When was the last time you enjoyed cheese beyond the regular runners? Cheese is so amazing that it has the ability to punctuate any meal or even steal the entire show by itself.
Don't believe us? Check out these 18 cheesy-licious dishes in Penang that guarantee to impress.
1. Little Journeyman Cafe
You don’t need to travel all the way to Switzerland for a delicious meal of raclette. Head to Little Journeyman Cafe at the heart of Georgetown for a cheesy experience like never before.
While you get comfortable within the minimalist space, first, you’ll be served a plate filled with crispy potatoes, marinated button mushrooms and fresh green salad, before a waiter arrives at your table with a half wheel cheese. The top part is melted before your eyes, then scraped off to blanket the ingredients.
Talk about teasing your hunger.
2. Gudang Cafe
Deep-fried mushroom is always on our good books. However, to hit a home run, Gudang Cafe has decided to add cheese into the equation.Named Enoki Cheese Roll, long, thin white mushroom is delicately wrapped with cheese, coated with flour then deep-fried to golden goodness. Finally, drizzles of homemade tonkatsu mayo sauce offer an additional depth of flavour.
Flavours aside, the variation of texture in every mouthful makes it really addictive.
3. G9 Dining House - Icon City
What not to love about the Pork Rib Cheese Lava served at G9 Dining House? Two pieces of tender, juicy BBQ braised pork rib sitting on a pool of sizzling melted cheese lava, accompanied by corn cobs and greens. Just the thought of it would make you drool.The portion is definitely worth sharing but you may regret doing so because it's a flavour bomb! If you miraculously still have some stomach space, try their cheesy macaroni pops or mozzarella-topped nachos.
4. CAZE by Buu’s Kitchen
CAZE by Buu’s Kitchen is a great spot to kick back with good food and cosy ambience. There is something on the menu that can satisfy every palate and for a genuine cheese fix, order their King Prawn Grilled with Cheese with aglio olio spaghetti.The big, butterflied prawn is generously shrouded with three types of cheese and grilled to perfection before placed over a bed of spaghetti loaded with mushrooms and clams.
Okay, if you and burger have that unbreakable bonding, check out their Loaded Cheese Burger.
5. Danish Briyani House
There’s no dull moment for briyani and tandoori lovers at Danish Briyani House. However, when it comes to cheese, it’s never hard to single out their naan cheese meleleh (translates to 'melt' in Malay).
A handful of cheese is piled between the flat-shaped dough before it’s baked in a scorching-hot tandoor oven. Once it’s sliced and served, the cheese literally spills off as soon as you pick it up. Impeccable! Don’t forget to pair it up with their grilled tandoori chicken!
6. Arang Coffee
Arang Coffee has been garnering a strong following among cafe lovers in Penang.An excellent dish to whit up your appetite is their Nacho-Menachos - crispy nachos find a happy home under a roof of cherry tomatoes, mozzarella and cheddar cheese that is baked to rich, gooey goodness and served with homemade tomato salsa.
Pretty to look at and delicious to devour, what else could you ask for?
7. Jinggo Dakgalbi
There aren’t many things that are superior to a huge platter filled with sizzling melted cheese (a mixture of mozzarella and cheddar) and dipping delights such as fried chickens, crab sticks, meatballs, fried rice cakes and more.Sounds mouth-watering to you?
So your next destination should be Jinggo Dakgalbi to order their Golden Platter. Perks of being in a Korean restaurant, you'll be served extra condiments to further charm your taste buds.
8. Loaf U
You’re looking at the stuff of Instagram dreams - Rainbow Cheese Toast - one of the many variations of sandwiches served at Loaf U.
It’s plain white bread liberally loaded with cheese infused with natural colouring, and toasted to crispy-brown on the outside. Craving a yummy sidekick? Their crunchy fried chicken with cheese sauce will definitely dart into your favourites list.
9. The Wine Shop
One of life’s simplest pleasures is cheese and wine. At The Wine Shop, you’ll find a decent selection of cheese to complement your wine session. But at the moment, the real deal is their Mont d’Or Cheese!
It’s a seasonal cheese, only available during winter in France. Known for its richness and creamy consistency, the cheese is baked and paired with either a deli set or truffle fries.
Now you’ve got another reason to wait for winter!
10. Satay Wakman
It’s hard for Satay Wakman to go unnoticed at Kompleks Medan Suri, Sungai Nibong. Put that down to their succulent spread of satays drawing over a diverse crowd.
The meat, marinated with a medley of spices and herbs, can be made extra mouthwatering with their homemade cheese topping. Served with thick, spicy peanut sauce and nasi impit, this you’ve got to order a lot!
In fact, they also serve these meaty babies in cups.
11. J Garden Restaurant
J Garden Restaurant is known for their Japanese cuisine with a Western flair and one of their must-try dishes is the Baked Melted Cheese Curry.
Aromatic chicken rice, Japanese curry sauce, fresh omega egg and shredded cheese make up the layers of flavour and baked to golden brown.
Finally, sliced cherry tomatoes, olives and a sprinkling of herbs not only keep things pretty but add more flavours. Another cheesy favourite is their Melted Cheese Doria.
12. Kaffa Signature
You may forget every sandwich that you’ve tried after sinking your teeth into Kaffa’s Philly Cheese Steak.
Imagine thinly sliced juicy pieces of roasted beef topped with flowing mozzarella cheese and held together by a long toast! This behemoth of a sandwich comes with mashed potato and mixed salad.
Cheesy and meaty right down to the very last!
13. Taitong Seafood
No seafood lover could go wrong at Taitong Seafood, a humble-looking restaurant well patronised by locals.
Yet, don’t do the rookie mistake of sticking to the same dishes that you’ve tried over and over again. Because not many do know that their Cheese Thermidor Oysters are a flavour bomb!
Fresh oysters are covered with cream cheese sauce, sprinkled with bits of deep-fried cheese and finished with julienned vegetables. The same spell can be done for scallops too!
14. Lavish Bakery
The folks at Lavish Bakery always have a desire to come out with Instagram-worthy combinations.
So if cheese and creativity are up your alley, don't miss the Pepperoni Cream Cheese from their Volcanic Lava Tube series.
The mildly toasted loaf of bread is packed with a delectable blend of pepperoni, milk and cream cheese. You might have guessed it already, slice through the bread and watch the luscious lava flood up the plate.
15. China House
Health junkies, don’t worry - we’ve got you covered as well.
China House is widely cherished for their repertoire of freshly made cakes but not many do know that their menu stretches to savoury and healthy delights too. A pleasing pick from the latter category is their Grilled Haloumi Salad.
Haloumi is a Cypriot cheese with a high melting point, hence it’s gorgeously grilled. Avocado, grapes, cranberries and cashew nuts add a spectrum of colours and flavours.
16. La Vanille Cupcakes & Macarons
Looking for a quick (yummy) bite? Then the cupcakes and macarons from La Vanille couldn’t be more perfect.
Among the firm favourites is their blue cheese macaron. Despite the gorgeous Tiffany blue colour, normal cheese filling sits between the meringue cookies, which many people mistake for blue cheese. So good, it’s hard to stop once you start chomping down these blue-tiful bites.
Planning to throw a party or celebration, call them up for a Macaron Tower!
17. Two Buns
In a city with numerous burger joints, Two Buns proves there's always room for a tasty newcomer. Besides burgers and hot dogs, they have also got grilled sandwiches down-pat.
There are a few flavour profiles to choose from, the spicy tuna among the most ordered. The bread is smeared with a layer of garlic butter spread, filled with a generous amount of cheese and tuna before grilled to perfection.
Each bite packs such pleasure excursion, particularly that oozing cheese!
18. Soul Cafe
Are you still having cheese crackers and simple cheesecakes for hi-tea? Boy oh boy, you’re so missing out.Soul Cafe recently overhauled their menu and have included Cheese Fondue as a part of their Hi-Tea offering. Irresistible melted cheese in a hot pot is accompanied by sweet and savoury morsels such as assorted fruits and berries, bread chunks, sausages, mushrooms and colourful greens.