Introduction: Why Penang is the Street Food Capital
If there’s one place in Malaysia where food isn’t just eaten but celebrated, it’s Penang. The island’s streets are alive with sizzling woks, bubbling broths, and stalls that have been passed down through generations. Penang’s food scene is shaped by its diverse communities — Malay, Chinese, Indian, and Peranakan — all of which brought their own flavours and traditions into the mix.
The result? A street food culture that locals are fiercely proud of and travelers never forget. This is your guide to 15 Penang street food classics — dishes that define the island and the hawkers who keep the tradition alive.
1. Char Koay Teow (炒粿条)
If Penang had a national dish, this would be it. Char Koay Teow is flat rice noodles stir-fried over a blazing wok with prawns, cockles, bean sprouts, chives, and egg. What sets it apart is the wok hei — the smoky aroma that only comes from a seasoned wok and a skilled hawker. Some versions use duck eggs for extra richness.
📍 Where to try: 328 King Prawn Char Koay Teow, Siam Road Char Koay Teow, Penang Road Jin Kor Char Koay Teow
👉 Hungry Tip: Watch out for long queues — the best Char Koay Teow stalls can easily take 30 minutes. Go early or be patient; it’s worth it.
2. Penang Assam Laksa (亚参叻沙)
Assam Laksa is bold, tangy, and unforgettable. The broth is made with mackerel, tamarind, lemongrass, and chili — sour, spicy, and layered with flavour. Thick rice noodles soak up the broth, while toppings like pineapple, cucumber, onions, mint, and a dollop of shrimp paste bring balance and complexity.
📍 Where to try: Balik Pulau Laksa, Reservoir Garden’s Keat Seng Coffee Shop, Wan Dao Tou Assam Laksa
👉 Hungry Tip: Stir in the shrimp paste before you take your first sip — it transforms the broth into something richer and more complex.
3. Hokkien Mee (福建面)
A prawn and pork bone broth simmered for hours gives this noodle soup a deep, savoury flavour. Yellow noodles and vermicelli are served with prawns, pork slices, kangkung, bean sprouts, and half a boiled egg, with chilli paste on the side.
📍 Where to try: Presgrave Street 888 Hokkien Mee, Bridge Street Prawn Noodle, Oh Lay Ee Hokkien Mee
👉 Hungry Tip: Ask for extra chilli paste if you like it spicy.
4. Nasi Kandar
Indian Muslim-style rice served with a mix of curries and side dishes. The signature is the “banjir” style, where gravies from different dishes are poured together over rice.
📍 Where to try: Nasi Kandar Imigresen, Nasi Kandar Beratur, Farveen’s Dalkandar,
👉 Hungry Tip: Don’t overthink it. Point at what looks good, then ask for “kuah campur” (mixed gravies). That’s how the magic happens.
5. Mee Goreng
Yellow noodles fried with sambal, potatoes, cuttlefish, and tofu. It’s smoky, spicy, and slightly tangy, finished with a squeeze of lime.
📍 Where to try: Bangkok Lane Mee Goreng, Hameed Pata Mee Sotong, Rahim Mee Goreng
👉 Hungry Tip: If your tummy has enough space, pair it with Mee Rebus (from the same stall, if available) for a two-in-one flavour experience.
6. Lor Bak (五香卷)
Marinated pork rolls wrapped in bean curd skin and deep fried until golden. Usually served with fried tofu, prawn fritters, and sausages, paired with gravy and chili sauce.
📍 Where to try: Kheng Pin Café, Ping Hooi Coffee Shop, Tan Jetty Prawn Fritters & Loh Bak
7. Curry Mee (咖喱面)
Creamy coconut-based soup with prawns, cockles, tofu puffs, cuttlefish, and sometimes pork blood cubes. The chilli paste is served separately so you control the heat.
📍 Where to try: Lorong Seratus Tahun Curry Mee, Sisters Curry Mee (Air Itam), Xen Teck Coffee Shop
👉 Hungry Tip: Start with a small spoonful of chili paste. It gets fiery fast!
8. Rojak (啰惹)
A sweet-sour fruit and vegetable salad coated in thick prawn paste, sugar, lime, and crushed peanuts. Messy, bold, and refreshing. Don’t get confused with rojak from other states, it is a different dish.
📍 Where to try: Macallum Street Rojak, Grandpa 7 Rojak (Eight Heng Food City), Rojak Tonggek (Butterworth)
9. Apom Manis (甜薄饼)
Thin pancakes with crispy edges and soft centers, sweetened with coconut milk. Cooked over charcoal, they’re a nostalgic Penang snack.
📍 Where to try: Apom Guan (Jalan Burmah), Ravi’s Claypot Apom Manis, Sai Ram Apom Manis (New Cathay Coffee Shop)
10. Cendol & Ais Kacang (煎蕊 / 红豆冰)
Cendol features shaved ice with coconut milk, palm sugar, and green rice flour jelly. Ais Kacang is the colourful cousin — red beans, sweet corn, grass jelly, palm seeds, and syrup over shaved ice. Both are sweet escapes from Penang’s heat.
📍 Where to try: Penang Road Famous Teochew Cendol, Swatow Lane Ice Kacang (New World Park), Padang Brown Food Court
👉 Hungry Tip: Don’t share — these melt quickly, and you’ll regret giving up a spoonful.
11. Chee Cheong Fun (猪肠粉)
Penang’s version swaps soy sauce for shrimp paste. The rice rolls are drenched in “hae ko” (shrimp paste), sweet sauce, chilli, and sesame seeds. Strong flavours, not for the faint-hearted.
📍 Where to try: Seow Fong Lye Cafe (Macalister Lane), First Genting Café, Yan Foo Chee Cheong Fun (Lebuh Kimberley)
12. Koay Teow Th’ng (粿条汤)
A light, comforting noodle soup with either pork, chicken or duck broth. Flat rice noodles in clear broth with fish balls, pork slices, and lettuce. Locals love it for breakfast.
📍 Where to try: 118 Koay Teow Th’ng (Lebuh Melayu), Kimberley Street Koay Teow Th’ng, Tiger Koay Teow Th’ng (Carnarvon Street)
13. Oyster Omelette (Oh Chien / 蚝煎)
A crispy, gooey omelette made with oysters, eggs, and starch. Savoury, briny, and perfect with chilli sauce.
📍 Where to try: Presgrave Street Hawker Centre, Goodall Food Court, Keat Seng Coffee Shop (Reservoir Garden)
👉 Hungry Tip: Some stalls offer a crispier “dry” version and a gooey “wet” version. Ask before you order.
14. Popiah (薄饼)
Fresh spring rolls filled with stewed turnip, bean sprouts, carrots, egg, and sometimes crab meat. Juicy, crunchy, and slightly sweet.
📍 Where to try: Padang Brown Popiah, Shang Wu Hawker Stalls, Nur Popiah (Padang Brown)
15. Char Koay Kak (炒粿角)
Fried radish cake Penang-style. Cubes of rice cake stir-fried with soy sauce, preserved radish, bean sprouts, and eggs. Smoky, chewy, and addictive.
📍 Where to try: Sister Yao Char Koay Kak (Macalister Lane), Muscle Man Char Koay Kak (Presgrave Street)
👉 Hungry Tip: Add the preserved radish!
Final Bite: Where Food is Culture
In Penang, street food isn’t just about eating — it’s about connection. Every hawker stall has a story, every dish carries heritage. From the tangy broth of Assam Laksa to the crispy chew of Char Koay Kak, these 15 classics are more than meals; they’re pieces of Penang’s identity.
So the next time you’re wandering George Town, follow the queues, trust the aromas, and taste Penang one bite at a time.
