C. Khor
Nasi kandar has entered the Michelin Guide Penang for the first time. The 2027 edition adds two nasi kandar restaurants, Hameediyah and Deens Maju, as Selected entries. Penang now has 79 listings, up from 74.
The Kuala Lumpur and Penang guide was announced on 4 November. Malay Mail reports that it covers 159 establishments, with 80 in Kuala Lumpur. Penang gained no new stars, so the Potager star in KL took most of the attention.
Here is what changed on the island, which dishes are new and where the new listings are. Overall, the list favours local food.
What changed for Penang
Penang’s tally rose from 74 to 79 listings. However, the island gained no new stars. In total, the guide has one two-star restaurant, nine one-star restaurants, 60 Bib Gourmand picks and 89 Selected listings. Its one-star restaurants remain Au Jardin and Auntie Gaik Lean’s Old School Eatery.
Michelin also changed how it released the guide. For the first time, it used a press release instead of a ceremony. As a result, the news reached diners online first, with no stage and no live reveal.
Michelin International Director Gwendal Poullennec said the selection reflects “the continued importance of local favourites”. In practice, that means street food and old family kitchens sit beside the fine dining names. So the nasi kandar entries fit that message.
Nasi kandar finally gets a listing
Hameediyah is at 164A Lebuh Campbell in George Town. It dates back to 1907 and claims to be the oldest nasi kandar restaurant. It is known for kambing kurma and murtabah.
Deens Maju on Jalan Gurdwara joins it. Both enter as Selected restaurants, so they earn a mention but not a Bib Gourmand. Even so, the listing is a first for a dish that Penang diners have long treated as an everyday meal.
In addition, two other Penang names took Bib Gourmand status. Lemon Koay Teow Soup in Butterworth serves pork-based koay teow th’ng with lemon. Serabai Istimewa, which sells kuih serabai, returns after being dropped. Likewise, the Butterworth pick shows that the mainland side of Penang is also on the list.
By contrast, Ah Boy Koay Teow Th’ng lost its Bib Gourmand. Il Bacaro, Kota Dine & Coffee and Richard Rivalee also left the Selected list, according to SAYS.
Heritage dining joins the list
Moreover, several new Selected entries are in restored buildings. Root House by Gēn, led by chef Johnson Wong, sits inside the 1926 Heritage Hotel in George Town. It opened in July and won the Opening of the Year award. As a result, a new restaurant reached the guide within months.
The hotel reopened in July after an RM20 million restoration. It also joined Ascott’s Unlimited Collection. For more places to stay on the island, see our roundup of new hotels in Penang.
Likewise, See Kong Ooi serves home-style Malaysian-Chinese food in a restored heritage shophouse. Flower Mulan is a florist-café with Nyonya dishes, while Khaosan offers modern Thai tapas.
Overall, the Michelin Guide Penang rewards the island’s older food culture this year. For now, visitors can add nasi kandar to the trail. Still, check opening hours first, since the guide gives no schedules.
CJMY
Amirull Salihing
Yalinie Mathan
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