Food · Penang · Malaysia
What to eat in Penang
The dishes, drinks and food experiences that define Penang, and where locals actually eat them.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: This Photo was taken by Supanut Arunoprayote . Feel free to use any of my images, but plea, CC BY 4.0
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Quick answer
Start with Char kway teow, Penang asam laksa and Hokkien mee. At Gurney Drive or New Lane, claim a table, order from several stalls and share plates of char kway teow, oyster omelette and rojak with a glass of nutmeg juice. Many hawker stalls close one day a week or when the owner travels, so have a backup stall in mind.
Key facts
- Signature dish
- Char kway teow
- Vegetarian-friendly picks
- 4
- Tipping
- Tipping is not expected in Malaysia.
- Food experiences
- 4
12 foods to try
Street food
1.Char kway teow
Flat rice noodles stir-fried over a very hot charcoal or gas flame with prawns, cockles, Chinese sausage, bean sprouts, egg and chives, smoky from the wok. Penang's version is its most famous dish.
Where: Hawker stalls across George Town, including on Lorong Selamat and at Gurney Drive and New Lane hawker centres.
Dish
2.Penang asam laksa
Thick rice noodles in a sour, spicy fish broth flavoured with tamarind, topped with shredded mackerel, pineapple, cucumber, mint, torch ginger flower and a spoon of sticky prawn paste.
Where: The stall at Air Itam market is the best known; also at Gurney Drive and Balik Pulau.
Dish
3.Hokkien mee
In Penang, Hokkien mee means prawn noodles: yellow noodles and rice vermicelli in a deep red broth of prawn heads and pork bones, with prawns, pork slices, egg and kangkung.
Where: Morning and evening hawker stalls; many coffee shops serve it at breakfast.
Dish
4.Nasi kandar
A Penang Tamil-Muslim speciality: steamed rice with a choice of fried chicken, fish roe, squid, okra and eggs, flooded ('banjir') with a mix of curries.
Where: Nasi kandar restaurants on Jalan Penang and in Little India, several open around the clock.
Dessert · Vegetarian
5.Cendol
Shaved ice with green rice-flour jelly, red beans, coconut milk and palm sugar syrup, the classic cooler on a hot afternoon.
Where: Stalls on Lebuh Keng Kwee off Penang Road, where queues form daily, and hawker centres everywhere.
Snack
6.Penang rojak
A salad of fruit and vegetables — guava, pineapple, cucumber, mango, jicama — with fried dough fritters, tossed in thick prawn-paste sauce and crushed peanuts.
Where: Rojak stalls at Gurney Drive and other hawker centres.
Street food
7.Oyster omelette (Oh chien)
Small oysters fried with egg and a starchy batter until crisp at the edges, served with chilli sauce.
Where: Hawker centres such as Gurney Drive and New Lane in the evenings.
Snack
8.Lor bak
Five-spice minced pork rolled in bean-curd skin and deep-fried, served with other fritters, a thick braising sauce and chilli dip.
Where: Lor bak stalls at hawker centres and coffee shops in George Town.
Dessert · Vegetarian
9.Nyonya kuih
Colourful Peranakan cakes made from rice flour, coconut, pandan and palm sugar, such as kuih talam and onde-onde.
Where: Kuih shops and morning markets, especially in Pulau Tikus and the heritage zone.
Dish
10.Curry mee
Noodles in a light, coconut-based curry broth with cockles, prawns, tofu puffs and coagulated pork blood; each diner adds chilli paste to taste.
Where: Breakfast and evening stalls across George Town and in Air Itam.
Drink · Vegetarian
11.Teh tarik
Sweet milky tea 'pulled' between two jugs to make it frothy, served at mamak shops day and night.
Where: Mamak restaurants and nasi kandar shops across the island.
Drink · Vegetarian
12.Nutmeg juice
Penang has grown nutmeg since the spice-trade era, and its fresh nutmeg-fruit juice is sweet and lightly spiced; preserved nutmeg is a common snack.
Where: Drinks stalls in hawker centres and shops in Balik Pulau.
Food experiences
Hawker centre evening
At Gurney Drive or New Lane, claim a table, order from several stalls and share plates of char kway teow, oyster omelette and rojak with a glass of nutmeg juice.
Kopitiam breakfast
Old coffee shops in George Town serve kaya toast, soft-boiled eggs and strong local coffee, with hawkers inside selling noodles.
Banana-leaf lunch in Little India
Rice served on a banana leaf with vegetable curries and poppadoms, refilled by the staff; eat with your right hand if you'd like to follow local custom.
Nyonya dinner
Peranakan restaurants serve dishes such as perut ikan, a spicy fish-stomach and herb curry, and inchi kabin fried chicken.
Quick bites and street food
- Char kway teow — Hawker stalls across George Town, including on Lorong Selamat and at Gurney Drive and New Lane hawker centres.
- Penang rojak — Rojak stalls at Gurney Drive and other hawker centres.
- Oyster omelette — Hawker centres such as Gurney Drive and New Lane in the evenings.
- Lor bak — Lor bak stalls at hawker centres and coffee shops in George Town.
Vegetarian options
Of the 12 foods in this guide, 4 are usually vegetarian: Cendol, Nyonya kuih, Teh tarik and Nutmeg juice. Check preparation with staff, as stocks and fats vary.
Eating out: tips and etiquette
- Many hawker stalls close one day a week or when the owner travels, so have a backup stall in mind.
- At hawker centres, drinks are ordered from a separate drinks stall that will come to your table.
- Most hawker stalls are cash only, though e-wallet QR payments are spreading.
- Chinese hawker stalls may serve pork; look for halal certificates if you need halal food, which most Malay and nasi kandar shops are.
- Use tissues as 'reservations' — a pack of tissues on a table means it is taken.
Tipping
Tipping is not expected in Malaysia. Many restaurants and hotels add a 10% service charge; leaving small change at a café or for a hotel porter is appreciated but optional.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Terima kasih | Thank you (Malay) |
| Selamat pagi | Good morning (Malay) |
| Berapa harga? | How much? (Malay) |
| Tak mau pedas | Not spicy, please (Malay) |
| Kam sia | Thank you (Penang Hokkien) |
| Tapau | Take away |
Questions travellers ask
+What food is Penang famous for?
Char kway teow, Penang asam laksa, Hokkien mee and Nasi kandar. Flat rice noodles stir-fried over a very hot charcoal or gas flame with prawns, cockles, Chinese sausage, bean sprouts, egg and chives, smoky from the wok.
+Is Penang good for vegetarians?
Several local staples are meat-free, including Cendol, Nyonya kuih and Teh tarik.
+Do you tip in restaurants in Penang?
Tipping is not expected in Malaysia. Many restaurants and hotels add a 10% service charge; leaving small change at a café or for a hotel porter is appreciated but optional.