Safe to Eat
(13)Penang Road Cendol
Penang's famous cendol with palm sugar, coconut milk, and red beans.
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.
Tau Fu Fah
Silken tofu pudding in sweet ginger syrup, served hot or cold.
Kopi O
Black coffee with sugar, served hot or iced. No milk.
Teh Tarik
Frothy pulled tea with condensed milk. National drink of Malaysia.
Cendol
Iced coconut milk dessert with green jelly noodles, red beans, and palm sugar.
Sarawak Laksa
Rice vermicelli in a spiced coconut gravy with prawns, chicken, and lime.
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.
Durian
The king of fruits. Fresh, pungent, creamy. Available during season (May-August).
Ais Kacang (ABC)
Shaved ice with red beans, sweet corn, grass jelly, and syrup.
Eat with Caution — Ask First
(14)These dishes may be OK depending on preparation. Check the hidden ingredients note and ask the vendor.
Sup Kambing
Spicy mutton soup with spices, herbs, and sometimes bones.
Some versions use soy sauce (wheat) for seasoning.
Char Siew Rice
Rice with BBQ pork, vegetables, and sweet dark sauce.
Soy sauce (wheat) in marinade and sauce.
Yong Tau Foo
Tofu and vegetables stuffed with fish paste, served in broth or dry with sauce.
Soy-based dipping sauce contains wheat; some items use wheat flour.
Beef Rendang
Slow-cooked beef in coconut milk and spice paste, dry and intensely flavored.
Some spice pastes include soy sauce.
Zhai (Buddhist Vegetarian)
Mock meat dishes made from soy and mushroom, no onion or garlic.
Mock meats are often wheat gluten (seitan).
Curry Laksa
Noodles in spicy coconut curry soup with tofu puffs, prawns, and cockles.
Depends on noodle type — yellow noodles contain wheat.
Pisang Goreng
Deep-fried banana fritters. Crispy outside, sweet inside.
Wheat flour is common in the batter; some stalls use rice flour only.
Rojak
Fruit and vegetable salad with a thick, sweet-sour-spicy prawn paste dressing.
Some prawn paste contains wheat.
Hainanese Chicken Rice
Poached chicken with fragrant rice cooked in chicken fat, served with chili sauce.
Chili sauce and soy sauce contain wheat.
Kuih (Nyonya Snacks)
Colorful bite-sized cakes: ondeh-ondeh, kuih lapis, ang koo kuih, and more.
Some use wheat flour alongside rice flour.
Satay
Skewered, charcoal-grilled meat served with peanut sauce, cucumber, and onion.
Marinade often contains soy sauce (wheat).
Banana Leaf Rice
Rice served on a banana leaf with vegetable curries, dhal, and sides.
Some curries use flour as thickener.
Nasi Kandar
Steamed rice with various curries poured over. A Penang institution.
Some curries are thickened with flour.
Nasi Lemak
Coconut rice with sambal, peanuts, cucumber, and usually fried chicken or anchovies.
Sambal may contain soy sauce (wheat).
Avoid
(9)Pau (Bao)
Steamed buns with various fillings: pork, chicken, red bean, or kaya.
Wheat dough.
Karipap (Curry Puff)
Deep-fried pastry filled with curried potatoes and sometimes chicken or sardine.
Wheat pastry.
Wanton Noodles
Egg noodles with pork dumplings, char siew, and vegetables.
Wheat egg noodles plus soy sauce.
Roti Nasik (Bread & Egg)
Roti canai with egg, sometimes with onion. Popular morning option.
Wheat flour dough.
Popiah
Fresh spring roll with turnip, bean sprouts, lettuce, and various fillings.
The wrapper is wheat-based.
Kaya Toast
Toasted bread with kaya (coconut jam) and butter, served with soft-boiled eggs.
Wheat bread.
Apam Balik
Crispy folded pancake filled with crushed peanuts and sugar.
Wheat flour batter.
Hokkien Mee (KL style)
Thick yellow noodles stir-fried with pork, squid, and cabbage in dark soy sauce.
Wheat noodles plus dark soy sauce.
Roti Canai
Flaky flatbread flipped on a hot iron plate, served with dal or curry.
Wheat flour dough.