Weekend getaway to Penang - food chapter

Penang street food is one of the reasons which attracts millions of tourists visiting this beautiful island every year. It is certainly a food paradise. The more well known dishes are char kway teow, chendol, white curry, lor mee, asam laksa, popiah, lok lok and many many more!

If you are heading to Penang soon and your purpose is food, my advice to you - hire a driver or rent a car. Many places outside of George Town are worth to visit, it would be difficult for you to move around if you do not have transportation. You can hire taxi but taxi fare is not cheap in Penang. Most taxis do not use meter. You need to inquire charge before boarding.  A 18 km journey can cost more than RM40 and 4 km ride range between RM15 - RM20 within George Town.

Here is the list of food which I tried during my 3D2N trip.




1. Penang Road, Lebuh Keng Kwee

Penang Road Famous Teochew Chendul




This is probably the most famous chendol in Penang. Even Mediacorp actor Gurmit Singh also visited this stall. You can find 2 stalls there, this is the one you will always see long queue there. Seriously I don't find their chendol different from other stalls, their chendol taste bland and lacking the flavor of gula melaka, not sweet enough to call it dessert. In fact, opposite stall chendol is better and stronger gula melaka taste.



You can stand there and enjoy your chendol beside this famous stall. You can also order your chendol from this famous stall and have it in the "green house" (a small green colour shop with many tables inside) beside this stall with additional 50 cents.

Price: RM 2.30
Address: Lebuh Keng Kwee, beside Joo Hooi cafe
Opening hours: 10am - 7pm


With RM 4.00, you can get a bowl of nice asam laksa from the stall in front of "green house".


If your stomach still have space for another famous Penang food, char kway teow, you can order it from the char kway teow stall at Joo Hooi cafe at RM5.50, just beside the famous chendol stall. I waited 30 mins at "green house" for my char kway teow, and self service, they won't deliver to you. Many other patrons are also waiting for their kway teow at Joo Hooi cafe. If you can't wait, you can skip this stall. It's not worth your 30 mins.


2. Armenian Street Heritage Hotel

I didn't get to enjoy good weather in Penang. It rained cats and dogs consecutive 3 days. We wanted to go Kimberley Road for dinner but the rain really pulled us off. We were hungry and we could only made our way to the cafe beside Armenian Street Heritage Hotel under heavy rain.

We ordered spicy prawn noodle (aka Hokkien mee) and curry prawn noodle. Both soup were superb! You can tell that the soup base must have been cooked for long hours. We were lucky to find this little gem. There were 2 prawns in each bowl, however the prawns were not fresh.



We also ordered one of their tofu pudding with brown sugar. They said this is traditional way of eating tofu pudding.




3. Gurney Drive

Bali Hai dim sum @ Gurney Drive

Dim sum is always my favorite breakfast. This place was recommended by my friend who visit Penang frequently. Bali Hai is not just famous among tourists but also among local crowd. Dim sum is served until 1pm every day and seafood will be served in the late afternoon. We took taxi from George Town and took us 15 mins to here, taxi fare RM 20 one way.



Just find a table when you get there, someone will take your drinks order and pass you a white card. Bring the white card along with you when you pick up your choice of dim sum from front counter.

We spent total RM60+ in Bali Hai.




4. Prangin Mall 

After sumptuous breakfast at Bali Hai, we went shopping at Prangin Mall. We need to walk a bit to burn some calorie so we can eat more later.

Green tea ice floss in one of the dessert shop, Little Oasis, in Prangin Mall.


Price: Rm 8.60
Address: Little Oasis, 33-03-35 Prangin Mall Jalan Dr. Lm Chwee Leong


5. Gerai Gerai Padang Brown hawker centre

Stall 17 crab meat popiah

This popiah is different from the usual popiah. I really enjoy eating it and the secret here is, the stir fried turnip gravy and  real crab meat. It's not deep fried, it's done in a wet style and soaked in the delicious gravy. You can taste the sweetness of real crab meat. It's yummy. Just tell uncle if you don't want your popiah to be served with gravy.



Price: RM 1.50 (normal) / RM 3.00 (with crab meat)
Address: Gerai Gerai Padang Brown hawker centre
Opening hours: 2pm - 7pm, close on Thursday

There are many other great food in Padang Brown hawker, such as chendol, duck noodle, rojak, curry noodle and etc. I couldn't resist the temptation from chendol and I ordered chendol again, RM2.00 1 bowl. It tasted better than that Penang Road famous chendol.


Padang Brown is currently under renovation but business as usual. Popiah stall currently is located at the temporary shelter.



6. Red Garden @ Lebuh Leith

This place is one of our favourite. We wanted to visit Batu Ferringi night market. We didn't rent car so we have to rely on taxi but taxi fare is very expensive in Penang. Total 1 hour journey to and fro between George Town and Batu Ferringi can cost RM 60 and above. We decided to stay within George Town instead.

Red Garden is very near from our hotel, 23 Love Lane, just 10 mins walking distance.





Red Garden is not as touristy as I think, many locals also dine there. You can find all kind of Penang food in this hawker centre. You name it, they have it.

Hokkien noodle (prawn noodle) at RM 5. No prawn at all and only dried shrimps in this bowl of noodle!


Fried oyster omelette at RM 10 with about 10 small oysters. Oysters are fresh.


  Char kway teow at RM 5.50. Pretty good, better than the one at Joo Hooi cafe.


 BBQ prawns at RM50 for 6 prawns, RM16/100g. These prawns are pretty fresh and solid.


Look at the prawn roe!


Food and drinks are not cheap in Red Garden. We ordered char kway teow, fried oyster omelet, 5 BBQ prawns, 1 Asahi beer, 1 plum juice, prawn noodle, just this much already cost us RM 100.

Address: Red Garden Food Paradise & Night Market, 20 Lebuh Leith 
Opening hours: 5:30pm - 2am, food stall closed at about 11pm.





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