Help for Penang food please

[nagoyajin]

I'm taking my family to Penang early in 2011. We will spend several days at the G Hotel & then several more at the Rasa. We used to visit Penang frequently when my brother-in-law lived there and he took us around to many good foodie places. Unfortunately, he no longer lives there and so I would like your recommendations for good food, especially Chinese or Malaysian, and preferably near these 2 hotels. Also, any recommendations for good yum cha (dim sum) would be appreciated.

[klyeoh]

G Hotel's own Sesame + Soy Chinese restaurant is actually quite good. My fave Chinese restaurant in Penang is the one at Evergreen Laurel Hotel, also on Gurney Drive, about 10 minutes' walk from the G Hotel - their seafood noodles, topped with copious amounts of fresh crabmeat, is to-die for!

For other Chinese restaurants (which are very popular amongst local Penangites) and fairly near G Hotel:
1. Corner Club Restaurant, 55 Gurney Drive, 10250 Penang, Malaysia Tel: [phone]. Serves a good range of dim sum at lunch-time. I liked their Penang-inspired Chinese cuisine, which can incorporate chilli & curry flavors. See http://my.88db.com/Food-Entertainment/Malaysian-Delights/ad-96181/

2. Maple Palace Chinese Restaurant, 47 Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah, 10050 Georgetown, Penang. Tel: [phone]. This place is not walkable (30 minutes' stroll from your hotel, but you won't survive the heat & humidity! Trust me). Try and hire a car & driver to bring you around! See http://www.maplepalace.com/about-us-penang-chinese-restaurant-maplepalace

3. Starview Restaurant, 102-B-1 – 102-B-4 New World Park, No.102 Burmah Road, 10050 Penang. Tel: [phone]
See http://www.lingzie.com/2008/10/14/starview-restaurant-new-world-park-penang/

There aren't any noteworthy Chinese restaurant near Rasa Sayang Resort at Batu Ferringhi, but Eden Seafood near there has a fabulous range of fresh/live seafood which they'd cook-to-order for you, mainly Penang Chinese-style.

By Malaysian food, I take it that you meant Malay food - I can't think of any Malay restaurant of note in Penang (unlike in Kuala Lumpur) as most Malay eateries in Penang are casual, street foods. Penang is justifiably famous for its Nasi Kandar, which is an Indian-Muslim dish of rice with a choice of curries - there are many well-known ones in Georgetown, especially in the old city quarter. You can find other Penang threads on this board which has food/restaurant suggestions.

My most memorable recent food find in Penang was Hameediyah, a century-old restaurant with some very delicious curries and murtabak (meat-filled pancakes) - unforgettable!
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/7454...

[nagoyajin]

klyeoh
Many thanks for your detailed list of recommendations. I will definitely seek out as many as my stomach will allow. But the first to be crossed off the list will either be the Evergreen Hotel's Chinese restaurant, or yum cha at the Corner Club. We have wonderful food here in Japan but not good yum cha. And the one good yum cha we knew at the Traders in Georgetown seems to have gone. Much appreciated!

[RMS1]

Hi

You didn't ask about Italian restaurants, but because I have visited the best Italian restaurant around the world at Penang Batu Ferringhi I would like to tell it to you ( I have been travellintg a lot... and seen many kind of Italian food). There is a small Italian restaurant ( I have forgotten the name) at Batu F. north end. It is just on main land side of the main road, if you come by buss from the G town and step out on the first bus stop at Batu Ferring beach area. Opposite of the road of the best beach hotel at Batu F. I used to eat there every day when I stayed on my holiday at Peneng island. ( I hope teh restaurant is still there, because I am planning to visit there again aftar years...)

Br RMS

[nagoyajin]

Br RMS.
You must be talking about Marios which is opposite the Rasa - fortunate for me as that is where we are staying. I will seek them out as they apparently have a soup in a sourdough bread "bowl" that is recommended. Thanks for the tip.