Sunday Street Market At Upper Penang Road

I came across the Sunday street market at Upper Penang Road by chance recently and it was certainly an eye opener...at least for me. Little did I know that there is actually a street market in our own backyard. Since its inception back in July 2006, the market has grown from strength to strength and is no surprise that the Upper Penang Road is transformed into a potpurri of activities every last Sunday of the month. Come that Sunday and you will find yourself immerse in a cultural and food extravaganza showcasing Penang's culture, creativity and last but not least, our passion for food.

The Upper Penang Road street market consists of several themes. There are sections for arts and craft, a gallery for displaying the works of emerging local artists, book reading area for budding writers to meet and exchange insights as well as showcase their talents, an exhibition area for the use of local NGOs, schools and institutes to highlight their work, a community works tent which promotes community based craft, an eco-friendly area that promotes eco-friendly products and finally, an area called the Space to showcase Penang's performing arts.

Being a ardent foodie, what really caught my attention was the section for food. It encompasses a wide selection ranging from healthy living like homemade bread to pastries, pies, cakes, local delights and finally desserts. The signage below caught my attention but I didn't manage to catch any glimpse of the elusive one. I take it that it big since it cost RM 9.

Some Hokkien dishes.

Freshly bake bread and pastries. Hmm. I wonder if they taste as good as those with preservatives.

Cinnamon bread..this I like. Cream caramel. Oh...me like this too.

Wow. I was standing at this spot for a while and I notice this lady bought a lot of stuff from this stall. The next time I came here again I probably need to check out her stall.

Some local desserts and delights. I'm afraid looks like no takers.



The wood craft section which showcases locally made handicraft made from wood. Check out the wooden toast tong on the left.



A remarkable collection of old postcards.

The Space. I managed to catch the performing arts team in action to celebrate Penang's recognition by Unesco as a world heritage site.

The crowd started to pick up only after 11 am.

If you would like to know more about the activities each month for Upper Penang Road, do visit Little Penang Street Market. Alternatively, you may call 016-4883632 or email littlepenang@gmail.com for more information. The opening time is 10 am to 5 pm every last Sunday on the month.

Improvised Green Chicken Curry (Recipes)

Ever thought of making your own green curry? That thought came across my mind many times and I did actually put them into motion. Nonetheless I failed miserably because I just couldn't get the spices right. This whole idea of exploring with different spices, sauces and ingredients which sounded wonderful at that time spelt trouble in the kitchen. It was also hard work mind you; with the grinding, pestling of lemon grass, chillies, coriander etc. Finally, I decided instead of taking the road travelled by the few; instead of reinventing the wheel; why not try out some of the spices off the shelves? Why not end the misery now and move on? I did just that without any hesitation!

The game plan is dead simple. All you need is to go to your nearest hypermarket and purchase the green curry spices from One Fine Spice. I chose them because they marketed themselves as using natural ingredients and without any mono sodium glutamate or preservatives. Additionally,I bought some chicken and brinjal or egg plant to make the curry as authentic as possible but hey, it's parts like these where you need to improvise. If you feel like beef or lamb works for you, feel free to change. And may I remind you too that it doesn't take a rocket scientist to cook this especially you do not have to deal with the spices any more. Just add in the spices into a cooking pot and pour in some water and coconut milk to help thicken the gravy. Let it simmer away for 10 minutes and add in the brinjal and meat. Continue to stir for another 10 minutes and you are all set.

I finally triumph over my nemesis! It feels great!

Finally, a piece of advice. If you do have any intention of making your own green curry from scratch, think more than twice before you set out for the kitchen. The pay off may not reflect the amount of work invested and the results may not be desirable. Sometimes.... just sometimes, it does pay to stick to the path travelled most.