Food

Restaurants and Dining

Penang is considered by many to be the food capital of Malaysia. This accolade comes not because Penang has many fine dining restaurants or exquisite eating places, but rather the tastiest local cuisine a visitor or tourist to Malaysia will ever find, served from the humble hawker stall. These hawker stalls are a prominent feature of Penang, often found operating in open-air restaurants or simply by the road side in busy places of the city and residential area. You get an immense variety of local Malaysian food in Penang, but international restaurants, fast food outlets, trendy cafes and other conventional eating places are just as abundant. For the adventurous, exploring Penang's local food heritage provides almost as much excitement as visiting its tourist destinations and landmarks.

Hokkien Mee

Hokkien Prawn Mee is Penang's signature dish, and is one of the most popular offerings from hawker stalls. The hokkien mee is essentially noodles in a soup made from prawn paste, with fried onions, shrimps and a slice of boiled egg served on top. Kuala Lumpur has another version of Hokkien Mee which is distinct from Penang, being fried in dark sauce. You can find Hokkien Mee all over Georgetown and the island, the best place being subjective.

Laksa

Asam Laksa is another trademark hawker dish of Penang, unique to the island. Sometimes called Penang Laksa, thick rice noodles are served in a tangy soup made with fish paste and sour assam fruit (tamarind). Slices of mint, cucumber, onions and pineapple provide colour and extra flavour. The best places to eat this legendary dish are in Air Itam, Pulau Tikus and Balik Pulau. A less spicy version for tourists can be found in Gurney Drive.

Char Keow Teow

While Char Keow Teow is a popular Chinese hawker dish throughout Malaysia, the tastiest plates are served in Penang (but Kuala Lumpur does have some good places). This dish is made by frying flat rice noodles in lard with thick soya sauce, bean sprouts, cockles, duck eggs and shrimps. While it is delicious and eaten frequently by locals, it is also considered one of the most unhealthy dishes in Malaysian cuisine because of the rich amounts of fat and oil that go into cooking it. Visitors and tourists can eat this dish all over the island, but some say the best place for Penang Char Keow Teow is in Lorong Selamat off Mcallister Road in Georgetown.

Tau Sar Piah

Tau Sar Piah is a famous Chinese biscuit or cookie, where the best ones in Malaysia are undoubtedly made in Penang. Tau Sar Peah takes a small round shape, like a tiny dumpling, and is made by first frying the paste (usually made with beans that can be of the red or green variety, lotus paste is also used sometimes) with sugar and lard until they turn powdery. Rolled into a ball, the paste is coated with dough and then baked in an oven, with a coating of egg yolk to give each cookie a warm glow and brown crown. Visitors can get this cookie, which are stacked up in a row and wrapped with paper for small amounts or packed in boxes with larger amounts, all over Penang from shops.

Nasi Kandar

Nasi Kandar is another dish that is unique to Penang, and its popularity has grown so much over the years that you find shops selling Nasi Kandar all over Malaysia, especially in Kuala Lumpur. Nasi Kandar is more of a style of cooking rather than a single dish, as it simply refers to a choice of spicy or curried meats and vegetables served with lots of rice. It was originally sold by Indian Muslim hawkers who carried around the portions in two containers, balancing them on their shoulders with a long pole. Today, visitors and tourists will only find Nasi Kandar in restaurants or stalls. The best places for this dish are in Penang Road, Beach Street and Jalan Kapitan Kling.