Penang guide · Where to eat
Places to eat in Penang, with what to order and how comfortable each is for families and older travellers.
Updated
Penang is famous for hawker food, but much of it is not vegetarian. Char kway teow is typically cooked with prawns, cockles and egg; Penang laksa is a fish-based soup; Hokkien mee uses a pork bone stock; and several other dishes use pork or shrimp paste. Shared woks and oil are normal at hawker stalls, so strict vegetarians and Jains should not rely on asking for 'no meat' at a general stall.
Little India is the easiest area for Indian vegetarians, with Indian restaurants and banana leaf rice, which is served with vegetables but often also with meat or fish. We found fully vegan restaurants (Temu Vegan Palace, Pinxin Vegan Cuisine and Brown Poodle Cafe) and vegetarian Indian restaurants in Little India, but could not confirm any as Pure Veg (egg-free) or Jain from a source we opened. Ask staff directly whether the kitchen is meat-free, and phone ahead on Jain requirements such as no onion, garlic or root vegetables.
If you use a hotel, ask the kitchen to prepare plain vegetable dishes, dal, rice and bread. Fruit, tea, coconut water and cendol-style sweets are easy, but ask about ingredients, since some desserts use egg or animal products. Carry snacks for older travellers on long days.
Menus and kitchens change. If you follow a strict diet or have an allergy, confirm with the restaurant before you order.
Jalan Pasar, Paya Terubong, Air Itam, west of George Town
A stall on Jalan Pasar in the Air Itam market area, repeatedly named for Penang-style asam laksa, a sour tamarind and mackerel noodle soup. A short ride from Kek Lok Si Temple.
Vantage, Jalan Seri Tanjung Pinang 1, Tanjung Tokong
A fully vegan, dog-friendly cafe at Vantage in Seri Tanjung Pinang that mixes Western classics with Malaysian flavours, such as rendang pizza and nasi lemak.
143 Jalan Burma, George Town
A vegetarian restaurant at 143 Jalan Burma, George Town, with daily rotating Malaysian and Chinese dishes such as laksa and nasi lemak, usually under RM10.
20 Lebuh Dickens, George Town
A self-service Chinese vegan buffet at 20 Lebuh Dickens, George Town, with mock meats, tofu, vegetables and steamed buns. Plates are paid by choice and cost roughly RM10 to 15, according to Spinach.
39A Jalan Cantonment, Pulau Tikus, George Town
A budget Chinese vegetarian buffet at 39A Jalan Cantonment in Pulau Tikus, paid by plate weight, with homemade mock meats, tofu, bao and curries.
66 Lebuh Bishop, George Town
An Indian restaurant at 66 Lebuh Bishop, George Town, serving curries such as chickpea and aubergine dishes, with clearly marked vegan options.
11-C Lorong Aboo Sittee, George Town
A vegetarian restaurant in George Town serving Japanese-Nyonya dishes à la carte, from sushi to nasi lemak and lion's mane mushrooms. Vegan choices are marked, though some sauces and drinks need checking.
Lebuh Campbell, George Town
A family-run nasi kandar restaurant on Lebuh Campbell in George Town, reported to have started in 1907 and described by the New Straits Times as Penang's oldest. Rice with a choice of curries, mostly meat and seafood.
162 Lebuh Victoria, George Town
A fully vegan Malaysian restaurant on Lebuh Victoria in George Town, set beside a lifestyle store. It cooks local dishes such as rendang and mee rebus without animal products.
98 Noble House, Madras Lane, George Town
A vegetarian restaurant at Noble House on Madras Lane serving curry mee, satay and set meals. A route into local noodle and satay flavours without meat.
Alley off Penang Road, next to Restoran Yasmeen, George Town
A long-running nasi kandar stall in an alley off Penang Road, George Town, where rice is served with a choice of curries. Named by Wikipedia's Penang cuisine article and a Penang travel guide.
Lebuh Kimberley, central George Town
A duck koay chap stall at Restoran Kimberly on Lebuh Kimberley in George Town, serving flat rice noodles in a duck broth in the evening. Named by two independent food articles.
143 Lebuh Acheh, George Town
A small banana leaf eatery at 143 Lebuh Acheh with no signboard, serving rice with curries from chicken to crab. A local-style lunch in the Acheh Street area.
375H Lebuh Chulia, George Town
A small vegan cafe on Lebuh Chulia known for kabocha curry rice, golden dumplings and a sushi platter. Two vegan guides describe it as free of dairy, egg, garlic and onion.
425 Jalan Burma, George Town
A kopitiam at 425 Jalan Burma, George Town, with multiple stalls serving popiah, apam balik, curry noodles and chee cheong fun, and a separate vegan menu.
Lorong Baru, George Town
An evening hawker centre on Lorong Baru in George Town, named by two Penang food guides for its oyster omelette. A cluster of stalls rather than a single restaurant.
27-29 Lebuh Keng Kwee, George Town
A cendol dessert shop at 27-29 Lebuh Keng Kwee, serving the Malaysian shaved-ice dessert of green rice jelly, coconut milk and palm sugar. A cooling stop for a hot day.
Lebuh Tye Sin, George Town
A fully vegan restaurant on Lebuh Tye Sin in George Town cooking Malaysian classics such as nasi lemak, laksa, Hokkien mee and satay with plant-based ingredients.
51 Lebuh Penang, Little India, George Town
A South Indian vegetarian restaurant at 51 Lebuh Penang in Little India, serving dosas, banana leaf rice, vadai and potato cutlets from early morning to late evening.
12 Gat Lebuh Acheh, George Town
A vegan restaurant at Gat Lebuh Acheh serving curry tempeh, tempeh fried rice, yasai fried ramen and inari sushi. A useful meal break near the old town's clan houses and mosques.
209 Jalan Hutton, George Town
A retro-styled vegan cafe on Jalan Hutton with a small sharing menu, beetroot burger and cheesecake. Open late on some days and closed early in the week.
Jalan Air Itam, Ayer Itam, at the foot of Kek Lok Si Temple
A roadside curry mee stall on Jalan Air Itam at the foot of Kek Lok Si Temple, run by two sisters according to the Wikimedia Commons caption. Named by two independent food articles.
477-479 Lebuh Chulia, George Town
A fully vegan cafe at 477-479 Lebuh Chulia, George Town, serving Indian and Malaysian-style dishes such as a mushroom curry with coconut flatbread, plus coffee and cake.
25 Lebuh Penang, Little India, George Town
A vegetarian banana-leaf restaurant at 25 Lebuh Penang in Little India, open from early morning to late night, with dosas, thalis and a self-service buffet.
45 Lebuh Cintra, George Town
A Cantonese dim sum restaurant at 45 Lebuh Cintra, George Town, listed by Wikivoyage for breakfast dim sum from carts. Choose dishes as the trolleys pass.
Tree Square, Jalan Sungai Kelian, Tanjung Bungah, north of George Town
A casual, air-conditioned restaurant at Tree Square in Tanjung Bungah serving fully vegan Indian dishes, from beetroot poori breakfasts to a weekend banana leaf set.
75 Lebuh Penang, Little India, George Town
An Indian vegetarian cafe on Lebuh Penang serving thali plates, dosa, breads and a wide selection of Indian sweets, attached to NR Sweets.
50 Jalan Free School, Jelutong, George Town
A vegetarian South Indian lunch spot on Jalan Free School in Jelutong, serving a changing banana leaf set in a garden setting with a few marked vegan dishes.
363 Lebuh Chulia, George Town
A late-opening shop on Lebuh Chulia selling falafel wraps, falafel plates, vegan chicken wraps and pizza. Vegan Food Quest says it is close to fully vegan.
22 Lebuh Penang, Little India, George Town
A South Indian banana leaf restaurant at 22 Lebuh Penang in Little India, serving rice with vegetable curry, pappadom and raita. Time Out described it as long established and busy at mealtimes.
60 Lebuh Penang, Little India, George Town
A long-standing vegetarian South and North Indian restaurant on Lebuh Penang in Little India, known for dosas, thalis and a sweets stall outside.
16 Penang Street, George Town
An air-conditioned vegetarian tea house at 16 Penang Street serving Nyonya dishes such as assam laksa and curry rendang, with marked vegan options.
90 Jalan Dr Lim Chwee Leong, George Town
A vegetarian Chinese restaurant at 90 Jalan Dr Lim Chwee Leong, George Town, known for mock-chicken rice, tofu bento sets and a spacious dining room.
