DESTINATIONS — ASIA DESTINATIONS ALSO IN
AMERICA PAGE 69
Penang mixes colonial history, sandy beaches and Malaysia’s best cuisine. Joanna Booth tucks in
FEAST ON THE EAST
R
esembling a smiling green hedgehog, the cartoon version of the durian fruit on the
‘Taste Better’ stall lulled me into a false sense of security. Halfway down Georgetown’s Chew Jetty, our guide Rodney had stopped to point out this outlet selling produce made from Asia’s most famously stinky foodstuff. The huge, spiky-skinned fruit can smell so strongly – consensus is divided on exactly what of; I’d say drains – that they are banned from some hotels and public transport. I knew all this, but Rodney’s encouragement,
the cute cartoon and a certain sense of bravado induced me to purchase a durian custard puff. I like cake, I like fruit – what could go wrong? The initial bite wasn’t too bad. The taste
wasn’t strong, just vaguely sweet, and so I shrugged and ate the whole thing. But then a curious thing happened. Despite the fact there wasn’t a strong taste to begin with, something lingered. And developed. Within a couple of minutes, chewing gum was all that stood between me and a nagging sense of nausea. The durian custard puff was unique. Not just
because it really is an extremely strange fruit, but because it was the only food I tried in the whole of my time in Penang that I didn’t like.
l A TASTE OF MALAYSIA Malaysians wouldn’t be surprised to hear this. The island of Penang is renowned countrywide for the quality of its cuisine – particularly its street food. One of my companions, Malaysia Airlines UK general manager Weng Chi Lee, explained: “The standard of the street food here is so high that bad stalls just can’t survive. If you aren’t good, you close.” Watching the early-morning crowds mill
through Georgetown’s Chowrasta Market, that’s easy to believe. Shoppers pore over the fresh produce – proudly displayed in neat, orderly
21 May 2015 —
travelweekly.co.uk • 57 LATIN
ASIA
travelweekly.co.uk/destinations
PICTURE: PENANG TOURISM
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