The second we landed at Penang’s Worldwide Airport, we knew instantly that we’d be in for a culinary deal with. In addition to the quite a few TV reveals and write-ups concerning the metropolis’s meals, a brochure alongside the airport’s hall confirmed everything–it listed each dish we would have liked to pattern in Penang and the place to get it too! Nifty, eh?!
JOOI HOOI CAFÉ
ADDRESS: 475 JALAN PENANG, GEORGETOWN | OPEN HOURS: 11AM TO 5:30PM | GPS COORDINATES MAP: 5.417129, 100.330583
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| THE CRAMPED DINING HALL OF JOOI HOOI CAFE IN PENANG |
Jooi Hooi Café was one of many first meals locations we tried in Georgetown. On the time, we weren’t actually conscious that that is the place to get your asam laksa and char kway teow repair within the metropolis. It was pure probability that we handed by this hole-in-the-wall on the nook of Jalan Penang and Lebuh Keng Kwee and noticed multitudes of individuals trooping inside. A throng of individuals lining up, each locals and vacationers, on an eatery is a wonderful measure on how good a spot is.
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| KUEH PIE TEE |
The place is packed, the tables and chairs had been tightly spaced, and it was fairly sizzling inside. We sat ourselves on one finish of the café and ordered a bowl of asam laksa, kueh pie tee and kopi ais. We heard a lot about Penang’s model of laksa that we had been actually salivating as we requested it, we love laksa!
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| ASAM LAKSA |
We nibbled on our kueh pie tee, a mixture of shredded bamboo shoots and turnips on edible pie tee cups, whereas ready for the laksa to be lastly laid on our desk. We had been fairly stunned that it isn’t milky in any respect, like how we appreciated our laksa in Singapore, however quite it has a clearer broth with a reddish tinge. It seems that Penang does their laksa in another way, as a substitute of utilizing coconut milk, the soup is flavored with mackerel fish flakes, tamarind (asam), lemongrass, mint, and chili–which outcomes to a bitter than traditional broth.
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| KOPI AIS |
Sadly, we discovered it to be unsuitable for our style; it was approach too fishy for us. We shortly washed it off with kopi ais (iced espresso), which was smashingly good. I requested a neighborhood acquaintance about this, since I used to be fairly disturbed that I didn’t like asam laksa, Penang’s most well-known dish. He advised me to not fear, as it’s certainly, an acquired style.
MEE GORENG MAMAK LEBUH ARMENIAN
ADDRESS: JALAN MASJID KAPITAN KELING COR. LEBUH ARMENIAN, GEORGETOWN | GPS COORDINATES MAP: 5.415467, 100.337116
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| THE MEE GORENG STALL AT GEORGETOWN’S LEBUH ARMENIAN |
We first came across this noodle vendor on the nook of Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling and Lebuh Armenian after visiting the Kapitan Keling Mosque on our first journey to Penang a number of years in the past. At all times loopy for mee goreng (Malaysian fried noodles), we ordered a plateful from him. Barely in a position to communicate any English, we used signal language to point the spiciness stage of our dish.
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| COOKING MEE GORENG LITERALLY ON THE STREETS OF PENANG |
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| MEE GORENG MAMAK-STYLE |
After cooking our lunch, mamak-style, he personally introduced our nonetheless sizzling noodles to the close by benches throughout the road to the place we had been sitting. Mamak, by the way in which, is a time period used for Malaysians with Indian descent. It was one of the crucial outstanding mee goreng I’ve ever tried, and it even obtained higher when a passing vendor offered us a chilly bottle of beer.
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| THIS GUY HAS BEEN ON THIS SAME SPOT FOR YEARS |
Years later, we got here again to this exact same spot, hoping in opposition to hope that this mamak hawker was nonetheless in his place. Lo and behold, he’s nonetheless there, cooking the exact same mee goreng! This outdated man, apparently, has been promoting his noodles at this nook for a number of years already, rain or shine. Curious, I checked out Google Maps’ streetview of the place, and sure, he’s proper there too! We’re positively maintaining our hopes up that we’d see him once more on our subsequent go to to Penang.
ULTIMAXX CAFÉ
ADDRESS: PERSIARAN BAYAN INDAH, BAYAN LEPAS | OPENING HOURS: 7AM TO 4PM | GPS COORDINATES MAP: 5.335568, 100.306280
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| ULTIMAXX CAFE NEAR QUEENSBAY MALL PENANG |
Lunch got here calling throughout considered one of our outings to see the Penang Bridge close to Queensbay Mall alongside the Selatan Strait. It was noontime after we completed our fast jaunt on the mall and our even faster view of the bridge. Not eager to eat contained in the mall, we looked for a very good hawker place and located the Ultimaxx Café good beside it.
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| NASI GORENG |
The place, as most hawker facilities are, shouldn’t be air-conditioned. They’ve the same old plastic chairs and tables surrounded by totally different hawker stalls promoting all the pieces from asam laksa to char kway teow. However after our expertise with Jooi Hooi Café, we needed to strive one thing else aside from laksa, like err, fried rice?
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| ERR, A NOODLE DISH |
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| FRIED BEAN CURD AND TOFU |
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| MORE NOODLES, CAN’T REMEMBER THE NAME THOUGH |
We went loopy this time, shopping for all the pieces that appeared good in photos. I really like how the hawkers in Malaysia have pictures of the dishes they’re selling–it’s a lot simpler that approach for us persiarans, lol. After a couple of minutes of meals spree, we had a complete of three full dishes—nasi goreng, two noodle dishes, a bowl of fried bean curd, and two glasses of kopi ais.
Ultimaxx Café is perhaps a bit off radar for meals aficionados in Penang, however we had considered one of our most gratifying meals within the metropolis proper right here.
We went again to Penang for our Seaside Hop Asia summer season journey, and naturally, we ate, and ate, and ate! We obtained to strive outdated favorites and new ones, and listed here are a few of them.
LEBUH KIMBERLY NIGHT MARKET
ADDRESS: LEBUH KIMBERLY, GEORGETOWN | OPENING HOURS: 6PM ONWARDS | GPS MAP: 5.416222, 100.332952
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| TYPICAL HAWKER STALL AT LEBUH KIMBERLY IN PENANG |
N, a good friend from the Philippines working within the metropolis, toured us across the second time we visited Penang. From E&O Resort the place we had been cooped up, we took a fast stroll to the close by Lebuh Kimberly the place she mentioned we’d have dinner. Once more, with zero information about Georgetown, we had been fairly stunned to see a number of stalls hawking Malaysian-Chinese language dishes alongside the size of the road sidewalks.
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| LEBUH KIMBERLY FOOD MARKET AT NIGHT |
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| OUR CHOSEN SPOT |
Rapidly securing a uncommon vacant desk proper on the road aspect, she proceeded on ordering our dinner for us alongside her favourite stalls—looks as if she frequent this place very often as I noticed her being chummy with many of the distributors she spoke with (thanks N!).
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| KWAY CHAP |
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| FRIED TOFU, BEANCURD AND LOBAK |
After a lot terimakasih-ing, she plunked a bowl of kway chap—braised flat noodles throughout braised pork innards—and a plate of fried tofu, lobak, and bean curds on our desk. The previous appeared fairly intimidating, with its darkish broth and unknown pork elements swimming alongside the darkish steaming soup, its thick flat noodles didn’t assist both. The fried all the pieces was excellent although!
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| MEE GORENG STALL |
We additionally noticed hawkers promoting mee goreng, however we had been, surprisingly, too full from what we ate that we handed off on ordering a plate. Think about that, eh? Greater than the meals, I assume the attraction of Lebuh Kimberly comes from having your fill proper alongside one of many historic streets of Georgetown.
GURNEY DRIVE HAWKER CENTER
ADDRESS: SOLOK GURNEY, GEORGETOWN | OPENING HOURS: 6:30PM ONWARDS | GPS MAP: 5.440006, 100.308950
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| GURNEY DRIVE HAWKER CENTER |
One of the well-known hawker facilities in Penang is situated on the upscale Gurney Drive space. I do know, a hawker middle on a complicated space? Most Penangites actually don’t care a lot for this place, claiming the meals right here is overrated and fairly overpriced. However being the vacationers that we’re, we merely must strive it out and choose for ourselves (not that we’re good meals judges, lol).
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| INDIAN ROJAK, WE WOULD’VE ORDERED BUT THE PRICING WAS TOO CONFUSING |
The Gurney Drive Hawker Middle is situated on a middle island in between Persiaran Gurney and a smaller street, Solok Gurney 1. The place is stuffed by native stalls divided into three sections; Chinese language, Malay, and Mamak delicacies. It seems comparatively cleaner than most hawker stalls in Penang and there are, surprisingly, loads of locals consuming on the tables. Effectively, a lot for what the Web says.
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| FRIED CRISPY CHICKEN SKIN |
For starters, we purchased a plate of crisply fried hen pores and skin, which was fairly bizarre, to say the least, whereas ready for our bowl of asam laksa and char kway teow. Asam laksa?! Sure, we’re giving this well-known Penang noodle soup one other strive simply to make sure we weren’t actually lacking something.
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| ASAM LAKSA |
The well-known Penang noodle soup arrived on our desk fast sufficient, and it appeared virtually precisely the identical as the primary bowl we ordered years again; reddish soup, fish flakes floating on the floor. With trepidation, we spooned a mouthful and determined that Penang laksa isn’t actually for us.
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| CHAR KOAY TEOW |
What’s for us although is Penang’s different well-known avenue meals, the tongue twisting char kway teow. I often don’t dig thick noodles, however I really like this dish, despite the fact that I can not for the lifetime of me pronounce it. It’s mainly fried thick noodles set with eggs, bean sprouts, and prawns. The flavour is twice milder than my favourite mee goreng, however I adore it all the identical.
Certainly, the choices at Gurney Drive could also be fairly common, however by way of choice, you may’t hardly go incorrect right here. I like to recommend it for first time Penang guests who desire a good cross-section of what the town has to supply in relation to meals.
TOH SOON CAFÉ
ADDRESS: LEBUH CAMPBELL, GEORGETOWN | OPENING HOURS: 8AM TO 6PM | GPS MAP: 5.418923, 100.332025
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| TOH SOON CAFE, SET ON AN ALLEY BETWEEN TWO BUILDINGS |
Throughout a kind of uncommon hours after we truly went out of our resort in Georgetown (too sizzling!), we discovered this curious hawker place tucked in one of many slim alleys of Lebuh Campbell. Toh Quickly Café, an indication says. We excused our approach in via the tight tables and located us a seat after ready for a couple of minutes, this place seems fairly well-liked with the locals, a very good indication.
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| HOW THEY TOAST IT HERE |
We’ve got completely no thought then what we’d eat right here, it’s simply that the gang attracted us and so did the legitness of its location. Whereas ready, we had been fairly shocked after we noticed one of many workers toast loaves of white bread on the stomach of a rusted drum stuffed with smoldering coals. What the heck did we get into!?
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| PREPARING OUR KOPI AIS AT TOH SOON CAFE |
Espresso and toasts, that’s the one factor Toh Quickly Café provides, and simply take a look at how they do their toasts! We had been flabbergasted! Nonetheless, we ordered a batch of these metallic drum-toasted bread, an egg, and a few kopi ais. It was excellent since we actually weren’t too eager on something heavy to eat.
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| TOAST AND EGG |
The toast was splendidly crisp and was lathered with what appeared like peanut butter. It went completely properly with our chilly espresso. The egg, then again, was a whole thriller. Plunked on a cup, it was very, very smooth and appeared barely cooked; we completely do not know what to do with it.
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| KOPI AIS FOR TAKE-AWAY |
Trying round and taking cue from different clients, we noticed them gulping the egg straight down. We’re no Rocky Balboa and we ain’t positively doing that. What we did as a substitute was add a pinch of salt and pepper to the gooey mess and dipped our crispy toasts on it. It will not be the correct option to eat it nevertheless it labored fairly properly for us!
On our first post-pandemic journey, Penang was the primary metropolis exterior the Philippines we visited. We now have a toddler with us, and he’s gonna be tagging alongside for the continuation of our Penang meals journey.
NEW LANE HAWKER CENTRE
ADDRESS: LORONG BARU, GEORGETOWN | OPENING HOURS: 4PM TO 11PM, CLOSED WED | GPS MAP: 5.414807, 100.326520
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| THE SCENE AT NEW LANE HAWKER CENTRE PENANG |
Our first style of post-pandemic Penang was on the New Lane Hawker Centre. The heavy crowd was a little bit of a shock for us—we’re nonetheless attempting to get used to mingling with individuals. The world could be very a lot alive with locals and vacationers on the hunt for one of the best Penang meals.
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| THE ROAD AS THE HAWKER CENTRE |
New Lane Hawker Centre isn’t actually a hawker middle per se, it’s truly a avenue with stalls lining each side of the street—tables and chairs are situated on the parallel sidewalks and open areas. A neighborhood meals vlogger, Steven Goh of 48 Holiao, herded us to one of the best stalls this aspect of Penang. It’s good that we even have a meals information with us as we had been fairly overwhelmed with what to eat.
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| OUR ORDERS |
Quickly, our desk was stuffed with plates of char kway teow, hokkien mee combined with lor mee, and cuttlefish kang kung.
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| HONEY ROAST CHICKEN ~ |
Since most of what we ordered had been on the spicy aspect, we individually ordered honey-glazed roast hen and apom manis for Akira. The honey hen was truly excellent, that we ended up taking not a number of bits from his plate. The apom manis, which is conventional Malaysian pancakes stuffed with both banana, candy corn, or coconut. The child selected banana and it was excellent for his, and our, dessert.
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| CHAR KWAY TEOW ~ MYR 14.00 |
I completely love the char kway teow, which was served with crab meat, big prawns, and has that signature charred style achieved with cooking with a highly regarded wok. I heartily declared it as top-of-the-line I’ve tried in Penang.
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| OUR VERY FLAMBOYANT CHAR KWAY TEOW VENDOR |
There’s truly a well-known char kway teow stall on the New Lane Hawker Centre, the Charcoal Seafood Char Koay Teow which has been serving the dish for forty years, however we selected a distinct one for the reason that line was simply too lengthy and the uncle manning the stall we purchased our noodle from was very flamboyant. Based on him, he’s additionally about forty years within the enterprise, and if his noodle isn’t nearly as good as that from the opposite stall, we want not pay, lol.
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| HOKKIEN MEE WITH LOR MEE ~ MYR 6.50 |
The hokkien mee, which is a dry egg noodle dish, was additionally savory good. However the one we tried was fairly distinctive because it was was combined with lor mee, which is a soup-based starch noodle dish. That’s two excellent dishes, in a single go. And once more, it’s served by a stall who’s been within the enterprise for 50 two years.
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| CUTTLEFISH KANG KUNG ~ MYR 20.00 |
The cuttlefish kang kung was a shock for me, as I initially thought it received’t be any good. The cuttlefish truly tasted like tender squid and it went properly with the blanched water spinach. The 2 are lathered with a candy salty gravy, prawn paste, and sprinkled with crushed peanuts.
TANJUNG BUNGAH MPPP FOOD COURT & MARKET
ADDRESS: JALAN SUNGAI KELIAN, TANJUNG BUNGAH | OPENING HOURS: 7AM TO 12NN, DAILY | GPS MAP: 5.464207, 100.284935
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| TANJUNG BUNGAH MARKET’S HAWKER CENTRE |
One other place I frequented throughout our current go to was the hawker middle on the Tanjung Bungah Market. I often drop by the world early within the morning for my every day stroll. The market itself is sort of attention-grabbing, a lot forms of noodles and dimsums. I’d’ve purchased heaps, however it might’ve been onerous to convey it with us again residence, us being on simply the primary leg of our journey.
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| MY DAILY FIX OF ROTI CANAI ~ MYR 1.50 |
Since I’m alleged to be exercising to drop some weight, therefore my morning stroll, I often simply restrict my meal on the Tanjung Bungah MPPP Meals Court docket to a few roti canai—which is sort of good particularly with a glass of kopi ais.
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| FOOD BEING SOLD AT THE WET MARKET PROPER |
I do longingly take a look at of us forking their mee goreng and char kway teow whereas I dunk my crispy-soft roti on curry and chick pea gravies. Additionally, I heard that there’s a stall hawking a very good hokkien prawn mee right here. Pfttt, subsequent time.
KANNAAS BAMBOO MASALLA BRIYANI RESTAURANT
ADDRESS: LEBUH CHINA, GEORGETOWN | OPENING HOURS: 9AM TO 10:30PM, DAILY | GPS MAP: 5.418218, 100.339367
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| AT THE KANNAAS BAMBOO MASALLA BRIYANI RESTAURANT |
On the lookout for a spot to take a seat whereas our son naps the afternoon away as we discover Georgetown, we chanced upon Kannaas Bamboo Masalla Briyani Restaurant at Penang’s Little India space. In fact, we’re not losing the chance to eat whereas the child sleeps.
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| MEE GORENG AYAM MYR 8.50, CHAPATTI SET MYR 3.00, KOPI AIS MYR 2.30, TEH TARIK MYR 2.30 |
Whereas their specialty is bamboo masala biryani, we ignored it and ordered our favourite plate of mee goreng ayam. We mistakenly thought it might include a fried hen on the aspect. As a substitute, the ayam was chopped and was combined with the noodles, bones and all—making for a really onerous to eat noodle dish as we stored on getting bits of bone with each forkful. Nonetheless, it was nonetheless very excellent and really very spicy.
Two orders of their chapatti set and a beautiful chilly pair of kopi ais and teh tarik accomplished our meal.
DUCK BLOOD CURRY MEE RESTAURANT
ADDRESS: 223B JALAN BURMA, GEORGETOWN | OPENING HOURS: 12NN TO 10PM, CLOSED THU | GPS MAP: 5.423771, 100.321023
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| OUR SPREAD |
We talked about to Steve that we like curry mee, and he instantly scheduled an eat-a-thon at top-of-the-line curry mee eating places in Penang, the Duck Blood Curry Mee Restaurant. It was strolling distance from The George the place we had been staying, so to burn a number of energy in reserve for what’s forward, we walked.
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| DUCK BLOOD CURRY MEE RESTAURANT IN GEORGETOWN PENANG |
The restaurant is easy and unassuming however their dishes are a number of the greatest I’ve had in Penang. Effectively, they do have a Michelin Bib Gourmand plaque on their wall that are awarded to excellent eating places with reasonably priced value tags.
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| PORK INTESTINE CONGEE ~ MYR 11.00 | ROASTED PORK ~ MYR 12.50 |
The primary on our desk was the pork gut congee. The porridge was fantastic and creamy with the chopped inexperienced onions including a little bit of zest to the dish, however the star of the present, actually, was the actually crispy and savory pork gut. It additionally went rather well with the roasted pork—the crispy pores and skin on that one was simply wow.
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| CURRY MEE ~ MYR 9.00 (BIG) | PRESERVED EGG ~ MYR 3.00 |
A plate of Hainanese hen, bean sprouts, and bowls of curry mee quickly adopted.
Certainly, the curry mee was actually scrumptious. Together with what looks as if flat rice noodles, it has shrimps, tofu, gizzards, and, in fact, duck blood—that is the place the restaurant obtained its title. The bean sprouts had been a very good palate cleanser—the curry mee was very spicy. As for the Hainanese hen, properly, I’m actually not a fan of this dish, however my companions fairly appreciated it.
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| SPECIAL DRY CURRY MEE ~ NOT ON THE MENU |
Subsequent on the desk was a plate of preserved egg and a particular dry curry mee—this final one was not on the menu and was given to us on the home for us to strive. The preserved egg or century egg, was actually tasty, actually, it was too scrumptious that you may solely eat a slice at a time. The particular dry curry mee was nearly as good as its soupy counterpart, nevertheless it was extraordinarily spicy. I imply, I like spicy, however that is in all probability the spiciest noodle dish I’ve ever tried.
