Penang Eats

This is my most frequently requested list, from friends who know that Penang is my Malaysian home.  Here's a list of places that I have personally dined at and enjoyed.  It may not match many of the known foodie blog posts out there, and that's because this is where locals (not tourists) dine :)

• Cecil Street Hawker Centre | Also known as Chit Teow Lor Ban San (in Hokkien) or Seventh Street Market | A list of my personal favourite dishes are listed in detail here including curry mee, koay teow thng, char koay teow, pasembur, popiah, nyonya kueh...seriously the list is endless
• Winn's Cafe | Authentic northern Nyonya cuisine.  I highly recommend the nasi ulam, otak-otak, salted fish curry and sambal belachan. Be sure to check out the art gallery upstairs as well.
  
• Double Good Restaurant | Chinese restaurant where I host monthly dinners for my extended family.  Skip their set menus and order a la carte instead.  I recommend the Indonesian prawns claypot, steamed garoupa fish HK style, salted egg mantis prawn, braised pork trotters, sweet & sour pork, kailan double style, fuyong omelette
  
• Pitt St Koay Teow Thng | Michelin street food is now a thing in Penang so if you must indulge, this noodle soup dish is a good place to start.  The fishballs and meatballs are all made in-house and the taste and texture is uniquely delicious.  Be warned : the ladies who run this place are loud, really loud. 
• Joo Leong Cafe | Butter toast and half-boiled eggs with local coffee & tea for breakfast.  My family has been coming to this local village shop for decades.  Was surprised when it was discovered by bloggers.  The owners were my dad's mahjong buddies.  It's conveniently located on the way to the Penang International Airport.  
  
• China House | This is my one nod to tourists' favourites. It's worthy of mention for the novelty of having 4 dining concepts under one roof: cafe with delicious cakes, upscale dining, outdoor beer garden and cocktail lounge.  I love sitting in the Chinese garden section of the house complete with it's it moon gate and koi ponds.  A welcome respite from the hot and hectic world outside.