2024 George Town – Penang

A short while ago a few friends and I went on a foodie weekend trip to George Town on Penang Island in Malaysia. I have been living in Singapore for over 12 years and I never been to George Town before, what a fool I have been. George Town is a foodie bucket list destination and definitely worth more than one visit. It is also close, only a bit over a 1 hour flight from Singapore.

We stayed at the Eastern & Oriental which is an old colonial hotel on the water in George Town. Nice rooms, great bar and a lot of history.

Indigo at the Blue Mansion

Our first dinning experience was the Indigo at the Blue Mansion dégustation menu. It had some great reviews so thought why not give it a go.

The Menu

• Marinated Ikura Cod Capellini – Japanese kelp, ikura, chives, sesame seeds, dashi foam, micro herbs
• Hokkaido Scallop & Cuttlefish – Chitose tomatoes, garlic crumbs, pea shoots, tobiko chilli vinaigrette
• Seared Duck Foie Gras – Sweet corn relish, cashew nut purée, baharat dust, pomegranate reduction
• Australian MB5 Black Angus Sirloin – Pomme purée, sautéed spinach, portobello mushroom, sauce bordelaise
• or
• New Zealand Premium Lamb – Pea purée, compressed cucumber, zucchini ribbons, potato fondant, capers, coconut broth, basil oil
• 70% Guanaja Chocolate & Pecan Tart – Valrhona crémeux, pecan frangipane, raspberry sorbet

The favourite dish of the meal were the scallops and cuttlefish. We enjoyed it so much that we asked for a repeat of the dish… For our wine we went with all Spanish, reasonably priced and well stored. My favourite was the 2012 Faustino Gran Reserva, the other bottles were very good as well.

Unfortunately, the beef was pretty average, lots of gristle and a little underdone for the cut.

Foodie Tour of George Town

As we were not familiar with the place, we decided to book a tour through Tours by Locals. Our tour was The 10 Tastings of Penang: Street Food Tour in George Town.

George Town is an fairly easy place to walk around and makes it easy to try the different traditional cuisines of the place.

The tour was interesting and a bit of fun, even with a hangover.

Eastern & Oriental

The view from the hotel is pretty good especially at sunset.

White Smoke

For our second night we chose White Smoke as our restaurant for the night. We went the Chef’s Menu this time (unfortunately I did not get a copy).

Another good meal, lots of interesting dishes, unfortunately the beef was again not so great. It was also underdone and was not a quality piece of meat.

Communal Table by Gēn

Before heading back to Singapore we decided on lunch at Communal Table by Gēn. This was excellent and will definitely be on my list to head back to when I return to George Town. Will also try their other restaurant Gēn.

I really liked the fit out and how they maximised the use of space and natural light.

The Food

• Prawn toast – Nutmeg, plum sauce
• Beef Tartare Bao – Oyster sauce, burnt lemon jam
• Stuffed Chicken Wing – Lotus rice, soy sauce
• Burnt Leek – Chinese sausage, rice wine emulsion
• Sardine Rice – Tomatoes, beetroot
• Bidor Duck, 2-Ways – Aged duck breast, confit duck leg, mushroom XO, herbal jus

The food was very good and so many more dishes to try, which is why I need to head back, and as soon as possible. My favourite was hard to choose, probably the prawn toast, beef or the duck… The burnt leek was the only dish that did not wow me.

Cocktails

Another pleasing aspect of George Town were the cocktail bars, including the bar in the Eastern & Oriental.

George Town and Penang

I have definitely become a fan of George Town. The two downsides of the place are immigration at the airport, long queues, and the traffic is not great, though not as bad as in Jakarta or Bangkok.

Weekends are busy in George Town so booking restaurants ahead of time is a good idea. All three restaurants were very good and worth a visit. When I do return the Communal Table will be on my list to dine at again and probably Indigo.

Cheers!