Picture by Leong Chee Hong
If there could be only one quintessential Penang dish, it would be the asam laksa. The broth is an intense spicy and sour fish soup, soaked up by thick round rice noodles. Good asam laksas have generous chunks of fish (usually mackerels) and are garnished with shredded cucumber, lettuce, pineapple, onions, mint, basil, and even bunga kantan, or torch ginger flower. We warn you: this can get very addictive very quickly.
Char kway teow
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There are at least a dozen different spelling variations, but only one real McCoy – the Penang char kway teow. What it is is flat rice noodles fried with chilli and spices and jacked up with loads of bean sprouts, an egg or two, and shellfish like prawns and cockles. The most important element isn’t an ingredient, but an extremely hot wok to fry it in. This gives it the wok hei, a smoky flavor which comes from the open flame and quick caramelization of ingredients.
Hokkien mee/prawn mee
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Penang Hokkien mee is very different from the dark, fried version in Kuala Lumpur. It’s a noodle soup this time, a broth based in a spicy prawn and pork bone stock. You can have it with rice or egg noodles or both, and top it off with slices of hard-boiled egg, meat, and prawns. It’s briny yet deeply rich in flavor.
Nasi kandar
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The Indian Muslims or Mamaks are famous for this mixed rice offering. Back in the day they used to sell it by balancing a pole on their shoulders with the curries and rice on either end (or kandar, as the Malays called it). Now the people come to them, for the secret blend of different meat and vegetable curries over hot white rice that they’ll personalize to your taste. This is then eaten with fried or curried meats, like fried fish or ayam merah (chicken in red sauce). Set aside a few hours after nasi kandar for a good nap.
Pasembur
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Also called “rojak mamak”, this is basically a salad of shredded cucumbers, turnips, potatoes, beancurds, bean sprouts, prawn fritters, coconut fritters, and a few slices of cuttlefish, all doused in a sweet and spicy sauce. We didn’t say it was a healthy salad, but boy, there’s nothing like a fresh and crunchy plate of pasembur for tea.
Lau Hau Peng
A uniquely Penang drink is lau hau peng, which is nutmeg juice. The rind of the fruit is either blended to get a green-white juice or boiled for a mellower brown juice. Add some ice and you’ll have the most refreshing drink this side of the orient.
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