Perang Penang: Day 2 — Food, Nostalgia and Fireworks

Day 2 began with a stubborn lift, moved through old Penang streets and plates of food, and ended with two disappointments, fireworks and Spurs.

The Lift Battle

We did not get an early start. By 11.30 am we were finally in the Grab and on our way to Hutton.

Getting downstairs had been an ordeal. The lift was horrendous. A lot of people were checking out that morning and we waited for possibly ten minutes. Hopefully things would improve, although it could become worse if a new wave of guests arrived.

Old Penang, Still Moving

Along the way, we absorbed the streets on a Saturday morning. Old shophouses with timber shutters and weathered façades stood beside newer signs, traffic and tall buildings. There were old nostalgia shops, a garden-trading shop, a bubur shop and narrow lanes near Gama.

It felt nostalgic without being frozen in time. The older Penang was not a museum piece. It was still alive and continuing its ordinary morning.

Back at Hutton

We arrived at Hutton at about 11.50 am. Alhamdulillah, the queue was not very long, although the day was warm.

I was glad to eat here again. The last time I had the speciality was actually back in Singapore, when I ordered it at Prata Alley. Even the boss there asked me what the Penang speciality was called.

Today we were back at the source: roti bakar telur goyang and Roti Canai Hutton Lane ayam, eaten by the roadside with the family. The plates were absolutely cleaned. 😂

A Queensbay Detour

After Hutton, we headed to Queensbay Mall instead of Gurney. The mall became a different kind of Penang hunt: shelves of familiar things, little discoveries and bits of nostalgia.

The peanut butter biscuits caught me. RM10 for 200 grams — a small packet of old memories. That was Queensbay for us: shopping, looking around and letting familiar things pull us backwards for a moment.

The Charcoal Wok

At 5.50 pm, wifey and I left Urban Suites and walked towards the mart on Jalan Madrasah for Hussain Mee Goreng. About fifteen minutes later, we arrived.

The street of noodle hawkers was completely different from the quiet road we had seen the night before. It was bustling. We could hear the wok and smell fried mee from about twenty metres away. Mostly locals were buying from Encik Hussain, including elderly Chinese men speaking in dialect. A queue formed while he worked over charcoal.

My kuay teow goreng was smoky and dry, although there was not much meat. Wifey's mee goreng had sotong and was also dry — not sweet and not oily. Taste-wise, it was so-so.

After buying our drinks, we sat at the corner coffeeshop. It was a proper roadside arrangement: cart, charcoal, queue, then a table nearby.

The Pasar Malam That Wasn't

Later, we tried two pasar malam. The earlier one was all Chinese food. Sungai Dua pasar malam was disappointing too: mainly food and fruits, with not many dry goods. It did not look enticing. We walked through and walked out.

We did not take pictures at all. Some parts of a journey are better recorded honestly.

By 9.53 pm we were back at Urban Suites, in time for me to watch my beloved Spurs play.

Penang's Welcome Fireworks

At 10.30 pm, Penang decided to bless us with welcome fireworks. Hahaha. Alhamdulillah.

First Point, Still Waiting for the Goal

The game ended in a draw. First point for Spurs and a clean sheet, but we are still waiting for our first EPL goal of the season.

Tel playing for so long should be a study in itself. He should have been subbed out, with Savio moving left and Kudus right. Solanke should have come on earlier. With the number of crosses in this game, he might have capitalised on at least one. It is a possibility.

Anyway: first point, clean sheet. Hope it is up from now on. COYS!

End of Day 2

So ended Day 2 of Perang Penang: an obstinate lift, old streets, Hutton again, Queensbay nostalgia, a charcoal wok, two pasar malam that did not deliver, surprise fireworks and one point for Spurs.

Not every conquest is spectacular. But every day leaves a story.