Pulau Tikus Wet Market — Attraction in George Town

Looking for a variety of good food in Penang? Look no further than here at the Pulau Tikus Wet Market!

So many types of food! But I settled for Roti Jala with Curry Ayam, Jiu Hu Eng Chai (Cuttlefish and Kangkung), Oh Chien (Fried Oyster with Egg) and Lok Lok (Dipped Food).

The Roti Jala really tastes home cooked and each portion is dipped in the lovely Nyonya Curry, not too spicy and just very slightly sweet. Portion is just right for a nice snack.

The Jiu Hu Eng Chai is served with sweet chilli and mixes well between the cuttlefish and crunchy kangkung. Nice crunchiness together with nice munchiness with the sweet chilli.

The O Chien is one of my favourites that I have tried anywhere else in Malaysia. It has the fresh fried egg taste together with fresh oysters cooked just nice and soft. Some places underfry their eggs and some serve oysters that are not fresh but these are done right and served with fresh oysters. Truly savoury to the palate.

Finally, the Lok Lok has so many varieties for you to choose from and are extremely fresh. The prawns are so crunchy and scallops are fresh. The stall has so many different chillis for you to choose from, from satay sauce, to tomyam chilli, to traditional local chilli sauce.

This is one place I always visit everytime I come back to Penang.

It never fails to satiate my palate and renew my joy for eating.

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Coming back to this popularly coined "rich man wives' market", so clean its barely recognisable after 40 years. Gone is the poultry killing corner to where I tagged along as a child with mum on her Sunday marketing. I observed how to slit the throat of a prized chicken, unfeather the struggling bird in Dr.Who's time machine and clean its guts out for dressing. Life's lessons learnt about free market practices of haggling for price discovery, product differentiation among oligopolistic vendors engaged in price collusion and discounting for loyalty based on relationships. Most importantly, trust can never be taken for granted in this fast moving perishables trade where freshness deteriorates by the seconds and time works in favour of buyers just before the market closes. Opportunity favours the prepared as fortunes are made or lost in a day. Only the lucky rooster lives to crow another morning much to the chagrin of its seller.. Sadly, poor social distancing with rich wives have led to recent closure due to COVID-19. Rain falls on both rich and poor. Post-pandemic, at the street corner, a seasoned octagenarian survivor plies his coconut trade, oblivious that RM4.00 is a real bargain these days of high inflation. The alley leads to a BBQ meat roaster offering roasted...

When you visit Penang, you’ll quickly learn that Char Kway Teow isn’t the only dish worth chasing. Another must-try is the legendary White Curry Noodle, and few places do it better than 31 White Curry Noodle, a humble stall with nearly two decades of history.

Here, the magic begins with a bowl of steaming white broth and a generous spoonful of fiery red chili paste served on the side. You mix it yourself—watching the pale broth swirl into a deep, aromatic curry soup is like witnessing a little culinary magic trick. The resulting curry is rich, salty, and seductively spicy, the kind that warms you from the inside and almost catches in your throat.

Each mouthful—whether you’re twirling noodles or fishing out plump toppings—feels like a small moment of bliss.

Be warned, though: this is an old-school street stall located right next to a wet market. It’s as down-to-earth and authentic as they come, but if your idea of dining involves spotless tablecloths and sparkling cutlery, you might want to give this one a miss. For everyone else, it’s an unfiltered taste of Penang...