It is prudent to leave your stomach with a little bit of room for some of Penang’s famous desert or snacks – before or after a meal.

Ais Kacang
The mother of all Malaysian dessert, it is also known as “ABC Ais”. Ais kacang literally translated means “Iced beans”, but it contains more than that. Ais Kacang is a mixture of shaved ice with red and brown syrup over red beans, jelly, sweet corn, “attap chi” and evaporated milk. Ice cream is an additional ingredient available upon request. Super stuff from RM1:50 per bowl.

For the best ais kacang in town (in no particular order): Hawker stall at Swatow Lane and Lorong Selamat in the afternoons.

Cendol
Cendol is a favourite desert among locals. It is easily identified: green pandan flavoured noodles in white coconut milk with brown sugar. Sweet heavenly stuff – super cheap and ultra good. Costs between RM0.80 to RM1.50 per bowl.

For the best cendol in town (in no particular order): Hawer stall at a lane off Penang Road; eating outlet at Midlands One-Stop Centre and Lorong Selamat coffee shop.

Rojak
Fruit and vegetable salad consisting of cucumber, pineapple, nutmeg, unripe mango, cuttlefish and jambu air, mixed in a potent sauce of prawn paste, chilli, belacan and crushed ground nuts. A healthy alternative for RM1.50 to RM3.50 per plate.

See Kor Th'ng
Dessert of fruits and jellies in syrup served hot or cold. Costs from RM0.80 per bowl. Try the Gurney Drive hawker centre in the evenings.

Sotong Bakar
Thin strips of grilled squid taken with sweet and spicy sauce. A fishy delight for RM4.00 to RM6.00 per serving. For the best sotong bakar in town: Hawker stalls at Gurney Drive.

Other Goodies
Don't miss the opportunity to savour other specialities such as apom (Indian pancake cooked in a claypot); bubur cha cha (sweet dessert made from steamed sweet potatoes, yam, white beans, tapioca jelly in coconut milk); cheh thau (a sweet porridge made from green peas); gandum (Indian pudding made from wholewheat, brown sugar and coconut milk); eu char koay (fried puff bread sticks); gadogado (malay vegetable salad topped with peanut sauce); ham chin peng (deep fries snack food made from sweet and salty dough, sometimes filled with red bean paste or glutinous rice); mua chee (made from steamed glutinous rice flour, chopped into small pieces and rolled in ground peanuts, sugat and roasted sesame seeds); pie tee ("top hats" small deep fried paster shell filled with pohpiah filling); goreng pisang (deep fried battered banana); poh piah (nyonya spring roll filled with cooked shredded turnip, beans, chopped prawns and soyabean curd); and putu piring (brown sugar and rice flour cake cooked by steaming and eaten with grated coconut).

Local Fruits
There is nothing quite like a plate brimming over with freah sliced fruits, packed around with ice, to end any meal in Penang. It's also a good chance to experience with the huge variety of tropical fruits found here. You'll find fresh fruit stalls at virtually every food center, and if you want to buy some for sampling later, any wet market, supermarket or fruit stall will be happy to help you choose the pick of the crop. Local fruits to try include durian (an acquired taste), rambutan, starfruit, nangka (jack fruit), mangosteen, duku and chiku.

One way to try local fruit is in juice form. Most food centers offer freshly squeezed juices, including the standard orange and apple varieties. But for real treat, try starfruit, watermelon, and pineapple, or a mixed juice "cocktail".