Now if you have a weekend in Penang, you can really get stuck into a lot more delicious grub. So follow our 24-hour Gluttony List and supplement it with another 24 hours in a 48 hours eating extravaganza!
Wicked Weekend Binge-Feast (Day 2)
0900hrs
Good morning! Hope you've rested well so that you can have a headstart for Day2’s foodfest. Let’s start with a simple quintessential Penang breakfast – koey teow thng! Basically it’s koey teow noodle with chicken broth. Penang’s version comes with chicken meat, lettuce, fishballs, fishcakes, other spare parts like gizzard, liver with a dash of garlic oil and condiments of cut chillies in soya sauce. You also have the option of choosing other noodles like yellow mee, vermicelli (thin or thicker version), maggi mee and bee tai bak (rat tail noodle). There are decent ones at Lorong Hutton (opposite the school, closer to Larut Road), Lebuh Cecil foodcourt (close to Macalister Road) and Lebuh Armenian.
Tip: Certain KTT stalls provide duck meat/blood instead of just chicken. Do try it!
1000hrs
Time for brunch at one of Penang’s makan hotspots – Pulau Tikus! Swee Kong Coffee Shop lies at the junction of Burma Road and Moulmein Road, right opposite the Pulau Tikus police station. The Sar Hor Fun here is yummy. I like the thick savoury sauce that’s poured over the flat noodles. Unique and different from the normal Sar Hor Fun for sure! Apom here is not bad too. If you walk along Moulmein Road, you will notice a dessert stall parked at a small lane. You can get Nyonya desserts like angku, kuih talam, onde onde. My personal favourite is the beeko moi (or pulut hitam) and gandum.
1130hrs
Cross over to Kwai Lock Coffee Shop for some Penang chee cheong fun. It’s definitely different from the KL version. Served plain with prawn paste, sweet sauce, sesame oil/ seeds, fried shallots and a little chilli sauce, it’s not much though some people may not like the taste. I beg to differ!
1230hrs
Just a few shoplots away (towards Cantonment Road), you will see this small coffee shop in the middle. The char koey teow here is special – portions are huge and it comes with squid! It’s also served on a banana leaf for that added aroma. The asam/lemak laksa here is excellent too. Another stall sells economy rice which is affordable and tasty. The owner also runs a lunch catering service, based on the many tiffin carriers she sends out. My favourite dish is the Nyonya perut ikan and asam pedas fish curry.
Tip: Ask the CKT lady if she has duck eggs to fry with the noodle. Duck egg imparts a richer taste to the noodles! It may be more expensive but the taste is outstanding!
1330hrs
So turn off into Cantonment Rd and turn right into Jalan DS Ramanathan. Keep a lookout for a signage shrouded by trees – Senior Citizens’ Club. It’s just before the Brown Road junction. Drive past the building right to the back. That’s where the canteen and kitchen is. Recommended fare includes the ‘mee sua tau’ (mee sua cooked in starchy crab and mushroom soup), ‘chun pia’ (spiced mince pork with chopped carrots, turnip and onions and deep fried) and Hainanese roast chicken. This continues to be my must-have every time I come back to my hometown. Heavenly!
Tip: It’s best to sit outside along the corridor to enjoy the fresh air and greenery. Order the local stuff like fresh nutmeg juice.
1500hrs
Let’s head on to the southern part of the island. Drive past the Penang Airport and head towards the fishing villages of these parts. Keep a lookout for the signage pointing towards Teluk Kumbar. There’s a cluster of small restaurants here specializing in Penang Mee Udang. It’s different from the Chinese version as it uses Kimball tomato soup and the prawns are fresh from the morning catch. Depending on size, each noodle dish costs an average of RM8 but it’s huge, fresh and succulent. Wash it all down with fresh coconut juice. The original shop that made the area famous is Salwa Mee Udang.
Tip: After your meal, walk along the jetty to enjoy the idyllic beach, sea breeze and blue seas. A must for those who yearn to escape the city’s hustle and bustle.
Address: 926, Kampung Nelayan, Teluk Kumbar, 11960 Penang
1800hrs
It’s time to bid adieu to your gastronomic weekend in Penang! If you’re heading south, do make a stopover by turning off at the Jawi exit. There’s this famous seafood restaurant at Nibong Tebal that serves yummy and affordable lip-smacking grub. It’s called Cheang Swee Garden and it’s at a corner coffee shop (next to Maybank). Come early as space is limited and the place gets really packed 7pm onwards. Recommendations include the boiled baby octopus with sesame oil, scallops steamed in wine and ginger, mud crab porridge, steamed pomfret Teochew style and deep-fried pork trotter. Crab porridge is generous and brimming with crab essence. The pork trotter is the star dish as the skin is crisp and the meat so succulent. Unhealthy but satisfyingly good!
So that’s one weekend of gorging at the Pearl of the Orient. With full bellies and happy hearts, you can head back onto the highway to return to the humdrum realities of life or back on that plane to your hometowns. Even if you only try just half of the gastronomic treasures we've recommended for you above, we guarantee you'll be back for an encore run.
"I have had friends who end up taking 2-3 bowls in one go! "
.JPG)
You must be logged in to post comments