20240105_172544Chew Jetty in Penang (January 2024)

Penang is situated in the northwest of Malaysia; it is divided into the mainland and its own island, the latter which has a majority of the tourism and heritage sites to visit and explore (especially in George Town). Penang would be my first foray into Malaysia (and Southeast Asia, for that matter), and I would be spending two nights taking in its beauty and paradise– all while in 90°F (32°C) heat.

Following two nights in Taipei, I woke up early to head to the airport for my 9h30 flight to Penang. Depending on the season, there are only one to two direct flights from Taipei per day– I was also traveling during one of the worst flood seasons in Malaysia, which worried me if I would even be able to make it to Penang. However, the worst of the floods were happening on the east side of the country (and I was sticking mainly to the west coast), so my flight was still set to go and on time.

The Taipei Taoyuan Airport was absolutely packed with people, even as early as 6h00: I figured many flights to other parts of Asia (e.g. Malaysia, South Korea, Thailand) left early, so it took a while to get through security. It was efficient, though: I made it to my gate afterwards and soon enough boarded the 4-1/2 hour flight to Penang. It was a pretty uneventful flight (albeit with a nice breakfast/lunch meal and Pokémon-themed utensils!), and we soon arrived into Penang International Airport (located on the island) just after 14h00.

My travel agent had booked me a private transfer from the airport, so after clearing customs and immigration, my driver took me directly to my hotel, located in the heart of George Town, the capital of Penang. We arrived a half-hour later, and I soon checked in and dropped my belongings in my room (an absolute stunner– you can read my hotel review here) before heading out to take advantage of the remaining time in the day for sightseeing.

First things first, I headed to Armenian Street, a colorful and narrow road that’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Known for its vibrant street art and architecture, it’s named for the short-lived settlement of Armenians in the early 19th century before Chinese settlers took over. I caught a glimpse of the famous “Children on a Bicycle” street art by Lithuanian artist Ernest Zacharevic while strolling through the short alley.

20240105_160404Armenian Street

20240105_160047“Children on a Bicycle” by Ernest Zacharevic

Armenian Street was also where I got a late lunch/early dinner. I was absolutely starving, so I popped into a restaurant that served Malaysian Indian cuisine. I ordered beef rendang, a type of curry served with plenty of rice. While also commonly found in neighboring Indonesia, Malaysia also serves beef rendang by way of India, and I enjoyed the flavorful and fragrant dish, heavily perfumed in coconut milk and lemongrass. Overall, a great meal to satisfy my hunger, and very affordable at 25 Malaysian ringgits ($5 USD).

20240105_161724Beef rendang

I continued my wander along Armenian Street post-late lunch, as well as through other streets in the historic part of George Town. I passed a mosque, where I heard the call to prayer in the later afternoon. An overwhelming two-thirds (63.5%) of Malaysians practice Islam, and I saw many mosques and women in hijabs during my travel throughout the country; I hadn’t experienced Islam as a prominent religion since my time in Turkey in 2019, so it was surreal to visit another Muslim country since then.

I passed through more street art (including “Boy on a Bike,” also by Ernest Zacharevic) before heading to the Chew Jetty, a historic jetty (aka small pier). Constructed in the 1880’s, the Chew Jetty was a waterfront village built as George Town was rapidly developing due to commercial trade with other parts of Asia and the world. “Chew” derives from one of the family names that lived in and controlled the jetty: “Chew” was the surname of a prominent Chinese immigrant family and today remains one of the few surviving jetties in the area.

20240105_165120“Boy on a Bike” by Ernest Zacharevic

I took a stroll down the wooden boardwalk of the Chew Jetty, passing by several souvenir shops and mini-marts selling newspapers, fruit, and kopi (coffee). Soon enough, I reached the landing where I saw many colorful boats docked by the wooden stilts (which keep the jetty afloat) and more street art. Plenty of tourists were milling about, taking photos and otherwise admiring the open water as far as the eye can see. In the distance, I saw the long Penang Bridge, which connects the island to the mainland.

20240105_171146Boats by the Chew Jetty

20240105_170158On the Chew Jetty


20240105_171056

While on the Chew Jetty, I stumbled upon a stand which sold durian, the infamous “king of fruits” in Southeast Asia. It is known for its extremely pungent odor, which to me smells like petrol and stinky feet– not the most pleasant. I hadn’t had durian before, but I wasn’t quite ready yet– instead, I ordered a durian ice cream, which had the slightest hint of durian, but honestly, it wasn’t bad: I think the coldness from the ice cream helped mask the flavor, and it was also a great way to cool off from the hot and humid weather– even in January!

20240105_171446Durian ice cream

I decided to head over to the Chulia Street Hawker Food, a night market selling all sorts of Malaysian food. I was hoping to find wan tan mee (a noodle dish with wontons), which is a typical Malaysian dish– however, the night market was situated on the narrow Chulia Street, which also had plenty of motorbikes and cars zipping through. I did not feel comfortable or safe staying too long there, so aside from grabbing an apom (small crêpe), I headed a few blocks down to a sit-down restaurant, where I ordered wan tan mee and a cold, refreshing juice. The noodles were chewy and saucy, but the wontons were fried and a bit too rich for me; I heard you can get the wontons unfried, but alas, it was my poor choosing. Still a decent dish!

20240105_175646Along Chulia Street Hawker Food

20240105_181146Wan tan mee

It was perhaps just after 19h00 that I decided to head back to my hotel: I was super exhausted after such a long day of travel that I needed to rest. I would have another day in Penang to explore and discover more, so I turned in following a nice, rejuvenating shower (especially being so hot outside)!

More of my adventures in Penang are coming soon, so stay tuned! Thanks for reading. 🙂

— Rebecca

Published by Rebecca

Blogger, world traveler, poet, foodie, part-time penguin. Welcome!

41 thoughts on “Destination: Penang, Malaysia (Armenian Street, the Chew Jetty, and Chulia Street Hawker Food– DAY 1)”

  3. One of my fondest memories of George Town was when I randomly entered a local noodle joint because the other place I was planning to go was packed with people. But it turned out the Curry Mee I had was so delicious. It’s great to know that you sampled quite a lot of locals dishes when you were there.

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    1. It’s always the places you don’t expect that end up being the most-memorable part of the trip– that restaurant sounds great with a delicious curry mee. As it’s quite difficult to access Malaysian cuisine here in the US (even in multicultural LA), I definitely took advantage of all the incredible eats while in town!

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  4. Chew Jetty looks like an awesome place to explore. I saw in another comment that you ended up trying durian later. I quite like durian and don’t understand the deal about how it’s so stinky. I’m interested in reading what you thought about it.

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  5. Quite an adventure for one day! Durian is good. You just have to brave through the first bite. That’s what most people say. I have been eating durian since I was a kid. I still say, smell like hell, taste like heaven!

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  6. I have seen unique-looking durian fruit in many Asian markets but could not get past the smell to try it out. From what I’ve heard, those who overcome their initial reactions soon become enthusiastic fans of the fruit. Nevertheless, Penang looks like a wonderful place to explore. I especially like the idea of wandering around historic George Town and diving into the local street food scene. Thanks for sharing, and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx

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    1. Yes, durian is certainly an acquired taste! I’m glad I got to try it while in Malaysia. Penang is considered the foodie capital of the country, as Malaysians travel there just to eat– I can vouch the food is incredible there! Thanks for reading, Aiva 🙂

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  7. I wish I had made it to Penang on my recent trip to Malaysia – we had planned 2 nights there but our flight was cnacelled and by the time we could get a new one, it wouldn’t have been worth it. Definitely a reason to go back some day 🙂

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  9. Apart from the heat (hard to avoid in that part of the world!) you’ve made Penang sound very appealing, definitely our sort of place! I love the street art and the architecture, and the food sounds delicious 🙂

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    1. Yes, it was unbelievable that it was consistently 32°C/90°C in January! Not to forget humid, too…I’m not used to that kind of weather, but I braved through and had a ton of fun! Penang is a lovely part of Malaysia and definitely worth visiting for the lush, beach scenery and delicious food!

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  11. It’s 30 years since I visited Penang so it was good to read your post and to relive old memories. You were very brave trying a durian ice cream, maybe I should take the plunge next time I’m in Malaysia. Hope you have a good weekend Rebecca. Marion

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    1. Nice! I can imagine Penang was a lot different 30 years ago. Durian ice cream wasn’t too bad, and it’s a good introduction to trying the “king of fruits.” Thank you for reading, Marion!

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  14. So many reasons to visit Penang it seems. Armenian Street caught my eye, I do see some similarities with some of the streets we explored in Yerevan. I hadn’t heard of Ernest Zacharevic, but already consider myself a fan after seeing these. The Chew Jetty’s unique waterfront community, with its wooden walkways and traditional stilt houses, offers a fascinating glimpse into Penang’s cultural heritage. As usual all the food looks great, particularly Wan tan mee. Good stuff, Rebecca.

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    1. Thanks, Leighton! Penang is a lovely part of Malaysia with plenty of breathtaking, tranquil views of the water. It’s also famous for its food: even Malaysians from other parts of the country go to Penang for the food! Hope you can head over there some day 😊

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  16. I found the heat and humidity in Penang almost unbearable (I went in March), but despite this, I had a great time exploring. It’s a fascinating city and it’s been interesting reading about it from your perspective. Looking forward to reading your next installment. I made the mistake of taking durian flavoured chocolates back to the office when I got home and they’ve gone down in office history. I’m not sure my colleagues will ever forget them!

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    1. I once heard from a Malaysian that there are two types of weather in the country: hot and hotter. Going in the winter time was still very warm, but I can’t imagine going in the spring or summer! Durian-flavored chocolates sound intriguing, but I can imagine they did not go down well with your office, haha. Thanks for sharing your time there!

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  17. I don’t know much about Malaysia, so this was interesting. Since we’re headed to Armenia in a few months, that “Armenian Street” in your title acted as clickbait – haha. I was expecting it to be a neighborhood of the Armenian diaspora, complete with Armenian culture and food. Ah well… 🙂

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    1. Not quite! Historically, Armenian Street had Armenians for a short while, and perhaps there are still Armenians in town today…all the same, I hope you enjoy Armenia later this year; it’s a country I haven’t been to yet!

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