It’s East... it’s West. It’s old… it’s new. It’s a little bit Indian, a
fair amount Malay and a lot Chinese. It’s got dreamy beaches, bucolic jungle
and the quaintest colonial heart ever. From shuttered shop houses, clan temples, crumbling old jetties to frozen-intime kopi tiams (coffee shops), George Town is stunning.
And then, there’s the food.
Few places on this planet can boast such a concentration of delicious, authentic, affordable fare as Penang. With its mash-up of Indian, Malaysian and Hokkien Chinese influences and flavours, there’s so much to eat here it’s insane.
Dim sum. Tiffin. Banana leaf curry. Laksa and nasi lemak. Seafood, biryani, noodle dishes, tandoori, stir fries, hot pots, barbecued meats, icy desserts, cakes, tropical fruits and oh. We haven’t even started on breakfast. Or Peranakan cuisine. Or the tantalising street-side cooking. Where to begin, when you want to tuck in? To best decide, you need Penang In 12 Dishes. It guides you through what and where to eat, profiling the island’s defining dishes and best food experiences.
This is a guide book like no other- with a firm emphasis on food, it’s for travellers who want to hit the ground dining, without any mucking around.
Nasi kandar, duck rice, char koay teow, roti canai and Hokkien mee are among the essential, 12 dishes showcased, although this book goes way beyond these. All the places we list give you starting points from which you can make your own, delicious discoveries. You’ll find info’ on Penang’s beachside bars, advice on buying and eating durian, which hawker centres to bee line to and what to eat with your morning coffee.
Inside Penang In 12 Dishes...
• Easy to navigate, with full colour photographs throughout
• A handy map indicating major landmarks and restaurant locations
• Pocketable, affordable and with user-friendly content
• 12 must-eat dishes covered in depth, providing a starting point for further exploration of the local cuisine
• Restaurants for all budgets, with an emphasis on affordable options
• Listings that put you in the thick of local dining, Penang-style
This book features...
• 12 must-eat local dishes, with photos, descriptions, helpful information and restaurant listings
• George Town’s top spots for Peranakan cuisine
• Historical highlights in George Town
• Where to shop for fabulous gifts for your food-loving pals
• A guide to beachside bars
• The best dining in Little India
• Hawker centres- the what, how and where to eat
Penang In 12 Dishes is the third culinary travel guide in the In 12 Dishes series; it joins Shanghai In 12 Dishes (June 2017) and Ho Chi Minh City (October 2018). Look for more titles publishing 2018.
