SPECIAL PENANG
Follow Chefs Will Meyrick as he explores Penang’s vibrant food scene — from the streets of George Town to historic clan houses and bustling wet markets. Discover the roots of Malaysian recipes, Peranakan culture, and local food traditions that continue to shape Southeast Asia’s culinary identity.
A journey through flavours, stories, and the places where culture and cuisine meet.
PHOTOGRAPHY
Penang stays with you. Every bowl of laksa, every market stall, carries generations — but it’s the way the place moves that stays with you. Chew Jetty, the old markets, the streets of George Town — everything feels lived in, layered, real.
I came looking for flavours, but what I found was connection — in the kitchens, at the tables, on the faces we passed. I walked, I tasted, I listened. And we left carrying more than just recipes. This gallery is a glimpse into those days — the colours, the people, the moments that stayed with me. Here’s Penang, the way I saw it.
JOURNAL
SUSTAIN, SAVOUR, EXPLORE
For those who, like me, get a kick out of digging deeper — beyond the surface, beyond the usual food tours — Penang has a lot to give.
This trip wasn’t about chasing the biggest names or the flashiest dishes. It was about finding the places where food still tells the real story: the old kitchens, the quiet markets, the people who keep the traditions alive without making a noise about it.
What you’ll find here is a collection of moments — from smoky street corners to kitchens filled with history — that shaped the way I saw Penang, and the way I’ll cook moving forward.
If you’re into food with roots, stories with flavour, you’re in the right place.
TASTING THE REAL PENANG
In Penang, I wasn’t looking for real food — the kind you find in markets, hawker stalls, and kitchens that haven’t changed with the times. No food tours, no filters. Just the dishes that built the city’s story: nasi kandar, curry laksa, char kway teow, mee jawa, and more. In this journal, I share the places that stayed with me — where the flavours are still real, and where you can still taste the city the way it’s meant to be.
PEARLY KEE
Penang has a way of pulling you back. On this recent trip with Maxie, walking through the markets and jetties, I couldn’t help but think back to the time I first met Pearly Kee — one of the true voices of Nyonya tradition. This article captures some of those early encounters, a first glimpse into a cuisine built from spice, memory, and resilience. If you want to understand the heart of Nyonya food, this is a good place to start — a step back into the kitchens where stories were cooked into every dish.
