George Town’s upmarket newcomers elevate Penang’s beloved hawker food

Penang has long been a food destination, but the Malaysian state is known primarily for its hawker food: dishes such as assam laksa, nasi lemak and mee goreng. Apart from enjoying local specialities while sweating in open air markets, sitting on plastic chairs in front of cheap folding tables, there haven’t been many other options.

Until recently.

As George Town’s core continues to be transformed by its Unesco World Heritage status, new Malaysian restaurateurs are bringing sophistication to Penang cuisine. More than just fancy decor and air-conditioned comfort, chefs are refining authentic flavours, and updating tradition with fresh ideas and concepts.

Here is our curated selection of finer gastronomic options in the popular Malaysian port.

The Dining Room is gaining renown as the flagship restaurant of the smart Macalister Mansion boutique hotel. Its executive chef, Johnson Wong, is 25 year-old hometown boy, who performed stints at Robuchon au Dome in Macau, Au Jardin in Singapore and Noma in Copenhagen.

The buzz he is generating is for tasting menus of exquisite presentation and remarkable confidence. It helps that his gastronomic theatre is a stunning all-white room with 19th century French pieces and a surreal white tree in the centre of the space. Here, Wong presents elegant creations beginning with the table bread.