A Vegan’s Guide to Penang

From wellbeing.com.au

By Catherine Lawson

Here in Penang, locals have a reputation for talking endlessly about food, planning their days around what to eat and where. So when our taxi driver discovers that our bellies are still empty at 1pm in Penang, he takes it upon himself to set things right.

Guiding us on a gastronomic side trip, he detours to the best street stalls, cafes and eateries en route to Georgetown, slowing down to point out another place worth eating at, with instructions on when to arrive and what to order.

That he’s dealing with a car full of non-meat eaters doesn’t faze him at all, because we have happily arrived in a vegan wonderland. Thanks to its rich Chinese Mahayana Buddhist heritage, this eccentric island panders lovingly to vegan taste buds with a faux-meat cuisine that turns the tables and hands vegans the whole menu.

Often called temple food or su zhai, this compassionate, plant-based cuisine is normalised in Penang — a way of eating that was originally designed for sixth-century monks and has since spilled out into the streets.

That it flourishes in Penang is no surprise. This island state, with a long heritage that incongruously includes eras of British settlement and Chinese opium trading, is one of the most tolerant places in Malaysia. In an otherwise multicultural country, Penang’s Chinese heritage is everywhere — from the streetside bars where beers are served by white-singlet-wearing old Chinese guys, to the glittering Buddhist-Tao temples.

Our taxi drops us kerbside at Kuan Yin Teng, the Temple of the Goddess of Mercy, all aglow with candles and swathed in incense smoke. “Pray first, then eat,” our driver laughs, “but don’t linger too long or the steamed buns will run out.”

We slip off our sandals and tread across the cool, tiled floor, lighting our just-bought pink lotus candle in honour of the goddess who dwells in temples right across the island.

The goddess of mercy

Kuan Yin is Penang’s most revered Buddhist deity, and she doesn’t just dole out mercy; she’s known for bestowing peace, good fortune and fertility, too. There are other, far more flamboyant dedications to the goddess elsewhere in Penang — in fact, the island’s most prominent hill is crowned with an astonishing 36m-high statue of Kuan Yin.

Yet none is as old or as peaceful as Kuan Yin’s busy little Georgetown temple, where locals come to wave smoking joss sticks and send their wishes skyward. Past the rows of candle sellers at the entrance, beyond the sand-filled censers into which worshippers plunge their lit joss sticks, we discover a beautiful breezy alcove that recounts the temple’s full history in English and a peaceful little back garden fragrant with flowers.

It becomes a favourite ritual for us in Georgetown to light joss sticks and a candle and sit with the calmness that Kuan Yin instils. Then we stroll on to fill our plates with all-vegan delicacies at Ee Beng Vegetarian Food.

Ee Beng vegetarian

Mirroring Kuan Yin Temple’s authenticity, there’s nothing fancy about Ee Beng — a self-serve vegan cafe designed to fill bellies with healthful, delicious, good-karma food.

We grab a plate, add a scoop of wild rice and begin to top it with spoonfuls of an astonishing choice of just-cooked dishes. There are rich, spicy curries and all kinds of stir-fried vegetables, plus mock-meat turned into every Chinese and Malay specialty you could ever imagine.

We choose salt-and-pepper tofu, peanut satay sticks, mock duck, vegan “prawn” chow mein and minced mushroom mapo tofu. We munch on corn fritters, spring rolls and steamed buns stuffed with mock-barbecued pork — so many choices that, despite our repeat visits, we never get even close to working through all the possibilities.

Thanks to those sixth-century monks who wholeheartedly embraced a meat-free diet, Penang’s take on vegan cuisine offers complex, surprising flavours. With soy and wheat gluten taking on elaborate, mock-meat forms, we discover crispy-skin mock-fish that has both the texture of flaky fish and the appearance of fish scales, and local Nyonya Malay curry rendang, Chinese barbecued mock-pork and vegan Mongolian lamb that all mimic their meaty counterparts.

The mushroom-rich dishes usually avoid the five pungent spices said to disturb the mind — garlic, onions, shallots, leeks and chives. And all these dishes that wow us big time are found in simple cafes clustered around temple sites, fluttering their distinctive yellow-and-red-silk flags.

Eating well in Penang, it seems, has nothing to do with fine dining. In backstreet markets full of street carts we order noodles straight out of the wok and devour them on the kerb, perched on tiny stools. We sit elbow-to-elbow with locals slurping breakfast noodles at pop-up bus stop cafes, and sip our rich Malay coffees from wooden crates, watching the world drift by.

Penang famous samosa

Last year, when I was living close by, I had to visit Penang on business for just one day. To please the family foodies, I flew back home nursing a huge box full of Penang Famous Samosas. This unpretentious hawker stall that sports a single menu of deep-fried treats and Indian sweets sells the best vegetarian samosas I’ve ever tasted — at around 30 cents each.

There are no seats and no drinks on offer, just big trays of freshly prepared snacks. And while there are other deliciously deep-fried vegan treats on the menu — pakodas (shredded vegetable fritters), batter-dipped onion bhajis and spicy lentil donuts called vadai — it’s for the samosas that this stall earns its Michelin Guide mention.

The best way to explore Georgetown is with a bag of samosas in hand, munching your way down bustling back alleys and meandering from one historic site to the next. There are highlights for sure; Penang’s Chinese clan jetties, houses and the floating Hean Boo Thean Kuan Yin Temple are still inhabited by families who eat, pray and live on, and over, the sea.

Clan architecture

With its huge doors and ornate ridged rooftop, the Han Jiang Ancestral Temple is one of the most striking of all Penang’s Chinese clan temples. Built by early Chinese immigrants to support newcomers arriving in Penang from their Chinese homelands, it harbours a secret and peaceful courtyard, richly decorated frescos and inner shrines dedicated to the Taoist God of the North, a patron deity of Penang’s Teochew clans.

Penang’s clans are responsible for constructing and conserving much of the architecture that earned Georgetown its World Heritage status, including the clan jetties that stretch far out over the sea. Built from the mid-1800s, these offered lodging and companionship, helped fresh arrivals find work and preserved customs, culture and language dialects that might otherwise have been lost.

Here, where people live without too many airs and graces, no one seems to mind the tourists who peek through open doors or aim their phones at the grandpas sleeping, the meals being cooked al fresco or the kids clowning about and jumping wildly into the sea.

Goddess on the hill

Far from Georgetown, Kek Lok Si is a bustling, brilliant tribute to Penang’s number-one goddess. She sits atop Crane Hill — a peak that auspiciously resembles a crane with outstretched wings — crowning the most famous landmark in Penang and keeping watch over the monastery, halls and temples that make this Malaysia’s largest Buddhist temple complex.

Discovering Kek Lok Si — which aptly translates to “Temple of Supreme Bliss” — requires stamina and time. We swerve around the tacky souvenir stalls and a tightly packed tortoise pond, and climb to the Hall of Bodhisattvas with a lofty ceiling fresco so captivating that we leave with arching necks. Small donations buy us colourful silk ribbons, which we choose for the wishes they bear, hanging them in the breeze to flutter our hopes to the gods.

As we climb ever upwards, we discover great halls and blooming gardens, resplendent shrines and robed monks happily restoring it all. Finally, the goddess beckons us onwards to where her 36.5m-high bronze replica presides over Penang.

More exploring

Nestled at the foot of Kek Lok Si, Purple Stone Vegetarian and I have a history that goes back 15 years. Since that long-ago backpacking adventure, little about this simple eatery has changed and the cuisine is still as delicious as when it first blew away my tastebuds.

My 14-year-old daughter, a lifelong vegetarian, piles up a plate and digs right in, savouring a menu that’s all designed for her. It’s not a small thing to feel so included when you’re a vegan in a meat-loving world, and the vibe of this place washes over us like pure golden sunshine.

Penang’s long list of magical attractions keeps us on our feet for days: visiting a pair of gorgeous temples (Thai on one side, Burmese on the other), taking shaded forest hikes and spending a lazy Sunday afternoon of music, food and art at the Hin Bus Depot Markets.

Here we order organic Malay coffees, icy nutmeg juice and delicious vegan cakes, then traipse through the pop-up stalls selling handmade clothes, collectables and all kinds of earth-conscious original creations. In this thoroughly modern space, we return full circle having eaten our way through the centuries in Penang. And yes, we leave the island with a box full of samosas.

Escape routes

Go
Malaysian Airlines flies to Penang (via Kuala Lumpur) from Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide return. Penang is hot and humid year-round, but it rains less and temperatures are less extreme from December to February.

Stay
For accommodation in Georgetown, the lavishly restored Cheong Fatt Tze’s The Blue Mansion (of Crazy Rich Asians fame) offers luxurious double rooms (cheongfatttzemansion.com). Close to the airport and with impressive sustainability credentials, the Olive Tree Hotel suits lovers of high-rise views (olivetree.my). The Edison’s restored colonial-era deluxe rooms come with complimentary breakfast, free all-day snacks and free pre-dinner wine (theedisonhotels.com).

Eat
Ee Beng Vegetarian on Lebuh Dickens, Georgetown; Penang Famous Samosa on Queen Street, Georgetown; Yun Shan Ge Vegetarian House for five-star vegan Nyonya cuisine on Penang Street, Georgetown.

This article is featured in WellBeing Magazine 223 

https://www.wellbeing.com.au/escape/travel/a-vegans-guide-to-penang.html

 

3 Chinese-Style Vegan Recipes So Good You’ll Skip Takeout

From plantbasednews.org

Put down the takeout app and check out these restaurant-worthy recipes! 

For anyone who has stared at a takeout menu while wondering whether something healthier and more exciting could be made at home, Wil Yeung has the answer. In a Yeung Man Cooking video, the cookbook author prepares three Chinese-style vegan recipes using crisp rice noodle rolls, aromatic fried rice and meltingly tender eggplant.

Born in Hong Kong and based in Ontario, Canada, Yeung is the creator and host of the plant-based YouTube cooking show Yeung Man Cooking. His background stretches well beyond food: He studied music and education, trained as a violinist, and has worked as a photographer, filmmaker, and entrepreneur. He has also published four cookbooks, and the dishes featured in the video come from his collection of recipes.

Throughout the episode, Yeung shows that restaurant-worthy food does not require overcomplicated techniques. Instead, it depends on preparing ingredients carefully, giving them time to brown, and layering flavours with aromatics, chili oil, and fermented sauces.

Pan-fried cheung fun with smoked tofu

In this pan-fried cheung fun, the rice noodle rolls cook until they have absorbed most of the savoury soy-based sauce - Media Credit: YouTube / Yeung Man Cooking

Yeung begins by patting approximately 75 grams of smoked tofu dry before slicing it widthwise. Smoked tofu has a firm texture and an already-developed savoury flavour, making it particularly well suited to quick pan-frying.

He cuts garlic chives into pieces roughly the same size as the tofu, noting that green onions can be used instead. He also chops 50 grams of broccolini into bite-sized pieces.

The foundation of the dish is fresh cheung fun, or rice noodle rolls, which can often be found at Asian grocery stores. Yeung cuts the rolls into pieces about two inches long before gently separating them into smaller bites.

Temperature matters here. Cheung fun taken directly from the refrigerator can be stiff and difficult to separate without tearing. Yeung recommends microwaving the noodles for about 30 seconds or leaving them at room temperature for a few hours before handling them. This softens the rolls and helps them fry more evenly.

The sauce combines one and a half tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of dark soy sauce, and one tablespoon of plant-based oyster sauce. Vegan oyster sauces are generally made with mushrooms, often shiitakes, which provide an earthy umami flavour.

Yeung grates a small piece of garlic, then adds toasted sesame oil. This is followed by a quarter teaspoon of cayenne pepper and a couple of tablespoons of water. He stirs the sauce and sets it aside.

In a non-stick pan over medium heat, he adds one teaspoon of avocado oil, followed by the smoked tofu and broccolini. The ingredients sauté for several minutes until they begin to brown.

“Be patient and allow the veggies to get a little bit of colour,” Yeung says.

Once browned, the tofu and broccolini are removed. Yeung adds one tablespoon of smoky chili oil to the pan, followed by the cheung fun. He allows the noodles to sear undisturbed for several minutes, tosses them, and lets the other sides develop colour.

“Be patient with this, as this is what creates that iconic seared look and flavour,” he says.

Garlic chives and approximately 75 grams of bean sprouts are added near the end so they retain some freshness and crunch. The tofu and broccolini return to the pan, followed by the prepared sauce.

Everything cooks for about a minute, until the noodles have absorbed most of the liquid. Yeung plates the cheung fun and sprinkles white sesame seeds on top. The dish makes roughly one to two portions and combines crisp edges with soft, chewy centres.

Smoky chili oil fried rice

For the second dish, Yeung focuses on one of the most important rules of fried rice: The grains should be relatively dry before entering the pan.

Although leftover rice refrigerated overnight is the traditional choice, Yeung demonstrates how to prepare rice for frying on the same day. He rinses 1 cup of jasmine rice two or three times to remove excess starch. Then he combines it with one cup of water.

The saucepan is placed over medium-high heat. Once the water begins to bubble, he stirs the rice, lowers the heat to medium-low, and covers the pot. The rice cooks for 15 minutes. Yeung then turns off the heat and leaves it covered for another 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, he finely chops three or four garlic cloves. He also chops three or four green onion stalks. These serve as both an aromatic and the main vegetable in the dish.

Seeds are removed from approximately four dried chili peppers before the peppers are roughly chopped. Removing the seeds reduces some of their heat while preserving their smoky flavour.

When the rice has finished steaming, Yeung fluffs it and transfers it to a large mixing bowl. Using a rice paddle, he spreads the rice into a thin layer around the bowl. This releases steam, draws out moisture, and helps the grains cool quickly.

The rice rests for at least 25 to 30 minutes. Skipping this step could produce soft or clumpy fried rice, while properly cooled grains remain distinct in the pan.

Yeung warms a non-stick pan over medium-low heat and adds two to three tablespoons of chili oil. The green onions, garlic and dried chilies cook for one to two minutes, releasing their aroma without burning.

He raises the heat to medium and adds the rice. This is followed by one and a half tablespoons of soy sauce and approximately one teaspoon of dark soy sauce. The mixture fries for four to five minutes, allowing the grains to absorb the seasonings while becoming slightly drier and more separated.

The finished rice can be spooned directly onto a plate, but Yeung packs it into a tall bowl and flips it onto a serving plate for a restaurant-style presentation. A final drizzle of chili oil adds extra heat and gloss.

It is one of the simplest Chinese-style vegan recipes in the video. However, the combination of garlic, green onions, chilies, and smoky oil produces layers of flavour from a relatively short ingredient list.

Eggplant and tofu in chili garlic sauce

Crumbled extra-firm tofu is pan-fried until lightly crisp before being seasoned with dark soy sauce and added to the chili garlic sauce with eggplant    YouTube / Yeung Man Cooking

The final dish pairs tender Asian eggplant with crumbled tofu in a rich chili garlic sauce, served alongside steamed jasmine rice.

Yeung starts the rice first, using the same basic method: one cup of rinsed jasmine rice, 1 cup of water, 15 minutes over medium-low heat and another 10 minutes resting with the heat turned off.

For the sauce, he finely chops four garlic cloves, a medium piece of ginger and one deseeded long red chili. The long chili is relatively mild, though Yeung says red Thai chilies can be substituted for more heat.

Approximately 175 grams of extra-firm tofu is patted dry and crumbled by hand. The uneven pieces give the sauce texture and body.

Yeung removes the stems from two Asian eggplants, cuts them lengthwise into quarters and chops each long section into thirds. Larger Italian eggplants can also be used if cut into similarly shaped pieces.

A non-stick pan is warmed over medium heat with 1 tablespoon of chili oil. Yeung sautés the crumbled tofu for three to four minutes. This allows moisture to evaporate and the edges to become slightly crisp. He adds two teaspoons of dark soy sauce. This seasons the tofu and gives it a caramel colour, then sets it aside.

Another tablespoon of chili oil goes into the pan. The eggplant is arranged so each piece touches the hot surface. It sears for one to two minutes, is tossed, and then browned on another side before being removed.

In a sauté pan, Yeung heats 1 teaspoon of avocado oil and cooks the garlic, ginger, and red chili for two to three minutes. He adds the tofu and 1 tablespoon of plant-based oyster sauce. Then he mixes in one tablespoon of soy sauce and 1 tablespoon of doubanjiang, a fermented chili bean paste that supplies heat, saltiness, and deep umami.

Two cups of vegetable stock are poured in, followed by the eggplant. Yeung brings the mixture to a boil, lowers the heat to medium and covers it for about five minutes.

Meanwhile, he combines two teaspoons of potato starch or cornstarch with water to form a slurry. Once the eggplant is tender, the slurry is stirred into the pan, thickening the liquid into a glossy sauce that clings to each piece.

Yeung serves the eggplant and tofu with fluffy white rice and fresh cilantro.

“There is a reason why this is a childhood favourite,” he says.

The eggplant becomes soft and almost creamy inside, while the crumbled tofu gives the sauce substance. Garlic, ginger, chili and fermented bean paste create a bold, savoury dish that looks equally at home on a weeknight table or a restaurant menu.

Together, the three recipes show how small details such as warming chilled noodles, drying freshly cooked rice, and browning eggplant before simmering it, deliciously transform common ingredients. Yeung’s approach makes staying in feel far more appealing than opening another takeout app.

For more restaurant-quality plant-based recipes from around the world, check out Wil Yeung’s YouTube channel.

https://plantbasednews.org/lifestyle/food/chinese-style-vegan-recipes/

Oreo Launches Limited-Edition Flavour With K-Pop Superstars BTS

From plantbasednews.org

The new flavour is inspired by hotteok, Korean pancakes filled with melted brown sugar 

Oreo has launched a limited-edition flavour in collaboration with the K-pop band BTS.

The new flavour is the second “accidentally vegan”* offering from the cookie brand in recent months, after the launch of Oreo Firecracker Pop flavour in May.

The Oreo x BTS cookies are Brown Sugar Pancake flavour, which is inspired by hotteok, a classic Korean street food pancake filled with melted brown sugar.

They feature a double layer of Brown Sugar Pancake-flavoured cream, sandwiched between two purple wafer biscuits, a first for the brand. According to Good Housekeeping, the new
cookies are “possibly” the “best flavour so far” from Oreo.

In similar fashion to last year’s Oreo x Selena Gomez collaboration, each BTS Oreo features one of 13 “unique embossments” chosen by the band as a tribute to their fans. Fans can even combine certain cookies to form a longer message from BTS.

                           In an Oreo first, the new BTS cookies feature purple wafer biscuits - Media Credit: Plant Based News

Are the new Oreo x BTS cookies suitable for vegans?

As with select other flavours, the Oreo x BTS cookies are not labelled as vegan-friendly, but do appear to be free from animal-derived ingredients.

In January, Mondelēz International, the major confectionery company behind Oreo, officially ended all animal testing. The announcement came a year after animal rights organization PETA purchased stock in Mondelēz in order to question executives directly about the company’s animal testing policy at shareholder meetings.

The limited-edition Oreo x BTS Brown Sugar Pancake cookies are available in the UK at Tesco for £1.50 and at Asda for 85p ahead of a nationwide rollout.

*Editor’s note: Always make sure to check the ingredients yourself before purchase. Cross-contamination risk means that most accidentally vegan products are still unsuitable for those with allergies.

Oreo launches ‘Firecracker Pop’ Flavour Cookies

Earlier this year, Oreo introduced Firecracker Pop flavour cookies, which also appear to be free from animal-derived ingredients           Plant Based News

The BTS cookies aren’t the only limited edition Oreos to arrive on supermarket shelves in recent months. Earlier this year, the brand introduced its new Oreo Firecracker Pop flavour, inspired by the iconic red, white, and blue iced lolly.

The Firecracker Pop Oreos combine golden cookies with blue raspberry, lemon, and cherry-flavoured cream. They are available for a limited time while stocks last.

In a statement, Oreo wrote, “Get ready for a blast of summertime nostalgia and a burst of flavour!”

https://plantbasednews.org/lifestyle/food/oreo-launches-flavor-k-pop-bts/

Low-fat vegan diet helps people lose weight without eating less

From sciencedaily.com

A low-fat vegan diet may help people lose weight without counting calories, shrinking portions, or feeling constantly hungry. In a 16-week clinical trial, people eating mostly fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes consumed about 357 fewer calories per day even though the total amount of food they ate barely changed. 

A low-fat vegan diet can reduce the energy density of the foods people eat by about 30%, helping them consume fewer calories while still eating satisfying amounts of food. The approach was also associated with weight loss, even though participants were not instructed to restrict calories, according to new research published in JAMA Network Open.

In a randomized clinical trial involving adults with overweight, participants who followed an ad libitum low-fat vegan diet substantially reduced the number of calories per gram of food they consumed. Researchers found that greater reductions in energy density were tied to lower calorie intake and greater weight loss, despite the absence of any instructions to eat less.

"This helps answer a question people often have about plant-based eating: How can you lose weight without counting calories or going hungry?" said Hana Kahleova, MD, PhD, director of clinical research at the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and lead author. "The answer is energy density. Plant foods are rich in water and fibre, so you can fill your plate, feel full, and still take in fewer calories."

A low-fat vegan diet helped people eat just as much food while taking in fewer calories and losing weight—without counting calories or shrinking portions. Credit: Shutterstock

How the Low-Fat Vegan Diet Was Tested

The findings come from an analysis of a 16-week randomized trial involving adults with overweight. Participants were assigned either to an ad libitum low-fat vegan diet centred on fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes, or to a control group that continued eating as usual without making any dietary changes.

Neither group was given a calorie target or told to limit how much they ate. Researchers measured each participant's dietary energy density by comparing total daily energy intake with the total weight of food consumed, expressed as total energy (kcal per day) divided by total food weight (grams per day).

The study produced several notable findings:

• The total weight of food consumed did not change significantly in either group, meaning those following the vegan diet continued eating about the same amount of food by weight.
• Calorie intake declined in both groups, but the decrease was larger among those following the vegan diet, at about 357 kcal/day.
• Energy density remained essentially unchanged in the control group but fell by about 30% in the vegan group.
• Larger reductions in energy density were associated with greater weight loss, and that relationship remained even after researchers accounted for changes in calorie intake.

Same Amount of Food, Fewer Calories

The difference came largely from changes in the types of foods participants were eating. The vegan diet removed calorie-dense animal foods including meat, dairy, and eggs while increasing consumption of foods that provide more volume for relatively few calories, particularly vegetables and legumes.

Because these plant foods generally contain fewer calories per gram, participants could continue eating generous portions while taking in less energy overall.

"This isn't about willpower or smaller portions," Dr. Kahleova said. "It's about choosing foods that naturally deliver fewer calories in every bite. A 30% reduction in energy density is a substantial shift that would be very hard to achieve and sustain through portion control alone."

Why Energy Density Can Affect Weight Loss

Energy density refers to the number of calories contained in each gram of food. Scientists have studied it for years because it can influence how much people eat and how satisfied they feel after a meal.

Controlled feeding studies have shown that reducing the energy density of meals can help people feel full while lowering the amount of energy they consume. Importantly, the physical volume of food can remain similar even when the calorie content drops.

"When the foods you eat are lower in energy density, your body's natural appetite signals work in your favour," Dr. Kahleova said. "You eat until you're satisfied, and you simply end up with fewer calories. That's a sustainable way to manage weight."

A Different Approach to Weight Management

Weight-loss advice often emphasizes calorie restriction and smaller portions. These findings point to another possible strategy: changing the composition of the food on the plate rather than simply reducing the amount of food eaten.

Choosing more water-rich, high-fibre plant foods may help people lower their calorie intake while still eating enough to feel satisfied. That could make weight management easier for some people by reducing the sense of deprivation that can come with traditional calorie-cutting approaches.

"From a clinical standpoint, targeting energy density offers a realistic strategy for weight loss," Dr. Kahleova said. "Instead of telling people to eat less, we can help them eat differently -- and the results follow."

The Bottom Line

The findings suggest that a low-fat vegan diet can substantially reduce dietary energy density, allowing people to consume fewer calories and lose weight without intentionally restricting their calorie intake.

"You don't have to eat less," Dr. Kahleova said. "You can eat more food, feel full, and still lose weight -- by choosing foods that are naturally lower in energy density."

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/08/260815064825.htm