When it comes to dinner in Penang, you should head out for hawker food.
Indulging in local Penang delicacies is a must when visiting the Malaysian island for your holidays.
Some visitors even skip restaurants and have all their meals at the hawker center, where they can try various noodles and rice dishes.
You may want to eat the dinner version of hawker foods all day, like the Penangites.
Smart Dory recommends these hawker dinner spots in Penang that locals love for dinner and supper.
The street food markets of Penang capture some of Malaysia’s best, unique, and unmistakable culture.
One of the top things you can do in Penang at night is go for supper right after dinner!
You can find almost any noodle dishes you fancy here at affordable prices.
Many food stalls sell mouthwatering local dishes and snacks, such as fried chicken, Cakes, and Sweet, Soupy Desserts.
You get to dine in a lively outdoor atmosphere and soak up the vibes of George Town.
So whether you’re staying in a homestay or a heritage hotel, your best experience is a hawker dinner in Penang.
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Lebuh Kimberley (Kimberley Street Food Night Market)
Kimberly Street is one of Penang’s best hawker dinner spots, with various street foods to suit every
budget.
The go-to stall is the legendary Kimberley Street Duck Kway Chap.
You will find the longest queue for the flat rice noodle dish simmering in a soy sauce-infused hot broth topped with succulent duck meat and braised eggs.
The duck broth has a total depth of flavors.
You can also order a plate of braised duck meat garnished with garlic and cilantro.
Other noteworthy stalls along the streets are Char Koay Teow and Thong Sui.
For vegetarians, there are two stalls selling Economy Bee Hoon and local kueh.
The Belacan Chicken food truck has some of the most aromatic crispy fried chicken you must try.
The go-to stall is the legendary Kimberley Street Duck Kway Chap.
Kimberley Street Food Night Market
Address: 1, Jalan Sungai Ujong, 10100 George Town, Penang
Hours: 5.00 PM to 11.00 PM
Pro Tip: Kway Chap Closes on Thursdays
Lebuh Chulia (Chulia Street Night Hawker Stalls)
Eating outdoors with public buses, cars, and motorcycles zipping by is an adventure.
No. 2 on SmartDory’s list, you can find the best Curry Mee, Wanton Mee, Char Hor Fun, and Apom for your dinner.
We like getting all three noodles and washing them down with fresh local fruit juice from the Juice Stall.
An elderly aunty operates an Apom Stall across the street with crispy and fragrant pancakes.
If you prefer burgers, like Old Trafford Burger, all Manchester United fans should at least give it a try once.
Old Trafford Burger is a roadside stall near the intersection of Chulia Street (Lebuh Chulia) and Love Lane (Lorong Love).
Curry Mee with the Big Fish Ball
Chulia Street Night Hawker Stalls (Closed Mondays)
Address: Chulia St, Georgetown, 10450 George Town, Penang
Hours: 4.00 PM to Midnight.
Pro Tip: The Apom makes a fine after-dinner dessert before you head to Love Lane for a party.
Lebuh Presgrave (Presgrave Street Hawker Centre)
You can find one of Penang’s best-known nighttime Hokkien Mee at the Presgrave Street Hawker Centre.
The 888 Hokkien Mee is the busiest operating from a shop with other roadside stalls.
Their thick prawn broth is packed with flavors, tempting you to order two bowls with extra Sio Bak (Roast Pork), Wantan Mee, and in-house Ais Kacang.
Other items for your hawker dinner in Penang are the Oyster Omelette, Lor Bak, and Satay. Some locals make a beeline for the Char Hor Fun at the corner of Kopitiam.
Remember to order the 888 Penang Hokkien Mee with extra Sio Bak (Roast Pork)
Presgrave Street Hawker Centre
Address: 67D, Lebuh Presgrave, 10300 George Town, Penang.
Hours: 4.00 PM to 10.00 PM (Closed on Wednesday)
Pro Tip: The 888 Hokkien Mee has a “Self-service” for ordering and picking up your food. It is better to go with a dining companion who acts as a “Chup” table.
Jalan Burma (New World Park Food City)
One of the coolest Food Courts in Penang, the New World Park Food City, has ample parking and lots of selection.
There are more than 80 food stalls, and you can eat a lot of local delicacies.
Penangites are no strangers to New World Park as one of the most happening food courts that gets crowded for breakfast, lunch, teatime, and dinner.
There is so much street food under one roof that it is easy to meet for dinner with family and friends in Penang.
Try naming any of your favorite street food. You can probably find it there.
While other parts of George Town feel humid, a gentle breeze blows at the New World Park Food City.
The stalls use a self-service system. If you want to place an order, please do so at the counter and collect it at the kiosk when ready.
One of the best stalls is the Cucur Udang, a crispy prawn fritter fried with bean sprouts served with sweet potato peanut sauce.
It’s a must-try appetizer!
Addictive and delicious Cucur Udang is a great appetizer!
New World Park Food City 新世界美食城
Address: Jalan Burma, 10050 George Town, Penang
Hours: 10.00 AM to 11.30 PM
Pro Tip: Passions of Kerala Restaurant serves delicious banana leaf rice nearby.
Jalan Pasar (Pulau Tikus Night Market)
Located in an affluent neighborhood, the Pulau Tikus Market was once said to be the only wet market selling lemons.
For dinner in Penang, try the Assam Laksa, Char Hor Fun, Satay, and Penang Lok Lok.
At night, the area outside the Pulau Tikus Wet Market turns into a hawker center with pushcarts selling noodles and a large stall selling cakes, kueh, and bread.
The Duck Meat Koay Teow Soup and Char Koay Teow stall are a must-order.
The Koay Teow Soup has duck meat, duck blood, innards including Hoong Cheong, gizzard and liver, fishballs, meatballs, and bean sprouts.
If you love duck meat koay teow soup or char koay teow, the Pulau Tikus Night Market stall sells both!
Pulau Tikus Night Market
Address: 3, Jalan Pasar, Pulau Tikus, 10350 George Town, Penang
Hours: 5.00 PM to 11.00 PM
Lorong Baru (New Lane Street Food Stalls)
New Lane is a street food paradise with over 50 hawker stalls operating from three Kopitiam and on the roadside.
The New Lane Hawker Center has a lively atmosphere, with crowds queuing and waiting for a table.
The road is closed to vehicles from 4.00 PM onwards. Please take a Grab here.
Popular items are fried oysters and prawns, Penang Hokkien Char (stir-fried yellow noodles), Popiah (fresh spring rolls), Ikan Bakar (grilled fish and Stingray in banana leaves), satay batu maung, curry mee, chee cheong fun (rice noodles rolls), and BBQ chicken wings.
If you like seafood, the boiled baby Octopus with garlic oil and a chili dip makes a great appetizer!
The blanched Baby Octopus with garlic and chili dipping sauce is a crunchy appetizer to order!
New Lane Street Food Stalls
Address: Lorong Baru, 10450 George Town, Penang
Hours: 4.00 PM to 10.00 PM
Persiaran Gurney (Coco Island Street Food)
Coco Island Street Food is the newest casual dining hotspot on Gurney Drive.
Families, groups, and couples like to hang out here in the evenings, as the vibes are great.
In the morning, Coco Island is famous for its Dim Sum.
The seafood, noodles and Fried Chicken stalls are popular at night.
Many diners love their fruit juice, coconut, and cold beers.
Experience the cool vibes under coconut trees at Coco Island Street Food, Gurney Drive, Penang.
Coco Island Street Food 椰林街头美食
Address. 104, Gurney Dr, Pulau Tikus, 10250 George Town, Penang, Malaysia.
Persiaran Gurney (Gurney Drive Hawker Centre)
Every tour guide will stop by here so you can enjoy all the local foods.
Gurney Drive is famous to tourists, with many food trucks offering tonnes of street foods with different varieties and cuisines.
While you may think every food truck sells almost identical food, look out for the Wantan Mee at the center, near the Char Koay Teow.
A few stalls sell Laksa, but go with the red bowl, and it’s the best.
Come after 9.00 PM for the GP Soon Rojak, reputed as the best rojak in Gurney Drive.
If you’re looking for halal food, there’s a corner towards the end that sells halal food only.
Gurney Drive Hawker Centre is an excellent spot for dinner in Penang with EVERYTHING.
At Gurney Drive Hawker Center, you can miss the hanging Cuttle Fish for Jiu Hu Eng Chai (Cuttlefish Salad with Water Convolvulus). Image: Tourism Malaysia
Gurney Drive Hawker Centre
Address: 172, Solok Gurney 1, Pulau Tikus, 10250 Jelutong, Penang.
Hours: 4:30 PM to 8.00 PM
Gurney Plaza (Gurney Food Hall) Halal
If you prefer to dine in air-conditioned comfort, Gurney Plaza’s Food Hall is the food court with the best food scene in Penang.
The impressive food hall delivers the best local and international cuisine in Penang’s most ‘Gram-Worthy’ Food Court.
The upscale food hall has four zones. Head down here for a quieter meal away from the crowd.
Located on the 4th Floor on the main wing of Gurney Plaza, Gurney Food Hall has more than 25 outlets.
Crowd Favourites are the Thailander, Mr. Shawerma, Chilli Pan Mee, and a Pork-Free Version Of Roast Meats (Chicken) and Hainanese Chicken Rice.
Other treats include the halal Mantis Prawn Hokkien Mee, Kyrin Sushi, and Teochew Chendol.
If you want an air-conditioned premise for your Halal Hawker Dinner in Penang, try Gurney Food Hall at Gurney Plaza.
Gurney Food Hall
Location: Main Wing of Gurney Plaza, 4th Floor.
Operating Hours: Daily, 10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Status: Pork-Free
Jelutong (Big Crab Street Food)
For seafood lovers, BIG CRAB street food is a Penang food court with over 70 varieties of food where you can enjoy fresh seafood and local dishes.
Big Crab Street Food looks like a high-class restaurant serving expensive food, but the food is mostly hawker, including noodles, dim sum, snacks, and seafood.
The price is reasonable, though slightly higher than those hawker stalls at the roadside.
Given the comfortable and friendly environment setting, the price is reasonable.
Notable items include freshly steamed Dim Sum, Western Food, and Rice Sets.
There is mostly hawker food, from noodles, dim sum, snacks, and seafood. Image: Big Crab
Big Crab Street Food
Address: 28, Jalan Perusahaan Jelutong 2, Fortune Park, 11600 Jelutong, Penang
Hours: 7.00 AM to Midnight
Jalan Perak (Astaka Padang Brown) Halal
The Padang Brown Food Court has two sections: Halal and Non-Halal.
Muslims enjoy Penang hawker delicacies from Lok Lok, Pasembur, Chinese Style Char Koay Teow, and Ais Kacang.
The Astaka Padang Brown is one of Penang’s most convenient places for a halal food dinner.
Head to the Astaka Padang Brown at Jalan Perak, Penang, for a halal hawker dinner in Penang.
Astaka Padang Brown
Address: Padang Brown, Jalan Perak, 10400 George Town, Pulau Pinang.
Hours: 5.30 PM to 11.30 PM (Daily)
Guide For Your Best Dinner In Penang.
Come armed with Smart Dory’s List for your best hawker dinner in Penang for your next eating trip to George Town.
Embark on a memorable dining odyssey in Penang, where the streets come alive with the aromas and flavors of its vibrant food scene. Whether indulging in iconic hawker dishes or discovering hidden Halal gems, your taste buds are in for an extraordinary treat.
If you have any excellent Halal recommendations for dinner spots in Penang, we welcome your valuable insights.
Feel free to share your recommendations in the comments below, contributing to a collective resource for fellow travelers seeking Halal culinary experiences.
Blog Disclosure: This is a NOT sponsored blog post. All opinions are mine. The writer and friends paid for their meal.
I been a long time not dine out. All this place make me miss the old time and I feel like gonna visit this week end.
Yes, my friends are planning a feast too after reading. The Ikan Bakar and BBQ seafood is everyone’s favorite meal!
Good recommended, thanks
Enjoy your meals and let me know if there are other new places to try. <3