I had a visitor in Penang last week. It was fall break for the NUS program so Sarah came up to spend a few days with me before we took a mini 3 day weekend/vacation. Unfortunately it rained almost the entire week which limited the Georgetown exploring opportunities. Luckily, I had switched locations and stayed at the Campbell House in Georgetown vs. my usual hotel which gave us some better dining opportunities that were easy to get to. They have a great breakfast in the morning, but dinner at Il Bacaro is really the best.
I did have a night by myself at the beginning of the week before Sarah arrived and for the first time in a long time was able to get a really great pizza and a few beers. You wouldn't think something like that can put a smile on your face, but when you can close your eyes and think you're either in the North End in Boston or on Grand Avenue in St. Paul, life is good. If only there would have been a TV with a football game on....... We had some great pasta dishes as well the following evening, but tough not to go back to the well with pizza like that.
So I spent the first half of the week at work and would then grab Sarah and we would head out to dinner. Eating in Georgetown is more adventurous than just walking across the street to the mall the way a normal evening goes for me. We had gotten a recommendation for the Mews Cafe and decided to check it out. It was only 4 blocks from where we were staying but this city isn't exactly laid out in a grid. We went strolling down the middle of the street with our umbrellas because the sidewalks are full of cafes or too narrow to walk down. At our first intersection we turned right and immediately squeezed onto the sidewalk. One city bus driver decided not to wait for the bus in front of him to pick up/drop off people and went around him. However, these streets weren't exactly built with buses in mind. From the safety of our sidewalk (and brick pillar covered in plaster) we saw two buses play a game of chicken with each other. Somehow they missed by inches and I got the feeling this was an all too common occurrence and we were worried for no reason. Needless to say I'll stick to taxis in Penang.
After multiple turns down alleys and two "reggae/Jamaican themed restaurants" we found the cafe. The walk home would prove that it really was close to where we were staying, but it didn't feel like it at the time. I had beef Rendang (like a curry) and Sarah had Nasi Lemak (chicken and coconut rice with vegetables). However, the fried bananas and homemade ice cream for dessert were what will bring me back. That is, of course, assuming I can actually find it again.
I did have a night by myself at the beginning of the week before Sarah arrived and for the first time in a long time was able to get a really great pizza and a few beers. You wouldn't think something like that can put a smile on your face, but when you can close your eyes and think you're either in the North End in Boston or on Grand Avenue in St. Paul, life is good. If only there would have been a TV with a football game on....... We had some great pasta dishes as well the following evening, but tough not to go back to the well with pizza like that.
After multiple turns down alleys and two "reggae/Jamaican themed restaurants" we found the cafe. The walk home would prove that it really was close to where we were staying, but it didn't feel like it at the time. I had beef Rendang (like a curry) and Sarah had Nasi Lemak (chicken and coconut rice with vegetables). However, the fried bananas and homemade ice cream for dessert were what will bring me back. That is, of course, assuming I can actually find it again.
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