Dad has a warning before you visit Penang.
COME HUNGRY.
Seriously.
Because you may arrive thinking:
“We’ll explore Penang and try some local food.”
😂
Wrong way around.
In Penang…
THE FOOD IS PART OF THE JOURNEY.
Eat.
Walk.
Discover something else.
Eat again.
Then somebody mentions dessert.
And just when you think you’re finished…
someone says:
“Durian?”
😂😂😂
Pack your bags.
Dad Says GO! To Penang, Malaysia.
🍜 What Should You Eat First in Penang?
Start here.
CHAR KOAY TEOW.
One of Penang’s signature dishes.
Flat rice noodles are stir-fried over intense heat with ingredients such as egg, bean sprouts, chives and seafood.
But forget the ingredient list for a moment.
Look at Dad’s plate.
🔥
Hot wok.
Smoky noodles.
Prawns.
Egg.
That smell coming off the plate.
This isn’t something Dad wants you to read about.
YOU NEED TO EAT IT.
Preferably while it’s still steaming.
And when you’ve finished?
Don’t get too comfortable.
Penang has another bowl waiting.
🥣 Would You Dare Try Penang Assam Laksa?
Now Penang tests you.
😂
PENANG ASSAM LAKSA.
If you’re expecting an ordinary bowl of noodle soup…
you’re not ready.
Its fish-based broth is:
SOUR.
SPICY.
FISHY.
PUNCHY.
One spoonful wakes up your entire mouth.
😂
And Assam Laksa has a wonderful ability to divide a table.
One person:
“THIS IS AMAZING!”
Another:
“WHAT AM I EATING?!”
😂😂😂
LOVE IT OR HATE IT.
Dad doesn’t care which side you end up on.
The fun is finding out.
Come to Penang.
Order a bowl.
Take that first spoonful.
Then decide for yourself.
THAT’S TRAVEL.
🐙 And Then Dad Found Something Addictive
Fried baby octopus.
Garlic sauce.
Looks harmless.
😂
Take one.
Chewy.
Garlicky.
Sweet-savory.
Take another.
Then another.
And suddenly…
WHY CAN’T DAD STOP EATING THESE?!
😂🐙
This is the danger of eating your way through Penang.
Sometimes the dish you weren’t even planning to order…
becomes the one you keep reaching for.
One plate?
Good luck.
😂
🍰 Finished Eating?
Of course.
Time for dessert.
😂
Look at this.
These colorful little treats are Nyonya kuih.
For a first-time international visitor, think of them as a wonderful family of bite-sized local cakes and sweets.
Many use ingredients such as rice flour, glutinous rice, coconut milk and pandan.
Soft.
Chewy.
Sweet.
Sometimes sticky.
And those colors!
Dad has a problem.
Which one?
Green?
Yellow?
Blue?
Pink?
Obviously…
TRY MORE THAN ONE.
😂
Dad calls this cultural research.
🍧 Hot Penang Afternoon? Find Cendol.
Cold shaved ice.
Fresh coconut milk.
Palm-sugar sweetness.
Green cendol strands.
Red beans.
Everything slowly melting together.
Outside?
Penang heat.
In front of Dad?
THIS.
😂
Cendol isn’t the dessert Dad wants you to admire in a photograph.
Dad wants you sitting somewhere in Penang…
hot from walking…
spoon in hand…
taking that first cold mouthful.
AHHHHHH.
Now we’re traveling.
🚶 The Best Thing to Do Between Penang Meals?
WALK.
This is the other reason Dad wants you here.
Get away from the table.
Walk through George Town.
Look at the old shophouses.
Peek inside.
Watch people.
Take photographs.
Turn down a street simply because it looks interesting.
Don’t rush.
Penang rewards wandering.
And walking has another very important benefit.
😂
YOU GET HUNGRY AGAIN.
Which is fortunate…
because Dad has saved the big one for last.
👑 Are You Brave Enough to Try Durian in Penang?
Here we go.
DURIAN.
😂😂😂
Southeast Asia’s famous King of Fruits.
Spiky outside.
Soft and creamy inside.
Rich.
Pungent.
Sweet.
And the smell?
Don’t worry.
THE DURIAN WILL FIND YOU.
😂
For some travelers, that first smell is enough to make them retreat.
Dad says:
Come back.
We haven’t tasted it yet.
😂 Durian: Love It or Hate It — No In-Between!
This is where friendships are tested.
😂
Take a bite.
You may think:
“WOW. THIS IS INCREDIBLE.”
Or…
“WHY ARE PEOPLE EATING THIS?!”
😂😂😂
There is no polite middle ground.
LOVE IT.
OR HATE IT.
NO IN-BETWEEN.
And here’s another surprise for first-time durian eaters:
different durian varieties don’t all taste the same.
They can differ in sweetness, bitterness, richness, creaminess and intensity.
So Dad has a solution.
Try one.
Then another.
Compare.
Discuss.
Argue.
😂
Dad?
Well…
there are multiple durian photos in this article for a reason.
DAD LIKES HIS RESEARCH THOROUGH.
👑😂
❤️ Why Does Dad Say GO to Penang?
Because Dad doesn’t want you to come here simply to see Penang.
Dad wants you to:
TASTE Penang.
Wake up hungry.
Find breakfast.
Walk.
Find something you’ve never eaten before.
Try it.
Keep walking.
Stop for dessert.
Watch the streets.
Take photographs.
Sit somewhere when you’re tired.
Then get up…
and discover your next meal.
That’s the beauty of Penang.
You don’t need every hour planned.
Sometimes all you need is:
a pair of comfortable shoes…
an appetite…
and enough curiosity to say:
“WHAT’S THAT? LET’S TRY IT.”
🐇😂
Is Penang Worth Visiting?
DAD SAYS GO! 👍
Not someday.
Put Penang on the travel list.
Come for the streets.
Come for George Town.
Come to slow down.
But please…
COME HUNGRY.
Because Dad’s Penang itinerary has a habit of becoming:
FOOD.
FOOD.
FOOD.
Then…
DESSERT.
Then…
ANOTHER DESSERT.
And finally…
DURIAN.
👑
And if you discover that you’re on the LOVE IT side?
Well…
DURIAN AGAIN. 😂😂😂
🧳 Ready to Pack for Penang?
Then Dad has one practical suggestion.
Stay somewhere convenient enough that you can walk out and start exploring.
Because in Penang, Dad doesn’t want to spend the whole trip traveling between the hotel and the experience.
Dad wants the experience waiting outside.
And remember Dad’s hotel rule:
VALUE FOR MONEY ≠ CHEAPEST HOTEL.
Location matters.
Especially when your evening plan might simply be:
“Let’s go for a walk and see what we find to eat.”
😂
👉 Check Penang hotels and current prices on Trip.com
Traveling around Malaysia beyond Penang?
👉 Check Malaysia hotels and current prices on Trip.com
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DAD SAYS GO!
Don’t just save another Penang food video.
Don’t just look at another photograph of char koay teow.
Don’t spend your life wondering whether you would love or hate Assam Laksa.
And definitely don’t decide whether you hate durian…
BEFORE YOU’VE EVEN TASTED IT. 😂
Go.
Walk the streets.
Order the noodles.
Take the first spoonful.
Try the strange-looking thing.
Eat the dessert.
Face the durian.
And discover your own Penang.
Dad already knows his answer.
PACK.
BOOK.
COME HUNGRY.
DAD SAYS GO! 👍
🍜🥣🐙🍰🍧👑😂
