Char Koay Teow is a smoky, savory Penang street food made of stir-fried flat rice noodles, prawns, and Chinese sausage. Known for its bold flavors and “wok hei,” this dish balances sweet, salty, and slightly spicy notes.
Street Food
Penang is renowned worldwide for its vibrant street food scene, where hawker stalls and small eateries serve some of the best local delicacies.
Penang’s street food is not only famous for its flavours but also its history and cultural fusion. Many of these dishes reflect the mix of Malay, Chinese, Indian, and Nyonya influences that are deeply rooted in Penang’s food culture.
I listed some popular street food, my guest loves to learn while in Penang plus some explanation about the food you are about to learn or eat. Believe you me, we have lots but these are “tops not to miss” street food in Penang. Some are hard to find but still they are so popular and it amazes me my guest knows how to request for it.
With Penang’s diverse culinary culture, vegan options are widely available and growing in popularity.
Curry Mee
Curry Mee is a beloved Malaysian noodle soup with a rich, creamy coconut curry broth, packed with aromatic spices and an array of toppings. It’s a comforting, spicy, and flavorful dish, especially popular in Penang.
Hokkien Mee
Hokkien Mee or Hokkien Noodle is a prawn noodle soup. A lovely broth cooked with pork bones, slowly simmered to perfection. Yellow egg noddle and vermicelli called bee hoon will filled you up. Prawns, morning glory green vegetables blanched and beansprouts are added so you are sure to have some veggies in your meal.
Kerabu Beehoon
Kerabu Beehoon is scalded vermicelli or rice noodle. Freshly pounded red chilly with toasted shrimp paste is sambal belachan. Calamansi lime is more suitable to make this lovely sauce.
Tops with steam prawns, coriander leaves, toasted peanuts and fresh red chilly, this makes a great main for any dinner or tea party. It is a light meal which makes you want to savor the spicy and citrus seasoned vermicelli.Laksa Curry is Coconut Cream Laksa
Coconut cream Laksa is not such a craze in Penang. But I do teach as it is our favourite home dish. Also many guest loves it having eaten in their country.
They were surprised to find, they can’t find it in our street food. But still it did not stop them from wanting to learn.Mee Goreng or Kelinga Mee
Mee Goreng is stir fried yellow noodle in sweet potato gravy. Add ons are slices of deep fried firm tofu, beansprouts, prawns or chives fritter what we called “mouse fritters” keeps the guest fascinated to want to learn this street food.
Some Chinese lettuce, toasted peanuts, crispy shallot leaves you asking for a second round. We also called it Mamak Mee Goreng.Nasi Lemak with Blue Rice, Sambal Fish, Tamarind Prawns, Sambal Belachan, Deep fry Anchovies and Peanuts
It is a common breakfast meal in Malaysia. Walking around you will find it wrapped it a banana leaf conical shape pack. A packet of Nasi Lemak or coconut cream rice is usually filled with sambal and deep fish fish cutlets. Or many other selection would be hard boil egg with sambal sauce. You can even have sambal udang or prawns with cucumber slices.
Nasi Ulam, Jungle Herb Rice
Nasi Ulam is very healthy as there are 10 types of fresh herbs, freshly and finely slice to make it so fragrant. Cooked brasmatic rice with seasoning of sugar, salt and white pepper with some toasted pounded seafood powder is a unique workable flavor.
Added then with finely sliced green herbs gives you a double healthy mains. A spoonful passed in a party simply have your guest going for at least 5 spoons. So be prepared to makes more then the usual 1 spoon per person.Nyonya Popiah, eating and wrapping the traditional way
Popiah is a light, fresh Malaysian spring roll filled with an assortment of cooked and raw ingredients, wrapped in a soft, thin crepe. It’s a flavorful snack or appetizer, often enjoyed during festivals and gatherings.
Penang Assam Laksa
Assam Laksa is a tangy, spicy Penang noodle soup made with a tamarind-based fish broth, thick rice noodles, and garnished with fresh herbs and vegetables. Its iconic sour, spicy, and savory flavor is a must-try in Penang.
Roti Chanai
Another breakfast which you can miss is Roti Chanai. All over streets of Georgetown, little stalls called Ottu Kedai, you will see Indian Muslim man slapping the oily greased dough up in the air. As he swirl it around him expertly, it gets bigger and thinner. It is then pan fried to crispiness.
Usually served with dalca or sambar for vegetarians.Wanton Mee with Wanton Dumpling
Wanton Mee or egg noodle served with wanton dumpling is yet another meal you will enjoy. In the class, you are taught to enjoy cooking both ways. Wet with soup and cook soft wanton dumpling.
Dried noodle with specially prepared sauce of kicap manis, light soy, white pepper, sesame oil drizzled over bak choy, some home made char siew chicken made you say….Okay I am going home to cook this.