Great Penang

Adrian Cheah loves Penang. He brings you interesting insights into the UNESCO heritage city of George Town where he calls home.

Great Penang © Adrian Cheah

The Chronicles of Penang at Umi Umi’s Immersive Dinner Theatre

Umi Umi Penang; photos © Adrian Cheah

During my month-long holiday in London in 1996, I made a point of seeking out its theatres, drawn by spellbinding musicals like The Phantom of the Opera, Blood Brothers, Oliver!, Miss Saigon and more. What captivated me, time and again, was the convergence of creative energy, brilliant collaboration, and the art of storytelling brought to life through music, lights, and heart. The moment the curtain rises, something shifts. Live performance, in its immediacy, propels you almost instantaneously into another realm.

JiangHu Edo – an exquisite 10-course Japanese fine dining experience in George Town

JiangHu Edo © Adrian Cheah

JiangHu Edo offers a tantalising culinary experience using quality ingredients to accentuate flavours and textures that celebrate fine cuisine. The visual presentation of the courses was a masterful eye-arresting feast. Nothing was left to chance and everything was skilfully curated into an art form.

A sumptuous dinner at Kaze Japanese Restaurant, Penang

Kaze Japanese Restaurant © Adrian Cheah

Dining out to celebrate Mother's Day on 9 May 2021, the eve of the third Movement Control Order (MCO) in Penang, was more than a chanced opportunity. The MCO was later announced to have been extended to the entire country stretching till 7 June 2021. It has been a while since my family and I visited a restaurant in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. We felt necessary to be safe than sorry. However on Mother's Day, although filled with trepidation, we went to Kaze Japanese Restaurant at Promenade for dinner.

Nangka stuffed with pulut

Jackfruit with glutinous rice © Adrian Cheah

Steaming pulut is easy. All you have to do is rinse and soak the pulut overnight. The following day, drain and steam the pulut with santan and pandan leaves. Enjoying pulut with nangka (a local term for jackfruit), mango or durian is truly delicious.

Feringgi Grill, redefining haute cuisine

Feringgi Grill © Adrian Cheah

Feringgi Grill, one of Penang's premier Western-style grill restaurants, has won numerous awards and accolades since 1973, delighting some of the most discerning diners. It is one of my favourite restaurants to celebrate a romantic evening or to mark a special occasion.

Healy Mac’s Irish Bar & Restaurant – the friendly gastropub at Straits Quay, Penang

Healy Mac’s © Adrian Cheah

Healy Mac’s Irish Bar & Restaurant has a winning formula with a successful chain of gastropubs in Malaysia (one in Penang, one in Ipoh and four in Kuala Lumpur), Indonesia, Spain and Ireland. Having to do more than the luck of the Irish, it is hard graft, dedication and desire for constant improvement that the owner Liam Healy and his team have managed to establish an authentic Irish identity for his gastropubs since 2009.

The culinary artistry at Mémoire Molecular Gastronomy Dining

Mémoire Molecular Gastronomy Dining; photos © Adrian Cheah

On two separate afternoons, I stepped into a cosy bar-counter style dining room along Beach Street in Penang. The setting felt like a culinary theatre. Warm lights illuminated the counter, where Chef Chong Chian Fung was in his element, preparing works of art on every plate.

Le Petit Four Patisserie serving little wonders of pleasure

Le Petit Four Patisserie © Adrian Cheah

When I was in France, I was bowled over by the pâtisseries, offering delicate beauties that were truly culinary works of art. Sipping a creamy cup of cappuccino while savouring a freshly baked croissant or a slice of the rich, decedent opera cake was indeed a heavenly experience.

Edible masterpieces at La Vie en Rose Pâtisserie

La Vie En Rose Pâtisserie © Adrian Cheah

If the name of this pâtisserie sounds familiar, you must have recognised it from Édith Piaf's signature rendition of La Vie en Rose in 1947. This popular song has been covered by a plethora of different celebrities throughout the decades. Although it literally means "life in pink", it is often interpreted as "life in rosy hues", "life through rose-coloured glasses" or "life in happy hues".

EMILY Darling Cafe bakes delectable pastries and indulgent desserts

EMILY Darling Cafe © Adrian Cheah

A fortunate stroke of serendipity can lead one down an unfamiliar path to new beginnings. Little did Danny Yeong, a former optician and Marcus Tan, a graphic designer, realise that by joining a sourdough baking class in March 2021 by Old Man Teh in Kuala Lumpur would lead them to the opening of EMILY Darling Cafe three months later.

A sensationally divine 6-course dinner at Salsas Penang

Salsas Penang © Adrian Cheah

Right off the bat, I have to tell you that I am going to be biased. David Kaw is a close friend of the family for ages and we are all huge fans of his culinary creations. Too many birthday dinners, wedding anniversaries and special occasions have been celebrated at Salsas Penang. And every time, David has taken great care of us making each event memorable.

The Maker – offering eye-candy temptations of sweet treats and pastries

The Maker © Adrian Cheah

The Maker, located along upper Beach Street in George Town, first opened its doors to the public in March 2020. It offers fabulous-looking desserts and pastries from shortcakes to croissants and from tarts to breads. It is a heaven for those who relish sweet treats. There is a display glass counter that flaunts lovely beauties unapologetically. Let us dive in and take a closer look at some of The Maker's popular desserts.

All-day breakfast at the gorgeous La Maison d’Antiques

La Maison d’Antiques © Adrian Cheah

La Maison d’Antiques, French for "The House of Antiques" is no ordinary antique shop. Unlike many antique shops that are packed to the brim with items for sale, La Maison d’Antiques elegantly curates the items into alluring dining halls. It is as if you have just entered a château or villa in the charming French countryside to indulge in an all-day breakfast affair. Yes, the breakfast menu stretches right up to 9:00 pm.

Scrumptiously healthy breakfast offerings at EMILY Darling Cafe

EMILY Darling Cafe © Adrian Cheah

EMILY Darling Cafe starts operations at 8:00 am. It was only a natural progression that the cafe added some breakfast options to its list of tempting pastries and cakes. I was there that Saturday morning, 21 May 2022, the first morning that three breakfast offerings were made available. Staying at E&O Hotel that weekend, I had a pleasant stroll along Penang Road to the cafe.

The delicious 4-course set lunch at Le Venue

My friends and I had a wonderful birthday celebration for Dorothy Wang at Le Venue. The hearty four courses in the set lunch were all elegantly plated, rendering a visual feast whetting the appetite. As always, Chef Petr Fehér's creations using quality ingredients were truly scrumptious. Let us take a closer look at each course.

Un Poco Loco, a Spanish locale to go crazy about

Un Poco Loco is more than just a tapas bar as there are some items on the menu that offer a more hearty meal. Located at City Junction in Tanjung Tokong, it is the brainchild of the team behind the one Michelin star Restaurant Au Jardin. Un Poco Loco is headed by Chef Yan You (executive chef) and Chef Alex (chef de cuisine). The menu is curated by Chef Kim Hock.

Banh Mi Kitchen – serving up authentic Vietnamese bánh mì and more

As the name of the restaurant highlights, Banh Mi Kitchen focuses mainly on offering the iconic Vietnamese bánh mì sandwiches. Freshly baked baguettes, spread with pâté and margarine, are packed with a selection of stuffings (including ham, barbecue pork, roasted chicken, meat balls, prawns, fish, eggs or pork floss), topped with cucumber, pickled daikon and carrot, fresh cilantro and fiery chilli peppers for an extra kick.

Neighbourwood – intriguingly inventive in serving European cuisine with an Asian twist

When the MICHELIN Guide Kuala Lumpur and Penang 2023 was launched, Neighbourwood was listed as one of the Bib Gourmand establishments, along with 16 others in Penang. Located a stone's throw away from the iconic Minor Basilica of St. Anne in Bukit Mertajam, Neighbourwood serves delectable European dishes with an Asian flare including char-grilled choices.

The Baking Garage offers a great loaf for the table

It is such a joy listening to the sound of a butter knife spreading butter onto a warm crispy toast. Tasting the salted butter melting on the bread is something so basic yet remarkably rewarding. Its crispy, comforting bite is heavenly. But hold on – not just any toast: it has to be a thick artisan sourdough slice from The Baking Garage (TBG).

Viet Garden offers an extensive Vietnamese menu

Penang is lucky to have a string of good Vietnamese restaurants offering scrumptious signature dishes. Vietnamese cooking draws on the influences of Chinese, Thai, Indian and French cuisines to create irresistible combinations of delicate flavours, fresh ingredients and fabulous textures. Viet Garden, located at Kimberley Street, is one such destination in Penang to enjoy authentic Vietnamese delights.

A mouth-watering paella set lunch at Hola by Javu

Hola by Javu established in November 2021 is a tapas bistro located at Tanjung Point, a stone's throw from the Chinese Swimming Club. The elegant spacious interior overlooking the tranquil beachfront of Tanjung Tokong is ideal for one to enjoy some Spanish treats. On a visit, my daughter and I shared the scrumptious paella set lunch, a true value for money priced at only RM59 nett (available only on weekdays from 11 am – 5 pm).