What do you do when you find yourself in between meals in Penang? You go for snacks, of course, and one of the better stalls to look out for is the inappropriately named Free School Road goreng pisang stall.
Why is the name ill-suited, you ask? Well, nine times out of 10 this stall won’t have deep-fried banana fritters, and the reason (or excuse) is almost always the same – that it is hard to find the right banana (pisang raja, apparently) for the frying.
The good news is, this humble business also serves a pretty good fred “nian gao” – that sweet, sticky rice cake – sandwiched between two slices of yam.
It’s pretty delicious, though possibly not the best in Penang – that honour has to go to the stall in Tanjung Bungah, even if it’s unclear if they’re still there today.
That said, what truly stands out at the Free School Road stall is its deep-fried mung beans! It’s actually double coated and double fried, resulting in a crispy and crunchy skin with a filling that’s sweet and very, very satisfying.
So, if you ever find yourself on the island and are looking for more food to fill your time between scarfing down Penang’s must-have hawker fare, head on over and check this stall out.
Who knows, you just might get lucky and be able to sink your teeth into their elusive pisang goreng!
Free School Road goreng pisang
50, Jalan Free School,
11600 Jelutong, Penang
Business hours: 11am-5pm (closed on Wednesdays)
Read the original article here. Trying to influence your cravings since 2005, Kar Yeong was Guest Judge on Versus 1001 Rasa Baba’s 2018, R.AGE Food Fight Judge 2015 and NTV7 Foodie Blogger 2014. To read more about Kar Yeong’s food journeys, visit his blog at KYspeaks.com.