“We have been to Penang a few times but still were able to try things we had never tried before. ”
— Amy, 2025
01 Food tours
Original food tours, curated with our local tastemakers to showcase the neighbourhood kitchens, markets and family-run eateries that define Penang.
Good Morning Penang
Penang
Taste Penang's Nyonya inheritance — assam laksa, char kway teow with cockles and cendol.
Penang Plates
Penang
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02 Meet the tastemakers
The local food experts who help us research, refine and lead every A Chef's Tour.
Assam laksa sour with tamarind, char kway teow with cockles, nutmeg juice, cendol on shaved ice. Nowhere in Southeast Asia carries the Nyonya inheritance like Penang.
04 The pantry
- Tamarind, sour pulp that anchors assam laksa
- Torch ginger, bunga kantan shaved into salads and laksa
- Belacan, shrimp paste at the base of Peranakan curries
- Bunga telang, blue butterfly-pea flowers that colour nyonya rice
- Cockles, half-shelled and folded into char kway teow at the end
05 In the kitchen
- Pounding rempah spice paste on the stone for nyonya curries
- Simmering assam laksa broth with mackerel and tamarind
- Tossing char kway teow with cockles over black wok fire
- Grinding torch ginger into salad dressings and dips
- Baking nutmeg preserves and syrups from the island's plantations
06 Eat this first
- Assam laksa, tamarind-sour fish broth with thick rice noodles
- Char kway teow, flat rice noodles tossed with cockles and Chinese sausage
- Nasi kandar, rice with a spread of Indian-Muslim curries
- Cendol, shaved ice with pandan jelly, coconut milk and gula melaka
- Curry mee, coconut-curry noodle bowl with cockles and cuttlefish
What happens inside a hammam kitchen
A morning with the cooks who feed the neighbourhood before dawn. Charcoal, dough, the smell of a bakery working its second oven.
09 Recipes
A collection of authentic recipes we couldn't leave behind.
Egg noodles and rice vermicelli in a deep, orange prawn-shell broth topped with poached prawns, hard-boiled egg, water spinach and fried shallots. Penang's most-loved noodle soup.
A folded pancake stuffed with crushed peanuts, sugar, sweetcorn and a slick of butter. Malaysia's night-market half-moon, cooked to order in a heavy pan.
Slices of crackling-skin roast pork belly served on a bed of steamed rice with dark soy and a scoop of pickled greens. Penang's coffee-shop lunchtime plate.
Soft white steamed buns filled with slow-braised char siu pork, chicken curry or red bean. Malaysia's dim-sum-and-kopitiam staple.
Triangular pastries filled with spiced potato and peas, deep-fried until crackling. Malaysia's mamak-stall snack, always with mint chutney.
Silky rice noodle rolls in a dark sweet-shrimp sauce with a scatter of toasted sesame seeds. Penang's morning-market breakfast, cousin to Hong Kong's cheung fun.
10 Field Notes
Quick field notes to help you get accustomed to Penang.
Weather
Tropical. Warm and humid year-round (25–32°C), rainier September to November. The island's hill areas are cooler and lovely for a break from George Town heat.
Currency
The Malaysian ringgit (MYR). Cash for hawker stalls and kopitiams. Cards for restaurants and hotels. e-wallets widely used.
Language
Malay is the national language. Hokkien and Cantonese are heard among the Chinese majority. English is widely spoken. Tamil in the Little India area.
Etiquette
Modest dress at temples and mosques. George Town is UNESCO-listed and takes its heritage seriously/ Respect the buildings and don't add graffiti to the famous murals.
Getting around
George Town's core is best on foot or by bicycle. Rapid Penang buses cover the island cheaply. Grab is the reliable ride option. The Penang Hill funicular is a highlight.
Prayer
Truly pluralist. The 'Street of Harmony' hosts a Chinese temple, mosque, Indian temple, and Anglican church within a few blocks. Chinese festivals like Chinese New Year and the Nine Emperor Gods transform the city.