There are few better ways of getting under the skin of a country than through its food. It’s the ultimate cultural gateway, distilling a society’s history, traditions, geographic influences and daily rhythms into tasty, local dishes
On a return visit to George Town, I jumped at the chance to taste the best street food this UNESCO-listed gem had to offer on an evening walking tour.
In this review, I give you the lowdown on what it’s exactly like to take a Penang food tour.
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Practical Information
- My tour: Penang Plates Food Tour operated by A Chef’s Tour
- Cost: £35 (2025 price)
- Duration: 4 hours
- Number of tastings: 15+
- Group size: Maximum of 8 people
Why You Should Join a Penang Street Food Tour
If you are on the fence, here’s why I loved this Penang food tour:
Experiencing George Town’s cultural diversity: Penang is one of Asia’s best street food destinations, serving up a multicultural culinary experience that reflects the island’s Chinese, Malay, Indian and Peranakan heritage. This curated street food experience showcased this diversity.
Authentic local experience: A guided tour takes you to street spots and eateries that locals love, rather than tourist-oriented restaurants. I went to places I wouldn’t have had the confidence to visit had I been by myself (and I returned to a few of them in the days after the tour).
Variety and value: The tour allowed me to sample a wide range of dishes without the guesswork of ordering unfamiliar foods. I tried dishes that were not on my culinary radar and loved them!
Historical and cultural context: Our guide was exceptional at combining street food with history and culture, providing us with a deeper understanding of how Penang’s diverse communities have shaped its culinary landscape.
Supporting the local community: Tour operators support local businesses and generations of vendors, giving me confidence that my ringgit were contributing to the local economy in a meaningful way.
Meeting other people: If, like me, you are on a solo trip to Malaysia, a street food tour is a fantastic way to meet other people while travelling alone.
My Penang Food Tour Review
We met Ash, our tour guide, outside the Pinang Peranakan Mansion. I highly recommend visiting this wonderful George Town heritage house, which showcases the lifestyle of the wealthy Peranakan families of the 19th century.
There were seven other guests on the tour from across the globe. They were a friendly bunch, and Ash did his best to help us gel as a group.
The first stop was for kuih, a bite-sized dessert that is one of the pride and joys of the Peranakan culinary landscape.
I tried a fried radish cake with dried sambal and chilli paste, and kuih talam. The bottom layer of this dangerously addictive treat is made from rice and mung bean flour, flavoured with pandan. Lightly salted coconut cream forms the top layer.
Eating roti canai – Indian flatbread – and banana leaf rice is almost a rite of passage in Malaysia. The tradition of eating on a biodegradable plate of banana leaves was brought by South Indian immigrants, and you use your hands to mix rice, curries, vegetables and condiments like pickle.
I loved the colours in this combo (and it tasted good).
Our next stop was at a stall making pani puri, an Indian teatime snack. Hollow deep-fried shells or puri, made with a mix of semolina and maida flour, were filled with flavoured water (pani), a mixture of potatoes, onions, chickpeas, and topped with tamarind chutney. The variety of textures and flavours in one bite was incredible.
Stopping at Penang Famous Samosa was one of the highlights of this tour. Although I’ve eaten many of these Indian snacks in my lifetime, none have been as good as this.
Ash told us that this hawker stall in Little India is featured in the Michelin Guide, and visitors love to have their picture taken next to the sign. It would have been rude not to …
It was now time to embrace Penang’s Chinese culinary heritage and try Hakka Style Fried Pork and Guinness Stout Chicken.
After all that food, I was in the mood for a refreshing drink. Teh tarik, also known as pulled tea, is a Malaysian staple made from strong black tea, condensed milk and sugar. Not being a fan of sweet milky drinks, I was a little apprehensive about trying ginger chai tea, but it was excellent, aromatic and refreshing.
Making it borders on performance art. The milky mixture is repeatedly poured back and forth between two vessels from a great height, creating a thick, creamy foam on top. I pulled up a seat and enjoyed the performance.
I was delighted to see there was a dog café (Hunt&Hound) and a cat café (Munchkin & The Gang) on Campbell Street. Sadly, these weren’t stops on the food tour, but there was enough time to coo at them through the window.
Further along the same street is a George Town institution, Gou Lou Hong Kee, a family-run business that has been operating since the 1930s. We tried a few items on the menu, including their signature char ho fun, made from thick, broad rice noodles.
As I visited Penang in December, I got the chance to try Chinese New Year biscuits. They were like little clouds of heaven, and a few members of the group bought boxes to take home as gifts.
The final stop on our Penang street food tour was Kimberly Street Night Market, considered the epicentre for foodies in George Town.
Our final tasting was a bowl of refreshing aiyu jelly at The Home of Traditional Dessert. This is a gelatin-free dish originating from Taiwan, made from the pectin-rich seeds of the Awkeotsang creeping fig.
Ash pointed out the hawker stall next to the Sin Guat Keong Coffee Shop, said to serve one of the tastiest char kway teow in George Town. That was Christmas dinner sorted then.
And That’s a Wrap!
This Penang food tour was one of my favourite things to do in George Town, and was excellent value for what it delivered.
I met some lovely people, our guide was a mine of information about Malaysian cuisine and culture, and the food was terrific. And it was an experience that kept on giving, as I was confident in ordering from hawker stalls for the rest of my trip.
Book this experience soon after you arrive to make the most of what you gain from it.
Happy travels!
About Bridget
Bridget Coleman has been a passionate traveller for more than 30 years. She has visited 70+ countries, most as a solo traveller.
Articles on this site reflect her first-hand experiences.
To get in touch, email her at hello@theflashpacker.net or follow her on social media.