WMTV: PENANG UNLOCKED
TWO CHEFS. ONE MISSION.
Join Chef Will Meyrick and Chef Maxie Millian as they explore the rich street food culture of Penang, Malaysia. From sizzling hawker stalls at Gurney Drive to hidden Peranakan family recipes nearly lost to time, this culinary journey uncovers the true heart of Malaysian heritage cuisine. Discover iconic Penang dishes, wok-tossed noodles, spicy curries, and stories from local food legends. What began as a taste adventure sparked one big question: what if we cooked together?
EPISODE 1: Toh Soon Cafe
On their first day exploring Penang, Chef Will Meyrick and Chef Maxie Millian head straight to the heart: Toh Soon Kopitiam.
Charcoal-toasted bread, kopi pulled exactly like how it used to be, and a place that’s been feeding generations of young and old; this is where the journey begins.
Old streets, robust flavours, and stories still sizzling.
Welcome to Day One.
Charcoal-toasted bread, kopi pulled exactly like how it used to be, and a place that’s been feeding generations of young and old; this is where the journey begins.
Old streets, robust flavours, and stories still sizzling.
Welcome to Day One.
EPISODE 2: Bibik’s Kitchen
In this episode, Chef Maxie Millian is introduced, for the very first time, to the soulful layers of Peranakan cuisine at Bibik’s Kitchen, a MICHELIN Bib Gourmand spot helmed by the remarkable Girlie Chua.
With every bite and story shared, the kitchen becomes more than just a restaurant and transformed into a living archive.
For Maxie, this experience is a gateway into a culture he’s never cooked, but immediately connects with.
With every bite and story shared, the kitchen becomes more than just a restaurant and transformed into a living archive.
For Maxie, this experience is a gateway into a culture he’s never cooked, but immediately connects with.
EPISODE 3: Nasi Kandar Imigresen
Sometimes, the best stories are served soaked. In this episode, Maxie Millian and Will Meyrick sit down for a full-blown nasi banjir feast, where everything from fried chicken, squid to okra shares one plate and gets drenched in a mix of curries that’s part art, part instinct.
Will dives into the history of Nasi Kandar, tracing its roots back to Tamil Muslim traders and old Penang ports, while Maxie responds the only way a chef can; by tasting, asking, and remembering.
Will dives into the history of Nasi Kandar, tracing its roots back to Tamil Muslim traders and old Penang ports, while Maxie responds the only way a chef can; by tasting, asking, and remembering.
EPISODE 4: Gurney Drive Hawker Centre
Chefs Will Meyrick and Maxie Millian arrive at Gurney Drive Hawker Centre, a place Will once called one of the best street food strips in Penang.
They move from stall to stall, chasing old cravings from pasembur, rojak with squid and arrays of satay.
But as they dig in, something feels different. The place is still busy. The atmosphere is still buzzing.
But not everything hits the way it used to.
They move from stall to stall, chasing old cravings from pasembur, rojak with squid and arrays of satay.
But as they dig in, something feels different. The place is still busy. The atmosphere is still buzzing.
But not everything hits the way it used to.
EPISODE 5: Hot Bowl Curry Mee
On a recommendation from Penang local Girlie Chua, Will Meyrick and Maxie Millian head to Hot Bowl White Curry Mee, a small, unassuming shop with over 30 years of history, now listed in the MICHELIN Bib Gourmand.
They try the signature white curry noodles, a rich coconut-milk broth with cockles, squid, and chilli paste on the side. A bowl with a unique combination, rich, and full of surprise.
They also sample the shop’s hidden gems: the silky deboned steamed chicken, spiced loh bak, and Teochew guang jiang.
This place hits the spot and quickly becomes their new found favourite.
They try the signature white curry noodles, a rich coconut-milk broth with cockles, squid, and chilli paste on the side. A bowl with a unique combination, rich, and full of surprise.
They also sample the shop’s hidden gems: the silky deboned steamed chicken, spiced loh bak, and Teochew guang jiang.
This place hits the spot and quickly becomes their new found favourite.
EPISODE 6: Green House Prawn Mee
In this episode, Maxie and Will visit Green House, a place where the system is as unique as the broth. You order in one spot, then wait for your bowl to be delivered somewhere else entirely.
It’s slightly chaotic, deeply local and totally worth it.
With a broth that clings to memory and prawns that pack a punch, this stop reminds them that in Penang, food isn’t just served. It finds you.
It’s slightly chaotic, deeply local and totally worth it.
With a broth that clings to memory and prawns that pack a punch, this stop reminds them that in Penang, food isn’t just served. It finds you.
EPISODE 7: Line Clear Nasi Kandar
Line Clear Nasi Kandar is more than a local legend, it’s one of Will Meyrick’s all-time favourites in Penang.
In this episode, he returns with Maxie to relive the magic: rice piled high, drenched in a medley of curries, with signature dishes like fried chicken, beef rendang, and squid sambal.
As they dig in, the two chefs find echoes of home, discussing the shared spice, technique, and soul between Malaysian and Indonesian cooking.
It’s loud, messy, and absolutely beautiful. This is nasi banjir at its finest.
In this episode, he returns with Maxie to relive the magic: rice piled high, drenched in a medley of curries, with signature dishes like fried chicken, beef rendang, and squid sambal.
As they dig in, the two chefs find echoes of home, discussing the shared spice, technique, and soul between Malaysian and Indonesian cooking.
It’s loud, messy, and absolutely beautiful. This is nasi banjir at its finest.
EPISODE 8: Koay Teow Soup Cintra Street
On a whim, Maxie and Will swing by Koay Teow Soup on Cintra Street, a humble alley stall serving kuey teow th’ng for nearly 30 years, passed down to the second generation, and beloved by early-rising locals. What starts as a casual stop becomes a lesson in simplicity: a delicate yet deeply flavorful chicken broth, simmered using old hen for punch and personality. Sipping beside busy mornings on Cintra Lane, they reflect on how this Teochew classic can also be found in the Chinese community in Jakarta, stripped back, soulful, and always rooted in connection.
For both chefs, this unplanned breakfast lingers far longer than expected.
For both chefs, this unplanned breakfast lingers far longer than expected.
EPISODE 9: Teksen Restaurant
In this episode, Will takes Maxie to one of his all-time Penang favourites, Teksen Restaurant.
Tucked in a busy lane and packed since the ’60s, Teksen is a local institution known for bold wok flavours, mixing the recipes from traditional Chinese to Peranakan, and its iconic double-roasted pork with chili padi.
In Teksen, Maxie gets a taste of Penang’s zi char soul, where every dish feels familiar, yet distinctly its own.
For Will, it’s a long-awaited return. For Maxie, it’s love at first bite.
Tucked in a busy lane and packed since the ’60s, Teksen is a local institution known for bold wok flavours, mixing the recipes from traditional Chinese to Peranakan, and its iconic double-roasted pork with chili padi.
In Teksen, Maxie gets a taste of Penang’s zi char soul, where every dish feels familiar, yet distinctly its own.
For Will, it’s a long-awaited return. For Maxie, it’s love at first bite.