In a previous post I voiced my opinions about Swatow Lane and how the entire street of hawkers was moved from the street into a modern food court.

The corner where we used to enjoy hot mee goreng and ice cold ais kacang.	Swatow Lane street sign

When Swatow Lane was still a vibrant hawker street I remember ordering some of what was arguably the best Mee Goreng in Penang from Mee Sultan sitting over a drain on the street. We would also order some Popia from a stall across the intersection and finish it off with the best Aic Kacang I have ever hard. It exemplified the best of street food in Penang and the hot street combined with the fruit filled ais kacang was a perfect mix. Mee Sultan made a short attempt to keep open in the food court but couldn't afford the rent there. The Popia shop only survived a few months before it too disappeared.

In this video you can see what Swatow Lane looked like before the new food court was built:

If you visit Swatow Lane today you will find an empty street, void of life with the new self contained food court behind it. The food court is clean and new and not altogether a bad place but it's completed walled off from the surrounding streets and lacks the charm and chaos that made the original hawker street one of the most famous food tourist destinations in Penang. However, the ais kacang stall, which I would consider the anchor tenant of the food court, is still running strong.

Swatow Lane where the hawkers used to line the street.	Inside the newly built food court

The food court is called New World Park and the ais kacang is still the best in Penang. You can order different varieties of ais kacang, such as bananas only, extra beans, with milk, etc.. My favorite is the Ais Kacang Special (istimewa) which is shaved ice, red beans (kacang merah), a rose syrup, a variety of fruits, which usually include a mix of bananas, jackfruit, mango, papaya, or pretty much whatever you want, all topped off with a scoop of ice cream. This refreshing desert is like a meal and drink all in one. The proportions of fruit will fill you up and the shaved ice slowly melts into a refreshing drink at the end. So so good.

The ais kacang stall in its current location	the Ais Kacang Special

The rest of the food court also has a large variety of chinese malaysian cooking, which I haven't indulged in, but based on the local popularity is appears to be fairly top notch.

I've attempted to get ais kacang in other places in Malaysia and it just never stacks up of Swatow Lane, so before you decide aic kacang (or ABC in some places) isn't really that great, make sure you get it at New World Park near Swatow Lane in Penang.