There’s not much else to do in Penang except to walk a little slower, more deliberately, practice patience, soak in an aspect of the city that reeks of a Singapore thirty years ago adorned with neat and weathered rows of pre-war colonial shophouses and …eat in wild abandon. Their street food culture is second to none in Malaysia and is their country’s de-facto food capital.

Their spread and range of street makan on the surface looks like it has a strikingly similar heritage to Singapore’s but when bitten into, it’s a different cake somewhat. Penang’s makan is a confluence of flavours that are influenced by Thailand, India, South China and Indonesia.

Very naturally, Penangites have a sour palate that is laced with chillies, spices and salty soys. Generally, their food have a lighter touch and finish and come in smaller portions. Their curry mee, for starters, come with way less coconut milk and tastes a whole lot more of the stock topped with pig blood cakes, cuttlefish, prawns, bean spouts and taupok accompanied with a dollop of sambal chilli, a world away from our curry chicken mee version that’s smooth yet thickened with coconut milk and topped with boiled chicken.

Their rojak, although has a similar hae ko (prawn paste), tamarind and chilli sauce base, uses un-ripened slices of fruits like mango, papaya and green apple with jumbu (rose apples). And of course, their Nonya laksa is as different as day and night to ours. Theirs is a distinctively different assam laksa which is fish stock based, injected with a kick of tamarind, chilli and mackerel fish floss textured with mint leaves and a rich spoonful of hae ko.

Eat at their decent Peranakan eateries and you’ll notice the Thai and Hokkien influence. It has a more sourish slant and are not coconut and chilli based. Their use of exotic local leaves and greens like daun kadot and chekok gives it that extra dimension of taste. Nonya food south of theirs is richer and spicier. You won’t be able to find ayam buah keluak in Penang and the black nut is not easily available.

I’ll point you to some of the more uncommon-to-us dishes but is unique to Penang.

Kerabu Beehoon Restoran Bee Hooi (coffeeshop)

Address 414, Burma Road (at junction of Pulau Tikus)

Opening Hours 8am-12.30pm daily

My favourite Penang dish by far. Essentially a Nonya creation, it is made by quick blanching the beehoon in hot stock and marinating it with a special sambal powder (which gives it a reddish tint), cured kumquat juice (kat chye), chilli powder, salt and sugar. It is topped with fried shallots and given a fragrant touch with mint leaves. It is eaten cool at room temperature and looks similar to our dry style mee siam. It has a more refreshing and healthier touch overall.

Mrs Lee Guat Eng has been selling it in a humble stall at a coffee shop for over thirty years. The friendly 70 year old learnt it from a Peranakan friend and she clears out her stock each day.

Temasyur Nasi Kandar

Address 2, Jalan Tengah, Taman Sri Tunas, Bayan Baru

Opening Hours 24hrs daily

Telephone 04-6455607

This Indian style nasi padang is unique to Penang. You can’t find this makan even in India although they recently set up a branch there. Their spread is a fiery collection of almost every meat cooked in curry, spicy masala and fried in chiile-ed batter and even kichap manis (sweet soy sauce). You top what you choose on a plate of rice and it comes, of course, curried. Popular are the masala chicken and crabs, curry sotong and fried quail. This eatery has an open alfresco and indoor area and there is a huge projection TV screen to catch the latest games live daily.

Nonya Baba Cuisine

Address 44, Nagore Road

Opening Hours Lunch and dinner Closed on Tuesday

Telephone 04-2278035

Only six tables adorn this little humble eatery. Ms Khoo Siew Eng and her mother helms the kitchen and their distinctively refreshing Thai inspired Nonya specials include the piquant kerabu salad, made with wood ea fungus, chicken, rojak flower, and a host of other herbs and chilli. I thoroughly enjoyed their Ju Hu Cha (cuttlefish salad) made simply with turnips and cuttlefish strips. Their Inche Kabin (fried spiced chicken) is juicy and Curry Kapitan is in rich league of their own. Their Hati Bungkus (liver rolls) are packed solid and are still wrapped traditionally in pigs caul.