Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and is the most interesting in my opinion too. I love exploring the breakfast scene of different cultures. I find it fascinating how sometimes similar ingredients are used in very distinctive ways especially for the breakfast meal. For this post I’m going to share with you the Malaysian breakfast scene specifically in Penang. I will include three absolute breakfast staples of the Malaysian cuisine and I’ll make some recommendations as to where you should try them at. Let’s go!!
Roti Canai
There’s no better place to start than Roti Canai. This dish typifies what Malaysian cuisine is all about. I’ve praised Malaysian food numerous times and for me it is right up there as being one of the best in the world. One of the reasons for that is because of how it is made up of different strong food cultures: Indian, Chinese and Malay. This classic Malaysian breakfast dish is an example of the Indian influence on their cuisine. Roti Canai is basically paratha with curry. It may sound overwhelming and a bit heavy to start the day with curry, but trust me, once you try it, this is all you’ll be thinking about. Couple this with a nice hot or cold Teh Tarik and you’ve got yourself a winning breakfast combo.
Where to try it
Transfer Road is an absolute legend in the game. They’ve been around for a very long time and they’re known to serve one of the best Roti Canais in town. If you look at the reviews and the social media hype (or lack of), they have gone down in recent times compared to their peak the first time we visited back in 2017. They were in trouble for their hygiene standards at the beginning of 2023 and their customer service and manners is quite lacking to be honest. We even experienced this on our most recent visit. Our server was a very disgruntled and angry man who just didn’t seem bothered and got angry every time we made a request (requests because he got our order wrong twice).
Hutton Lane Roti Bakar is another shout and one that is trending right now on social media. Unfortunately, we didn’t get the time to visit this place, but by looking at their pictures it looks to be a really good breakfast spot with some really delicious looking options.
Roti Bakar
Roti Bakar is a famous breakfast dish in this part of the world. You’ll have mighty food cultures and traditions like the Indonesian one, the Singaporean one and the Malaysian one claiming it. What is it? Bakar means grilled, so it translates to grilled bread. Traditionally, this bread would get grilled over charcoal and if you really want to enjoy the true taste, you need to find yourself one that still uses this charcoal. After it is grilled the most common spread is butter and kaya jam (which is basically coconut and pandan flavoured). This is then accompanied with half boiled eggs and a strong cup of kopi (Malaysian coffee with condensed milk). The way to eat this is to put some white pepper and soy sauce over the eggs and then dip the toast into this egg mixture and enjoy. Some also then dip it into the coffee, which gives it an edgy twist, which we like (we usually pour a spoonful of coffee into the egg mixture). If you’ve followed me for a while, you’re probably thinking this sounds a lot like Kaya Toast from Singapore, well yes, that’s exactly what this is.
Where to try it
Toh Soon Cafe is definitely the place to try this in Penang. Why? Dining in a narrow alleyway facing what is essentially the kitchen, this is the embodiment of eating like a local in Malaysia. The experience is second to none. It is outdoor eating, it is eating in an alleyway, and the kitchen is right there opposite the seating. I had to repeat that description again because of how much I love it. The menu is pretty straight forward with a number of options, but what you want to get is the kaya toast with eggs and a cup of kopi. They also have these triangular wrapped in paper goodies on each table, which we won’t explain now because that is breakfast number 3.
There’s a small stall next to Transfer Road from above that also do Roti Bakar, so you can kind of kill two birds with one stone by trying it there. However, there’s isn’t that good to be honest. Their Roti Bakar is without kaya jam, which we feel is the essential ingredient that gives the whole dish that unexpected sweet twist.
Nasi Lemak
The third dish on this list is none other than the national dish of the country: Nasi Lemak! This is a dish that can be consumed throughout the day to be honest and there are a number of different varieties. One of those varieties is the breakfast variety where you get the bare minimum of sambal (a spicy paste), eggs and anchovies. I personally love it with fried chicken too, but that is probably more common in the lunch or dinner variety. Nonetheless, a very hearty and delicious way to start the day. And don’t let rice for breakfast intimidate you; it’s a very common thing in this part of the world.
Where to try it
Ali Nasi Lemak seems to be one of the most popular Nasi Lemak exclusive spots right now in Penang. They open nice and early and close around 2 ish in the afternoon (hallmark of a good breakfast spot in our eyes). They’re closed on Sundays so do be mindful of that when visiting. You can also try Nasi Lemak at Toh Soon Cafe from above. On their tables you’ll see small triangular packets just sitting there like you’d have condiments salt and pepper in England. You just take it, open and enjoy. And here’s a wildcard… McDonald’s! They also have Nasi Lemak on their menu here in Penang!
