Good to know
Good to Know
- George Town is the primary nomad/expat neighborhood - all restaurant prices and locations reflect this area unless otherwise noted
- Street food and hawker stalls offer exceptional value; expect to pay RM2-8 per meal at these establishments
- Many traditional stalls operate on Wednesday closures, so plan accordingly
- Tipping is not customary at hawker stalls but appreciated at mid-range and fine dining restaurants
- Most street food vendors accept cash only; supermarkets and mid-range restaurants accept cards and e-wallets (GCash, TNG)
- Penang food culture involves multiple meals daily - breakfast, mid-morning, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner, and late supper are common
- Penang's street food is recognized globally as Asia's great street food capital and features prominently in international rankings
- GrabFood is the fastest and most reliable food delivery service; DeliverEat is a good local alternative with lower fees
- Wet markets (e.g., Pulau Tikus, Chowrasta) offer freshest produce and traditional ingredients; visiting one is an authentic experience
Budget
Fu Er Dai
- Price Range
- MYR 25
- Neighborhood
- George Town
- Cuisine Or Dish
- Cantonese dim sum
Hwa Ting
- Price Range
- MYR 16
- Neighborhood
- George Town
- Cuisine Or Dish
- Malaysian cuisine with duck egg char koay teow
Seng Thor Coffee Shop
- Price Range
- MYR 9.00
- Neighborhood
- George Town
- Cuisine Or Dish
- Duck egg fried mee and char kway teow
Roti Bakar Hutton Lane
- Price Range
- MYR 7.00
- Neighborhood
- George Town
- Cuisine Or Dish
- Grilled bread (roti bakar) and flatbread (roti canai)
High End
E&O Hotel (Palm Court)
- Price Range
- MYR 150
- Neighborhood
- George Town Waterfront
- Cuisine Or Dish
- Malaysian, Chinese, Indian and Western fine dining
Au Jardin
- Price Range
- MYR 200
- Neighborhood
- George Town
- Cuisine Or Dish
- Duck-focused fine dining with Michelin star
Mid Range
The Kebaya Dining Room
- Price Range
- MYR 80
- Neighborhood
- George Town
- Cuisine Or Dish
- Malaysian fusion with French culinary technique
The Wine Shop
- Price Range
- MYR 50
- Neighborhood
- Hillside
- Cuisine Or Dish
- Pasta, steaks, pizza, burgers with international wine selection
Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion Restaurant
- Price Range
- MYR 60
- Neighborhood
- George Town
- Cuisine Or Dish
- Penang and Malaysian fusion with lamb shanks and laksa
New Lane Street Foodstalls
- Price Range
- MYR 12
- Neighborhood
- George Town
- Cuisine Or Dish
- Curry mee, char koay kak, satay
Delivery Services
GrabFood
- Notes
- Dominant platform in Penang; wide restaurant selection; in-app tipping available; operates 7am-2am, selected areas 24 hours; accepts debit/credit cards, GrabPay, and cash (RM100 and under)
Foodpanda
- Notes
- Second major platform; extensive merchant network; 5km delivery radius; accepts online payment and COD; website available for browsing alongside app
DeliverEat
- Notes
- Penang-based local service founded 2012 by Penangites; simpler platform with fewer merchants but reliable delivery; website and app available
Folo
- Notes
- Penang-based delivery app targeting students and working adults; over 170 restaurants; user-friendly on PC and smartphone
Michelin Restaurants
Au Jardin
- Chef
- Kim Hock Su
- Stars
- 1
- Cuisine
- Duck-focused fine dining
- Notes
- Chef-patron's base for elevated duck preparation; located in George Town
Auntie Gaik Lean's Old School Eatery
- Stars
- 1
- Cuisine
- Traditional street food and heritage recipes
- Notes
- Retained Michelin star; represents Penang's street food culture at fine dining level
Local Must Try Dishes
Char Koay Teow
- Typical Price
- MYR 8.00
- Description
- Stir-fried flat rice noodles with prawns, cockles, sausage and eggs, charred with soy sauce and chives
Penang Assam Laksa
- Typical Price
- MYR 5.00
- Description
- Tamarind-based fish soup with thick rice noodles, distinctive sweet-sour flavor with mackerel broth
Curry Mee
- Typical Price
- MYR 4.50
- Description
- Spicy coconut broth with egg or vermicelli noodles, tofu and blood cubes, local specialty
Nasi Kandar
- Typical Price
- MYR 8.00
- Description
- Steamed rice with richly spiced curries, fried chicken, seafood and gravies, Indian Muslim dish
Cendol
- Typical Price
- MYR 2.90
- Description
- Shaved ice dessert with coconut milk, green rice flour jelly, red beans, palm sugar
Oyster Omelette (Oh Chien)
- Typical Price
- MYR 6.00
- Description
- Crispy-soft omelette with fresh plump oysters, starch batter, garlic chives and chilli sauce
Penang Rojak
- Typical Price
- MYR 6.00
- Description
- Fruit and vegetable salad with dark shrimp paste dressing, topped with crushed peanuts
Roti Canai
- Typical Price
- MYR 2.00
- Description
- Flaky, layered flatbread cooked on griddle, served with dhal or curry
Supermarkets And Grocery
Tesco (Bandar Jelutong Location)
- Address
- No. 1, Lebuh Tengku Kudin 1, Bandar Jelutong, 11700 Penang
- Notes
- Large hypermarket with comprehensive grocery range; competitive prices; located ~10-15 min from George Town center
Giant Supermarket Penang Plaza
- Address
- Penang Plaza, George Town
- Notes
- Major hypermarket chain with extensive product selection; within George Town center
Jaya Grocer (Gurney Plaza Location)
- Address
- Lot LG 26, 26A, 27, Gurney Paragon Mall, George Town
- Notes
- Upscale supermarket with organic section and diverse imported goods; 9:30am-10:30pm daily
Cold Storage Island Plaza
- Address
- LG Floor, IP Tower Island Plaza, Jalan Tanjung Tokong, 10470 Penang
- Notes
- Premium supermarket known for fresh produce and quality meat; 9:00am-10:00pm
Fresh 2U Grocer
- Address
- Lebuh Penang, George Town
- Notes
- Neighborhood grocery store specializing in natural, high-quality foods for dietary needs; located in George Town center
Vegan And Vegetarian Dining
- Overview
- Penang has a thriving vegan and vegetarian scene with 20+ fully vegan restaurants and 151+ vegetarian options. Local dishes like cendol, roti canai, and many curries are naturally plant-based or easily adapted. Both dedicated restaurants and mainstream hawker stalls offer extensive vegan options.
Named Venues
Pinxin Vegan Cuisine
- Cuisine
- Local Malaysian vegan dishes - asam laksa, hokkien mee, jawa mee, loh mee
- Price Range
- MYR 25
- Neighborhood
- Pulau Tikus area
- Notes
- Locally-owned by young couple; serves whole-food plant-based cuisine; highly rated on HappyCow
Evergreen Vegetarian House
- Cuisine
- Chinese vegetarian buffet with mock meat and curries
- Price Range
- MYR 15
- Neighborhood
- Cantonment Road, George Town
- Notes
- 7:30am-8pm daily (closed Wednesday); outstanding buffet with 30+ dishes; note possible hidden eggs in some dishes
Sushi Kitchen
- Cuisine
- Vegan Japanese - sushi, tempura, fried rice, noodle soups
- Price Range
- MYR 12
- Neighborhood
- George Town heritage area
- Notes
- Completely vegan menu; homemade vegetable enzyme for washing; filtered cooking water; operates both George Town and Gurney Plaza locations
Lily's Vegetarian Kitchen
- Cuisine
- Traditional Malaysian vegan dishes and Western-inspired plant-based options
- Price Range
- MYR 18
- Neighborhood
- George Town
- Notes
- Homely atmosphere; diverse menu of Malaysian favorites adapted plant-based; well-organized menu with dietary indicators
The Leaf Healthy House Cafe
- Cuisine
- Vegetarian and vegan cafe - salads, Asian and Western dishes, smoothies
- Price Range
- MYR 20
- Neighborhood
- Little India area
- Notes
- Uses olive oil or coconut oil; no MSG or artificial additives; balanced spice and non-spicy options available
Pure Saiva Penang
- Cuisine
- Pure vegetarian Indian - thali, curries, South Indian items
- Price Range
- MYR 12
- Neighborhood
- Little India, George Town
- Notes
- Set lunch with rice, 3 curries, poppadoms; primarily vegetarian though some items may contain ghee or dairy
Wholey Wonder
- Cuisine
- 100% vegan wellness cafe - burgers, pizzas, smoothie bowls, superfood bowls
- Price Range
- MYR 22
- Neighborhood
- George Town center
- Notes
- Also features yoga studio above cafe; high-quality fresh produce; exceptional smoothies; wellness-focused
International And Non Local Cuisine
Penang has diverse international dining options including Italian, Japanese, Thai, and Western cuisines, particularly in George Town where expat and tourist populations concentrate. Many restaurants blend global cuisines with local Penang ingredients and techniques.
AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026
Sources cited for this category
These are the sources cited in this food & dining research for this city. Individual figures may not each trace to one of them.
- 1.lifeofdoing.com
- 2.onpenang.com
- 3.penang-traveltips.com
- 4.finestservices.com.sg
- 5.robbreport.com.my
- 6.buro247.my
- 7.trip101.com
- 8.timetravelturtle.com
- 9.thetravelintern.com
- 10.onpenang.com
- 11.traveloka.com
- 12.localtrustguide.com
- 13.happycow.net
- 14.mindofahitchhiker.com
- 15.veganfoodquest.com
- 16.wanderlog.com
- 17.missfilatelista.com
- 18.thenomadicvegan.com
- 19.parentingandpassports.com
- 20.localtrustguide.com
- 21.myweekendplan.asia
- 22.penang-insider.com
- 23.expatgo.com
- 24.georgetowncity.my
- 25.vulcanpost.com
- 26.eats365pos.com
- 27.vulcanpost.com
More About Penang
Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.