The Best Dessert Spots in George Town (Penang)
Penang's most refreshing treats!
When it comes to desserts in the heart of George Town, many people will jump straight to cendol but there is really a plethora of tasty sweet treats to satisfy your cravings around town. From delicate ice cream to hyper-realistic cakes, Penang is bursting with unique dessert experiences, perfect for any day of the week, any hour of the day!
Here are some of our favorites from around the historic town.
1. Ais and Hani
Ais and Hani is a delightful ice cream cafe which specializes in tea flavored ice cream, specialty coffee and even alcoholic ice-cream. Non alcoholic flavors include red yeast rice (koji), cha yen and London fog (earl gray and oreos). They provide very large portions and the presentation of the ice cream is far from ordinary, with a variety of options like ‘Shipwreck’ and ‘Statue of Liberty’! (we wont ruin the surprise of what those are for you). Each flavor has its own taste, with all flavors feeling very light and relaxing to eat in the spacious, aesthetic and (of course) air-conned room. With over 80 homemade flavors, its a must-try!
The cafe is called Ais and Hani to represent, well, the ais and the coffee. So why Hani? The Hani people are a minority ethnic group in China, Laos and Vietnam, with most located within Yunnan. The coffee is grown in this region and a portion of the profits go back to supporting the Hani community, many of whom are living in very rural areas.
2. Le Dux Pattiserie
This cozy cafe is the perfect spot for a weekend hangout with friends and loved ones. They offer French deserts and inventive treats that look too good to eat. Some icons include the completely Instagram worthy ‘Poisoned Apple’ and the ‘Tiramisu in an Edible Cup’. Something nice about Le Dux Pattiserie is that every day, the range of pastries will be slightly different depending on what was prepared that day. So if you want something specific speak to the staff and come early to get it before it goes!
While most come for their range of deserts, their drinks are not to be ignored. Along with the classic coffee and teas they also offer various flavored coffees, matcha lattes and chocolate drinks for those eager for something new. The Lebuh Pantai cafe also offers Western breakfast plates so you can help yourself to some savory options as well, perfect if you are avoiding a sugar rush.
This cafe can definitely be a bit pricey but as it has very inventive and creative dishes, it is definitely worth checking out! Try not to go too late in the day to get the freshest treats.
3. Matcho Cafe
Matcho cafe is super fun. It’s the kind of place that belongs in a Pinterest board. Essentially, its a matcha themed cafe, selling unique drinks, cafes and best of all, the whole place is green and pink!
You can find drinks like matcha gula melaka and a tiramisu macchiato (yes, not every item is matcha). Their homemade desserts include a matcha crepe cake, matcha white chocolate cake and a decadent flourless chocolate mousse cake. As if that wasn’t enough, they even serve loaded mochi waffles, ice cream, mont blanc, stacked pancakes and even savory dishes such as avo toast and spaghetti carbonara. What’s not to love?
Well something to be aware of is the cafe is on the second floor of a building so if you require assistance using staircases, you should contact the cafe to see if they can support with that as there did not seem to be an elevator.
This cafe is the quintessential haven for matcha lovers and those who are bored of the typical cafes. it’s a fun place for coffee dates, meeting up with friends and taste testing new desserts. They have a large menu which will always make you have to make that tough decision on whether to go with your classic order or try a new drink or a freshly baked dessert!
4. 五味茶城 Wu Wei Tea
Another tea-centric ice cream cafe which deserves a mention is Wu Wei Tea, perfect for when you want the refreshing feeling of ice cream but the cozy flavors of tea. Flavors include Yunnan Pu Er, Matcha, kiwi Yakult and many more fragrant flavors. Even the color of the ice cream has very relaxing tones. Additionally, the portion sizes were really big so you definitely get your money’s worth.
On top of ice cream, they also serve hot tea and cold brews with a lot of the flavors you find in the ice cream, so if there is a flavor you like, you could even get it as a hot drink on days you aren’t feeling ice cream. Something amazing about this cafe is just how tea-centric it is. Sometimes places sell tea flavors but his one really specializes in it and is perfect for tea lovers of any type.
Wu Wei Tea is an ice cream parlor where tea comes first. You can tell flavor means a lot to them and it comes at no expense in portion sizes or texture. It is simply perfect ice cream.
5. Ice City Desserts 冰城糖水铺
This small but cute cafe sells refreshing desserts originating from Malaysia and Southern China such as douhua, tong shui, shaved ice and pandan jelly. It serves a range of desserts with one thing it common – they are all completely refreshing. The jelly is not too sweet and the portion size is very big – which is always appreciated!
From the aesthetic presentation to the flavorful dishes, Ice City Desserts is the place to be for refreshing desserts. It is a great place to go for Chinese-Malaysian desserts where you can have Durian shaved ice and traditional tong shui. Our favorite is the pandan jelly with mango peach gum just for the fun textures and flavors to wake you up on a humid day. One thing to note is they don’t really serve drinks so don’t expect any interesting drinks to accommodate your order.
This is the perfect spot for an evening treat or a morning wake up call. It is conveniently located and hosts a great range of classic dishes in a modern setting. Look out for a funny cat chilling nearby too!
George Town is a foodies heaven and desserts are definitely a part of that. There are many more places that we could mention but we narrowed it down to five of our favorites we keep going back to. From London fog ice cream to matcha tiramisu cakes, there is a lot to taste and enjoy. That is, if you have space after spending the whole day eating cendol and Nyonya kuis – which you can learn more about in our many articles on kuis here.