Nyonya Willow is a peranakan restaurant in Bayan Lepas, Penang.
Editorially verified August 27, 2026 by Lewis Vaughan, TableJourney editor. Source.
Signature dishes: Jiu hu char, Curry fish head
Tip: It sits near the airport side of the island; pair it with a Snake Temple or factory-outlet stop rather than a special trip.
Address: 72-1-3 Arena Curve, Jalan Mahsuri, Bandar Sunway Tunas, Bayan Lepas, 11900 George Town, Penang
Du-An plates traditional Malaysian cooking with cafe polish on Beach Street in Penang; the skin-on mutton curry is the 2026 Michelin guide's pick.
Signature: Skin-on mutton curry, Nasi lemak
Tip: Everything is halal certified, so this is the Beach Street stop that works for every group; order the mutton curry.
Thara brings a Thai chef's seafood-first cooking to a lofty Lorong Prangin shophouse, one of two Thai kitchens holding a Penang Bib Gourmand.
Signature: Grilled river prawns, Tom yum talay
Tip: Seafood is the strong suit; order the grilled river prawns and a som tam rather than defaulting to pad thai.
Sardaarji cooks Punjabi tandoor food under colourful drapes at the edge of Little India, the Bib Gourmand answer to Penang's South Indian majority.
Signature: Fish amritsari, Butter chicken
Tip: Skip the usual thali instinct here; the fish amritsari and tandoor breads are what the Michelin inspectors singled out.
Il Bacaro pairs an Italian couple's handmade pastas with Venetian cicchetti inside the Campbell House hotel, Penang's most personal Italian room.
Signature: Handmade tagliatelle, Cicchetti
Tip: The owners also run the hotel upstairs; ask what fish came in from the jetty market before choosing your pasta.
Jaloux hides Chef Hong's hand-rolled pasta behind greenery on King Street; four opening days keep this Penang Italian room permanently full.
Signature: Pappardelle with oxtail ragu, Risotto
Tip: No reservations and only four opening days; arrive at noon sharp or expect the pappardelle to be gone.
Bali Hai Seafood Market lets you pick your dinner from live tanks on Gurney Drive, then cooks it to order; Penang's classic seafood theatre.
Signature: Steamed fish by weight, Chilli crab
Tip: Prices run by weight and species; confirm the per-100g rate before the fish leaves the tank to avoid bill shock.
