Savouring Penang: A Food Lover’s Guide to the Best Street Food
PENANG
Penang is an island state on the west coast of Malaysia and also known as the "Pearl of the Orient". It offers a rich cultural heritage, lush landscapes, beaches, temples and museums, colonial architecture and world famous street food.
GEORGE TOWN
George Town is the capital of Penang and a melting pot of different cultures. It's a foodie's heaven and famous for serving some of the world's best street food.
The city is a captivating blend of Malay, Chinese, Indian and European communities and its well-preserved colonial architecture, vibrant street art and diverse cultural heritage are the reason it is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Its incredible food scene and the amazing street art with its iconic and interactive street art draws countless visitors from around the world into the city.
STREET FOOD
The city’s vibrant hawker stalls and street vendors serve up iconic, freshly-prepared meals, making it a culinary paradise where every bite tells a story of the island’s rich cultural heritage. Every corner presents a new culinary delight with flavourful dishes and you should try to savour as many as you can while there.
Here you find 14 must-try street foods and where to eat them!
1) ROTI BAKAR TELUR
Roti Bakar Telur is toasted bread with soft boiled eggs on top. It's a nice breakfast especially if you don't fancy something spicy or too heavy in the morning.
I had ordered a R. B. Telur Goyang Garlic which means apart from the eggs, the bread came with garlic butter. I wasn't the biggest fan to be honest as the butter tasted kind of sweet to me so next time I'd rather go for one without the butter.
OTHER RECOMMENDED PLACES TO FIND THIS DISH
2) ROTI CANAI
Roti Canai can usually be found at any Indian restaurant. It is a flatbread that is first rolled up and then flattened before fried which gives it a fluffy texture. It comes with sauces and is delicious (and super cheap).
3) ROTI CANAI TELUR GOYANG CHEESE
I also tried the Roti Canai Telur Goyang Cheese here which is Roti Canai in the shape of a circle, the eggs go in the middle and cheese on top. I liked this one better than the first dish. The Roti Canai is crispy and fluffy and goes super well with the soft eggs and cheese on top.
Price: 5 RM (~ 1 €)
4) WAN TAN MEE
One of the most popular street foods is Wan Tan Mee. It consists of egg noodles with sweet soy sauce, topped with barbecued pork and fried wan tans. The dish is typically garnished with leafy greens and pickled green chilies. All together it's a very well balanced combination of sweet, salty and smoky flavours.
Price small portion: 7 RM (~ 1,44 €)
5) CHAR KEOW TEOW
A very famous dish is the Char Keow Teow, flat rice noodles, fried over a charcoal fire, that come with cockles, prawns, bean sprouts and optional egg.
Price small portion: 8 RM (~ 1,66 €)
6) HOKKIEN MEE
This dish comes in several variations. It's noodles in a spicy soup which is made from prawn shells and pork bones. There's meat options as well as seafood choices and they come with half a boiled egg, water spinach and fried shallots.
Price small portion: 7 RM (~ 1,44 €)
7) MASALA DOSA
This is a popular Indian dish. It is a very thin and crispy pancake made from fermented rice and lentil batter which comes with a spicey potato filling. It's accompanied by a coconut chutney and sambar.
8) SAMOSAS
Samosas can especially be found in the Little India area as they're an Indian snack. It's a deep-fried crispy and triangular shaped pastry with different fillings like chicken, beef, eggs, spiced potatoes and peas. With just 1.50 RM (~ 0,30 €) per piece they're super cheap and also super delicious.
9) CHEE CHEONG FUN
This one is very popular for breakfast. The steamed noodle rolls are made from soft rice batter and the dish comes with 3 sauces that you can either mix up or just dip the noodles in it. Sweet soy sauce, chili sauce and a shrimp flavoured sauce. The dish is topped with sesame seeds which gives it a extra bit of flavour.
Price small portion: 3.20 RM (~ 0,66 €)
10) NASI LEMAK
Nasi Lemak is a staple in Malaysian cuisine can be found wrapped in a banana leaf, in a triangular shape. Opening it up you'll find rice cooked in coconut milk, crispy anchovies, hard boiled egg, peanuts, cucumber slices and a spicy sambal.
11) ASSAM LAKSA
Assam Laksa is a soup served with rice noodles in a spicy and sour fish broth made with mackerel, tamarind and aromtaic herbs. Apart from the noodles it comes with lettuce, cucumber, pineapple, mint, torch ginger flower and prawn paste.
12) FRIED DUMPLINGS
I came back for the fried dumplings here because they were delicious. A steamed dough with filled with a meat mixture and then fried to give it that crispy crunch, served with soy sauce (spicy if you like). The stall can be found on the left side when entering the food court (2nd or 3rd stall).
Price: 6 pieces for 8.50 RM (~ 1,75 €)
13) THAI MANGO SALAD
The perfect dish on a hot day is this delicious Thai Mango Salad. The thinly sliced green mangos are mixed with onions, fresh herbs and chilies, crushed peanuts and in a fish sauce and lime dressing. A very flavourful and refreshing dish. When entering the food court, it's the first stall on the right after going up the step.
Price: 8 RM (~ 1,65 €)
14) APOM
A very popular, sweet dessert in Penang, usually sold at small street carts. It's small pancakes, almost crêpes-like that are folded over. Very yummy!
So nice that you stopped by!
I hope this made you hungry and you now know where to find the best street food. Enjoy!🙂
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