It's safe to say that Malaysia is a country blessed with an abundance of delicious food, thanks to its multicultural heritage. Not only that, it's also fairly easy to find good food here at affordable prices, with a wide array of delectable street food that even locals believe is worth travelling for.
Speaking of street food, did you know that one Malaysian state was recently crowned the best street food city in Asia?
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Image Credit: Penang Foodie
In a ranking published by Time Out, Penang topped the chart, with dishes like char kuey teow highlighted as a must-try for travellers.
“When asked to choose one place to eat street food for the rest of my life, it's Georgetown, Penang – hands down. A cultural mix of Malay, Chinese, Peranakan and Indian, there's a laundry list of specialties to try here, including Char Kuey Teow, Assam Laksa, Roti Canai and Hokkien Mee.”
Not the first time Penang has earned international recognition for its food
According to NST, back in 2016, food writer James Oseland endorsed the city as the world's best food destination. That same year, CNN ranked Penang Assam Laksa among the world's hottest street foods, while The Culture Trip listed Penang among the 15 best cities globally for food.
Image Credit: Facebook
Meanwhile, Hanoi, Vietnam ranked second, and Singapore placed third on the list of Asia’s best street food cities.
Thailand was the only country with two cities featured, Chiang Mai and Bangkok.
Here’s the full ranking along with their ‘must-try’ dishes:
- Penang, Malaysia – Char Kuey Teow
- Hanoi, Vietnam – Bún chả
- Singapore – Hainanese Chicken Rice
- Mumbai, India – Vada Pav
- Chiang Mai, Thailand – Khao Soi
- Tainan, Taiwan – Oyster omelette, candied yams, coffin bread, and stinky tofu
- Osaka, Japan – Kushikatsu
- Bangkok, Thailand – Mango Sticky Rice
- Phnom Penh, Cambodia – Num Banchok
- Chengdu, China – Xiao Ming Tian Shui Dan Dan Mian
Featured Image Credit: The Star, Wok & Skillet
