Foreigners' Guide to Ordering Hawker Food

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Hawker food is at the heart of Penang’s culinary culture. But for first-timers, the experience of ordering at a bustling hawker centre can feel overwhelming. In this guide, I’ll walk you through what to expect and how to go about ordering your meal like a local.

Step 1: Find a Table First

In Penang, it’s common practice to find a table before you place your order. This is especially important in busy hawker centres where seats fill up quickly. Take note of the table number — you’ll need it when you order!

Step 2: Browse and Decide

Walk around and explore the different stalls. Each stall typically specialises in one dish or a few related ones — Char Koay Teow, Hokkien Mee, Laksa, Rojak, and more. Don’t be afraid to ask what’s in a dish or how spicy it is.

Step 3: Order at the Stall

Once you've made your choice, approach the stall and place your order. You can say, for example, “One Char Koay Teow, table 12.” Most hawkers speak basic English, but if you're feeling adventurous, try using a bit of local lingo!

Step 4: Wait for the Food

The food will be brought to your table. Payment is usually made when the food arrives. For drinks, a separate vendor will typically come by your table to take your drink order — and sometimes even before you've had a chance to sit!

Step 5: Pay in Cash

Cash is king at most hawker stalls, though some stalls are beginning to accept e-wallets like Touch ’n Go, GrabPay, and Boost. It’s always good to have small notes and coins on hand.

Useful Tips for a Smooth Experience

• If you see a queue at a stall, that’s often a sign that the food is worth the wait.
• Do not give any tips. It is not expected, and you shouldn't create a precedence of tipping.
• Don’t forget to return your tray or dishes if you’re dining at a self-service style food court.
• Clean up after yourself, especially if the centre is busy — it’s appreciated!

Popular Chinese Hawker Food

Here's an alphabetical list of popular Chinese hawker food in Penang. Click the name to open the page with details about the food. Click the speaker icon to hear how the name is pronounced.

All the words in Penang Hokkien are written in Taiji Romanisation. Use may also use the Penang Hokkien Dictionary.

• Char Koay Teow (order by plate)
• Chicken Rice: Kay3 Pnui33 (order by plate)
• Chee Cheong Fun (order by roll)
• Curry Mee (order by bowl)
• Hokkien Char (order by plate)
• Hokkien Mee (order by bowl)
• Laksa (order by bowl)
• Popiah (order by roll)
• Sar Hor Fun (order by plate)
• Wan Than Mee (order by plate)
• Yee Foo Mee (order by plate)

Phrases in Penang Hokkien for ordering hawker food

The following phrases can be used for ordering. You can either learn to say these yourself, or bring this page to the hawker and click the speaker icon for him to hear what you want to say. You will notice from the list above that some things are ordered by plate, some by bowl, and Chee Cheong Fun is by roll.

• If you wish to order a plate of something, say this: cit3 pnua2 (meaning: one plate)
• Ordering two plates? Say this: nor33 pnua2 (meaning: two plates)
• If you wish to order a bowl of something, say this: cit3 wna4
• If you wish to order two bowls of something, say this: nor33 wna4
• Some items are available in two sizes: regular and large. The default is regular. To order the large plate, say this: tua33 pnua2 To order the large bowl, say this: tua33 wna4
• Chee Cheong Fun and Popiah are usually ordered by roll. The default is 2 rolls, large is 3 rolls. To order 2 rolls, say this: nor33 tiau2 To order 3 rolls, say this: snar3 tiau2
• To ask the price, say this: Kui1 lui1? (meaning: how much?)
• Mai1 luak1 : Don't want spicy.
• Mai1 tau33geh2 : Don't want beansprouts
• Mai1 too3knua1 : Don't want liver (when ordering Hokkien Char and Yee Foo Mee)
• Mai1 hoek3 : Don't want coagulated blood (when ordering Curry Mee)
• Mai1 ham1 : Don't want cockles (when ordering Curry Mee)
• Tapao : takeaway/to go

Popular Malay, Indian Muslim and Indian Hawker Food

• Mee Goreng
• Mee Rebus
• Nasi Kandar (take rice and select dishes)
• Putu Mayong

Common Phrases for ordering in Malay and Indian stalls

• As with Chinese hawker food, the sizes are regular and large, with regular being the default. If you want large, say this: besar (meaning: big)
• To ask the price, you say this: berapa? (meaning: how much?)
• “Kurang pedas” – Less spicy
• “Tak mau taugeh” – Don’t want bean sprouts
• “Bungkus” – Takeaway

Popular Hawker Centres in Penang

If you’re new to Penang, start with well-known places such as:

• Gurney Drive Hawker Centre
• New World Park Food Court
• Cecil Street Market Hawker Centre

Final Thoughts

Ordering hawker food in Penang is part of the cultural experience — don’t worry about getting everything right the first time. The hawkers are used to visitors, and most will appreciate your interest in trying local food. Enjoy your meal, or as we say here, “Jiak!”

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Foreigners' Guide to Ordering Hawker Food (12 April 2025)

Page Details

This page was created on 9 July 2025. Hi, my name is Timothy and created it from my research, for my own entertainment, knowledge and to satisfy my curiosity. I am providing the information to you in good faith and hope it is useful. I try to get the details as accurate as possible. I also try to update the page whenever I stumble on new details. So this and all my other pages are perpetual work in progress. If you discover any error, please politely inform me, pointing out where the error lies, and I will correct it as soon as possible. Your helpfulness will keep this page accurate, relevant and helpful to those who need the information.

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