Genki Canteen Penang Review: Top Local Breakfast

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Amazing Penang Breakfast Spot

Genki Canteen

Hi everyone,

I'm Salmi, a travel blogger living the FIRE lifestyle! 😊

On my very first day in Penang,

I was searching for a great place to grab breakfast

and stumbled upon a highly-rated spot right near where I was staying.

It's a place that opened back in 2021 called

Genki Canteen.

Genki Canteen Location & Hours

Genki Canteen is located near Gurney Drive.

While it's a bit of a distance from George Town,

if you're staying in Tanjung Tokong,

it's in a very convenient spot to visit.

It's a standalone building with a spacious parking lot right in front,

so it's incredibly easy to visit if you're driving.

The operating hours are:

Mon–Fri: 09:00 - 21:00

Sat–Sun: 08:00 - 21:00

And they are closed on Wednesdays.

I believe there's another Genki Canteen in George Town,

but this particular location has much higher reviews!

A Look Inside

The interior is super clean and quite spacious.

In addition to the area shown in the photos,

there are actually many more tables available.

Since there were other customers dining,

I wasn't able to snap more photos.

The Menu

Like most restaurants in Malaysia,

the menu here is absolutely massive.

Since this was our very first meal in Penang,

we wanted to go with something truly Malaysian,

so we ordered Nasi Lemak and Hokkien Mee!

They give you an order sheet along with the menu.

Simply write down the item numbers and quantities you want,

and they will print out and bring over your official order list.

When it’s time to pay, just take this order list to the counter

to settle your bill.

It would have been nice if the prices were listed on it,

but unfortunately, they weren't.

Food Review

Our drinks arrived first.

My husband ordered water (2.90 RM),

and I chose 100 Plus (4.90 RM),

a super popular isotonic sports drink here in Malaysia.

I was really craving some coffee,

but they only had sweet coffee options available. 😢

Next up was the Signature Hokkien Mee (10.90 RM).

For Hokkien Mee, you can usually choose between the stir-fried version or the soup version,

and this time, we decided to order the soup version.

Hokkien Mee features yellow egg noodles bathed in a rich shrimp broth,

topped with prawns, pork, and fresh bean sprouts.

The moment the Hokkien Mee hit the table,

an incredibly rich, savory shrimp aroma filled the air.

Thanks to the mix of two types of noodles,

you get a wonderful variety of textures in every bite,

and most of all, the broth is absolutely divine.

It’s served with sambal sauce on the side,

but since I’m a total lightweight when it comes to spice, I didn't dare mix it into the soup. 😭

Instead, I used it as a light dipping sauce for the meat,

and it was delicious!

With all the veggies and toppings loaded inside,

it's surprisingly filling even if the portion looks a bit modest at first.

Up next was the Chicken Nasi Lemak (16.90 RM).

Probably because the chicken had to be freshly fried,

it took quite a while to arrive after the Hokkien Mee.

But oh my goodness, one bite and all was forgiven!

It came with coconut rice, sambal, cucumber slices,

okra, a hard-boiled egg, and fried chicken.

Fried chicken in Malaysia is seriously on a whole other level.

No matter what kind of dish it is, you HAVE to order the chicken. 👍🏻

It was perfectly crispy and not greasy at all,

wonderfully seasoned, and super juicy.

The moment my husband took a bite,

he couldn't help but gasp, "Wow, this is amazing!"

And then, there's this!

I think it's onions stir-fried in sambal,

and it was absolutely the star of the show.

Spoon some over the rich, coconut-infused rice

and mix it all up—it's pure heaven.

If you're ordering it alongside the Hokkien Mee,

I highly recommend having a spoonful of the rice followed by a sip of that shrimp broth!

It is unbelievably good! 😭

We ended up scraping both plates completely clean.

Even after feasting like royalty,

the bill came out to around ~$7.

The cost of living in Malaysia is absolutely wonderful.

Final Thoughts

This was our very first meal in Penang,

and thanks to Genki Canteen,

our month-long journey got off to the perfect start.

There are so many other delicious-looking items on the menu,

and since this area isn't overly touristy,

everyone else dining there was a local.

If you're looking for a clean, authentic local spot,

I highly recommend Genki Canteen!

I hope my post helps you plan

your next amazing adventure! ❤️