Pasteboard, Luby Sparks, Weave

He could just be going for umrah (pilgrimage to Medina).

American living in Malaysia here - most of the Penang specific food is covered here already, with char kuey teow and assam laksa being my favorites. Nasi kandar (a type of mixed rice) is also well worth trying. Ask for "kuah campur" and they'll mix all the curries together for you. Server-wise Singapore will be more stable than Hong Kong and with lower ping.