You will agree with me, you cannot go wrong with the food in Penang. Malaysia is definitely the paradise for foodies all around the world and one place stood at the very top will be Penang! If you are looking for a slice of heaven, then let me assure you, you will want to take the stairway to Penang Island. This is the every foodie’s heaven. Penang has been voted more than once as the haven for street food. Sounds good? Just hop on the next bus to Penang already!
If you are still going to the regular eateries like Gurney Drive, you are not doing it right. Here are the top 8 eateries for you to eat like a local.
1. Penang Road Teochew Chendol
Just like many other delicacies, there are many places in Penang where you can get a mean bowl of chendol but if you are planning to experience on local eating ways then you will need to go Penang Road. Some says that this is the birthplace of this delicious dessert. The original taste simply cannot be compared with those from the franchised air conditioning stores. Come to think of it, having a bowl of cold chendol while standing under the scorching sun is simply delightful. The thirst-quenching bowl of chendol will help you defeat the heat!
2. Wai Kee Char Siew Rice
To be candid, i have never thought Penang could be famous for char siew rice. Here, you will get the perfect combination of roasted pork, char siew, roasted duck, roasted chicken and Chinese sausage. The char siew is barbequed at a very delicate level where the fat will melt in your tongue and don’t even get me started with one of the crispiest roasted pork in Penang.
3. Hong Kong Tea Garden
Hong Kong Tea Garden is a good example of a private hawker market where stalls arise around an already existing restaurant. The coffee shop is located along Macalister Road, directly opposite Court’s Mammoth. The food is ranges from all time favorite fried oyster, clay pot noodles, roasted ducks, dim sum and fried koay teow.
4. Tua Pui Curry Mee
Kimberley Street is one of the many streets in Penang that offers the best of the culinary Penang has to offer. But one that stands out will be Tua Pui Curry Mee. The curry mee is fames for its array of toppings that you can add on to your bowl of warming curry mee. You can easily find the curry mee in a mountain with curry chicken, curry squid, fish balls and cockles.
5. Balik Pulau Asam Laksa @ Nan Guang Coffee Shop
Asam Laksa is indeed a famous local delicacy in Penang and it is even coined as Penang Laksa for being an indigenous food of Penang. You can find asam laksa in every nook and corner of Penang but one specifically stands out will be Nan Guang Coffee Shop’s Asam Laksa.
Beyond the buzzing city with bumper-to-bumper traffic and premium complexes and high rises, lies a quiet town named Balik Pulau. Although it sounds like a place far away from the city, it is actually still consider a stone throw away with 15 to 30 minutes drive away from Georgetown. This is the very place for you to get a taste full of the famous asam laksa.
6. Peng Hwa Lok Lok @ Pulau Tikus Market
Lok Lok means Dip Dip in Cantonese where you dip skewered food in hot boiling water until when it ends up cooked. After that, you dip the food with the sauces whichever you prefer. There is a number of skewers for you to choose from that is seafood to vegetables.
This is no ordinary Lok Lok stall when you get to sit in a round table and have all the ingredients you have chosen to cook in the communal pot in the middle of the table. Besides the impressive selection of food items, the most important aspect of the entire process with be their dipping sauce. They provide up to 6 types of dipping sauce that basically cater to everyone’s taste.
7. Goodall Café
Goodall café has been well established for many years and is familiar to almost every local Penangites. You can basically find all the local delights here but top the list of many will be their curry fish head, chicken satay, wan tan mee and popiah.
8. Tandoori Naan Set at Kaasim Mustafa Nasi Kandar
Tandoori chicken which is the Flamingo esque, Indian grilled staple hen was first adopted by the locals hen the Indians first arrived in Penang just after Penang had being colonized by the British in the 1800. If you take a walk across most of the shops, you will come to notice that there are tandoori chickens hanging on long spikes. However, these are not the same as the tandoori at Kassim Mustafa Nasi Kandar.
The Tandoori here is special and above all, open 24/7 to serve people from all walks of life. This is normally served together with any naan you prefer. The Chicken is also served with a sweetened tomato and mint chutneys, a yellow daal and a collection of lime carrot and onions to use at your own preference. The serving will also include mango or pineapple lassi. The Tandoori chicken can be taken as an early morning snack or a late dinner serving depending on your preference.
There you have it, regardless where you travel to, you should absolutely eat like a local as only then you will get the true taste of the destination.
