Eating in Penang, Malaysia

Penang's best food are found at hawker stalls where you will have to sacrifice the comfort of air-conditioning for delicious food. Trust me, it is worth it! Some of Penang's most famous foods are char kway teow, assam laksa and hokkien mee/prawn noodles. The way these dishes are cooked in Penang differs from Singapore's version. Among the Malaysian states too, you will find different varieties of laksa. Penang's version contains fish and is more sourish in taste.

Some of the hawker centres/stalls I would recommend are at Gurney Drive, the Northam Beach Cafe and Super Tanker. You will find many stalls with different varieties of food at these places. For those looking for more adventure, pay a visit to the Chowrasta market in the morning. You can experience a local market and also enjoy your breakfast there.

The heat can be overwhelming at times in Penang. During these times, a bowl of ais kacang or cendol is the best way to cool down. Another must-drink in Penang is coconut water which usually comes with slices of coconut flesh. You will find it served either in cups or in the coconut husk itself.

As Penang is surrounded by the sea, it is easy to find fresh seafood around the island. During my recent trip, we had delicious and affordable seafood at Teluk Kumbar. The restaurant we ate at is called Restoran Teluk Kumbar Seafood or in Chinese, Gong Ba Hao You Hai Xian (literally Kumbar Good Friends Seafood). We ordered many varieties of seafood such as crab, fish, octopus, balitong, clams (known as "lala" locally) and prawns. I would recommend this place not just for tha quality of food but for the atmosphere. We literally ate on the beach! While waiting for your food to be served, you can walk along the beach =)

Similar to Malacca, Penang also has a Peranakan culture. You will also find delicious Nyonya
cuisine here with dishes such as ayam pongteh and Nonya assam pedas (meat cooked with special concoction of spices). Besides the main dishes, do try the huge variety of nonya kueh.

While in Penang, don't forget to try the rojak and pasembur too. Forget about the calories and just bring on the food!