ON A RECENT trip to George Town, I took a break after an afternoon of wandering the narrow streets to sit down in a coffee shop when I stumbled on an issue of Penang Monthly. An article by Carolyn Khor caught my eye and I felt compelled to react to it. The title is what drew me in—“Who Gets to Cook Penang’s Iconic Dishes”. Since I am a chef and restaurant owner in Montréal, Québec, Canada who specialises in cooking these dishes, I felt I could definitely relate to the article’s point of view. I was surprised to read about a call to regulate who would be allowed to re-create these hawker favourites. I would have to say that I agree with Ms. Khor’s point of view, and would be willing to say that imposing restrictions on who is allowed to cook them could set a dangerous precedent, and even be counter-productive to the preservation of these treasured specialties.
Let me give you a bit of background and context to my situation and point of view.
