How to navigate the abundance of good food in Penang’s atmospheric old town. Text by: Lim Chee Wah
George Town, Penang has a problem: there’s simply too much good food. You could sit down at almost any corner of this charming heritage town and eat well. The sheer number of options can be overwhelming. And when you’re after something specific – whether it’s modern Penang dining, a one-stop cocktail-hopping night out, a late-night caffeine fix or air-conditioned hawker fare – knowing where to go becomes its own challenge. This insider’s guide helps you navigate it all.
For modern Penang cuisine in a casual setting: Communal Table by Gen
An offshoot of the Michelin-selected restaurant Gen, Communal Table by Gen shares the same DNA as its older sister: innovative Malaysian flavours informed by the country’s diverse culinary heritage and bountiful harvest, elevated through modern techniques. While Gen offers a flagship tasting-menu experience, Communal Table leans more casual, as befitting its name. Here, diners pick through an a la carte menu of sharing plates, seated at a long table overlooking the open kitchen.
The cooking is inspired yet restrained, and that confidence shows in the way local ingredients and flavours are articulated in new yet familiar ways. The barbecue pork collar, marinated with black garlic and slathered in green sambal and coconut cream, eats like a juiced-up satay. The seasonal duck kerabu with deep-fried pucuk manis (sweet leaf) is tossed with a soy-cured duck egg yolk that lends a silky richness to the crisp leaves.
Even the silver silago – a common market fish usually given little thought – is fried till crispy and golden, then glazed with belacan, dusted with green peppercorn powder, and served atop a coleslaw-like egg tartare. It’s a robust burst of flavours, satisfyingly textural yet perfectly balanced. One thing is clear: despite the refinement and beautiful plating, the food here remains thoroughly enjoyable and unpretentious.
For sweat-free Penang hawker fare: Laksalicious
Most people accept that sweating in the open-air heat is par for the course for good hawker fare in George Town, but these days, there are exceptions. Occupying two heritage shophouses on Jalan Hutton, Laksalicious has earned a Bib Gourmand nod for its quintessential Penang noodles – assam laksa and laksa lemak – served in an air-conditioned setting.
Here, you can savour assam laksa’s spicy-sour goodness in cool comfort. Adapted from the proprietor’s family recipe, the punchy broth is thickened with Indian mackerel and topped with a crisp prawn cracker. The latter is a lip-smacking though uncommon addition, lending crunch and tasting especially good when dipped into the soup.
Round off with an icy gula Melaka cendol. Then you’ll have the winning combination many queue for under the sun at the famous Lebuh Keng Kwee just minutes away – without shedding a sweat.
For cocktail bar-hopping: Jalan Gurdwara
Located side-by-side in pre-war shophouses on Jalan Gurdwara, adjacent to the Hin Bus Depot creative hub, are two of George Town’s most exciting cocktail bars: Good Friends Club and Backdoor Bodega. Both showcase Penang through mixology but in different directions.
Good Friends Club feels like a neighbourhood hangout, blending the familiar kopitiam ease with a cheeky branding inspired by a certain iconic Japanese convenience store. Its commitment to Penang is reflected in its championing of local ingredients, 85 per cent of which are sourced from small, independent farms across the state and northern Malaysia.
The playful drinks feature a strong sense of place. The Chowrasta Bookstore, inspired by a second-hand book vendor in Penang’s iconic Chowrasta Market, is a riff on the classic Vieux Carré. This bittersweet, alcohol-forward concoction is made with Malaysian Liberica coffee and elevated with agarwood smoke to evoke the ‘old book’ nostalgia. Other standouts include the tequila-based Rojak Platter, which repurposes mango and pineapple from local fruit stalls, as well as the refreshing White Dai-curry, where the classic daiquiri is given a Penang white curry twist with coconut, lemongrass, chilli and coriander seeds.
Backdoor Bodega, on the other hand, is tucked away behind an inconspicuous streetwear store. This speakeasy was the first Penang spot to break into the Asia’s 50 Best Bars ranking back in 2022. Just last year, it became the first in Asia to win the coveted Best Cocktail Menu Award under the World’s 50 Best Bars banner. This is a well-deserved recognition, as ‘The Backdoor Bodega Guide To Penang’ reads like a love letter to the state.
Each chapter in this hardcover explores a fascinating aspect of Penang – a beloved dish, a quintessential herb or a landmark – before showing how that’s interpreted into a cocktail. While the drinks are nearly all distinctively local, Backdoor Bodega’s craft truly shines in its savoury creations. The Georgetown Gimlet, for instance, recreates the bright, funky acidity of assam laksa through a well-balanced belacan-tamarind cordial, while the cognac-based Spellbinder fuses tart apples with the salty-caramelly umami notes of aged soy sauce.
For late-night coffee and cake: The Mugshot Cafe and Rainforest Bakery
Long before the café boom hit George Town, there was the Mugshot Cafe and its massive 3D Pterosaur puzzle hanging over the entrance. Nearly 13 years on, the dinosaur is gone, but the café still draws a steady crowd with its strong brews and jars of thick, creamy house-made yoghurt.
While newer cafés go overboard with novelty drinks, Mugshot stays grounded with a pared-back menu of espresso-based classics plus a small tea and juice selection. The coffee is fuss-free and consistent, made even better by the outlet’s unusually late hours – until midnight on Friday and Saturday, and 10pm on other days. Next door, sister shop Rainforest Bakery rounds things out with chunky pastries and thick slices of cake, perfect for that post-dinner treat or a relaxed, teetotaling night out.
