Where to eat near Kek Lok Si temple in Penang, Malaysia

Kek Lok Si temple is a gorgeous and massive Buddhist temple in Air Itam in the island of Penang, Malaysia. It is definitely one of the best places to visit in the island. However, this visit won’t take half an hour! You’ll pobably spend half a day exploring all the different pagodas, halls and gardens of the temple. This means that you’ll probably need to get something to eat before or after your visit (or both!). Luckily, the temple is located next to one of Penang’s most important food makets: Air Itam market! If you’re wondering where to eat near Kek Lok Si temple this is a post for you. This post is part of a series of posts about What and Where to Eat in Penang, Malaysia.

Also, if you’re visiting Kek Lok Si temple, this post will probably be useful:

Air Itam Market & Food Court

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Where to Eat near Kek Lok Si in Air Itam

1. Sister Curry Mee

Sister Curry Mee is the best place to eat in Air Itam market and the best Curry Mee in Penang! Curry Mee is made of a mix of noodles drowned in rich coconut curry sauce and, in this case, topped with squid, blood curd and sambal. The place is run by two sister who have been serving this dish for decades. Get there early because they are sold out around 1pm.

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

A dish of curry mee from Sister Curry Me at Air Itam market. Photo credit: JB Macatulad with CC BY-SA 4.0

2. Pasar Air Itam Laksa

Pasar Air Itam Laksa stall is another iconic staple of Air Itam, serving Assam Laksa, the sour version of the curry laksa. It is made with mackerel tamarind soup topped with rice noodles, flaked mackerel, shrimp paste and fresh herbs and lettuce. What sets assam laksa apart is the lack of coconut milk in the broth, unlike curry laksa in Kuala Lumpur or Katong laksa  in Singapore. This stall is popular so get there early and just sit down, they’ll bring you a bowl of tangy laksa!

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

Assam Laksa at Air Itam Laksa.

3. Air Itam Duck Rice

This stall only opens at night (I think) but serves a delicious portion of braised duck rice, quenched in their soy sauce and topped with eggs, vegetables or whatever you may feel like. It has a very homemade taste and the meat is tender and flavourful.

4. Lao Shi White Curry Mee

Just in front of the iconic Sister Curry Mee you will find Lao Shi Curry Mee, a traditional spot serving the “white” version of the curry mee topped with everything imaginable, including crabs, shrimps and roasted pork.

5. Sin Yong Wah Coffee Shop

You can order the Assam Laksa from Air Itam Laksa in this joint, but the star is the prawn mee (Hokkien Mee), served with roast pork. I read some bad reviews about the roast pork but when we visited it was delicious!

6. Restoran Min Jiang

This Thai restaurant is run by a Thai lady that makes one of the most delicious tom yum soups in Penang! ven though the stall is very humble, she takes pride into meticulously prepare this sour and spicy seafood soup that she serves with yellow noodles, shrimps and squid. This place is not in the market but it is in Air Itam, so it is a bit less convenient than the rest spots on this list.

Map of Where to Eat near Kek Lok Si temple 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.

Closing statement

If you’re around Kek Lok Si temple and are looking for a great place to try delicious local dishes, make sure to check out this list and your palate will thank you! If you’re visiting Penang, I suggest you read my dedicated post on things to do in Penang, as well as the more specific posts that you can get to from it:

→ What to do in Penang, Malaysia: the island of cultural tapestry

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’s adventure island

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