Safe to Eat
(16)Sup Kambing
Spicy mutton soup with spices, herbs, and sometimes bones.
Penang Road Cendol
Penang's famous cendol with palm sugar, coconut milk, and red beans.
Karipap (Curry Puff)
Deep-fried pastry filled with curried potatoes and sometimes chicken or sardine.
Beef Rendang
Slow-cooked beef in coconut milk and spice paste, dry and intensely flavored.
Pisang Goreng
Deep-fried banana fritters. Crispy outside, sweet inside.
Rojak
Fruit and vegetable salad with a thick, sweet-sour-spicy prawn paste dressing.
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.
Satay
Skewered, charcoal-grilled meat served with peanut sauce, cucumber, and onion.
Roti Nasik (Bread & Egg)
Roti canai with egg, sometimes with onion. Popular morning option.
Nasi Kandar
Steamed rice with various curries poured over. A Penang institution.
Durian
The king of fruits. Fresh, pungent, creamy. Available during season (May-August).
Apam Balik
Crispy folded pancake filled with crushed peanuts and sugar.
Ais Kacang (ABC)
Shaved ice with red beans, sweet corn, grass jelly, and syrup.
Roti Canai
Flaky flatbread flipped on a hot iron plate, served with dal or curry.
Nasi Lemak
Coconut rice with sambal, peanuts, cucumber, and usually fried chicken or anchovies.
Eat with Caution — Ask First
(15)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.
Pork versions are not halal; check the filling.
Yong Tau Foo
Tofu and vegetables stuffed with fish paste, served in broth or dry with sauce.
Fish-based but usually Chinese-run stalls without certification.
Masala Thosai
Dosai filled with spiced potato masala. Filling and flavorful.
Indian stalls may not be halal-certified.
Idli
Steamed rice and lentil cakes, served with sambar and chutney.
Indian stalls may not be halal-certified.
Dosai (Thosai)
Crispy fermented rice and lentil crepe, served with chutney and sambar.
Indian stalls may not be halal-certified.
Zhai (Buddhist Vegetarian)
Mock meat dishes made from soy and mushroom, no onion or garlic.
Contains no pork but usually not halal-certified.
Curry Laksa
Noodles in spicy coconut curry soup with tofu puffs, prawns, and cockles.
Some versions include pork; stall certification varies.
Tau Fu Fah
Silken tofu pudding in sweet ginger syrup, served hot or cold.
Chinese stalls may not be halal-certified.
Kopi O
Black coffee with sugar, served hot or iced. No milk.
Chinese kopitiams may also serve pork — look for halal certification.
Kuih (Nyonya Snacks)
Colorful bite-sized cakes: ondeh-ondeh, kuih lapis, ang koo kuih, and more.
Some Chinese-made kuih may contain lard.
Sarawak Laksa
Rice vermicelli in a spiced coconut gravy with prawns, chicken, and lime.
Contains prawns; stall certification varies.
Penang Asam Laksa
Rice noodles in a tangy, spicy fish broth with mackerel, tamarind, and mint.
Fish-based, but some stalls are not halal-certified — ask.
Banana Leaf Rice
Rice served on a banana leaf with vegetable curries, dhal, and sides.
Some Indian stalls are not halal-certified.
Popiah
Fresh spring roll with turnip, bean sprouts, lettuce, and various fillings.
Some versions contain pork or sausage.
Kaya Toast
Toasted bread with kaya (coconut jam) and butter, served with soft-boiled eggs.
Chinese kopitiams are often not halal-certified.
Avoid
(5)Char Siew Rice
Rice with BBQ pork, vegetables, and sweet dark sauce.
Pork is the core ingredient.
Hainanese Chicken Rice
Poached chicken with fragrant rice cooked in chicken fat, served with chili sauce.
Most stalls are not halal-certified.
Wanton Noodles
Egg noodles with pork dumplings, char siew, and vegetables.
Pork dumplings and char siew are core toppings.
Char Kway Teow
Stir-fried flat rice noodles with prawns, cockles, Chinese sausage, and bean sprouts.
Pork lard is traditionally used, plus Chinese sausage may contain pork.
Hokkien Mee (KL style)
Thick yellow noodles stir-fried with pork, squid, and cabbage in dark soy sauce.
Pork and pork lard are core ingredients.