Perhaps one of the most famous food scenes in Southeast Asia, Gurney Drive is the place to go in Penang, the Malaysian island prized for its culinary traditions.
Sure, there are street vendor cart strips all over Georgetown, and food courts are home to many tasty options under a high roof. But Gurney Drive is a scene enjoyed by local families, couples, and international visitors. Unlike the other options, you can enjoy the sea breeze and coastal view while eating and people watching.
What is Gurney Drive in Penang?
Gurney Drive is a pedestrianized esplanade with a strip of bars and restaurants located on the Georgetown waterfront on the island of Penang, Malaysia. Penang is a large island off the west coast of Malaysia, south of Langkawi and not far from the Thai border.
Although Gurney Drive was made famous by the large car camp that proudly cooked up some of the best Asian street food, there are western chains and upscale restaurants in the mall next to the cars. Outside of the mall and food cart area, Gurney Drive is lined with bars and a mix of restaurants. Seafood restaurants and steamboats abound (a social experience of cooking at your table).
What to expect
Gurney Plaza is the second largest shopping center in Penang ; There are nine floors of shops and restaurants! It also houses a 12-screen cinema (with many English titles) in case you want to turn your dining experience into a movie dinner. The bus stops in front. Enjoy the air conditioning for a few minutes as you walk straight through the mall to the shoreline where the good food is!
Despite extensive magazine and food guide coverage, Gurney Drive is still frequented by most locals. Prices remain reasonable, although cheaper food can be found elsewhere in Georgetown.
Penang residents gather in groups on weekends to stroll the pleasant seaside esplanade while socializing and eating. Although a handful of serious travelers still venture to Gurney Drive for a good meal, the distance from tourist areas often discourages those who are too lazy to organize transportation or leave Georgetown’s main areas.
If the sprawling group of shared tables and street carts is too hectic for you, there are plenty of restaurants sitting across from the esplanade. From seafood and hotpot / steamer places to family-friendly steakhouses and chains from home, you can keep everyone in a group happy.
Interesting food to try on Gurney Drive in Penang
Sometimes the number of unknown offers can make deciding a nightmare. Here are some popular local food favorites from Penang street vendors to consider trying alongside the usual noodle dishes:
- Lok-Lok: If you like to nibble, lok-lok is what you need. It can be added to other dishes as a snack or used as a starter before other foods arrive. Lok-lok is boiled in water instead of oil, making it a bit healthier than usual. You’ll find everything from meat and seafood to vegetables, Chinese dumplings, and quail eggs on skewers. You can choose between sweet, peanut or spicy sauce.
- Satay: If you have meat eating tendencies, you will salivate at the smell of smoke from grilled meats on a stick over an open flame. It is the smell of Malaysia. The meat is marinated and then grilled; prices differ based on your choice of beef, chicken, or lamb / goat. Meat is the only option; If you are a vegetarian, go get the lok-lok car.
- Pasembur – A famous Malaysian Indian food, Pasembur carts can be perplexing to the uninitiated. You start by choosing from a variety of mostly fried meats, seafood, vegetables and tofu, the price depends on what you take. Then your options will be chopped up and then topped with a cole slaw and literally drenched in a sweet and slightly tangy peanut sauce. The sauce is hot enough to recover the food.
- Rojak: Who would think it would be a good idea to mix fruit, chili seasoning, and a fishy flavor? A favorite dessert in Penang, Rojak deserves at least one shot. Chunks of fresh fruit are topped with a sticky sweet tamarind sauce with a fishy aftertaste; Crisps and peanuts add a nice texture to the salad.
What are those white / yellow balls?
Regardless of whether you choose lok-lok, pasambur, noodles or other dishes, you will probably find mysterious white or yellow objects in the shape of squares and balls. That’s not tofu, it’s fish cake.
Fishcake is a popular filling item in Penang. The texture is rubbery; The fishy flavor should be minimal, if any. Call it a fish meatball, or in the case of lower quality versions, a fish hot dog. If you don’t like the taste or texture of the compressed fish pieces, ask to be left out.
Food Precautions
Like anywhere, high-turnover street food is safe. Gurney Drive is keeping busy and the competition is fierce. Nobody wants to make their clients sick.
Pork is often used as an ingredient, even in dishes marked “vegetarian.” Pretty good vegetarian means no additional meat is added after preparation. Noodles and meatballs are often made with lard to hold them together, so even a “veggie” meatball with veggies in it will likely have lard on the outside. Pretty good, all soup broths are made with bone.
If you have a shellfish allergy, know that shrimp are a common ingredient. It is often ground into a paste and fermented ( belacan ) to flavor broths. The only sure way to avoid pork while eating on Gurney Drive in Penang is to eat only from the many Muslim-owned carts. These cars are marked with a green Arabic symbol that says “halal” underneath.
How to get to Gurney Drive, Penang
Every driver on the island will know Gurney Drive, but they’ll most likely drop you in front of the mall. Don’t worry – all the action is happening right behind!
Walk through the center of the mall and the atrium past the outdoor restaurants. Turn left at the coast and walk a short distance along the esplanade to find the food carts.
- Bus: The bus is by far the cheapest and most efficient way to get to Gurney Drive. Take bus 103 (less than US $ 1) from the Komtar Center and get off at the Gurney Plaza stop. The last bus returns from the Gurney Plaza stop between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m.
- Hike: Unlike most other points of interest in Georgetown, Gurney Drive is a long walk over broken sidewalks and busy roads. If you are staying near Jalan Chulia and the Chinatown area, allow at least 45 minutes on foot. You can get to Gurney Drive by walking west on Jalan Sultan Ahmad Ahmad Shah from Jalan Penang. You can also walk west along Jalan Burma, then turn right at Lebih Burma towards the coast.
- Taxi: Although taxis are clearly labeled ‘metered taxis, bargaining prices are prohibited’, drivers have a reputation for overcharging tourists, especially at night. They will literally take you in circles. If you want to hail a taxi, dial one on the street instead of approaching one of the drivers parked in the tourist areas.
- Grab: Grab is Malaysia’s ride-sharing service, similar to Uber. The app works the same way, although with Grab, you have the option to pay your driver in cash after the trip.
