Travel like a local

Penang Food Guide

If you're short on time, don't miss our Self-Guided Food Tour of the very best food in Penang.

People come to Penang for the food. It's world famous for it. It's predominantly a mixture of Hokkien, Teochew and Indian-influenced food. There are many hawker centres, lots of westernised cafes, 24-hour restaurants and options to suit all budgets.

Local dishes: Nasi Kandar.

Related Pages: Three Generations of Cendol .

Below is some of the best food in Penang...

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Updated: 28th November, 2020
Penang Road Famous Teo Chew Cendol thumbnail

Penang Road Famous Teo Chew Cendol

MALAYSIAN DESSERT

"This was a definite highlight of Malaysia for me. I had it regularly, either as a dessert or as a way to cool down during the heat of the day."

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Veloo Villas

INDIAN RESTAURANT

"This is my favourite place for banana leaf rice in Penang. Make sure you get the extras when they come around."

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Penang Special Samosa

INDIAN STREET FOOD

"Wow! I really didn't expect these to be so good."

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Penang Famous Hokkien Mee

MALAYSIAN STREET FOOD
Warning: This place has been flagged as permanently closed on Google Maps.

"Great family-run place. The owner, Ah Soon, is very friendly and welcoming."

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Taha's Roti Jala & Roti Canai thumbnail

Taha's Roti Jala & Roti Canai

MALAYSIAN STREET FOOD

"Simple small local stall for roti canai and roti jala. It's mainly for local workers and you're sitting by the road on plastic stalls, but trust me, it's worth it!"

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Green House Prawn Mee & Loh Mee @ Old Green House thumbnail

Green House Prawn Mee & Loh Mee @ Old Green House

MALAYSIAN STREET FOOD

"A bit out of the way but it's worth the trip. There are quite a few different stalls but I went there specifically for the Hokkien Mee."

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Kapitan

INDIAN RESTAURANT

"Great 24-hour Indian restaurant. I've been countless times."

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Restoran Tajuddin Hussain

INDIAN RESTAURANT

"Lots of great Indian food. They're well known for their nasi kandar and biryani."

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Sri Ananda Bahwan - Vegetarian

INDIAN RESTAURANT

"The vegetarian branch of the popular restaurant of the same name which is on the same road. It's probably my favourite vegetarian restaurant in Penang and I'm a regular customer."

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Nasi Kandar Beratur Original thumbnail

Nasi Kandar Beratur Original

MALAYSIAN STREET FOOD

"One of the most famous and popular nasi kandar restaurants in Penang. It only opens at 10pm."

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Muthu Traditional Banana Leaf

MALAYSIAN RESTAURANT

"I had read that it was known as ‘Muthu’ but when I showed the name to a member of staff, he seemed not to recognise it. Instead, there doesn’t seem to be a name and there definitely aren’t any signs outside but you’ll know it when you find it as the inside has signs for traditional banana leaf food."

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Deen Maju

MALAYSIAN RESTAURANT

"Very popular for Nasi Kandar. I arrived at 8pm and there were 30-40 people in the queue in front of me."

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Bite 'N' Eat Dindigul Biriyani

INDIAN RESTAURANT

"A modern Indian restaurant that's quite unlike everything else in the area. The menu is really interesting with plenty of choices including vegetarian, fish and meat (with mutton seeming to be one of their specialities)."

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Ali capati corner

INDIAN STREET FOOD

"I had 2 chapati with mutton curry for RM8. I loved it!"

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Lobak King @ Ping Hooi

MALAYSIAN STREET FOOD

"My Uber driver told me the stalls at Ping Hooi cafe are amazing for breakfast, especially the 'special loh bah' from the Lobak King. The King himself suggested the pork roll, pork chop, shrimp cake and fried fish."

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Green House Prawn Mee Corner

MALAYSIAN STREET FOOD

"Another branch of possibly my favourite Hokkien Mee. This one is open for lunch (except Sunday) and evenings."

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Pasar Air Itam Laksa

MALAYSIAN STREET FOOD

"Widely regarded as the best place for Penang Assam Laksa. It's a bustling place with a great atmosphere and the efficient staff will have your bowl of delicious laksa ready before you've had a chance to take in the setting."

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Ali Nasi Lemak

MALAYSIAN STREET FOOD

"As you walk in to the bustling Sri Weld food court, the first stand is selling lots of individually wrapped nasi lemak parcels in banana leaf. We watched them being made and asked which version is the best - one of the staff instantly and confidently answered "anchovies!" so we both went for it."

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Kashmir Restaurant

INDIAN RESTAURANT

"A fairly up-market Indian restaurant by Malaysian standards. I'd heard great things about the tandoori chicken and naan bread, so I went for lunch and ordered exactly that."

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Sri Ananda Bahwan

INDIAN RESTAURANT

"Possibly the busiest Indian restaurant in town. The service can be pretty terrible and I've had some inconsistent experiences there but there's certain dishes they do really well and their breads are fantastic."

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