Penang seafood is a thriving scene in Penang. In fact, a great deal of the seafood restaurants in Penang have been around for generations!
And despite being next to the sea on all sides, seafood in Penang isn’t always affordable. With visitors from other states and the rest of the world driving up the prices (unintentionally, of course).
Keep an eye out for these restaurants that in our list of where to find the best seafood in Penang! A handful offer very competitive prices!
Table Of Contents:
- Da Shu Xia Seafood House
- Dehappy Seafood Restaurant
- Kristal Seafood
- Song River Seafood
- Crab & Lobster Seafood Oyster Bar
- Hai Wei Seafood Restaurant
- Oriental Red Seafood Market
- Foo Hiang Seafood @ Chia Yean Café
- Tai Tong Seafood Restaurant
- Hai Boey Seafood
- Medan Ikan Bakar Teluk Tempoyak
11 Best Seafood In Penang
1. Da Shu Xia Seafood House
Locals all know about Da Shu Xia Seafood House and its Chinese-style seafood dishes.
They have many ways of cooking their fresh seafood like steaming, baked, deep frying or in a spicy curry!
Coconut Tomyam Prawns At Da Shu Xia Seafood House – photo credits to blowsvivian (Instagram)
The straw hanging from the roof and open-air concept makes it appear more like a beach shack!
And there’s a boat at the back with a dining table inside for the kids to get excited about!
Boat At Da Shu Xia Seafood House – photo credits to openhearttotheworld (Instagram)
Customers can choose the seafood they want directly from ice trays or tanks! Service is brisk and you will not have to wait long after you make your order!
What to order:
- Steamed clams with chili
- Soft shell crab with salted egg yolk
- Prawns in coconut curry
- Deep fried squid
Location: 177C, Lebuh Victoria, George Town, 10300 George Town, Penang Island
Opening Hours: Daily from 11am to 9:30pm (Closed On Wednesdays)
Contact: +6012-474 5566!
2. Dehappy Seafood Restaurant
Popular with tourists for its location and friendly staff who speak English, Dehappy Seafood Restaurant serves Chinese-style cooking too!
Plus, you can order beer and other alcoholic drinks!
Chili Crab At Dehappy Seafood Restaurant – photo credits to adrisudomo (Instagram)
The restaurant is spacious and clean with a choice of covered seating and outdoor seating. You can see what’s available from the many aquariums lined up along the wall!
And as a bonus, you don’t have to fret about parking as parking is free for customers!
Location: 58, Jalan Macalister, 10400 George Town, Penang Island
Opening Hours: Daily from 4 to 10pm
Contact: +604-227 7809
3. Kristal Seafood
Don’t like crowded spaces? Then you can try the traditional home-cooked Chinese food at this simple no-frills restaurant.
Steamed Fish At Kristal Seafood – photo credits to merykezia1234 (Instagram)
Prices are reasonable and they can make a tasty fish head curry and Marmite chicken/ pork! And you can try their prawns fried with a coating of Nestum too!
Marmite Pork At Kedai Kopi Kristal Seafood – photo credits to easteryeoh (Instagram)
It helps to know some Chinese when it comes to ordering!
Location: 224-B, Jalan Burma, 10350 George Town, Penang Island
Opening Hours: Daily from 5:30pm to 1am
Contact: +604-227 2218
4. Song River Seafood
Brave the heat for steamed fish! Which is the specialty at Song River Seafood, a typical open-air hawker centre under a metal roof at Gurney Drive.
You can order a few types of fish for the Steamed Fish Bee Hun dish and the price will vary accordingly.
Signature Steamed Fish Bee Hoon At Song River Gurney Drive Penang – photo credits to sharonyoon25 (Instagram)
The plain dressing of soy sauce, scallion and garlic brings out the sweetness of the fresh fish!
Other seafood dishes to try are the fried jim cho (crab) and heh cho (prawn)!
Location: Persiaran Gurney, 10250 George Town
Opening Hours: Daily from 6 to 9pm
5. Crab & Lobster Seafood Oyster Bar
Here’s a place that does seafood in a wholly unexpected way:
Cajun or American style! Which means the crabs and lobsters are boiled. And you eat them with your hands, together with the house spicy sauce! Or garlic butter and cheese! They have oysters too!
Crab And Lobster Seafood Oyster Straits Quay, Penang – photo credits to lamyeeleong (Instagram)
For locals, this may seem too expensive for the lackluster food preparation.
However, they do have sets that come together with clams, sausages, prawns, corn on cob, and potatoes!
Note:
- Impressive beer selection
- They have Alaskan crabs
- Dinner reservations might be necessary
Location: Seri Tanjung Pinang, Tanjung Tokong, Penang
Opening Hours: Daily from 11am to 8pm
Contact: +604-899 2828
6. Hai Wei Seafood Restaurant
Old name, new place! Hai Wei Seafood Restaurant has the usual Chinese-style ala carte menu with some uncommon delicacies like sea cucumber.
However, what stands out is their claypot rice with baked mud crabs and a dash of salted egg yolk!
Claypot Rice With Baked Mud Crabs At Hai Wei Seafood Restaurant – photo credits to steftkh.loves (Instagram)
And if you like Cincalok (pungent smelling fermented chili paste made from shrimp), order their cincalok squid!
Location: Lot 10-B-03 Precinct, 10, Jalan Tanjong Tokong, 10470, Penang
Opening Hours: Daily from 11:30am to 2:30pm & 5:30 to 10pm (Closed On Wednesdays)
Contact: +604-890 1813
7. Oriental Red Seafood Market
A huge supermarket for premium imported goods air-flown from all over the world:
- Japanese and Korea snacks
- Japanese alcohol and others like wine, brandy, whiskey and beer
- Frozen and live seafood like Alaskan crabs, Hokkaido crabs, abalones, prawns, scallops, sea urchins, oysters and lobsters
- Black Angus beef , lamb, ham, Iberico pork and sausages
Seafood Porridge At Oriental Red Seafood Market In Penang – photo credits to nellylau_me.n.makeup (Instagram)
The best part? There’s a Japanese chef at the restaurant within the supermarket who will cook all that meat for you!
Even prepare sashimi! The Nabe (Japanese hot pot) has no extra charge!
Location: No 28, Jalan Perusahaan Jelutong 2, Fortune Park, 11600 Jelutong, Penang Island
Opening Hours: Daily from 12pm to 12am
Contact: +604-283 3363
8. Foo Hiang Seafood @ Chia Yean Café
Across from Sungai Nibong Bus Station, this unassuming stall is a regular chu char for affordable home-cooked Chinese meals!
Steamed Fish At Foo Hiang Seafood – photo credits to adrian_chuah (Instagram)
Star dishes include:
- Fish curry
- Kangkung fried with sambal
- Fried squid
- Pork belly with ham
It’s usually full of people during dinner time! You need to go as early as 5pm or 5:30pm to beat the crowds!
Location: 2A, Jalan Pantai Jerjak 11, Taman Pantai Jerjak, 11700 Gelugor, Penang Island
Opening Hours: Daily from 5 to 10:30pm (Closed On Mondays)
Contact: +604-283 3363
9. Tai Tong Seafood Restaurant
While it looks like every other seafood restaurant, Tai Tong Seafood Restaurant has the benefit of having a fishing village for a neighbor! And it’s halal!
Seafood Spread At Tai Tong Seafood Restaurant In Penang – photo credits to iseeiwant.food (Instagram)
Recommended dishes:
- Sweet chili crab
- Fried squid
- Curry prawns
- Steamed grouper fish
- Claypot tofu
You may want to make a booking ahead if you have a large group!
Location: 4, Jalan Hassan Abas, Teluk Bahang, 11050 Tanjung Bungah, Penang Island
Opening Hours: Daily from 12 to 10:30pm (Closed On Tuesdays)
Contact: +604-885 1693
10. Hai Boey Seafood (海尾海鲜)
You’ll get to dine on fresh seafood by the beach at Hai Boey Seafood! They even have a small playground in the sand!
Romantic Sea View From Hai Boey Seafood – photo credits to jengshi (Instagram)
It’s about 30-45 minutes’ drive from town so you won’t see many tourists. Every Saturday evening sees a full house in this alfresco-dining venue with the sea breeze blowing in!
Blanched Baby Octopus At Hai Boey Seafood Restaurant In Penang – photo credits to kennysim7 (Instagram)
Dishes you can try:
- Blanched baby octopus
- Thai-style clams (lala)
- Steamed fish
Clams (Lala) At Hai Boey Seafood Restaurant In Penang – photo credits to kennysim7 (Instagram)
Location: MK 9, 29, Jalan Pasir Belanda, Teluk Kumbar, 11920 Bayan Lepas, Penang Island
Opening Hours: Daily from 11:30am to 2:30pm & 6 to 10:30pm
Contact: +604-649 3746
11. Medan Ikan Bakar Teluk Tempoyak
For Malay-style grilled fish, head on over to Medan Ikan Bakar Teluk Tempoyak hawker centre. Look for the ikan bakar stall run by Adnan bin Hassan!
Ikan Bakar At Medan Ikan Bakar Teluk Tempoyak – photo credits to kathy_shah (Instagram)
Try the fried squid or sotong goreng tepung too!
There is no air-conditioning or fine ambiance here but you can see the sea and the second Penang bridge!
View Of The Second Penang Bridge From Medan Ikan Bakar Teluk Tempoyak – photo credits to azhar_ul_amin (Instagram)
Location: Jalan Teluk Tempoyak, Kampung Teluk Tempoyak Besar, 11960 Bayan Lepas, Penang Island
Opening Hours: Daily from 6 to 11pm (Closed On Mondays)
Read more: 13 Best Restaurants In Penang
Getting To Good Seafood Restaurant In Penang
If you can’t seem to choose one of these seafood restaurants in Penang:
Let our knowledgeable local guides take you to their go-to seafood haunts instead! The perfect way to end your private day tour with RayTheTour!
More reasons to book with us:
- Comfortable and spacious transport via MPVs or vans
- Guides that can speak English or Chinese
- Fully flexible tour schedule – you can even customize your own!
- Hotel pick up and drop off on the same day as your tour
- We have tours in Ipoh, Taiping and Cameron Highlands too!
Further reading:
Conclusion
Penang seafood restaurants are dime a dozen. Be it hawker centres, or family-run stalls and restaurants.
The majority showcase Chinese-cuisine. Although some places have unique types of seafood. Including imported seafood!
To break up the monotony, we have a few places in this list of best seafood restaurants in Penang that do branch away from the status quo!
