Stop 3: Penang (Part I)

No other activity besides eating.

Taste & See: Welcome to George Town, Penang, where the motto is "Leading, We Serve," and there is, according to one travel guide, "Don't look for any other activity besides eating." Which does not, in fact, present a problem for me.

Immediately following the early arrival of the KL train in Penang, we begin day one with a groggy search for one of Penang's famous food courts (hawker centres). Unfortunately, the eagerly-awaited food court is mostly closed at 11 AM, so we are left to look for something to tide us over until 1, when we are promised it will be open. Happily, I find one delightful fruit of globalization, and one of favorite foods-- first sampled as imported by the Chinese to Thailand and now as done in Malaysia-- Giow Ba Mee Moo Dang [see linked article for photos in Thailand].

Of course, this meal- as all my meals- included the delightful Teh Tarik (as mentioned in KL entry; thanks to this blog for the photo):


Later we return to the food court for meal #2. The food court itself is perfectly situated, right on the water, providing a fresh breeze & views.


Equally fun to watch, Malays enjoying snacks:


Even more fun, joining in. I see a woman sit down to a big red pile of sauce poured generously over bits and pieces of nothing I recognize. When she notices me staring I ask what it is and how to get some. She calls it by what I suspect is a local slang, in any case, something other than rojak, the Singaporean- Malaysian- Indian mixed salad I had expected to hear, and insists I try it so I don't "waste my money to buy something I don't like." I gladly assent-- and am immediately hooked by the flavor of the chili sauce.

She directs me to a vendor with bowls of unappealing brown fried things, and I initially can't conceive of how this could become the beautiful bowl you see below. Thankfully, her husband shows me how to load an empty plate with the objects for my salad and whistles over a mustachioed Indian man, who promptly chops up my potatoes, eggs, fishcakes and shrimp fritters into small pieces, throws on a handful of sliced cucumber, and drenches it all in the glorious red sauce:


The lovely Rasa Malaysia food blog describes Rojak: "Rojak is a Penang-style salad. Ingredients such as cucumber, jicama, pineapples, jambu (water apple), bean curd pieces, and cuttlefish are tossed with Hae Ko (prawn paste), chili, roasted belacan and topped with ground peanuts." I'd have liked to tried more fruit, less fried brown things, but that will have to await another visit.

Later that night, the endless Christmas lights bejewling this food court draw us across the road from our majestic Cathay Hotel, with its forgotten, dust ballroom of a lobby.


A lone performer strums on a guitar and croaks out entertainment, reminiscent of the food courts in the middle of Thai night markets, minus the katoy shows and kitschy Thai dancing. This does not appear to be for tourists. I'm amused to observe this appears to be an international food court; are the Philippine & Japanese food stands exotic treats amidst the "mundane" Nasi Lemak & Mee Goreng?


We try two kinds of skewers: Beef - look so succulent, but sadly mushy, unable to be saved by the gooey brown sauce.


Mushroom - sad and limp but so flavorful with a perfect chewy texture.


Ah well, appearances can be deceiving! Coming up next, Penang Part II- Indian food.