March 17 Penang - China Town

March 17, Wed
Penang
China Town

I took lots of photos in Little China today, and ate the most heavenly chicken murtabak at yet another Indian Muslim restaurant. It was MUCH better than the mutton murtabak in Melaka.






Murtabak is a sort of frittata (whipped egg omelette) with onions and whatever else you want to throw in, all incased in a delicately thin stretched dough, and all fried on a flat iron grill. This particular murtabak was gorgeously spiced, and I believe included nutmeg. It was served with the typical small bowl of curry liquid with a few pieces of chili and onion floating in it, and also a relish I hadn't encountered before of lightly pickled and briney purple onion with fresh green chilli. I was no longer sorry to have missed out on the popular nasi candar!

Eating solitary is not that common in Malaysia, as in many SE Asian countries. I eventually volunteered to trade tables and eventually leave to make way for the big groups coming in. No one EVER gave me the vibe that I should leave (the locals and staff were too polite for that), but considering I was one person taking up a table for 4, well... I felt hoggish dilly dallying for too long. I did that later under a quite outdoor awning over a shaved ice dessert. I chuckled at how back in the US, groups of 6 or 8 were considered problematic "big parites", while here they were common. Most everyone was dressed in traditional clothing (women in colorful headscarves), but some wore modern western wear. One couple included a young buff local guy with a punky gelled hairdo in a sleeveless black leather and jeans outfit with tattoes, and his hand was covered in a henna tatoo. I wonder if he just got married?



So if you find yourself in Penang...

...do yourself a favor and head on over to Chinatown to eat the best Murtabak Ayam (Chicken filling) that I've found so far!!!

Hameediyah Restaurant, Penang. Tel: 2611095




It was another shopping day. I bought an expensive Pu Err tea (supposedly the highest quality) for $25RM for a small amount, and some wonderfully salty sweet dried fruit from a small Chinese shop. I then bought a beaded stretch band watch for 17RM ($5 US) at a huge Walmart like store with exotic beauty products and a huge sparkling pin section (for all those headscarves) and some lovely jasmine incense for a pittance. The impressive bulky dozen boxes consolidated down to about 2, but for 6RM ($1.5 US, who can complain?) I wonder if I can get these across the border with a search, now that I've opened the boxes? My buys were minor indulgences in comparison with most other tourists, but I'm feeling the need to watch the budget. Bali should settle me down.


I topped off the long afternoon by gazing at the smokey food carts roasting chestnuts and boiling garbanzos for snacks.



I hadn't walked that much in a long time, and needed a break from the teeming streets. So I ducked under the cool breezy tarp of an alley food stall, and gave my exhausted feet and mind a rest while I munched on the popular Malaysian dessert... Ais Cendol (shaved ice w palm sugar syrup, coconut milk, and various rice flower jellies & beans).... MMMMmmmmm. What a great thirst quencher!

This one had red kidney beans in it... much tastier than it looks and sounds.



There was a lot of interesting architecture, tiny alters, and decay, in Little China. I kept thinking that it would make for lovely paintings later.

I was approached by 2 locals today that wanted to show me around the area. It was the first time that happened on this trip. They were a little persistent, but went away quickly when I told them I wasn't interested. A tour seemed ridiculous when there was so much to experience just walking around!