Top 5 Things To Eat In Penang (2d1n)

I’ve always wanted to travel to Penang for the past year and finally I am able to get around to do so!

Without wasting anymore time, let’s get ready to feast!

I would list out 5 things you should eat in Georgetown Penang as well as their locations

1. Assam Laksa (+ Chendol)

Truth be told, I’ve never had Assam Laksa before. Then again, I’m not a fan of laksa. However, you definitely need to make a trip down to this place  called “Penang Road Famous Teochew Chendul” as you are able to get 3 of Penang’s most famous dishes in 1! How convenient! (Assam Laksa, Chendol and Rojak)

Be sure to try their rojak (although I didn’t have the stomach for it).

Penang Road Famous Teochew Chendul
Address: 27 & 29 Lebuh Keng Kwee, 10100 Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia
Opening Hours: Mon-Fri 10.30am – 7pm / Sat & Sun 10am – 7.30pm

2. Char Kway Teow

I personally am not a fan of char kway teow back in Singapore. In fact, I rarely eat this dish and the last I ate it was probably years ago. However, when you’re in Penang, the char kway teow is different. Singapore’s version is the black one with dark soya sauce whereas Penang’s version is white in colour and has an emphasis more on the broth.

When you’re in Penang, you need to travel far to this place called Lorong Selamat. What’s so special about it? Not only do you need to wait for more than 30 minutes and may have a chance of getting scolded by the auntie of cooking the dish, the char kway teow is cooked with a traditional charcoal stove’s fire. The charcoal fire is what gives a distinct smokey complex flavor which is difficult to replicate when using gas stoves.

The dish is slightly more expensive (12 Ringgit) as compared to the usual char kway teow sold in other parts of Penang (average price 4-6 Ringgit). But nonetheless, it is worth the price, travel and waiting time as well as the calories.

Penang Char Koay Teow @ Lorong Selamat
Address: Kafe Heng Huat, 108 Lorong Selamat, Penang, Malaysia
Opening Hours: 11am – 6pm / Closed on Tuesdays

3.Nasi Kandar 

I love love love love love Nasi Kandar. There’s nothing that can express my love for briyani with curry. And be sure to ask for “mixed curry” or‘kuah banjir’ (a mix of gravies), because they’ll mix all the various curries together, such as chicken curry, fish curry, squid curry, vegetable curry and you’ll be able to get an assortment of flavours.

What’s so special about Line Clear’s Nasi Kandar is that it has been around since 1930s and it is also the perfect supper joint since it’s 24 hours.

Although I heard the food here is reasonably priced, RM6.50 (the cheapest in all of Penang) for a plate of rice, fried chicken, telur dadar (sunny side up omelette), vegetables and ‘kuah banjir’ (a mix of gravies). However, I had to try their famous tiger prawn, which made my dish a total of RM 30.60, which is unexpectedly pricey. But the juicy succulent prawn was definitely worth it though.

Line Clear Nasi Kandar 
Address: 177 Penang Road, Penang, Malaysia
Opening Hours: 24 Hours

4. Tau Sar Piah 

If you’re looking for the best souvenir to buy back for your family and friends, look no further than Him Heang’s Tau Sar Piah and Beh Teh Saw.

The tau sar piah literally melts in your mouth, unlike the usual ones that has quite tough skin. Plus, the filling is especially fragrant.

Him Heang Tau Sar Piah 馨香餅家
Address:162A Jalan Burma, Penang, Malaysia
Opening Hours: Mondays to Saturdays from 8.30 a.m. to 5.00 p.m

5. Char Siew and Roast Pork Rice

The char siew (otherwise known as BBQ Pork) was perfectly caramelized. They typically serve it with a small bowl of starchy brown sauce that goes well with the rice.

If you go on weekends, you would need to queue for a quite a while. But it is definitely worth the wait. For a group of 6, we only paid 30RM, which means its 5RM (less than 2 SGD for plates of roast pork, char siew, soup, vegetables and rice!

Sky Hotel Char Siew Rice @ Chulia Street
Address: Chulia Street, off Jalan Masjid, 10200 Penang.
Opening hours: 11.30am to 2.30pm (Monday to Saturday)

Extra: Georgetown’s best boutique hotel and the amazing quaint cafe

Now you must be thinking where should I stay in order to be relatively near to all these amazing eateries?

May I suggest Yeng Keng Hotel? Not only is this boutique hotel near most of the eateries, they also have their own cafe which serves amazing hainanese chicken chop, fried popiah and beef horfun!

Yeng Keng Hotel and Cafe
Address: 362, Lebuh Chulia, George Town, 10200 World Heritage City of George Town,, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia