I am issuing an open challenge to all bloggers based in Penang.
Someone once said to me that Penang has the best food in the whole of Malaysia. As a true red, black and yellow Sarawakian, I beg to differ.
I think Kuching has the best food in the whole of Malaysia. That is my opinion. Yes, it is a lil controversial but I’m sticking to to my guns and those Penangites living on that little island to the west can prove me wrong. 😛
A while back, I revealed my choices for what I think are the best of the best you will find in Kuching. These are food that us locals here crave for. They are so good, Kuching people here have no hesitation travelling 7 miles out of town just to get to that coffee shop to drink that authentic cup of Teh-C-Special.
So, I wanna know your Penang equivalent. I wanna see your version of the Penang Food Awards. The challenge to all you Penang khia is this.
Where can I find the BEST OF THE BEST Penang food?
I’m talking about your best Assam Laksa. I’m talking about your best Penang Char Kueh Teow. I’m talking about your best Nasi Kandar. Preferably complete with pictures and maybe some directions on how to get there.
You can post your choices for our very own Penang Food Awards and whore your blog links in my comment section as much as you want. Closing date is one week from now. I’ll look through all your recommendations and the one with the best guide to Penang food wins.
I can’t do much in terms of prizes though. Unless the Penang Tourism Board can cough up something, the winning blogger will get a Blog Plug of the Day from me and a one month text link on kennysia.com. Hey, it’s better than nothing.
Of course lah, there is an ulterior motive behind this. 😉
See, I’m flying off to Penang the coming Saturday. Joo Nee, one of the finalists in reality TV show Nescafe Kickstart Season 3 has decided to fly me down to make an appearance at the opening launch party of her dance studio Let’s Dance!
What Captain Jack Sparrow would look like if he were a female.
If you wanna say hi and lend your support to Penang’s own dancing diva, we’ll be there 8pm – 12midnight, Saturday 10th February on Level 28, Northam Tower A. Be sure to register through their website as places are limited.
OMG! That’s how I look like in 2002. hehehe
This won’t be my first time to Penang. I’ve been to Batu Ferringhi and Kek Lok Si temple before, so I’m not interested in tourist attractions like those. After the opening launch party, I’m gonna make full use of my time in Penang to sample the legendary range of Penang food, and perhaps check out the nightlife there a little. Some suggestions from the locals would be nice.
So Penang people here’s your chance. I’ve shown you what Kuching has, so now it’s your turn to show me what you’ve got. 🙂
There is only one thing worse than kids with too much make-up dancing hyperactively to Chinese New Year songs on music videos. And that is Chinese New Year songs REMIXED into Ah Beng-style trance music.
What are we supposed to do? Shuffle to the tune of Gong Xi Fa Cai?
hey im the first?ahah
sarawak still the best 😉
I hope there wiil be a lot comment in these few day of this competition. I wanna see how Penangites counter kenny .? I am third here?
Penang la…i like their char kueh teow..awesome man
Re: Your Short Talk topic, I’m a trance music fan, and I personally simply cannot stand the way CNY songs are remixed this way. Extremely vomit-inducing, and spoiling the genre. It’s the people who commit such atrocities who condemn trance and eurodance music to be seen as Ah Beng music by most people. Which is why although I am a big fan of European trance music acts, I have absolutely no respect for most local and regional DJs who produce this sort of crap.
me likey assam laksa
I like Penang char kueh teow pedas pedas. I am a Sabahan and I eat my Penang char kueh teow pedas in Damai, Kota Kinabalu.
can wikify some food?
OMG Kenny Sia looks soo sexy !!!! HAHAHAHHAH in that tight singlet!!! heehee ^_^
some years back I remember the hotspot for all sorts of penang hawker food was at gurney drive, is that still a fact?
they used to have awesome char kway tiaw, all sorts of laksa, curries, char kuih and what have yous.
the thing about penang that still beats us i’m afraid are the prices…can still get a char-kway-tiaw at the road-side for RM1.50 (without egg), dunno if it’s still like that. used to be only 80sen and then $1.
i can also vouch for a fact that penang rich ppl are extremely stingy and only use their Benzs and BMWs during the weekends…petrol too costly.
Penang…maybe assam laksa???hehee
Char kueh tiaw Price no longer Rm1.50. Those famous one sell at 2.00 small no egg. the amount..tiny suitable for 5 or 6 year old kid.
Food in penang ain’t cheap trust me. Absolutely comparable with KL except the mix rice. Why do I say so. KL sell a char kueh tiaw at 3.50/4.00, the size 2.5 times in Penang. Do your maths, and you gonna find its expensive. If you still find it’s cheap, attend maths tuition.
Hey Kenny,
I can’t agree nor disagree with you as each state has its specialties. Since you’ll be in Penang, I would however recommend you to stop by this char kway tiaw stall at Lorong Selamat and look out for this aunty who’s wearing an over-sized chef hat and a gigantic goggle outside of a kopitiam. It’s pricey but gooood! For ais kacang or ABC, check out the stalls at Swatou(?) lane. Let me know your verdicts later. Cheers.
Penang char kueh tiaw is still so so..if compare to kuching’s kueh chap XD
Cool.. I’ll be there for the launch.. 🙂
Assam Laksa next to the market in Ayer Hitam is absolutely delicious..
yer… why u all treat Ipoh like it doesn’t exist.. i am a ipoh mali studying in penang, and i think that ipoh’s food can fight with penang food.. 😛 though penang has more fancy restaurants with good food.. hehe..
Best Penang Chow Kuay Teow: Queen’s Street.
Hey Kenny,
I’ve just been to Penang recently. U shud try the Assam Laksa at the nearby entrance to Kek Lok Si temple. As for the Penang Char Kueh Tiaw, the best is at the hawker stalls outside Sunway Hotel. No offence, but the char kueh tiaw taste damn good. Better than Kch 1 in fact (I’m from Kch myself). As for the night life, you wouldn’t wanna miss Glo Bar. its the most happening pub/bar/discotheque in Penang. After clubbing u can check out a new Seafood palace called Bali Hai. Try their cheesecrab n sashimi style seafood platter. To die for. Trust me.
yay.. number 18!
Kenny, a real penang kia is giving you his best food tips:
Char Koay Teow – New Lane
Asam Laksa – Air Itam wet market, quality of Gurney Drive’s one has deteriorated to the point of where the soup tastes like fermented mice pee.
Hokkien Mee (Prawn Mee) – Pulau Tikus, Burmah Road, opposite Police Station
Curry Mee & Wan Than Mee – Kimberly Street (only at nigh
Koay Teow Soup – Kimberly Street (only at night)
Beef Soup Koay Teow (Gu Bak Koay Teow) – Near Weld Quay, forgotten the damn street name
Banana Leaf Rice – Beach Street
Dim Sum – Tai Tung, its a street dat runs perpendicular to Kimberly St.
Best seafood – some kampung beachside place at Teluk Kumbar, its near the primary school there.
Mee Goreng (cooked by chinese guy) – Mount Erskine food court, only in the afternoon
Ok Kenny, you now owe me 2 coconuts.
come to ipoh lah.. i bring u to eat the best food.
Whoever says that the best Penang food is in Gurney Drive is so sadly mistaken lar. They all tipu tourists nia! All hike up the prices of the food coz so many tourists go there. PIF! =.=
Anyway, I’ve been studying in Penang almost three years, so I roughly know where’s the good food lah.
Best Char Kuay Teow – Macalister Road. (Sisters Char Kuay Teow, next to a shop called K-9).
Best Assam Laksa – Lorong Selamat (someone said this already).
Best Cendol – Swatow Lane, indeed!
Hey Kenny,
can i add in somemore for the best food tips?ehehe
Hokkien Mee- Pulau Tikus (yaya!the best!) hafta go there as early as u can..mayb 7.30 in the morning. cos it finishes super fast..usually by 8.30 to 9.00am finish dee.
Nyonya Nasi Lemak- Pulau Tikus area also. Opposire Bandar baru Supermarket. Very good. Same as hokkien mee. It finishes quite fast.
Gurney Drive hawker food
New Lane hawker food
i only like their assam laksa and kuey chap in penang … only near the kek lok si temple…
it’s before u go to the kek lok si …
i think you forgot about ipoh.. IMO… ipoh has the best food in malaysia… period!!
Word of advice Kenny, NEVER NEVER NEVER challenge a Penangite about the quality of their food. It’s a very sensitive topic, YOU WILL FACE THE FULL WRATH OF PENANG!! I am a Penangite based in KL so I can’t blog u to death. But I believe my fellow islanders will :).
good idea kenny! can you pls write a blog to summarize what you ate there? 😀
Kenny,
Compiled is one day of meal for you in penang.
http://www.neeshen.com/2007/02/kennysias-challenge.html
You need to wait sometime for the wikimaps to load.
My personal advise.. since you are in Penang.. don’t go for the same thing that you have in Kuching. Tempted as you may be.. you will be dissapointed. Either way, Kuching is better or Penang is better.. does not prove anything. Go for something that you can only get in penang and not Kuching. Maximizes your value of coming to Penang.
Need a guide? if there is no one to take you around on that day.. get in touch with me..
jb-ean here, but just came back from penang few nights ago.
only good thing there i know is the original Nasi Kandar at Line Clear, has been given recognition by New Straits Times few months back. Located almost opposite Cititel Hotel, this place actually like a lorong, but food is good! must try…
other than that, sup kambing also near Cititel, called Restoran Hameed is not too bad…of corz JB has the best for that ;D
oh yeaaa loubak(not sure spelling) and Cream Soda(which you can NEVER find anywhere else on earth but damn good) over at Kek Seng, near Komtar is a must try too!
Night life?
Check out Momo at upper Penang Street!
Kenny, I’m going to Penang on 10th as well. Going to meet 5xmom. =>
Duck soup mee suah at Jelutong Market, after 2.30pm. neeann@multiply.com
sorry! correct url is http://neeann.multiply.com/journal/item/33
http://www.mymalaysiabooks.com/penang/mypenang%20main.htm
i’ve been going to and fro from kedah[i’m a kedahan] to penang every saturday now..but it’s sad that i still don’t know which place serves the best food in penang..ha..but if you’re coming to kedah,then i can tell which food is the best..even though kedah doesn’t have any delicacy..=)
S’WAK FOOD IS STILL THE BEST ACCORDING TO MINE BIG STOMACH.I SHALL LOOK FORWARD 2 YR COMPARISON.
Like this also can, I also wanna make a challenge then. Can any malaysians tell me where to find the prettiest girl in m’sia, I’m talking about your best ladies. I’m talking about your best 18s. I’m talking about your best virgins . Preferably complete with pictures and maybe some directions on how to get there.
You’ll get RM1 from me as de prize~
If it were just food, IPOH wins hands down. But Kenny is going to Penang for more than food! Right?
Penang has beautiful bridge, good state governence, low crime rate, plenty of job opportunities, pretty girls and handsome guys, delivious laksa, nice people, sophiscated roadway and shopping complex, and etc………….Penang is the best in Malaysia.
hi kenny.
some recommendation here.
char koay teow: sister’s in jalan macalister and also lorong selamat.
laksa and cendol: penang road
nasi kandar: rafee nasi kandar, pulau tikus and line clear nasi kandar, penang road.
nasi lemak: taman free school.
hokkien mee: green house coffee shop, burmah road.
mamak mee goreng: bangkok lane, pulau tikus.
mamak maggie goreng tom yam(supper): ali, opp celcom building in pulau tikus.
chinese economy rice (3am-7am): perak road, next to bomba station.
don’t eat in gurney drive! too commercialize d..
have fun in penang!
regards,
a true food lover.
Well, I am not from penang but this is surely one of the best and “most expensive” Char Kuew Teow I ever ate.
http://chifei.blogspot.com/2006/12/penang-trip.html
Its located at the Lorong Selamat. Give it a try!
want more info, contact me thru friendster. see ya!
I see quite a few recommendation on that Char Kuew Teow. Yeah, its also called the Sister’s Char Kuew Teow.
I’ve been to Penang before and have tried the food there. But I like nyonya food from Melaka better. The kolo mee in Kuching looked nice tho! 🙂
hey…i think sandakan food is da best..
betta than kuching n penang
hey kenny x)
i absofuckinglutely LOVE d assam laksa at the air itam market! always gobble down at least 2 bowls of it :p char kuay teow i would say at..lorong selamat or swatow lane i guess.ice kacang swatow lane! generous serving of ‘liu’ eg red beans,peanuts,cendol,ice cream..YUMZ man.and u juz gotta try the nasi kandar at kampung melayu.its kinda hard to find.u juz gotta ask around.go early in d morning cuz if ure late,say byebye to d yummylicious nasi kandar.and d squatting curry mee at air itam rocks! there’s this 2 old ladies who have been selling it for many many yrs.YUMZZ.serious shit.
AAAAAAAHH i miss d food at penang. i nver been to sarawak though 😛
I’m a Ipoh girl studying in Melbourne now. I must say that Ipoh have some of the best food that no other places can offer, eg the Sar Hor Fun, Bean Sprout Chicken, Dim Sum, Old town White Coffee, etc.
Ipoh is only 2 hours plus drive from Penang, so do come down here for a makan trip!
Btw, every city/town has its own speciality, and it’s no doubt that Penang is a food heaven, Kenny…
hey kenny,
ipoh food is better than penang’s. haven’t tried kuching’s but.. well.. ipoh is the best! ^^
What?
Ipoh? Ipoh only nice for kai si hor fun!
Penang? Char Koey Teow the BEST! Assam Laksa the BEST! Heaven of food la….
Ipoh definitely has the best food. Penang may be famous for its hawker foods, but when it comes to restaurant food, Ipoh wins hands down.
I’m a Kuching kia, but now working in Penang for almost 3 yrs liau… If u wan my personal Kuchingite unbiased opinion, you may contact me.
To me, to like Assam laksa, you gotta have exquisite taste buds, some ppl won’t like it. There’s also a famous lemak laksa shop at Balik Pulau as well, which most ppl fail to mention…
Char Kuey Teow here is definitely better than Kch’s, but expensive, cos of the prawns. I really miss the Kch’s sweet fried mee at Hui Sing Garden stalls… yumm…
Cendol here in West M’sia ar… so small… depends on your taste buds, but I think it’s hard and has the frozen taste, so, I prefer the bigger, greener Kuching cendol.
There are more opinions from me, but lazy to put it here.
Penang has better food than Ipoh larrr. But Ipoh has the hottest chicks lah no doubt.LOL.
Anyways, different people have their own liking and their own opinion on which is the bestestest food in Penang. One can love the Char Koay Teow in Lrg Selamat but another might say the one in Pulau Tikus is the best and so on so forth.
In my opinion, I think it’s best if you try out every possible hawker food stall in Penang that you can. I mean, what’s a few extra calories compared to orgasmic dishes of food you can never get anywhere else in the world? XD
Anyways, to contradict myself, here are a few recommendable place for food.
Char koay teow – Lrg Selamat
Curry mee – Lrg Seratus tahun, but i don’t know if it’s still there or not cos it’s been ages since i’ve been there.
Wantanmee – Pulau tikus
Indian mee goreng – pulau tikus
chendol and desert – besides Swatow lane, there’s this tiny van by the road side at weld quay near the jetty which sells fucking wonderful chendol, or kio and stuffs. but then you’d have to sit at dirty crooked tables next to a refrigerator dumpsite to eat your food. lol. but it’s worth it.
yeah. hope you enjoy your stay in penang. oh and check momo out. glo is overrated.
cheers.
will try to post about food in penang if i can….but most of the recommendations here are quite right…..most common being assam laksa at kek lok si temple, and char koay teow at the sisters place, macalister road. these two are the must try food……
other than that, ice kacang at swatow lane is one the best u can get in pg too…but they’ve now moved into a spanking new hawker centre just nearby the old place, its quite easy to find, so its cleaner and more hygienic now…
( acually, SOOO clean, its to the point where u smell dettol while ur eating….i went there yesterday and OMFG, the antiseptic smell from the floor detergent nearly killed me….o_O)
I’m from Kuching and have only been in Penang once in my life. I do like a lot of the food there, they have a lot of good stuff, but unfortunately I have to say that the best Penang Laksa is in Kuching! And it cannot be bought from any shop. My uncle cooks better Penang Laksa than ANY of the “best Penang Laksas” many friends and relatives have taken me to in Penang.
However, that being said they have a very interesting rojak type thing available at many open air hawker food courts, pick your own ingredients, many of which are deep fried, then the owner chops and mixes it up and drizzles this incredible spicy sauce over it.
of course penang’s food is better than kuching… or anywhere else in our country. overall, that is… but if you were to name an individual dish/food, certain states will take the upper hand.
penang is a food paradise, in that it has lots of variety of good, tasty food all around. wannna know good food in penang? just do a google search and you will find abundance of it. many sites had sprung up, some listing where are the good/famous food can be found and so on.
and kenny, perhaps, since you are going to penang, you could consider buying this book ‘famous street food of penang – a guide and cook book’ (RM28 only) as this book shows you where the famous food can be found, including maps of the location.
http://kuali.com/books/review.asp?file=cooklib/2006/8/22/327famou&sec=cooklib
There is nothing more unsightly on earth than the Penang Laksa; the severely rotted fish half submerged in a bowl of murky fluid resembles more of a scene for homicide than something that is suitable for human consumption, or any form of consumption, period.
It’s disgusting but then what do Penangites know any better except to try out the real foods in Sarawak.
All in the name of fun and love.
Food Centre/ Food Courts/ COffee Shops my Family n patronised for the past 23 years.
1. Taman Free School Food Court(Night only) –
[A]Pork Intestine Satay + Variety
2. New Lane (Night only, beside Sunway Hotel Georgetown)-
[A]. Char Mee Suah,
[B]. Batu Maung Satay (sauce already burnt in),
[C]. Curry mee (buy the one where the seller is a lady, not the 2 elderly men, the chilli is a must have),
[D]. Beef Ball Kuey Teow Soup + Variety
3. Carnarvarn Street corner coffee shop 3 doors from Cyclone Bicycle Specialist –
[A]. Char Kuey Teow with duck eggs which the late Tan Sri Loh Boon Siew loved, If you’re lucky the old man who fried for the late Tan Sri will be there.
[B]. Lor Bak (mixed platter of prawn fritters, chinese wrapped pork rolls n stuff)
4. Hong KOng Street(Rope walk) and Carnarvorn Streen junction –
[A]Roast Duck rice (Lunch)
5.Kimberly Street(night only, beside the toys store) –
[A].Ark(duck) CHiap a.k.a. Kuey Chap
[B]. See Kua Th’ng stall (a.k.a. Leng Chee Kang) – (I). sweet mixed nuts soup with longan n ginko (II). Almond soup + You Char Kueh + Variety
6. Keng Kwee Street(turn left from Penang road coming from upper penang road/Cititel, the turn is opposite the Police HQ) –
[A] Ice Kacang and
[B] Cendol, which Giant Subang USJ sells too.
7. Opposite Asia Cafe Penang Hill, roadside stall, aunty seller(at the entry of the road going up Penang Hill) –
[A]Asam Laksa ( beats the one in Air Itam Market/ Near Kek Lok Si Temple hands down!)
8. Weld Quay/ Gat Lebuh Macallum junction(yes the one with the regfrigerator dumpsite mentioned by Schizzow-
[A].Orh Giow (grass jelly with lychee syrup n a hint of lime)[Taiwan’s Ai Yin Pin copied from him, one and only stall on the Island]
[B]sells pegaga juice too.
9. Kuala Kangsar Road(Behind Chowrasta Market, breakfast only)-
[A] Cantonese Pork Intestine Porridge
[B] Ais Tingkap
10. Kuantan Road Soon Heang Biscuit –
[A]. Tau Sar Pneah (one of its kind, not those dragon balll biscuits but they have it too.)
[B] Pong Pneah (hokkein Version of the cantonese Lou Por Peng)
word of caution, the lady is a wee bit cocky, just say you’re taking it outstation, n she’d be all smiles. order it 2 days in advance and collect them at 8pm to get warm, fresh from the oven batch.
11. New World Food COurt a.k.a. Swatou Lane –
[A]. Mamak Poh Piah + Variety
12. Johore Road/ Padang Brown BHPetrol station that side –
[A]. Lok Lok (if u dono wats dat go find out la, Mum’s been a monthly customer for 24 years)
[B]. Van Houtten Cocoa Drink
13. Coffee Shop Opposite Pulau Tikus Police station between a Chinese medical hall and a gardening supplier
[A] ASam Laksa
[B] Char Kuey Teow
only place you can get 2 good stalls in one shop
14. Reclining Buddha’s Temple Burmah Lane –
[A]Good old home made Coconut Ice Cream, comes in RM1.50, Rm2 and above. Served in cup or cone with topping.
15. Sungai Pinang, Bayan Lepas Area, junction opposite a school after the Bayan lepas police station –
[A] Good old secluded place for a hearty seafood dinner
Above are my MUST-VISITS based on my 23 years in Penang. People in Penang don’t just travel a few kilometres, they go from one end of the island to another just to get food. My family used to drive up to Krabi for lunch n MienKarm when grandpa was still around.
HEHE… new lane the food is nice.. but alot of beggers come bugging u laa… and parking space is a headache…
for Nasi kandar.. KAYU.. SUBAIDAH… PELITA… I prefer KAYU.. near Vistana Hotel..
anyway super tanker is ok ah.. alot of choices at night… although they are not as historical as gurney drive, new lane .. (all the town area food)
penang most expensive road side char koay teow (put aside hotels one) is at lorong selamat.. MAN.. RM5 – RM 8 Leh… the prawns are damn big… if served with oyster taste nicer…
I’m really amazed by the amount of people here still not yet asleep. 😛
But of course, lots of food in Penang is 24hours. 😛
The English and the germans are the worst cooks in the world. In malaysia, sarawakian food is the shittiest. In fact, shit tastes better than Sarawak food. Pse correct me if I am wrong.
char koay teow – new lane
koay teow th’ng – the one opposite asia cafe, along the railway road
assam laksa – air itam wet market, the one opposite asia cafe is not bad too
chicken rice – chulia street, i forgot the name shit, but its just opposite pak hock chicken rice shop
duck rice – ayer itam midnight duck rice is still the best, opens only after 12am.
I once tasted sarawak’s famous kolo mee. I vomited. That’s sarawak food for you. Our famous penang assam laksa tastes wonderful although the gravy resembles our famous Sungei Pinang. Anyway, Penang food doesnt need advertisement. If you havent tasted Penang food you havent tasted anything. Please correct me if I am wrong. Another thing, plse dont insult Penang food. Penang people may be nice and friendly but when you insult their food, they might go amok.
laksa,
behind giant supermarket(on the way to swatow lane)
a small stall,
limited seats,
indian seller.
char koay teow,
lorong selamat
May I recommend one mamak popiah which tastes superb. I cant name the place because I might be sued. You know why the taste is superb. Well, the popiah man digs his nostrils, sometimes scratches his backside. And the same pair of hands is used to prepare your favourite popiah. Hence the superb taste.
NSTman. One should lead by example. If you don’t want people to insult Penang Food, you should not insult other people’s food. I happen to like all varieties of Laksa, Penang Assam Laksa and Singapore Curry Laksa and Kuching Laksa… etc etc There is nothing wrong with Penang Food, and nothing wrogn with Sarawak Food. You have absolutely no right going round saying food from another place tastes like shit if you’ve only had it once.
tamade. how dare u challange penang food?! but i think this is juz ur way to get some advice b4 u actually go to pg.
most of the suggestions are rite but DO NOT go to lorong selamat for char kuay teow unless u wanna get scolded by the big fat S CCB. in fact the quality there has dropped. the best is still the one at kimberly street/ chulia street at nite. the nice uncle does not open his stall every nite. he told me he is semi-retired now and will only open on some LESS BUSY nites. haha!! try ur luck then
oh most ppl has missed out the popiah at new lane. it’s so special that i can’t even find a challenger within penang itself. it sells at rm1.20 per pc, minimum order is 2 pcs. ask for more soup.
another best is the lobak(singaporean calls it wu xiang AKA 5 scent) at new lane. it’s very famous both locally and among singaporeans. once i wanna take away 30 pcs to bring to singapore, the auntie told me there was a singaporean b4 me that oso took back 100 pcs. i personally think the secret recipe lies within the meat and the sauce.
Ipoh has world’s best Nga Choi Gai.
Which idiot recommended Lorong Selamat’s Char Koay Teow? That place is only famous because it appears on Penang’s Tourism Brochures. I admit it’s nice but it’s definitely not worth 7 ringgit. If you ask me, Bee Hooi and the few small hawker stalls near Tanjung Tokong’s Fatty Loh has the best Char Koay Teow in Penang. But if I’m not mistaken, they are only opened at night.
As for Laksa, Air Itam should be the place. I’m not sure of its exact location as I am not the type of person who would ‘die’ for Laksa. But it’s situated near the Tram station at the foot of Penang Hill.
Gurney Drive isn’t as good as it once was, but one of the few things you should try there would be their Fried Chicken Skin, although it would be rather ridiculous for you to fly all the way from Sarawak to Penang just to eat ‘chicken skin’.
Swatou Lane once had fantastic Ais/Ice Kacang, but since they’ve moved, I can’t guarantee that it’s still as good. After all, the dirtier the environment of the stall, the tastier the food is. Or so I believe.
Poly Cafe – Wan Tan Mee (yet another dish that I don’t think you’d fly all the way for).
And this is a stupid topic to ‘fight’ about -.-“. Every state has its pros and cons. Every person has his/her own taste buds. What one likes, the other may not. Hence, don’t insult Penang OR Sarawakian food. I have also eaten Penang food and vomited or ‘lau sai’ before. Lest we forget, I did mention that the dirtier the food, the tastier it is.
All in the name of food!
Kenny, Congratulations for finally going to Penang. Food is good. I’ve gone to Penang quite a few times to visit my relatives there, and they always bring my family around to the best food places in town.
ALl those mentioned places are quite good, such as swatow for ais kacang, cendol. Try out the char koay teow there too, not at all that bad.
But I’m curious…Why doesn’t anyone mention or chien? To my knowledge…I thought it’s one of the famed food of penang??
For the uninitiated…or chien is fried egg with or (which i think is oyster? though they are of the smaller variety.)
The best Or chien as declared by my family (they are incredibly experienced in eating and practically live to eat. They eat widely haha) is Or chien at Lebuh Chulia at this coffee shop called seng thor, and only opens day time i think. Not too expensive either.
Personally I like the one served at Swatow better but it’s worth a try definitely. BTW the difference is that at swatow egg’s crunchy (due to the oyster juices being deep fried more i think) and at chulia it’s softer and darker.
Go make urself FAT in penang kenny…it’s worth it….gastronomic orgasm…haha….
oh yeah, DON’T GO TO GURNEY PLEASE!
if u wanna save you taste buds and ur wallet…DUN GO TO GURNEY.
Food there is beyond horrible and you basically have to give them money to buy something that shouldn’t even be called food in the first place…
I’m really sorry penangites to blast gurney like that….but it’s just unreasonable! Food there is just so-so…..and don’t deserve that price.
oh n or chien is apparently good at new world food court too. it’s on a main road, and i dunno which road is that. on the way to batu ferringhi side. [penangites care to point it out?] I havent been there, its said to be one of the better ones but as i went there near midnight it was closing…
im salivating. penang food (as in food specific to penang) rox…..
Charcamayne,
Kuching’s Or Chien is one of its kind and it was missed out in Kenny’s reviews. Kuching’s Or Chien is pretty close to thin crust pizza but it comes with an unique wok-shaped and generous oysters:P
Should be Ipoh la! Got white coffee, ayam taugeh, etc etc!
Cannot compare… cannot compare… this is like comparing Tag Heuer and Corum.
What we have here in the west is different from you have there in the east… you can compare dim sum in Hong Kong and Australia, but you cannot compare food in Penang and Kuching.
Cannot compare, cannot compare…
kenny
there is a book called famous street food of penang – a guide and a cook book. it has directions to the particular stalls that are famous for their particular food – eg pasembur, asam laksa etc.
check it out
http://www.selectbooks.com.sg/getTitle.cfm?SBNum=39989
can’t say, I’ve never been to Penang. But heck yeah, I’m Sarawakian through and through, nothing beats our kolo mee!
and gasp. I have the exact same headdress as Jo Nee. except it’s in blue. O.o
Seven Years in Penang Mr. Chairman….and one thing for sure Kenny, nothing beats my hometown’s (Sibu) Kampua Mee 🙂 not even Kuching’s Kolo Mee 🙂 but i do miss Gelugor’s Nasi Kandar if you can stand the Curry and Innira’s Bana Leaf Rice at Minden. 🙂 Don;t miss that Mr. Chairman!
Kenny!!
I beg to differ.. and I would say that, Sarawak has the best food Sarawak has got to offer. Not in Malaysia. Similarly to other states. KLANG got its best Bak Kut Teh, PENANG got its best Char Kueh Teow, IPOH got its best Nga Choi Kai, KUCHING got its best Kolo Mee..
That’s what makes us so foodilicious..!! 😉
I dare to challenge you here..!!
Go to every state and find out what’s the best food they have there..
U can get local bloggers to bring you around town.. 🙂
wah so syokking man ! ! !
can i come too ???
ni ma.all not blogged one! everyone just give their recommendations as replies in the comments.pictures lah! =(
kenny, don go too far to the west. you can find a lot of good food in ur neighbour state too, sabah, especially da east coast of sabah. you can find good seafood, cantonese food, since most of da chinese in east coast r cantonese, as well as hakka n teochew. ;D
cheers
are you gay kenny?
Great post! I have always wanted to know about this too!
if u wanna eat the best and cheapest seafood, go to bali-bali restorant(non-air con, open air). it’s very near sunshine fahlim(everyone in penang knows this supermarket), opposite air itam secondary school. most of the menu is good, my favourite is salad prawn, chao pai taufu, pork rib king. the price is v reasonable. others may suggest u to tambun or watever but i find bali-bali is the best. open at nite only.
What can I say, in Penang, you’ll find good food everywhere! Every corner you go, there’s good food! I bet you’re getting kinda confused now Kenny…hehehe.. and just to add to your confusion…go for seafood in Tambun at mainland Penang(try out their octopus and ‘chi-lor’, a type of spiky shell fish, yummy!) it’s also cheap and it taste doubly good with a bottle of Oaked Chardonnay, corkage is free at all restaurants at Tambun. Oh go during dinner time and then adjourn to Autocity at Juru to check out their night spots for a hot spicy time in “Bed” while to join a fight club at “Sohos”. If you’re in the mood for more wine..check out “Tao”…Enjoy Penang, it’s a beautiful place with beautiful food and people…yes, seriously!
Kenny, you must eat alot huh… with your current status and all. Try coming to Penang for some fishing by the beach and cooking up your own catch over a full bodied red wine for a feast at “32” where you can also dance with your catch to Jazz music. Captain Jack Sparrow would surely be proud of ye ctach of the day!
Try the poh piah at Penang Swimming Club! Its the best in town…
read this in the Star newspaper this morning, in the StarMag section:
“Penang is, hands down, the most extraordinary place to experience food in south-east asia, if not, the world.”
something like that. a quote by an author/food lover from somewhere. cant remember.
“They are so good, Kuching people here have no hesitation travelling 7 miles out of town just to get to that coffee shop to drink that authentic cup of Teh-C-Special.””quoted from Kenny.
the only reason why they travel so far is because sarawak town’s are all so scattered away.. and there arent nive food around.. and therefore resulting in people travelling far to eat edible food!!
You might as well take it from a Sawakian who’s been here in Penang for past 10 years. I’ve been spoilt by the best of the best food of Penang; though I’ve never stopped craving for our very own Sarawak Laksa, Kolok Mee and Tomato Deep Fried Mee. Here’s my take for Penang’s offering.
1. Char Koay Teow – Ah Leng Char Kuey Teow @Jalan Dato Keramat, corner coffee shop, opposite Honalulu Cafe, near Timur Laut Police Headquarter. RM4.50 for a regular plate with 4 large succulent deciliously marinated prawns. For special, extra prawns+ mantis prawnas at RM8. Totally worth it. Oh, he used charcoal to fry and duck eggs too. 8am- 3pm. Closed on I think Wed or Thu.
2. Asam Laksa – Penang Road @ corner coffee shop where you can find Penang’s famous cendol. For the cendol, take the one right beside the famous laksa shop. The hawker’s a polite skinny bespectacled guy. Have your cendol by the roadside. The kopitiam will charge you 50cent for having it in his shop. Greedy bugger.
3. Curry Mee – White Curry Mee at Lorong Selamat. RM3.50 a bowl. The specialty is the chilli paste which you can help yourself to. Super yummy. Closed on Monday.
4. Hokkien Mee (Prawn Mee) – Forgot the name of the street. Anyway, it’s kinda opposite Penang Plaza/ Giant and behind former Lai Lai Supermarket, now Mitsubishi showroom. Go early. Usually very loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong queue. RM3.50 for the best Hokkien Mee you can find in Penang. Closed on Monday.
5. Wan Than Mee – Corner Coffee Shop @ New Lane. Night time only. Hawker is a fat young guy. To enhance the flavour, sprinkle a dash of our very own 100% pure Sarawak pepper.
6. Dim Sum- Yong Pin. Can’t remember name of the street. It’s before Tai Tung, by the road opposite Prangin Mall. The ingredient and flavour are superior than in Tai Tung; but not as many variety. Must have the siew mai, lo mai kai and wu kok.
7. Banana Leaf Rice – Sri Ananda. More variety, delicious and cheap. I think it’s at Church Street…..and that’s by Beach Street. I’ll recommend the Thosai.
8. Seafood- For cheap, good and live seafood, go to Bukit Tambun; about 1/2 drive from Penang. For good, live but not cheap seafood in island itself, Bali Hai at Gurney Drive is ok.
9. Mee Udang- Mak Ngah Mee Udang at Gertak Sanggul. RM8-10 per bowl. Totally heavenly.
10. Char Kuey Kak (this is different from how we fry our char kuey). – Again, can’t remember name of street. It’s a stall maintained by a fat lady. Behind Hong Leong Bank, somewhere near Komtar/Penang Road. Near Transfer Road.
Coming from Sarawak, these are the food that failed to impress me.
1. Poh Piah
2. Char Hor Fun. Our Tomato Kueh Tiaw beats it anytime.
3. Chicken Rice
4. Cendol
5. Dried Kueh Tiaw
6. Chicken Porridge
7. Loh Mee….too sticky and gooey for me
8. Loh Bak…. haiya…our ngo hiang taste so much better
One more…don’t bother about the Rojak though Pasembur is a totally different story. A good place for hawker food with nice sea breeze will be Northam Beach Food Court.
As for nice spot, MUST go to Slippery Senoritas aka SS at Upper Penang Road. It’s what I call quality entertainment.
For me, ipoh food still the best!
quote:Penang has beautiful bridge, good state governence, low crime rate, plenty of job opportunities, pretty girls and handsome guys, delivious laksa, nice people, sophiscated roadway and shopping complex, and etc………….Penang is the best in Malaysia.
Phrbgh..! Yeah right. Beatiful bridge=Penang bridge=lotsa traffic jams (stay off it), good state governence=CCTV incident remember? Good my foot -_-” Pretty girls? Kuching got lots more. Penang girls sometimes dress funny (some look more like men), handsome guys? Stay there 3 years mana ada handsome guys. Penang laksa taste like fish. Smelly fish. Nice people: people spit and curse like wad nia here and have you seen the way they drive? Sophisticated roadway. Check out the neverending construction on some road. Lotsa bumps and lubang. Job opportunities? Why are there so many beggars then? Unless you’re talking aout those jobs as part time workers at the gazzilion shopping malls. that brings us to the shopping malls, the only mall worth going to is Prangin.
Penang the best? Don’t think so. Kuching is the best place in Malaysia. Take it from a Sarawakian whose lived in Penang.
my friend went to swatow lane for the ais kacang. and the dude gace him an ais kacang without any kacant in it! lol.
Dear Kenny,
I tell this few place that can fulfill the desire of food..
1. curry mee – Is lame but have to say [lorong seratus tahun]
2. Loh mee – Sun city opposite Island plaza
3. claypot chicken rice – Rangoon Road corner coffee shop
4. Char koay teow – Along Anson Road !! Two thumbs up !! sister’s one only eat by idiot…
5. Laksa – Mount Erskine
6. Lam Mee – Pulau Tikus market …only available in the morning
7. Ice Kacang – Batu Lanchang Market
8. Ban Cheng Kuih – Farlim
9. Local Western Food – Beside Lancia Auto in Pulau Tikus
10. Wan Tan Mee – Along Anson Road too !!! only available in the morning (see, actually Anson Road
got a lot of nice food just all the Penangnite dunno ..some call urself Penang kia !! get lost )
11. Nasi Kandar – Jargas Nasi Kandar in Batu Maung
(a lot of ppl dunno this place)
12. Koay Teow Soup – a stall along Dato Keramat Road ..near Convent School ..
13. Mee Goreng – Opposite the Seagate Factory in
Bayan Lepas ( just some malay stall along the seaside)
14. Fried Oyster- Carnavan St.
15. Po Piah- Bee Hooi Coffee shop (opposite Bellisa Row)
16. Jawa Mee- Suncity Coffee Shop
17. Bak Kut Teh – Song River along Gurney Drive
18. Chee Cheong Choak- (Porridge with Pig’s intestines) New Lane
19. Chendol- Penang Rd. (along a small tiny lane)
20. Pesembor & Lok Lok – Padang Brown
…. Too much to mention here … If you really lost on what to eat , contact me through e-mail..
This is call real Penangnite !!
best assam laksa is at air itam..no doubt
I told you the Penang Char Koay Teow cannot compare with the Sarawak Char Koay Teow. What made a Char Koay Teow? It is the chilli sauce, my friend. The authentic Char Koay Teow is simply frying the Koay Teow, Tau Geh and egg with garlic and lard in a big pan – it must be a big pan of more than 1 meter diameter. At the end of the day, the koay teow is a koay teow, the tau geh is a tau gah and egg is egg. The Char Koay Teow must go down your throat with the special chilli sauce, without the chilli sauce, it is not a char koay teow anymore.
The Penang Char Koay Teow, hmmmm, everything campur together in dark sauce that you cannot distinguish which is which
I am from Penang, and if you plan to try some local foodies, check out my blog under food / restaurant categories in http://www.tsldesigns.com/wordpress
the earlier posts in
http://protips.blogspotcom and
the relatively new blog in
http://www.sinhongmoh.com
Looks like most foods got covered here by your usual readers.
I am a penang girl, born there but bred in KL. I spent most of my childhood there and i have 4 recommendations for you that you MUST try while you’re in penang.
Curry Mee – ask the taxi driver to take you to jelutong and then tell him to bring you to Perak Road. It’s should be filled with apartments now but my grandparents’ house use to be there beforeit was torn down for development. At the entrance to Perak Road is a corner coffee shop, go there at around 2pm and there will be a curry mee stallthat sells ABSOLUTELY YUMMY curry mees. My family and I still goes there for a little makan-makan when we’re in Penang. It’s a must try.
Assam Laksa – Ask the taxi driver to take you to Anson Road/Jalan Anson. You will find a quaint little coffee shop there that sells not much else but assam laksa. It’s one of the most authentic assam laksa without much of the frills unlike what you can find around. It’s simple and delicious.
Nasi Kandar – For me, nasi kandar in Penang will always be in Line Clear. It’s at this discrepit corner on Jalan Penang. Just ask a cabbie to take you to Line Clear at Jalan Penang. It’s near Komtar and a short walk away from Cititel, Penang.
Seafood – Tanjung Tokong is pretty commercialized BUT no one can beat their coal baked crabs. The meat in these crabs are indescribable…it’s unlike any you have tasted. Do not order their meehoon or whatever side dishes, if you’re there, you’re there for the crabs. You can of course their their salt baked prawns but the last time i went, it wasn’t that great. Of course, if you a want full blown seafood meal that won’t blow a hole in your pocket (i.e. 11 dishes for RM150-RM200 only), you’d have to to travel a little to Bukit Tambun, 35 mins away from Penang, on the mainland. Turn into Bukit Tambun exit, pass the toll and straight up to a junction. Turn right and drive until you see a divider, one leads to a flyover and the other on the left leads to some kampung area. Take the left and drive alllllll the way in , right till the end, make sure that you do go right till the end…you’ll be passing some old colonial chinese shop houses…but once you reach the end, you’ll find some seafood restaurants there. Go to Gee Seng. Ask for everything seafood that you could ever dream off.
I hope you’d at least try Line Clear. You’ve never been to penang if you haven’t tried their nasi kandar. Sister’s char kuey teow is pretty overrated – their quality is unpredictable at times. I hope you get them on a good day.
i bring u to eat char koey teow n laksa la..hahaha
speaking as a proud Penangite… pleaaaasee don’t doubt the yummyness of our food!!!
aih, how come no one talk about Yong Tau Foo.
Go to Padang Brown. But there are lot of Yong Tau Foo there and I prefer the one nearest to PBA Temple, and Francis Light school – The first stall, at the junction of Anson Road/Perak Road. You can also find Lok Lok and Pasembur there. The Laksa WAS nice, but the standard has dropped already.
Wow so many post… and many failed to mention Mee Rebus. 🙁
I don’t know if it’s from Penang or anywhere else… but my dad drives 4 hours from KL or Pg every few months ESPECIALLY for it… It’s the best i ever tasted!
It’s located right outside the old Jelutong Market.. just a small stall with few Indian guys selling… try it out if you’re near 😀
nice ^^ I’m planning to eat those penang food too… checkout the list
http://ahkuan.com/weblog/183.html
Thanks guys! I’ll be staying at Cititel Penang, so at least I will be trying out the Nasi Kandar at Line Clear. 🙂
How far do I get to Pulau Tikus?
The best food still go to Mummy home cook:)
Anyway, we are lucky to pay for foods.
I can’t stand Penang’s Laksa. The taste is so damn weird. Minty Minty n sourish. OMG. Maybe coz I’m nt use to it but laksa wif mint leaves inside taste reli weird. My Penang frend studying at UNIMAS, Kch said she brought her sarawakian fren to eat Penang Laksa and she said her fren threw off after eating it. I’m nt sure isit they eat wif empty stomach or they r reli nt use to the weird taste. haha! I only love Sarawak Laksa!!!
10 to 15 minutes drive to Pulau Tikus from Cititel Hotel.
oh and btw
quoting Penang critic:
“Phrbgh..! Yeah right. Beatiful bridge=Penang bridge=lotsa traffic jams (stay off it), good state governence=CCTV incident remember? Good my foot -_-” Pretty girls? Kuching got lots more. Penang girls sometimes dress funny (some look more like men), handsome guys? Stay there 3 years mana ada handsome guys. Penang laksa taste like fish. Smelly fish. Nice people: people spit and curse like wad nia here and have you seen the way they drive? Sophisticated roadway. Check out the neverending construction on some road. Lotsa bumps and lubang. Job opportunities? Why are there so many beggars then? Unless you’re talking aout those jobs as part time workers at the gazzilion shopping malls. that brings us to the shopping malls, the only mall worth going to is Prangin.”
For the three years you boast of living in Penang, I think all you do is stay at your miserable home reading the newspapers. For if you really lived a life in Penang, you’d have much more positive things to say about Penang than those few lame attempts to degrade Penang.
Oh and to prove it, saying Prangin is the best mall in Penang sums up your life in Penang.
Unless you’re some fucking gangster or ahpek or lalamui, no person in their right mind will say Prangin is the best mall in Penang. GOSH.
Stop ridiculing yourself with the reputation of my hometown at stake bitch.
And laksa soup is made of fish, of course it tastes like fish you dumbfuck.
To anson n lynn(whoever u r).PENANG IS THE BEST!!SO SHUT UP.Talking abt Sarawak girls…they are all so ugly n they hv these really “village” look n their sense of dressing is so 80’s! eee yer….damn geli lor….
hey kenny, i’m currently studying in uk but my hometown is in penang, for the nasi kandar, u gotta try Tajudin hussain in market street i think… gotta try thier ayam ros…. damnn, talking about it itself is making my mouth water. haf fun in penang man!
I fully agree with schizzow.
Lol.
Although I don’t support arguing. In the first place none of you have the right to insult Penang.
I don’t give a rat’s ass whether Penang OR Kuching has pretty girls. How about you talk PROUDLY about your state before you begin criticizing Penang.
So maybe Kuching IS the best (if it makes you happy). But, having an airhead like you insulting Penang makes me feel like thinking twice about your state being the best. If I have to stereotype the rest of your community to be somewhat like you, then Kuching is no better than what you ‘claim’ Penang to be.
But fortunately, I’m not as immatured as a low life like you. =D
Going to Penang?? Ask the pro there lah. http://chanlilian.net/
I’m a Penangite. My parents are Penangite but we migrated to Sabah for 20 years now. Sad to say, Penang food qualities are not as good as before. Too many “my food is the best” wannabes everywhere in Penang. Must be all the ‘real’ chefs retired. Sad. Sad. The minty leaves in the Penang laksa is like a traditional recipe ok? even my grandma puts those into her gulais. But her gulais are delicious lar.
Been to Kuching last year. Their food taste much better and less oilier(?). I miss Kolo mee!
Hey anyone ever tried eating durian with rice? Woohoo!
hi kenny,
good for you to come to penang.
fyi the line clear nasi kandar is about 80-100 meters away and opp. of cititel.
good hock kien mee (prawn mee) to me is at the coffee shop just behind AAA Anthony building with the front selling Mitsubishi cars, along burma road, (morning time only between 8-11 am and expect a 45 minutes wait)
the white curry mee is at abu siti lane, (morning)
char koay teow is along anson road, just after ban hin bee electrical shop (nite only)
there are so many choices of a same type of food and some in am and some during pm.
i wish i can volunteer to take you around but i will be away in hatyai for shopping next sat.., perhaps on your next trip.
btw do not waste your time and money with the food at the gurney drive famous tourist corner, however the song river cafe there is very good for the ‘perut ikan bakar’. open around 10pm and finishes at 12pm.. do not give your instructions to the guy more than once as he can turn grumpy.
To kenny: If you take a cab from Cititel to pulau tikus i’ll cost you around 7-9 ringgit depending on traffic, but if you just take the bus *depending on your mood* i’ll just cost you around a dollar or maybe a few cents more *i totally lost it with public transportation*. Just to let you know, it is true that Penang is known for its famous foods, but be wary of certain places that just use the name tho. Swatow lane would be a good choice for the ice kacang and lorong selamat would be the place for char kuey teow like my fellow penangnites have posted up are quite reliable.
Try the food and judge it for yourself, don’t go to the fancy hotels for even one meal *unless its already provided* if not your stay in penang would be a waste, you went for the food then find it and try it out.
To Penang critic: Hello,are you dumb?Penang bridge is one of our countrys monuments.Traffic jams, its everywhere, depending on when you get on the road.If you get on the bridge at 3 a.m. in the morning and its jammed, pray tell then i’ll know you’re just not another annoying idiot who just can’t wait to get home after a long days work *who doesn’t?* About the girls, maybe you haven’t been looking closely or those that happen to be around you weren’t that great looking, but who are you to critise them as individuals? Furthermore do you know that penang girls have been crowned miss malaysia more than your state.On the laksa,its supposed to taste like fish, kudos to schizzow for knocking some sense to an imbecille which obviously has no common sense.If you dislike the food then don’t eat it.Lastly for you to say that prangin mall is the best mall in penang? May i ask which year did you stay in penang, cause many may beg to differ on your opinion.Don’t go prodding on others state when you don’t even know a quarter to being an penangnite.Its our state and we’re proud of it. So since you had your say at penang…i’ll have my say at you “KNNCCBKLBE”
all penang frens of mine would never agree that other places’ food is better than penang’s….this is how proud penang ppl is with their best-est food.
My Penang food review…
Shui xiang
There’s also a Nyonya restaurant beside it at Nagore Road. Swatow lane is also just beside this road. There’s lots of hawker food in Swatow lane.
Recommended places:
Dinner – Seafood at Tambun
Lunch – Laksa+Hokkien Mee+Char Koay Teow at BB kopitiam near Sunshine Square in Bayan Baru.
Breakfast – Char Koay Kak at Lorong Mecalister.
Dessert – Penang road chendol (standing one)
Night life – Upper Penang Road (they’re all there)
ssaaaaaaarrrrraaaawaaaakk! assam laksa doesnt taste as good as laksa here la. i mean sarawak laksa. teh c peng!! wah. come kuching taste la. hahahahahahahha
This is my website…check it out:) Pulau Tikus has the best all-round food in penang.
Anyone wh0 insults Penang food will have to face my wrath, that means he will have to face my parang. Pse don’t insult Penang food because I can go amok. Patience has its limits. Pse don’t go too far. This is my final warning.
kenny,
dun forget muar
ever heard of muar?
there got the best foods in malaysia
especially otak otaks!!!! haha..
and wan tan mee!!!!
come and try one day
Jango Ang, you are a stupid moron, you are living in the past. Penang food is passe. The hawkers are greedy, dirty, the food is shit. Sarawak food is coming up. So dont just think of Penang food, which stinks, like laksa.
I am a pacifist, but don’t test my patience. I am speaking for millions of Penang people. In malaysia, there is only one group of people who matter – and that is Penang people. Penang people are the smartest, we have the most professionals in the country, we speak pukka english, we dominate the economy, we are the most intelligent people in Malaysia. And of course, our food is first class. Need I say more.
Hi Kenny,
Please add me in friendster. wutaiko@hotmail.com. Then go read my blog about hokkien mee. http://wantho.blogs.friendster.com/mralex_blog/
Welcome to Penang!!!
we heard about penang char kuew tio, penang asam laksa..but do we heard about / before kuching char kuew tio or kuching asam laksa.. prove me wrong
sigh.no matter the outcome of the above ‘arguments’,fact remains —> idiots and morons reside in Kuching and Penang.I’m a Kuchingite btw.never been to penang,but want to.it most likely will not win my heart over kuching,but penang critic please be more considerate and mature.and to the not-too-different dumbnut who flamed kuching gals,well…you just showed you’re no better than ‘penang critic’.moron.
hello kenny,
i c many has suggested u with assam laksa, i’d say u shud try the Siam laksa, which u can getto taste it at Lorong Selamat.
Below r the spots where u can get something so mouth watering even just by the thought of them:
Lorong Selamat: Assam Laksa, SIAM LAKSA, char koey teow (i’d suggest the stall opposite the lansi auntie one, i think it taste way better without having to make an order to a fuckface), the chee cheong fun there is also nice. look out for an aunty who sell bak-hu or sambal heh-bee roll, she has quite funny poem bout her products. (RM4-10)
Penang Road: Laksa, cendol, char koey teow not bad also. but the cendol u’ll hav to eat by the stall, if u order it into the coffee shop the coffee shop wil charge u extra 40 cents. n if u sit in the coffee shop without ordering any drinks, they’ll charge u 40 cents also. fuck. (RM2-RM4)
Penang Road – Ho Pin Restaurant: there will be a stall tat sells porridge n bee hoon soup, starting from around 5 something. trust me, IT’S REALLY GOOD. the soup n the meat balls r so damn good~~~ u’ll c a thin uncle with a loud voice to take ur order, he wears white t-shirt with holes, i think he looks reall sexy, my family call him ‘leng-chai’. make sure when u order specify wat u wan. if u just order: uncle, moi ji ua, u’ll end up with pig intestine n the best of the best: PIG’S BRAIN. u’ll wil not wan the taste in ur bowl of moi if u r not used to the taste. (RM4-6)
taman bukit jambul: not the complx but some apartment very near by. the best pan meen ever. its open from 8 something til after lunch. dont go when its lunch hour, u’ll hav to wait. n u’ll c those indo workers running with customers order, its a wonder they never fell down running with bowls of pan meen. i like it there. u get to sit outside n they hav this really nice loh han guo leong cha. n u’ll get to c the sexiest tree on earth also. donno wat i mean, visit the place n u’ll know. (RM3-4)
swatow lane: ice kacang, serve with choice of fruits. curry mee there is nice also. but now most of the stalls hav moved to a newly build hawker centre which is just opposite called New World. somewhere around there, at a back lane, beside a longkang is an indian or mamak selling laksa with a motorbike. u’ll hav to stand n eat. (ice kacang price differ RM2-5)
i do not think the stall near kek lok si serve the best assam laksa, it taste like longkang water to me n the heh-ko is plain smelly. it used to b good but the quality deteriorated. those who goes probably doesnt know anywhere else tat sells laksa. im not being mean, but its the NAKED TRUTH that the assam laksa is yuckie n the place is dirty.
Jalan La Salle, Air Itam, opposite shang-wu primary sch: the wantan mee there is gooooood. a bit more expensive than other stalls but its worth it. n there’s one aunty there who takes drinks order. if u order watermelon she calls out: 美人ï¼i thought its pretty funny. the mee goreng there is nice also. (RM2-3)
‘coconut feet’ or ‘iah kah (pronounce it with hokkien) next to khoo kongsi: there u can find a nice koey teow soup, the mee goreng there good also, while waiting for ur main course u can try the bak-chang, not bad also, though not tat special. (RM2.5-5)
if u’d like a coconut drink u can drop by Abu Siti Lane n stand by the road side for a pandan coconut tat probably cost between Rm2.20-.50. go to the corner stall, i prefer the indian uncle who speaks hokkien cos he’s more friendly. the stall beside sells coconut also but i dont quite like the service, buy from him if only u wanna da-bao. there’s one time when im in a rush to get 8 take-aways, half way peaparing he said to me: wait. and then he went to pray to watchamacalit god n smash a dry cocunut then resume my order. i was dumstrucked, i was in a rush, n i started to pack the coconut water myself.
in one of the lane in macalister road: 王æ˜å› restaurant. they have the best fish meat mee hoon. order the sour-spicy soup. n they hav very nice tofu also. OMG!!! im going there tomoro. (RM10-20)
macalister road, opposite agora hotel: u can get very nice fish meat mee hoon also. this is a bit different, all the filet are fried but the freshness is guaranteed. (RM3-5)
there re lots more stalls which u should try out, but if u r staying for a short time, i dont suppose u could try it all. i suggest u try something u couldnt get in sarawak.
Hav fun! 🙂
pulau tikus’ noodles! (prawn mee, wantanmee etc etc)
Well, Kenny, since I’ve no time to go capture photos of those yummy food in Penang, I’ll just write you a list.
Char Koay Teow – Jalan Siam-Jalan Anson junction (opposite Ban Hin Bee Electrical Shop). This uncle uses charcoal instead of gas stove. You can order from him and wait to be served at the kopitiam opposite his push-cart. Sold from lunch/mid-afternoon until run out of koay teow.
Hokkien Mee – Goodall Cafe. (opposite Penang Chinese Girls’ School) It is sold from late morning until dinner time. Usually when business is good, you will find the stall closed during dinner time.
Asam Laksa – Air Itam market. Not the one by the roadside but the one inside the market. Until tea time.
Ais Kacang & Cendul – Air Itam market. Same place as Asam Laksa. OR Swatow Lane in town.
Indian Mee Goreng – Pulau Tikus. (corner coffee shop directly opposite of police station) Lunch only.
Curry Mee – Kuantan Road, morning & night(if lucky). Depends on the sellers mood. 90% of the time it’s the most delicious in Malaysia.
Nasi Lemak (pyramid shaped packaging)- Mamak stall at Jalan Dato Koyah (off Penang Road. When you see Kayu Nasi Kandar, turn right). About 5 minutes walk from Cititel. Pick those that are packed without banana leaf, usually on the right. Night time only.
Nasi Kandar – Line’s Clear along Penang Road. Try the fresh milk. Take a few photos of the milk man, he’ll pull some stunts tarik-ing the milk. 24/7.
Pig internals porridge/noodles/bee hoon – Coffee shop at Penang Road-Jalan Kg. Malaba (less than a minute’s walk from Line’s Clear. Kayu is across the road from the coffee shop) Night time.
Lok-lok – Padang Brown. The first stall you see. Day time.
Yong Tau Foo – Padang Brown. The stall nearest to the main road. Day time.
Fried Oyster – Jelutong Market. Night time only. You are lucky if the stall is open. An Ah Pek selling.
Si Ko Th’ng (dessert) – Sold by reputedly the prettiest girls in Penang. Jelutong Market. Night time only.
Bak Kut Teh – Macalister Road. Lai Lai Bak Kut Teh. Dinner onwards.
Authentic Thai food – Cempaka Ria. Jalan Dato Koyah. From dinner until 2am.
Nasi Dalca – Little India (Market Street). Dinner.
Banana Leaf Rice – Little India. A small shop that maybe kind of stuffy along Market Street (nearing Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling end). From lunch onwards.
Wan Tan Mee – Tanjung Bungah night market. Tuesdays only.
Seafood – Tanjung Bungah. The shop faces the sea. Car park is at a health club. Somewhere further up from Khaleel Nasi Kandar.
Chicken Rice – Chulia Street. Lunch.
Nyonya food – Hainan Town, next to ferry terminal. Price is slightly above average but good. Try the Asam Pedas & Springrolls. Cannot beat my grandma’s though. Lunch&Dinner.
Roti Babi, Springrolls & Belacan Chicken – Pensioners Club at Scott Road aka Jalan (some Indian name). Just go straight from the road next to Goodall Cafe, go across the cross junction and slowdown to look for a gate entrance on the right. Then park you car in the compound and search for the canteen. Lunch&Dinner.
Mee rebus/Mee goreng – Nasi Kandar shop in Bayan Baru along Jalan Mahsuri.
Nasi Padang – Jalan Transfer. (Opposite Caltex petrol station). Near Cititel. Lunch.
Lor Bak – Jalan Burmah. Corner coffee shop next to Adventist Church, very near SRJK (C) Union. Night time.
—
Gurney Drive hawkers are meant to cheat tourists. People who say the food there are the best have problem with their tastebuds. The only thing that makes the visit worthy is the flat rate Lok-Lok. 50 or 70 sen per stick.
Lorong Selamat Char Koay Teow is ok… go only if you are NOT hungry. The aunty will tell you, “Beh tan pa jit ka lai.” (If you can’t wait, come another day) Or if she’s in a bad mood, she’ll hand you a plate and make you stand by her stall to wait for your turn. I haven’t been there ever since.
I think http://www.rasarasa.net/section.cfm?id=19 is not a bad guide to Penang food. The writer was a Penang boy.
Hey there!
by the way, i forgot something very important, if u like 腊味，for eg è…Šè‚‰ï¼Œè…Šè‚ ï¼Œå’¸é¸è„š, u shud visit this grocery stalls in Chowrasta market called Fook Weng. too bad they r not cooked, but u can buy some, especially the 腊肉，cos they r homemade n handmade by the tauke, I GUARANTEE U’LL GO BEC A SECOND TIME N U’LL LIKE IT. if u dont like it, i’ll pay for wat u’ve paid. the cantonese tauke is extrememly funny who speaks quite loud n make jokes with everyone. if u’re lucky u’ll get a very pretty gal who came bec from sweden for holiday to serve u. GO GO GO!
p/s: when u go to penang road for cendol, ask the hawker to make u an ice-balls. the weather is getting quite unbearable n an ice ball is just the right thing to cool down the heat. Yee-Haa!!!
nasi kandar:go stop by gelugor.it’s near Klinik Aman.But the stall will only open after 6pm.usually there will be a queue.but it’s worth the wait!but you have to eat in front of shop houses la..try the maroon coloured chicken.(haha i still don’t know what it’s called).oh ya it’s a stall with a yellow sign.it has decorative lights on its stall.i forgot what’s that stall called =_=”’ if i’m not wrong it’s Nasi Kandar Istimewa.
chendol:its on a small lane on the left of penang road.it’s located between kimberley street and prangin road.note:there’s 2 chendol stalls situated opposite each other.the stall on the right hand site is da bomb.
western food:James Foo Western Food.along jalan fettes.operates after 6pm.it’s at Fatty Loh restaurant.it’s easy to notice as there’s a huge rooster near the restaurant.
satay:Pulau Tikus market.it’s sold by a malay man.chinese man 1 not that nice.
man chan kuih:in a coffee shop in pulau tikus directly opposite the pulau tikus police station.the stall is operated by a man.opens after 3.30pm.always must wait but it’s worth it la..
char koay teow:lorong selamat i guess.it’s famous in penang.Macalister Road 1 also not bad..the one near fatty loh at night 1 not that nice la..not spicy at all.
no1 mentioned the “lohbak”(oth plc call it Ngo Heung)…if u dunno, juz accept it as pork-roll.. n its located vr vr near 2 ur cititel hotel..
fr cititel entrance walk 2 ur right until come across a T-junction … where u can c Giordano(or Baleno?) or ur left….n there’s 2 corner shop kopitiam .. take the 1 further from hotel…only available from 10am-3pm… remember the “heh chee”(cucur udang chinese version) 2 !! ONLY that food in that shop …. others wan ….errr..ermm .err n its a small snack, perfect 4 tea-time n can eat even if u r full.. sum1 suggests me d hawker-center opposite Penang Chinese Girl High School but i’ve never been there be4
i’ll write more in my blog
http://www.leaxx7.blogspot.com
a civilised person doesnt call another person an idiot when it comes to GIVING SUGGESTIONS!
i know it’s freedom of speech here but i dun think i’m an idiot suggesting char koay teow from lorong selamat..yea it’s a lil pricey i admit but i guess the issue here is about suggestions of good food not about comparison of prices. it might not worth the price or whatever, i guess it’s up to kenny sia to decide, it’s his first try, not you..none of us here have the right to condemn about the tastebud of another human being..in case you don’t know..
thank you.
yea, before i forget, chulia street sells really tasty hawker food too..
no1 mentioned the “lohbak”(oth plc call it Ngo Heung)…if u dunno, juz accept it as pork-roll.. n its located vr vr near 2 ur cititel hotel..
fr cititel entrance walk 2 ur right until come across a T-junction … where u can c Giordano(or Baleno?) or ur left….n there’s 2 corner shop kopitiam .. take the 1 further from hotel…only available from 10am-3pm… remember the “heh chee”(cucur udang chinese version) 2 !! ONLY that food in that shop …. others wan ….errr..ermm .err n its a small snack, perfect 4 tea-time n can eat even if u r full.. sum1 suggests me d hawker-center opposite Penang Chinese Girl High School but i’ve never been there be4
i’ll write more in my blog
http://www.leaxx7.blogspot.com
why no one talk about chee cheong fun??? Me crave!!!
I strongly disagree with people implying Ipoh has any appetising good food.Ipoh’s kway tiaw is typically tasteless and how the damm Ipoh’s ludicrously simple food can outcompete Kuching,Penang and KL food?I am not feigning surprise….
Is the snake in the photo REAL???
“I am a pacifist, but don’t test my patience. I am speaking for millions of Penang people. In malaysia, there is only one group of people who matter – and that is Penang people. Penang people are the smartest, we have the most professionals in the country, we speak pukka english, we dominate the economy, we are the most intelligent people in Malaysia. And of course, our food is first class. Need I say more.” = DUMB!!!! need i say more.
girl in pic is chio…
Speaking about line clear, I was once told by my lecturer about how line clear got it’s name. You see, line clear is very old, one of the oldest nasi kandar restaurants around; I do not know exactly how old, but i do know that it’s at least pre world war 2.
In those days, Penang, and much of Malaya did not have a proper sewage system; which basically means that the toilets or jambans do not flush into a sewege pipe, but down into a bucket. The buckets are then emptied every morning by some workers. They’ll pick up the bucket and walk all the way to a huge tong and throw it in, then walk back and put back the bucket.
Now it so happens that line clear is situated just behind(or near) a row of jambans of shophouses, and to get to the jambans, the workers need to pass thru a small alley, which is just beside the restaurant(the huge tong will be waiting at the main road). So beasically every morning a worker will walk pass the restaurant via the alley, pick up bucket filled with poo, walk back to tong via the alley, dispose of poo, then walk back to the jamban to return the bucket. After the workers finish their job, the staff at line clear will then shout out ‘line clear!’ to indicate that the ‘jamban’ workers are done with their work there and that there’s no more smell or stuff lidat. So people will naturally wait for the ‘line clear’ before coming to have their breakfast.
I have no idea how true this story is, but it kinda makes sense; if you go there, there’s an alley, which is most probably now filled with tables and chairs. My lecturer got the story from his mum, who stayed in that area in those days.
Thought I’d share this with ya. ^_^
Chee cheong fun. There was once this stall who had one of the best chee cheong fun…which I can’t recall where, but then moved to Suncity in Fettes Park. But after the years, its quality has went down alot.
If you really can’t decide whether to head to Lorong Selamat for the char koay teow, then i suggest bee hooi’s char koay teow. only at night.
as for char siew rice. this shop at lorong susu along macalister road which sells around lunch time has damn fucking dope char siew. hohoho. the chicken aint that nice la. but the charsiew is outta this world.
and yes satinsilk, it’s called the Snake Temple because it has REAL snakes.
As suggested by Bel, the food at Pensioners Club is not half bad.. try out their mee sua tau too if you have the chance!
And i think i saw someone talk about a stall selling good lorbak near Cititel.. tht place also has nice chicken rice… easily sold out around 12-1pm de! Char Koay Teow there is also ok. Ask for duck egg instead of the chicken egg, it’ll be slightly more expensive but it’s more yummy! ^^ The place is closed on Mondays if i remember correctly!
And last but not least, to the person who said Prangin Mall is the only mall in Penang worth going to… I seriously doubt your taste and your lifestyle. Even my mother wouldn’t let me go there on any normal day cos she says it’s full of er… let me quote schizzow a bit… “gangsters/ahpek/lalamui” (but of course tht is not what my mom really said, but the general meaning is there =P)
I miss Penang food so much la… KL food is just not the same… T_T
duddee.. im a swakian myself..
but when it comes 2 food..
i think perak has the best
wez recently der..
and the food is wicked man..
=D
Hey dude, watch out, you may not agree with how dishes are washed at some of the best Penang’s Char Kueh Tiaw stall.
http://www.cooknengr.com/blog2/archives/travel_img/022205_kl_12.jpg
Shoot… me in KL now… Well for midnite snack, Bukit Mertajam (near railway station) Duck Egg Char Koay Teow.
Bak Kut Teh near City Stadium, got “Lau Fu Chi” picture one.
The others are all said in the post liao… dunwan to add to that anymore… later u blur till dunno what to eat..
Im not from malaysia but have vacationed there several times. I have to agree Kuching has the best food in Malaysia. Penang is good but its not even close Kuching.
Hey Kenny,
Call me la when you are in Penang. I take you around to hunt for food. At the same time, can take photo as well.
You know how to get my details 😀
I am not revealing it here.
Will take up your challenge when I have time, right now, doing system migration, will be very busy for the next 1-2 months. 🙁
Sigh, I missed Malaysian food and visitin Kenny’s blog is a bad idea. All I have is sucky Canadian Food =( I was from KL tho. They still have pretty decent hawker stuff. Definitely not as authentic as Penang’s and Kuching’s. Would Love to try that KOLO Mee tho 🙂 Kindly tapao it to Canada. I’ll bear the courier charges 🙂
I wanna join you too, Kenny!!! I’m from Ipoh and I wanna eat the best laksa..I’m also don’t know where to get the best food in Penang becos I seldom visit Penang…hehe…
I guess Ipoh has the best “chicken and bean sprout hor fun” in whole Malaysia. Come to Ipoh lar..
YEAHHH SHOWDOWN!! When Kuching and Penang take each other down, KL will rule tham all! *cough*
I wonder why people bother to argue on why their state/city is better…Just because a state/city has popped out a few beauty title holders, can they immediately stereotype to say all the girls there are gorgeous?
Just because Sarawak has been neglected by the government, does that give people any right to say the girls there are more ‘ulu’ and ‘kampong’?
Amber Chia was from an ‘ulu’ kampong.
I’m a Kuchingnite, and I love my Sarawak Laksa and Kolo Mee. But I ALSO love Penang Laksa. You really can’t compare the two of them as they’re just so different. Just take them as two different dishes regardless of the ‘laksa’ in their name.
For those who say Penang is dirty. Sure. Where in Malaysia isn’t??? Even for Kuching to have the title Garden City or whatever, its a bit of a joke, yar, sure, we have lots of trees and flowers, but our streets are still littered with trash. The drains are still polluted, and junk is still being found in the rivers.
Definitely we can’t compare with other ‘garden cities/towns’.
One thing for sure, be proud of where you’re from, but don’t let it get to your head. We all have our faults. Its important to recognize the good traits but still acknowledging our bad traits.
I have friends telling me that Ipoh has got gorgeous girls, because a certain actress was from there. sure, but i also have friends who have girlfriends who are from Ipoh, and they say that Ipoh girls are crazy.
Much like how in Kuching, they say Foochow girls are crazy. Its just unfair discrimination. Obviously their biasness can only be applied to a minority, but why do people still love to take it as a god given truth and regurgitate it so fanatically?
Also, when you praise about your ownself, it means nothing. Unless the praise comes from someone else, then it is something that you can be proud about.
As for night life, you can consider GLO, SS or Chill Out at Gurney. These are the more happening places. I think I don’t have to mention about food. Most of them have been posted up. =)
the most delicious food might not be the tastiest but is the one with extra 人情味, that’s why everyone’s hometown has the best food; feel sorry to the ppl who can’t name a few nice food from their hometown, because their heart isn’t there!
Try fengwei in front of theship in town. Their “pearl meet” is juicy and tender with beef texture eventhough it’s pork and do try their oyster mee, very sweet and huge garoupa “long den”.
Guys, don’t fight over Penang or Kuching Food…
if you got any nice food to introduce, just do it.
– Append –
Most Penangites never ever did admit that Penang food is the bestest of the best in the first place. but of course we’ll admit anytime that there’s a hack of a lot more food here then anywhere else.
It’s the Gahmen I tell you! They like to give stupid titles to cheat tourists remember? Such as the bestest toilet in Malaysia?
*******************************************
PENANG FOOD ***** IS ******* THE BEST *****
*******************************************
*bias* muahahahaha
(your short talk)
Only in Msia, will you find things like that!!! sick
Everyone seems to be talking about food in the island only lol. In the mainland part (that’s Seberang Jaya, Raja Uda, Perai, Bukit Mertajam etc) there’s a lot of great food too ok. Sisters’ Koay Teow cannot beat the 3 Brothers’ Koay Teow (someone mentioned above, the one near BM KTM, jalan kulim and beside the taxi station) Cost wise it’s only RM2.20-2.50 compared to Sisters’ RM5 (omgwtfbbq)
The first Nasi Kandar Pelita (which ventured to India) is here also. Anyway me myself as a penangite haven’t tried most of the food suggested above lol, good thing for this post I can go for a food hunt soon 😀
LOL at those who went “my state is better than yours nananana” sigh. And don’t forget to buy a few boxes of tambun pneah from him heang/bee hiang, those are really nice gifts from penang.
Here’s a post on the best Goo Bak Koay Teow on the island. One tip though, go early or else they may sell out. We went once at 2:30pm thinking to beat the lunch crowd and ended up disappointed. Here’s the link http://truebluepenangite.blogspot.com/2006/12/goo-bak-koay-teow-beef-noodle-soup.html
Kenny, since you are gonna stay in Cititel, make sure you don’t miss the Oxtail or Torpedo Soup right by the hotel. lol. Will be quite an experience but a delicious one. As for party time, again, Slippery Senoritas is a must. It’s just 5 mins walk away from your hotel.
Never heard of anyone coming back from Kuching saying the food there are nice. But we always hear people came back from Penang praises the food there.
char kuay teow – there’s this char kuay teow stall where an old man cooks… look for him… i think it taste much better than the sister’s char koey teow…
another thing you should try… is the burger in hillside… it only opens at nite… but dun go too early… the burger wouldn’t taste tat tasty… go later for supper… its a chinese fella…
Yah… everyone talking about Island food, but since Kenny there in Island and feels like veturing to the mainland then go to Jawi for the ‘Chai Kuih’.
Very yummy ‘mi tai muck’ in Bukit Mertajam pekan, Next to ‘Tuah Pek Gong’ temple. The stall exist since my mum generation.
Kenny,dont come home without sampling Kari Kapitan,inche kabin,assam prawn,fish curry,pulut ikan,green curry.oh chee chun fun 4 BF.
eh,all not blogger ah..how can lah…no pictures, no nothing. kenny cannot get tantalized ler. dunno whether you all bluffing him or not.
you can find the ‘mi tai mak’ as mentioned by Chicken in my blog. Photos included
http://www.vkeong.com/index.php/2006/09/26/nice-noodles-bm-tua-pek-kong/
The wantan noodles is great too! Since my father’s generation
http://www.vkeong.com/index.php/2006/05/21/50-years-old-mee-stall-bm-market/
I do agree Penang has all the variety of yummylicious food to offer, Kenny.
However. Do not Forget IPOH as well! IPOH has always to bring out the best of their local delicacies. It’s only 90 minutes drive from Penang…
So drop by IPOH too!
Hi Kenny,
A friend of mine put up this web called called AsiaExplorers.In there you will find a list of Penang Hawker food.
http://www.asiaexplorers.com/food.shtml
Beware of the extra paunds created by Penang food. If you want to taste all the food, you’ll be eating non-stop for the whole day. Is your stomach strong enough ??!! hmm….
Another MUST try Seafood
Hai Boey Restaurant
29, Mk-9 Pasir Belanda, Teluk Kumbar, 11920 Penang. HP: 012-498 1114, 012 493 7345, 012-405 3717
Order their fishes steamed in claypot, the fat succulent clams (la-la), deepfried prawns balls covered with thin slices of brinjal, stir-fried oysters, pork ribs, and sambal kangkong. Price ranges from Rm 50 to Rm80 for two persons. Ask for smaller portions so you can order more dishes! GREAT Stuff!
Check out this site
http://www.penanglive.com/blog/
It all depends on what triggers your tastebuds one lar…….its all preferences…. some like KFC’s burgers….some hate it….and swear by McD’s……but the rest will insist on Ramli’s. End of the day….it still ends up to what your tongue likes…..not mine……
Quote – “Very yummy ‘mi tai muck’ in Bukit Mertajam pekan, Next to ‘Tuah Pek Gong’ temple. The stall exist since my mum generation.”
I second that. There’s this “hawker centre” which is actually in front of a Tua pek Kong temple (we call it Pek Kong Zheng) that opens only at night til late in the wee hours, and the food there is one of the best (or actually, my favourite) in the whole of Bukit Mertajam. Lol.
Don’t forget to try the fish noodles there too.
I was born in BM but grew up in Penang Island. Hohoho.
And I think the Chinese uncle’s burger in Tg Bungah isn’t as nice as before already unfortunately. 🙁
Hi Kenny,
You should put up a question asking any females “”WILLINGLY”” bring you around Penang to explore. I believed Cititel Penang will be flocked by people with banners like what happened last weekend in Puchong Toll Protest Gathering!
I have been Penang for food few times and relatively I can find it in Penang! Perhaps maybe just the environment will give your the Penang mood.
without a doubt… penang wins…. sarawak? there’s actually food in sarawak besides sarawak laksa?
hey,Schizz, nice to meet you here.. XD
Oh, Kenny, the Japenese food in Cititel is YUMMM!! and umm…I think you would probably need to extend the duration of your trip, trust me, a couple of days wouldn’t be enough….I’ve been living in Penang ever since ever and I’m still not done “sampling” the “legendary range” of Penang food.
In Penang, people never sample food.
Penangites are perpetually eating. 🙂
Talk is cheap…
Kenny… come to penang… and i will take u there personally to all those GREAT FOOD..
You can do the same for me when i go to Kuching..
Still dieing for that Kolo Mee u talked so much about..
And yes… i have done it before… round penang in a nite and taste them ALL!!!! ALL!…
** the events that happens after the crazy ride is another issue…
err, kenny, “whore your blog links”? how to whore my blog links?
I’m Sarawakian, but I couldn’t agree with you Kenny.
Penang has best food with no doubt 🙂
When u see the stall outside stick a blue colour “rasa-rasa makan” book cover paper..that’s the one that u should go n try!~~
this is how me n my fren makan throughout the whole penang last month!~it covers all the must eat in penang~
http://www.rasarasa.net/
OMIGOD .. some people are really a little over-zealous about criticising others, no? *sigh* It’s quite sad how a little competition can make some people say such mean words!
anyways, i don’t think i can add to all the places already mentioned, eventhough i am part penang-khia 😉
hope you have a great trip kenny!
aiyoyo, i talak masa to go thru 181 comments here la but i’ve went thru a hand full… and so far, no one mention anythign about chulia street!! Dinner time.. say 8-9. Penang kia eat late mia.
Believe me, try the loh bak kou / carrot cake there
Old couple, sah lun chia next to a mamak that sells newspaper+oth-chaplang-stuff.
The fruit juice is one of the best too. If ya sit near to the stall enuff, ya can hear macam macam mix of juice people order there.
Other than the above mentioned, there is the curry mee and wan tan mee (maybe can fight wif ya kolo mee?)
Penang food, stay here 1 month only can taste semua, i hav a fren from KL who were up for 10 days also kenot habih makan everything.
p/s: i dun feel like poking you la
sarawak kolok me for sarawakian and penang laksa for penangites, no nid to fight over it ok…tat’s why they are called sarawak kolo mee and not penang kolo mee mah…enjoy ppl
if u chop off my head, i would still say kch has the best food in malaysia.
but penang ‘sea-ham (clam) char mee’ is super good oso. anyone can recommend a good spot of that, then penang would b awarded 2nd prize lo… =P
The Pearl of the Orient – Penang Rules!
Sarawak’s famous laksa VS Penang asam laksa
who will win?of course laksa lo(for me la),u add the lime in the laksa soup will also taste sour mah…haha
from my experience, only those whose state of origin’s foods sux therefore they dun argue tt their foods are best. simply bc ur state sux!! penang is the best!!
sarawak food i dono how nice it is..but… if compare wif kl… the worst wan tan mee in penang will win the best wan tan mee in KL.. this is sure… penang = food heaven~! i think u stay here whole month oso cant finish test the hawker food in penang…
come pg..u must try
Laksa
wan tan mee
koaw tiao teng
char koaw tiao
Lok lok
ice kacang
curry mee
hokkien mee
char koaw kat
tooo mani to list.. n diffrent hawker diffrent taste…. but i m sure.. the worst penang hawker food will win the best hawker food in KL! sure 100%!
ohya..4get mention u somethings.. dun go penang beach… just look nice in poster or pic… actually veli dirty… i think oni b nice infront of 5stars hotel.. other…..better dun go.. bad image~!
wan buy DVD ?? go batu feringi… RM4 per DVD.. cheap ler~? batu ferringi not oni famous in beach.. but oso DVD.. …. =) n lots fake handbag, LV…GUcci..
Penang food is No 1. Ipoh, KL, Kuching, JB, Alor Star food is SHIT.
Hi Yong Xin XD
OMG, look at the response!
I’ve done an entry with the title “My Very Own Best of the Best List of Penang Food” hoping to prove you wrong!
Check it out here:
http://jlshyang.blogspot.com/2007/02/my-very-own-best-of-best-list-of.html
Enjoy!
WALAU! dun have to be so harsh with your comments.
i must say,i’m torn between kuching and penang.
Both places have their own speciality.(on the subject of food here)
For instance,
I prefer Sarawak laksa to Penang laksa.
BUT,i absolutely LOVE penang CHAR KUEH TIAW and the Nyonya food in Penang is really good as well.
Ok… Kuching is only one of the places in sarawak, 3 other cities are sibu , bintulu and miri. I traveled all b4.In fact, Kuching and the other 3 cities provide different style of food due to difference in chinese community culture. Example, JUST the dry noodle, KCH hav kolok mee everywhere but sibu have kampua stalls the most. Its Hard to say penang food is nice or kuching’s bcos everyone hav different taste. Anyway, IN MY OPPINION, food is a part of culture. In term of culture, Sarawak hav the combination of chinese, indegenious and malay culture and even the race of chinese have big different between hokkien, teochow, HengHua, HAkka, Cantonese and foochow but penang only a tiny state that consist MOSTLY chinese(Hokkien n teochew). Kennysia haven comment anything about Iban’s food, foochow’s and etc. So I think, SARAWAK food thing will be more INTEReSTing
P.S I m a hokkien.
I accept your challange:
http://artmaker.blogspot.com/2007/02/best-food-in-world.html
foodlover is correct.
We hv more variety of food in swak.
Love to know how this will end.
Will Kenny gain more weight from all the food tasting activities?
Ppl from semenanjung should visit us more often.
We dun live atas pokok anymore.
Further more here u can find layer cakes, gambir swak, ikan terubuk and “hantu kepala” (war trophies from head hunting expedition!).
Aiyo..people…food only lar..don’t have to insult each other’s taste right? I really think it’s freaking shallow and nonsensical for us to be arguing about which state’s food is the best. one man’s meat is another’s poison. so chill la! good food is everywhere. we live in malaysia. whether it’s from penang, kuching, ipoh or kepong (which is where i hail from) it’s malaysian food that rocks!
I personally don’t believe that any one char kuay teow or wan tan mee is the best because all our taste differ.
Anyway I think the Assam Laksa in Pasar Air Itam is darn good. I never did quite fancy Assam Laksa but that stall makes me crave for it ever since I been there. And the man who makes the Laksa is one very very friendly dood. And humble too. So Kenny give it a try. XD
The cendol that I absolutely love is the one at Penang Road. The stall where Phua Chu Kang visited. XD Also next to the stall would be this old man selling pong peah which I highly recommend. It ain’t too sweet. But he’s not there all the time cos he sets his stall at different areas too.
Another place to go is this restaurant in Bukit Genting which is near Balik Pulau if I’m not mistaken. It’s the only hilltop restaurant in Bukit Genting. I would really recommend this place because the food is good, cheap and the view is superb. Be there before 6.30 to watch the sunset. It’s breathtakingly beautiful. Though I must warn you, the road up Bukit Genting is crazily winding and steep. But a once in a lifetime experience. Just for the view.
For visuals of the food in Penang (though limited):-
http://wrinkledfingers.blogspot.com/2006/05/penang-post.html
http://wrinkledfingers.blogspot.com/2006/11/update.html
Have yourself have a smashing time there yah. x)
DO NOT go for Lorong Selamat LS Aunty Char Kuey Teow. Wouldn’t deny that the LS aunty’s char kuey teow tastes OK, but you can get equally good ones at other places that has been suggested minus the wait under the hot sun(yes, she makes ppl Q up under the hot sun for their char kuey teow when she is not in a good mood), her horrible attitude and the cut throat price.
LS aunty char kuey teow is just overrated.
No harm trying the assam laksa and siam laksa at Lorong Selamat though.
Lorong Selamat Char Kuey Teoh.. why bother to go there. those that recommend there is either ur not Local Penang or ur rich Ppl.
Taste.. so so ..
Price.. High high
Service .. bad bad.
other place have better char kuey teoh
same as the sister char kuey teoh.. OVERRATED!!
Kenny How long will u be in Penang?? Got ur Tour guide?
everyone seem to say lrg selamat char koey teow the best=.=?did anyone tried b4 the duck egg char koey teow located in BM town?
My hometown is Penang but I have stayed in Kuching for Ages. I would still say overall Kuching foods is my preference. For me, only 3 foods in Pg beat Kch
1.Char Kuey Teow – any stall but not the overpriced & overrated Lrg Selamat & Mcalister.Like the RM2.50 one at Brown Field Hakwer centre.
2.Chendol -The Pg Teochew Chendol easily beat those in Swk.
3.Nasi Kandar – No much Indians or mamaks in Swk, so no match here. My fav is `Line Clear’ at Penang Road. The curry taste is fabulous due to the many species only available in Pg
@Bel: FINALLY someone mentions the Siam Road Char Koay Teow! ^.^
That is, without a doubt, the BEST CKTeow to me. I am a complete CKTeow FREAK and I believe I have tried almost every stall in Penang between 3 years (and if you ask me why I am so lame, it’s because I’m only home from Melbourne 2 months a year), including the “famous” ones of Sister and Lrg. Selamat. It does NOT compare to Siam Road CKTeow. Ooooohhh…now I feel like driving out to get myself a packet. =D
P.S. Go Lrg. Selamat only if you have very very high level of patience and tolerance. I tell you the seller made me want to throw my plate at her, SO arrogant. She was like, “if you wanna eat, then wait. If you dun wanna wait, then go away…” Well, fuck off to you too, bitch.
And the CKTeow wasn’t even THAT great, and horribly overpriced just because some idiot put them on Penang’s Tourisum brochure…BLASPHEMY 🙁
Agree with lince, duck egg char koay teow in BM is the best. All the friends(from other states) I’ve brought there all agree that it’s the best. Everytime ask me bring them there again. Lorong Selamat Sisters’ Koay Teow, sau pei la lol 😛
thanks for pointer kk!
btw, yam, i thought bali is a tad bit expensive?
hello XD
thanks for pointer kk!
btw, yam, i thought bali is a tad bit expensive?
Sorry, I forgot to put in my name etc in my previous comment…..
Agreed that the BM Char Koay Teow is great but my favourite is found in another place nearby there – Kulim. Look for that Char Koay Teow stall under the tree right in Kulim town. the taste is heaven & it is super value !
haiyah, everything everywhere in penang is much better than those i can find in KL.. sad.
Kenny, u sure u still wanna indulge urself in all the best food in penang? better think twice 😛 since you can’t visit the gym any sooner
I don’t have my own site, but i think this ” http://www.kyspeaks.com/ ” have some very good choice of food and taste.
OK,firstly,we are toking about FOOD here.
Why do i see INSULTS on sarawakian gals?
Like wad the others say,CHILL OK?it’s just food.
CHIAK KA LU PA ,OK?
actually by the long list of comments regarding which place’s food is the best, for example like char koay teow, there’s so many place offers good koay teow, anyway this is just depending personal likings BUT this shows 1 things, PENANG is no doubt have more nice foods compare to Sarawak (since KennySia wanted to compare, coz every state got own speciality in food, it’s bad when u want to compare the BEST food in Msia), no offense, i think most ppl might agree with this 1.
Shut up about the insults on Sarawakian girls! This is food,ppl!! I love some food in KL and I love Kuching food(duh!I’m from Kuching), but food does not equal GIRLS, YOU IDIOTS!!!
We’ll beat you down with parangs if you insult girls from ANY place.
WHoa..Wait, Kenny didnt insult penang food. It’s just his opinion, he dint say anything about penang food sucks or penang’s assam laksa taste like vomit or what. All he wrote was he likes Kuching food better. So why the hell you guys keep telling him not to insult penang food? He didnt even start the insults…hmmm..
btw,
I still prefer Sarawak laksa.
But penang food, I havent try so dont know yet lor.
dear penang kia, don’t exaggerate your food lar, penang is not food paradise. There are good food that’s all i can say… u think it’s paradise, oths don’t.
Penang food so is famous it’s not cos of nice but it’s due to the penangite can’t accept the fact that there are good food outside. The food is just not bad or it’s good, again not from paradise.
above statement is proven when u talk to penangite. You ask ipoh chicken rice better or pg? they will say “i’ll sure say penang, cos i support pg..” ..and etc.. they jes can’t say food available in penang is equavalent or worse then outside. This statement shows that penangite says their food good not cos its good…it’s cos of “face”. And i’m not narrow minded by talking to 1 penangite to represent all…i talk to many…all have same mindset..
If ppl from oth state build the same mind set as penangite… every state is “superp”… and thr’s no one is “superp”. No more food paradise!!
Penagitis sounds like a disease.
more thing to add… food good or bad..it’s subjective. you grown up with those food and you get use it that kind of style, when u go outside, and you can’t get used to the outside world style then u start saying that oth ppl’s food sucks?
I grown up in my homeland and i like our food better then urs, shall i declare my homeland is paradise of the paradise?
Naturally none of you have ever been or eaten anything in Taiping, Perak ? right ?
Shame on you for being so biased and not putting Taiping as a contender !!!!heh…heh…
thanks for pointer kk!
btw, yam, i thought bali is a tad bit expensive?
Sorry, I forgot to put in my name etc in my previous comment…..
Posted by: charcamayne at 06 February 2007 1:03 PM | Link to comment
it’s not ex considering that if u travel to tambun, u need to pay for petrol and toll. in the end it adds up the same.
dear penang kia, don’t exaggerate your food lar, penang is not food paradise. There are good food that’s all i can say… u think it’s paradise, oths don’t.
Penang food so is famous it’s not cos of nice but it’s due to the penangite can’t accept the fact that there are good food outside. The food is just not bad or it’s good, again not from paradise.
above statement is proven when u talk to penangite. You ask ipoh chicken rice better or pg? they will say “i’ll sure say penang, cos i support pg..” ..and etc.. they jes can’t say food available in penang is equavalent or worse then outside. This statement shows that penangite says their food good not cos its good…it’s cos of “face”. And i’m not narrow minded by talking to 1 penangite to represent all…i talk to many…all have same mindset..
If ppl from oth state build the same mind set as penangite… every state is “superp”… and thr’s no one is “superp”. No more food paradise
u r wrong.
we aint kia su but our foods are reli the best.
if u ask me about pg beach, i aint gonna tell u it’s the best. i might say it’s redang
if u ask me about where to go in pg, i might tell u none except ur hotel room. juz hang out there, resting while waiting for the next meal.
i aint gonna boast how beautiful our temples are, how pretty our girls are, how tall our buildings are, or watever else.
well.. although only been staying for like months in the west already makes me miss kuching food a lot a lot… Haha..
I can still remember the Wan Tan Mee sold at a kopitiam supposedly owned by Taiping’s Elvis Presley. It’s somewhere near the clock tower in town. The Lor Bak there also not bad.
If you have the chance to go across the Penang bridge to the mainland, don’t forget to visit Bukit Mertajam, Chai Leng Park, Nibong Tebal and Jawi. They have good food there. I’d reckon the yam rice at Chai Leng Park, shop on the right. Nibong Tebal’s baby octopus (too boh s’ng) is heavenly. BM’s ‘chai koay’ is not bad, the one at Taman Sri Rambai. Jawi has some yummy ‘choo char’ (literally ‘cook fry’).
kuching lang here, totally agree kuching hv some of the best food. right now staying overseas and coming back in 10 months!! cannot wait leh
This guy from Kuching, Mr Ass asks something about best hawker foods in Penang, so here’s my humble contributions.
BEST LAKSA (ASSAM)
Air Itam wet market and Penang Road. You know the places
For those who like their laksa gravy with chunks of fish rather than the ‘jamban paper’ like mashed up fish, try the stall at Perak Lane. The stall nearer to the Jelutong Road junction run by Ah Boon. Noon only.
But if your prefer your laksa to be on the sweet side, then visit the kopitiam opposite the Penang Chinese Girl High School along Gottlieb Road. Ran by the Lee family, they also sell fried Springrolls, which you can dunk into your laksa gravy and chai koay.
For a different taste, Penang Malay laksa try the stall along Jalan Sungai Pinang (night only) The pushcart will be on your left just after you exited the Jelutong Expressway. Powerful stuff. Request for lots of cili padi and your will virtually sear your tongue.
BEST CHICKEN RICE
Kopitiam at the Junction of Jalan Sungai Pinang and Jalan Jelutong (Lunch only). Ran by an elderly couple. The rice served is already good by itself.
BEST CHAR KOEY TEOW
New World (previously from Swatow Lane). The first stall on your right if you enter from the car park. But now they serve using Styrofoam plates and disposable chopsticks. I hate that. Will boycott until they revert back to normal cutlery.
BEST HOKKIEN (PRAWN) MEE
Ewe Family Hokkien Mee. (morning only) Hidden at Tapah Road off Perak Road. Junction to Tapah Road is somewhere across the road from the children’s hospital. Store under one of the apartments there. Look for the banners.
BEST CURRY MEE
The Place under the tree near Pulau Tikus (along Lengkok Burmah – Turn into road besides Shell at Burmah Road). Morning till lunch only. Ran by a really nice elderly couple. I suspect they are really liberal with MSG, but it is really good.
BEST ARK TUI MEE SUAH
Trengganu Road. The junction coffeshop on the same road with Eden Bakery. (nearest to roundabout). Night Only. Limited quantity available daily.
BEST LOH BAK
Junction of Kimberly Street and Carnovan Street Kopitiam. The pushcart is outside the kopitiam on Kimberly Street. Morning only. The loh bak might not have the same cylinder-ish shape that we are accustomed to, but they are really the best I have ever tasted.
BEST ORR CHIEN
Same place as best Loh Bak. Noon – Evening only.
BEST YAM RICE
Kimberly Street. The stall selling Yong Tau Fu ran by a young couple inside the kopitiam. The yong tau fu is good but the real good stuff is their Yam Rice.
ROAD SIDE BURGER
Road side burger tasted almost the same depending on how much Worcestershire, tomato, chilli sauce or mayonnaises they use. This stall ran by a malay old lady in front of the mosque at Taman Free School (behind the Nasi Melayu) serves something different. She adds her own potato salad on to the burger. You can also request cili padi to be added for your Burger Egg.
BEST PRE-PACKED NASI LEMAK
Chinese, inside the kopitiam that sells the Penang road Laksa and Cendol. There should be a few packs on each table.
Malay, Roadside stall ran by Ali, off Burmah Road, opposite Celcom. The one in yellow packaging only (RM1.00).
BEST CHEE CHEONG FUN (PENANG STLYE)
Small stall inside Sin Kim Sua’s row of Kopitiam (the middle one) along Macalister Road. Across the road from Esso. Request for lots of prawn paste. Night only.
BEST BELACHAN CHICKEN
Stall outside the Lucky London kopitiam’s service road along Perak Road. Look for the 7-11. This is not the stall that is facing Perak Road.
Night Life – Go Upper Penang Road (Dont Dress Like Ah Beng)
Dont Go On A Monday Or Tuesday – Not A Lot Of Girls =/
u just pissed off one of many penang kia(s)
just check out http://www.ahbald.blogspot.com/
“u r wrong.
we aint kia su but our foods are reli the best.
if u ask me about pg beach, i aint gonna tell u it’s the best. i might say it’s redang
if u ask me about where to go in pg, i might tell u none except ur hotel room. juz hang out there, resting while waiting for the next meal.
i aint gonna boast how beautiful our temples are, how pretty our girls are, how tall our buildings are, or watever else. ”
Nop i’m not wrong. From the begining till the end of my comment, i refered to food only.
There’s no best food. Penang food is penag food, kl food is kl food. kch food is kch food. etc… you can’t compared kl’s Hookien char with penang hokkien char. cos both are diff type of food. Swk laksa and pg laksa is diff food.
Best/good/nice is adjective and only applicable when thr are something comparable. When it’s not comparable, thr’s no best!!
You trying to say apple is the best among all orange????
“u just pissed off one of many penang kia(s)
just check out http://www.ahbald.blogspot.com/”
LOL who cares, this is among a few moron that donno what ppl is talking. No one say penang food sucks or watever. that’s why i say they jes can’t accept the fact that thr are good food outside. Compare or not comparable..they will jes say their’s is the best..whether or not they ever try oths food b4.
spidercrown: Fuck you.
And what the fuck is a “superp”?
Gosh. You’re only making a fool out of yourself by critisizing one undeniable fact about Penang. Which is the food. How many Penangites do you actually know you dimwit? For the record, Penangites don’t boast about their food. The standard is there because people from other places have came and tried it for themselves and complimented it.
Face the fact moron, the term “Penang is a food paradise” exists because it’s a fact that we have proven throughout all these years.
And since you’re such an asshole, yes, I’ll say that we HAVE the fucking rights to brag.
Don’t be hating cos the only good food you have there is the instant noodles cooked by your ol’ mama.
Lol, “schizzow” don’t make me think that penangite are so “Bo ka si” a.k.a kurang ajar.
But luckyly penangite that I know are well manner, n you are the minority moron that spoil your ppl. Don’t come out with your father or mother, cry father cry mother.
The penangite that i know is more then u can imagine. U hav no idea whr i have been n stayed all these years.
Read properly b4 you blast!! I never critize your food or watever.
Sorry, but I have no interest in who you are or what you do. You are nothing to me.
But if you disrespect my hometown in any way, then I’ll fuck you up. And just so you know, I’m only “bo ka si” to dipshits like you.
So sue me, bitch.
Hi Kenny.
I took out 5 days of my life and made this special post about my favourite list of Penang food. I tried my best to include as much as possible into 5 days. I look forward to have my post as the ultimate guide to local Penang food.
There are about 50 over images so give it about 5 minutes to load.
Check out my site and E-MAIL me what you think.
http://losu.org
Chris.
Hey Kenny.. just a thought.. since u’re already challenging penangnites bout their food.. and u’ve already somehow created the kennysia food award.. i was wondering.. why not create a kennysia shopping award? as in show those who are in kch where u can get the best things.. from clothes.. to gifts..to hampers/gift baskets.. to cards.. whatevers in ur mind.. the most important question would be: where do YOU think is the BEST to shop??? 🙂
Forget about Sisters char kway teow. It’s overhyped. My Sisters cook better char kway teow. Sisters can holangkan.
really,sisters char koey teow sux..go for lorong selamat..
Sisters’ CKT is one with a lil crab meat. tats all.
lrg selamat CKT is good with big prawns but the aunties will tell you you’ve gotta wait 1 hour. the standard answer to that remark would be “take your time” cos they will not really do that unless they wana close shop.
While waitin for that big prawn CKT, u can order a bowl of assam laksa across the road. also not much smiling but its unique. they have REAL fish in it. they actually put the sardin fish in.
can only tell u my fav since eevryone’s taste bud is different.
clubbing wise… i wud suggest SS or GLO for better music. momo is new and chill out is for college kids. or u can jus hang out at a pub called babylon. it has nice atmosphere.
As a direct response to Kenny Sia’s challenge to name the best Penang food, let me first say that Penang is a paradise for food lovers who come from all over Malaysia and Singapore. The first thing that people do when they cross the border by land, sea or air, even before they check into a hotel, is to ask: “Penang food, where, ah?”
So here it is, my collection of Penang food awards at http://ssquah.blogspot.com/2007/02/penang-food.html
Enjoy!.
ha..ha i am so happy that you wrote about penang food.. i think they are obsessive about thier own food that they cannot honestly differentiate between good and lousy food. Don’t blame them because they live on that little and almost sinking island. like malay people say like a frog living under a coconut shell.. do offense to penang people the way you people talk make me think like this..
Oops! The URL is http://ssquah.blogspot.com/2007/02/penang-food_08.html
LOL
don is such a retarded idiot.
ello
i’m not a penang based blogger but i went over to penang to visit my friends there. they took me to all kinds of places for penang food, some even were an hour drive away. penang food is awesome.
i don’t have a post of “penang food award” but i have posts with pictures of penang food. i just thought u may wanna take a look =]
here’s the LINK
Hi Kenny,
Penang hawker food is the best because simply there is too many of them to choose from. How many Char koay Teow seller can you find in Sarawak to match Penang?. YOu can find a everywhere. In Ayer Itam area there alone there is more than 30 shops selling just char koay teow.
The taste is forged over years of competing with other stalls over a small market share. Therefore Penang will always be best in hawker food unlike in Ipoh where its strength is in restaurant food. That aside i belive kolo mee will be the best in the world cause simply sarawak has the most places selling the food and it has been refined for such a long process that has such a lasting impression on you. I belive that most of my favorite food has been mention so i just put in my 2 sens.
Char Koay Teow – the most important thing u need to observe is that the food need to be cooked over a charcoal fire to give it a umph taste. Duck eggs are used as it brings out the flavour of lard used in its cooking. Lorong selsmat now uses gas stoves so it lacks in this department.
Penang Asam Laksa/Lemak Laksa – Lorong Selamat and Balik Pulau. Ayer Itam market laksa standard has droped due to using grinder to grind whole fish including heads and bones too pulp due to huge demands from tourist.
Koay Teow Theng – Ayer Itam market just opposite the laksa market. Each bowl’s soup is made to order. No artificial flavouring.
Authentic Nasi Kandar – Jelutong, Kampung Melayu. Hands down, authentic ingrediants that makes you lick the plate.
Pasembor/Rojak – Padang Kota Lama
Fresh Sea Coconut/Coconut juice – beside road opposite Methodist Boys School. U pick the fruit, they open it for u on the spot. Availble during afternoon.
Satay – Teluk Tempoyak. If you taste this, u never want to eat Kajang satay again. Better than satay celup in Melaka also. IMHO
seafood – if you are feeling rich, Bali Hai is one of the best since it has the aquarium for you to choose it from. Feeling a bit pinch, Batu Kawan is cheap, tasty but need to cross the bridge.
thats for now. I am availble to guide you if needed.
hi kenny. this is my post bout penang food.
http://apple4today.blogspot.com/2007/02/penang-has-best-food.html
Thanks
i don’t know what to talk or bring my outstation friends to whenever they visit me. guys, we are not going to boast about anything else other than our food! FOOD!
we are the best in that department. no contest.
A little late but better then never… check out this website http://malaysianfoodreview.net/category/penang/
There’s a Food guide map for u too. There are many great food in PG if you have the right person to bring you. If not, most of them are not bad either. Have a good food trip in PG!
http://penangfoodblog.blogspot.com/
Seriously, u haven’t tasted the best till u come to Ipoh!!
The best Penang Curry Mee…
http://www.mayakirana.com/blog/
Penang Good Food Guide
A Penang Bloggers Meet will be held on the 25th of Feb 2007 at E-Gate Starbucks!
http://www.freewebs.com/penangguides/penangfoods.htm
Most info in Mandarin, with photo of the food and description.
Asam Laksa- Air Itam not my favourite, my favourite will be the one last time sell beside Farlim Shell Petrol station, now relocated nearby, behind Pizza Hut and KFC.
Curry Mee- New Lane, ah pek selling one…
Char Hor Fun- Padang polo there, at night. RM 3.50. no one ever mention this food…
Char Kuay Teow- Fried with duck/chicken egg using charcoal at Pulau Tikus pasar, only at night.
I beg to differ too. Ipoh has THE BEST FOOD!!!!!!
Why nobody mention about Penang Hokkien Mee?
Anyone know where is the best?
Around Georgetown area near Komtar or Pranglin Mall..there is a kopitiam that sell great chendol..
Will let u know the exact address so that u can go try the next time round!!!!!
posted this wrongly at a later page…
I just got back from Kuching n the food sucks big time…and i tried 4 kolo mee and only the store at “10th mile” is okay n the rest are not something west m’sian will eat..
koay chiap there is like short hor fun with watered down tau yew bak gravy.
laksa is almost like penang curry mee but without the penang processed chilly..
however the teh C special at a seafod restaurant in damai is good as the syrup is pandan flavoured n dark greenish. the other few i tasted are nothing special.
the seafood at See Good is nice and anyone going to kuching must try the Milin veg which is something we do not have over here..
overall penang food is still the best….
I am not from Penang, but I just came back from Penang one day ago! 😛 Had so much fun EATING and EATING and EATING! Just want to share some of the things that i tried..! 🙂
http://revel-in-me.blogspot.com/2007/02/gluttony-at-its-best.html
Oh gosh I pening lar looking at the comments…hahah…anyway as a penang kia, I do agree that Penang host a series of good food but I also believe other states has its own style and flavour for a certain food. Not everything in Penang is delicious. Some food in other states are even better than the ones in Penang! Believe me….
Ok here are the list of Penang good food.
Hokkien Mee
It has to be the stall opp Perak Road Market. The best, hands down. Sweet, no funny stinky prawny smell and best of all, your mouth will not stink after eating it! Kekeke Plz be aware that there are a lot of hokkien mee stall there so u must get to the one which is directly opp the market’s entrance. I assure you, after u have that, you won’t eat other ppl’s hokkien mee.
Sar Tiao Lor (not sure wat its called in eng but the place is near prangin, the end of the street mention)This stall only opens at night. So won’t be a problem looking for it cuz the shop is the only shop open at that hour. No stinky prawny smell but not as good as the one mention above. But the portion is pretty huge and more soup. But its still rated as good. Like the ais kacang there too.
These are the only places I go for hokkien mee.
Curry Mee
Just further down Perak Road. Quite hard to find for those who are not local but a lil further down after the junction (to go sunshine, but don’t turn in there) and you will see a coffee shop on your right. Just keep an eye ;> When you get there, remember to ask for more chilli paste. Its not as spicy as you think and enhance the soup flavour. Perfect.
Another stall will be at the Hai Choo place, Tanjung Tokong. Tho the place is famous for crabs and seafood, I found a quiet stall a couple of steps away from the entrance to the Hai Choo temple area. He sells hokkien mee (din try so kenot comment) and curry mee. His curry mee is by far the cheapest. RM1.70 or RM1.80, I can’t remember. Yes! And the taste is different from most mainstream stalls I tried. I am not sure why he added bunga kantan (it has hints of bunga kantan smell) but it sure taste good. And I really get to enjoy the fragrant smell of kunyit and gallangal ginger which is usually impossible for mainstream curry mee.
Laksa
Well there are 2 types of laksa. One is the spicy and sourish wan and the other is more to the sweet side and less spicy. So its very hard to say which is the best. So I should mention a few diff stalls for diff laksa.
1st stop, Air Itam laksa. I live abt 5 mins from air itam but i dun frequent that stall everyone adores. The stall is only located beside the air itam wet market. Very easy to locate. Its on the way to Kek Lok Si. Visit the temple if you have the time 🙂 Back to laksa, air itam’s laksa is under the sourish and spicy category. And the fish flesh is all mushed up in the soup. So you will expect a thick based laksa soup. Not my type tho. Typical chinese laksa.
Then, there is the laksa located at Penang Rd. Forgot the coffee shop name but it also host the most famous chendol stall in penang. The laksa at this coffee shop is sourish and spicy but doesn’t have the thick murky based soup like its air itam counter part. Has a bit resemblence of malay laksa. Cuz there is a distintive taste and smell of assam gelugor/assam keping.
Now the 3rd stall I am about to mention is categorised under the sweet and less spicy laksa. My fav. The stall (in a coffee shop)is just located opp Sam San Primary school, Perak Rd. The mid section of Perak rd I would say. It has a red greyish colour soup and the meat is neatly separated from the soup. Its sweet and has the original laksa smell (similar to the ones I had when I was small).
So its up to ur taste buds eventually. But these are chinese laksa. I have yet to try the best Malay laksa in Penang. So you see, its very hard to determine the best of so and so….
Ah yes, char koay teow…again there are a few categories such as white char koay teow, wet, dark and so on. I dun always eat them but I do like the one at New lane. An aunty prepares it wan. It shoud be considered white char koay teow. As for the dark ones, hmmm I guess wat u get in the main stream char koay teow stalls are considered dark. Like the ones at Lorong Selamat and Sisters.Yeah dun understand why must it be Lorong Selamat. So far I only tried malay wet char koay teow at Sg. Dua. Hm….no comment.
I used to eat char koay teow in air itam market every weekend without fail when the uncle still uses charcoal to fry his koay teow. But he switch to gas d, so go figure. Practically, a plate of koay teow is considered good when the “wok hei” is there not judging the size and amt of prawns!
Wantan Mee
Burmah Road, Weld Quey Food Court. But these 2 location serves diff type of wantan mee. Burmah Rd’s is more subtle than Weld Quey’s. And burmah rd’s famous for its wantan. The wantan uses fresh pork and eggs for its fillings. Tho not as good as last time but its still the best. Weld Quey’s is heavy on the soy sauce (and lard as well) side and it has chicken feet (very tender and tasty).
Padang Brown
Yong Tau Foo, lok lok (nth much just that is has more variety), char koay teow, laksa, kuih and etc. Pratically most of them are good.
too many but all scattered around penang. Very hard to list em all. I admit that I have yet to try all stalls in Penang (which is impossible) but have u tried all the stalls in Kuching to determine which stall is the best and etc?
No offense but I just said wat I gotta say, for Penang’s sake.
this entry’s probably really late. But heck. My blog. The pictures. the low down. The best thing? I’m not even malaysian. You might probably remember me from the glo club of sorts. I was that short lil girl with no make up on who went up to you to say hi. I’m from singapore and everytime after a trip from penang, ALL and I mean ALL Singaporean food become tasteless for a week. IT’S THAT GOOOOD.
I’ve looked thru the comments but seems like i might have the best hidden treasure of assam laksa in Penang.
Jalan Rambutan in Air Hitam. (A street diagonally across from Penang Methodist Church)
There’s only one coffeeshop there with no name but LAKSA written in blue paint. The shop is across the road from Fairy Heights flats. They only open after 12pm but recommended to go after 2pm when the gravy has been cooked longer. Go try it and I’m sure it beat others hands down. Not only it’s clean, it has the best ambience to have a quiet meal.
Yes, Sarawak has the best food in Malaysia! 😉 Sarawak Laksa, Kolok Mee, you name it! :p
omg…u look so fat in 2002.
ok la..jz wana kacau u…lol
khjlk
every city and town has its specialties..so no need to ‘argue’ lol. best hawker fare in the universe-Pg, best kolok mee- sarawk, best horfun-Ipoh..bst bak kut teh-Klang.. i can’t be wrong..tried them all..
sasau kai fan laaaaaaa paling syokkkkkk
babi + belachan = tak sedap
I Agree that Penang served good CKT…
But don`t forget that KL also have good CKT….
Recently I found a stall in Puchong at Pusat Bandar Puchong (Everyday Foodcourt). Doing very well in business…
The stall name is Redhot Fried Kuay Teow.
They not only selling Fried Kuay Teow. They also have very good Fried Rice. Exsample – Seafood Pineapple, Duck Egg Fried Rice, Original Pineapple Fried Rice and Pineapple Chicken Fried Rice.
I notice that in the weekday, they fry with two woks (3 worker)… and weekend with 3 woks (5 wrokers)… Sometimes, even 3 woks.. still got to wait… I can say.. WOW !!! soo many customers ….
Business start from 6 till midnight… I NEVER SEE THEY STOP FRYING…!!! Fry & fry & fry & fry….
The way how they fry are very fast…. 1 plate CKT less than 1 min….CArzy man…. How they do it ? See yourself….
HOW IS THE TASTE LIKE? Damm nice…. really looked Taste like Penang Style… I can say …. 8.5 /10.
Although worker in not local, but their standard are very good compare with other CKT stall..
I can say, They are well trained.
Another very impress thing to me is… this stall have it own fried kuay teow WEBSITE.
hahahahaaaaaa…..
check out this…
http://www.redhotckt.proboards55.com
Talking here is no point….
You should try yourself than you will know…
regards
Diffrent types of food and how it is made?
where is padang polo school?boy school or girl school?i oni at PENANG LOL
No doubt the food in Penang is great,
But, i’m ready to put my money on Sabahan food in KK
Grew up living on it.
This is a suicide attempt kenny. the wrateh of penang shall overwhelm you. Prepare to be slaughtered.
THIS IS PENAAAAAAAAAAANGGG!!!!!
I feel educated lol
Good to see you are fiercely loyal to your Kuching. The facts speak for themselves, and tourists still rave about Penang food …. so bugger off