GEORGE TOWN, April 7 — Canadian celebrity chef Christine Cushing may not have known much about Penang before she came here but she sure does now.

The 53-year-old host of the TV series Confucius was a Foodie is shooting a new season on South-east Asia and knew Penang would be a great introduction to Malaysia.  

"We chose Penang first because for us, the whole idea was, if we want to have food, Penang is really known as a culinary centre and I think it’s a good place to have a good introduction to Malaysia,” she told Malay Mail Online.

After Penang, she—together with her crew—heads to Malacca and then Kuala Lumpur. So far, they have already been to Bangkok and after Malaysia they will continue to Singapore.

For her crash course on Penang food, Cushing had Datuk Redzuawan Ismail—more popularly known as Chef Wan—as her guide. He took her on a tour of the island and showcased two of his recipes.

"It’s just so clean without being antiseptic, you know, you feel the years of wear and the layers of culture and history so it doesn’t feel like it has been whitewashed,” she said of her first impression of Penang upon arrival.

"The street food here is beautiful, so many different nuances, you couldn’t really capture it, you couldn’t put it in a box,” she said when asked about what she thinks about Penang food.  

'Confucius was a Foodie' host Christine Cushing.

She said she learnt—through Chef Wan—what Malaysian cuisine is and how it is a blend of Indian, Chinese and Malay elements.

"So I think, as a chef, it is this opportunity to find these flavours in this really beautiful landscape that’s reflective of this same tapestry of people that is amazing,” she said.

She went to a nutmeg farm and durian orchard in Balik Pulau, the Spice Garden and also to the Chowrasta Market.

"By taking Christine to the Spice Garden, we show the culinary world of spices and herbs, so she can smell and taste and link back to my nasi ulam which we made in Chris Ong’s kitchen... a recipe of five generations,” Chef Wan said.

(Chris Ong is a noted hotelier in George Town; his properties include the iconic Seven Terraces and trendy Muntri Mews.)

Chef Wan said when Cushing’s producers contacted him about showcasing Malaysia in the Confucius was a Foodie series, he immediately thought of Penang.

"When they asked me whether I was interested to do it, I said to them, you must come to Penang and the first thing that came to my head was the wonderful Seven Terraces, you know,” he said.

* Season Two of Confucius Was a Foodie is currently showing on the National Geographic Asia channel. The show currently has 13 one-hour episodes.