There are many reasons why travellers would plan a road trip to Penang. From nasi kandar and asam laksa to ais tingkap and char kway teow, there's no shortage of delicious halal food in Penang. Known as the street food capital of Malaysia, free up your next long weekend and savour the best halal food in Penang within three days.
Day 1
Lunch at Bee Hwa Cafe
This unassuming Hainanese coffee shop is a must-visit for foodies who want to savour char kway teow, curry mee, nasi goreng and mee hailam at a single sitting. Since there's so much food to eat at Bee Hwa Cafe, order one of everything and share it between your family and friends.
Halal status: All chicken and ingredients are sourced from halal-certified suppliers and the restaurant does not serve beef or pork in the premise. All kitchen staff are Muslim.
Address: 10, Lebuh Dickens, 10050 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Opening hours: Mon-Sat; 7AM-3PM
Mid-day meals at Hameed Pata Special Mee Sotong
After visiting Fort Cornwallis, walk over to Esplanade Food Court and enjoy an affordable lunch at Hameed Pata Special Mee Sotong. True to its name, their speciality is mee sotong that is served straight from the wok. Pair it with coconut shake from the nearby stall to complete your experience here.
Halal status: Muslim-owned
Address: 5, Esplanade Park, Lebuh Light, 10300 George Town, Penang
Opening hours: Sat-Thu; 11.30AM-8PM, Fri; 11AM-8PM
Dinner at Hameediyah
Hameediyah Restaurant has been serving hungry Penangites since 1907, which makes it the oldest nasi kandar restaurant in Penang. A famous spot for lunch and dinner, your food trip would be incomplete without a plate of nasi kandar. Whether you're pairing your nasi biryani with fried chicken, deep-fried squid, tandoori or beef rendang, you must always top it off with curry to unleash its full flavour.
Halal status: Muslim-owned
Address: 164, Lebuh Campbell, 10100 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Opening hours: Sat-Thu; 10AM-10PM, Fri; 10AM-12.30PM, 3PM-10PM
Supper at Sup Hameed
Wrap up your day with a bowl of aromatic and flavourful soup from Sup Hameed. There are many Malay-style soups to choose from, but loyal customers keep returning for mutton soup, beef soup and oxtail soup. Don't forget to enjoy your soup with a piece of roti Benggali.
Halal status: Muslim-owned
Address: 48, Jalan Penang, 10000 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Opening hours: Open daily; 7AM-3AM
Day 2
Breakfast at Roti Canai Jalan Argyll
Wake up and savour a delicious breakfast at Roti Canai Jalan Argyll. Roti canai may appear simple for breakfast, but what makes it extra special is the flavourful mutton curry or chicken curry that comes with it. If you're new to Malaysian street food, order roti banjir where the cook would pour different types of curry on your plate complete with a dollop of sambal.
Halal status: Muslim-owned
Address: Jalan Argyll, George Town, 10050 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Opening hours: Open daily; 6AM-12.30PM
Drinks at Ais Tingkap Lebuh Tamil
It's going to be sunny out there in Penang, and what would make a better pit stop than at Ais Tingkap Lebuh Tamil? A refreshing glass of coconut water stirred with rose syrup and basil seeds, it's rare to find a local drink like this in Malaysia. This stall also sells ais kacang and cendol, which adds another reason to grab a chair and hang out a while longer.
Halal status: Muslim-owned
Address: 2, Lebuh Tamil, 10100 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Opening hours: Open daily; 11AM-7PM
Lunch at Bangkok Lane Mee Goreng
Frequently visited by mee goreng fans and curious tourists, you can expect a bit of queue at Bangkok Lane Mee Goreng. Situated at Seng Lee Coffee Shop, this Muslim-owned stall serves delicious fried noodles topped with various ingredients such as potatoes, tofu, bean sprouts and squid.
Halal status: Muslim-owned
Address: 280, Jalan Burma, 10350 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Opening hours: Tue-Sun; 8.30AM-6.30PM (Closed on Mon)
Mid-day meals at Laksa Pokok Janggus
A true Penangite would be mildly disappointed if your Penang vacation ends without trying the famous laksa. If you're looking for halal laksa in Penang, look no further than Laksa Pokok Janggus. It's a 40 minutes drive from George Town, but some foodies say it's worth it. Tasty and reasonably-priced, you'll enjoy the spicy and sour fish broth that's punctuated with mackerel and tamarind.
Halal status: Muslim-owned
Address: 338 MK, Jalan Bharu, Kampung Perlis, 11000 Penang
Opening hours: Thu-Tue; 3.30PM-8PM
Optional: Snacks at Kareem Pasembur Rojak
If you prefer something saucy and deep-fried, make your way to Logan Heritage Building to find Kareem Pasembor Rojak. Don't feel overwhelmed by the choices that this decade-old stall has, from prawn fritters and sausages to deep-fried tofu and seafood. Just pick the ones you like and it'll go very well with the sweet and spicy nut sauce.
Halal status: Muslim-owned
Address: 7, Lebuh Union, 10200 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Opening hours: Mon-Sat; 11AM-6PM
Dinner at Jawi House Cafe & Gallery
After spending an afternoon exploring the streets of George Town, it's time to unwind with a sit-down dinner at Jawi House Cafe & Gallery. Serving Jawi Peranakan cuisine, choose from its variety of main dishes such as jawi laksa lemak, chicken biryani, jawi bamieh, beef rendang, lemuni rice and more.
Halal status: Muslim-owned
Address: 85, Lebuh Armenian, 10200 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Opening hours: Wed-Mon; 11AM-9PM (Closed on Tue)
Website | Facebook | Instagram
Supper at Radzidah Hokkien Mee
It's not easy to find halal Hokkien mee in Penang, but thankfully, there's Radzidah Hokkien Mee to satiate our cravings. An unassuming food stall led by a Malay family, the Hokkien Mee is served with tasty prawns, hard-boiled egg, fishball and kangkung. If your friends prefer something else, there's also char hor fun and kuay teow th'ng to order instead.
Halal status: Muslim-owned
Address: Bukit Jambul, 11900 Bayan Lepas, Penang
Opening hours: Thu-Tue; 4PM-12AM (Closed on Mon)
Day 3
Breakfast at Ali Nasi Lemak
Since it's the last day of your Penang road trip, start off with a light breakfast at Ali Nasi Lemak. Situated at Sri Weld Food Court, this small nasi lemak parcel comes with different sides such as ikan bilis, ikan masin, sotong or udang. The sambal is pretty good too, and we're not surprised if you decide to order 2 packets of nasi lemak for breakfast.
Halal status: Muslim-owned
Address: Sri Weld Food Court, Beach Street, 10300 George Town, Penang
Opening hours: Mon-Sat; 8AM-1PM (Closed on Sun)
Lunch at Restoran Nasi Padang Minang
You can expect a fully-packed restaurant if you decide to swing by Restoran Nasi Padang Minang at the stroke of noon. We recommend getting a table as early as 11AM before choosing your lunch. Serving dishes originating from Western Sumatra in Indonesia, some of the homecooked dishes that await you include dendeng daging, deep-fried cincaru sambal, sayur lodeh, paru goreng, and more.
Halal status: Muslim-owned
Address: Kedai Kopi International Hotel, 92, Jalan Transfer, 10050 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Opening hours: Sat-Mon; 9AM-5PM, Tue-Thu; 11AM-5PM (Closed on Fri)
Snacks at Jeruk Madu Pak Ali
Before you bid farewell to Penang, remember to drop by Jeruk Madu Pak Ali to get a few packets of sweet and sour pickled fruits. Whether you love pickled mango, nutmeg, papaya or sengkuang, you can get it all from this store at affordable prices.
Halal status: Halal-certified
Address: 36, 2, Lebuh Tamil, 10100 George Town, Penang
Opening hours: Open daily; 9AM-8PM
With plenty of delicious halal food in Penang to savour, it's no surprise why Penang is the street food capital of Malaysia! If you're planning to make the most of your weekend getaway in Penang, check out our recommended reads below!