A Taste of Penang: Small Group Food Tour

Meet your guide and small group at Soho Free House on Penang Road, and begin your 3-hour food tour of Penang with a traditional Malay breakfast. Walk to one of the city’s oldest Malaysian-Chinese coffee shops, known locally as a kopitiam, where you’ll sample nasilemak (rice cooked in coconut milk) with chili paste and a boiled egg.
While visiting one of Penang’s most popular vendors, sink your teeth into prawn fritters and lobak, a deep-fried, spiced pork roll that’s a delicacy in Nonya cuisine. Then stroll to one of Penang’s oldest markets, overflowing with seafood, fruits, vegetables and dried goods. Sample a variety of preserved fruits and taste seasonal produce such as rambutan, mangosteen, dukong and — if you’re daring enough — durian (known for its strong odor).
Explore historical streets with preserved heritage buildings and hidden back lanes, listening as your foodie guide describes Penang’s diverse street food culture along the way. You’ll have the opportunity to taste specialties like assam laksa (rice noodles in sour fish soup), char kuey teow (fried flat rice noodles) and murtabak (bread with meat fillings) in Penang’s oldest Indian Muslim restaurant, dating back to 1907. Watch how crullers (fried pastry), called yutiao, are made, and feast your eyes on the array of salted fish at a local vendor in one of Penang’s earliest low-income housing estates.
When it comes time for dessert, dig into a cool bowl of cendol, a serving of ice shavings with green doughy strips and red beans covered with coconut milk. Make sure to try one of the local non-alcoholic drinks: hot tehtarik (pulled tea), lime juice with sour plum, nutmeg juice and more.
Your tour ends at a market, where you can purchase items to take home with you. (Check your country’s import laws to confirm what food products are permitted for travelers.)
Please note: A minimum of 2 people per booking is required.