Oh Chien - Oyster Omelette

Oyster Omelette or known as Oh Chien to the locals, its an omelette loaded with lots of oil, eggs, chopped chai por (preserved radish) and not to forget the main ingredient , the oyster. This dish will not be complete without the chili sauce.

Bak Chang

BAK CHANG 粽子 or Glutinous rice dumpling with a variety of pork filings wrapped in lotus leaf. Though available throughout of the year. Traditionally eaten during the Dragon Boat Festival (Mandarin: Duanwu) which falls on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese calendar (approximately early- to mid-June), commemorating the death of Qu Yuan, a famous Chinese poet from the kingdom of Chu who lived during the Warring States period. Known for his patriotism, Qu Yuan tried unsuccessfully to warn his king and countrymen against the expansionism of their Qin neighbors. When the Qin Dynasty general Bai Qi took Yingdu, the Chu capital, in 278 BC, Qu Yuan's grief was so intense that he drowned himself in the Miluo river after penning the Lament for Ying. According to legend, packets of rice were thrown into the river to prevent fish from eating the poet's body. Another version states that zongzi were given to placate a dragon that lived in the river.

Lam Mee

LAM MEE also known as the 'birthday noodle' as its often served during birthday in Peranakan household. The Chinese community regards noodles as a symbol of longevity and to serve noodle to a birthday celebrant is to wish the person long life. When it is prepared to celebrate birthday, a drop of red coloring a symbol of auspicious tidings is added to the egg to make a pink-colored omelette and served together with sambal.

Wan Tan Mee

Chinese in origin, this noodles usually garnished with roast pork and 'wan tan' or pork dumplings. Served in clear soup or tossed in dark soy sauce together with cut green chilies.

Satay

One of Malaysia's best exports to the world and one of the most recognised dish from the region. Generally consist of turmeric marinated meat (usually chicken or beef) chunks on bamboo skewer and grilled over charcoal. It is served with spicy peanut sauce with onion, cucumbers and ketupat (woven palm rice dumpling).

Ban Chean Kuih

Ban Chean Kuih or "Slow-cooked Pancake" - Penang hawkers have recently become creative with the fillings for this pancake, substituting the traditional peanut and creamed corn with everything from peanut butter to ham. Crispy on the outside, soft and sweet on the inside, this folded pancake is a popular all-day snack.

Penang Char Kway Teow

Penang Char Kway Teow is one of the most well known hawker food in Penang. Its was so famous that people come as far as Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore just to enjoy them. Penang Char Kway Teow usually garnished with Big Prawns, Blood Cockles and Duck Egg. Some hawker stalls even have ingredients such as Mantis Prawn, Crab Meat or even Lobster Meat. A normal plate of Penang Char Kway Teow range from RM2.00 onwards.

• Here are some of the nicest Penang Kway Teow Stalls around Penang: Sisters fried Kway Teow at Lam Heng coffee shop, stalls at Lorong Selamat, stalls in Sin Hwa coffee shop on Burmah Road, stall outside Sin Guat Keong coffee shop at the corner of Kimberly Street.

Chai Kuih

There are two types of chai kuih or vegetable dumplings sold in Penang. The most common one is the Hokkien dumpling as its admired for its translucent and pearly skin made of mixture of wheat starch, tapioca flour and glutinous rice flour.

The mark of good Hokkien chai kuih is the fine, light skin enveloping the dumpling, its breaks apart at the gentles bite and its usually filled with chives or yambean flavoured with dried shrimps.

Note: Chai Kuih can be found almost island wide in Penang but the best one is located at Ayer Itam Market.

Hokkien Mee

Hokkien Mee or Prawn Noodle - Yellow Noodle in a prawn and meat (pork) based gravy, garnished with pork, vegetable on the most important ingredient's is prawns. The Penang Hokkien Mee is well-known in Malaysia for its tasty gravy.

You can find the best Hokkien Mee at coffee shop at junction of Macalister Road and Rangoon Road, Coffee Shop at the junction of Moulmein Road/ Burma Road, roadside stall at Kimberly Street junction, Coffee Shop at the junction of Burma Road and Bangkok Lane. Price range from RM2.00 onwards.

Penang Laksa

Your visit to Penang is consider incomplete without tasting the famous Penang Laksa. Its well like by its spicy, sweet and sour taste. Its strictly a hawker fare and one is unlikely to find the great laksa in any fancy restaurant. Laksa is a coarse rice noodles served in a sour based fish soup with assam, onions, sliced chilli, cucumber, pineapple, sprinkled with shaveings of "bunga kantan" finally topped with thick prawn paste. Laksa is a popular snack among Penangites and visitors.

The best Laksa can be located at Ayer Itam-beside the wet market, Balik Pulau wet market, Lorong Selamat, Gurney Drive hawker stalls and Coffee Shop at Pulau Tikus. Price range from RM2.00 onwards.

Sar Hor Fun

Thick rice base noodle (Koay Teow) usually mixed with bee hoon fried with dark soya sauce and garlic in thick gravy, garnished with meat, prawns, vegitables and liver. Price range from RM2.00 onwards. Some of the best store can be located along Dato Kramat Road.

Indian Rice

Well, New York is known as City Never Sleep and Penang is known as City Never Stop Eating. With the diverse cultures and a Multi-Racial Country, no wonder Penang is known as Food Heaven.

Indian Rice usually comes in either white rice or Briyani rice, served on banana leaf with various types of cooked vegetables, papedom, mutton, eggs and curries to goes along. Its best to be eaten with hands and compliment with the Mango flavor yogurt drink. Price range from RM3.00 onward depending on the dishes.

Chee Cheong Fun

Chee Cheong Fun, a broad sheet rice noodles rolled and steamed. The noodle served in sweet sauce, Prawn paste, Chilli Sauce and sesame seeds. Price range from RM1.20 onwards and can be found almost anywhere in Penang.

Curry Mee

Curry mee is wheat base yellow noodle served in spicy coconut curry soup along with beansprouts, prawn, cockles, cuttlefish, beancurd, marinated pork and peppermint. The price of the noodle range from RM1.50 onwards.

You can find the best curry mee in town (in random order) at:

Hawker center opposite of the Ayer Itam market (morning only), Corner coffe shop in Lorong Seratus Tahun (morning only), Hawker center at New World Park, Bangkok Lane, New Lane, Gurney Drive and Perak Road.

Ice Kacang

One of the most popular dessert in Penang is a cool concoction called Ais Kacang, which means iced beans. On the base of shaved ice flavoured by gula melaka (palm sugar) sauce and rose syrup is heaped with mixture of red beans, sweet corn, peanuts, colored jelly, attap chee (palm seed) and evaporated milk, some stalls have offered the optional extra of adding a scoop of ice cream as well as Lycee and Watermelon cubes. The best Ice Kacang can be located at Lorong Selamat and Lorong Swatow’s New World Park. The Price of Ice Kacang range between RM1.20 onwards.