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What is THE BEST must try Penang Hawker food? Penang has a reputation for amazing, tasty and affordable street food. In Penang you can find many food courts called Hawker centres. Hawker centres have lots of small food outlets serving fresh street food at excellent prices.
In this article we will recommend Penang Hawker food that you must try if you are visiting this beautiful island. If you stopped into a Penang Hawker Centre you will be spoilt for choice. You can normally find a wide range of local dishes and also international dishes such as pizzas, burgers, pastas, Japanese food and much more.
Penang Hawker food is delightfully cheap with most dishes ranging in between 5 and 10 ringgits (£1 – £2 or $1.30 – $2.50)
Before you read on, it is worth being aware that you are unlikely to find all of these dishes available at any one Hawker centre. More realistically we recommend looking at this list as you explore the Hawkers and watching out for some of the classic Penang Hawker food that we recommend here. ALSO many of these dishes are not unique to Penang – you can find them in other places around Malaysia too.
OH YEAH – don’t miss our FULL GUIDE on THE BEST places to eat in Penang AND The BEST Penang Hawkers
1 Char Koay Teow
Char Koay Teow is a dish of fried Koay Teow noodles (broad noodles) marinated in a rich yet spicy sauce and fried with bean sprouts, vegetables, egg and prawns. Char Koay Teow is fried in a large walk using pork fat to increase the flavor and richness of the dish. Char Koay Teo sometimes has sweet Lap Cheong sausage for extra protein and taste. You can find Char Koay Teow with duck eggs. Char Koay Teow is a very common Penang Hawker food and can be found at most Hawker centres around Penang. Expect to pay around RM10 for a large Char Koay Teow including prawns.
2 Asam Laksa
Assam laksa is a must-try Penang Hawker food. Assam laksa is a spicy fish noodle soup. The stock of the soup is made up of oily fish spices such as fresh tumeric, galangal and tamarind. A good laksa combines a salty, sour, sweet and spicy flavour. The Assam laksa soup is marinated with fresh mint, pineapple, fresh red onion and torch flower. Assam laksa really is one of the most unique dishes in the world and it is an absolute must try Penang Hawker food. Expect to pay around RM5 for an Asam Laksa.
3 Clay Pot Chicken Rice
Clay pot chicken rice is another MUST TRY Penang Hawker food. Claypot chicken rice contains rice cooked in a rich dark sauce inside a thick clay pot over an open flame. Chicken, sweet sausage are added to the clay pot. A good Claypot chicken rice will be served with an egg on top. The egg cooks in the heat of the rice. When the Claypot chicken rice arrives at your table you are meant to stir it so that the egg mixes with the hot rice and fully cooks. You will also find that some of the rice burns on to the side of the pot giving it a lovely crispy texture. Expect to pay around RM10 for a clay pot chicken rice, depending on the size of the dish.
4 Duck rice
Duck rice is a classic Penang Hawker food. Duck rice stalls often serve a range of roasted meats with rice. The roasted Meats normally include a choice of roast duck, roast chicken or roast pork. They sometimes offer a sweet roast pork called Char Siew Pork. You can normally choose to have one or a mixture of different meats served with rice.
You can normally include chopped cucumber, boiled eggs and additional sauces with your dish. We highly recommend making sure you try the roast duck. It is normally served with a crispy skin and the duck meat is very rich and packed with flavour. It is more common to find these stalls open in the morning or lunch time rather than the evening. Expect to pay around RM10 for a duck rice with egg.
5 Apom Pancakes
If you are looking for Penang Hawker food for dessert, keep your eye open for the word “Apom”. Apom pancakes are very common in Penang Hawker centres. They are small coconut pancakes cooked in round pans so that the edges go crispy. You can sometimes get Apom pancakes with additional toppings such as coconut sambal, sweet corn and egg. These pancakes are also generally very cheap and super tasty… a dangerous combination! Expect to pay around RM5 for a set of pancakes.
6 Chendul
Chendul is another cheeky treat. This is a great Penang Hawker food if you are looking for something sweet, refreshing and cooling. Chendul is made up of shaved ice with palm sugar and coconut milk. Green pandan noodles are also added and then they put beans on the top. If you can’t picture this – you just need to try it! One of the things that we love about Chendul is the way that the texture and consistency of the dish changes as it gradually melts. This makes a lovely sweet treat and is an example of the wonderful variety of Penang Hawker food available. Chendul is normally pretty cheap, costing only around RM5 for a dish.
7 Char Hor Fun
This is a more unique and lesser known Penang Hawker food. Char hor fun is a dish made up of fried noodles coated in a rich sauce and topped with egg and prawns. It is not a classic fried noodle dish. It is also too thick to be a normal soup. It is somewhere between fried noodles and a soup dish. Char hor fun may also be served with pickled chillies to add a little extra kick. This is not a spicy dish. The palate is slightly sweet, rich and mellow. The noodles often have a delicious Wok flavour to them This really is one of the more unique examples of Penang Hawker food. Expect to pay around RM5 – 10 for a plate of Char Hor Fun.
8 Chee Cheong Fun
Chee Cheong fun has an example of Penang Hawker food that is normally around at breakfast time. He cheung.fun is made up of thick rice noodles covered in different types of sauce. They normally include a sweet black sauce, a salty black sauce (prawn paste) and they may also garnish this dish with sesame seeds. Chee Cheong Fun is both simple, unique and delicious and definitely a MUST TRY Penang hawker food. Expect to pay around RM5 for a portion of Chee Cheong Fun.
9 Otak otak
Otak otak is a very unique and delicious Nonya Penang Hawker Food. It is actually quite rare to find this dish. It is best described as a fish pate made with fresh local spices such as lemongrass, garlic, ginger and chillie. Otak otak has a strong and unique flavour that may not appeal to everyone. It is normally served wrapped in a banana leaf. In the past we have found Otak otak at the Newlane Hawkers near Komtar. You can also get Otak otak at the New World Park Hawker centre in Georgetown. Expect to pay around RM3 for an Otak otak.
10 Char Koay Kak
Char Koay Kak is a rare but delicious Penang Hawker Food. It is best described as fried rice cakes. Char Koay Kak is similar to Char Kway Teow except instead of having Koay Teow noodles, small cubes of rice cake are used. This dish normally has a nice balance between sweet, salty and spicy flavors. Char Koay Kak is often cooked on a large flat griddle. The ingredients are fried, mixed and chopped on the griddle and egg is often added. Expect to pay around RM5 for a portion of Char Koay Kak.
Looking for somewhere to stay in Penang?
For a splash of colonial luxury – Don’t miss the superlative Eastern and Oriental Hotel in Georgetown (if you’re a FOODIE you will LOVE the Eat all You can Buffet dinner here!)
For a cosmo studio apartment style hotel – Check out the Ascott Gurney Hotel
If your looking for family fun and good vibes – Check out the Hard Rock Hotel in Batu Ferringhi
If you want to be in a wild and tranquil location near lots of great attractions – check out the Angsana
