Penang: 3 Cultures Collide and Nobody Compromises

[LaoFan]

Come for the food alone and you won’t be disappointed.

Indian, Malay, and Chinese culture show up equally - not politely blended, not “fusion” in the menu sense, just stacked on top of each other for generations. Spices overlap. Techniques bleed. Nobody tones anything down. The result is a fantastic chaos.

Where we stayed 

'The Prestige' in Georgetown.

Beautiful property. Great location. Helluva rooftop infinity pool.

 

Areas that matter

Georgetown: This is the pearl. Colonial, best food/bars in town, not as chaotic as the rest of the island. Spent 90% of our time here.

Batu Ferringhi: Beaches not bad but pales in comparison to most of SE Asia. The masked monkeys are a hoot though.

Gurney Drive: A bit more upscale. It's not SG by any means.

Air Itam/Penang Hill: Must stop for sunrise and some bring in the New Year conversations + Air Itam hawkers are as good as it gets (Asam Laksa, Char Kway Teow, Curry Mee, Nasi Kandar)

Siglo III.

 

Best Restaurants & Bars
 

1st Place: Auntie Gaik Lean's Eatery. 

Have been obsessed with Nyona cuisine for a bit now. @Fuzz AI you woulda loved this spot. Auntie has been making this food for decades. She told me the entire recipe and even gave me ingredients... looked at me like there was no way in hell I'd be able to replicate. Worth the Michelin hype without questio.

Her rice, the Curry Kapitan, and the Rendang were all stunning.

 

2nd Place: Tong

Malaysian-Chinese flavours. Great cocktails. Menu was creative but showed restraint, thoughtful plating, great technique. 

 

Bars

1st Place: Backyard Bodega (Salon in the front speakeasy). Wild cocktails. Great finger food. Ripped the recipe for their fries sauce from the chef. Giver a go.

Meat Curry Powder - 2tbsp (this is a Penang staple)
Garam Masala - 1tbsp
Coriander Powder - 1/2 tbsp
Tumeric Powder 3tbsp
Fennel Powder 1/2 tbsp
Cumin Powder 1tbsp
White Pepper 1 teaspoon
Kashmiri Chili Powder 2tbsp
Salt - To taste ( not too much )

BASE : KEWPIE MAYONNAISE - 300-400g ( up to your liking on sweetness)

 

2nd Place: Good Friends Club

Great, just not as great as #1.

 

3rd Place: Manchu (Love Lane) - Cocktails not as good but the design was epic.

Siglo VI.

Honourable Mentions:

Black Linen

Decent steakhouse, but I ain't coming to Penang to eat grilled steaks.

The Suckling Pig

Former bartender from Pony & Jigger (top 3 bars in the world for me - SG). Solid.

Cigars & Lounges

Shops:

Not a lot. And they're STEEEP. Bring your own.

In a pinch, Kamelah Tobacco House is the best. Decent selection but tough to pay those prices. Went to 2.

Vantage Wine & Cigar Lounge:

Same as above. Bit less selection, similar pricing. This one's by Gurney Road.

Lounges:

Cellar Door - thanks to @Raskol's reco. This place was awesome. Not a lot of sticks on-site, but bring your own. Good grub. Rooftop balcony, private smoke rooms, chill staff. Good respite from the heat.

Connie B.

Shangri-La Batu Ferringhi:

Awesome lounge. Lots of vintage Cuban decorations, old boxes, etc inside. I was the only one smoking cigars though. One dude looked like he was hiding from his wife. Another dude popped in to hack a dart 😅😅. Normally woulda bugged me.. but eh 🇨🇦🚬.

H. Upmann #2.

Trinidad Esmerelda.

 

Smokeability Index:

6.2/10

It's a bit hot innit.

Since '19 Malaysia has cracked down on smoking indoors. You can still find places but you get the stank eye unless you're in a lounge or a cigar friendly bar (Manchu).

Prices are as high as I've seen.

Bring your own.
 

 

Pro Tips

Grafitti throughout Georgetown

Very art forward town. Lots of markets, lots of shows, great place to get souvenirs for loved ones back home.

Penang Golf Club

Solid course. Empty. 34 sweltering degrees. Hilarious caddy. Mandatory Lusi. Too many beers. Foot+ from my first hole in one on 13.

Street food

Nasi Kandar is a non-negotiable mandatory. Hameediyah is prob the most famous spot. Didn't snap a picture, but Nasi Kandar is Penang summarized into one dish. Gotta try. Prepare for a ruthless Montezuma's revenge...

(yanked from Google)

Love Lane

The party street of Penang. Always action. Lots of street food. Lots of meh bars. Indian Mexican restaurant called Holy Guacamole. The typical party street fare.

P2.

Magnum 50.

The Top 

Helluva a spot for countdown fireworks.

 

And as always.. bless duty free. The pros of travelling in groups.

Fallen soldiers (+ a couple bottles of bubbly)

[Ruggerpgh99]

Awesome write up! Appreciate all the detail here. Is there a better time of year to go with less heat, I am not familiar with Malaysia. 

[LaoFan]

January is the best time  😅

To be fair, the nights are reasonable, but expect 30+ all day long.

[Montezüma]

Great review! Thanks. Have been curious of Penang. Surprised to see how big the city is from that viewpoint. Food is world famous, they are fortunate to inherit such a mix of cuisine.

[El Presidente]

Great write-up!!!! 

Now on my list! 

[Çnote]

22 hours ago, LaoFan said:

Another dude popped in to hack a dart 

I know that guy. 

[Fuzz AI]

Fantastic write up. I'll be back in Malaysia in March for my cousin's wedding. Have a list of restaurants to hit to get my Malaysian food fix.

[westg]

Amazing post 💯

[Webbo]

Great write up. Traveling in Asia right now, currently KL but off to Penang on Wednesday for a couple of nights at the E&O. One of the best cities in Asia for me for the food and atmosphere. Next time you are at the Shanghai La go to their bar at the beach and light up there, they will sort you out properly with a cigar table for dinner.