Cooking Class Prices in Penang 2026: Six Nyonya and Hawker Classes, from RM150

Run by Nazlina Hussin, a Penang cook who has taught visitors for years, and the only school here with three class lengths. The morning class (Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, 8am to 1pm) includes a market tour and breakfast and costs RM330 nett an adult, RM170 for a child under 12. The afternoon class (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, 2.30pm to 6.30pm) keeps the market tour and costs RM290 or RM150 for a child. The evening express class (Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 5pm to 7pm) drops the tour and costs RM150 or RM80. You cook about three dishes from scratch, such as nasi lemak, rendang, roti canai, char koay teow or laksa. Her price page says these rates are valid until 31 December 2026. Payment is in full up front by Wise, Revolut or DuitNow; she does not take cards or PayPal. Prices of RM280 and RM150 on booking sites and old blogs are out of date.

Image: Nazlina Spice Station

The cooking school inside Tropical Spice Garden on Jalan Teluk Bahang, past Batu Ferringhi on the island's north coast. Instead of a market, the class starts with a guided walk through the garden's herbs and spices, then a hands-on class at your own cooking station (up to 10 people), then lunch, with recipes to take home. Its booking page lists RM280 an adult (13 and up) and RM150 a child aged 4 to 12. Read the rules, though: children aged 7 and under are not allowed into the cooking school, children 8 to 12 must come with an adult, and 13 to 18 pay the adult rate. Classes start at 9am and the menu rotates weekly across Nyonya, Malay, Indian, Thai and Asian vegetarian; you confirm the week's dishes by WhatsApp. Tickets are non-refundable and cannot be cancelled. The RM220 to RM260 prices still quoted in older guides are out of date.

Image: Tropical Spice Garden

The private option: every booking is your own group of one to eight people. The price is from RM350 a person, with a minimum of RM700 a slot, so a solo cook pays RM700 and a couple pays the same. A class runs four to five hours and starts at 7am or 12pm. Morning groups walk Ayer Itam market and afternoon groups Batu Lanchang market, then eat breakfast or lunch at a kopitiam before cooking at a sea-view studio. You choose three dishes from about 80 Malay, Nyonya, Straits Chinese, mamak and hawker recipes plus kuih, and a fourth dish costs RM80 more (the page does not say whether per person or per booking). Vegan and vegetarian versions are offered. Some menu dishes use pork, such as char siew and ngo hiang, so Muslim guests should pick from the halal-friendly dishes and ask. Children over 4 can cook with an adult, and a nanny for ages 0 to 8 costs RM160. Pickup is within the George Town heritage zone only.

Image: Cooking with Chef Samuel

A newer class in Balik Pulau, the island's quieter west side, about 30 to 45 minutes' drive from George Town. The morning market-to-table class (10am to 2pm) starts with the Balik Pulau market and offers four menus, such as nasi lemak with char koay teow, or nasi lemuni with beef rendang. The afternoon class (3pm to 6pm) skips the market and teaches roti jala with curry, fried mee, kuih ketayap and teh tarik. Groups are two to 10 people with one chef for every five. Its own site shows a direct-booking price: morning RM300 an adult (from RM330) and RM180 a child aged 5 to 12 (from RM200); afternoon RM250 (from RM280) and RM150 (from RM180). Vegetarian and vegan swaps are available. The menus are Malay with no pork, but the site does not mention halal certification. Its website went live in late 2026, so it has fewer reviews than the older schools here.

Image: Cook In Penang

A Nyonya-focused school run by The Heritage Artisans, and the one that prices each class by what you cook. The Nasi Lemak Set is RM340 a person, the Classic Penang Nyonya class (rendang, gulai kay and otak-otak) RM360, and the Street Food class (char koay teow and asam laksa) RM380. Classes start at 9am at the Chowrasta Market bus stop on Jalan Penang for a market walk, then move by transport to the kitchen at 1-Stop Midlands Park Centre on Jalan Burma, three to four hours in all. Groups are usually under eight. The price covers ingredients, printed English recipes, free-flow drinks and lunch, and vegetarian or allergy-friendly menus are available on request. It takes a 10% deposit by Wise or PayPal and gives a full refund if you cancel at least three days ahead, the most flexible terms on this list. No child rate is published.

Image: Nyonya Su Pei Cooking School

A well-reviewed class that meets at Chowrasta Market (Lot 124, Jalan Penang) but has no website of its own, so you book it through travel sites. On 10 November 2026 its Expedia Malaysia listing showed RM382 an adult including taxes and fees, with free cancellation. The morning session starts at 8am and runs four to five hours, with a market tour, breakfast and the cooking class; menus include Nyonya, Malay, Indian and hawker dishes depending on the day you book. An afternoon class at 1.30pm runs four hours without the market. It is the dearest group class on this list, and its price moves with each booking site and exchange rate, so compare a couple of sites before you pay. We could not confirm an official social media account for the class.