PENANG STORIES

While there are already a plethora of flavours in existence in Penang that will make your taste buds giddy with happiness, cater to even the most finicky of eaters and satiate any sort of craving, a rapidly growing population of vegetarians is causing a mushrooming of eateries serving meat-free dishes that are popular even among those with carnivorous tendencies. Here are a handful of places you can go to for vegetarian food while visiting Penang island and mainland.

Annalakshmi Temple of Fine Arts
Run by volunteers and practising the pay-as-you-want policy for their buffet style Indian food at lunch time, you can expect curries, dhal, Indian flat bread, cooked vegetables and rice that possess comforting homemade flavours. During dinner time, their menu is switched to a la carte. This is also a non-profit organisation that promotes arts and culture to the community.
Where: 1 Babington Avenue just off Barack Road, close to Island Hospital.
Operating Hours: Daily from 7.30am to 2.30pm and 6pm to 9.30pm. Closed on Monday.

Evergreen Vegetarian House
If you’re looking for choices, hit this place because they offer a myriad Chinese dishes from noodles, mock meat, vegetables and tofu cooked in every possible way, dumplings and more. You’ll be spoilt for choice. A good spot for breakfast too.
Where: 39A Cantonment Road in Pulau Tikus.
Operating Hours: Daily from 8am to 7.30pm.


Lily’s Vegetarian Kitchen

They serve Nyonya, Chinese and western favourites consisting of mock meat, mainly organic vegetables and tofu. A bowl of their curry laksa preceded by popiah will right any wrong in your day. This restaurant is air-conditioned and a stone’s throw away from Luk Yea Yan vegetarian restaurant. It’s a good spot for breakfast too.
Where: 98 Noble House on Lorong Madras.
Operating Hours: Daily from 8am to 7.45pm. Closed on Monday.

Woodlands Vegetarian Restaurant

Besides their comfortable setting, like a majority of places in Penang’s Little India, this place serves typical south Indian food. Alongside curries to go with rice, there are a few sorts of poori and thosai suitable for a lighter meal too.
Where: 60 Penang Street at Little India in George Town.
Operating Hours: Daily 8.30am to 9.30pm.


Thali-NR Sweets Café 
This one may be a little hole-in-the-wall but it has a rather large choice of Indian food such as thali or rice with a variety of curries and vegetables. After 11am plus, there are over 20 other dishes to choose from on their menu. Indian roti, poori and such can be expected here as well as vadai that you dip into spicy but creamy coconut chutney. Give their Indian sweets counter a peek, you’ll be tempted.
Where: 75 Penang Street at Little india in George Town.
Operating Hours: Daily from 8.30am to 9.30pm.


Idealite @ Moulmein
Promising dishes that are MSG-free and mostly organic, this place is within a shopping mall in Bayan Lepas, as well as Gurney Drive. Offering mainly Asian dishes, their chee cheong fun is quite good and on a local note, so is their nasi lemak. They serve a variety of noodles and green curry as well.
Where: 66, Jalan Moulmein, Pulau Tikus, 10350 George Town, Pulau Pinang.
Operating Hours: Daily from 9.00am to 8.30pm.


Pinxin Vegan Cuisine 
Where: 38, Lebuh Tye Sin, 10300 George Town, Pulau Pinang.
Operating Hours: 11.00am to 8.30pm. Closed on Tuesday

W Life Café
Where: 2, Gat Lebuh Gereja, George Town, 10300 George Town, Pulau Pinang.
Operating Hours: 10.00am to 5.00pm. Closed on Sunday 

Preeti's Farsan Vegetarian & Vegan
Where: Lebuh Gereja, George Town, 10200 George Town, Pulau Pinang.
Operating Hours 11.30am to 10.00pm. Closed on Wednesday

Kafe The Leaf Healthy House
Where: 5, Lebuh Penang, George Town, 10200 George Town, Pulau Pinang.
Operating Hours: 10:30am to 9.00pm. Closed on Wednesday 

Six Spring Vegetarian Café
Where: No 75, Gurney Dr, 10250 George Town, Penang.
Operating Hours 8.00am to 8.00pm

Zen Xin Vgetarian
Where: 42, Jalan Nagor, 10050 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Operating Hours 11.00am to 2.00pm, 5.15pm to 9.00pm. Closed on Monday