Gurney Drive Hawker Center Penang Review 2026: Must-Try Street Food

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Penang Night Market Vibes

Gurney Drive Hawker Center

Hey there, fellow travelers!

It's Nomad Sally here, your FIRE-focused travel blogger, ready to share another delicious adventure!😊

During my recent stay in Penang, I was lucky enough to have the renowned Gurney Drive Hawker Center right near my accommodation. It's a hugely popular spot, and every time I passed by, it was absolutely buzzing with people, which naturally piqued my curiosity.

Join me as I explore this vibrant food paradise and share all the mouth-watering dishes I brought back to enjoy!

Gurney Drive Hawker Center: Location & Hours

Keep in mind that Gurney Drive Hawker Center is a bit of a distance from the city center of George Town.

If you're using public transport, expect a ride of around 20 minutes, while a Grab (ride-sharing service) will likely get you there in about 12-13 minutes.

Penang traffic can be surprisingly heavy, so I always recommend allowing a little extra travel time than what's estimated.

The official operating hours are daily from 5:00 PM to midnight.

However, my Airbnb host mentioned that most stalls tend to close earlier, usually by 10 or 11 PM, so plan accordingly if you want to try everything!

Exploring the Stalls

I heard that between 8-9 PM, the crowds can be overwhelming, so I decided to visit a bit earlier, around 6:30 PM. This was a smart move, as there were fewer people, making it much easier to browse and choose our dishes.

You'll find an incredible array of Malaysian and Chinese dishes, along with delicious skewers and refreshing fruit juices.

Before heading out, we actually decided what we wanted to order in advance, which saved us a lot of time and indecision.

If you arrive after sunset, be prepared for a packed house – finding a seat can be quite a challenge!

On this particular day, we'd done a lot of walking and were pretty sweaty, so instead of eating there, we opted for takeout and enjoyed our meal back at our air-conditioned accommodation. Ah, bliss!🤣

Rojak - 8 Malaysian Ringgit (about ~$2 USD)

Simply put, Rojak is a unique fruit salad.

I remembered a tip from a famous Korean chef, Baek Jong-won, who said on his 'Street Food Fighter' Penang episode that to find a Rojak stall, look for one with mangoes hanging up. And sure enough, there they were!

There were a few other Rojak stalls, but I had a hunch that the one run by an older gentleman would be the most authentic and delicious, so I placed my order there.

The only challenge was the language barrier; English wasn't spoken, so it was all about hand gestures and pointing to communicate my order.

He freshly sliced various fruits and tossed them with the special sauce right in front of me.

This is the unique Rojak sauce – a dark, rich color that makes it hard to imagine it mixed with fruit! It really sparks your curiosity.

And here it is, the famous Rojak!

It's a mix of various fruits and fried crackers, all coated in that mysterious sauce. Since the sauce covered everything, it was a fun game to guess which fruit I was eating with each bite.

The sauce itself is an intriguing blend of sweet and savory. At first, you might think, 'What is this?!' but then, before you know it, you're hooked and can't stop eating. It has a strangely addictive quality!

It's generously topped with crushed peanuts, which added a wonderful nutty aroma and crunch.

Surprisingly, there were even pieces of squid in it!

I highly recommend giving it a try at least once – it's a true Penang experience.

Wan Tan Mee - 9 Malaysian Ringgit (about ~$2 USD)

This particular Wan Tan Mee stall seemed to open early, as I'd seen them selling during the day too. It had a few, but high, Google ratings, so I decided this was the place for our Wan Tan Mee fix.

Wan Tan Mee comes in two styles: soup or dry (stir-fried), and there are two sizes, priced at 7 Malaysian Ringgit (about ~$2 USD) and 9 Malaysian Ringgit (about ~$2 USD).

We went for the larger size, at 9 Malaysian Ringgit.

Even the large size, at around $2 USD, is incredibly affordable – you really can't beat the value here!

When ordering for takeout, they cleverly pack the soup in one plastic bag and the noodles with toppings like dumplings in another. This keeps everything fresh until you're ready to eat.

Just a heads-up: if you're taking it to go, make sure you have a bowl at your accommodation to assemble your delicious meal!

Back at the room, I transferred it to a bowl.

It came with delightful dumplings, fish cakes, tender meat, and fresh bok choy. The noodles had clumped together a bit during the journey, but a gentle stir in the hot soup quickly loosened them up.

The broth was a clear, savory meat broth, and the noodles had a lovely springy texture, making for a truly satisfying noodle dish. I imagine it would be even more amazing eaten fresh right at the stall!

Char Kuey Teow - 10 Malaysian Ringgit (about ~$2 USD)

The last dish we picked was Char Kuey Teow.

You really can't go wrong with stir-fried noodles, right? This dish features flat rice noodles stir-fried over high heat with soy sauce and other seasonings.

When I ordered, they asked about the spice level, so I requested it to be mildly spicy.

Watching them cook it right there, I noticed they added so many ingredients! Shrimp, bean sprouts, eggs, chives – it all went into the wok, along with what seemed like a mix of different sauces.

It had a flavor profile similar to Pad Thai, but perhaps a bit milder. Stir-fried noodles are always a winner in my book – truly delicious!

Final Thoughts

Gurney Drive Hawker Center is an excellent spot to soak in the local atmosphere and savor authentic Malaysian flavors.

However, it's worth noting that George Town city center also boasts several fantastic hawker centers. So, unless you're specifically in the Gurney Drive area, you might not need to make a special trip just for this one.

And, as with most night markets, if hygiene is a major concern for you, you might prefer dining at a shopping mall food court or a more upscale restaurant.

That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of trying local food at such great value. Since it's so close to my accommodation, I'm sure I'll be back for more delicious bites!

I hope my review helps you plan your own delightful culinary journey in Penang! ❤️