While Penang is known to the world as the Pearl of the Orient, it is also hailed as the food capital of Malaysia, which offers a wide range of food choices to suit every palate and budget. Food is predominantly Chinese but you can also get a wide variety of Malay, Indian, Thai, Indonesian and western food. The craving for Penang Food is so strong that visitors from other places have been known to come here just to savour the many delightful dishes. There are restaurants where one can dine luxuriously in air-conditioned comfort while there are those which are modestly furnished with simple wooden chairs and tables. For those who enjoy eating in a casual atmosphere, there are numerous open-air food stalls, usually found at Gurney Drive, Esplanade and by some roadsides.

The Most Sought-after Specialities:
 

	Char Koay Teow Fried Rice Noodles with bean sprouts, eggs, prawns, shelled cockles and chinese sausage. Its homeground is definitely Penang.
	Mee Goreng An Indian version of the Chinese Char Koay Teow but fried with yellow noodles and more fiery in flavour.
	Curry Mee A moderately hot dish of thin noodles in curry gravy made from coconut milk and chilli paste. Pieces of cockles, shrimps, dried soya bean cakes and bean sprouts are added to this delicious hot mixture.
	Laksa Spicy Rice Spaghetti Soup with sour gravy of fish stock and tamarind juice topped with vegetables and globs of sweetish black prawn paste.
	Hainanese Chicken Rice The rice is cooked in chicken stock and served with plain boiled or roasted chicken. Eaten along with garlic chilli sauces.
	Satay Satay is a Malay specialty that is enjoyed more as a side dish then a main. Pieces of skewered chicken, beef or mutton are grilled over a charcoal fire and served with a peanut sauce. It is usually taken with onions, cucumber and fried bean curd.
	Poh Piah A light treat, usually taken during teatime. Shreds of turnip, with carrot, bean curd and dried prawns are rolled in white spring roll skin.
	Chendol A nice dessert of green noodles with coconut milk and brown sugar syrup, topped with shaved ice.
	Ais Kacang Shaved ice topped with syrup, condensed milk, beans, jellies and ice cream ? every child?s dessert dream!

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With so many hawker stalls and coffee shops in Penang, choosing the ?right? venue for a dish can be mind boggling especially when you?re in ?unfamiliar surroundings?. Below is a guide of the Penang?s popular hawkers? location for the above dishes.
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