George Town in Penang was the second UNESCO world heritage site on my Malaysian Tour. I stayed in the magnificently restored Yeng Keng hotel ( recommended by Mama Jam Fernandez) and the hotel staff were amazing. I mentioned I would be there for my Birthday and I wanted to do something special. After reading a pile of leaflets they provided I decided on a Malaysian cookery lesson at the Spice Garden and they booked it, arranged a taxi and when I got back presented me with a birthday cake. I had a couple of Birthday cards that arrived in Bahrain before I left ( I recognise Jane Frost's writing on the first!)
The actual day ( Sept 18) did not start well as it poured with rain and the taxi driver spent most of the journey on his mobile. We arrived early and the Spice Gardens were not open so I went down to the beach and took a selfie!
The spooky thing is that today, 7 years later, I am wearing the same tee shirt as I write this- Passalubong from Kuya Dino ! It is one of the few that still fits my expanding waistline. We then had a tour of the Spice garden in the rain by a very knowledgeable guide who pointed out and explained all the spices, their Malaysian and English names, what they could be used for medicinally and in cooking and what other spices were similar! We all agreed after it was fascinating. Eventually we arrived at the cookery school and as the only single I got to cook alone with the two other couples, ably assisted by Chef Bee. She taught us a Chinese Malaysian fusion and explained the history of all the dishes which we ate for lunch. I then got a spice garden apron ( very small- fits Noel perfectly!) and gift but sadly no certificate for my kitchen wall.
18.9.16 - The Spice Garden, Penang, Malaysia- Cookery class!
After the class I bought a Malaysian Cookery book that the Chef recommended at the gift shop next door and often use it to make Laska or Hokkien Mee. I loved the dishes that combined Chinese and Malaysian food and the term she used ( which TBK cannot remember) for " about this much". She was explaining that in their cuisine they put in what feels right and everything does not have to be weighed precisely. I loved that concept!
Another advantage of being single is that I had personal tuition from Chef Bee!
If you are in Penang I can highly recommend a visit to the Spice Gardens and the cookery school- I just checked on Google and they are still running:
https://tropicalspicegarden.com/home/cook
The birthday cake when I got back to the hotel was a lovely surprise
I can thoroughly recommend the hotel too. ( Yes I checked , it is still there!).Once an Anglo-Indian bungalow residence in the 1800s, it was restored and is now one of the best-restored properties in George Town. It is elegant and stylish, with just 19 rooms and suites to guarantee comfort and exclusivity. Each one features vintage furniture and wooden panel floors. Everything—from pillows and linens to wall art down to the carpet—are tastefully picked and organized. Most of these rooms also come with patios that offer views of charming Chulia Street. To make your stay worry-free, we present a signature restaurant and café. They also have a small swimming pool. You can find out more about the hotel here: https://www.yengkenghotel.com/
The hotel Entrance is at the back of their courtyard with their restaurant in a separate building on the left of the Courtyard. I enjoyed a long leisurely breakfast with lots of coffee while reading the newspaper.
The end of my breakfast!
The hotel pool
The George Town area is very well preserved and in Penang there are many old buildings, Parks and Forts to explore. In one park they had a Thai food festival and an exhibition of decorated bears from around the world. I loved tasting the Thai food!
Some of the Thai food on sale
The bears were part of an exhibition called United Buddy bears
I even found one from Bahrain
I walked down to an old Fort overlooking the sea and read about this cannon
I even got someone to take this photo of me ( 2016- pre mobiles and selfies)
From Penang I flew to Vietnam and then on to Cambodia and finally back to Bahrain where my good friends the Gregories came to stay before I returned , finally, to work at the end of a long hot summer traveling around Asia
Hello, I am The British Kabayan! Feel free to read my stories.
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