What and Where to Eat in Penang: Best Hawker Food in Malaysia’s culinary capital

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What and where to eat in Penang, Malaysia

1. Char Kway Teow

Char Kway Teow is a popular stir-fried noodle dish made with flat rice noodles. It is complemented with prawns, cockles, Chinese sausage, bean sprouts, and egg. Everything is stir-fried in the wok with a flavorful soy sauce and chili paste. The dish is known for its smoky aroma from the char of the wok, making it a must-try for food enthusiasts. Therefore, Char Kuay Teow is definitely one of the best hawker dishes to try in Penang.

→ Where to eat in Penang: Best Char Kway Teow in Penang, Malaysia

2. Wonton Mee

Wonton Mee consist of egg noodles served in a flavorful broth. It has a soup or dry version with the broth on the side. It is served with wontons, which are small dumplings filled with minced pork or shrimp. The dish is often garnished with slices of roast pork and leafy vegetables, creating a delightful combination of textures and flavors. Wonton Mee is one of my all time favourite comfort foods. As such, I tried them all over Penang!

→ Where to eat in Penang: Best Wonton Mee in Penang, Malaysia

3. Assam Laksa

Assam Laksa is a tangy and spicy noodle soup dish that features a flavorful fish-based broth, tamarind, lemongrass, and chili, giving it a distinctive sour taste. The dish is usually served with rice vermicelli noodles, shredded mackerel or other fish, sliced cucumber, onions, mint, and a generous dollop of thick shrimp paste (heh ko) for added richness.

→ Where to eat in Penang: Best Laksa in Penang, Malaysia

4. Curry Mee

Curry Mee is a spicy and creamy noodle soup dish that typically includes a coconut milk-based curry broth, rice vermicelli noodles, and/or yellow egg noodles. The dish is often served with a variety of toppings such as prawns, cockles, tofu puffs, cuttlefish, and mint leaves, creating a delightful medley of flavors and textures.

→ Where to eat in Penang: Best Curry Mee in Penang, Malaysia

5. Duck Koay Chap

Duck Koay Chap is a savory and hearty noodle dish originating from the Hokkien Chinese community in Penang. It features flat rice noodles (koay chap) served in a flavorful broth, accompanied by tender slices of braised duck meat, duck innards, and other condiments such as hard-boiled eggs and bean curd. The dish is often garnished with chopped garlic, fresh coriander, and a sprinkle of white pepper.

→ Where to eat in Penang: Best Koay Chap in Penang, Malaysia

6. Char Koay Kak

Char Koay Kak, also known as Fried Radish Cake, is a popular Penang street food made from cubes of steamed rice cake stir-fried with eggs, preserved radish (chai poh), bean sprouts, and sometimes Chinese sausage or shrimp. In Singapore it is known as carrot cake. The dish is seasoned with soy sauce and dark soy sauce, giving it a savory and slightly sweet flavor profile.

→ Where to eat in Penang: Best Char Koay Kak in Penang, Malaysia

7. Koay Teow Th’ng

Koay Teow Th’ng is a popular Penang noodle soup dish consisting of flat rice noodles (koay teow) served in a clear, flavorful broth. The soup often comes with slices of poached chicken or pork, fish balls or fish cake. It’s also sometimes topped with crispy fried shallots, green onions, and a dash of white pepper.

→ Where to eat in Penang: Best Koay Teow Th’ng in Penang, Malaysia

8. Lor Bak

Lor Bak is a popular Penang street food dish consisting of marinated pork or chicken, wrapped in bean curd skin, and deep-fried until crispy. The name “Lor Bak” is derived from the Hokkien words “lor” meaning braised, and “bak” meaning meat. The dish is often served with a dipping sauce, such as chili sauce or a combination of chili sauce and a starchy, savory gravy.

→ Where to eat in Penang: Best Lor Bak in Penang, Malaysia

9. Lok Lok

Lok Lok is a popular Penang street food and night market snack that involves skewered and cooked ingredients, which diners dip into a communal hot pot to finish cooking. The skewered items typically include various meats, seafood, vegetables, tofu, and processed food items like fish balls or sausages. After cooking the skewers in the hot pot, diners can enjoy them with a variety of dipping sauces, such as satay sauce, chili sauce, or sweet soy sauce.

→ Where to eat in Penang: Best Lok Lok in Penang, Malaysia

10. Hokkien Mee

Hokkien Mee, also known as Prawn Mee, is a popular Penang noodle dish that features a flavorful and aromatic broth made from prawn shells and heads, combined with thick yellow noodles and rice vermicelli. The dish is garnished with prawns, hard-boiled eggs, bean sprouts, water spinach, and a spoonful of spicy chili paste.

→ Where to eat in Penang: Best Hokkien Mee in Penang, Malaysia

How to Get to Penang

Despite being an island, Penang is very well connected to the rest of Malaysia and even internationally! You can access Penang by car, taxi or bus through the . Another option is to arrive by ferry, either from the nearby Butterworth, which only takes around 10 minutes, or from the island of Langkawi. The latter is a long and arduous trip, so it only happens during the dry season.

Lastly, Penang is home to its own international airport, so there are frequent flights from Malaysian cities like Kuala Lumpur, Langkawi or Ipoh, as well as some international destinations such as Bangkok and Singapore.

Where to Stay in Penang

Penang is a very well developed island and George Town is an important cultural and urban center, so there are plenty of options when it comes to accommodation. The best area to stay in Penang is definitely around the center of George Town. It is close to many of its main attractions and also well connected to other areas in the island that you may visit. If you prefer something more relaxing or you’re traveling as a family, Batu Ferringhi may cater better to your needs. If you’re in a honeymoon and are looking for more private or resort-style accommodations, then Tanjung Bungah beach is your area!

Budget

Looking for a cozy spot without breaking the bank? Chulia Mansion is your jackpot. Right at the heart of the action, this place is a steal for its central location. If you’re into that rustic charm and counting pennies, head over to The 80’s Guesthouse. Tucked away on the quieter side of Love Lane, it’s a budget-friendly quirky gem surrounded by popular restaurants and bars.

Mid-range

If you won’t sacrifice comfort but don’t want to spend all your hard earned money, Reunion Carnarvon is a solid choice. This boutique hotel offers small but comfortable and beautiful rooms very close to all of George Town’s attractions but with some privacy, and right next to some of the city’s best eateries!Another popular option is Campbell House, an old Chinese shophouse turned boutique hotel.

Muntri Grove Hotel and its sister Muntri Mews are other gems in the mid-range category. Think heritage vibes, spacious rooms, and a rooftop pool that’s perfect for lazy afternoons. If you can splurge a bit more, check out Areca Hotel Penang, offering 48 rooms accross 12 Chinese shophouses, all beautifully decorated.

Luxury

For luxury, Edison George Town is a stunner, an actual colonial mansion turned into a jaw-dropping stay. The Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, also known as the Blue Mansion Hotel, is perfect for those looking to stay in a cultural heritage building with all the luxury it entails! And then there’s Eastern & Oriental Hotel, where colonial style meets dreamy location.

For a beach vacation, head to Shangri-La’s Rasa Sayang or Lone Pine in Batu Ferringhi. Private villas, epic pools, spas to die for, and a fitness center that might just inspire you to exercise on vacation.

Closing statement

I had to stop this post about what to it in Penang at some point and 10 items seemed like a nice place to stop. However, I suggest that you continue your foodie exploration in this island where some of the best food in Malaysia is waiting for you! Have some delicious snacks such as popiah (Seafood Popiah at Medan Selera Padang Brown) or samosas (Penang Famous Samosa). Get some Indian treats in Little India, such as roti canai (Roti Canai Gemas Road), appam or apom (Ravi’s Claypot Apom Manis) or dosai (Krsna).

You’ll also find all possible versions of nasi lemak (Ali Nasi Lemak Daun Pisang), such as nasi kandar (Tajuddin Hussain), nasi dalca (Nasi Dalca Rahim, Restoran Kassim Mustafa) and nasi tomato There are plenty more dishes to try in Penang, such as the gooey hor fun, the tasty rojak (Hock Seng Rojak) or Malaysia’s most famous dessert, the cendol (Penang Road Teochew Chendol). Lastly, don’t leave the island without having some nice coffee in one of its cafés (Temu) or the delicious cakes at China House.

So, if you were wondering what to eat in Penang, you can see that there are infinite dishes to try. I hope this post made you hungry enough to continue reading the individual posts that I made for each of these dishes, laying out my favourite places to taste them in the island. In any case, make some time to just walk round the many street food areas and restaurants and order what you feel like. Chances are you’re gonna be happy about it!

If you’re visiting Penang, I suggest you read my dedicated post on things to do in Penang, as well as some of these more specific posts:

 

And if you’re traveling around Malaysia, I think these posts can be useful!

Kuala Lumpur: discovering the Malaysian capital

Melaka, Malaysia: a Journey through Cultural Heritage

Cameron Highlands, Malaysia: where wild and tamed nature meet

Langkawi, Malaysia: the adventure island

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