Char kway teow, curry mee, hokkien mee, nasi lemak, roti canai, ais kacang...

Penang was the Malaysian destination for me. Partly due to the fact that we have a great friend there, who helped us experience the real soul of the island. Partly because 3 weeks after our first visit we went back, this time with my family. Penang was a place where I felt at home, where everything, from the food to Georgetown's architecture and cultural scene, was just right. Many travellers overlook Penang, heading straight to Langkawi or other beach resorts. In my opinion, Penang was the place that better presents Malaysia's melting-pot and its cultural richness, although the island has a unique soul. For those who don't know, Penang is the Chinese heart of Malaysia. The population of the island is around 40 per cent Chinese; walking around the streets of Georgetown, surrounded by incense smoke coming out of red Taoist temples, the Chinese heritage becomes instantly clear.

We visited in occasion of Thaipusam, and we were back 3 weeks after for the 7th day of Chinese New Year. After the reunification dinners and family gatherings of the first few days of the new year, on the seventh day the Chinese community organizes a street party to celebrate their cultural heritage. There are lion dances, dragon dances, Chinese opera and other shows, plus various handicrafts and food stalls. The street show celebrates Penang's Chinese culture as a whole, as well as cultural tradition typical of the various Chinese communities (mainly Hakka, Hokkien, Cantonese and Hainanese). The atmosphere was vibrant and busy, the streets lit by red lanterns and food stalls whipping up delicious specialties.

Penang's street food is the best I have ever tasted. The type of food that I have found myself missing, alongside the Italian food I grew up with, every time I am somewhere where the culinary produce is not instantly appealing (read: Khmu villages in Northern Laos). Hawker stalls are found at every street corner in Penang. Most offer only one specialty; chances are it will be excellent. If you are in Penang, follow the crowds. That's where the good food will be. We were lucky, our friend and his driver knew where to go and took us to the best places to savour authentic Penang food.

I will attempt to take my dear reader on a culinary tour of Penang. I know I will fail miserably, but I want to give it a go. We should start with char kway teow. It's a typical Penang dish of fried noodles, not dissimilar to a pad thai in look. In taste, it's miles superior. None of that Khao San Road nonsense; char kway teow is a delicious, multilayered dish that reveals itself with every bite. One bite, you get the noodles and the tofu, then cockles, Chinese sausage, the crunchiness of beansprouts. All infused with a delicious salty-spicy sauce. That is probably my favourite dish. You could accompany that with fragrant coconut, sugarcane juice, or maybe ais kacang, which is something in between a drink and a dessert. Imagine a mountain of shaved ice sitting atop colorful jelly cubes, sweetcorn and sweet beans, drizzled with palm sugar syrup. Sweet yet refreshing, it's the perfect relief to the heat of Penang.

And now let's get onto soups. In order to celebrate the Chinese heritage, it's essential to talk about soups. Noodle soups are staple food in Chinese culture. I chose two soups to present to my dear reader. The first one is Hokkien mee. To be precise, the same term is used across Malaysia to denote a rather bland dish of stir fried noodles in thick soy sauce. That's not what I'm talking about. I am talking about a huge bowl of steaming prawny stock, enriched with the chilli paste which is almost always served on the spoon (so you have to add it in order to be able to use the spoon to eat). A mixture of yellow noodles and thin rice noodles, prawns, boiled egg and pork falling from the bone. The second one, curry mee, represents a good marriage between Malaysian and Chinese culinary traditions. Once again, thin and yellow noodles are mixed together, alongside prawns, tofu, squid and maybe others; all is swimming in a curry-coconut soup reminiscent of Malaysian laksa, but rather spicier. And there's another ingredient to tantalize courageous souls; congealed pig's blood.

But how can we forget Malaysian and Tamil heritage. I chose to present two breakfasts, perhaps not unique to Penang itself but more representative of the whole of Malaysia. One is roti canai, essentially South Indian roti with some curry sauce for dipping. My friend said the price for roti canai is controlled and cannot be more than RM1 per piece; that's pretty much all we ate on Langkawi. Perfect in its simplicity; the moist, ghee-infused roti mixing with the deep earthy flavours of curry. The traditional Malay breakfast couldn't be more different; the flavours of nasi lemak are sweet and spicy. A portion of rice cooked in coconut milk with a side of fiery sambal, a boiled egg, together with peanuts and crispy anchovies.

And with a belly full of food, I suggest you head up to Kek Lok Si, my favourite place in the whole of Penang. It is a Chinese temple with a towering statue of Kuan Yin, the goddess of mercy, and a towering tiered pagoda. You could wander around the grounds, have a picture taken next to the animal of the year of your birth (I am a Pig), look at the turtles in Liberation Pond or simply climb the pagoda, saluting the Buddha at every floor. And if you're there for sunset, or during Chinese New Year when the temple is lit by a myriad of red lanterns, I am sure you will love Penang as much as I do.