DINING & Entertainment

                                
                                           

Penang - Pearl of the Orient

The delightful variety of Penang food reflects the different cooking styles and tastes of its multi-cultural population. There is a mouth-watering selection of Chinese, Malay, Indian and Nyonya cuisine to sample, not to mention the irresistible hawker fare.

Peranakan, or Nyonya, cooking consists of an exotic blend of Chinese and Malay savoury dishes. The style of cooking is quite elaborate, involving a fine mixture of spices and herbs with onions, garlic and chillies. The Nyonyas are also famous for their delicious cakes and desserts.

Not to be missed, hawker (open-air stall) favourites are noodle dishes such as asam laksa, hokkien mee, char koay teow, and pasembor, a local salad dish.

Heading the list of mouth-watering Indian dishes is nasi kandar, a rice dish with an assortment of meat and vegetable side dishes chosen from an elaborate buffet. South Indian favourites include dhosai and appam served with thick dhal curry. Northern Indian naan bread with chicken tandoori or chicken tikka is also worth trying.

Chinese restaurants offer Cantonese, Szechuan, Hokkien, Teochew and Hainanese dishes such as dim sum, rice porridge, chicken rice, diced chicken with dried chillies and a variety of noodles.

Typical Malay dishes such as sambal tumis, masak lemak, and sambal belacan are easily available. A traditional favourite with locals and foreigners alike is satay - small pieces of meat on a skewer, nicely barbecued, and dipped in a tangy peanut sauce.




                                          

FUN & ENTERTAINMENT

Pubs and discotheques, some featuring live bands, can be found at most hotels and their vicinity in the Batu Feringghi, Teluk Bahang, Tanjung Bungah beach area as well as in Georgetown at Lebuh Leith, Lebuh Campbell, Lebuh Gereja and Pangkalan Weld.

A fair bit of Penang's nightlife is centred in the area between the E&O Hotel and Cititel. Here you'll find places like SOHO (a smoky English pub), the Garage complex of pubs, bars and discos (including the popular Slippery Senorita, also called SS) as well as the hip-and-happening bar, The Bungalow. Next to Cititel are a string of karaoke parlours for your singing pleasure.

   Concerts/Dramas
Performances are usually advertised in the local newspapers and staged at the following venues:

• Dewan Sri Pinang, Lebuh Light
• Fort Cornwallis Amphitheater
• Geodesic Dome, KOMTAR
  

An added attraction is the pasar malam (night market) that runs from 7.30pm till midnight on the stretch of road between Golden Sands and Parkroyal. You'll find authentic Malaysian handicrafts, clothes, food, drinks and other knick-knacks. The market is also peppered with restaurants, catering for all sorts of palates