Sinfully Penang

Just came back from food paradise and feels a bit remorse after all the sins that I have committed during the weekend.

I have to repeatedly remind myself that I am only human, and to err is human.... I mean, who could resist all those temptations? Cheap and delicious seafood; prawns (mantis and normal), crabs, fish, cockles, muscles, snails, escargots, oysters, all fresh from the sea into the wok, cook to perfection...



And even the hawker food is super tantilising:- asam laksa, curry laksa, prawn noodles, fried koay teow, koay teow th'ng, wantan noodles (It's spelled as 'Wan Than Mee' there), popiah, lobak, Batu Maung satay (with the sauce burnt in), o'chien (fried oysters on eggs),....

Also the deserts are mouth watering.... ais kacang, cendol, rojak, fried ice-cream (@batu kawan), apam, apam balik, tody (coconut wine@Ong Cheng Huat), etc

*Note: For hawker's treats, I find that Gurney and Air Itam laksa are too commercialised. Instead, go for Lorong Selamat, Swatow Lane, Pulau Tikus, Jalan Datuk Keramat to experience the hidden treasures.

The food list goes on and on.. and even though I have an indefinite appetite for good food (and highly unrestrained but acute tastebuds to match), I was short of time and had limited stomach capacity, and thus, much to my dismay, I couldn't fit everything in one trip. However, I am quite pleased that we managed to pack in as much as we can and besides, it's the quality, not quantity, that counts.

As we've been to Penang many many times, we strived to go to places less travelled and take the roads least taken. We literally drove around the island in search for food. We went from "Beginning of the World" to the "End of the World" to sample the best and cheapest seafood around. Did you know that the mantis prawns can cost RM3 per mantis prawn in one restaurant and RM100 per 1 kg in another and these 2 restaurant are in the same area (Tambun) and only a few doors away from each other? Ok, I know the price commensurate with the size but I find it exhorbitant to price it at RM100 per 1 Kg! I might as well eat imported Alaskan Snow Crabs with this price! We also go to great lengths to taste the Batu Maung Satay. You see, the Tasty Seafood restaurant which used to be located on stilts at sea, has been replaced by a a quay. If we weren't adamant enough to ask around, we wouldn't have found out that it has moved to a shop lot nearby.

Enough said about food, let's talk about places of interest. With time constraint, we visited only selected places, mainly to introduce the kids to the uniqueness of Penang. We visited the Snake Temple (to show the kids real snakes in close proximity), and Kek Lok Si (to view the old and new statue of Kwan Yin and it's one of the largest Buddhist temple in Malaysia). And since the kids have never been to the beach, we took them to Gurney Drive, Pulau Jerejak Jetty and Batu Ferringhi to show them the different types of seaside (man made, rocky and sandy). Also introduce them to some natural water resources by showing them 2 of the 3 dams in Penang, i.e. Air Itam dam, and Teluk Bahang dam and then later on the way home, took them to Sg Klah hot springs in Sungkai (teach them how to boil an egg or half boil if you please)



And a trip to Penang is not complete without buying the authentic "Tau Sar Pneah" (aka green bean/dragonball/Tambun biscuit) and Sesame Oil from Ghee Hiang. Incidentally, we also bought Heong Pneah from a peddlar after tasting the sample at Tambun seafood area.

Anyway, nothing beats the real thing, so dont let my words and photos influence you. Go taste and experience Penang for yourself.