Tasting Penang

Gurney Drive Food Stalls - May 2010

Delicious.

This is the word I invariably lead off with to describe my all too brief visit to the Malaysian island state of Penang.

As evidenced by the hodgepodge of Mosques, Churches, and Temples (of the Chinese, Buddhist, and Hindu persuasions) just a short walk away from my room on the intersection of Lebuh Chulia and Love Lane, this historic trading center lives up to its reputation as a crossroads where cultures, flavors, sights, and smells meet, mix, and mash-up.

From the stately colonial buildings of Georgetown and narrow streets of Chinatown to the beach at Batu Ferringhi and ramshackle fishing village of Teluk Bahang, a fair amount of territory was covered in only a couple of days. As seen on The Amazing Race, and experienced in real life, there truly is so much to see, so much to discover, and so much to taste. Zoom!

To share the sights of Penang and other excursions around West Malaysia, more pictures have been posted online. To see them, follow through to the 'Malaysia' photo album on the right and scroll down, or click here.

As for sharing in the tastes? I urge you to hop on a plane and head on over here ASAP. I'll have a steaming bowl of Assam Laksa and a table waiting for you at the Gurney Drive Food Stalls, with orders of Fried Oysters, Char Koay Teow, Penang Rojak, Nasi Kandar, Cendol, and more on the way. Yum!