evoke the strong Sinitic culture found in Penang. Live bands play on the crimson-lit stage into the wee hours and the entrance, flanked by two lions, with a one-side-in, one-side-out entryway, makes it feel like you’re stepping into a clandestine speakeasy in old Peking.
Manchu Bar, 38 & 40, Jalan Pintal Tali, George Town, Penang, 10100
Shop: Sixth Sense and Warehouse 129
Sixth Sense is a homegrown womenswear brand founded in 2014, with an emphasis on using natural materials fashioned into clean-cut designs that reinterpret details of traditional Malaysian dress through a modern lens. Walk to the back of the store and you’ll find yourself in sister joint Warehouse 129, with its entrance on the parallel street, which offers menswear, womenswear, homeware and gifts curated from a range of both local and international brands of distinctive character.
Sixth Sense, 157, Lebuh Pantai, George Town, Penang, 10300
Warehouse 129, 129, Lebuh Pantai, George Town, Penang, 10300
The interior of Warehouse 129, image credit: @twjpto
Stay: Cheong Fatt Tze, The Blue Mansion
Cheong Fatt Tze might well be one of the most important figures in the history of Asia that you’ve never heard of. The rags-to-riches industrialist made a fortune from rubber, banking and shipping and could be fairly described as the J Pierpont Morgan of Asia.
He was once the wealthiest man in Malaya and had houses in many ports in Asia but his home in George Town – known today as the Cheong Fatt Tze or Blue Mansion – was the home of his favourite wife, Tan Tay Po. After his death and the decline of the family fortune, the building fell into a state of disrepair with squatter families cooking on charcoal stoves and riding motorbikes into the courtyard. In 1989, the Penangite Loh family made it their mission to restore the Scottish-forged ironwork, English Art Nouveau windows and distinctive indigo blue walls.
After nearly 20 years of restoration, it achieved Unesco status. And you can stay in one of its grand bedrooms to experience what it was like to live the high life in the George Town of yesteryear. Oh, and there happens to be a rather good fine-dining restaurant upstairs, Indigo, and late-night jazz café, Mangga, if you needed further convincing.
Cheong Fatt Tze – The Blue Mansion, 14, Leith Street 10200 George Town, Penang
reservations@cheongfatttzemansion.com
Do: Kek Lok Si Temple
Kek Lok Si – a short drive out of George Town on the road to Air Itam – is not only one of the largest temple complexes in Malaysia but also the whole of south-east Asia. Largely built between 1891 and 1930, like Gaudi’s la Sagrada Família, it’s still being added to today.
Laid out over an undulating hillside like an asymmetric wedding cake, there are many layers and component features to the site, blending traditional Chinese beliefs with Mahayana and Theravada Buddhism, including the 10,000 Buddha Pagoda and a 120ft bronze statue of the Goddess of Mercy. Look out for the pond swarming with live turtles and dedicate at least half a day to exploring this monolith of eastern faith.
Kek Lok Si Temple, 11500 Ayer Itam, Penang
Shane C Kurup is a London-based editor and writer specialising in fashion, horology and lifestyle content
