An unusual two-part tribute to Penang street food by Stanley Yu, who is originally from Hong Kong but now lives in London.
This is a little post to keep alive the idea for a museum to create greater appreciation for the culinary heritage of the streets of Penang.
Penang assam laksa has been ranked seventh – ahead of Thailand’s ‘tom yum goong’ – in a list of the “world’s 50 most delicious foods”, published by CNN.
Tunglang moves from describing authentic street food to talking about authentic forms of worship. From the way he describes it, it’s not such a great leap, as we might think. Time has changed many things, many perceptions, many tastes and many lifestyles.
Mar 022011
Entering the Great World Park of Penang or Tua Seh Kai was like being teleported into a dreamy entertainment world, the stuff of fantasy and gastronomical delights, recalls tunglang. This was definitely a happy world of nightly entertainment for Penangites of the 1950s, 60s and 70s. Located at the present Prangin Mall, it was like entering another dimension of amusement arcade, cinema, food and merry-go-round. Just pay 10 cents and you were teleported into a world of great entertainment. (Mind you, 10 cents then was like a bullock cart’s wheel).