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
It is thick, traditional Hokkien pancake, filled with crushed peanuts, sugar and margarine. A popular breakfast snack item, Penangites often called it “Ban Cien Koay” or Apam Balik “Turnover Pancake” in english. In Ipoh and Kuala Lumpur, it’s also known as dai gao meen. The name Ban Cien Koay (also written Ban Chean Koay or Ban Jian Kway) means “slow-cooking cake” in Hokkien. It’s claimed that these snacks originate from Fujian. When General Tso Tsung T’ang was sent to Fujian… Read More »“Ban Cien Koay” Chinese Pancake
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
This humble dish is never short with history as it was founded during the Tang Dynasty of China by Hui people and has travelled beyond boundaries and notched up additional ingredients and flavours. A good bowl of beef soup is the perfect antidote for days when you need a nice nourishing bowl of fragrant noodle soup. Unlike the Taiwanese-style beef noodle soup that is thick and rich, the few beef soup noodle stalls here in Penang serve up clear beef… Read More »Beef Noodle Soup
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
