The Culinary-Melting-Pot-Island of Penang, Malaysia
In between our time in Kuala Lumpur and Borneo (the Island which Malaysia, Brunei, and Indonesia all share), we headed over to the famous island of Penang, Malaysia. Penang, off the Northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, close to Thailand, is a testament to the virtues of foreign influence. The easiest and best way to first experience this melting pot is through the world-class food dishes.
The food in Penang has three main influences: Chinese, Indian, and Malay. And the combinations created thereof are eclectic and adventurous to my Western-accustomed taste buds. Our first meal was at a local food court/hall/thing, and I tried the Prawn Mee (mee means noodles in Malay), which was distinctly different and quite yummy.
We soon tried a second dish, the ever-famous Hokkien Mee, which has origins in China’s Fuijan Province; it is a noodle soup with small prawns, topped with absolutely delectable pork cubes and a sliced boiled egg for good measure. It is decently spicy due to the broth alone, but the spoon can come with an extra hunk of minced chili for good measure. We passed on the chili.
But the silliest food-related adventure was our trip to the Wonderfood museum. In short, they had massive (massive) food replicas, including a bowl of laksa (yet another famous noodle dish) that was bigger than most kiddie pools. It was fun. Other highlights included the explained example meals of the Malay, Chinese, and Indian cuisine posted on the walls in life-like (if vertical) proportions
Continuing with museums (and honestly, the museum is used quite liberally here), we went to the even more ridiculous Upside-Down Museum. All you do is go through a bunch of upside-down rooms, pose, and have the staff attendants take photos of you. Its kooky, and really silly. It’s also a place that feels completely geared towards Instagram, so…yay?
Kek Lok Si Temple
And of course, one does not sightsee in any Southeast Asian city without going to see a temple. So we went to see a temple, Kek Lok Si temple to be exact — the biggest one in all of Malaysia.
The Blue Mansion
Last on our island extravaganza was the Blue Mansion, properly known as Cheong Fatt Tze. You might know it from the Majong scene in Crazy Rich Asians. The dang thing was under construction (or restoration) when we were there, and our tour was pretty meh. But the building itself was immaculate and stunning. I did get from the tour that it was one of the best restored buildings as recognized by UNESCO, so I applaud all of those who were involved in preserving a chunk of history.
