I had the misfortune of coming to Penang right during Chinese New Year. It’s a pretty big deal here, apparently, because once it starts, the city basically shuts down for a couple of days.
It’s tough to find anywhere to eat during this time, because if there’s a restaurant you want to check out, odds are that it’s closed. It’s way, way too hot to walk around until you find one that’s open.
Malls, however, are a safe bet. So I had a wrap from a place called Liang Sandwich Bar. Thankfully, it was a bit more interesting than your standard food court fare.
Liang Sandwich Bar’s claim to fame is that they make all of their wraps with a flaky scallion pancake. They have a few different filling options, but I went with the Liang, which features chicken, lettuce, an egg, and a sweet sauce.
It wasn’t bad. The slightly smoky, thickly-sliced chicken breast wasn’t anything too mind-blowing, nor was the hoisin-esque sauce. The scallion pancake, on the other hand, was actually quite good. It was nice and crispy on the outside, very flaky, and a little bit chewy.
I hereby decree that all wraps should be made with scallion pancakes. It takes something that would otherwise be boring and mediocre and makes it surprisingly tasty.
Location: 182, Jalan Magazine, 10300 George Town, Pulau Pinang
How to find it: It’s on the bottom floor of the 1st Avenue Mall.