The El Camino Travel Guide to Penang, Malaysia
Written by Kayla Doris
Kuala Lumpur may be Malaysia’s best-known destination, but Penang has been stealing the spotlight. Set just off the northwest coast of peninsular Malaysia, it’s a small island with an outsized story—once a key port on the old trade routes, shaped for centuries by Chinese, Indian, Malay, and later British communities. Nowhere shows that layering more clearly than George Town, the island’s capital and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Peranakans, descendants of early Chinese settlers who blended Chinese and Malay culture, were among the first to arrive after Penang’s founding, and their influence is still everywhere—pastel shophouses lined with patterned tiles, carved timber shutters, gilded screens, and sunlit courtyards that define much of George Town’s character. The city's food scene, however, is potentially where Penang’s cultural mixing is most visible: it’s no exaggeration to say the food is a reason for visiting in itself. Penang is known as the street food capital of Malaysia—you could spend all day in George Town hopping from hawker stalls to cafés to sleek restaurants, tasting both its variety of dishes and the many ways to experience them. When you’re not eating your way through the city and marvelling at the buildings, you’ll likely be discovering the trendy startups being led by the next generation of chefs, mixologists, designers, and entrepreneurs. Ready to discover why Penang is so popular?
We’ve pulled together a collection of some of George Town’s most exciting hotspots, in collaboration with local experts, Koh Yung Shen—serial entrepreneur and founder of Backdoor Bodega and The Swagger Salon, Low Wei Shane—one of the founders of Aayu Homes, and Jia Cheng—from the team at ManoPlus.
Eat
“In recent times, there’s been a rise in modern fusion/small plates restaurants, such as Communal Table by Gen,” says Shen. The restaurant is one of the most exciting spots on Penang’s dining scene—contemporary, design-forward, and proudly Malaysian at its core. The small plates blend local ingredients and global technique—think belacan-stuffed chicken wings, local greens, confit duck, and duck yolk, or crab tossed in house-fermented sauces. The space features sleek concrete, warm wood, an open kitchen, and a central counter where everyone gathers elbow-to-elbow. It’s stylish and inventive without feeling formal.
Also included in the guide:
The best places to experience Peranakan food, “a type of cuisine that's unique to Straits cities such as Penang, Malacca, and Singapore”
Modern fine dining in an Art Deco building, serving modern Aussie small plates
The trendy spot serving nostalgic comfort food until the early hours
Image credit: Backdoor Bodega
Stay
Skip Airbnb and book an apartment with Aayu Homes instead. The business is locally-owned and the homes are all restored heritage homes that seek to preserve, rather than erase, the local culture. They currently host 15 heritage homes across George Town—all of them are different and reflect the character, history, and architectural quirks of their original structure and former occupants. We love the four-bedroom Heritage Villa for its spacious bedrooms, old-world windows, and pared-back bathroom, and the stunning Melayu Villa, which sleeps three people across two sweeping suites, each with its own lounge area.
Also included in the guide:
An ‘artist room’ that purposefully replaces a television with books, vinyls, vintage audio gear
A coastal beachfront escape with airy verandas, timber floors and rattan chairs
A cinematic 19th-century mansion (and one of the area’s most iconic stays)
Image credit: Communal Table by Gen
Drink
“Penang's cocktail scene is on a steady growth, with most cocktail bars being uniquely owner-operated (where the owner is also the bartender doing daily service) and most of the bars were established post-COVID,” says local entrepreneur Shen. Backdoor Bodega is one of those venues, a speakeasy-style bar that serves some of the city’s most inventive cocktails. Hidden inside a clothing store called The Swagger Salon and run by a small crew of self-taught bartenders, it’s been quietly redefining the city’s bar scene since 2016—becoming the first Penang bar to make Asia’s 50 Best Bars list in 2022. We love that its ever-changing menu of specialty cocktails is unique to Penang—all of the drinks feature locally-sourced ingredients such as ulam, belacan, Penang-made soy sauce, nutmeg fruit, and more.
Also included in the guide:
Shen’s recommendation: a dimly lit hideaway founded by a husband and wife duo, serving a menu of drinks inspired by their travels
The cocktail lab with eclectic interiors and an intriguing drinks menu
Image credit: Aayu Homes
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