George Town, Malaysia

Georgetown on Penang Island is home to roughly 710,000 residents and was founded in 1786 by Captain Francis Light of the British East India Company. Its UNESCO-listed historic core contains 6,500 surviving pre-war shophouses, the largest such collection in southeast Asia, alongside the 1810 Khoo Kongsi, considered the finest Chinese clan temple outside China. The 1905 Cheong Fatt Tze Blue Mansion holds 38 rooms and 220 windows, while the 1888 Goddess of Mercy Temple ranks as the oldest Chinese temple in Penang. Local kitchens turn out char kway teow and assam laksa, two of Malaysia's signature dishes. How those flavors spread from clanhouse kitchens to street carts is a longer story.