Street Eats in Penang

George Town on Penang Island is known as Malaysia’s street food mecca, and as we arrived in late April, our mission was clear: to taste for ourselves what all the fuss was about. The former British settlement-cum-capital of Penang state and the country’s second largest metropolis, George Town was long ago established as a vital trading port between East and West. As we experienced throughout Malaysia but particularly here in George Town, the result is an eclectic mix of cultures and faiths that have added not only to the complex history of the country but has also created a beautiful assortment of colonial and Asian architectural styles.  And with this melding of Chinese, Indian, British and ethnic Malay heritages, a delectable sampler platter of global cuisines exists within this charming town.

As soon as we checked in to our small hotel, we dropped our packs and headed straight for the hawker stalls of Joo Hoi Café where we sampled some of the best street food on offer in Penang: rojak salad, laksa, char kway teow, chee cheong fun, seafood poh piah, and the icy treat of chendol for dessert. A few days later we had to return to this famed George Town eatery for a second helping of some favorites and a few new treats, including curry mee and cai kuih.

Arriving midday in George Town, we headed straight to Joo Hoi Cafe for all the Malay street food delights (April 25). 

First up, rojak salad, which translates to "mixture" of raw fruit and vegetables in a thick dressing of tamarind, sugar, vinegar and salt and topped with sesame seeds. 

We tried the traditional Cantonese dish of chee cheong fun, rice noodle rolls with shrimp.

One of the local specialties was seafood popiah, a thin crepe roll with a mix of crab, omelette and fried shallots inside. 

We slurped our way through a bowl of piping hot laksa, a spicy noodle soup and another specialty. 

Finally, with all the heat (both in the air and on our tongues), we cooled down with a big bowl of chendol, a shaved ice dessert made with green rice noodles, red beans, coconut milk and palm sugar. 

Ever the pedestrian city, George Town is also reputed for its colorful, engaging street art, which is often enjoyed while slurping on a bowl of hokkie mee as was the case for us at popular New Lane hawker stalls. The street art has found a more permanent home at the newly restored Hin Bus Deport Art Center, which serves not only as creative inspiration for the public but also a hub of healthy, delicious food purveyors on-site.  Post-yoga, we were particularly taken by Wholey Wonder’s papaya smoothie bowl, and in the Malay heat, Bricklin’s delightful iced Americanos.

George Town's hip Hin Bus Depot is a cool complex of outdoor art, galleries, and of course, delicious food. 

The indoor/outdoor on-site eatery, Buu's Kitchen, offers healthy dining options, smoothies and coffees all day.  

Bricklin Cafe Bar, a cozy spot for a coffee and pastry, gets its name from the road on which it sits, previously known as "Brick Kiln." 

We spent most days here at Wholey Wonder, a yoga studio and whole-foods cafe. 

Our favorite dish at Wholey Wonder was the papaya smoothie bowl filled with raw, organic goodness. 

With all the healthy eating, we once again hit the streets, this time at the New Lane Hawker Stalls. 

A favorite was a local version of hokkien mee, an fried egg and rice noodle dish in a spicy broth.  

We found further inspiration (and delectable treats) as we ventured to popular China House Penang, a complex maze of shops, cafes, restaurant, galleries, bakery and live music venue. Here, we enjoyed a bento set lunch of carrot soup, grilled fish, rosemary rice and fresh vegetable salad. That evening we braved an impending heat-induced thunderstorm to enjoy another bowl of one of our Malaysian favorites, char kway teow, at the Gurney Drive hawker stalls.

We spent an entire afternoon at China House Penang, a hip complex of eateries, bars, and local arts and products (April 26).

At China House, we enjoyed a bento box lunch that included carrot soup, grilled fish, rosemary rice, vegetable salad. 

More rooms throughout the maze of China House, perfect for coffees and their famous baked goods. 

After China House, we once again hit the streets, this time at the famous Gurney Drive hawker stalls. 

A dish of Gurney's char kway teow, a Pad Thai-like dish of rice noodles fried with shrimp, green onions, sprouts and egg in a wok. 

A visit to George Town is certainly not complete without visiting Little India, which we saved for one of our last meals in Penang. We chose Veloo Villas Restaurant where we enjoyed banana leaf rice with chicken curry, masala dosa, and mango lassis. Martin even taught Trey the proper way to eat with your hands—no utensils in sight!—, good practice for our time in India later this year. To cap off our adventurous eating experience, we decided to give the infamous—or some might consider beloved (there’s really no in between here)—durian a try as we’d seen the large spiky, melon-shaped fruit sold just about everywhere (despite signs in many establishments banning its smelly entry). We’ll let the images below show you just how we felt about our bold taste test.

George Town has a thriving Little India with plenty of tasty food both on the street and in cafes (April 27). 

We chose a restaurant known for its banana leaf rice and chicken curry. 

At last, we dared ourselves to try the controversial durian fruit at a stand near our hotel.

And the verdict.... you decide from Trey's face. 

George Town, Penang was on our list of must visit places for a reason—the food.  What we discovered along the way was how much more this city has to offer and about a thousand reasons why we can’t wait to return.