Penang: hawker centers are the restaurant

Penang's street food is the best reason to visit Malaysia. At a hawker center or kopitiam, take a table, order drinks from the shop owner, then order dishes from the individual stalls, which bring them to you and collect payment per plate. Char kway teow, assam laksa, and Hokkien mee are the classics; stalls in Georgetown's Gurney Drive and the Lorong Baru night market are good places to start. Go hungry and order small portions from many stalls.