Chinese$george-townMon-Sat 07:00-20:00; closed Sun
Ee Beng Vegetarian Food fills trays with meat-free economy rice on Lebuh Dickens, the pay-per-scoop buffet Penang's vegetarians rely on daily.
Try: Vegetarian economy rice
Tip: Prices are per item, so load vegetables and one mock meat; the sweet and sour rolls go fastest at lunch.
Street food$george-townDaily 09:30-17:30
Joo Hooi Cafe packs char koay teow, assam laksa, lor bak and duck bee hoon into one corner kopitiam on Penang Road, a full hawker crawl per table.
Try: Char koay teow, laksa and lor bak under one roof
Tip: Seats are scarce at lunch; claim a marble table with a drink order first, then collect dishes stall by stall.
Street food$george-townThu-Tue from about 16:00 to 22:00; closed Wed
New Lane Hawker Centre lines Lorong Baru with twenty-odd evening stalls, the after-dark hawker parade Penang locals rate above the seafront rows.
Try: Char koay teow, chee cheong fun, sar hor fun
Tip: Start with the chee cheong fun and koay kak carts near the Macalister end, then work down the lane as it fills.
Street food$gurney-driveDaily 18:00-24:00
Gurney Drive Hawker Centre gathers the seafront's night stalls into a covered court off Persiaran Gurney, Penang's most tourist-friendly hawker hit.
Try: Rojak, fried oysters, laksa
Tip: Peak service runs 19:00 to 21:00 when every stall is firing; locals rate New Lane higher, but the rojak here holds up.
Street food$george-townMon-Sat, earliest stalls from 07:00 and most finished by 16:00; individual stalls vary, mornings are busiest
Sri Weld Food Court feeds Beach Street's office crowd from a shaded row of stalls, the weekday Penang lunch defined by Ali's nasi lemak queue.
Try: Nasi lemak, beef koay teow
Tip: Come before 13:00 on weekdays; the beef koay teow and deep-fried tofu make the best supporting order.
Chinese$george-townMon-Tue, Thu-Fri 10:00-16:00; Sat 11:00-16:00; Sun 11:00-18:00; closed Wed
Goh Thew Chik has carved Hainanese chicken on Chulia Street for over 70 years, Penang's old-guard benchmark for every newer chicken-rice shop.
Try: Hainan chicken rice
Tip: The house chilli sauce is the differentiator; ask for extra and spoon it over the chicken-oil rice, not the meat.