The 10 Best Vegan Restaurants in George Town, Penang

If you eat and live vegan, Wholey Wonder is where you’ve got to be. Burgers, pizzas, smoothie bowls, rainbow cheesecake—they’ve got it all here. Plus, there’s a yoga studio upstairs if you feel like channeling your inner zen.

Featuring a variety of cuisines, including American, Mexican, and North Indian, this cafe is located on the bustling Armenian Street. It’s currently undergoing renovations but will reopen in July 2018. Stay tuned for their famous D’Fungi burger and carbonara pasta.

This simple, no-frills cafe features excellent Indian cuisine served up on a thali (round silver platter) at the heart of Little India. Other items like thosai (thin crepe-like pancake), samosas, naan, and pav bhaji (thick vegetable curry with soft bun) are also available. Prices are reasonable, and you can expect to spend less than RM15 ($3.80) for a good meal.

Who says you can’t eat sushi without raw fish? Enjoy your best-loved Japanese dishes without meat, poultry, or fish, and discover how ramen, tempura, and sushi rolls really don’t need animal flesh to tingle your senses.

Have your pick from over 30 dishes, including vegetable dumplings, stir-fried beansprouts, red bean paos, and soy-sauced tempeh. This vegetarian house is a self-service canteen-style establishment, which means that you’ll need to load up your own plate before paying at the counter.

Located in the trendy Nagore Square, this restaurant brings a traditional rustic-style vibe to Chinese vegetarian food. The mushroom dishes are to die for, particularly the Taiwanese-style monkey head mushrooms served up in a hot claypot, and the butter-fried mushrooms that are crispy-sweet on the outside and chewy on the inside. We can’t rave enough about this place.

This locals’ favorite is hidden on Kedah Road, where it may not be the most impressive looking from the outside, but the food sure is tasty on the inside. Chinese dishes and soups are available, as are Western staples like fish and chips.

The clean, minimalist space is a prelude to the clean, organic vegan food you’ll be having here. Their signature steamed dumplings are a must-try, as are their cold-pressed juices. Gluten-free and sugar-free options are also available (a rare deal in Penang). The space is relaxed, well-designed, and with plenty of natural light.

Located on Tye Sin Road, this place serves vegan burgers of every kind (tofu, mushroom, potato), do-it-yourself pita wrap sets, creamy soups, and even different kinds of Chinese porridge. If you’re drawing the strings on your purse, you might want to drop by for their value for money set menus between 12.00 p.m and 3.00 p.m.

With healthy, organic food at the heart of George Town, you won’t have any more excuses for poor eating habits on the road. Food here is a mixture of local and international, spanning the likes of spaghetti, creamy soups, healthy broths, and flavorful Nyonya classics like nasi ulam (herb rice). For dessert, the sago served with gula melaka (Malaccan palm sugar) is always a popular hit.