Penang , the food paradise which is rich in its diversity of ethnicity, culture and religion. This diversity brings out the varieties of Penang ’s streets and hawker food. There is no such thing as lack of food options but only difficulties on finding stores that you go shaking your head and think “This is awful.”
Many travellers search for food blogs with the keyword “Penang Must Eat” and go to the most recommended stalls which all travellers blogged about and which tend to forgot that the previous person when based on the same search and keyword. So, ended up, the “Famous Food in Penang” might not be the “Best “but overrated and expensive.
Forget about Char Koay Teow, Asam Laksa, Koay Chiap and forget about Penang Prawn Noodles. There is so much more that Penang can offers you.
Char Koay Kak.
When you think of Penang food, you will immediately shout out for Char Koay Teow. However, Penangites will be quick to shout out that it has a delicious “brother”, Char Koay Kak. Instead of flat rice-cake stripes , Koay Kak is thick and mainly in small chunks or cubes.
Both share similar characteristics but rice cake imparts a flavour and texture all of its own. Char Koay Kak is fried with dark soy sauce, chopped pickled radish and garlic, egg and bean sprouts.
Price Range: RM 4.00 – RM 6.50
Recommended Place:
Union Primary School Char Koay Kak
Jalan Burmah (In front Union Primary School),
10050 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
Hours: Monday to Friday - 7.00 PM – 10.00 PM
Koay Teow Th’ng
Anson Road Market Koay Teow Th’ng is soup version of flat rice noodles. Comes with shredded chicken or pork meat, fish balls and pork blood curd in rich clear pork/duck bones broth. You can add on chicken feet, pork skins and etc.
Recommended Place:
Kuih Teow Soup stall
Anson Road Market
Jalan Anson & Lebuh Melaka
Penang.
Hours: Tuesday to Sunday – Breakfast hour.
Bak Kwa Roti (Dried Pork Sandwich)
The Bak Kwa, a savoury dried sweet meat made from dried pork meat, which was grilled over a small charcoal grill until it is hot and slightly charred.
The soft steamed white buns are then cut open and then doused in a special mixed brown sauce before the grilled Bak Kwa is placed between the bun.
Aside of Bak Kwa, they also offer snacks like chicken bishop, drumsticks, chicken wings, meat balls, bacons and many more. All are skewered to a bamboo sticks and marinated in the special mixed brown sauce before they are grilled to perfection.
Price range:RM 1.50 to RM 4.
Recommended Place:
Mount Erskine Hawker Centre
Jalan Mount Erskine, 10470, Penang
Hours: 11AM – 5PM
Mixed Pork Noodles.
This is not your ordinary mixed pork noodles that you can get from any stalls or shops.
Hon Kei Food Corner serves their noodles with generous amount of minced pork and pork innards such as pork kidney, tripe, intestine, liver, heart, and even brain! Yes, pork brain. The broth has strong porky taste in which you will either love it very much or run for your life.
They serve varieties of choices such as noodles, thick vermicelli, thin vermicelli and porridge.
I personally like their thick vermicelli with minced pork and mix pork innards with extra brain and additional add-on an egg. It makes the broth a creamier taste.
Price Range: RM 8.30
Recommended Place:
45, Lorong Kampung Malabar,
George Town, 10200 George Town,
Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
Hour: Open daily except Thursday from 9am – 3pm and 5pm – 12am
Mee Goreng
Mee goreng might sound like a normal plate of fried noodle u can get anywhere in Malaysia mamak but not this one. Penang mee goreng is a simple yet satisfying dish. Thick yellow noodles, stir-fried with egg and a little bit of prawn fritters, tofu, beansprout, potatoes and cuttlefish with generous amount chili and tomato concoction sauce till its dry up in high heat.
A 100% “wok hei” plate of bright red-orange noodles.
Price Range: RM 6.00
Recommended Place:
Mee Goreng Stall
Jalan Sg. Kelian. (Opp of Ah Soon Café)
or
Seng Lee Coffee Shop,
270, Jalan Burmah, 10350, Georgetown, Penang
Hours: 8.00 AM to 6.00 PM
Loh Mee
Loh Mee, the underrated delicacy in Penang and often being confused with the stir-fried noodles with vegetables and meat from the other state.
Loh Mee is a noodle soup with broth made from tapioca flour and egg served with beansprouts, boiled egg, pork or chicken slices and garnished with golden-fried onions with chili and vinegar garlic paste. Some stalls also include chicken feet, pork skins and mushroom.
Due to the similarity ingredient in Loh Mee and “Hokkien Mee” (Prawn Noodles) hawker stalls tends to sell these two noodles in a stall together. Some people order by mixing them both together. We call it "Hokkien Loh"
Hokkien Loh is a mixture of Loh Mee and Hokkien Mee broth for those that want a slightly sticky broth in their Hokkien Mee or a slightly less starchy in their Loh Mee.
Isn’t that the best of both world?
Price Range: RM 5 and above
Recommended Place:
Old Green House
223, Jalan Burma, George Town,
10050 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
Pat Poh Gu Leng Pheng (Pat Poh Milk)
It started as an herbal drink for health but now it's more of a refreshment which the locals of all ages enjoy it. Pat poh, literally means "eight treasures" in Chinese, and the drink gets its name from the eight herbs used in its concoction such as Purnell vulgaris, menthol, liquorice root, mandarin orange peel, honey, cinnamon, brown sugar and mulberry leaves.
Pat Poh Gu Leng Pheng is a combination of Pat Poh syrup, milk and ice. It gives you the creamy and bubble gum taste.
Price Range: RM 1.50 and above
Recommended Place:
Every coffee shops