Looking for a Penang Halal Food Guide? Planning a trip to Penang? Get ready to embark on a culinary adventure!
Dive into the vibrant flavors of George Town with Smart Dory’s Ultimate Guide for Muslim Travelers.
From street food delights to charming halal eateries, this guide will ensure your taste buds are in for a treat!
I want to thank my friends and fans from Malaysia and Singapore who inspired this post.
I have tried all the restaurants and written long posts for some outlets.
Dietary Requirements Halal Guide and Halal Options
If you’re looking for Halal Food Options and Pork and Lard Free food, check out this list of Halal Restaurants.
So the next best thing is to wake up early and drive to Penang and MAKAN.
The best weekend cure is in store for all stress-related fatigue from eating plain, tasteless food.
Get ready for this introduction to an inexpensive gastronomy treat of street food that will have you craving more. Next weekend beckons!
Top Tip: Take the ferry. You save lots of time heading for the best halal breakfast treats at the George Town World Heritage Site. Start early, like 7.00 AM, to pack in as much as possible!
After nearly a century of service, the original iconic Penang Ferries ceased operations on 31 December 2020.
You can go to Penang by air, car, train, or bus.
Penang Halal Guide
Penang’s food scene is one of the best in the world.
George Town is world-famous for its authentic and multicultural food scene, including kosher (halal) food in Muslim-friendly eateries.
Even during lockdown, many people can order their favorite Halal meals via delivery apps.
Smart Dory’s Penang Halal Food Guide 2024 (Updated)
As we do in Penang, we wake up early for the best bites, and the locals all agree on having Mr. Ali’s Nasi Lemak or any nasi lemak.
Nothing beats the lure of steaming hot, fragrant rice topped with fiery red sambal ikan bilis gravy!
Stalls Opening Hours – Penang Halal Food Guide
7.00 am Ali Nasi Lemak Daun Pisang
All Malaysians love the fragrance of a steaming hot Nasi Lemak!
Red hot sambal ikan bilis, fried fish or chicken, and Sambal Sotong make this an irresistible, mouth-watering, fiery sambal combo.
There are 20 top delicious ways to enjoy your Malaysian Nasi Lemak that will stump travelers!
Check out the banana leaf-wrapped Nasi Lemak at En—Ali’s stall in Sri Weld Food Court, Beach Street.
The booth is at the entrance of the food court. You can’t miss the motorcycles and cars parked as regulars line up to buy their daily breakfast meal.
Get one to kick-start your day!
A great Penang breakfast round one!
Head for the Halal Spots that local Penangites love.
Must-eat dishes: Nasi lemak with fried chicken, fried fish, Sambal Sotong, Boiled Egg, and extra gravy!
Ali Nasi Lemak Daun Pisang
Address: Sri Weld Food Court, Beach Street, 10300 George Town, Penang
Operating Hours: 7.00 AM to 3.00 PM Mon to Fri
Closed on Sat & Sun
7.30 AM Roti Canai Transfer Road
Roti Canai Jalan Transfer is the epitome of street food in Penang.
Large crowds swarm the place with cars, motorbikes, trishaws, and RapidPenang buses roaring past.
An eating experience is not for the faint-hearted time to jostle with the locals and tourists for the most popular breakfast joint in George Town.
During the weekends, it is jam-packed with tables and stools spilling on the road.
This is where you head for that ultimate substantial Roti Canai meal.
The Roti Canai is served drenched in rich Kuah Banjir.
The gravy is aromatic, and the best order is Roti Canai Ayam.
Get ready to chow down on a juicy whole-leg chicken.
Check out the Beef and Mutton Curries if you have extra stomach space!
If that’s not enough, get a wholesome breakfast of Roti Bakar from the adjacent stall. That’s four slices of crunchy Roti Bakar set.
The bread is spread with margarine and topped with two sunny-side-up eggs!
Must Eat Dishes: Roti Canai Ayam, Roti Jantan, Teh Tarik and Iced Milo Kaw Kaw
Image: Roti Canai Transfer Road by Toriq Abdul
Roti Canai Transfer Road
Address: 114, 110, Jalan Transfer, George Town, 10050 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Hours: 7.00 AM to Noon (Sundays Closed)
9.00 AM 鎂華茶室 Bee Hwa Cafe
One of Penang’s best Halal Chinese Kopitiam foods, Bee Hwa Cafe, has all your Penang Hawker favorites on its Halal Menu for Muslim foodies.
Bee Hwa cafe is a traditional Hainanese Kopitiam in Lebuh Dickens.
Don’t worry about eating in this Kopitiam operated by Aunty Ah Lien.
The friendly coffee shop is visitors’ first halal Chinese food pit stop choice.
Try the flavourful Curry Mee, Fish Ball Soup, and Nasi Goreng.
The curry mee doesn’t have animal blood cubes—instead, you get Crab Sticks or imitation crab meat.
They fry the Kway Teow noodles in a wok with ingredients like bean sprouts, chives, prawns, duck egg, and soya sauce.
Penang Char Kway Teow cooked with duck egg gives more flavor to the dish.
Although most Char Kuey Teow is fried with pork lard, you can easily find Halal Char Kway Teow from Bee Hwa Café on Dickens Street.
Yes, the Char Kuey Teow is HALAL here.
The Kopitiam serves Penang local hawker food, which is pork-free and lard-free.
Halal Meat is the chicken used, certified by a Muslim butcher.
The patrons are Malaysians from all ethnic groups, with Muslims as the top customers.
The patrons are Malaysians from all ethnic groups, with Muslim customers being the top patrons.
Try a lovely bowl of Prawn Mee or Penang Hokkien Mee; you won’t need to drive to Teluk Kumbar for a Mee Udang Meal.
Must Eat Dishes: Char Koey Teow, Koey Teow Soup, Mee Udang, Curry Mee, Nasi Goreng, Mee Hai Lam, Wantan Mee, and Mee Goreng
Bee Hwa Cafe
Address: 10, Lebuh Dickens, George Town, 10050 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Operating Hours: 7.00 AM to 4.00 PM
Closed on Sunday
Photo: Bee Hwa Cafe FB Page
10.30 AM ANBA Coconut
After breakfast, it’s time to chill and have a long drink before lunch. We recommend going to nearby Abu Siti Lane for some sweet Pandan Coconut.
After drinking out of the shell, be sure to ask the guy to break the shell. He will make a “spoon” out of the shell so you can scoop out the sweet coconut flesh!
Must Order: Coconut Shake and Pandan Coconut
Anba Coconut
A 3-min walk from New World Park
Address: Lorong Abu Siti, 10400 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Operating Hours: 8.00 AM to 8.00 PM Daily
Phone: 04-227 2409
Anba Coconut Photo: @penangkiatraveltheworld
11.00 AM Penang Road Famous Nyonya Chendol
A shaved ice dessert made of soft, fresh pandan-flavored noodles steeped in coconut milk. It is topped with boiled red beans and sweetened with Gula Melaka.
Over the long weekends, many customers queued to slurp their bowls of Chendol.
Business is brisk as people, cars, and motorcycles are honked and squeezed by the narrow lane.
Penang Road was once a two-way road to set the record straight, giving both Chendol stalls equal exposure to the public.
My family and I prefer the original stall opposite the Kopitiam, which I think is tastier.
Over the years, this stall has become the “less famous” stall because of the other stall’s overwhelming exposure on social media.
Must-Try: Try both stalls and decide which is tastier instead of joining the longest queue.
If you’re not a fan of Chendol, try the Ais Kacang or ABC, Penang style, with lots of colors, for a sweet iced dessert!
Nyonya Chendol Pushcart
Lebuh Keng Kwee, Penang
Operating Hours: 11.30 AM to 7.00 PM daily
The Original Chedol Stall has been in operation for over half a century! Photo: @len_j_p
Noon Hameed Pata Mee Sotong & Coconut Shake
If you’re looking for a sightseeing spot, check out Fort Cornwallis before having lunch at Kota Selera Padang Kota Lama.
This is where office workers queue for Hameed Pata Mee Sotong and slurp that down with a refreshing creamy Coconut Shake.
The stall is bustling, and the lines are up to 20 strong during peak meal times.
The chef fries up the Mee Sotong in large batches.
The mee goreng you’ll get is moist, and the sauce coating the yellow noodles gives it a great flavor.
He quickly dishes out multiple plates at a time.
The noodles are spicy, hot, and tasty, so it’s worth the long wait.
In the meantime, cool off with a Coconut Shake.
After eating, you will need an Ice Kacang to remove the heat!
While you’re there, check out the Chinese Western Food Stall.
It serves the best lunchtime juicy Hainanese Chicken Chop and Prawn Fritters with a small bowl of mayonnaise!
Must-Try: Mee Sotong with extra Sotong and Coconut Shake
Hameed Pata Mee Sotong
Located in Kota Lama
Address: 5, Esplanade Park Food Court, Lebuh Light, 10300 George Town
Operating Hours: 11.30 AM to 8.00 PM Daily
Phone: 013-431 9384
Hameed Pata Mee Sotong is delicious and worth queuing for.
Noon Kareem Pasembor Rojak
Established in 1945, Kareem Pasembur Rojak’s little blue pushcart was a familiar sight at the Customs Building on Gat Lebuh, China, in the 80s -90s before moving to Lebuh Union.
I bought my Pasembor lunch while working at China Street Ghaut in the 80s.
Business is packed at lunch hour, with a long queue of office workers.
This heady salad has Indian-Muslim origins. It has prawn fritters and fried ingredients piled high on a mound of shredded cucumber, yam bean, and blanched bean sprouts, topped with a deliciously warm, spicy sweet potato gravy that is to die for.
Must-Try: Lots of Prawn Fritters, Fried Egg with the extra gravy
Kareem Pasembur Rojak
Located in George Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
7, Lebuh Union, George Town, 10200 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Operating Hours: 11.00 AM to 6.00 PM. Closed on Sunday
Phone: 011-2607 5822
Kareem Pasembor Rojak
1.00 PM Kesum Art Restaurant
At Kesum Art Restaurant, you can eat Laksa Johor with your fingers rather than using a fork, spoon, or chopsticks!
The restaurant’s laksa is fragrant and spicy with a robust, delicious taste of rich Santan and kerisik.
They make authentic Laksa Johor in homes in the southern state.
Order Botok Botok steamed fish custard made with julienne healing herbs, shredded coconut flesh, and spices for an authentic halal meal.
The spicy Sambal Belacan will bring a film of sweat to your brows!
Temper that spicy heat with sweet Malay desserts before you check out the art gallery on the first floor.
Kesum Art Restaurant’s Laksa Johor is served with spaghetti noodles steeped with thick fish curry gravy and garnished with sliced onions, raw bean sprouts, sliced cucumber, and fresh herbs!
Must-Try: Laksa Johor, Botok Botok, Satay, Pengat Pisang
Kesum Art Restaurant
Located in George Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
A 3-min walk from the Khoo Kongsi
Address: 104, Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling, George Town, 10200 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Operating Hours: 12.00 PM to 3.30 PM (Tues to Fri)
8.30 AM to 4.00 PM (Sat & Sun)
Closed on Monday
Kesum Art Restaurant’s Laksa Johor is served with spaghetti noodles steeped with thick fish curry gravy and garnished with sliced onions, raw bean sprouts, sliced cucumber, and fresh herbs!
3.00 PM Bangkok Lane Mee Goreng
Bangkok Lane Mee Goreng is a famous Mamak-style (Indian Muslim) Mee Goreng with squids.
The difference between Hameed Pata Mee Sotong and Hameed Pata Mee Sotong is that this version is dryer.
The noodles are slightly sweet and savory and taste best with an egg knocked in.
Must try: Mee Goreng and Mee Rebus
Bangkok Lane’s Mee Goreng
Address: 280, Jalan Burma, George Town, 10350 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Operating Hours: 9.00 AM to 6.00 PM
Contact: 60 16-497 0630
Closed on Monday
Bangkok Lane Mee Goreng Photo: @itinerantfamily
4.00 PM Mr. Shawerma
Gymgoers and fitness buffs swear by a meal at Mr. Shawerma.
It’s one of my all-time favorite lunch and dinner places.
The food was fantastic, and the cooks were friendly, attentive, and charming.
Best of all, it is a well-balanced meal if you order the delicious Chicken Shawarma!
They serve the chicken platter with Muhammara, Hummus, and Coleslaw.
On lean days when I want to eat clean, I will order Hummus to accompany my bread, homemade crudités, and hard-boiled eggs.
Mr. Shawerma
Located in: Just Food (Food Court)
Address: 5th floor, Just Food Food Court, Gurney Paragon, Jalan Kelawei 10250 George Town Pulau Pinang
Operating Hours: 11.00 AM to 9.00 PM
Phone: 017-381 5428
Top Tip: Enjoy Retail therapy at two of the best Malls beside each other. Have some Coffee and Cakes to Chill or walk off our Breakfast and Lunch!
7.00 PM Lagenda House & Cafe
Lagenda House & Café is inspired by an Ode to Malaysia’s Seniman Agong (Great Artiste) P. Ramlee.
This café serves a delightful authentic traditional Malay-Indonesian cuisine with a twist.
Every Rice Set is served with condiments in a visually appealing wooden congkak set.
Watch out for their homemade Sambal, which packs a flavorful, spicy punch. Leave some room for their deliciously sweet and creamy desserts.
If you’re a fan of P. Ramlee, this café has the actor’s memorabilia on display.
Must-Try: Ayam Penget, Satay, Gado Gado and Sago Gula Melaka
Every Rice Set in Lagenda Cafe is served with condiments in a visually appealing wooden Congkak boat-shaped box!
Lagenda House & Cafe
Located in George Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Address: 2, Lebuh Carnarvon, George Town, 10100 Pulau Pinang
Operating Hours: Noon to 11.00 PM
Health and safety: Reservations required
Phone: 04-251 9300
Image: Lagenda House & Cafe by Jimmy R
8.00 PM Penang’s Legendary Murtabak
Visitors and old-timers sometimes bypass the new generation of Mamak restaurants to head to Hameediyah Restaurant.
This is the home of Penang’s delicious Indian Muslim curries and the legendary Murtabak.
You will meet loyal customers in their 4th or 5th generations savoring the same beloved recipes.
If you love duck, this restaurant sells the best halal duck curry you must try!
Must-Try: Murtabak, Ayam Kapitan, Duck Curry, Sotong Eggs, and Beef Liver
Hameediyah Restaurant’s legendary Murtabak taste is best served with pickled “pink” onions!
Hameediyah Restaurant
Located in George Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Address: 164, Lebuh Campbell, George Town, 10100 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Operating Hours: 10.00 AM to 10.00 PM, Thurs to Sunday
10.00 AM – 12:30 PM, 3.00 PM – 10.00 PM Friday
Phone: 04-261 1095
Image: Hameediyah Restaurant by ace heriyanto
Midnight Nasi Beratur
Penangites love the mixed flavors of the curries for Nasi Kandar.
Period. They can have it five times a day and night, if possible.
There’s a simple reason this restaurant is called Nasi Kandar Beratur!
‘Beratur’ means queuing up in Bahasa Malaysia.
So, if you drive up in the early morning hours, you will see a long line of regulars queuing up for their Nasi Kandar supper fiOr
Or an early breakast, which depends on how you view time!
Travel Tip: The restaurant is next to the Penang state’s famous landmark, Masjid Kapitan Keling.
Nasi Beratur means just that. They are queuing for Rice!
Watch out for the long lines after midnight to locate this stall, which serves the most satisfying meal!
Nasi Kandar Beratur Original
Located in George Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Address: 98, Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling, George Town, 10200, Pulau Pinang
Operating Hours: 2.00 PM to 8.00 PM Daily
Health and safety: Reservations required
Phone: 012-448 3001
Image: Nasi Kandar Beratur Original
2.00 AM Sup Hameed
Still hungry in the middle of the night? Try something light, oh yeah! I can hear you say that.
The food has been amazing so far, but nothing unusual.
I have got the best for last.
The best comfort food is a flavorful soup.
Sup Hameed makes a rich, flavorful broth of great soups.
You have a choice of hot Chicken, Mutton, or Beef Soup.
You get a slice or two of oven-baked Bengali bread (sold separately).
Are you up for the ULTIMATE food deal challenge?
Try the flavors of the Soup Torpedo (Bull Penis Soup!)
Guarantee to put hair on your chest or keep you awake for the rest of the night.
Ahem, this ultimate exotic dish, this aphrodisiac bull penis soup, is served with the bull’s testicles.
In case you’re wondering, yes, it is Halal.
Sup Hameed Restaurant
Located in George Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Address: 48, Jln Penang, George Town, 10000 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Operating Hours: 7.00 AM to 8.00 PM Daily
Phone: 04-261 8007
Image: Sup Hameed Restaurant by Ferryanita F
Penang Halal Food Guide for Muslim Travelers
With lots of delicious food memories, you will return to Penang again and again for another taste of Halal Char Kuay Teow, Mee Goreng, Murtabak, and Nasi Kandar instead of just drooling at photos on Facebook.
We will soon return with more listings on other parts of the Penang and Butterworth for the Ultimate Penang Halal Guide.
Overview Penang Halal Food Scene
Many Penangites (Non-Muslims) don’t take pork (due to their personal choice and dietary restrictions) and appreciate places to eat a decent meal.
There are many pushcarts by Muslim traders, little hole-in-the-wall stalls, cafes, and restaurants selling halal food products and meals.
Are you drooling with excitement yet?
A weekend for a short getaway to indulge is coming right up. Let’s start with Breakfast!
With this ultimate halal food guide, Muslim Travelers enjoy halal food while traveling!
Editor’s note on Penang Halal Food Guide
If you are concerned about the outlets’ strictly Halal Status, you may refrain from eating there.
