Ben Shewry's Guide to George Town Dining
We proudly acknowledge the Bunurong as the first people to love, live and dine on the lands on which Attica sits today.
We recognise that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Peoples were the first sovereign nations of Australia from time immemorial, and they never ceded this sovereignty.
Ben Shewry's Guide to George Town Dining
Could this be Ben's new favourite international food city?
Ben Shewry
Published 01.03.24
Satay in George Town, Penang
Eastern & Oriental Hotel, Penang
Transport
Download the Grab app before you go – ride-hailing is cheap and quick and it’s a great way to get around to some areas further away or when it is really hot or raining heavily, as it can do in the afternoon. We walked to most other places. George Town is compact and easy to access, although a lack of footpaths in some areas could prove challenging for prams or wheelchairs.
Where to stay
We stayed at the Eastern & Oriental Hotel, in the Heritage Wing.
The E&O is a gorgeous colonial-style hotel that was built in 1885 by the Sarkies brothers, who opened the legendary Raffles hotel in Singapore two years later. While it is a splurge, it is a fraction of the price of comparable hotels, such as Raffles, so it’s well worth the indulgence.
We also visited Farquhar’s Bar in the lobby. It has sea views and leather club lounges and they make a mean dry gin martini with a twist.
Siam Road Char Koay Teow
Siam Road Char Koay Teow
As soon as we arrived, we set down our bags and headed straight here. The lines are looooong, but the CKT is delicious. We waited about two-and-a-half hours and just got in before closing. The chef makes one plate at a time: wok-fried noodles, lap cheong, prawns, either duck or chicken egg, bean shoots and pork fat, along with a hefty dose of wok hei. Watching the chef work is mesmerising, as they methodically cook nonstop for hours in the hot sun. The plates are on the small size, so order up if you are hungry or do what I did and save room to try the same dish at a different restaurant afterwards to compare. You can order a drink inside while waiting in the line to alleviate the heat. We had a refreshing, tart lime juice with sugar and ice. This was certainly the best CKT that we had in George Town, but I’m not sure that I would wait more than two hours again.
Lebuh Presgrave Hawker Stalls
Once again, this was a very busy spot. People on the island of Penang have no problems lining up for great food. When we arrived, there were extremely long lines for CKT and Hokkien mee (noodles in prawn soup). We visited AK Satay and tried some of their chicken satay to go. Tender and flavourful, with an amazing satay sauce. A lot of people were snacking on satay while waiting in line for the CKT or Hokkien mee, but we had had our fill of lines, so we decided to skip those dishes. I would be keen to try them both on my next visit though.
Nasi Kandar Sulaiman
The next morning we had another amazing breakfast with truly exceptional service.
The line was, you guessed it, long, with locals grabbing breakfast before heading about their daily business. You join the line and choose what you want to top your rice with when you reach the front. We chose rice with rich mutton curry and spiced, fried chicken legs. The team was all smiles and watched us eat, laughing happily when they saw how much we enjoyed it.
Penang Road Famous Laksa
Penang Road Famous Laksa
For lunch, we wanted to try Penang-style laksa. This is a deep brown-coloured, sour-style soup that is very different to what we tend to think of as ‘laksa’ in Australia, which is often rich with coconut and called curry laksa in Penang.
Penang Road Famous Laksa looks a bit like a tourist trap and it was the only place we went to that had a line filled with mostly tourists, so we were a little sceptical, but it turned out to be delicious. The line also moved very quickly, which was a relief when we were standing in that blistering sun.
We ordered the asam laksa. It’s a sour and slightly sweet fish-based soup, with asam gelugur (similar to tamarind), torch ginger, prawn paste and rice noodles. To serve, the soup is topped with sliced chilli, red onions, cucumber, mint leaves, fresh pineapple and lettuce leaves. We also tried their char kuey teow with duck egg. This was a Muslim CKT, so no pork, but the flavour was not lacking and, once again, we were impressed by the incredible quality of the food in George Town.
Gurney Drive Hawker Centre
After visiting a shopping mall for some aircon and a bit of a browse, we went to find some more food. At Penang Satya 99, we tried chicken tomyam satay with cucumber, onions and satay sauce. We also had another excellent CKT, cold beers and a sugarcane juice (so refreshing!). We also enjoyed tiny little coconut pancakes filled with banana for dessert.
Tok Tok Mee Bamboo Noodle
Tok Tok Mee Bamboo Noodle
This was so good that I ate here twice in one day. While Kylie was lounging by the pool, I went for a walk by myself and stumbled upon this nondescript-looking restaurant in a busy part of the centre of George Town. After my first bowl, I called Kylie and made her meet me there for a second bowl.
The noodles are kneaded with bamboo and hand-stretched at the front of the restaurant and are springy and slightly chewy. We had them in a flavoursome clear broth with char siew pork and greens and a side of pickled green chilli – a perfect dish and deceptively simple.
Ais Tingkap
We didn’t order the brightly coloured namesake of this stall – a vibrant red drink made from rose syrup and basil seeds. Instead, we opted for the ais kacang, a shaved-ice dessert topped with milk, red bean, jelly, brown sugar syrup and sweet corn. Delicious on a hot afternoon.
Gemas Road Roti Canai
Gemas Road Roti Canai
The next morning we woke early and caught a Grab to Gemas Road for breakfast. Couched in a very un-touristy spot in the city of George Town, it was opened by Indian Muslim siblings in 1994 and is very popular with locals.
Again, the line was long and we dutifully joined it, before one of the staff ushered us to a recently cleared table and sat us down. I’m still not sure if the line was for takeaway or if the staff were being kind to these confused-looking tourists, but after we sat, ordered and received our breakfast, we were absolutely blown away. The Roti Canai Special comes with a choice of chicken (ayam), beef (daging) or lamb (kambing) curry. The curry gravy and meat are served with flaky roti bread, stretched right in front of you and grilled, with sliced onions and a slice of American-style cheese. The sum of all these individual ingredients really was greater than its parts, and for about $A2 this was extraordinary value. The curry was deeply flavoured, savoury and a little sweet, and the meat was tender. Served with a glass of teh tarik (we accidentally ordered hot, but iced would have been better) it was the perfect breakfast – as soon as we finished, we were already planning our return the next day.
Ben exploring George Town
Some notable mentions:
OldTown White Coffee
Even though this is a chain, it was my favourite afternoon beverage – very cold and very strong, sweet iced coffee with lots of crushed ice.
Red Garden Food Paradise
Centrally located and close to our hotel. Right next to Cheong Fatt Tze (the famous Blue Mansion).
Easy to get a table if you arrive early and it’s a very short wait for food. Nice place to have a beer and a satay snack before heading out for dinner.
Great Worn Vintage on Jalan Pintal Tali
A beautiful selection of vintage clothing. Some great pieces at reasonable prices.
Mucca on Jalan Penang
Journals, paper and stationery – curated and thoughtful.
Archipelago
A hidden cocktail bar that looks as if it is closed and the door is locked – just knock on the door and they will come and open it for you.
CKT
A final note about eating in Penang
The local people are the friendliest you will meet. They are so proud and excited about their food, and this is infectious. Be polite, have a big smile and a curious attitude and ask for recommendations. Trust the people in the restaurants and food carts – they will always choose the best dish for you or tell you what to order if you are confused.
In some restaurants, people eat with their hands. They will usually have cutlery available if you request it, but that can detract from the fun. Eating with your hands really does make the food taste better, and there are sinks in the corner for you to wash your hands before and after your meal.
Cash is king and most restaurants or food carts don’t have credit card facilities.
A final note: there is food EVERYWHERE in George Town. Sometimes it pays to put down the guidebook/Tripadvisor/Yelp and follow your nose. We found it hard to get a bad meal anywhere.
