It was Day Eight of the Chinese Lunar New Year, and also the day for the annual Miao Hui whence all the Chinese clan associations and temples threw open their doors to the public, and a huge extravaganza of cultural performances and displays were organized for the evening.
George Town’s old Chinatown district is located cheek-by-jowl with Little India, so the borderlines between the two blurred as the two old communities had lived together for more than two centuries.
Cultural displays and performances a-plenty - we only managed to scrape the tip of the iceberg, as there were too many things happening simultaneously, spread across more than 10 city blocks.
The Chinese restaurants there were all absolutely jam-packed, so we opted for a quick dinner at Chettiar’s Tiffin Cafe, which offers food from Karaikudi, India.
- Chicken biryani - absolutely delish version here. We’ve been overlooking this place as it was wedged between two Michelin-listed Little India mainstays, including the well-established Woodlands just across the street from it.
- Dosa - these were, again, absolutely top-notch. The accompanying coconut chutneys were ultra-spicy, though! But then, Chettinad cuisine does have the reputation of being the spiciest in Tamil Nadu, if not India itself.
We felt sorry having to rush through our meal, as we wanted to re-join the on-going festivities in the streets outside. I just need to come back here again to do more justice to its food offerings.
Address
Chettiar’s Tiffin Cafe
39, Lebuh Penang (Penang Street), 10200 George Town, Penang, Malaysia
Tel: +604-262 2443
Opening hours: 8.30am to 10pmh
