Malaysian Food Of 3 Different Culture In A Day In Penang

Malaysian food in Penang is famously known as one of the best food in the entire Asia region. And I agree. Whenever I miss the local Indonesian food and couldn’t find an Indonesian restaurant in the neighbourhood, Malaysian food is what I usually go for. If you asked me, the cultural travel experience you should not miss is eating the local food while travelling or even trying different cuisine restaurants in your city. So next time you find yourself in Penang, do try some local Malaysian food.

3 Malaysian Food And Restaurants To Eat in Penang and 2 Famous Ones To Pass

Nasi Kandar – Pass

Our first meal was Nasi Kandar, the much-raved local food.

Nasi Kandar is a rice meal, steamed rice with many types of curries poured on top of it with various side dishes, from meat and vegetables to seafood. The thing about Nasi Kandar is that you either love it (as most Penangites do, or you hate it; Fafa is the former while I am in the latter group. I despised mixing everything into my rice, and it had a bitter aftertaste. But hopefully, your taste bud will follow the majority.

International & Local Malaysian Pastries

China House// 183B Victoria Street, George Town

A friend of ours recommended China House. If you have started imagining the spicy Chinese food, stir your mind 180 degrees.

Chinese House is a long rectangular shaped coffee and pastries shop cum art gallery and theatre. What a marvellous place! It is like a piece of Paris on the street of Penang serving Malaysian pastries among other famous cakes from around the world.

The ambience is very chic; with huge mirrors, paintings, small tables, chalkboards and a huge dining table that showcase cakes that keep coming and coming. This place also serves beverages, liqueurs, and homemade ice creams.

Mothership, I have arrived. And the cakes? I was giddy. I wanted all of it, but I chose only one. One first. But which one would be my first?

While eating and smiling, I realized something; my happiness depends a lot on my sugar level. Unfortunately, we were rushing that day since it was our last day in Penang, so there wasn’t much time to explore and eat lavishly ala Marie Antoinette. I shall come back one day for you, China House, because we belong together.

Indian Food – Banana leaf lunch

Passion of Spices// 5, Lorong Endah 4, Brown garden, Gelugor

Besides Chinese culture and Malay culture; Malaysia, especially Penang, is also heavily involved with Indian culture.

Fafa picked this restaurant the minute he saw the Malaysian food guide in Penang. The passion of Spices looks like a house turned into a restaurant. The interior has a homey vibe, and the friendly owner was also there, all motherly, ready to serve us. It made me feel like I was eating at our own dining table.

I was expecting Biryani, but instead, we had tomato rice served on a banana leaf, which was equally delicious. We also ordered fried bitter-groud and each of our favourite seafood; fish-fry for Fafa and crab curry for me. Despite being on antibiotics and feeling physically exhausted, I enjoyed the food. I could taste the spices on the fragrantly fried bitter-groud. The curry crab? It was finger-licking good. So much that it reminded me of my grandma’s cooking.

Malay Malaysian Food – Soup

Sup Hameed// 183B Victoria Street, George Town

Penang soup was on my Malaysia food bucket list, for the sole reason of my memory of eating soup by the roadside in Penang with my Amma when I was ten years old. I remembered enjoying the soup and that moment so much.

Lucky for me, the taxi driver who dropped us at the hotel was well versed in Malaysian food and recommended a roadside soup stall. Sup Hameed is located on the Upper Penang Road, opposite Hotel Malaysia, a walking distance from our hotel. It is a long stall by the roadside, but it’s not a small place. It could easily fit thirty seating outside.

Sup Hameed served different types of Malaysian food delights like nasi lemak, roti canai, etc, but the star was the thick piping hot soup.

It wasn’t easy to drag Fafa to go and eat by the roadside, but this time he tagged along. I made a deal, if he didn’t like it, we could go somewhere else later so he could eat another Malaysian food of his choice.

I ordered the mutton soup and we had it with slices of bread. It was really good. It satisfied my stomach and memory craving. Sup Hameed is a chosen dish for supper on drizzling nights.

Kapitan Restaurant Penang – Hard Pass

With colourful shops, a strong incense smell, sequins everywhere, and songs blasting on the radio, Little India was on the other end of Chulia Street, and so were we. Since we were already here and I couldn’t take any more of the night heatwave, we decided to have dinner nearby. We turned to the right corner and saw a two-story restaurant called Kapitan. It was packed with people, and had a TV and staff with uniforms. Overall, it looked decent, so we went there.

But I was disappointed beyond my low already expectations.

They played the same songs again and again on the TV. Watching Ladki Badi Anjani for the fifth time made me like Datuk Shah Rukh Khan a little less. As for the food, they served some watery curry which I am pretty sure wasn’t cooked at all. Mix curry powder with water and serve it to your customer.

But again, I feel like I am one of the few who is not a fan of Kapitan restaurant. Maybe go there and let me know what you think.

I didn’t take enough pictures of all the Malaysian food I tried in Penang as I wasn’t feeling well. When the meal was served, I forgot about other things and just focused on this deliciousness to make me feel better. There you go, Malaysian food eating places that are not that usual. If you happen to try one of them, I would love to hear your thoughts on it.

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