Penang is not only a tourist place but also food paradise in the region as it offers a diverse and exotic mix of Malay, Chinese and Indian cuisine, which reflects the multi-cultural mix of the nation. Today, Alan Tan would like to introduce Penang food that are famous for its wide range of variety and distinguish taste. (The restaurants are listed in no particular order. Some of the establishments below are not halal)

1. 7 Village Noodle House

It has a total of 4 branches in Penang where the newly opened 4th branch is located at Abu Siti Lane, Penang. 7 Village Noodle House is famous for its Kuey Teow, served with the juicy minced meat and fish ball. The clear soup broth is made from chicken stock with some duck or pork boiled together. Hence it taste really good! Not only these but they do serve other delicacies such as Spring Rolls, Loh Bak, Deboned Chicken, Chicken feet and Vegetables. Fans of Kuey Teow, this is a must try Chinese food in Penang!

2. Genting Café

This kopitiam in Penang have a special version of Chee Cheong Fun that might be a little different. The fundamental ingredient of rice noodle sheet is still there without any fillings. And the sauce is thicker. In fact, they consist of different types of sauces like sweet sauce, shrimp paste sauce (haeko), peanut butter and chili sauces. The shrimp sauce (haeko) is fabulous! Some other recommended food while you’re here would be the Curry Mee, Wantan Mee and Mixed rice. Those Chinese food are not bad at all!

3. Restaurant Kimberly

Kimberly Street (Lebuh Kimberley) has long been one of the most famous street food streets in George Town, Penang, and the street has a specific Chinese influence to it. While there are many Chinese food you can eat along the street, the most famous restaurant and food stall that attracts the biggest crowd each evening is Restoran Kimberly. It is famous for serving Duck Kway Chap which is noodle rolls with Duck soup. The meat was all tender and full of the broth juices. Everything tasted like it had been braised for hours into a smooth tasting broth with pieces of meat floating around. Glorious! A sprinkle of green onions, toasted fried garlic, and black pepper, enhanced the duck kway chap even more!

4. Siam Road Char Kway Teow

The char kway teow stall is located on Siam Road by the intersection of Anson Road, just right opposite Hock Ban Hin kopitiam where you can consume your precious plate of char kway teow. The char kway teow at this Chinese stall in Penang is rather old-school, it’s plenty oily but with good “wok hei”. The prawns are of decent size but not of the giant gourmet variety found at Lorong Selamat, and there’s lap cheong (Chinese sausage), cockles, chives, bean sprouts, kuey teow, and more importantly, chunks of fried lard as well. If you are a char kway teow lover, this is one of the places that you’ll have to try at least once.

5. Pasar Air Itam Laksa

The strong aroma of the herbs, the sourness of the soup and the quality of prawn paste and sardin fish makes the laksa so different from the others. A bowl of sourish sweet laksa has smooth Lai Fen (noodle) with topped on ingredients of bunga kantan (ginger flower bud), onion, cucumber, lettuce, red chili, mint leaves, chili padi and drizzle with Heh Koh (prawn paste). This stall in Penang is just five minutes away from Kek Lok Si. So, do come to this Chinese stall and try their famous laksa!

6. Lebuh Presgrave Hokkien Mee

This is one of the popular places in Penang recommended for a decent bowl of hokkien mee, so called prawn mee. One can opt to add any ingredients they desired such as fish balls, pork ribs, pork skins, roasted pork, pork knuckles and eggs. The soup was very tasty and the chili paste added extra oomph to the Hokkien Mee. No doubt, this Hokkien Mee is another must-try for Hokkien Mee lovers!

7. Ming Qing Restaurant

Some folk are sworn by the tastiness of char koay teow fried with duck egg. You can experience such a version at this stall in Ming Qing Restaurant. The locals eat their fried kway teow with fried duck eggs as side dish. The duck eggs were done just right. The egg white fringe was crispy while the egg yolk was nicely runny. The duck eggs mixed well into the fried kway teow. The bean sprouts were plump and juicy!

8. BM Yam Rice Kopitiam

It serves yam rice, preserved salted vegetable pork soup, stew soya sauce pork trotter as well as stew tofu and egg. The soup taste sourish and very appetizing! Not to miss out the special chili paste with thick black sauce. The ingredients used is mostly pork, from the innards such as blood, liver, intestine to something more normal such as pork balls, lean meat and 3 layer meat. Of course, you can always customize the ingredients by telling them what you want, and what you don’t want. Do try it out folks!