Safe to Eat
(20)Sup Kambing
Spicy mutton soup with spices, herbs, and sometimes bones.
Char Siew Rice
Rice with BBQ pork, vegetables, and sweet dark sauce.
Penang Road Cendol
Penang's famous cendol with palm sugar, coconut milk, and red beans.
Yong Tau Foo
Tofu and vegetables stuffed with fish paste, served in broth or dry with sauce.
Masala Thosai
Dosai filled with spiced potato masala. Filling and flavorful.
Idli
Steamed rice and lentil cakes, served with sambar and chutney.
Dosai (Thosai)
Crispy fermented rice and lentil crepe, served with chutney and sambar.
Rojak
Fruit and vegetable salad with a thick, sweet-sour-spicy prawn paste dressing.
Hainanese Chicken Rice
Poached chicken with fragrant rice cooked in chicken fat, served with chili sauce.
Wanton Noodles
Egg noodles with pork dumplings, char siew, and vegetables.
Kopi O
Black coffee with sugar, served hot or iced. No milk.
Cendol
Iced coconut milk dessert with green jelly noodles, red beans, and palm sugar.
Kuih (Nyonya Snacks)
Colorful bite-sized cakes: ondeh-ondeh, kuih lapis, ang koo kuih, and more.
Satay
Skewered, charcoal-grilled meat served with peanut sauce, cucumber, and onion.
Penang Asam Laksa
Rice noodles in a tangy, spicy fish broth with mackerel, tamarind, and mint.
Char Kway Teow
Stir-fried flat rice noodles with prawns, cockles, Chinese sausage, and bean sprouts.
Popiah
Fresh spring roll with turnip, bean sprouts, lettuce, and various fillings.
Durian
The king of fruits. Fresh, pungent, creamy. Available during season (May-August).
Hokkien Mee (KL style)
Thick yellow noodles stir-fried with pork, squid, and cabbage in dark soy sauce.
Nasi Lemak
Coconut rice with sambal, peanuts, cucumber, and usually fried chicken or anchovies.
Eat with Caution — Ask First
(9)These dishes may be OK depending on preparation. Check the hidden ingredients note and ask the vendor.
Pau (Bao)
Steamed buns with various fillings: pork, chicken, red bean, or kaya.
Some doughs use milk.
Karipap (Curry Puff)
Deep-fried pastry filled with curried potatoes and sometimes chicken or sardine.
Some pastries use margarine.
Zhai (Buddhist Vegetarian)
Mock meat dishes made from soy and mushroom, no onion or garlic.
Some dishes use milk in sauces.
Pisang Goreng
Deep-fried banana fritters. Crispy outside, sweet inside.
Some batters include margarine.
Tau Fu Fah
Silken tofu pudding in sweet ginger syrup, served hot or cold.
Some stalls use dairy milk instead of soy — ask for "tau fu fa with soya".
Banana Leaf Rice
Rice served on a banana leaf with vegetable curries, dhal, and sides.
Ghee, yogurt, and paneer are common in South Indian cooking.
Nasi Kandar
Steamed rice with various curries poured over. A Penang institution.
Ghee or yogurt appears in several curries.
Apam Balik
Crispy folded pancake filled with crushed peanuts and sugar.
Some vendors use margarine (may contain dairy).
Ais Kacang (ABC)
Shaved ice with red beans, sweet corn, grass jelly, and syrup.
Some versions add evaporated milk or ice cream — ask for the classic.
Avoid
(7)Beef Rendang
Slow-cooked beef in coconut milk and spice paste, dry and intensely flavored.
Coconut milk base — skip if you avoid coconut.
Curry Laksa
Noodles in spicy coconut curry soup with tofu puffs, prawns, and cockles.
Coconut milk base — skip if you avoid coconut.
Teh Tarik
Frothy pulled tea with condensed milk. National drink of Malaysia.
Made with condensed and evaporated milk — order "teh O" instead.
Roti Nasik (Bread & Egg)
Roti canai with egg, sometimes with onion. Popular morning option.
Ghee or margarine in the dough.
Sarawak Laksa
Rice vermicelli in a spiced coconut gravy with prawns, chicken, and lime.
Coconut milk is the base — skip if you avoid coconut.
Kaya Toast
Toasted bread with kaya (coconut jam) and butter, served with soft-boiled eggs.
Butter is spread generously.
Roti Canai
Flaky flatbread flipped on a hot iron plate, served with dal or curry.
Ghee or margarine is worked into the dough.