Backdoor Bodega

How to Eat Your Way Through Penang, Malaysia—Asia's Most Exciting Food Destination | Condé Nast Traveler

"Hidden behind a streetwear shop called the Swagger Salon, this snug, eminently likable speakeasy began as an “overpriced pin shop” where buying a lapel pin got you a free drink; in 2022 it cracked Asia’s 50 Best and launched Cocktail Week, drawing 80-plus guest bartenders to galvanize Penang’s bar scene. The red, hardbound menu reads like a portal to local flavors—rasa sasam (whiskey, tamarind, jaggery), a rojak-inspired sipper, and the R.B.S. (tequila, tomato vinegar, chicken stock, Worcestershire, clarified milk) that arrived for me in a red sandwich wrapper, potent and pungent with a freshly scorched slice of white cheese. The vibe slides from cool and low-key—’90s hip-hop, quiet chatter, a Chinese blackjack game—to raucous when bartender Thanesh’s mid-trick theatrics cue clapping and shots; there’s truly no town like George Town here." - Arati Menon