Penang is just over 240 years old, and it has never looked better.
From its sun-drenched beaches off Batu Ferringhi to the cool climes of Penang Hill — and a historic, culture-rich city in-between — Penang has something to offer every visitor to its shores. be they an arts lover, a history buff, a culture vulture, or a gourmand.
Its capital, George Town, is a beguiling mix of history and modernity — well-preserved British colonial buildings stand cheek-by-jowl alongside atmospheric Chinese temples, mosques with gleaming domes, and soaring minarets; and colourful Hindu temples with ornate gopurams are interspersed with modern hotels and bustling malls. Traversing George Town’s old quarter on foot is akin to journeying through the pages of history come alive — there is always something interesting to discover around the corner as one explores its atmospheric streets.
As a UNESCO-listed World Heritage Site, Penang proudly maintains a tenacious link to its rich past in many ways — amidst the labyrinthian network of Straits-Eclectic Chinese shophouses are traditional tradesmen, many still practicing their age-old craft: rattan-weaving, Chinese seal-engraver, batik-printing, and more.
Penang’s multiracial populace also ensures a vibrant calendar of various religious and cultural festivals throughout the year, whilst its famous street food is a dazzling multi-ethnic collection of delicious eats, justly feted as the best in the country.
At the apex of Penang’s much-vaunted culinary world is Beh Gaik Lean, the feisty Peranakan matriarch better-known fondly as Auntie Gaik Lean, proprietress of her eponymously-named, one MICHELIN-Starred Nyonya restaurant, Auntie Gaik Lean’s Old School Eatery. Always impeccably turned out, perfectly-coiffed with nary a strand of hair out of place, Auntie Gaik Lean runs her kitchen with slick precision and meticulous attention to detail, churning out a constant train of Nyonya dishes with clockwork efficiency. The constantly-packed dining rooms, and a seemingly permanent queue outside the restaurant, bear testament to the tremendous appeal her restaurant commands.
“I love Penang’s multicultural makeup — nowhere else in Malaysia is like it. We celebrate diversity. No matter what race or religion you belong to, we are one big family.”
"My restaurant embodies that spirit — our Baba Delight appetiser platter, for instance, consists of Chinese lor bak, made with halal chicken so it’s accessible to Malay-Muslims, Indian cucur fritters, Peranakan kueh pai tee, which shares a common bond with Thai kratong tong, and achar awak, which the Nyonyas adapted from the early Burmese settlers in Penang. So, there you have it — Penang on a plate!”
Here, Auntie Gaik Lean shares some of her favourite things about Penang.
For a relaxing breakfast: Under the Tree
“Where is my favourite breakfast spot? The good old Under the Tree hawker centre on Lengkok Burmah. The local Hokkiens call it 'Lau Heok Hooi' (translating to 'Betel Leaf Farm'). I’ve been coming here for three decades. Sitting al fresco under this canopy of big, shady trees, having a plate of char koay teow or Hokkien char (fried Hokkien noodles), and sipping a cup of local Hainanese coffee... it invokes a very special feeling of nostalgia in me. The proprietress, Madam Wong, is a true-blue Hainanese who brews the best cup of local coffee around. She is about my age and we are bosom pals.“ (Photo: Adrian Tan)
Under the Tree is located at Lengkok Burmah, Pulau Tikus, 10350 George Town, Penang, Malaysia
For some retail therapy: Marks & Spencer, Gurney Plaza
“I love shopping, and there is nowhere that I like to do that more than at Marks & Spencer, located inside Gurney Plaza. What do I like about it? Everything — the clothes, the shoes, the well-designed trinkets, seasonal decorative items during Christmas-time, and the wonderful foodstuff: biscuits, jams, snacks, chocolates, and all the baked goods.
People say I’m an Anglophile, but that’s the way I was brought up — my father loved everything British, and I guess it rubbed off on me.”
Marks & Spencer is located at 170-G-63A/65, Ground Floor, Gurney Plaza, Gurney Drive, 10250 George Town, Penang, Malaysia.
To experience Penang Peranakan/Baba-Nyonya culture: Pulau Tikus Market Area
“One place in Penang that has the strongest Peranakan culture is Pulau Tikus market and its surroundings. The Nyonyas have been doing their market shopping here for as long as Penang has been around — over two centuries. I can find everything that I need to cook our Nyonya cuisine from the market here: cekur (sand ginger) for our nasi ulam, preserved fish intestines for cooking perut ikan, and all the fresh
herbs and spices like ulam raja, daun kunyit, and buah petai. You can also buy good Nyonya kueh from any of the several vendors there, plus Nyonya kebaya and sarong, and even Nyonya porcelain ware to grace your dining table.” (Photo: Adrian Tan)
Pulau Tikus Wet Market is located at 3, Jalan Pasar, Pulau Tikus, 10350 George Town, Penang, Malaysia
For a taste of local street food and kopitiam culture: Jin Café
“My favourite kopitiam (traditional coffeeshop) is Jin Café on the corner of Anson Road and Siam Road. There, you can find the best-tasting Penang char koay teow (by Lee Seng Seng) and lam mee (by Raymond Teh) in town — both stalls are run by 70+ year-old hawkers, and their experience shows. It’s getting harder to find hawkers who still practice their craft the traditional way, and that is what I appreciate about these two men — no shortcuts, everything is painstakingly prepared and cooked exactly the way they should be."
"Mr. Lee fries his char koay teow one plate at a time, no matter how busy it gets. And Raymond Teh still abides by the cooking tips given by my own mentor, Dato’ Lim Bian Yam, for cooking his lam mee soup stock: blanch the pork first with galangal before simmering, and adding crabs to the stock towards the end for additional sweetness instead of using MSG.”
Jin Café is located at 10, Siam Road, 10400 George Town, Penang, Malaysia
For a place in Penang that feels timeless: Ocean Green
“For me, Ocean Green has a timeless feel and ambience. It is an old-school Hainanese restaurant where the chefs still produce dishes that go back decades — stuffed crab-shells, inche kabin (fried chicken) with Worcestershire sauce dip, Hainanese satay, and choon phneah (meat-and-vegetable spring rolls). The current restaurant owner’s father founded Paramount Hotel right after the war. The hotel still exudes that unchanging old-world feel even today, and Ocean Green occupies a part of the hotel’s grounds which directly faces the beach.”
Ocean Green is located at 48-F Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah (Northam Road), 10050 George Town, Penang, Malaysia
For nasi ulam when I am not cooking: Bibik’s Kitchen
“My favourite spot for nasi ulam when I am not preparing it myself? It will be from Girlie Chua’s Bibik’s Kitchen, recognised with a Bib Gourmand by the MICHELIN Guide. She’s got all the ingredients finely-cut and the balance of flavours just right. I am a stickler for tradition, so only the right combination of herbs, used in the right quantities, can result in a good nasi ulam. This is the place I come to eat the dish when I need time out from my own kitchen.”
Bibik’s Kitchen is located at 73, Jalan Sri Bahari, 10050 George Town, Penang, Malaysia
For family gatherings or to entertain out-of-town visitors: Marriott Hotel
“The Marriott Hotel on Gurney Drive is where I like to hold family gatherings for a good meal. I also like to bring visiting friends from overseas there — the place has a convivial atmosphere, the service is polite and attentive, and one also gets a panoramic view of casuarina tree-lined Gurney Drive and the sea on the horizon, right outside the glass windows. I especially like Sago, the hotel’s all-day casual dining restaurant.”
Penang Marriott Hotel is located at 55, Gurney Drive, 10250 George Town, Penang, Malaysia
For a traditional dessert: Swatow Lane Ice Kacang
“I love the ais kachang (shaved ice dessert) from Lee Brothers in New World Park (now known as Swatow Lane Ice Kacang). Since the 1950s, they have been using two types of syrup for their ais kachang: a red syrup and a Sarsi-flavoured syrup. A standard order of ais kachang here has creamed corn, stewed red beans, grass jelly, and attap chee (nipa palm fruit), topped with a scoop of ice cream. The perfect cooler on a hot day in George Town. On any day, in fact!” (Photo: Mikka Wee)
Swatow Lane Ice Kacang (Lee Brothers Ais Kacang) is located at New World Park, Lorong Swatow, 10050 George Town, Penang, Malaysia
Penang today continues to pull visitors in with its tantalising mix of history, culture, and food. Its melting pot of races also contribute towards its rich, diverse offerings in terms of festivities. In recent years, Penang has become a favourite destination for what can be best called “pray-cations” — where visitors come to observe and participate in its spectacular religious and cultural festivals like the Hindu Thaipusam, the Chinese Pai Thnee Kong ceremony, the Taoist Nine Emperor Gods or Vegetarian Festival, the Catholic Feast of Saint Anne, the annual Miao Hui (“Temple Gathering”), and the Peranakan Chap Goh Meh, amongst others.
Besides its oft-mentioned street food, Penang is also renowned for its durians, reputedly among the best in the world, and the peak durian season in June-July continue to draw in die-hard durian-lovers. Auntie Gaik Lean counts herself as one of them.
Finally, we asked Auntie Gaik Lean — ever the culinary icon — what a visitor should never miss on any trip to Penang — her emphatic answer was, “You can’t leave Penang without … TRYING MY COOKING!”
And true enough, one should really not miss out on it.
