As a native Malaccan, if I’m hungry after 10.30 p.m., I’d think twice about going out to hunt for food stalls because I know 90% of them would be closed, 5% would be too far from my home while another 5% would be mamak stalls (which personally, I’m not a fan of). I would just make instant Maggi-in-a-cup or drink Milo, AKA Malaysians’ magical hunger-curb.

When I went to Penang a while back, my cousins really gave me a culture-shock by bringing my brothers and me out for “supper”. I initially thought that they were joking but they were serious because we didn’t have dinner that night and we were all starving. I thought to myself, “It’s midnight. Where are we going to get food at 12 in the morning?!” Boy, was I wrong. Lots of people come out late at night looking for food apparently, as the stalls and restaurants were lively with crowds of friends, family and couples. You’d think people would have been tucked in bed already.

Here are 5 of the places open after hours where I genuinely enjoyed the food. This list is in no particular order.

1. Nasi Dalcha Kassim Mustafa

Honestly, this restaurant is my all-time favourite. Every time I visit Penang, I never miss the chance to get their nasi kandar. Usually, the servers will ask you if you want to mix the gravy or not. Heed my advice and mix the gravy because the burst of flavor from the mixture of gravy is unexplainable. You need to try it to know what I mean. Besides that, the rice is super soft and tastes heavenly. Take it from someone who doesn’t really enjoy mamak food. Even at 12.30 a.m., this place is bustling with people. Their milo ais is my kryptonite, not too milky and not too thick.

2. Original Penang Kayu Nasi Kandar, Bukit Jambul

Yet another mamak kiosk, this shop has its own franchise in various locations around KL and Selangor, but they started out here, as so the name states. I’ve never actually tried the nasi kandar here but hey, their dhal is dhal-licious (okay, I’ll stop). They’re open 24/7 and I sometimes go there to get breakfast because my morning cravings in Penang are roti banjir and milo ais from Kayu, just ask my parents! The drinks here are – as my brother says – ‘diabetes in a glass’, very sweet but very kaw.

3. Super Tanker Food Court

This is a place with lots of hawker stalls and you can find a variety of food here, the most famous being the Chinese pancakes. I didn’t get the opportunity to try it as there was a long queue when I went there, but I bet they taste nice, seeing the people queue up like that. It was here that I discovered the existence of nyonya otak-otak, which in case you don’t know, is like your normal otak-otak but it’s bigger and has a unique, nyonya food taste to it (refer to the picture above). I thoroughly enjoyed it, although I couldn’t finish the two my father had bought, thinking it would be the size of a normal otak-otak. I LOVE the fruit juices here as they are fresh and not too sweet. Truly, I’ve never tasted fruit juices like them in Melaka.

4. Sungai Pinang Food Court Paradise

As the name suggests, it is a paradise, for food lovers like me, at least. They have almost everything here. Hot dogs, char kuey tiaw, nyonya otak-otak; you name it and they would have it. I love the ikan bakar and BBQ lala (which I wished would never leave my mouth because YUM!) and I would highly recommend both of these to anyone with a deep appreciation for seafood, like me. Of course, it’s a food court where you can find different hawker stalls in every corner but the loud and busy ambience is not for everyone. Just a heads-up: you might need to sacrifice your firstborn to get a parking spot here.

5. Gurney Drive Hawker Centre

C’mon. Can you say you went to Penang Island without setting foot in Gurney Drive? This hawker center is almost always filled with hungry customers, even in the wee hours of the morning. Honestly, I haven’t really tried everything here but from what I’ve tasted, the ikan bakar is delectable (I just really love ikan bakar, okay?) and the fried oyster is tasty (just dip it in the sauce that comes with it and you’ll be surprised). This place might be a tad bit unpleasant if you’re someone who isn’t a fan of crowds, like me, because the limited space there means we have to sit quite close together like sardines, but for the food, it’s worth it.

The Pearl of the Orient, Penang Island is said to be the food lover’s paradise and I couldn’t agree more. Might I add that the views expressed here are solely mine and our tastebuds might not be the same. From my observation, I can tell you this; in Penang, it’s much, MUCH easier to get food after 11 p.m. compared to in Melaka. Most of these places close at around 1 to 2 a.m. so, don’t say I didn’t warn you.