Tek Sen Restaurant, Penang

The double-roasted pork is heaven — sliced roast pork fried in char siew sauce until sticky and sweet, paired with chilli padi on the side. We also ordered the mango kerabu and claypot yam rice. Four dishes between two of us for RM37. Everything cooked to order over high flames. Arrive 15 minutes before the 5:30 pm dinner opening to get your name on the list.

Tek Sen is more restaurant than hawker stall, but the streetside plastic furniture and per-dish pricing keep it firmly in hawker territory. The double roast pork is the dish every table orders and it sells out fast — go at lunch if you want to guarantee it. The braised duck with yam was rich and tender. RM10-12 per dish, which is fantastic value for cooking this good.

Great chu char (cook and fry) restaurant on Lebuh Carnarvon. The claypot yam rice had a lovely crust at the bottom and the yam was creamy inside. Dinner queue started forming at 5:15 pm on a Saturday, and by 6 pm all tables were full. The double-roasted pork was already sold out when we ordered at 6:30 pm. Go early or order it first thing.

The pork belly here is exceptional — twice-cooked for a crispy outside and meltingly tender inside, glazed in a sweet-savoury char siew sauce. The mango kerabu was tangy and refreshing, a perfect contrast to the rich pork. Sharing three dishes between two people kept the bill under RM40. Closed Tuesdays. Located right in the heritage zone, easy to walk to.

Solid Chinese-style wok cooking at honest prices. We ordered the double-roasted pork, mixed vegetables and fried squid — all cooked to order and served quickly. The lunch session from 11:30 am to 2 pm is less hectic than dinner. The restaurant runs two sessions with a gap in between, so plan accordingly. Each dish RM10-12. Cash accepted, cards at some terminals.