If you're only in Penang for a short amount of time or it's your first visit and you want to do a self-guided tour of some of the best local food, then follow this guide to the highlights of George Town. The aim is to give a mixture of some of Penang's (and Malaysia's) most famous dishes along with some stand-out food that hopefully will make you want to return.
You can open this list in Google Maps by clicking here.
Roti Canai @ Thaha's or Wahap
Roti canai is Indian paratha flatbread served with a small pot of curry, daal and/or sambal and it's one of Malaysia's national treasures. I'm very picky with my roti canai and it's regularly a let down so choose wisely.
Thaha's is my go-to roti canai in George Town. It's a little road-side stall catering to local workers. Get there before 10am (preferably before 9:30am as they're not the most reliable) and be sure to request that your roti are cooked fresh so they're still hot and crispy. I usually get one of the meat gravies and I also ask for the daal mixed with sambal. I usually get a second roti but if you're still hungry afterwards then grab a small nasi lemak from just one street away (see below).
Wahap is a bit out of the way but worth it, especially when Thaha's has finished serving. I recommend getting the roti with pink onions on the side and a separate bowl of dhal/sambal. As always, make sure you get a freshly cooked roti. It's close to perfect.
Transfer Road is by far the most famous place to get it, probably followed by Gemas Road, but they both serve it "banjir" (with the gravy all over the roti) which I'm not so keen on. I much prefer the gravy to be separate (and thick) so the roti stays crispy.
Sup Hameed do the version which comes with dhal and sambal (which is my favourite way to have it). Their roti isn't always as crispy as I like (so now I ask for extra crispy), but the gravy and sambal are a really great combo. I often ask for extra sambal. They seem to serve it roughly between 4pm and 9pm, so it's the only place on the list to get it in the evening.
Banana Leaf Rice @ Veloo Villas
Banana leaf rice is probably my favourite thing to eat for lunch in Malaysia and Veloo Villas is my go-to place in George Town. Make sure you follow my tips for what to order. In short, get the fried chicken (but make sure to ask if it's hot/fresh and wait for the next batch if not), fried cauliflower and possibly the mutton if you have room. I usually try to ask for less rice (and the 3 sides) so I'm not too full for the rest of the day.
Chicken Samosa @ Penang Special Samosa
Possibly the best samosa I've ever had. The stall also has vegetable, egg and mutton versions but chicken wins.
Cendol @ Penang Road Famous Teo Chew Chendul
This stall has been going for over 80 years and it's probably the best cendol I've had. I also wrote an article about the stall and family, "Three Generations of Cendol". Expect a queue but it's fast-moving. Get it in a bowl and use the spoon to carefully prod the ice down and stir all the ingredients together, making sure the palm sugar is mixed properly before eating it like a soup.
Nasi Lemak @ Ali Nasi Lemak
The most common way to eat nasi lemak (Malaysia's national dish) is in banana leaf pyramids. I recommend getting the traditional version with anchovies and egg. It's spicy though!
Hokkien Mee @ Old Green House
Known as "prawn mee" in other parts of Malaysia, Hokkien Mee is an intense prawn noodle soup which I highly recommend. The standard of Hokkien Mee in Penang is actually very high but the version at Old Green House wins for me and it's a great lively place to visit in the evenings. I recommend saying yes when they ask if you want the chilli as it adds a lot of flavour and they put it on a spoon so you don't have to mix it all in (it's not too spicy anyway). I also like to mix the boiled yolk in to the soup as it will disolve and make it nice and creamy! They have another branch that's open for lunch and is closer to George Town, but it lacks the atmosphere.
888 is probably the most popular Hokkien Mee with long queues at peak times. It's delicious but I think I slightly prefer the one at Old Green House.
Nasi Kandar @ Deen's Maju or Beratur
Nasi Kandar is one of Penang's most iconic dishes. It's very filling so not ideal if you're attempting to try as many local dishes as possible in a short space of time. Pick your favourite meats, fish and/or vegetables to go on top of the rice and then ask for "banjir" (meaning flooding - also, "kuah campur" means mixed sauce) to get a mix of curry sauces on top. It's a flavour overload but in a great way.
Deen's Maju is more of a favourite with Malaysians so you'll have to queue. I recommend the fried chicken, omelette, coconut sambal and some veg (maybe cabbage). And say "kuah campur" for the mix of delicious curry sauces. Going at lunch will probably increase the chances that they'll still have my favourites, but the queue will be longer.
Raffee is another favourite with locals. Their fried chicken is very popular and it's ridiculously huge.
Beratur is a unique experience as it doesn't open until 10pm and there will be a long queue, especially on weekends.
Although Line Clear is popular with tourists and is in a very central location, it's dismissed by every local I've spoken to about it.
Other local favourites...
Asam Laksa @ Pasar Air Itam Laksa or Joo Hooi Cafe
Different from the coconut milk laksa that you may have had before, the Penang version is sour and fishy. It's delicious and is a big deal in Penang. Pasar Air Itam Laksa is a long way from George Town but it's worth the effort and should definitely be visited if you're going to Kek Lok Si temple.
Char Koay Teow @ Kimberley Street or Siam Road
Char koay teow is one of the most famous dishes in Penang and is very comforting but it's not as tasty as most of the other dishes on this list, in my opinion. The stall on Kimberley Street is in a handy location and the shop on Siam Road is possibly the most popular but that comes with a long waiting time at peak times.
Wantan Mee @ Chulia Street
Make sure you go to the right stall, it should have "Mother and Son" on the cart in small writing. It's quite common to order both the wantan mee and the curry mee (from nearby) to the same table but you'll probably have to order a drink too (which is common when sitting at hawker stalls).
Also in the same group of stalls is a tiny old lady making really tasty apom pancakes. Don't bother if there's more than a few people queueing (as there often is) because she's very slow, but otherwise get a few (RM0.50 each) and make sure you eat them while they're still warm and crispy.
And if you have time...
Bamboo Biriyani @ Kannaa's
Great biriyani cooked in bamboo. I recommend either the chicken, the vegetarian chicken or the mutton. The restaurant is originally from Ipoh.
Vegetarian curries @ Sri Ananda Bahwan Vegetarian
The veggie sister restaurant to possibly the most popular Indian restaurant in George Town, which is on the same street. I was a regular here. They do roughly the same menu as their main restaurant but using meat-substitutes. My favourite order is either veg mutton rogan josh or veg chicken butter masala, ordered with a plain naan and roti canai. But they only do those curries in the evenings. If this one is closed, you can get the same vegetarian curries at their main restaurant.
Tandoori Set & Almond Milk @ Kapitan
The tandoori set is tasty (especially with butter naan) but it doesn't make the main list because it's similar to tandoori you can get in other countries. The almond milk (available in the evenings but runs out) is a hot dessert drink that's worth trying too.
Mee Sotong & Coconut Shake @ Esplanade Park
A great lunch spot. A very popular order is the mee sotong (spicy noodles with squid) and coconut shake together but they're actually from two different stalls.
Chapati @ Ali Capati Corner or Sultania
Chapatis are simple but they can still be a thing of beauty. Ali Capati Corner does a great one along with some tasty curries (especially the mutton) and it's also worth trying roti jala ("net bread") which is perfect for soaking up the gravies. It's worth waiting until they're cooking the breads so you know they're fresh and you can watch it being made (roti jala is fun to watch). An order of mutton curry, one chapati and one roti jala makes a great shared snack or light lunch. Sultania cook their chapati over charcoal so it gives it a nice charred smoky flavour.
Pepper biscuits @ NG Kee
This shop has been making these interesting pepper biscuits since 1928.
Drinks...
Teh tarik
Teh tarik (which means "pulled tea") is a popular milky tea across Malaysia. It's made using condensed milk, so it's sweet and it comes hot unless you ask for ice.
Teh o ais kosong
My go-to drink is iced tea with no milk or sugar. It's available in pretty much every place I eat and is usually RM1.50 or less. The "o" means no milk and kosong (which means "nothing") refers to no sugar.
Nutmeg Juice
Most "coffee shops" (the name given to the indoor collection of food stalls) have fresh nutmeg juice on their menu. It's quite unique to Penang and reminds me of cola. It's sweet (so it's worth asking for less sugar) but it's interesting and worth a try while you're here.
Beer
Alcohol isn't a big part of the culture and is often expensive, so I don't tend to drink much in Penang. However, I'll often take friends for a RM5 beer at Antarabangsa Enterprise which is basically a shop with plastic seats on the street.
Kombucha
Obviously kombucha isn't a Penang thing, but Fat Tiger Kombucha Lab is a café with a huge collection of different flavoured kombucha that they brew on site. The bottles aren't cheap (RM17) but they're delicious and it's a great place to chill.
Fruits...
Durian
Durian is a big deal in Penang and all over Malaysia, where it's known as the "king of fruits". I recommend trying the Musang King variety, although it's really expensive (and most tourists hate it) so make sure you like it first by trying a much cheaper ice cream. The main season seems to be from May til August with the peak in June/July, with a smaller season between November and January. Even during off season, there are a few stalls next to the New Lane hawker center on Jalan Macalister.
Mangosteen
Where durian is the king, mangosteen is the "queen of fruits" and they are often eaten together.
Rambutan
The rambutan is the hairy cousin to the lychee and is well worth a try. I love it!
Jackfruit
You've probably seen young jackfruit used as a meat substitute (such as pulled pork) in recent years but you might not have tried the ripe version which, unlike the young fruit, is full of flavour and very distinctive. It's often banned from hotels and public transport due to its smell (although not nearly as often as durian) but I don't think it's at all offensive. Then again, I love the smell of durian too.