Many Singaporeans flock to Penang for street food and a short vacation. One very attractive thing about Penang is the wall mural street in George town and it can be pretty fun to stroll along the heritage streets and search for the next mural. The best time to do it is probably in the later part of the year if not be prepared to be baked under the sun as it is extremely hot. There are many other list of food on what to eat in Penang but after trying them with my glutton gang, I realise that many of them are just mediocre so this 5 in my list is the filtered good ones in my personal opinion.
1) Assam Laksa
This dish is a must eat in Penang as the city is the founder of this dish. Although we have many stalls selling this here, nothing beat the ones sold in Penang. The broth is much thicker and more flavourful. One of our favourite stall is Pasar Air Itam Laksa which is the one just at the foot of Kek Lok Si Temple at the Ayer Itam Market. The servings here are very generous with their ingredients, each bowl comes with plentiful of fish, cucumber, onions and lettuce. The soup is a good balance of sour and savoury from the large amount of prawn paste. The assam laksa here packs a good punch and each spoon of broth will leave you craving for more.
Address: 1, Jalan Pasar, Pekan Ayer Itam, 11500 Ayer Itam, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
Operating hours: 10.30 am to 7.00 pm ( closed on Wednesday )
2) Char Kway Teow
The next favourite on the list is Penang char kway teow which is very different from the ones in Singapore. As there is no dark sauce added, the kway teow in Penang is lighter in colour but with very strong wok flavour. The best stall for this dish we had is the one at Ah Leng Char Koay Teow. We used to go to the Sister’s char kway teow which is pictured above but ever since they handed the helm of the store to the next generation the standard of the dish has dropped. The kway teow was lacklustre in taste and there is just not enough ‘wok hei’ ( heat ) in the dish which is very crucial for this dish. Our driver subsequently introduced us to another stall which is Ah Leng Char Koay Teow and am I glad that we discovered this place as the dish is very sumptuous and flavourful.
Address: Jalan Dato Keramat, Kampung Makam, 10150 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
Opening hours: 9.30 am to 3.30 am ( closed on Wednesday)
3) Rojak
The next dish to have is the rojak and what makes it special is really the thick and sweet savoury prawn paste. The ingredients used is very fresh and include items like green papaya and mango. This dish is good everywhere in Penang since the sauce is good but I would recommend the coffee shop next to the Chendol stall.
4) Chendol
This is another must have dish in Penang and I believe many people already know this place. It is a small roadside stall and have been in operation since 1936 serving out bowls and bowls of iced sweetness. The chendol here is even better than the ones in Malacca although Malacca is supposed to have the best Gula Melaka. You can taste the strong fragrance of the gula melaka as well as the fresh coconut cream. It is extremely refreshing to have this under the hot weather of Penang.
Address: Jalan Penang, George Town, 10450 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
Operating hours: 10.30 am to 7.00 pm ( 10 am to 7.30 pm for Sat and Sun )
5) Prawn Noodle
Last but not least, the prawn noodles in Penang is slightly different with a bright red hue. There is also braised egg given in each bowl of noodle and a generous amount of fried shallots and red chilli paste. The broth of the Penang noodle is very sweet and has a strong prawn flavour and is worth giving a try. One of the stall we found good is the Ah Ming Prawn Mee.
Address: 313, Lebuh Chulia, George Town, 10200 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
Operating hours: 5.00 pm to 9.00 pm ( closed on Wednesday )
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