Why we love George Town and why you will too
How much do we love George Town? Let us count the ways. Charming, a bit crusty around the edges and with a very human scale, the UNESCO-protected heart of Penang’s capital is a gem. It might not have the glossy nightlife, restaurants or Insta-opps of, say, Bali, but we couldn’t give a flying flip.
George Town’s heritage sights are astounding, with weathered cemeteries, quaint cinemas, monuments, clan temples, pre-war shophouses, old hotels and colonial-era mansions thick on the ground. You could easily spend a week poking around historic nooks and crannies, if you want a place to take things slow. Things here aren’t overly tarted up for tourism… yet. That’s not to say George Town isn’t a magnet for visitors – it really is. But if you’re the type that loves a leisurely meander with no other goal than to soak vibes and fuel up on affordable local snacks, it’s for you. Oh and about that food. Legendary for its mix of Indian/Malay/Chinese hawker fare and Peranakan cuisine, the scope of things to eat is a bit of a mind-blow; we’ll save a deeper dive for another time. For now, here are some of our fave places to go, see, walk and things to do in George Town.
Clan Jetties
Weld Quay
This series of rickety wooden jetties flanked by small homes, boats, temples and shops, is where impoverished Chinese immigrants and their extended families built humble homes over the water. Six jetties survive – the oldest and largest is the Chew jetty, dating from the mid 19th Century. Today some dwellers have opened souvenir shops and other tourist -related businesses to keep, er, afloat. It’s interesting to know that jetty dwellers don’t have to pay tax as technically, they don’t live on land.
Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion
14 Lebuh Leith
Also called The Blue Mansion, this was built between 1896 and 1902 by Chinese craftsmen for one of the richest men in Southeast Asia, Cheong Fatt Tze. Bucking the contemporary trend to build in the European style, his place is gloriously and resolutely Oriental, albeit with Western flourishes (Scottish cast iron, Frenchy louvered windows and English floor tiles). With 38 rooms, 5 courtyards and 7 stairways, it’s now a boutique hotel – you can book a tour and have a squizz if you’re not staying.
Beach Street
Now called Lebuh Pantai, this is one of G Town’s oldest and grandest streets. It’s lined with architectural gems that were once banks, company headquarters, trading societies and what not. Look for the old Netherlands Trading Society building at No 9, which still retains its original 1905 appearance. And No 32-34, built in 1886, with lovely cast iron balconies on the second floor. India House (originally the U.S.A. Information Service Library) with its elephant head embellishment, and the old George Town Dispensary at no 39, are also handsome.
Nagore Durgha Shrine
Cnr Lebuh King and Lebuh Chulia
The oldest Indian Muslim shrine in Penang, built in 1803, this commemorates a 13th century saint from Nagore in India - there’s a very similar structure in Singapore. Not far away is the 1870 Han Jiang Ancestral Temple, with it’s ornate gate, enormous, beautifully painted front doors and other decorative features. From here it’s a skip, jump and hop to Little India.
Masjid Kapitan Keling
14 Jalan Buckingham
1pm- 5pm, Sat to Thurs and 3pm to 5pm, Friday
One of the island’s most notable buildings, this working mosque was first constructed in 1801 by Indian Muslim traders, then renovated and greatly enlarged in the 1930s. The onion shaped dome and pitched roof are part of the original structure.
Paramount Hotel
48F Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah
Look out! Nana’s in the building! Here’s a time warp if ever there was one. They still register guests names on a system of hand-annotated cards, slotted into an antiquated board on the wall. Upstairs, the huge rooms are decked out in furniture from the ’40’s and 50’s- some have no aircon and none have TVs. It’s tucked down a drive way off Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah, a main drag, and honestly, you’d never know it was there.
Campbell Street Market
Cnr Lebuh Campbell and Lebuh Buckingham
This small community wet market was built in 1900 and feels completely untouched. Rumoured to have been built on the site of an old Malay cemetery, allegedly the spooked stall holders had to be convinced to tenant it. Some say it’s still haunted and that ghosts waft about in the small hours. Honestly, we’d believe it.
Pinang Peranakan Museum
29 Lebuh Church
9.30am-5pm, daily
Housed in a stately old green Peranakan mansion, this amazing museum is the perfect place to understand a little about this unique culture. Lavishly refurbished to showcase how the upper Peranakan echelons lived, there are extensive displays of artefacts, clothing and furniture. The huge kitchen, filled to the brim with vintage cooking accoutrements, is well worth a look.
Khoo Kongsi
A clan temple built in the grandest of styles, it’s one the largest in Malaysia. Until WW2 it was basically a self contained village for the Khoo clan, complete with its own educational, welfare and social organisations. Huge, it’s in one of the oldest sections of George Town and surrounded by quaint and winding lanes.
DID YOU KNOW?
Popular street Love Lane supposedly got it’s name as it was where wealthy Straights Chinese, living along nearby Muntri Lane, kept their mistresses.
George Town was named after King George 3rd of England and is the birthplace of Jimmy Choo, the celebrated shoe designer.
In 2012, Lithuanian artist Ernest Zacharevic created six wall paintings depicting local culture that have become part of George Town’ famous street art scene. The most famous is the Children With Bicycle, on Armenian Street.
George Town was once the centre of Malaysia’s print media.
Sun Yat-Sen held a famous meeting on Armenian Street that ultimately led to the 1911 downfall of the Chinese Qing dynasty.
WHERE TO EAT
You’re not exactly stuck for choice; there’s a plethora of options. Here are a few sit-down places with lovely vintage feels.
Tek Sen
18 Lebuh Carnarvon
12pm-2.30pm and 6pm-8.30pm (closed Tues)
Considered by many the best Chinese-style restaurant in town, this started as a humble stall in 1965. There’s nothing in the stripped-back interior to divert from the food; twice cooked pork in chilli padi, a sweet-sticky fry up that’s chewy and incredibly rich, is their signature. Dishes come in 3 sizes, handy for couples or solo diners, while groups can order up big.
De Tai Tong
45 Lebuh Cintra
6am-2.30pm and 6.15pm-11.30pm, daily
Old-school dim sum offered from rattly trolleys by smiling (usually) aunties, food here will fill you up quick-smart. It gets packed at peak times but come early enough in the morning, and you’ll secure a curb-side table so you can slurp tea with the regulars.
Eng Aun Kopitiam
Jalan Kuala Kangsar
7am-12pm, Wed-Sun
A character-filled coffee shop that’s one of many, but the quiet-ish corner location, the food vendors just outside and its proximity to Chowrasta Bazaar make it an ideal place to get down with the locals. They brew a mean coffee and the kitchen puts out Chinese-style dishes, such as pork knuckle noodles and stewed chicken’s feet.
Tho Yuen Restaurant
92 Lorong Campbell
6am-3pm (closed Tues)
The ladies are lovely, eager to see you fill up on their yum cha and congee for breakfast; later in the day there’s chicken rice, chai boey (a stew of left over meat, preserved mustard leaves and tamarind) and hong tu noodles (deep-fried noodles served in a sturdy eggy soup). It’s said their egg tarts are the best in George Town.
Yong Ping Restaurant
11 Jalan Sungai Ujong
6am-12pm and 7pm-12am, daily
Another nostalgic dim sum place open since the 1980s; there are plenty of staple items- siu mai, sticky rice, spare ribs and fish balls. Check out the century egg, deep-fried in a bean curd wrapper and fried water chestnut cake, for dessert.. There’s a list of noodle dishes as well and on Friday and Saturday they offer braised ginger duck in noodles (yee foo mee) that’s a best seller.
Him Heang Cake shop
162 Jalan Burma
8.30am-5pm (closed Sun)
This family run enterprise, where all the biscuits are still handmade, started three generations ago. Credited with inventing the tambun biscuit, a smaller version of the famous tau sar pneah, they pride themselves on keeping their flavours original. The biscuit is a pastry ball with a green bean filling that’s either sweet or salty.