|
Ais kacang
Ais kacaang (literally iced beans) is a sweet thirst quencher concocted with red eans, lychees, pineapple, jelly, palm seeds, nutmeg, ice cream and crushed eanuts, served on a pile of crushed ice with drizzles of sweetened rose and arsparilla flavoured syrups and evaporated milk.
The best ais kacang in Penang comes from a stall opposite a defunct fairground on Kimberley Street. The Lee Brothers Ais Kachang Stall, as the business is known, was started in 1923 by the present owners' grandfather. Today, the stall sells fresh fruits, fruit juices, soyamilk and leong fun in addition to ais kacang and chendol.
For the ultimate ais kacang experience, try their 4-in-1 ais kacang with slices of banana, papaya and mangoes in addition to the usual ingredients.
Cendol
Cendol is a favourite desert among locals. It is easily identified: green pandan flavoured noodles in white coconut milk with brown sugar. Sweet heavenly stuff – super cheap and ultra good. Costs between RM0.80 to RM1.50 per bowl. Some stalls serve chendol with an optional dollop of glutinous rice.
One of the most established chendol stalls in George Town is located off lower Penang Road, opposite the Police Station. The stall has been in business for at least 30 years, churning out bowls of cendol and ais kacang, glasses of pegaga (a herbal drink), leong fun (black jelly drink) and chrysanthemum tea.
Both ais kacang and cendol are the perfect desserts to cap off a hot and spicy meal of laksa or curry mee.
Rojak
Fruit and vegetable salad consisting of cucumber, pineapple, nutmeg, unripe mango, cuttlefish and jambu air (rose apple), mixed in a potent sauce of prawn paste, chilli, belacan and crushed groundnuts. A healthy alternative for RM1.50 to RM3.50 per plate.
See kor th'ng
Dessert of fruits and jellies in syrup served hot or cold. Costs from RM0.80 per bowl. Try theThirst quenching drink of dried fruits, nuts and jellies in syrup served hot or cold. Costs from RM0.80 per bowl. Try the Gurney Drive and New Lane hawker centre in the evenings, or the Jalan Burmah vegetarian restaurant in the afternoons.
Sotong bakar
Thin strips of grilled squid taken with sweet and spicy sauce. A fishy delight for RM4.00 to RM6.00 per serving. For the best sotong bakar in town: Hawker stalls at Gurney Drive.
Other goodies
Don't miss the opportunity to savour other specialities such as apom (Indian pancake cooked in a claypot); bubur cha cha (sweet dessert made from steamed sweet potatoes, yam, white beans, tapioca jelly in coconut milk); cheh thau (a sweet porridge made from green peas); gandum (Indian pudding made from wholewheat, brown sugar and coconut milk); eu char koay (fried puff bread sticks); gadogado (malay vegetable salad topped with peanut sauce); ham chin peng (deep fries snack food made from sweet and salty dough, sometimes filled with red bean paste or glutinous rice); mua chee (made from steamed glutinous rice flour, chopped into small pieces and rolled in ground peanuts, sugat and roasted sesame seeds); pie tee ("top hats" small deep fried paster shell filled with pohpiah filling); goreng pisang (deep fried battered banana); poh piah (nyonya spring roll filled with cooked shredded turnip, beans, chopped prawns and soyabean curd); and putu piring (brown sugar and rice flour cake cooked by steaming and eaten with grated coconut).
Our exotic local cuisines for Malay cuisine, Chinese gourmet and Indian Cookery
| 