What to eat in Penang?!

Penang has variety of delicious food offered to the visitors. Once you try, you will go back to Penang and find that food again. Trust us!

Let us list down several famous cuisine in Penang. :)

1. Acar acar

Penang Acar is a type of Nyonya salad. Crunchy and aromatic, Acar is usually made by mixing hard vegetables such as carrots and cabbage with a rich and spicy gravy garnished with crushed groundnuts.

Acar acts as a welcome condiment to any meal and is scrumptiously devoured with haste by locals. There is even a fish-based version of Acar!

2. Asam Laksa

Originating from the Peranakan (Straits-Chinese) culture, assam laksa is a dish of thick rice noodles served in spicy and sour fish broth. Penang assam laksa is made using mackerel flakes and tamarind, which gives the broth a sourish flavour. Other ingredients used in the making of this national dish are lemongrass, chillies, galangal, thinly-sliced onions, prawn paste and finely-shredded torch ginger flower. 

While assam laksa can be found at just about anywhere in Penang, it has been said Ayer Itam Pasar serves the best assam laksa in Penang!

3. Char Kuey Teow

Penang char kuay teow is known the world over, and is the most popular variety of char kuay teow out of many in Malaysia. It’s a hawker dish of flat rice noodles stir-fried in a large wok over open fire together with lard, soy sauce, chillies, prawns, cockles, eggs, bean sprouts and chives. 

The ones in Penang are often garnished with crab meat on top for extra flavour. Rich in taste (and fat), Penang char kuay teow is a popular hawker dish much sought-after by ardent foodies to this island. Hawker centres are the best places to find this dish, particularly in Georgetown and along Gurney Drive.

4. Hokkien Mee

Just like char kuay teow, Hokkien mee comes in different versions in this country. The Penang version is soup-based and watery, as opposed to the Kuala Lumpur version which is fried in dark soy sauce and quite sticky. 

The soup is probably the most important part of the dish. Made from fragrant stock consisting of shrimp paste and dried prawns which are then brought to the boil with a bit of lard for texture, it gives the dish its intoxicating aroma. It is then served in a bowl with noodles, together with prawns, fish cakes, leafy greens, pork ribs, squids, vegetables, crisp deep-fried shallots, spring onions, fresh lime, chillies, light soy sauce and a bit of sambal on the side. 

This dish can also be found in hawker centres along the main streets.

5. Nasi Kandar Line Clear

Originating from the Indian-Muslim culture, Nasi Kandar is perhaps Penang’s best-known dish. The dish got its name from the way it was peddled decades ago – by balancing pots containing the rice and the curries across the shoulders using a long wooden rod. 

It is basically steamed white rice served with a variety of side dishes which include a variety of thick, rich curries and vegetables. There are plenty of 24-hour Nasi Kandar restaurants and stalls in Penang, particularly around Georgetown.

6. Rojak Pasembur

An Indian-Muslim dish, rojak pasembur is a Malaysian salad comprising shredded cucumber, turnip, potatoes, beancurd, bean sprouts, pieces of prawn fritters, squids and boiled eggs mixed together with a sweet and spicy peanut sauce. Simple and wholesome, this dish can be found mostly along Gurney Drive.

Enjoy reading!