Sampling the Gastronomic Delights of Penang

I visited Penang for only one reason, that was to try out as many traditional delicacies as possible.

The trip was memorable. I had sampled quite a number of great tasting foods which are a pride to the locals there. Many tourists have come here for the same reason. It was fortunate of me to have made a two-day room reservation in a decent hotel before the trip. Quite a number of ill-planned tourists had to put up in uncomfortable budget and backpacker hotels as the bookings made in all three to five star hotels had reached the saturation point.

My lonesomeness saw its end with the company of an ex-colleague(a local himself) who was excited in showing me the famous haunts of gourmets in the sun-kissed, bustling state. He led me through milling crowds along the gastronomic journey and each stop promised a pleasant surprise for my picky taste buds. Though no seats were provided, I found it thrilling to stand while eating in the scorching heat. All the masterly-cooked but reasonably-priced delicacies had made me forgiving and accommodating to such an inadequacy. They make people temporarily forgetful of civic-mindedness and personal safety. Don't be surprised to see the whole traffic flow choked by the standing, hurriedly-eating customers along the narrow, meandering streets. The crowds would automatically disperse to any blare of honk and refill the streets after the vehicles had passed through. An old man had a close shave with death while being too absorbed in eating a plastic cup of mixed-bean sorbet. To our horror, he walked towards a moderately fast-moving van and luckily the driver was alert enough to jerk to a stop. I gasped and shouted, and found few splashes of the sorbet on the back of a man who was standing before me. I had ordered the same dessert too.



Watching food vendors in action was fun as well. Their dexterous cooking was spectacular. Their foods may be termed inferiorly as 'street foods' but most Penangites find them more relishing than those in restaurants and five-star hotels. They are prepared by well-experienced, humbler and more professional cooks who do not have the so-called diplomas or degrees in cooking. Their taste conquers the hearts of locals and foreigners alike. A trip to Penang will never be considered valid without the sampling of these roadside foods. My favoutite was Chinese barbequed pork rice. The skin was crispy and the well-marinated lean meat was tender. Many European tourists like Indian foods. I like them too because they are spicy, mostly vegetarian and are more in quantity.

My two-day sojourn in Penang did not make it possible for me to tour the wilds of Penang. Nevertheless, I found the trip satisfying with the amount of delicious foods I had tried. At least part of my travel motto had been fulfilled. It was 'eat well'. I will try harder to achieve the rest-Stay well and Travel well in the future(only when I am financially abler).