Since the first Penang bridge was opened in 1985, the only way to cross the straits channel separating Penang island and mainland Malaysia is to take the ferry, operational since early 1920s. But, the cross-straits services began much earlier since 1894 by two Chinese brothers using boats to transport people and goods, making it the oldest ferry service in Malaysia.
Penang is rich in culture and tradition. One of most celebrated festival in Penang with over a million devotees descending into this tiny island of Penang state, Malaysia is the Tamil festival – Thaipusam. The word derives from the Tamil month of “Thai”, whereas “pusam” is the name of the star being observed at its highest point during the festival.
Our wonderful millennial guests from United Kingdom enjoying a fun time with our host, Victor Khoo, visiting his local wet market and buying the ingredients for the class. They got to taste a few local breakfast – koay teow teng, char koay teow, lam mee, char siew bow and local coffee.
Back at Victor’s kitchen, they were guided by Victor to prepare the ingredients for each of the dishes. They made their own spice paste for the chicken and fish curry. The best part is when we all sat down to enjoy the meal together.
Have you ever use soy sauce in your cooking? and, ever wonder where it comes from or how it is made?
Experience the other side of Penang local life away from the city. Imagine surrounded by lush green sceneries and “kampung” lifestyle with the hills on one side and the ocean on the other side. This is the side of Penang that most tourists do not know and have not experience, which is interesting and different from its famed street food, street arts and Unesco sites of Penang.
An islet off the southern coast of Penang island is an uninhabited rocky island often frequented by local anglers. The terrain of much of the islet’s shoreline is relatively jagged, except for a few narrow beaches.
We had a wonderful time hosting our guests – Radka and Ondre – from Czech Republic on Christmas Eve.
It was a special occasion for them as they celebrate their Christmas far away from home and eating fish is a must in their tradition. So we included a red snapper dish cooked in a nyonya style. We played Christmas songs to create a festive ambiance for the occasion.
