Malaysian food is often a result of cross cultures and the way different ethnic groups prepare the same kind of food in their own unique way. Take the Penang pasembur which is basically known as “Indian rojak”, spicy salad dish elsewhere in Malaysia. Yet, here, it is vastly different from those found outside of this state. In Penang, when we refer to rojak we mean the one made with fruits and a thick, black sweet sauce while the pasembur has… Read More »Penang Pasembur
One of the more well-known dishes in Bukit Mertajam has to be steamed cup rice. This simple, wholesome and tasty dish is childhood food for many Penangites especially in Bukit Mertajam. If you go around the Jalan Pasar and Jalan Danby area right in the middle of this small town, you are bound to find a “cup rice” stall. The name of the dish is derived from the small aluminum bowl in which the rice is steamed in. The preparation… Read More »Cup Rice
Roasted duck rice may not be as popular or ubiquitous as Hainan chicken rice but Penang does have a few hawker stalls offering really good roasted duck rice alongside chicken, roast pork and Chinese sausages. Duck is the lesser liked poultry possibly due to its strong gamey flavours and tougher texture but when roasted to perfection, it is something worth chewing over. Roasting a whole duck is not an easy task as the marinade has to be able to bring… Read More »Roasted Duck Rice
Scorching charcoal fire that fragrant up a distinctive smoky flavour, claypot chicken rice is probably one of the few hawker foods that is cooked and eaten direct from the receptacle it is cooked in claypots. The old-style cooking of chicken rice in claypots as opposed to simply cooking it in shiny new rice cookers has withstood the test of time. The authentic smoky earthy flavours from boiling the rice, sauce and chicken all within the claypot. The claypot is slow-cooked… Read More »Claypot Chicken Rice
On a blazing hot day, nothing hits the spot quite like a bowl of finely soft shaved ice generously covered in syrup with a hint of refreshing Sarsi flavor and garnished with an assortment of toppings in the hot afternoon. Yes, the quintessential Malaysian dessert to cool parched throats and sweeten the day is ais kacang which literally means ice and beans. Ice Kacang is a colourful ice dessert that pleases both the old and young. As its name suggests,… Read More »Ais Kacang
Clouds of smoke waft above the stall with the bbq charcoal grilled aroma which offering charcoal grilled items. The bak kua roti, which is nostalgic senses to many Penangite and Malaysian. They used to be staples for breakfast, tea time or even the movies. Instead of popcorn, people used to buy this snack and have it while watching their favourite movie on the big screen. Up to a decade ago, hawkers on bicycle stall or motorcycles would travel from neighbourhood… Read More »Bak Kua roti
What can be a snack, an appetiser and a meal all rolled into one? This simple dish of very few ingredients is quite popular and can be eaten in the morning, afternoon and evenings. The humble chee cheong fun of course! There are several styles to the preparation of chee cheong fun; some serve it in curry as a substitute for noodles, some serve it steamed with shrimps and roast pork within the rolls for a savoury meal but in… Read More »Chee Cheong Fun
A chopstick-full of or chien (literally means oyster fried in Hokkien) is a chopstick-full of delicious textures and flavours. Fried oyster omelette, also known as or chien by the local is a culinary among the list of popular street foods in Penang. The oyster omelette is no ordinary omelette and in Penang, it comes in many different styles; some starchy and some crispy. Believed to be originally from Taiwan, the oyster omelette is pretty common there and over here, it… Read More »“Or Chien” oyster omellete
