A weekend on Penang Island, Malaysia

I am presently on a teaching assignment in Hong Kong and we were looking for a getaway for the Easter weekend.  We decided that Penang Island in Malaysia would be a good prospect, and I put my hand up immediately because I love Penang curry. Hilariously, it turns out there is no relationship – Penang curry originated from India and, though also widely eaten in Thai restaurants in the US, it does not exist in Penang; a detail I was oblivious to, so our entire decision was based on a completely erroneous impression of mine!

In the mid-90s I visited the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur and have very little recollection of the highlights.  My interest in revisiting Malaysia was driven by the idea of Penang curry, much like the mention of “squirrel” to Dug the dog in the movie Up.  But that is okay, because it turned out to be a great place to spend a weekend, just not for sampling Malaysian food (more about that later). 

The capital of Penang is Georgetown and most of the action is in the central historic district. This area of town is very walkable, but traversing the sidewalks is a bit precarious because they conform to the shop front or residence they serve, so it is a bit like walking up and down steps, and also over drains and ditches, as you make your way along the streets.  The construction is also apparently not regulated by zoning, so you have a myriad of different types of use from one block to the other; a hodge-podge of residential blocks, small businesses, a restaurant, a vacant lot, maybe a grocery store, all with very little evidence of planning.

a very interesting night market dining option

We began our visit on the evening we arrived by having dinner at New World Park night market.  I am a big fan of night markets, having frequented them during my last assignment in Hong Kong during visits to Taipei and Singapore (where they are called hawker markets). These are similar to food halls in many parts of the world, but are predominately outdoors.  A large communal area with tables and benches/chairs is surrounded by street food vendors of all sorts.  The goal is to find your cuisine and beverage of choice and commune with your companions to enjoy a leisurely evening of rustic, local fare.

the view over Georgetown from Penang Hill

Our visit to Penang Hill the next day was probably the highlight of the trip.  This attraction comprises a funicular ride to the top of Penang Hill, where there are a variety of walking trails, among them a canopy walk in an area called The Habitat.  This walk provided an excellent opportunity to view indigenous flora (various species of wild ginger, bromeliads, flame trees and numerous exotic ferns, among others) and fauna (dusky leaf monkeys, armored picklenape lizard and wagler’s pit viper, as well as plenty of bird life).  The funicular up Penang Hill tends to get very crowded and it is worth paying extra to get the express ticket on the funicular, which is basically a ‘skip the line’ pass. However, once at the top, The Habitat walk area was surprisingly quiet.

One of the more understated, but surprising attractions that we visited was the Straights and Oriental Museum in Georgetown.  The permanent exhibit comprises a collection of porcelain that has been rescued from a number of shipwrecks off the coast, which may not be so interesting.  But the story of porcelain and its contribution to Chinese history and economic evolution was compelling.  The upper floor exhibit, which tells the story of Penang and Malaysia was also fascinating.

street art of Georgetown on Penang Island

We had not been aware that Georgetown covets its street art and it was fun exploring the neighborhoods to discover different outdoor art displays, some of which are primitive while others are quite professional.  Many are in high traffic areas where tourists congregate, but then you could be on a very quiet and unassuming residential street and witness a spectacular mural that seems out of keeping with the character of the neighborhood.

Khoo Kongsi Clan House harbors 650 years of history

There is also a legacy of Chinese immigration to Malaysia and the establishment of multiple clan communities in Georgetown.  This is a reason to visit the Khoo Kongsi Clan House, which traces the history of these clans back 650 years to their Fujian roots, from which most Chinese immigrants to Malaysia originated.

Now, back to the issue of Penang curry, which we already have established is a misnomer as it relates to Malaysian cuisine. True Malaysian cuisine is hard to pinpoint as its origins are defined by multiple cultural identities; Malay, Chinese and Indian. We found most Malay restaurants in Georgetown catered to Muslims and did not serve alcohol, or at best, only bottled beer.

For the multicultural Malaysian experience, the best option is probably the lively night markets, where you can try a variety of dishes from different stalls also accompanied by beer. Coming from Hong Kong we were not interested in sampling the Chinese offerings so, as it turns out, we spent more time frequenting Indian restaurants, many of which were excellent with full wine lists.

Bombay Kitchen has great food and cocktails

Bombay Kitchen in Georgetown was a standout as it had an extensive menu of interesting Indian dishes, but also a great cocktail menu with 60+ gin options, as well as live music.

Enjoy!