Ramen noodle dishes such as tan tan men (whole-wheat egg noodles and spicy miso with pork and spicy homemade sausage), dumplings and hot tapas (locals line up for the duck-fat fried chicken) are local favorites.

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Fortunately four to five meals per day of char kwey tiaw (fried noodles in soy sauce with egg and various additions), asam laksa (Penang's famous, indescribably good curry noodle soup), rojak (fruit and veggie salad in a sweet dark shrimp paste) and much, much more, goes down a lot easier than heavier Western foods.

BBC: Finding a favourite hawker stall in Penang

As they get older they branch out, and foodies are on the lookout for the places that add a twist to old flavours, like making a particularly crispy oyster omelette (an egg omelette with tender fresh oysters) or using eel balls instead of fish balls in their wonton mee (noodle and wonton soup).

BBC: Finding a favourite hawker stall in Penang