We have finally arrived at one of (read: the biggest) reasons we decided to visit Malaysia: Penang -- or more specifically, George Town, the city's capital. They (i.e., the Internet) say you can't call yourself a gastronaut unless you have spent some well deserved time stuffing your face and exceeding your daily caloric intake here. George Town was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008. Which means there are things to see (if you're into that kind of stuff) while you're en route to your next meal.

As if we weren't set on Penang already, we stumbled across the introduction to Penang in Lonely Planet's Malaysia guidebook.

"People come to George Town just to eat. Even if you thought you came here for another reason, your priorities might change dramatically once you start digging into the Indian, Chinese, Malay and various hybrid treats available. Days revolve around where and what to eat, and three meals a day starts to sounds depressingly scant."

The first thing you need to know and understand about Malaysian foods is that it is largely compromised of three ethnic groups: Indian, Chinese, and Malay.

Hawker Centers

Doesn't this look like the Malaysian version of the Jersey Shore boardwalk?

A majority of the delicious food we ate while in Malaysia and Singapore was located within Hawker Stalls/Centers. Hawker stalls are basically no-frill food courts that serve deliciously inexpensive food.

Hawker center seating is first come, first serve.

Top five hawker dishes

1. Char Koay Teow

Sorry all of my pictures are of half eaten food.

I don't think it would be an exaggeration to say we tried char kway teow at every hawker stall we visited. Char kway teow is a flat rice noodle dish flavored with bean sprouts, prawns, cockles, eggs, pork lard, chilli and the distinct flavor of a thousand-year old wok (I mean, only if you're legit).

3. Assam Laksa

When I was building out my "Where to Eat in Malaysia" spreadsheet, assam laksa was one of the dishes that repeatedly came up in my search. A lot of Internet reviews call this a "spicy-sour" fish broth -- I wasn't sure if it would be something I loved. If there was one place to try assam laksa in all of Malaysia the Internet repeatedly told me it was Penang so I gave it a try. If you love strong flavors and a runny nose this soup is for you!

4. Cendol

We all know looks can be deceiving. I know what you're thinking, "a cold green noodle, red bean dessert sounds disgusting." Yet, this is one of the most delicious things I have ever had in my life. Made from only five ingredients: shaved ice, a "splash" of condensed milk (mmhmm), coconut palm sugar, weird chewy noodles made of coconut milk and red beans. Don't be afraid -- be brave.