Penang Trip
Travel notes from the Penang leg of the Singapore-Malaysia trip, covering December 2-3, 2025. This was the middle leg between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.
Arrival — December 2, 2025
Checked into the Landison Hotel. Ordered dinner from Plant-A-Seed, a Japanese-inspired vegan restaurant. Had volcano noodles (handmade noodles in spicy tofu-based sauce with vegetables, level 4 spice) and enoki mushroom tempura (lightly battered, deep-fried with tangy dipping sauce).
Exploration — December 3, 2025
Planned Locations
- Kek Lok Si Temple — One of the largest Buddhist temples in Southeast Asia. Planned for early morning visit.
- Armenian Street — Famous for street art and interesting markets. Planned for late morning stroll and photography.
- Penang Cafes — Known for specialty coffee culture. Shortlisted Ome and The Alley on Armenian Street for coffee, and Narrow Marrow for tiramisu.
- Clan Jetties — Historic Chinese communities, each jetty belonging to a different clan.
- Pinang Peranakan Mansion — Historic wealthy trader’s mansion converted to a museum.
All locations except Kek Lok Si are in the same walkable area.
Actual Experience
Both shortlisted cafes were closed on Wednesday. Had cold brew at ‘Your Local Club’ cafe on Armenian Street — decent coffee with nice vibes. After lunch, visited ‘Utoo Boho’, known for having the best espresso in Penang. The espresso was excellent: strong, flavorful, not too acidic, and quite sweet.
Had peach earl grey tea at ‘Mimamya’ cafe — acceptable but nothing special, with an overpowering peach flavor.
Lunch at ‘Sardarji’, a Michelin bib restaurant, tasted like a random dhaba in India. Food was good but unremarkable.
Food Highlights
Malaysian Snacks from 7-Eleven
- Milo Cereal Bar — Chocolate malt bar with crunchy cereal bits, similar to Milo drink in solid form
- Pandan and Chocolate Layer Cake — Soft sponge with pandan and chocolate flavors, filled with coconut cream
- Pandan Swiss Roll — Light, fluffy roll with fragrant pandan and coconut cream filling
Dinner at Kommune (Malaysian-Inspired Vegan)
- Inchi Kabin — Seasoned deep-fried mushrooms with Worcestershire dip, vegan version of Nyonya/Peranakan dish
- Chilled Mee Rebus — Cold handmade scallion noodles in sweet potato and tomato soup with mock meat and water spinach tempura
- Kefir Soda — Probiotic drink with tangy, fizzy flavor made from fermented water kefir grains
Photography
Armenian Street offered street art photography opportunities. The Clan Jetties and Chinatown areas provided cultural and architectural subjects.
See the full photo blog from the Malaysia portion of this trip: Malaysia Photography