Penang a food paradies.

My Most Expensive Meal in Delicious Malaysia: $8

You probably wouldn’t pick a retirement destination simply for its food, but Malaysia’s Penang Island is a serious contender for some of Southeast Asia’s most salivating eats.

Thanks to the country’s ethnic mix of Malays, Chinese and Indians, "local" cuisine can be almost anything you fancy. There's also Nyonya food, a Penang specialty. Developed by early Chinese immigrants who intermarried with Malays, it takes the best of both those cooking styles and combines them with Thai spices such as lemongrass and tamarind paste.

In George Town, the island’s historic capital, some of the tastiest food is from hawker’s stalls or no-nonsense eateries. Obviously some dishes are more tempting than others. Although I braved fish head curry in Little India, I decided to leave sampling Penang frog porridge until another time. A time like 2,000 years in the future...

One thing you should try is char koay teow. There are variations on this rice noodle dish stir-fried in egg, but most include shrimp or cockles, bean sprouts, chicken, chives, soya sauce and chili paste. A gourmet delight for less than $2.

On George Town’s Upper Penang Road, the Red Garden Food Paradise is a fun place at night. Around a covered central courtyard, small kitchens cook up everything from dim sum and steamboat treats to chicken satay, Thai papaya salad and shrimp tempura. And, of course, char koay teow.

You tell the cook your table number and the order gets brought to you. This is great if you’re in company, as you’re not obliged to eat from the same outlet. Don’t panic about drinks--there’s a central beer joint that also serves fresh juices.

At 3.50 ringgits ($0.96), chicken rice wouldn’t bust any budget. But I went to the East Meets West kitchen for Japanese miso soup, eel with rice, and edimame beans. A bargain at 12 ringgits ($3.29). Two large Anchor beers, each the equivalent of two normal-sized bottles, were $2.80 apiece.

Free evening entertainment too. On the central stage, tonight’s three singers all had a passion for Celine Dion. Makes a change from the usual Asian anthem, Hotel California!

Finding posh nosh isn’t difficult. In George Town, I can recommend the Sire Museum Restaurant in a heritage mansion on Jalan King. I demolished every last scrap of the filleted and caramelized red snapper. At just over $8, this was the most expensive single dish I sampled anywhere in Malaysia.

Afterward, take a look around the museum’s treasures. Stuffed with family heirlooms, the mansion is the former home of Yeap Chor Ee, a wealthy businessman. He was bought over to Penang from China in the late 19th century as an indentured laborer, but clawed his way to riches.

Steenie Harvey Roving Editor, International Living

P.S. My full report on Malaysia's colorful capital ("Live Large on a Small Budget in English-speaking Kuala Lumpur") will be published tomorrow in the International Living Magazine--if you're not yet a subscriber, join here.

Source  International Living

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Penang - Famed Tourist Destination In Malaysia

By: Nowal Kahn Copyright (c) 2009 Nowal Khan

The island of Penang in Malaysia is dubbed as the "Pearl of the Orient" and considered as one of Asia's most famous travel destination to date. This is not quite hard to imagine since Penang has grown into a beautiful city with modern architecture and yet still manages to preserve its historical value overtime, offering the best of worlds in one small area.

Captain Francis Light christened the island Penang or Pulau Pinang which means the "island of the Betelnut". This name is most likely derived from the fact that betel nut palms are commonly found within the island. Penang's population greatly reflects its diversity. You can find different races in this island coexisting quite peacefully with each other such as the Chinese, Malays, Indians and others.

RELIGION

Religion in this side of world is freely expressed and respected. The official religion in Penang is Islam but you can find temples and other religious grounds from different faiths such as Buddhist and Hindu temples.

ANNUAL FESTIVALS

Penang is a fairly busy island, always bustling with annual festivities of different cultures. If you are visiting the island of Penang, it is not uncommon to chance upon at least one festival taking place during your stay. Some of the highlights are Chinese New Year held every late January or early February which signifies the beginning of Chinese Lunar year and Christmas Day celebrated by Christians every month of December.

Other occasions held in Penang, Malaysia annually are: The Birthday of the Goddess of Mercy, Wesak Day or the birthday of Lord Buddha, Hari Raya Puasa which marks the end of Ramadan, Saint Anne's Feast, Hari Raya Haji, Festival of Nine Emperor Gods, Malaysia's National Day, and Deepavali in commemoration of the slaying of evil king by Lord Krishna.

CUISINE

Penang travel can never be completed without sampling its fine delicacy and cuisine greatly influenced by Malays, Chinese and Indians. There is definitely no room for picky eaters here since there is always something for everybody and food is really great, tourists usually come back for more. The most famous dish is the Penang Laksa, a tamarind-based fish soup filled with noodles. Penang Laksa is a very delicious and filling treat. Tourist can either choose to buy their food from "hawkers" of roadside stalls or get them at regular sit-in restaurants which nicely dotted the area. Gurney Drive is the famous food street where you will find hawker's stalls lined up and selling best of Penang Food.

Some of Penang's local favorites are:

- Satay or Malaysian style kebab.
- Apom, an Indian paper-thin pancake.
- Apong, Nyonya's folded pancake.
- Beef ball noodles
- Char Koay Teow, stir-fried rice noodles.
- Chicken rice, a complete meal of Hainanese rice cooked in chicken stock served with roasted or steamed chicken.
- Fried oysters for seafood lovers!
- Mee Goreng, an Indian fried noodle.
- Mee Suah Tau or vermicelli soup with flaked crab meat.

This is just some of the suggested food fare in Penang since this town is known for its excellent cuisine and their food list is virtually endless.

SHOPPING

Shopping is never a problem in Penang. Kompleks Tun Abdul Razak is the biggest, most famous shopping complex in the area. It is the tallest building in Penang and placed sixth in Malaysia. KOMTAR Tower is by far, the most ambitious urban renewal project of the city of Penang. Famous retail shops and shopping outlets are found in this one, massive building, a real one-stop-shop for shopping tourists.

BEACHES

Penang beaches stretch from Tanjung Bungah to Telok Bahang for miles and miles. The most popular beach front is the Batu Ferringhi which is quite busy during peak seasons. Other beaches that you can find in Penang are: Tanjung Bungah, Muka Head, Pantai Keracut, Pantai Acheh, Monkey Beach and Gertak Sanggul, all of which are beautiful sandy beaches where you can relax and have fun under the sun.

GEORGETOWN HERITAGE SITE

Georgetown is the capital of Penang Island and was declared by UNESCO in 2008 as a world heritage site. Georgetown has extensive list of sights to see, some of its famous tourist attractions are Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion in Leith Street, built in 1890. Fort Cornwallis in Light Street was built in 1793 and visit Penang Islamic Museum by Armenian Street. The Pinang Peranakan Mansion can be found around Church Street and also check out Queen Victoria Clock Tower which commemorates Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria.

About the Author Nowal has been a freelance travel writer and photographer for almost 10 years now. Penang Travel Guide is his recent travel guide to the island of Penang. The travel guide provides travel information and guide to Georgetown Heritage Sites.

(ArticlesBase SC #791549) Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/ - Penang - Famed Tourist Destination In Malaysia

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