Top 10 Famous food in Penang You Cannot Miss

Known as the food capital of Malaysia, Penang is a food paradise that is impossible to beat. Thanks to the influence of a diverse community, the food scene in Penang is filled with varieties you will never find anywhere else!

In this guide, we have picked 10 top spots where you can find the best food in Penang. While more tourists will flood places on the island, there are many hidden gems on the mainland too! (we hear you Butterworth, people!)

Some dishes here are pretty unique to Penang itself, so we highly recommend that you plan your trip to include most, if not all of these spots!

Top 10 Locations to Try the Best Food in Penang: Island and Mainland Edition

1. Kulim Road Cendol (mainland)

Don’t mistake this location to the Kulim in Kedah because this Penang must eat cendol is actually located in Bukit Mertajam a.k.a BM.

Right opposite the famous St. Anne’s Church, Kulim Road Cendol is a small roadside stall selling the famous cendol dessert.

Made up of shaved ice, cendol is a sweet dessert that comes with multiple toppings like coconut milk, gula Melaka, green rice jelly, red beans and sometimes creamed corn too.

What I love about theirs is, you can add pulut (glutinous rice) or corn (RM5) which really adds more layer to the flavour and their extremely fragrant gula melaka!

2. Duck blood Curry Mee (island)

You shouldn’t leave Penang before having Duck Blood Curry Mee! Named after the dish, the shop is located on Jalan Burma. They do offer a few other dishes, but their Duck blood Curry Mee (RM7.50) is no doubt the most authentic to Penang.

As one of the best foods in Penang, Duck Blood Curry Mee is a bowl of noodles that is served in a coconut based broth. They add various toppings like tofu puffs, cockles and of course the star of the dish, duck blood.

The bowl of soup is served with a spoonful of curry paste, which you mix into the coconut broth to reveal a rich curry broth that goes so well with all the ingredients.

Don’t be alarmed at the thought of duck blood. Once you try it, you will find that the cubed, jelly-like shape and texture is pretty delicious and is not a bloody massacre, don’t worry!

3. BM Yam Rice (mainland)

I definitely would recommend this dish as the ‘penang must eat’ item for any foodies visiting. Simple reason is because you may not find this anywhere else in Malaysia.

If you do, it is most likely a branch of this restaurant itself, so it’s definitely worth visiting the OG!

Yam rice (RM10) or ‘or pui’ is a bowl of rice which is flavoured with soy sauce, fresh yam as well as dry shrimps. It is often served with a bowl of pork soup featuring many different parts like pork kidney, intestines, pork balls and pork slices.

What makes the dish outstanding here, is the aroma of the yam rice itself which is sweet and smoky, thanks to its cooking method which still uses charcoal.

One bite and you will know why this is in the Penang famous food list!

4. Sister’s Char Koay Kak (island)

My personal favourite, the often overlooked sister of char koay teow, is Char Koay Kak. Unlike its sibling, koay kak is made of radish and not noodles.

It is however, fried with similar ingredients like beans sprouts, soy sauce, and eggs in a large wok to give it the sweetish, smoky and spicy flavour.

Sister’s Char Koay Kak is one of the best places in Penang to serve koay kak. Why is theirs superior to others?

Their koay kak (RM5) is fried to perfection with just the right amount of char, not to mention the sweet radish cakes which go so well with all the other ingredients.

It is only open till 12pm so you can only eat this for breakfast or early lunch. So plan your day ahead!

5. Sg. Dua Char Koay Teow (mainland)

This particular Char Koay Teow is one of the ‘Penang must eat’ dishes although it is far from any of the standard CKT you might have had before.

Usually run by Muslims, this version is halal and pork free. But you will be surprised to see that all races in Malaysia are dining here!

Sg.Dua Char Koay Teow (RM8) is truly special because it features far more gravy and huge portions of prawns, but all made with the other standard ingredients of the dish like rice noodles, beans sports, eggs and cockles.

What’s also different is that there is less char here and hence why you do hear them term it as ‘koay teow basah’ (wet koay teow).

The gravy is spicy and sweet thanks to the prawns. Couple this with some pickled green chilies and boy isn’t it a smashing dish!

6. Hameed Pata Mee Sotong (island)

Hameed Pata Mee Sotong serves one of the best foods in Penang, as far as I’m concerned.

Mee Sotong (RM6) here is basically a plate of yellow noodles which is fried in a large wok with a sweet and spicy sauce.

The sauce has a hint of peanut and is served with a generous amount of sambal sotong (spicy squid) to be had together!

It will remind you a little of mee goreng but definitely elevated! Aside from frying their mee sotong, it also comes in a boiled version or ‘rebus’. Just ask the staff there if you’re not sure which to go for.

They also offer some good coconut shake too, which goes refreshingly well with their spicy mee sotong.

7. Oh Chien at Kedai Kopi Seng Thor (island)

Though Oh Chien (oyster omelette) can be found in Malaysia as well as Singapore, I have some attachments with this one, particularly at Kedai Kopi Seng Thor.

Since they have been around since 1930, it is a place that I frequented with my grandfather, uncles and my dad while we lived in Penang. Likewise, this stall has been run by generations after generations, keeping their traditional recipe alive.

What I love about their Oh Chien is that their portions are plentiful. Although they have four sizes to choose from and additions of egg and oyster you can make, the smallest size (RM13) will be enough for two and is filled with oysters too!

The oysters are fresh and juicy and go so well with the crispy batter on the eggs. Perfectly charred, I would recommend no other place than here to have your Oh Chien!

8. Nasi Kandar Hameediyah (island)

Is it even a trip to Penang if you don’t have one of the best foods in Penang : Nasi Kandar?

Sold mostly by the Indian Muslim community in Penang, you can trace the origins of the dish back to the 1900s when the British were still colonising Malaysia.

Hameediyah on Lebuh Campbell is one such iconic restaurant that has served Nasi Kandar since 1907.

The dishes are hearty as it’s made up of a mix of various curries or also called ‘kuah’, along with a mountain of rice, vegetables and meat of your choice.

They are very famous for their fish head curry, fried squid and ‘rendang’, so don’t miss out from trying these dishes too.

Prices on the other hand for anyone who’s not familiar, is calculated based on what you have opted for on your plate but we would estimate around RM10+ per plate which includes meat.

9. Rojak Tonggek (mainland)

Another dish that is often confusing for non-northerners, rojak in Penang usually refers to small, cut fruits, served in a sticky sweet and sour sauce, topped with crushed peanuts.

If you’re looking for the savoury variant, they are usually called ‘pasembur’ in Penang.

To get the best rojak in town, head over to Rojak Tonggek that offers a variety of fruits, vegetables, tofu, quail eggs and even meatballs with a variety of spicy or sweet rojak sauce.

Each fruit is cut into cubes and is placed on a skewer to ease your eating process. The cost for the skewer is around RM0.90 each, which comes with free dipping sauce!

What’s unique about this place is also its name! ‘Tonggek’ means to bend. You will quickly observe that everyone does this when they have their rojak, to avoid the dipping sauce from messing their shirt. Hence the name!

10. Him Heang (island)

As one of the pioneers in the state, Him Heang has been putting out some fine tar sau piah for the past 70 years.

Tau Sar Piah is a humble local pastry, filled with mung bean paste or sometimes even savoury filling. The locals love this so much thanks to the flaky skin and the smooth filling which makes it oh so delicious.

With no added preservatives and no middlemen to sell their goodies, you can directly purchase them from their outlet (address below). Good news is, they also make other pastries, so you have some options that are not limited to Tau Sar Piah.

The History Behind Penang’s Unique Food

For those wondering how did Penang become the food capital of Malaysia, here’s a little flashback :

• Penang was a thriving and vibrant port town that attracted many traders from around Europe, Middle East and China
• Thanks to the port, Penang transformed into a melting pot of culture thanks to the diverse backgrounds of those who lived in Penang back in the 18th and 19th century.
• Today, that rich culture is reflected in the island’s cuisine, especially the iconic fusions like Indian Muslim and Peranakan food.

The Indian Muslim Influence on the best food in Penang

The Indian Muslim community has been at the heart of the creation of some of the best food in Penang, thanks to their hearty dishes like Nasi Kandar and Mamak Mee Goreng.

Most of their dishes are rich and spicy, a true reflection of the spices that they used to trade back in the day.

The blend of unique flavours from Indian spices and local ingredients has definitely produced some of the most unique flavours you cannot find anywhere else!

The Peranakan Heritage

Peranakan food is a staple in Penang’s food culture. A beautiful marriage of Malay and Chinese cuisine coming together, their bold flavours shine through dishes like asam laksa and nyonya kuih.

Thanks to Malay cooking techniques and Chinese ingredients, their dishes are usually tangy, spicy and sweet which has shaped some of the best food in Penang.

Navigating the Penang Food Scene

While most of you may be familiar with street food culture, this is specifically for our readers who are from abroad.

Below are some tips to ensure that your food plans in Penang goes smoothly:

• Bring cash with you: While the business scene has definitely been digitised, many shops are still run by older generations and may only accept cash.
• Plan your trip: Many stalls in Penang are open until they sell out. That said, try to be early or plan your day as much as possible to ensure that you get to taste some of the best food in penang.
• Observe local etiquette: Many places offer chopsticks only or you will find that some eat with their hands and clean up after themselves. We urge that you carry simple utensils to make it easy for yourself and clean up after yourselves so that other patrons can enjoy their food too!

Conclusion

No trip to Penang will ever be complete without a food tour! One thing’s for sure: there are so many places to discover, especially on the mainland.

With that in mind, I hope that this guide gives you a good insight into where to get Penang’s famous foods and which dishes to try!

It is also wise to remember some essentials about eating in Penang; since most are roadside stalls and mom-and-pop restaurants, it is essential to carry cash and plan your timing, as they may have a set day and time that they’re open.

Read also: 20 Places to Visit in Penang: Your Guide to the Top Penang Attractions