George Town's hawker stalls are a UNESCO-worthy collision of Malay, Chinese and Indian cooking, best tackled on an empty stomach at breakfast.
Breakfast on the hoof
George Town wakes up hungry. By seven the hawker stalls of Penang's old quarter are firing up woks and charcoal grills, and the smart move is to eat your way from one to the next — a small plate here, a bowl there, following the queues of locals who know exactly which uncle makes the best char kway teow.
This is a food culture built on centuries of Malay, Chinese, Indian and Peranakan mingling, and it shows up on every plate.
What to order
- Char kway teow — smoky flat noodles with prawns and cockles, wok-hei and all.
- Asam laksa, sour and fishy and unforgettable, from a stall by the market.
- Roti canai with dhal, and a frothy teh tarik pulled high between two cups.
Eat little and often, drink the pulled tea, and do not fill up at the first stall. A George Town food morning is a crawl, not a meal — pace yourself and the city rewards you with one of the great street-food breakfasts in Asia.
