George Town, Penang - Street Food, South Indian

Prawn based curry - rich, gratifying and full bodied, goes well with the traditional south Indian banana leaf rice or with Penang's unique Nasi Kandar.

PUTU MAYAM - STRING HOPPERS

The tongue has to twirl itself a bit in naming this snack, but it is a truly simple rice flour breakfast creation from Tamil Nadu in southern India and also popular in Sri Lanka and south-east Asia.  Idiyappam flour is mixed with coconut milk to form a mixture which is then pressed against a holed ladle to create the vermicelli-like noodles.  Such noodles are steamed for eating and often flavoured with the Pandanus leaves favoured in tropical climes.  As the Putu itself is often plain, they are served often with palm sugar, grated coconut or jaggery (which is Hindi or Urdu for a composite made from sugar cane and palm sugar, which can be mixed with peanuts and coconut).  A total vegetarian diet choice!

Suggested Sources of Putu Mayam:

1.   Stall at the Sin Hup Aun Cafe, Pulau Tikus, near the site of the markets, from 6pm to 10pm.

2.  Stall in front of the preserved Birch House, now part of the Berjaya Times Square complex, Datuk Keramat Road near lower Penang Road. 

APOM -  SWEET CREPES

Rice flour, thick coconut milk, eggs, corn starch, pinches of salt and sugar, baking powder and even a little cooked rice are the main ingredients mix into a batter in preparing these fluffy Indian styled crepes. The batter can then be pan cooked on flat skillets with several round holes.

They are flaky light on the palate, excellent for breakfast and usually eaten by themselves or with small banana cuts, kaya toast, poached eggs, shredded coconut and sweet corn.

There are even the so-called Chinese versions in Penang called the Ban Chien Kueh.  Such sweet crepes are also alternatively called Apong or Apong Balik (turned over crepes) in multi-cultural Malaysia.  The Chinese styled versions tend to be slightly thicker at times.

Suggested Sources of Apom:

1.  Ravi's Apom Manis at the Swee Kong coffee shop, at corner of Moulmein Close and Burma Road, opposite the Pulau Tikus police station. Open 6am to 10am.

2. Stall at the New Cathy Cafe, near corner with Kuching Lane and Burma Road, Pulau Tikus - open from 730am to 3pm.

2.  Apom Chooi and Apom Guan along Burma Road -  run by two aging brothers whose push cart stalls are placed only around 30 metres apart. Both stalls are open from the afternoon till 8pm and are well known amongst Penang locals. Their stalls are parked in front of the Union Girls Primary School.  Note the use of the delicious local banana type Pisang Raja in their Apoms.

ROTI CANAI - FLAT BREADS

Roti is the sustenance when you are twenty years old, carrying your knapsack in a  strange land, sweating it out with fellow travellers.  You are hungry after a late night out, still thrive on this inner passion for adventure and yearn for this wheat based snack as an alternative to all the exotic foods that are in front of you. You do not have much money, still dream of covering more unexplored lands with what you have and there is this sweet young something walking beside you. Life is seemingly free, life is uncomplicated and you can do anything with your time.

The legend of Roti Canai stretches from the Indian sub-continent to South-east Asia and even the capital cities of Australasia.  Yes, they are essentially carbohydrates, required to pump the body under the relentless carrying of all your possessions on your shoulders, doing the outdoor thing and effectively managing a tight budget whilst on the go.  Usually the Dalcha bean vegetarian curry is provided to dip the roti with.  You sit on rickety chairs beside equally unstable tables on road pavements or inside well run shops.  The Indian vendors do know a spattering of touristy English - do not under estimate them! In Penang, they offer different varieties of Roti  - with names like Roti John for Australians, Roti Tissue, with an empty high cone, Roti Telur for those who miss eggs and Roti Kosong for plain flat breads.

Nowadays, you can also request for meat based curry dips to accompany your Roti - I prefer mutton, chicken or lamb.

Most of these Roti Canai places are deftly run by Indian Muslims around the upper Penang Road area, Transfer Road and Argyll Road - all within the UNESCO heritage designated are of George Town.  Often open from mornings till evening time.

Vegetarian version of banana leaf rice - you may get this at religious festivals in Hindu temples but also at commercial outlets around Penang Island. My recommendations are to go to the Kerala Restaurant in the New World Park, Swatow Lane in George Town and to its parent outlet in the southern suburb of Gelugor (at 5, Lorong Endah 4 near Permai Road and the small playground).
My rating for their banana leaf rice at Kerala, New World Park, is an eight out of ten.

TOSEI  

This unassuming snack is made from rice and beans - the Urad Dhal  (split bean which is black outside and white inside) with ghee or margarine - and so can provide much energy if you are on a travelling diet.   Both the rice and beans are soaked in preparing for Tosei, which requires a flat based skillet for making the batter.  They can be served with chicken curry or coconut chutney.  Recommended for breakfast time.  Does a Tosei look like an Apom?  No, the former is savoury and has a spicy mix - not as plain as the fluffy thin Apom.  

You can easily find this offered in Little India, especially along Penang and Market Streets in the UNESCO heritage designated area of George Town.

PASEMBOR  - SPICY SALAD

Pasembor refers to a snack with crunchy deep fried stuff and julienned slices of crunchy vegetables. Prawn fritters, boiled and sliced potatoes, cuttlefish, sliced cucumbers, hard boiled eggs, shredded turnip, servings of spiced up crab and cubed deep fried tofu are ingredients.  The sauce is critical, it makes or breaks this dish - and it is made from tamarind juice extract;  boiled, peeled and mashed sweet potatoes; roasted groundnuts; peeled shallots; oil-fired dry chilis; garlic; toasted sesame seeds; and sugar and salt to taste.

The resulting mix is tossed and served fresh.  The gravy is potato rich and yet the outcome is spicy, light and gratifying.  In other parts of Peninsular Malaysia, this dish is known as the Rojak Mamak, "mamak'  being the Malaysian term to mean the south Indian Muslim community.

Suggested Sources of Pasembor:

1.  Stall at the Gurney Drive Food Centre, northern end of Gurney Drive near the Gurney Plaza and Paragon Shopping Centres (Indian version) - open during evenings only.

2.  Stall at the Padang Brown hawker complex in the afternoons  (Chinese version)

3.  Stall at the New World Park, Swatow Lane, open from 11am to 5pm.  (Chinese version)

Map Copyright Cozy Home Inn

TASTY TWINS - MAMAK MEE REBUS AND MEE GORENG

The delights of these two wok prepared hawker dishes goes back to my childhood.  Many a time, these dishes were a treat for me at tea time in the afternoons, an alternative to plainer Chinese food, with my stomach instinctively prepared for the aromatic wok heat of the stir fried noodles of Mee Goreng or the yumminess in the sweet potato based gravy version of Mee Rebus.  Best eaten with cooling syrup drinks like Ais Tingkap (a  blend of coconut water, basil seeds, shaved ice and dug out coconut flesh), I can still envisage the vision of a hot setting sun, with the concurrent bite into the deep fried stuff and twist of the Kalamansi lime juice that accompanied the noodles.  Easy to get into a sweat from this, but there is an inner satisfaction from the kick of the chili hot noodles and its marinade.

Mee Goreng - Just referring to stir-fried yellow Hokkien noodles, the uniqueness of this dish is in the marinade utilised.  The garnishings are the same as for the Mee Rebus mentioned below.

Mee Rebus - Literally meaning boiled yellow Hokkien noodles, but its taste is better than its name.  Garnished usually with dried shrimp battered crunchy bites, tofu squares, sliced Chinese cabbage, deep fried shallots, green chili bits, bean sprouts, hard boiled eggs and deep fried marinated cuttle fish.  The gravy  is a rich wonderful recipe based on both potatoes and sweet potatoes.

The Mee Rebus has  a variation in the Mee Java, with Indonesian influences.  These related dishes are all based on the plain noodle dishes from southern China, except that they have been fusion-influenced with chilis, given a south-east Asian stir and enriched with innovative sauces and garnishing.

Suggested Sources of Mee Rebus and Mee Goreng:

1.  Excellent Cafe at the New Asia Coffee Shop, 39-B Air Itam Road, Air Itam, on the way to the station to take the furnicular railway up Penang Hill. Open from morning till late at night.

2.   Stall at the New World Park, Swatow Lane.open from 11am to 5pm.

3.   Seong Huat coffee shop ( formerly the Larut Cafe ) at No.1 Larut Road, the corner of Larut and Bawasah Roads – this stall has an enviable positive reputation amongst the locals and was formerly based along the road at the Chinese Recreation Club. Open from 530pm to 1030pm.

4.   Malay styled version at the hawker centre, Fort Cornwallis, Esplanade. Open from the afternoons except Fridays.

5.    Stall at coffee shop, 270 Bangkok Lane, at junction with Burma Road, Pulau Tikus, from 830am to 5pm.  My long time favourite.

JAVA MEE

6.  Java Mee at the Cecil Street Markets, Cecil Street, not far from Weld Quay.  The stall is open from  9am to 5pm.

7.   Java Mee at  the Kek Seng coffee shop, lower Pernang Road, open from 11am to 430pm daily.This place has other street food dishes worth trying - Ais Kacang, tamarind Laksa, Lor Bak, Poh Pniah and Satay.

NASI KANDAR  - A PENANG ORIGINAL

Popular at break fast, lunch time or dinner sessions and even for supper, this dish epitomises the passion for food in multi-cultural Malaysia.   It is one specific dish that transgresses any boundaries in race, culture and wealth groups.  A main meal by itself, it offers steamed white rice, or Briyani cooked with various aromatic condiments, or tomato flavoured rice, on top of cut and cleaned banana leaves or plates.  You choose from a spectrum of meat, veg and seafood curries - my preference is for okra, deep fried chicken, braised mutton curry, creamy fish curry and stir-fried vegetables.  

The dish literally means cooked rice carried by a vendor's pole - that was how the dish evolved when sold in the early 20th century by people moving from street to street, house to house, market to market.  Today you can enjoy eating this in the comfort of air-conditioned restaurants, beside street pavements and in market food courts, the only difference is that the consumer has to go to the source!

Suggested Sources of Nasi Kandar:

1.  Restaurant Caravan (formerly known as  the Craven A Cafe fro many years) at 4 Datuk Keramat Road, near junction with Macalister Road and the GAMA Shopping Centre and KOMTAR.

2.  Outlets along Tamil Street, in Little India section of the UNESCO designated heritage area of George Town, near the Esplanade.

3.  Line Clear, with an address of 177 Penang Road, near junction of upper Penang Road and Chulia Street.  Stall hidden away from Penang Road but there is a yellow marker that points towards this stall. Open 24 hours a day, except between 1pm and 2pm on Fridays and every alternate Tuesday. Best for a take away!

4.   Merlin Coffee Shop, 1 Penang Street, near the junction with Union Street and part of an old styled hotel. Within the UNESCO designated heritage area of George Town, near the Esplanade.  My personal favourite! Lunch time only.

Banana leaf rice in the south Indian style is often vegetarian whilst Nasi Kandar is always served with meat based curries and cooked vegetables.

Crispy deep fried sides are always popular in the variety off street food in Penang - the best contain seafood or vegetables.

The extent of dip on curries is a must try when you are in George Town - photo above has a display of accompaniments that go with veg meals.

POST NOTE: Do plan your route ahead when exploring Georgetown's street food.  Public transport quality can be patchy and not on schedule.  I recommend hiring a bicycle/motor bike/ car or getting a friend to drive! The weather can be warm, humid or rainy at times.  Always have pocket tissues with you, for unlike in Australia and New Zealand, no vendor offers such tissues with your food. Always be ready to be able to pack snacks or left overs. Be careful when crossing streets for motor cycles, usually small powered Hondas, as there can be a casualness with these local riders on narrow streets and pavements, especially in the UNESCO designated heritage zones. Most businesses open late from 11am.  

At the time of this posting, most of the dishes recommended in this blog post cost from Malaysian Ringgit 3 to 5 per serving.  Coffee and most other drinks  in traditional coffee shops ask for a couple of Malaysian ringgit on average. The GST is planned to be introduced to Malaysia from April 2015. For local barista places, be prepared to pay around Malaysian Ringgit 4 to 8 for their drinks.

Common Malay words in maps are as follows: Jalan is a road, Lebuh refers to a street,  Solok indicates a cul-de-sac, Lorong means a lane, Lebuhraya is an avenue.  Jalan sehala indicates one way only for vehicle traffic.

Have on hand small currency notes - and a coin purse to handle change.  When consuming street food on a provided table in  food court or traditional coffee shop, you are expected to order drinks from the drinks stall. Street food stalls can be finicky handling opening hours, it can depend  on their other job, festive days and ingredients running out.  Portions can be rather small when compared to what you have in Asian outlets in Western countries but it is a perfect opportunity to sample the variety of what is available before you go to hit the gym, beach or park.  Acknowledgement and thanks to several of my family and friends, especially Mr Philip Yeoh for their valued guidance and efforts in helping us secure a spectrum of street food places in February 2015. Feedback from readers of this blog post is most welcome.

Passions of Kerala Restaurant, Georgetown - Penang

More than memories of backpacking - aromatic briyani rice on a rectangle sized banana leaf ala natural plate, accompanied by (clockwise from 11 o'clock) shall veg curry, hot sauces and sambar.

There is an art and etiquette to eating with hands from a banana leaf laid out in front of you.  At the very start, it is required to wash your hands, which can be obvious.  You are then asked your preference of steamed white rice or tomato flavoured rice laden with cooked spices, raisins and finely chopped nuts.   As with most Middle Eastern, South Asian and south-east Asian cultures, you always eat with your right hand - the other hand is reserved for other specific uses.   Condiments, garnishings and vegetables are provided in several forms and you just take it all on your banana leaf, which soon gets crowded.  Meat and seafood dishes which you  have chosen additionally from the menu are then served in separate plates.  When you have finished your meal, you can show satisfaction to your host or the chef and restaurant by folding your emptied banana leaf inwards towards you. Do the opposite if you are unhappy with the quality and taste of the food served.

After all this awareness, I nevertheless opted for the use of folk and spoon at a banana leaf and curry restaurant in the heart of Georgetown.   I had no recent practice using my hands ( a technique that requires being able to push a dollop of rice into mouth with a finger) - and so I had missed this unique opportunity to re-try this interesting practice that reduces the use of utensils at meal time.

Kerala cuisine or Sadya evolved from the heavy influence of the land lying along the Spice Trade, in the path of Arab, Portuguese, Dutch and British sailors and being subject to the socio-commercial implications of the monsoons, when travelling historically relied so much on weather and wind direction.  The Thalassery Briyani  from the Malabar area epitomises such influences with its dual utilisation of both chicken and seafood.  Kerala is part of the Tamil language speaking zone - and Tamils have traditionally formed a significant minority of the populations of both Singapore and Malaysia.  Many a traveller in this region is familiar with the puttu, sambar, dosa and Paal-Appam at breakfast time along busy road stalls and in tourist food hubs in this part of the world,    These dishes are part of the Kerala tradition and  just refer accordingly to steamed rice and grated coconut, chutney-like condiments and pancakes.

Chicken curry with an authentic twist, a delightful change from what is usually available.

Deep fried fish is bathed in a thick and flavoursome curry.

Seafood stands out in this cuisine and you can have a wide variety of options in this space. Squid and prawns are part of this menu but what captivated me was the crab masala.  Masala is a term that refers to a blend of spices to produce a heady mix and flavour. Generally the dishes here are noted for their rich but rewarding curries. Service is efficient and tables were quickly filled up at the lunch time we were there, a working day. The restaurant is air conditioned and spacious. Penangites love their fried fish which are then consumed in a variety of cuisine styles, whether with a light gravy or soaked in curries. The coast of Kerala, on the south-west coast of the Indian sub-continent, with cities like Kochi, Payyanur and Thiruvananthapuram, does significantly affect this specific cuisine, apart from the unique herbs and tropical flora and fruits that dot its hinterland. Prices charged are most reasonable and offer a refreshing value when compared to eating similar meals in Singapore or Sydney. Henry, who took me there, remarked that the standard of Indian food here is as good as to what backpackers and tourists may find in exotic cafes and shops in Little India, about ten minutes away by car in Penang's old quarter. Passions of Kerala Restaurant is open daily, with lunch served from 1130am and dinner provided from 6pm. Its location in the New World Park entertainment and street food precinct is popular and relatively easy to find.  Apparently additional rice and vegetables are offered to customers at no additional cost.  There is another branch of the passions of Kerala in suburban Georgetown in the Bukit Gelugor area on  the way south to the airport.

Portions of delightful accompaniments, some spicy and others not so chili hot, are dished out neatly in front of you.

What are the essential differences between Kerala curries and their northern cousins in India? The ubiquitous use of aromatic curry leaves, the careful pouring of different types of fresh coconut milk at critical stages of the cooking process and the prevalent presence of cinnamon, pepper and cardamom perhaps contribute to the distinctive taste of this specific cuisine. There is definitely a sense of the heavy tropical air from Kerala cuisine.

 Interesting enough owner Gary Nair also offers kiwi flavoured lhassi yogurt, something which restaurants in New Zealand and Australia may consider, especially with the availability of this gooseberry fruit in the Antipodean countries. I tried this type of lhassi and I liked it. Pappadums offered were small sized compared to what you find in Sydney or Wollongong.  Indian food inevitably contains a strong element of vegetarian - the dish that stood out to me was the sharp but stimulating lime acar, with julieanned strips of hard vegetables marinated with a sour and spicy marinade.

If you have time for only one dish, I strongly suggest the mutton masala (photo below). This meat of goats, as opposed to sheep, has a more powerful natural odour, so is best cooked in a curry with several spices.  I was more than satisfied with our meal of several dishes and could no longer try the Kerala desserts - okay, maybe  the next time around!