Penang Food Guide: Restaurants, Cafes, and Other Food Spots You Should Visit in the Food Capital of Malaysia!

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This article is part of the Penang Food Trip series. Check out the installments in this series: Auntie Gaik Lean’s Old School Eatery (MICHELIN-Starred Peranakan Restaurant) | ChinaHouse (Longest Cafe in Penang) | Hameediyah Restaurant (Nasi Kandar) | Hema Hema Ice Cream (Artisanal Ice Cream) | Kafe Ping Hooi and Tiger Char Koay Teow (Traditional Coffee Shop with Popular Char Kway Teow) | JOJA Bagels (Sandwiches Made with New-York Style Bagels) | Kimberley Street Food Night Market | Lok-lok (Street Food Skewers) | Moh Teng Pheow Nyonya Koay (Traditional Snacks or Desserts) | Penang Road Famous Laksa and Teochew Chendul | Sister Curry Mee (Curry Noodles) | Toh Soon Cafe (Traditional Coffee Shop)

Malaysia is a haven for foodies. Being a multi-ethnic nation, its cuisine has Chinese, Indian, and, of course, Malay influences. Whether you go to its capital Kuala Lumpur (KL), to UNESCO-recognized Malacca, or to Johor Bahru that neighbors Singapore, you will not run out of food spots to visit. But if you’re a serious foodie visiting Malaysia, then you should go to Penang.

Penang is a state located north of KL, composed of a mainland and an island. Its capital, George Town, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, home to many historical structures such as British buildings and Chinese shophouses.

But aside its rich history and architecture, Penang is also known for its food. In fact, it’s considered the food capital of Malaysia. From affordable street food to MICHELIN-rated spots, you will not run out of options for good food!

So I’ve come up with this food guide to help you plan for your Penang (food) trip. Please take note that most are located in George Town. And to know more about every spot, just click on the provided link (if available).

Here are the restaurants, cafes, and street food hawkers you should try in Penang:

Ali Nasi Lemak Daun Pisang

Nasi Lemak is Malaysia’s national dish. Literally “fat rice”, nasi lemak is a dish consisting of boiled or fried egg, cucumber, ikan bilis (fried anchovies), peanuts, sambal (chilli sauce), and of course the nasi (rice), which is cooked in santan (coconut milk) and flavored with pandan (screwpine) leaves. It’s usually paired with a viand or two (or sometime more), in which ayam goreng (fried chicken) is the most popular. Imagine the flavors and textures!

Ali Nasi Lemak is known to serve the best nasi lemak in all of Penang. It has six varieties: Ayam (chicken), Bilis Telur (anchovies and boiled egg), Ikan (fish), Ikan Masin (salted fish), Sotong (squid), and Udang (prawn). And it’s all wrapped, as the name suggests, in daun pisang or banana leaves, like a traditional nasi lemak.

We tried the bills telur because it’s the bestseller. The flavor is a mix of sweet, spicy, and salty. It’s definitely an umami bomb!

Address: Sri Weld Food Court, Beach St., George Town, Penang, Malaysia | Operating Hours: Monday-Friday, 7AM-2PM; Saturday, 7AM-1PM

AuntIE GaiK Lean’s Old School Eatery (MICHELIN-Starred Peranakan Restaurant)

Named after its female owner and chef, Auntie Gaik Lean’s Old School Eatery is a one MICHELIN-starred Peranakan restaurant. It’s the first in Malaysia and the second in the world, with Singapore’s Candlenut being the first one. But unlike Candlenut that serves a modern interpretation of Peranakan dishes, Auntie Gaik Lean’s Old School Eatery offers traditional recipes. (To the uninitiated, a Peranakan refers to a people group with Chinese and Malay heritage. So imagine the blend of its cuisines and flavors!)

My favorites here are their Kueh Pie Tee (crispy cups filled with filled with chicken and Chinese turnips), Nasi Ulam (rice hand-tossed with ten kinds of herbs), and Nyonya Beef Rendang (beef stewed in coconut milk and spices). But I believe that whatever dish you order, it would be good. Every dish we tried here is topnotch!

I highly recommend Auntie Gaik Lean’s Old School Eatery to you! This will easily end up in the top restaurants I tried for 2024!

Address: 1 Bishop Street, George Town, Penang, Malaysia | Operating Hours: Wednesday-Sunday, 12:00-2:30PM & 6:00-9:30PM | Contact No.: +60 17-434 4398 | Facebook | Instagram

ChinaHouse (The Longest Cafe in Penang)

Established in 2011, ChinaHouse is one of the most visited cafes in Penang. It’s located in three heritage buildings that were converted into fourteen spaces, which include galleries, shops, restaurants, and the cafe. It’s also the longest cafe in Penang, with the length of 400 feet (122 meters)!

Most visitors come here for their cakes. I recommend that you try the Tiramisu with Alcohol.

Address: 153 & 155 Beach St. & 183B Victoria St., George Town, Penang, Malaysia | Operating Hours: Sunday-Thursday, 9AM-12AM; Friday & Saturday, 9AM-1AM (Note: This schedule is based on their website. However, other sources, like their Facebook page, have differing operating hours. So it’s best to contact them before visiting.) | Contact No.: +60 4-263 7299 | Facebook | Instagram | Website

Hameediyah Restaurant (Nasi Kandar)

Nasi Kandar is one of the food experiences that originated in Penang, Malaysia, and sold by Indian Muslims. It translates to “rice” (nasi) and “balance” (kandar) because it used to be sold by vendors who would carry poles (on their shoulders) with two huge baskets containing home-cooked dishes and rice.

There are a lot of nasi kandar spots in George Town, Penang. We went to the oldest one—Hameediyah Restaurant—which has been in operation since 1907. There may be better nasi kandar spots out there but we decided to try it at Hameediyah because of its history. If they’ve been around for more than a century, then they must be serving good nasi kandar!

Address: 164A Lebuh Campbell (Campbell Street), George Town, Penang, Malaysia | Operating Hours: Daily, 10AM-10PM | Contact No.: 04-261 1095 | Facebook | Instagram

Hema Hema Ice Cream (Artisanal Ice Cream)

Hema Hema is an artisanal ice cream shop that opened in 2022. Since its opening, it’s being flocked by locals and tourists alike. They make good ice cream and create flavors that are unique.

I asked the staff what their bestsellers are. But they couldn’t give me an answer because all flavors are good, and the flavors rotate weekly.

Address: 88 Lebuh Campbell, George Town, Penang, Malaysia | Operating Hours: Thursday-Sunday, 1-10PM (or until sold out) | Facebook | Instagram

JOJA Bagels (Bagelwiches Made with New York-Inspired Bagels)

JOJA Bagels is a cafe that assembles amazing Bagelwiches made with New York-inspired bagels.

We tried their bestselling Super Mario, which has fried portobello mushroom with mozzarella cheese, fresh rockets, pulled mushrooms, and house sauce. We also tried their Smokin’ Beast, which is like a bagel burger. Both bagelwiches are really good!

Address: 55 Lebuh Bishop, George Town, Penang, Malaysia | Operating Hours: Wednesday-Sunday, 8:30AM-3:30PM | Contact No.: +60 18-277 7380 | Facebook | Instagram

Kafe Ping Hooi (traditional Coffee Shop)

Kafe Ping Hooi is a kopitiam or a traditional coffee shop. As a kopitiam, it has different hawkers, including the famous Tiger Char Koay Teow (more on this later).

Aside from the famous char kway toew, I also tried the Lor Bak (Chinese meat roll seasoned with five spice and wrapped in a beancurd skin) at Lobak King.

Address: 179 Lebuh Carnarvon, George Town, Penang, Malaysia | Operating Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 6:30AM-2PM (Note: The hawkers may have different operating hours)

Kimberley Street Duck Kway Chap

Kimberley Street Duck Kway Chap specializes in duck kway chap, a Teochew (a Chinese ethno-linguistic group) dish composed of rice noodles (“kway”) and a bowl of broth (“chap”).

We got the Mix Platter, which has duck meat, pig innards (ears and intestines), pig skin, braised egg, and blood jelly. We find it enjoyable!

Address: Lebuh Kimberley, George Town, Penang, Malaysia | Operating Hours: Friday-Wednesday, 1-10:30PM

Kimberley Street Food Night Market

There are plenty of night markets around Penang. These pasar malam, as it’s locally called, are full of energy and good food. We went to a popular one, which is Kimberley Street Food Night Market in George Town.

Our favorites here are the oyster omelette, roast meats, and the duck kway chap from Kimberly Street Duck Kway Chap (they’re open until night market time).

Address: Lebuh Kimberley, George Town, Penang, Malaysia | Operating Hours: Daily, 5-11PM (Note: The stalls have different operating hours. Plus, it’s better to come earlier.)

Lok-Lok (Street Food Skewers) at no particular spot

One of the interesting (and fun) street food experiences that visitors should try, in my opinion, is Lok-Lok. Literally “to dip”, this experience is like hotpot or steamboat except that the items are on skewers.

We tried it at Lebuh Carnarvon Lok Lok. Check out our lok-lok experience there by clicking the link below.

Moh Teng Pheow Nyonya Koay (TRADITIONAL SNACKS AND DESSERTS)

Moh Teng Pheow has been serving Nyonya or Peranakan Kuih for more than nine decades. Its founder opened a factory in 1933, making traditional handmade snacks and desserts.

In 2016, Moh Teng Pheow transformed into a restaurant and gallery, featuring retro memorabilia. Being there is like being transported in the past!

Moh Teng Pheow has a MICHELIN Bib Gourmand recognition, so you know that the food is good.

Address: Lebuh Chulia, Jalan Masjid, George Town, Penang, Malaysia | Operating Hours: Daily, 10AM-5PM | Contact No.: +60 12-415 2677 | Facebook | Instagram

Penang Road Famous Laksa (Penang-Style Laksa)

Laksa is a popular Malaysian/Singaporean dish among locals and tourists alike. It’s a noodle soup dish usually with a coconut milk-based broth. But did you know that Penang has its own version of laksa (like most of the Malaysian states) and has no coconut milk at all?

Penang-style laksa, a.k.a. Assam Laksa, has a fish-based broth that’s made sour (“assam”) with tamarind. It’s also composed of thick rice noodles, shredded mackerel, sliced vegetables (cucumbers, onions, and lettuce), and chunks of pineapple.

We went to the MICHELIN-rated Penang Road Famous Laksa to try this dish. They make a really good version of it!

Address: Nos. 5 & 7, Lebuh Keng Kwei, George Town, Penang, Malaysia | Operating Hours: Friday-Tuesday, 9AM-5:30PM | Contact No.: +60 16-446 0543 | Facebook | Instagram

Penang Road Famous Teochew Chendul (Shaved Ice Dessert)

Chendul (also spelled as Cendol or Chendol) is a shaved ice dessert popular in Malaysia and Singapore. It’s usually composed of worm-like green pandan (screwpine) jellies, red beans, coconut milk, and gula melaka (palm sugar) syrup. Some varieties even have durian on it.

Penang Road Famous Teochew Chendul, as its name suggests, is the most popular chendul seller in Penang. Their version has a nice caramel taste from the gula melaka and is very refreshing in the Penang heat!

Address: Lebuh Keng Kwee, George Town, Penang, Malaysia | Operating Hours: Daily, 10AM-5PM

Sister Curry Mee (Curry Noodles)

Located in Air (Ayer) Itam, a George Town suburb, Sister Curry Mee has been serving Penang-style curry noodles since 1946. For the longest time, it’s run by two sisters Lim Kooi Heang and Lim Kooi Lye. They’ve already retired and have passed on the business to their grand niece.

Sister Curry Mee offers two kinds of noodles—one with soup and one that’s dry. It’s both good!

Address: Alley Off Jalan Paya Terubong, Air Itam, Penang, Malaysia | Operating Hours: Wednesday-Monday, 7:30AM-1PM (Note: Visit as early as you can) | Facebook

Tiger Char Kway Teow

Char Kway (or Koay) Teow (CKT) is a stir-fried (“char”) rice noodle (“kway teow”) dish and is one of the staple dishes of Penang. Compared to its Singaporean counterpart that uses chicken eggs, has yellow round noodles, and is on the sweeter side, the Penang variant uses duck eggs, sticks to flat noodles only, and is more on the savory side.

Tiger Char Koay Teow is always on the list of the best CKTs in Penang. Their version is smoky, savory, and stay-in-the-mouth spicy. The noodles are not as chewy as I want it to be, and it’s more on the bouncy side, which is totally fine with me.

The duck egg adds an amazing creaminess, and the bean sprouts are plump and crisp. There are pieces of crispy pork lard, which is sinfully amazing!

Address: Kafe Ping Hooi, 179 Lebuh Carnarvon, George Town, Penang, Malaysia | Operating Hours: Monday-Saturday, 8AM-2PM; Sunday, 9AM-2PM

Toh Soon Cafe (TRADITIONAL BREAKFAST SPOT)

Toh Soon Cafe is a traditional breakfast spot that’s hidden in an alley of George Town. was named after its founder who came from then Hainan province of China. An institution in the city, it was founded by Mr. Toh Soon in 1950. Today, his son—Ooi Yeok Sun—is handling the business with his family.

Like any traditional coffee shop, they serve bread (toasted or steamed) with spreads (including Kaya or coconut jam), soft-boiled eggs, and coffee or tea.

What’s nice about Toh Soon Cafe is that they make their own bread (the current owner used to work for a bakery) and spreads. So imagine the labor behind every toast. Moreover, they grill their bread over charcoal, adding a nice char to it.

Address: Lebuh Campbell, George Town, Penang, Malaysia | Operating Hours: Monday-Saturday, 8AM-5PM | Contact No.: +60 4-261 3754 | Facebook

There are other food spots that we heard its good and have yet to visit. These include:

Bangkok Lane Mee Goreng and Hameed Pata Mee Sotong (stir-fried noodles)
Richard Rivalee Designer & Chef (Peranakan food)
Restoran Kapitan (Indian food)
Roti Canai Transfer Road (Indian-Muslim flatbread)

So do me a favor by trying them out. Then let me know how they are!

Anyway, I hope this food guide helps you for your Penang (food) trip. I will continue to update this as we get to try more food spots in Malaysia’s food capital.

What Penang food spots should I try next? Comment below!