Saturday, April 12, 2008

Penang Street Food - New World Park Food Center and Others.

Note: Photo's of food and places will be updated at a later date, or go to this link
Penang Unique Mix of Races, have lead to the Penang Culinary Tradition of Street Food, Nasi Kandar Cuisines, and Nonya Baba Cuisines, as such No visit to Penang is complete with out partaking such cuisines at the Street Stalls, Coffee Shops, and Food complexes. Trying out Penang Street Cuisine in a Restaurant just does not do it justice.
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In this post snapshot is suggesting 4 locations for you, the tourist to try out, This locations are patronize by locals as well as tourist. But first what type of food can we find at this locations.
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What Penang Street Food?
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Street Food in Penang is dominated by a few dishes which define Penang, which are describe as below, .

Char Koey Teow, is flat rice noodles fried in (usually) lard, and various seafood. There are non lard version catering for Muslim as well
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(Penang) Hokkian Mee Soup is various noodles in a spicy prawn base soup garnish with prawns.
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(Penang) Curry Mee is various noodles in a spicy curry base soup serve with various garnish
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Penang Laksa is round thick rice noodles, serve in a sourish fish base soup garnish with fish meat, and Jullian vegetables .
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Loh Bak is a dish of pork filled “sausage” serve with fried beancurd, fish and other items which you select your self, take care when selecting, as the price can go up.
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Rojak is a dish of vegetables and fruits, topped with chillies, peanuts and prawn paste. (Please note that to Malaysian / South East Asian in General that it is like ambrosia, but to other may taste and smell like road kill.
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Indian Fried Noodles is a dish of various noodles, fried with (Usually), vegetarian items and squid, it is spicy, there is a non fried version as well.
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Pasembor, is a dish of jullian vegetables topped with fried crispy items and seafood (you may specify what you want in certain stalls – take care a price will go up) topped off with a spicy sauce also know as Indian Rojak
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Nasi Kandar, is a dish of rice with various (your own selection) curry and spicy food. (care should be taken as price will go up according to your selections) .
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Locations for Street Food
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This is the locations that Snapshot frequent. There are many others that offer good if not better food. However the locations describe here are locations that offer (in snapshots opinion) the “best food with the best verity choice”


1. New World Park, Penang .

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This shinning Food and Beverage complex is the current site for the “Top Penang Food in a Comfortable Environment”, Open Day and Night, 7 days a week, clean, cool and comfortable, easier parking and clean toilets, New World Park which open in 2006, house the Famous Street Hawkers of Swatau Lane, which was just right next to it.

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The Street Hawkers complex is located behind the “New” restaurants and is heavily patronize by locals going for their daily fix of Penang food, the price is slightly above the penang norm.

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How to get Here. .

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From Komtar, drive along Penang Road, turning left into Burma Road, proceed straight around 1km, New World Park is on your left.
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What Food do you get Here
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A large verity of Penang Food, can be found here at the Hawker Center together with some other common street food. Food here can be rank Excellent but it is not the “Best” but here you can have a large verity of Excellent Food in a comfortable and clean environment for lunch and dinner. Recommended here (By friends) are the Char Koey Teow, Rojak, Indian Mee, Curry Mee and many More.
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What else here
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The front part of the Complex house “Higher Grade” Restaurants, it seems the Mizi Bristol (Serving Western food) is doing the best.

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Foot Note:
Just beside this food complex is the Coffee Shop the Street Hawkers use to operate from. My opinion is that certain stalls here offer better food then the complex especially rojak. (Open lunch time only)

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2. New Lane (Near Sunway Hotel, Goerge Town)

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New Lane is define as a Food Street. Imagine a Street lined with food stalls (and good ones mind you) on both side, open air seating, supported by a few coffee shop, where you can shelter in case it rains. A very popular area among locals, affordably priced food.
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How to get Here. .

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It is located on New Lane, Just off Macalister Road, a short distance from Komtar, Landmark here is Sunway Hotel.
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A large (100 stalls or more) verity of Chinese Base Penang Street Food can be found here, Snapshots family favorites include Chee Chong Chuk( Deef Fried Pig Intestine Porriage) , Penang Curry Mee, Chee Chong Fun (Rice Noodles with Prawn Paste and Chillies) Beef Noodle Soup, Poh Piah (Unfried Spring Roll) , Fried Bean Curd. – Open at night only.
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3. Pulau Tikus Market (Night) Hawker Center .

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Also define as a Food Street, the Pulau Tikus Market Hawker Center only open at Night, for alfresco dinning, among the stars, Here there are close to 40 stalls offering a wide verity of Malaysian Street Food.
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How to get Here.
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It is located at Pulau Tikus Market, Departing Komtar at Penang Road, turn left, and go straight on, you will have to make a small detour due to the road, in front of the Chinese Recreation Club, (Here you turn left, immediately turn right (row of temples) and immediately turn left in to Burma Road again) when you pass the Pulau Tikus Police Station, at the traffic light, turn left and then left again, you will be infront of the Market.
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Snapshots family favorites include the Pork Intestine Satay, Char Koey Teow, and the Best Duck Meat Koey Teow Th’ng (Flat Rice Noodles Soup) in town.

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4. Gurney Drive Hawker Center (Night Only) .

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“The” location for Tourist to enjoy Penang Street Food, with a Halal section for Muslim. Most tourist will make a beeline here, food is good and is of quality, though being a “tourist” area it is slightly on the high side for a penangite. Seating is Alfresco, basic sanitation facilities available.

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How to get Here.
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Departing Komtar at Penang Road, turn left, and go straight on, you will have to make a small detour due to the road, in front of the Chinese Recreation Club, (Here you turn left, immediately turn right (row of temples) and immediately turn left in to Burma Road again), keep going till you pass Adventist Hospital at the traffic light turn left and go straight till Sunrise Tower. The alfresco food area is there.
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What Food do you get Here .

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Well one of the largest verity of Penang Street Cusines, for all races are available here, just bourse around. The Halal Char Koey Teow for Muslims is the best in town.

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