• I've been to Penang many times, this is my 7th time, but I've never written a review. Most people who go there review tourist attractions and food. This time, I'd like to review the food that I think is delicious. Some of the markets and restaurants I went to may not be the same as those visited by tourists, as some are night markets that are not located in tourist areas. Only locals go there because they are outside of Georgetown. Anyway, the places I'm reviewing are the ones I tried and found delicious. They include street food, restaurants, and cafes.

Penang's Culinary Tapestry: A Fusion of Flavors

Penang's diverse culinary landscape reflects its rich cultural heritage, offering a tantalizing blend of Malay, Chinese, and Indian influences. The city's street food scene is particularly vibrant, with affordable options readily available throughout the day, from breakfast to dinner and snacks in between.

This culinary tapestry is a testament to Penang's historical role as a trading hub, where different cultures have intermingled and left their mark on the local cuisine. The affordability and accessibility of street food further enhance its appeal, making it an integral part of the Penang experience.

One of the cultural norms in Malaysia is that people typically order sweetened beverages instead of plain water when dining out. As someone who prefers to drink plain water, I have noticed that ordering it can sometimes attract curious glances from others. The rationale behind this preference for sweetened drinks is that plain water is readily available at home, making it unnecessary to purchase it when eating out.

The famous dishes here are Laksa, Char Kway Teow, various noodles, and desserts like Chendol, Penang's version of Lod Chong. There are also local versions of Tau Huay and Tau Suan.

This trip lasted 4 days and 4 nights.

  • August 10-14, 2018
  • AirAsia flight departing from Bangkok to Penang at 3:40 PM, arriving at 6:35 PM (Penang time is 1 hour ahead of Thailand time).
  • Return flight on AirAsia departing from Penang at 6:55 PM, arriving in Bangkok-Don Mueang at 7:45 PM.

Flying with AirAsia with a co-branded credit card

This passage describes the benefits of using an AirAsia co-branded credit card for frequent flyers.

Key benefits highlighted:

  • Free beverage: Passengers with FD or XJ flight tickets can receive a free 60 baht beverage by presenting their co-branded card along with their ticket.
  • Priority check-in: Cardholders can use the special "Red Carpet" lane for check-in, avoiding long queues.
  • Reward points: Points are earned not only on flight purchases but also on general spending. The points earned depend on the card's status (e.g., Platinum earns approximately 3 times the points).
  • Interest-free installments: For flight tickets above 5,000 baht, 0% interest installments are available for 3 months. 6 and 9-month installments incur a 0.79% interest rate.
  • Redemption for flights and airport taxes: Accumulated points can be redeemed for flights and even airport taxes.

Overall, the passage emphasizes the cost-saving and convenience benefits of using an AirAsia co-branded credit card for frequent flyers.

This is a night market, but it is not popular with tourists because it is not located in the Georgetown area. However, it is a relatively large market with a wide variety of goods for sale, from everyday items to food. It is located along the side of the road and is open every Friday. When I went, it was quite hot and crowded, mostly with local residents who live nearby, mainly Chinese people. There was a wide variety of food available, which I will review later. When I spoke English there, it seemed strange, and they knew immediately that I was a foreigner because everyone in the area spoke Chinese.

This restaurant is very popular, similar to fish ball and tofu stalls in Thailand. The fish balls and tofu are boiled in a clear, slightly sweet broth in a pot resembling a noodle soup pot. They are served in a cup with a dipping sauce that tastes similar to Thai fish ball dipping sauce but is not spicy and has a sweet flavor. The dipping sauce is mixed with a small amount of broth. Customers eat the fish balls and tofu by dipping them in the sauce and then drinking the remaining sauce and broth. The used cups are returned to the restaurant. The fish balls and tofu can also be purchased for takeaway. While this dish is similar to Thai fish ball soup, it is not considered exotic. It is a simple, hot, and comforting dish that is enjoyable to eat.

In a flash, the entire pot was gone! Thankfully, I had already eaten before leaving. Everyone was standing around the shop eating, and then they went on to eat something else.

Soft-shell crab, a delicacy recommended by the guide. It costs 8 ringgits, which is almost 70 baht in our currency. The crab is deep-fried, coated in batter, and cut into pieces. It is then sprinkled with chili powder and served in a paper bag. It is delicious, but a bit pricey because it is crab. However, the portion size is small.

Fried chicken is popular here. Most people eat chicken as pork is scarce due to the large Muslim population.


The recommended chicken dish, initially thought to resemble the flavor of Hat Yai fried chicken, turned out to be different. This is a Muslim-owned restaurant, but in our opinion, Hat Yai fried chicken is more delicious. This chicken has a slight odor, unsure of its origin. It wasn't quite to our taste, but it was still edible. It's sold by the piece, with options for drumsticks, thighs, or breasts. There's no dipping sauce; it's meant to be eaten as is.

The fish balls in the curry soup are similar to fish balls in a curry-flavored broth. The taste is acceptable, with a hint of spices. However, those who dislike spices may not enjoy it.

These resemble fish balls in a green curry or coconut milk-based broth.


The fried mushroom stall offers a selection of three types of fried mushrooms. Customers can choose to have a mix of all three or select their preferred type. The price varies depending on the size and type of mushroom chosen. For a small mixed plate, the price is 7 RM, while a large mixed plate costs 10 RM.

This dish is similar to crab rangoon, but it is made with noodles and cut into pieces. It is only found in Penang and is called "loh bak." It is made from chicken and is not available anywhere else. You must eat it in Penang as it is a local dish. I give it a full score, but it can be greasy if you eat too much.

Affordable price: 1 piece for 1.80 RM, 12 pieces for 20 RM.

Shark fin soup 55 is similar to fish maw soup. I don't feel any difference from fish maw soup. The soup base is the same.

A dish of shredded shark fin, a healthy Chinese-style dish with shiitake mushrooms. It's passable, but the taste is like our own fish maw soup.

This is a dish called Nashilamak, which is a popular Indian dish. It consists of rice wrapped in a leaf and served with various curries, including fish curry and fried fish. The recommended toppings at this restaurant are shellfish and shrimp, which the vendor says are the most popular choices. These toppings are similar to stir-fried shrimp with Thai curry spices, and are accompanied by small fried fish to balance the spiciness.

When served, the dish is wrapped and placed on the side. When eating, we mix it together. It may not look very appetizing like this, but it's still good. It's a stir-fried curry with spices style.

Deep-fried quail eggs on skewers, similar to our deep-fried quail eggs but served on skewers. They use a charcoal stove so you can pick them up and eat them without having to peel them. They are sprinkled with pepper and a little sauce, and the taste is the same.


After exploring and tasting various shops, we ended up with this much food for two people. It was quite a lot, including tea and noodles, and it cost almost 500 RM. We bought a lot of things as mentioned in the previous review. The night market here has a lot of food, we think even more than the famous street food streets in Georgetown, such as Kimbery Street or Chulia Street.

For those seeking a diverse culinary experience beyond the tourist hotspots, here are some recommendations:


Penang Road Chendul: A Sweet Treat in Georgetown

Penang Road Chendul is a popular dessert stall in the heart of Georgetown, Penang. The stall is known for its delicious and refreshing chendul, a traditional Malaysian shaved ice dessert.

The chendul at Penang Road Chendul is made with fresh ingredients, including coconut milk, palm sugar, and pandan leaves. The shaved ice is topped with a variety of toppings, such as red beans, peanuts, and corn. The chendul is then drizzled with a sweet and fragrant gula melaka syrup.

The chendul at Penang Road Chendul is a must-try for any visitor to Georgetown. The stall is open daily from 10am to 6pm.

No matter how many times I come here, I always have to eat this. I've been here 7 times and I've eaten it 7 times. It's delicious and refreshing with red beans and shaved ice mixed in, just like always. If it were back home, I would probably add a lot of ice, but ice must be expensive here.

The national dish "Laksa" is served here, but it's not delicious. I ate it because I was hungry. The shop is next to the Penang Lod Chong shop. It's also crowded even though it's not delicious. A bowl costs about 40 Thai baht. Order your food at the counter where they are cooking and wait to take it to your seat. When you're done eating, pay the cook.

This restaurant was recommended by others, and I wanted to see if it was as delicious as they said. It is located near the Penang Rojak stall and is called Toh Soon Cafe.

The Sabhaka Coffee Shop is a popular spot for people of all ages to relax and socialize. Patrons can enjoy a variety of beverages, including coffee, tea, and fresh-baked bread. While the shop is primarily known for its drinks and snacks, it also offers a selection of food items.

The recommended dishes here are kaya toast and another dish with an egg, similar to a poached egg on top. However, we did not order it as we were still full from the laksa and cendol. We ordered iced tea and kaya toast instead, and it was delicious.

The taste is average, I would give it a 6. The bread is slightly crispy, but the kaya is not as delicious as in Thailand. The charcoal-grilled toast with kaya filling that oozes out is much better in our country.

Continuing on, we were told that we were full. We went to the famous China House restaurant, which wasn't far because it was too hot. We needed to find a cool place to sit and rest before we couldn't take the heat anymore, so we went into a coffee shop.


This cafe boasts an extensive selection of cakes, offering both takeaway and dine-in options. Customers can choose their desired cakes directly from the display and wait for their order. The cakes are generously sized and priced reasonably within the typical cafe range of 130-180 baht.

Accompanied by a Coke Zero, as I couldn't handle any more dairy products and needed a refreshing drink. My stomach was also starting to feel the strain, haha! But I persevered for the sake of this review. Just kidding, I wanted to try everything. Don't worry about the weight, I'll work it off later (that's what I tell myself to feel better).

He claims that eating sweets improves one's mood and brightens one's appearance.

The bakery offered a dazzling array of cakes, making it difficult to choose just one. I opted for the chocolate raspberry cake, but it wasn't quite to my taste. The cake itself was dense, but the strong raspberry flavor was a bit overwhelming for me. However, other customers seemed to enjoy it, as there was a long queue of people waiting to purchase their own slices. The sheer variety of cakes on offer made it a challenge to decide, and I'm not sure if I made the best choice.

This is just a photo of the restaurant front, as I was too full to eat there, so I don't know how good it is. It looks like a giant bowl of noodles, maybe similar to the giant bowls at JJ Market back home, but this one is dry yellow noodles with soup. I didn't get to try it, so I can't say if it's good or not. It's located at Chew Jetty, not far from the China House restaurant.

This is a type of dragon-shaped pastry. I saw people gathering around to watch it being made. It's made with dough and has a dragon-shaped mold. I didn't try it, so I don't know how it tastes. I was already full from the walk to Chew Jetty.

Moving on to dinner, this Wan tan mee stall at the Chulia Road Night Market is delicious. The queue is long, but it's worth the wait. It's similar to our local wonton noodles, and it's affordable. A small bowl costs around 40 baht, while a large bowl costs around 50 baht.

The restaurant boasts an appealing appearance, featuring a dark, savory sauce and crispy pork rinds available for self-service. After waiting in line to order and pay, customers can grab a spoon, chopsticks, and sprinkle pork rinds as desired before finding a seat.

This Hokkien mee stall on Chulia Street is similar to the one I haven't tried yet, so I can't describe the taste.

Lok Lok is a popular street food in Thailand, similar to skewered fish balls or tofu that are boiled and served with dipping sauce. It is typically sold at street stalls where customers can choose their desired ingredients and have them cooked on the spot. Lok Lok is a fun and interactive dining experience, allowing customers to customize their meal and enjoy the fresh, flavorful ingredients.

Before heading back, I stopped by a 7-Eleven in Penang. Milo is produced in Malaysia, and they have flavors that are not available in Thailand. I wanted to try them, but I found the original flavor to be more delicious. The one I tried was a bit bland, and it was a high-calcium formula. There were many other flavors available as well.

This is a bottle of Pepsi No Calories. I tried it, and it's not as fizzy as the one in Thailand. In Thailand, Pepsi Max 0 Calories is much tastier.

The Yakult in Malaysia has different packaging than in Thailand, but the taste is good and similar. It's not as sour and has a more rounded flavor.

Yogurt brands in Malaysia have similar flavors to those in our country, with no significant differences. However, there is a wide variety of brands to choose from.

J.Co Donuts: A Delicious Treat Worth Seeking Out

This review highlights the exceptional quality of J.Co Donuts, emphasizing their superior taste compared to other popular brands like Dunkin' and Mister Donut. While lamenting the lack of J.Co branches in Thailand (currently only found in Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Bali), the reviewer enthusiastically recommends trying their donuts, particularly the almond-topped variety. They describe the donuts as having a softer dough and richer cream filling, justifying the slightly higher price point of around 30 baht per piece.


The first meal of the day was a burger. I originally wanted to find plain rice to eat, but after searching, this restaurant looked delicious. It was a charcoal bread hamburger with fried crab inside, which was delicious. I had never eaten it before. One set costs about 200 baht. You can choose between French fries or fried onions as a side dish.

Approved. Full score of 10.

After finishing my first shop in the afternoon, it was very hot here, so I had to find a cafe to sit in. I saw this cool shop and went in to cool off in the air conditioning before continuing my walk. The taste was okay, but nothing too special.

The shop is beautiful, it's called DAN.

Before heading home, I stopped by Ming Xiang Tai, a renowned bakery in Penang. They are famous for their egg tarts, chicken puffs, and pineapple tarts, which come in a variety of flavors. I purchased around eight pieces, which resembled pineapple tarts (well, they are pineapple tarts, haha!). However, they are more concentrated in flavor and pair exceptionally well with hot tea when freshly made.

To conclude our heavy dinner, we indulged in our favorite Steam Boat, a dish similar to shabu-shabu or sukiyaki in Thailand. The restaurant offered a choice of two broths: tom yum and herbal black chicken soup. We opted for both, as the pot conveniently had two compartments.


It comes as a set, which is more than enough for two people. It costs around 900 baht. Is it expensive? Well, it is a bit pricey. However, I like the taste of the soup. It's not as spicy as the food back home, as this is Chinese cuisine.


The next morning, I wanted to have rice for breakfast, so I went to this restaurant that was similar to a Thai "khao gang" restaurant, where you can choose your own dishes. They had white rice already laid out, and we could choose and scoop our own side dishes.

The food is diverse and similar to what we have at home. There are stir-fried morning glory, fried fish, sausages, curries, stir-fries, and various soups.

After filling my plate, I walked to the counter to pay. The cashier charged me based on the number of items I selected and the specific items I chose.

The food here is similar to Thai food, especially the rice and curry dishes. However, the rice here is quite hard. I miss the soft rice from Thailand. Anyone who has eaten Thai rice will forget about this kind of rice because this type of rice in our country is called plain white rice, which is a bit hard. Most of us eat jasmine rice.

Next, let's find a cafe to sit in. Where else can we go during the hot afternoon? This shop, The Moon Shop Gallery, is decorated with plants in jars and glass bottles.

This shop has a corner where you can try making your own oasis in a bottle. You can choose from a variety of bottles, gravel, stones, soil, and plants, and then assemble your creation in the shop.

This is a cropped image from IG 55 from a video because the shop forgot to take a picture and only recorded a clip. It's delicious, it's a lava chocolate, scoop it up and the filling flows out.

Light dinner tonight. I love laksa and can eat it all the time. The person who bought it for me said it was delicious, and it really is. The broth is rich and flavorful. I'll have to find a way to make it myself because I won't be able to find it when I return to Thailand. I love the classic feel of Penang, even the way they tie the bags with straw rope instead of rubber bands. It feels like I'm back in Thailand 15 years ago. When I was a child, all the noodle vendors tied their bags like this, both for water and coffee. I love it.

This is a hot pan dish with leftover noodles and rice. It is an Indian-Malaysian style hot pan dish that is delicious but be careful when eating it as it can burn your mouth.

This can be found at the Tesco Food Court in Penang, but it is unclear if it is available at all branches.

This is Indian food. There are many nationalities here. Indian is one of the nationalities that you must try in Little India. Curry rice comes with two dipping sauces, fried chicken, and a pickle-like side dish to cut through the richness. It is eaten with roti flatbread. I give this a 10. It's delicious and the portion is huge. The restaurant is located at Kapitan Restaurant.

This is a restaurant that serves made-to-order Malaysian cuisine. The flavors are similar to Thai food, but perhaps not as spicy. All the dishes are similar to what we have at home. There is stir-fried morning glory that is similar to ours, but here it tends to be quite salty. There is also chili paste with shrimp paste, but it is also salty. In our country, it would be sour first, then sweet, and then spicy. But it still tastes good, even though it is a bit salty.

For dessert, this restaurant is highly recommended. The waffles are delicious. The restaurant is called Pik Nik. Their specialty is waffles with eggs and ham, served hot with honey. The waffles are delicious and highly recommended.


Boost, a popular juice bar chain in Malaysia with multiple locations, offers a variety of fruit smoothies similar to Squeeze in Thailand. We visited a branch in Gurney Plaza and enjoyed a delicious smoothie. The taste was comparable to what we have back home, offering a refreshing and healthy option.

A well-known Malaysian coffee shop chain with numerous locations. We enjoyed the flavor of the tea, which was served hot and paired with crispy, fluffy toast filled with peanut butter. The prices are reasonable, and the chain is widely available. Many locals are familiar with this brand, especially those who have visited Penang. While we do not drink coffee, the tea was equally delicious and aromatic.

This is a recently purchased tea that I have tried several times before. It comes in a pack of 15 sachets for around 150-170 baht. The tea is a milk tea from the Penang brand and has a delicious aroma. I enjoy drinking it hot and have purchased more to take home.


The last day before returning, I ended with Panmee noodles at Queen Bay Mall. The taste was spicy but rich. I liked the soft noodles, which were thick. It was sprinkled with crispy dried fish, which had a salty taste, and some kind of sauce. It was topped with a Japanese-style onsen egg. I liked it. I've eaten it twice now.

The chili you see on top of the noodles is from Panmee, a noodle shop in Queen Bay Mall. They offer it as a condiment for both dine-in and takeaway orders. A jar costs around 100 baht. It can be used to mix with rice, eat with vegetables, or add to tom yum soup or salads. It's a versatile chili paste that's not too dry, similar to the one served at the bitter melon chicken noodle shop. You know the one, right? It's not as spicy, but it has more flavor.

This is a buffet restaurant in Kuala Lumpur. It's similar to a Korean BBQ buffet, but it's a hot pot buffet instead. It costs around 300 baht per person. I like to eat here often because I enjoy hot food.

The buffet offers a wide variety of seafood, fried dishes, pork, beef, and chicken, as well as desserts. It's definitely worth the price and better than what we have back home.

The price is reasonable for the quality of the food. The buffet offers a wide variety of dishes, including savory and sweet options, grilled and roasted meats, and shabu-shabu.

Go for it!

This is a bonus! A restaurant in KL, located at Petaling Street Kuala Lumpur. They serve grilled fish with a spicy curry paste on a grill, served hot with rice. It's delicious!


To conclude, we have a national dish of Malaysia that everyone knows, Char Kway Teow, which is similar to our Pad See Ew or Pad Thai. This restaurant has a very long waiting time, exceeding 30 minutes.

The atmosphere inside the restaurant is good, but you have to wait. You wait until you are frustrated, angry, and hungry. Then, anything you eat will taste delicious.

This aerial photograph captures the beauty of Penang Island. Farewell, see you next time! We depart with full hearts.

#penang#malaysia
Comments