Penang Street Food - Part 1

Penang Street Food - Part 1


Penang Street Food is recognized as being among one of the best street food in the world. A mix of influences from Chinese, Malay and Indian communities, Penang Street Food has retained its traditional roots, while also making use of local Malaysia produce and products. Along with being in close proximity to Singapore, both countries share many similarities in their local cuisine. There are some slight differences with dishes served in Penang, Malaysia, and those served in Singapore.

While the same type of dishes are commonly found in almost every food centre, ask locals for the best examples of each dish.


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The 5 Spice Roll / Wu Xiang Xia Bing / Loh Bak features a small range of fried ingredients and fritters, typically served with at least 3 or more items, alongside a medium-thin chili dipping sauce for added sweet savoury spicy kick. The eponymous item is the deep-fried meat sausage, featuring a thin crisp tofu bean curd skin, stuffed with juicy minced pork, tender yam, bouncy deshelled shrimp, crunchy water chestnuts, and seasoned with 5-spice powder, carrying a lovely meaty earthy savoury sweet salty nutty flavour. There's deep-fried tofu bean curd cubes, bouncy soft with grainy sweet savoury flavour. There's bouncy fish cake with mild sweet savoury flavour, sometimes stuffed with other ingredients such as crab stick surimi, or battered in all-purpose flour and seasoned with salt and 5-spice powder.

5 Spice Roll / Wu Xiang Xia Bing / Loh Bak

5 Spice Roll / Wu Xiang Xia Bing / Loh Bak

5 Spice Roll / Wu Xiang Xia Bing / Loh Bak

5 Spice Roll / Wu Xiang Xia Bing / Loh Bak

5 Spice Roll / Wu Xiang Xia Bing / Loh Bak

Apong Kosong / Pancake Plain is a type of folded pancake made from a batter of wheat flour, chicken eggs, coconut milk, and white sugar, optionally garnished with finely grated coconut. It's crispy and fragile thin with grainy earthy sweet flavour. Several versions of fillings exist, such as egg and shredded coconut (Apong Balik), ground peanuts (Apong Jagung), or stuffed with bananas (Apong Pisang).

Apong Kosong / Pancake Plain

Apong Pisang / Pancake Banana

Apong Kosong / Pancake Plain

Apong Kosong / Pancake Plain

Assam Laksa features a warm fish-based soup / broth with zesty tangy sour savoury spice flavour, made with fresh flaked Spanish mackerel fish, bird's eye chili, dried tamarind peel, tamarind paste, juice, lemongrass, galangal, laksa leaves, torch ginger flower, white sugar, salt, and mint leaves. Garnished with tender flakes of Spanish mackerel fish, juicy cucumber, crisp red onions, juicy pineapple, chewy thick round rice noodles, and thick fermented shrimp paste / heh ko. Bold and pungent, appetizing on the palate.

Assam Laksa

Assam Laksa

Assam Laksa

Assam Laksa

Assam Laksa

Char Koay Kak is made with thick cubes of steamed rice cakes (made from a batter of rice flour, tapioca starch, salt, and water), stir-fried with minced garlic, pork lard, preserved radish / chai poh, white sugar or sweet soy sauce, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, duck eggs or chicken eggs, bean sprouts, garlic chives, and red chili. Very similar to the Carrot Cake (Black) that is sold in Singapore, though the Penang, Malaysia version is made with rice cakes instead of daikon radish cakes. This dish has a crispy charred crust on the exterior of the rice cakes, a tender soft interior, and robust smoky earthy grainy eggy sweet savoury salty flavour.

Char Koay Kak

Char Koay Kak

Char Koay Kak

Char Koay Kak

Char Koay Teow features stir-fried flat thin rice noodles / koay teow, minced garlic, pork lard, dried Chinese sausage / lup cheong, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, bean sprouts, duck eggs or chicken eggs, garlic chives, and deshelled prawns, with optional fish cake, red chili paste, or blood cockles. This local Penang favourite is a famous dish throughout Malaysia, and worldwide. While similar to the Singapore style Char Kway Teow, the Penang version is lighter in colour with thinner and flatter rice noodles, carrying smoky grainy eggy sweet savoury salty spice flavour.

Char Koay Teow

Char Koay Teow

Char Koay Teow

Char Koay Teow

Char Koay Teow

Char Koay Teow

Char Koay Teow

The Chee Cheong Fun are Chinese steamed rice noodle rolls (made from a batter of rice flour, tapioca starch, salt, and water), with a simple dressing of a thick dark sauce (made from sweet soy sauce, fermented shrimp paste / hae ko, and sesame oil), alongside optional red chili paste and fried shallots. This carries tender soft sticky textures with robust grainy shrimpy sweet salty spice flavour.

Chee Cheong Fun

Chee Cheong Fun

Chee Cheong Fun

The Chendul / Chendol is a popular cold dessert that is synonymous with Penang. This Malay style dessert is common in both Singapore and Malaysia. It features a soup / broth of coconut milk, pandan / screwpine leaf rice noodles, shaved ice, palm sugar / gula melaka, and slow-cooked red beans. Has slippery chewy tender textures, carrying earthy milky floral sweet nutty flavour.

Chendul / Chendol

Chendul / Chendol

Chendul / Chendol

Chendul / Chendol

Chendul / Chendol

Curry Mee is unique to Malaysia, featuring chewy yellow egg noodles and wispy thin rice vermicelli noodles in a spicy savoury herbal salty warm soup / broth, made from simmering prawn shells with minced garlic, lemongrass, red chili paste, fermented shrimp paste / hae ko, coconut milk, curry leaves, salt, and water. Garnished with crisp mint leaves, crunchy deep-fried shallots, spongy dried tofu puffs, crunchy deshelled prawns, springy cuttlefish, tender hard boiled chicken eggs, tender sliced chicken meat, crisp bean sprouts, crisp spring onions, bouncy blood cockles, and soft pig's blood cakes. Has lovely savoury salty earthy herbal spice flavour. Eaten throughout the day, but usually preferred during breakfast.

Curry Mee

Curry Mee

Curry Mee

Curry Mee

The Fried Oyster Omelette is very similar to the version found in Singapore, though it uses less starch, and slightly more eggs. It's made by stir-frying tapioca starch or sweet potato starch together with whisked chicken eggs, spring onions, and oysters. Has alternating crispy gooey sticky tender soft textures, with eggy savoury salty briny starchy vegetal herbal flavour.

Fried Oyster Omelette

Fried Oyster Omelette

Fried Oyster Omelette

Fried Oyster Omelette

Fried Oyster Omelette

The Koay Chap here is very different from the Singapore Kway Chap, with the Penang rendition having a more flavourful herbal quality, and all the ingredients served together in a single bowl. Features a rich warm soup / broth, a blend of light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, ginger, rock sugar or brown sugar, cinnamon, star anise, cloves, water, salt, 5-spice powder, and white peppercorn. Optional black peppercorn, corn flour or potato flour, shaoxing rice wine, dang gui / angelica root, dried mandarin orange zest, chuan xiong / lingusticum striatum, gan cao / liquorice root, pork bones, or galangal, may be added. The result is a robust herbal salty savoury sweet earthy soup / broth. Garnished with slippery chewy kway teow / wide flat rice noodles rolls with grainy sweet flavour, crisp fried garlic with savoury salty spice flavour, tender sliced braised duck meat with meaty savoury salty flavour, chewy braised small intestines with earthy savoury salty minerally flavour, tender braised large intestines with salty savoury herbal earthy flavour, gelatinous braised pig's skin with fatty salty savoury herbal flavour, tender braised pork belly with meaty salty savoury herbal flavour, bouncy braised chicken egg with eggy salty savoury sweet herbal flavour, and crunchy braised pig's ears with salty savoury earthy herbal flavour.

Koay Chap

Koay Chap

Koay Chap

Koay Teow Th'ng is a Penang dish that is said to be eaten when a person is feeling unwell. This dish features a tasty soup / broth made from boiling pork bones, chicken bones, water, salt, and anchovies, until the hot stock is sweet savoury in flavour with a mild salty hint. Garnished with chewy thin flat rice noodles, tender sliced pork loin meat or chewy sliced duck meat or tender shredded chicken meat, crisp spring onions, bouncy fish balls, springy pork meat balls, bouncy fish cakes, crisp kai-lan / Chinese kale / Chinese broccoli, crisp lettuce, crisp bean sprouts, and crunchy pork lard. Clean wholesome flavours, being vegetal sweet meaty savoury spice in taste, delicious and comforting. Besides the soup version, there is also a dry version garnished with similar ingredients, served in a gravy of garlic oil, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, red chili paste, and sesame oil, carrying savoury salty herbal spice nutty flavour.

Koay Teow Th'ng

Koay Teow Th'ng

Koay Teow Th'ng

Koay Teow Th'ng

Koay Teow Th'ng

The Pasembur is a type of Indian rojak salad made with customer-selected assorted ingredients and fried fritters, liberally coated with a thick sticky spiced sweet potato and peanut gravy with earthy sweet savoury nutty spice flavour, finished with a garnish of shredded vegetables, including juicy cucumber, crisp carrots, or crisp jicama turnip, all with vegetal sweet flavour. Typical ingredients may include bouncy fish cake with sweet savoury flavour, snappy chicken sausage with meaty savoury salty flavour, crisp deep-fried prawn fritters with savoury salty shrimpy flavour, soft deep-fried tofu bean curd with grainy sweet savoury flavour, soft crab stick surimi with sweet savoury briny salty flavour, or springy chicken egg fritter with eggy sweet savoury flavour.

Pasembur

Pasembur

Pasembur

Pasembur

The Roti Canai in Penang, Malaysia, is very similar to the Roti Prata in Singapore. The difference is the local rendition is less crisp, being more doughy in feel. The dough is made from a blend of wheat flour, water, salt, white sugar, condensed milk, whisked chicken eggs, and ghee / clarified butter. It's stretched, tossed, then pan-fried in ghee / clarified butter, and usually squashed several times before serving. The Roti Canai Kosong / Plain version has soft chewy fluffy texture with bready savoury sweet flavour, while the Roti Canai Telur Bawang / Egg And Onion version with fillings of whisked chicken egg and red onions has crisp chewy fluffy texture with bready eggy earthy vegetal sweet savoury flavour. Typically served with a side of curry (either chicken curry or fish curry) for dipping, lending a savoury salty spicy kick of flavour.

Roti Canai

Roti Canai

Roti Canai Kosong / Plain

Roti Canai Kosong / Plain

Roti Canai Telur Bawang / Egg And Onion

Roti Canai Telur Bawang / Egg And Onion

Roti Canai

The Wonton Noodles / Wantan Noodles features a base of springy fresh thin yellow egg noodles with grainy sweet sour flavour, tossed in a rich gravy of light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, kecap manis / dark sweet soy sauce, pork lard, and sesame oil, resulting in the gravy having a deep savoury salty earthy nutty flavour. Garnished with crisp chye sim / Chinese flowering cabbage with vegetal sweet flavour, tender char siu / marinated barbecued pork slices with smoky meaty sweet salty savoury flavour, and crisp pork lard with savoury salty flavour. Optionally, crunchy tender siu yuk / roast pork belly slices with meaty savoury sweet flavour, or bouncy fish balls with sweet salty savoury flavour, might be added. On the side is a clear warm soup / broth with sweet savoury flavour, typically made with chicken stock or pork stock, filled with crisp spring onions with vegetal herbal sweet flavour. Within are tender juicy wonton / wantan dumplings made from dumpling wrappers filled with minced pork and sometimes deshelled shrimp, carrying meaty sweet savoury flavour. Optionally, shui jiao / sui kow / water dumplings made from dumpling wrappers filled with minced pork, deshelled shrimp, cabbage, garlic chives, or water chestnuts, carrying meaty sweet savoury earthy flavour, might be added. The dumpling wrappers themselves are thin and fragile, made with a dough blend of all-purpose flour, salt, water, whisked chicken eggs, and corn starch.

Wonton Noodles / Wantan Noodles

Wonton Noodles / Wantan Noodles

Wonton Noodles / Wantan Noodles

Wonton Noodles / Wantan Noodles

Wonton Noodles / Wantan Noodles

Wonton Noodles / Wantan Noodles

Wonton Noodles / Wantan Noodles

The barbecue / BBQ Stingray is grilled simply, and basted with a sweet sauce. Usually available at most barbecue seafood stalls, though prices change due to availability.

BBQ Stingray

Penang Char Tang Hoon is slightly different than Char Koay Teow, not only because of the noodles, but also because of the addition of sliced pork. This dish is not as common in Malaysia.

Char Tang Hoon

The Coffee in Penang and Malaysia is similar to those in Singapore, and the same ordering lingo applies here as well.

Coffee

Coffee

In Penang, Congee is not commonly eaten unless the person is feeling unwell. This Chinese style dish is uncommon here, and mostly sold in restaurants.

Congee

Dessert Fritter are made with various fruits native to the region, which are then deep fried. Common fruits used include jackfruit, banana, and / or sweet potato.

Dessert Fritter

Fritter Butterfly Bun

The Dim Sum Pau Big Pork is larger than usual, and contains soup. Sold in most small Chinese street side stalls.

Dim Sum Pau Big Pork

Alcohol is more common here, such as this Drink Anglia Shandy. Most supermarkets will have this.

Penang Drink Anglia Shandy

This Drink Roselle Fruit Juice With Flower is made from the Roselle flower, which is a type of Hibiscus, and is edible. The flower is sweet and crunchy in texture. Rather uncommon, even in Penang, or Malaysia.

Drink Roselle Fruit Juice With Flower

The Drink Umbra Juice is made from the fruit known as Golden Apple, and is slightly sour in taste. Commonly found in most coffee shops, fruit stalls, or hawker centres.

Drink Umbra Juice

Drink Umbra Juice

Drink Umbra Juice

Fried Sago Cake, is a unique Malaysian dish, and is both sweet and savoury. It can be eaten as a meal, or as a dessert. Not that common, as locals don't order this often.

Fried Sago Cake

The Ice Kachang in Penang is not as colourful as those in Singapore, but usually has more variety of fruits that you can add in.

Ice Kachang

Jawa Mee is a dish of Peranakan origins, and is a noodle soup / broth with a tomato base gravy. It usually includes egg noodles, bean sprouts, boiled potatoes, onions, tomatoes, hard boiled eggs, tofu cubes, fish cakes, lime juice, and tomato sauce / ketchup.

Jawa Mee

The Malay style Kueh Dadar dessert is commonly found here. A pandan / screwpine leaf and coconut milk pancake is rolled around a stuffing of grated dessicated coconut soaked in palm sugar / gula melaka, pandan / screwpine leaf, and butter.

Kueh Dadar

The Lam Mee is a Peranakan dish, commonly eaten during birthdays, hence it is also known as Birthday Mee. This dish is rather rare in Penang, and normally not sold in other parts of Malaysia. It's made with egg noodles / rice noodles, chives, shallots, prawns, pork ribs, bean sprouts, fish cake, and pink coloured shredded egg omelette. Lam Mee / Birthday Mee is meant to symbolize longevity.

Lam Mee / Birthday Mee

The Malaysian Peanut Pancake is sold all over Malaysia, and Penang, along the streets. Compared to the Indian Apong, this Chinese style pancake is only ever made with ground peanuts, and has a much thicker batter.

Malaysian Peanut Pancake

Malaysian Peanut Pancake

The Popiah in Penang comes doused in a seafood gravy or braised turnip gravy, and it quickly becomes soggy. This Malaysia version is in direct contrast to the Singapore version, which is served dry.

Popiah

Popiah

Popiah

The Roast Meats; Penang Char Siew Marinated Roast Pork Loin and Penang Sio Bak Roast Pork Belly, very popular amongst the Chinese population here.

Char Siew Marinated Roast Pork Loin

Sio Bak Roast Pork Belly

The Chinese style Rojak in Penang is very similar to the version in Singapore. I find the versions here more savoury than sweet, due to the stronger flavour of the sauce, which is made with thick, dark shrimp paste.

Rojak

Rojak

Rojak

Rojak

The Ak Thui Mee Sua or Duck Vermicelli Soup, consists of a duck thigh in a herbal-type soup / broth, with thin rice vermicelli noodles.

Ak Thui Mee Sua / Duck Vermicelli Soup

Lok Lok is a variation on the typical steamboat / hot pot, with the difference being that all the food is served on skewers. The pot used for boiling always contains plain water, not flavoured or seasoned soups like in steamboat / hot pot. Also, dipping sauces are served to accompany the food, normally a mildly spicy peanut sauce and a spicy garlic chili sauce.

Lok Lok

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