Singapore, being an island nation that used to be part of Malaysia, it seems natural to think that there must be many intersections in the underlying cultures and to expect some similar experiences when traveling to these places. A short flight from Singapore to Penang revealed the dramatic differences between the two nations: Singapore in all of its well curated splendor and Malaysia as the more earthy and earnest sister of this corner of Southeast Asia.Penang is the spirit that runs like a current of electricity through Singapore.
We spent the morning at the Jewel in Singapore’s Changi Airport (a report of that experience to be shared in a later post), and took a one hour and thirty minutes flight to Penang. Penang Airport, unlike Singapore’s magnificent piece of art, was modest in size and resembled many small city domestic airports in the United States. There was no intimidating excess of shopping and the airport’s arrival terminal was designed for travelers to quickly diverge their paths as soon as they hauled their luggage. Becca, Michelle, and I exited the airport smoothly and used the Grab app to hire a taxi to reach Gurney Drive where we had booked an Airbnb for our 3 nights stay in Penang.
Our taxi driver was very conversational and shared many good recommendations for food to eat in Penang. He also plugged in a few questions about the price of electronics in Malaysia and mentioned how he is a proud owner of the latest iPhone. Somehow it didn’t occur to me that Penang is one of the up-and-coming hubs for technology companies in Malaysia. There are many people working at startup companies full-time while also driving ride shares for extra income – much like back in California! I watched the buildings of tech companies, a scenic Jerejak Island floating in the distance and Penang Bridge extending to mainland Malaysia as we drove up the coastal highway to George Town.
Gurney Drive is a resort center in Penang that stretches along the expansive beach shoreline and offers incredible ocean views from almost every 2 storey+ building. We stayed on the 10th floor of an apartment building a few blocks away from the beach and basked in 360 degree views of the Pacific Ocean from the windows. DEspite the fact that the beach outside the apartment was still under maintenance from the aftermath of the tsunami a few years back, we fully enjoyed the changing view of Penang in day and night from our resort accommodation.
Our first day in Penang was spent relaxing with takeout curry from the hawker stalls (thanks to Grab app delivery). In the evening, I ventured out to Gurney Drive Hawker Center to join the wedding party for the first contact with Penang delicacy.
My experience at Gurney Drive Hawker Center was quite different from the previous night spent at Newton Food Center in Singapore. The place was bustling with energy, and people were wandering shoulder to shoulder with little to no space between passing! I also noticed there were significantly more varieties of Malay cuisine that I had not seen at the other hawker centers we visited in Singapore. Kudos to my friends for securing a full size table amidst this madness!
Just like in Singapore, our table was filled with a bountiful rotation of regional flavors. I got really busy trying different types of noodle dishes and analyzing the flavor notes in each bite of exotic salad dishes. Street food culture in Penang was a poignant culinary expedition and I needed to use my taste buds as guidance to navigate through the intricate maze of flavors.
Gurney Drive Hawker Center was a great introduction to the Penang culture. Not only did I have a chance to appreciate many incredible foods, but I was exposed to the authentic Muslim culture that exists in Malaysia. Rojak, which is one of the Muslim culinary experiences, was definitely one of the more shocking encounters I have had on my curious walks around the hawker centers. I had no preliminary knowledge about this Malaysian style salad, but one particular stall named “Disco Pasembur Rojak” lured me into the depth of this mysterious delicacy. Like a moth to flame, I joined the winding queue of the festive stall that blared awesome 90s dance jams (somehow it was not disco music). Immediately, I saw many people smiling and enjoying picking from the selection of toppings for the salad.
I was a total noob and had no idea how a rojak stall works. I just followed the queue and did what everyone else was doing: took a green plate and used the tongs to pick up what appears to be fried fish cakes and tofu, all the while bass heavy music was bumping from the overhead speakers. At the very end of the line, a gentleman with a big knife collected my plate and chopped the fried items into tiny bite size pieces. Once the pieces were reasonably diced down, he added bean sprouts, fresh green vegetables, and finally poured a heavy dollop of mysterious red sauce.
Unfortunately, I do not have a good comment to provide for rojak as far as flavor is concerned. It was strangely sweet and dense! I can say this would be a perfect meal to eat after only having a bowl of cereal for breakfast in the morning as it will definitely fill you up. It was by no means a substitute for a fantastic bowl of laksa, which I followed up with to cleanse my taste palette.
Evening seemed to calm down as the dinner crowds started to part ways with their respective happy bellies. I took a taxi back to the apartment with takeout chicken satay and Penang-style laksa. After settling down for a few minutes at the apartment, I took the elevator to find a fancy cocktail bar with a view on the top floor of the apartment. Here’s some shimmering views of George Town at night from the sky room:
Thank you for reading my blog post! Next we will explore the art districts of George Town and some reports on hidden gems of nightlife. Please stay tuned!
Written by: Kosuke Haga
Edited by: Rebecca Hoover