Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
HAWKER-STALL HEAVEN
George Town's reputation as a must-see destination hinges greatly on its food, and the best the city has to offer is
served at hawker stalls and food courts. Not eating at a stall in George Town is like missing the Louvre in Paris -
you simply have to do it.
Hawker-stall vendors run flexible schedules, so don't be surprised if one isn't there during your visit. Most im-
portantly, avoid Mondays and Thursdays when many vendors tend to stay at home. Dishes generally fall between
RM3 and RM10.
Lorong Baru
(New Lane, cnr Jln Macalister & Lg Baru; dinner) If you ask locals where their favourite
hawker stalls are, after listing a few far-flung places, they'll always mention this night-time street extravaganza,
not for a particular stall but because all the food is reliably good. There's an emphasis on Chinese-style noodle
dishes, and we particularly liked the
char koay kak
stall, which in addition to spicy fried rice cakes with seafood,
also does great
otak otak
(a steamed fish curry). Lg Baru intersects with Jln Macalister about 250m northwest of
the intersection with Jln Penang.
Gurney Drive
(Persiaran Gurney; dinner) Penang's most famous food area sits amid modern high-rises
bordered by the sea. It's posh for a hawker area so the food is a bit pricier than elsewhere, but you'll find abso-
lutely everything from Malay to Western. It's particularly known for its laksa stalls (try stall 11). For the best
ro-
jak
(fruit-and-vegetable salad dressed with chilli sauce and black shrimp paste with peanuts) head to the famous
Ah Chye. Gurney Dr is located about 3km west of George Town near Gurney Plaza mall; a taxi here will set you
back RM15.
seaside setting of this food centre, which is nestled right in the heart of George Town's Colonial District. One side
is called 'Islam' and serves halal Malay food, and the other is called 'Cina' and serves Chinese and Malay speci-
alities, including the absolutely delicious
rojak
at Rojak Ho Wei Jeng. Esplanade is often very quiet on Monday
and Wednesday.
Padang Brown Food Court
(Jln Pantai; lunch & dinner Fri-Wed) Everyone in town knows that this is the
spot for delectable
popiah
(spring rolls), although the
won ton mee
(egg noodles served with pork dumplings or
sliced roast pork) and
bubur caca
(dessert porridge made with coconut milk and banana) are other good reasons
to try the food in this area. In the afternoons try the
yong tau foo
(clear Chinese soup with fish balls, lettuce, crab
sticks, cuttlefish and more). Padang Brown is about 1.5km west of the centre of George Town, off Jln Dato
Keramat; a taxi here will cost about RM15.
Lorong Selamat
(cnr Jl Macalister & Lg Selamat; dinner Sat-Thu) The south end of Lg Selemat is the place
to go for the city's most famous
char kway teow
(broad noodles, clams and eggs fried in chilli and black bean
sauce)
,
but you'll also find lip-smacking
won ton mee
and other Chinese Penang favourites. Lg Baru intersects
with Jln Macalister about 500m northwest of Jln Penang.
New World Park Food Court
(Lg Swatow; 11am-7pm) Every stall serves something different at this ul-
tramodern, covered food court with mist-blowing fans and shiny industrial decor. The
ais kacang
(shaved-ice
dessert with syrup, jellies, beans and sometimes even corn on top) here gets particularly good reviews. There are
also a number of fast-food-feeling restaurants in this complex including Nonya and Indian. New World is off Jln
Hutton, about 400m northwest of Jln Transfer.
