Penang in Pictures Part 2

Hey, guys! It's been a really busy week! We've been hosting lots of guests and showing them some delicious penang food, exploring the city together and having some great conversations. Before things get busy again, I wanted to share some pictures with you.

These are from a little walkabout I did circa 2016, I think. I was looking to capture some action shots of people making food. One reason was to give you an idea of what actually goes into the process of making the different kinds of famous Penang dishes. But I was also practicing trying to add the human element to the food that people are getting familiar with.

I'll share more of these in the next few posts. You can also check out Part 1 here. Have a great week ahead!

This is from the Char Koay Kak stall on Lorong Macalister around brunch time. I was really drawn by the vivid colours and the thick steam rising from the wok. Unfortunately, I wasn't skilled enough with the camera to capture the scene to my linking. But I think it turned out pretty alright! All the more reason to make another (delicious) visit soon!

Here's the finished piece. Char Koay Kak is stir-fried rice cakes (we use rice in the north and radish is more common down south) with chili paste, soy sauce, egg and a variety of other ingredients and aromatics. It should be soft with a slightly crunchy carbon char. I had it with some thick local "kopi" and Otak Otak.

Ok, so, you might recognize a very similar shot on our Facebook page and Instagram. This is pretty much the early experiment, when I was still trying to figure my way around composition and lighting. I came back a year later and finally got the shot I wanted! If I've learned anything, folks, is that when at first you don't succeed procrastinate until a year later and then accidentally get the shot you wanted.

This one was a bit of a missed opportunity. I really wanted to capture the weight and heft of the moment. The sweat and tears that goes into making food, and making it the best food someone has ever tasted. These Penang food vendors work really hard, and I think it's important to tell their story. Who knows, the perfect shot might come to me a year from now! This was taken at the Penang Teochew Chendol cart on Jalan Penang.

See you next week with more Penang in Pictures!