As if the thriving art scene weren’t enough to lure you to George Town, this dynamic city is also home to the best food in all of Malaysia. Some might claim it to be the best food in all of Asia, a very bold assertion. There seems to be an ongoing debate as to whether that title belongs to Penang or to Singapore. Having visited Singapore solely for the food several years back, I was dubious as to the validity of what I had read regarding Penang’s status as food champion, and eager to discover for myself. 

It’s my first night in Penang, and the girl sitting across the table from me at the hostel asks where the good places to eat are. Having just arrived myself, I tell her that I don’t know, but am about to go find out if she wants to join. So we begin our journey into Penang’s diverse food scene. 

In the late afternoon hour, the heat is still stifling, and wandering up and down random streets proves fruitless. There are plenty of restaurants, sure, but where is the street food? Both of us know Southeast Asia to be all about the street food, and I am glad that she is not the kind of person who is looking for a clean, sit-down restaurant. 

The sun sets, and just like that, the Chinese-lantern lit streets come alive. They morph from quiet, historic alleyways to the the real estate for hawker stands that have seemingly popped out of the woodworks. Oil spits as woks are heated, aromas of spices are so strong they nearly suffocate. Miniature plastic stools are quickly claimed by those who know to show up early. 

Noodles

We choose the noodles being served by the first stall we see. I ask for no meat. Half the fun is watching them being made. This guy has been perfecting these noodles for years, and his hands move from noddles to wok to water bath to sauce additions in such a blur that he might as well be performing a medial task like tying his shoes. Except he isn’t wearing any shoes, and his feet are hot under the gas fire of his stand, so he occasionally splashes them with water. 

Our noodles are served a moment later and they are glorious. The savory flavors all blend seamlessly together. The chewiness is spot on. They are too good to wait until they cool, so my taste buds burn in no time and I don’t care. 

Popiah

The plastic table we chose belongs to the fruit juice lady, so we order juices, no sugar, otherwise they will be pure sweet. Another lady is going table to table with her menu of three items, “all vegetarian,” she promises. That’s unusual for hawkers, but if she’s willing to come to us, then I’m willing to give her business. One popiah, which turns out to be a sort of egg roll that isn’t fried, but is also wrapped in something more crepe-like than rice paper. The flavors are wonderful, and I instantly love that it is so easy to find veggie food here. 

Laska

I go back later for a laska, a famous soup in Penang. There is a thick brown sauce that is floating suspended on the spoon, which I stir in without trying it first. Perhaps that is my downfall. I can tell that the soup is good, I can tell that the soup is excellent, but the flavors just aren’t for me. The greens are extremely bitter, and very finely-shaved, red onion is also present. I don’t like raw onion. There’s no rule that you have to like everything you try, of course, but I am somewhat disappointed with myself for not enjoying it. Everything I ate costs a total of 14 ringgit, or $3.50 US. How can such good food be so cheap? I feel like I’ve stolen from the vendors. I also feel like there is no reason to step foot inside a restaurant while I am in Penang. 

Food Courts

The following days illustrate that Penang is filled with food courts, or hawker centers – permanent, roofed structures where street food vendors can sell their dishes in a more hygienic setting. Here the tables don’t belong to a specific vendor, but are merely numbered. When you order, the hawker asks for your table number, and you don’t pay until your meal arrives. I grow to enjoy eating at these centers because they offer something for everyone. There doesn’t have to be a unanimous decision over what everyone wants to eat. The food courts are slightly more expensive, but still pocket change on a Western budget, and still a fraction of the price of an actual restaurant. 

Char Kway Teow

Char kway teow becomes a quick favorite, due to its similarity to pad thai. In fact, it basically is pad thai, except the rice noodles are a much thicker cut, and any Malaysian will tell you that it is better. I end up eating char kway teow at least once a day, so that by the time I leave George Town, I can pick out my favorite vendor of the dish. The walking tour guide taught us to never order char kway teow unless the wok is already hot and steaming, otherwise the noodles won’t fry properly. I heed his advice. 

Rojak

In need of a mid-afternoon snack one day, my two new Dutch friends (Sanne and Tereza) and myself wander into a cafe to find a small bite. A dish full of fruits catches our eye, and I realize after a moment that it is one of the dishes the local girls from Kuala Lumpur had suggested I try, rojak. What a happy coincidence. We receive a fruit salad that is swimming in some sort of sweet and spicy sauce with sesame seeds. The combination is interesting, and I can’t decide if I like it or not. Fruit doesn’t really need to be tampered with in my opinion, but at the same time, creating an entire dish out of raw fruit is something I can’t help but appreciate. The verdict is still out on the rojak. 

The food courts are good, but by my fourth night in the city, I find myself missing the street food from the first night. That was exceptional. I haven’t stopped talking about it either, and so Sanne is convinced to come with me. 

Curry Mee

The first stand we come across is a dish I have been looking for everywhere, as it is supposedly a must-try pescatarian dish. The name is curry mee. In the flurry of street food chaos, the lady drops off two bowls of steaming-hot, spicy, coconut, curry-flavored soup in front of us. In the soup are noodles, prawns, tofu, and a fish ball. I have never been a fan of the fish balls. The rest of the bowl contains all of my favorite flavors, all in one delectable dish. Curry mee immediately shoves char kway teow off the first place pedestal in my head. I relish every bite, and don’t even want to eat anything else afterwards because that was the perfect meal. That is my new favorite Southeast Asian dish, and that is saying a lot. 

Sanne enjoys the meal too, so much so that by the following evening, she has found an entire group of new friends to come eat street food with us. The more the merrier. 

Nasi Lemak

I spot a stand selling something that has been steamed inside a little, pyramid-shaped banana leaf. The options are all pescatarian-friendly, so I am excited to try it, whatever it is. It is called nasi lemak, and if you have been to Indonesia, then you will probably recognize all the nasi dishes. Apparently Malaysia and Indonesia share a lot of the nasi dishes. I open the little banana leaf parcels and find spicy rice with my toppings of choice, one with egg, and one with anchovy. The spice level gives my taste buds a ride. 

More Char Kway Teow

I order my last char kway teow of George Town, this time with duck egg which I have never tried – not knowingly anyway. The card on the guy’s stand claims his is one of the top 5 kway teows in Penang. I can’t say if it is in the top five since I have only tried the dish three times, but it is definitely the best of the three, and I tell him as much. This makes him extremely happy, and he lingers a moment from running like crazy between tables to ask, “Why? Do you know how to explain?” I tell him the other ones I tried were more dry. And he cooked the noodles to just the right amount of chewy. After that he asks if the flavor was delicious. Of course the flavor was delicious! In my struggle to try to be as descriptive as possible, I failed to mention the most important aspect of the meal, the flavor, not just the texture. 

Happy with my compliment, he rushes back to his noodle stand. I once again take a moment to appreciate how lovely the Malaysian people are. They treat you like fellow human beings, and not a walking dollar sign. I suspect that is in part due to the lack of language barrier. While language barriers have never bothered me, they do tend to cause both parties to assume some amount of stupidity of the other. 

Ais Kacang

There is one dish left on my list of things to try in Penang, and it is conveniently located at the stall right next to the kway teow. I only eat sweets on occasion, and this one is too weird to pass up. Ais kacang translates to “bean ice” and is a snow cone with syrup, red beans, sweet corn, and any number of other toppings. This one has some sort of jelly noodles. A few of the girls and I decide to share one. It is actually pretty good. The main component being shaved ice makes it lite and refreshing. The red beans tone down the sweet and add a savory component. And the jelly noodles offer an interesting textural experience. Interesting that is, until the conversation turns to the weirdest foods everyone has tried, and someone pulls out a photo of grilled rats with a pile of the intestines next to the grill. Suddenly I can’t eat any more of the jelly noodles. 

Sorry to leave you with rat guts on my food post, but well, that’s Southeast Asia for you. Everything is all fine and dandy until you see something you really never wanted to see. You’re welcome.