Your guide to the best of Penang’s food and art scene

Housed in a warehouse within the art enclave Hin Bus Depot is Restaurant Au Jardin – a 30-seater restaurant helmed by Chef Kim Su Hock. A feast for the senses, the fine dining dégustation menu is updated regularly and 60 per cent of the produce is sourced from Penang.

A must-try: Hay-Aged Duck makes a theatrical entrance enveloped in smoke, and staying true to a nose-to-tail concept, you’ll be given a takeaway box on your way out, including the duck legs, bread, butter, and a “no-brainer” instruction card on how to enjoy it at home. Even the sauce is made using the duck bones. From Butterworth, >the duck is aged and hung for 10 to 15 days to tenderise the meat, then paired with pickled celeriac, fermented truffle potato puree, and yuzu and soy jusgra on a plate. The slight orange sweetness balances the rich gamey meat.

​125, Jalan Timah, 10150 George Town, Penang, Malaysia

Where you’ll find the best croissants in Penang, Le Petit Four Pâtisserie is wonderfully sun lit and beautiful by design – not unlike the gorgeous pastries and cakes the bakers dole out. The passionate team’s led by founder Ooi Hooi Shing who honed her craft at the world-renowned Le Cordon Bleu in Paris.

Delightful buttery goodness nestled inside crispy, flaky golden brown layers, Le Petit Four Pâtisserie’s croissants are freshly baked in-house. Satiate your sweet tooth with the beautiful assortment of desserts. Depending on the season, you might catch classic chocolate mousse cakes, lemon meringue tarts, eclairs with caramelised hazelnuts and pecans, and other surprises.

310, Lebuh Pantai, George Town, 10300 George Town, Penang, Malaysia

Elevating familiar ingredients with finesse is restaurant gēn 根, where you’ll find the flower crab served as sauce, broth, and garnished with sea purslane for savoury umaminess and hints of the briny sea. The torch ginger flower, which you might recognise from your laksa, is also used here to bring a burst of tropical spice and sweet floral fragrance.

Inspired by childhood memories yet without wanting to pigeon-hole themselves as French or Malaysian in style, Chef Johnson Wong and the team imbue the dishes with culinary techniques that suit the ingredients. There’s a lot of learning from how the local farmers, fishermen, and hawkers have brought out the best of the ingredients in their cooking.

8, Gat Lebuh Gereja, Georgetown, 10300 George Town, Penang, Malaysia

Treat yourself to a 10-course seafood omakase featuring local seafood cooked and prepared using Mediterranean culinary techniques. The private dining restaurant JUJU Restaurant and Lounge seeks to highlight the seafood gems of the region’s waters.

Start your night on a refreshing note with the wild caught chilled mud crab, which originates from the Kuala Kurau mangrove. Marinated in extra virgin olive oil, balanced with the sweetness of grapes, and dressed in thyme for a sharp, earthy flavour. The catch of the day could also feature lesser known fish such as Curut, Lumi, Fish Tofu, and Gelama.

19, Lorong Stewart, George Town, 10200 George Town, Penang, Malaysia

Made for art lovers and budding artists to channel their creativity is Hin Bus Depot, which is a former bus depot that has become a home to art galleries, a pottery studio, a mini skateboarding park, restaurants, cafes, and bars.

It’s a great place to chill out throughout the week, although you’ll want to swing by during the weekend to catch the pop-up flea market, live music, and street food stalls in action. Stay tuned to their website for the latest art and sculpture exhibitions, film screenings, and painting workshops.

31A, Jalan Gurdwara, 10300 George Town, Penang, Malaysia

Born out of Gareth Richards and Bettina Chua’s passion for the arts and letters, Hikayat arts centre is a go-to for book, art and music lovers. It’s a bookstore, cafe and events space in one.

On the ground floor, immerse yourself in the books on Malaysian and Southeast Asian history, politics, arts and culture, and food. For art house movie screenings, book club discussions, and jazz music performances, head on upstairs to the Blue Room.

226, Beach St, Georgetown, 10300 George Town, Penang, Malaysia

Recently reopened mid-2022, Art Lane Penang is a melting pot of creativity as budding musicians, artisans and artists gather to showcase their work through jam sessions, artistic performances, and pop-ups. Keep your peepers peeled for t-shirts turned into qipaos and vibrant mural paintings that span playful and political.

A stone’s throw away from the popular cafe China House, Art Lane was opened by the restaurateur Narelle McMurtrie to be a community canvas — a safe space for creative experimentation and exploration.

127, Beach St, Georgetown, 10450 George Town, Penang, Malaysia

Showcasing oriental shipwreck ceramics from Cathay, the Straits & Oriental Museum (SO Museum) is a Penang first. The exhibition features authentic pieces retrieved from maritime expeditions to well-known wrecks such as the Wanli, Turiang, Royal Nanhai, Nanyang, Xuande and Desaru.

Travel in time through the splendour of porcelain dating back to the Song, Ming and Qing dynasty. Discover fun facts such as how peaches were commonly depicted as they were seen as a symbol of longevity in Chinese culture. You’ll find the museum in the iconic St. Jo’s building, close to the popular high street fashion, beauty and food and beverage outlets of Gurney Paragon Mall.

163C-3-1 St. Jo’s Gurney Paragon Mall 10250, Persiaran Gurney, 10250 George Town, Penang, Malaysia

The pandemic brainchild of Spiral Synergy Sdn Bhd event organiser Michelle Grimsley and house owner Gooi Kok Wah — with input from Chef Audee Private Kitchen, Michelle came up with the idea after seeing people craving new experiences without necessarily mingling with big crowds of strangers.

To get to the hideaway, Michelle organises limo pick-up services as part of the experience. Upon arrival, guests are greeted with a glass of Prosecco and Gooi shares a little about the background of the house, which was a former meditation retreat for a Singaporean couple and was only connected to electricity in 2021!

Food and drink are a rolling menu of easy to share dips, olives, salads, breads, desserts and wine. But it’s the free-flowing conversations and relaxed, scenic atmosphere that make the experience. Guests are free to wander around the house and compound, and the experience is open to those new to Penang and visiting solo too! The get-together usually comprises an international mix of 15 to 20 people (singles, couples, or small groups of friends).

To sign up, subscribe to the Spiral Synergy newsletter. Otherwise Michelle can be reached at +60164570221 and <michelle@spiralsynergy.com

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