Penang
685 Washington St, Boston, MA, 02111
Penang Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Boston for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Boston for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Boston for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
685 Washington St
Boston, MA, 02111 - Phone (617) 451-6373
- Website https://www.penangmalaysian.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:30 am - 11
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : No
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Dogs Allowed : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
Categories
Chinese Cuisine
The popularity of Chinese food in America can be adjudicated by the appearance of China Town in many major cities in the United State of America. The popular trend of ordering or opting for Chinese take away food isn't unknown in America. Chinese take away food comes to rescue when you're too tired from work or too exhausted to cook. No one can resist the temptation of eating spicy noodles, shrimp, chicken, beef or pork cooked in the sweet and spicy sauce. The cooking method of authentic Chinese food is a lot different compared to what is served in America.
Generally, Chinese use dark meat small bones and organs to cook dishes but this changes when you are eating American-Chinese fusion food prepared using white boneless meat cooked with broccoli, carrots and onions. Back in China, the food is less spicy and oily as they favor steaming and braising method for cooking the most popular dishes. So, if you have a taste for authentic Chinese food, then try finding a real Chinese restaurant in the city. You can also try the most popular fusion Chinese food like Pecking Duck, Chicken Feet, Hot Pot, Shrimp Dumpling Soup, Mapo Tofu, Wontons, Chop Suey, Egg Rolls and not to forget Fortune Cookies.
There are not many restaurants in America serving authentic Chinese food. A little research on Restaurant Listings directory can help you locate the best Chinese restaurants in the city. Chinese cuisine is continuously evolving, and you can find a variety of dishes categorized as the food for lactose intolerant, gluten intolerant, vegan, vegetarian, and diabetic friendly. So, if you have a group of friends with different taste patterns, save the hassle and visit the nearest Chinese restaurant in your city.
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Anurag M.
Good food, family friendly location, . Wish we could've had the home made roti. Overall good stuff
(4)Carrie L.
I've grown accustomed to Penang and their awesome malaysian food growing up in NYC. I don't know if this is a chain restaurant but the Penang in Boston, sadly, is nothing like it. They do take care of the basic items pretty well. I don't have complaints about my roti canai or hainanese chicken. Given it's one of the few malaysian restaurants in Boston, it is what it is. But the noodle soup lacks flavor (most notably the fish head noodle soup. It's supposed to have an amazing aroma of sourness. It tasted plain here). I definitely come here only out of convenience or in need of a change from the normal chinatown eateries. It's not terrible, but not good either.
(3)A. D.
We shared the Claypot Mee. Yummy! Just the right amount for an afternoon snack. Very popular place, lots of families. The prices are good. We had drinks & soup for under $25.
(4)Alan W.
Unlike other Chinatown restaurants, this place has great customer service. Thank you Peggy for taking care of us!
(5)Bonnie C.
This place has downgraded over the past years. It was such a great restaurant back in the day (say, 5-6 years ago). I loved all the appetizers and dishes that they had. My favorite was definitely the red bean shake, the fried rice with salted fish, pineapple fried rice, and the Indian pancake. Unfortunately, when I came here for lunch today, I did not enjoy my red bean shake, nor my fried rice with salted fish. I've always finished my red bean shae when i came here back in the day, but I barely finished half of it. FORTUNATELY, the Indian pancake was still delicious as ever! I absolutely LOVE the curry! Giving this three stars because I am obsessed with the Indian pancake, and will definitely be coming back here for it, and it only.
(3)Q L.
Roti canai is a must have. Hainese chicken with coconut rice. I've ordered from here twice to my hotel. Delivery came much faster than expected. I've had this restaurant delivered 11 times in 3 weeks. Food is consistent , delivery is face, delivery person very nice.
(5)Summer H.
Generally, it is good. Never try the fried rice, terrible, so so terrible. But the Indian Bread is pretty good and some Malaysian flavor food is good too.
(3)Phillip P.
This is the place I bring all my friends and family if they've never been to Chinatown before. Yes, it's Malaysian food, but the setting of the place is nice. The smell when you walk in pulls you in more. The service not spectacular, but for most part, on par. I would give them a four a few years ago, but the amount and quality of their food though has gone down in the last few years. I feel as of the portions got smaller. I ordered the pineapple fried rice, instead of putting in pine apple chunks, we receive a lot of craisin pineapples. I ordered the mango chicken, there's a lot less chicken and mangoes from what I've seen many times before that. Maybe it was really busy for them, and they lost focus. I hope that they do read into this, I would like to bring more friends in here!
(2)Paul M.
BEWARE.....Fraudulent and unethical staff!! If paying by credit card make sure double check your credit card statement. Recently visited this place and paid the bill using a credit card. To my surprise when we received the credit card statement we noticed that these thieves added $8 to the tip amount. To the Penang owners, stealing from your customers??? Just wow. Called the credit card company to dispute the charge so you're not getting a dime more. Makes you wonder how many other customers they've attempted to steal from. What's next? Stealing customers purses and wallets? They must be desperate for cash. Wonder how long until these clowns shut the doors after going bankrupt.
(1)Joanna T.
Great food. The wait can be long sometimes. Make sure you try the indian pancake - it is really good! The hainanese chicken, golden fried squid, japanese tofu and the ABC dessert are good.
(4)Jessica O.
The food at Penang was truly spectacular, but one incident really upset me. Normally, I don't love a chain, but when I found out that this was one, and there was a location a hop, skip and a jump from my house, I practically danced on the table. Our Malaysian hostess ordered a variety of different dishes, an at fellow Yelper's urgings, I added the Roti Canai and Mango Chicken into the mix. Everything was a slam dunk, except for one of the chicken dishes. It came out ice cold and raw inside, and when we sent it back, it was served back to us on the same plate with everything in the exact same place that we left it, making us think that they just threw it in the microwave in a lame attempt to placate us. A few of my dining companions were brave enough to try it, but I was travelling on business and not willing to miss a day of meetings because of raw chicken consumption. The way that our server handled the situation was completely inappropriate, but I will give my local Penang a try, and hope that it was an isolated incident.
(3)Michelle C.
Sweet Jesus, the original Roti is back! and it was SOOOO good. Horrah!
(5)Mario D.
I was expecting a phenomenal meal given how crowded it was and I had to wait a fairly long time. To say I was underwhelmed and dissatisfied is an understatement. I ordered the masak lemak and the sauce and chicken had no flavor and not even the slightest hint of spice even though it was marked as spicy on the menu. The sauce was pasty and gummy - seemed as if it was over cooked and the fact the my food came out really quick was not comforting. The most enjoyable part of the meal was the plain white rice...
(1)Victoria T.
I was going to get Vietnamese as usual, but passed Penang and thought, why not? I've never had Malaysian food before. I was seated and immediately served a pot of jasmine tea, which was delicious. Somehow, it was a step above the usual complimentary tea. I ordered a fried noodle dish called Chow Kueh Teow, a popular Malaysian dish. It came pretty quickly and was very good. It was similar to pad Thai, but with a flavor similar to the Indonesian food I've had before. That should be no wonder, as Chow Kueh Teow is popular in Indonesia (and Brunei, and Singapore) as well. I just wished the portion was bigger, as I would have loved to take some extra with me. I finished the whole thing, and I'd say for $8.50 it was a fair price. Not inexpensive, but fair. The service here is very good. They're well-staffed, nice, and quick. I'd like to come again and try more dishes!
(5)Jiyea C.
Eh, it's okay. Not the worst meal I've ever had, but I'd rather eat elsewhere. Started with the roti canai, which was delicious, but the curry sauce it comes with was okay, as in I've had better. But I generally love this dish, so no real complaints. For entrees, we had the fried calamari and penang pad thai. The calamari was served warm and crunchy, so I guess it was done well, but I didn't find anything amazing about it. It had a good quantity of calamari with a bowl of rice and bell peppers. The penang pad thai was also solid, but maybe because I love penang curry. I found the noodles a little soggy and difficult to eat because they were so unnecessarily short! I don't know why it was served that way; each noodle was around 6 inches long...it would have been easier to eat this dish with a fork. I enjoyed the crunch of the sprouts in the dish, but noticed that the shrimp was sliiightly overcooked. For dessert we had this sweet porridge thing and peanut pancakes. The porridge was sweeter than usual (said my dining companion, who likes this place and comes here primarily for this dessert, apparently), and even the sweet tooth in me thought that the dish would have been better sans a bit of sugar. Peanut pancakes were disappointing. It just tasted very oily, which doesn't have to be the case just because it's pan fried. Also, I did not like how this place used corn kernels in the peanut filling. They're peanut pancakes, not peanut-and-crunchy-corn-kernel pancakes. I have had this dish before, and I was sorely disappointed. The huge portion did NOT make up for the lack of quality.
(3)Jeremy W.
A good Malaysian Cuisine restaurant. This place used to be #1 in my book, but slowly started lacking. What has stayed pretty consistent is their nan with curry. I really enjoy that, but everything else is okay.
(3)Wei Z.
We ordered fried rice and wonton mee. The rice is just ok and it's enough to be full. But the wonton mee tastes badly, it's not the real taste in China. Maybe other food is ok, but I don't wanna a try there.
(2)Anindita D.
Fantastic place . Loved all of their dishes . Always go back there . Their traditional roti and dessert is to die for . You must try it .
(5)Jamie L.
I ordered the sizzling seafood combination delight and it was amazing! I def over-ate. 7 hours after and I am still so full, btw I am able to eat a lot. So portion is right for the price, as well as quality. My boyfriend ordered the Beef Rendang. He loved it! I thought it was a bit dry but I am picky. The staff were helpful. They made sure to be of assistance but I think there is a language barrier which prevents them from speaking much since they took orders but did not reply to some of my comments. It was fine though. We still had a great experience. The only reason they have a four is because I do not know how authentic it is. It was my first time trying Malaysian food.
(4)Hannah R.
I super love this place, and for my own experience, it's five stars...but my companions are not always as pleased. The menu items are unique and-dare I say it-often exotic. If you order the right thing, I think you'll be very happy. If you order the wrong thing, you're not going to understand what the hype is over this place. Although there are always weekend crowds, I've rarely waited more than 15-20 minutes for a table. There's not much room in the waiting area, but you'll likely survive. I like to start with the roti appetizer. The bread is the best when it's crispy! We've tried the stuffed tofu before, and I'm not that into it. Even though I've found a bunch of items on the menu that I love, I've gotten to a point at Penang where I always order the same thing: the entree version of Curry Mee with Young Tau Foo. Two different kinds of noodles, bitter melon stuffed with fish paste, and the most delectable spicy green curry broth on the planet. The serving is really big, and I always bring a takeaway bag home with me after eating this dish. For around $8 a bowl, it's also ridiculously low priced for dinner. Other dishes I enjoy (and encourage companions to get so they won't walk away unhappy) are the Mee Siam noodles (not very spicy, very flavorful), the seafood Tom Yum, and the pineapple fried rice. There are some really fun drinks on the menu too; SO and I like splitting Taro shakes. You may not have room for everything!
(4)Daniel G.
I have no idea what I had as an appetizer I believe it was the chicken curry and it was delicious As a main course I had lobster with Turkish spices It wasn't the best meal I've had but it was okay As for the sake it was bottled, might as well just have bought it at the liquor store an placed it in my own microwave, they should at Least place it in a ceramic container like any other place that sells sake. Anyways overall the food was good.
(3)Gavin L.
The prawn mee and the belacan lady fingers with shrimp are good. Lobak's worth the money. Assam laksa is a disappointment - the fish broth is very light and doesn't look or taste authentic.
(4)Venkata D.
I have had better Malaysian food before. I think it is over rated. The place smells like fish . I think they can do better. Also not a very friendly staff.
(2)Vezna S.
I ate here a while back and am not just reviewing it. It was my birthday and my cousin took me here and overall, I enjoyed it. We had their soups, mixed seafood soup and it was delicious. Their service was great but the prices are a little high for me (though to be fair.. I wasn't paying because as I've stated it was my birthday). There's no parking but it's easily accessible from the Chinatown stop on the Orange Line.
(4)Veronica C.
Penang was great because most of my party arrived on time for our reservation, but we waited about 20 minutes for the rest of the gang, and the restaurant was still willing to let us sit and serve us some drinks and appetizers despite the restaurant being packed and us not knowing when we would order entrees. Once the whole group arrived, we quickly ordered a few of the roti canai, an oyster omelet, golden shrimp wrap. I can't remember all the entrees we ordered, but I definitely remember the kari asam, the lobster kapitan, and basil clam. The thai iced tea wasn't that great, but everything else I ate? Fantastic!
(4)Ambrose C.
I actually liked eating at this place. The first time I came here, I was out all evening with a Malaysian Chinese girl that I knew and she introduced me to some dishes several years ago. She also liked eating here as well, and thought they did a good job with her local dishes. I came back to this place recently, and I have ordered several dishes. This is probably the place that I was introduced to Nasi Lemak for the first time, and the girl that I know really liked it. I also really liked it. I also had it again during my 3rd visit to this place. Their regular dish has some boiled eggs, raw cucumbers, and curry chicken with a coconut flavor to it. This was also a really tasty dish, and probably a very enjoyable meal that's big enough to fill up the stomach of one person. The Chow Kueh Teow noodle dish is really good, probably the best version I had in Boston so far. This is a very popular noodle dish in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. It has eggs, bean sprouts and shrimp. It had plenty of spice, and one dish should be enough to fill the stomach of a really hungry person. Their Indian Roti Canai is also pretty tasty, but I thought it was a little small. It's passably big enough for 2 people to share. The chicken curry sauce they provided is pretty good as well. As for other dishes, my friend during my 3rd visit to this place wanted the Cantonese Chow Fun dish. This is a rice noodle dish doused in some sort of gravy with squid, shrimp, and chicken. I thought it was a decent dish, not high on my recommendations. Overall, this is probably my primary choice if I want Malaysian influenced Chinese food in Boston's Chinatown, particularly for the Chow Kueh Teow or for their Nasi Lemak dishes. This place might not serve the best Malaysian food you have ever eaten, but it is a good choice in Boston, since there are not many of these types of restaurants in this city that I can think of.
(4)Jody S.
Living in LA you get spoiled by all the different types of food...but I must admit, I still find it difficult to find tasty food from Malaysia. This place in Boston is my go-to place. It hasn't changed much since I last came about 5 years ago. Biggest tip is to go for the real Singapore dishes versus the Thai based stuff. Go for the: Baby oyster omelette: you will not be disappointed! Singapore rice noodles: this is equivalent to Pad Thai for Thai food. It's like a basic food to introduce newbies. Curry Mee with Young Tau Foo: go for the spicy curry broth...so yummy! Buddhist Yam Pot: fried yam shaped in a ring stuffed with veggies and cashews Skip: Spicy Thai Chicken: not so much flavor as expected Dishes are best for family style and are decent sized,...even the appetizers look like meals!
(4)Kevin A.
They have managed to keep up with the food quality. I like most of their dishes. I frequent about 2 to 3 times a year. Prices have gone up slightly but are justified. Can be a tourist trap. But again - everything in china town is.
(4)Angel S.
Fantastic place for the price and great quality. They have a great staff and obviously fresh ingredients. The menu is varied enough and faithful enough to it's cuisine.
(5)Joy L.
Considering all the Asian restaurants in Chinatown, this was OK. I am giving it a 2-star b/c of value, service, price and quality of food. For Malaysian food: there is not a competitor/ restaurant who specializes in Malay food in that area. I believe Penang is the only one; therefore this restaurant may do well for that reason. In addition to, I believe the inviting decor and signage may have provided that attraction, however, don't let that fool you (It fooled me!!) For what we ordered....the food was bland. If you like bland food, this is the place for you. If you like flavor and spiciness this isn't the place for you. I felt like our curry dishes lacked spice and flavor. Curry was bland and not spicy, even when we asked for extra/extra spicy..... I will attempt to check this place out in the near future& will provide an updated review then, that is if I ever come back.
(2)Aaron P.
Just ate here - so good! Service was quick and professional. Friend asked for some recommendations for a vegetarian meal and she went with the server's recommendation and loved it.
(5)Helen L.
Similar to the chains that they have in other states, the decor and the seating is much like the others. The service was great and they were friendly. They give you an entire pot of tea so you can fill it as much as you need to. I ordered my old goodies Roti Canai (crispy indian style pancake with curry chicken dipping sauce) which is always a fav. Hainanese Roast Chicken - asian style roasted chicken served with a tangy and spicy dipping sauce is also a long time fav.
(4)R S.
I grew up in Singapore and I loved the prawn mee/prawn noodles soup (i think they call it penang prawn in the menu?) here... that is, until the day i went there with a group of ~10 friends and one of my friends found a COCKROACH in her soup!! the restaurant DID NOT even offer to cancel her order. i never went back ever since. Also, the fried noodles dishes are considerably oily.
(1)James P.
Went to Penang on a Sunday night and the place was pretty packed. Service was pretty bad. Took a while for them to take our order. Once they did take our order we didn't seen anyone again until we got our food, got our check and got my credit card back after paying. I finished my small cup of water as soon as we sat down and it never got refilled. The food was ok. The haianese chicken was ok. We didn't finish our half chicken because we were going to order more rice to eat with it but no one ever came by again for us to ask. The Nasi Goreng was decent. The Roti Canai was good though. My friend had the Mango Shake which she said was pretty good. I don't plan on coming back here.
(2)David W.
This is certainly different from the rest of Chinatown and pretty authentic as well. Their chili sauce is the best I've found so far outside of Singapore/Malaysia. Try to order coconut rice early cause it always runs out. The dishes are a lot of smaller and pricier than eating at the restaurants down the street, but it's worth the exotic splurge every now and then.
(4)Matt P.
Excellent meal. Very subtle use of sauces and spices but it worked for me. Still flavorful and spicy but the dishes were not drowning. Maybe the departure from what people expect is why the ratings are low. Neat decor and a place I will definitely try to get to again.
(4)Swatee G.
I walked into this place with a lot of expectations for some reason. had just landed into Boston, met up with some of my favorite people ever and we were looking for a good place to eat. Malaysian sounded fun and Yelp said it was good! The fact that there seemed to be a lot of local Asian people at the place was certainly helpful. It always reinforces my belief that the place will have authentic food. Further research later showed that this place is actually a chain! (!) - penangusa.com/backup/arc… We started off with the Lychee drink, which was basically Lychee Juice off of a can.. and that's what it tasted like, out of a can! Loved the fact that it has a whole lychee in it though.. that was a nice touch. Like all other reviews, I will agree - The Roti kanai was really really yummy! I have no complains about it whatsoever! We ordered another appetizer (I forget what, but it never came out). Service, like a lot of other Asian places was kind of rude , impersonal and hurried. For our entree, we decided to go family style. We ordered the Chicken with Mango and the Red fish in Ginger sauce (it came with it;s head on - NOT what I had expected!) The Mango chicken was ok, not enough chicken, the mango used was a bit raw, but the sauce was very yummy and tangy The Fish was actually pretty decent. The sauce was yummy, the fish itself was cooked well - i stayed away from the head though. Rice was served family style and there was enough of it for 4 people. At almost 40 bucks a person for food and one drink (the fish was SUPER big and expensive), I was less than impressed. I am not likely to come back here specially. Also, I am not entirely sure if this place was authentic Malaysian! A lot of the items on their menu were definitely Chinese!
(3)Allen C.
Ordered Beef Rending, prawn noodles and Char Kway Yeow. Maybe the expectation is too high, but based on these, this place is just over-rated.
(2)Jennifer W.
I've gotten takeout from there once or twice but never sat down for a meal. Finally stopped by Sunday for lunch cause I was craving Hainanese Chicken Rice really badly. Penang is basically the only place in Boston that serves it so... It's really 3 1/2 stars but I'll round up for cleanliness of the restaurant (bathroom included! super clean bathroom for a Chinatown restaurant) & relatively friendly service We got... Roti Canai to start. I LOVE LOVE LOVE Roti Canai and Penangs is pretty good, wish they gave a little more of the sauce tho! Of course the Hainanese Chicken Rice, what I came for. The chicken is meh...a little dry, flavor is decent, the rice is good, the rice is why I love this dish anyway. Their chili garlic sauce is on point tho. Beef Rendang - so so good. I hadn't had this in a while and it was BF's first time having it but we both loved it. Super flavorful, not too greasy or salty. Will def be coming back for this. Sauteed Chinese Watercress - my favorite veg in the world. I asked for it just plainly sauteed, wasn't in the mood for shrimp paste. Fresh, clean, delicious. To sum it up, do I wish there was better quality Hainanese Chicken Rice in Boston? Of course! But if this is what I have within 5 blocks of my house, I'm not gonna complain.
(4)Deb B.
Everything was great, but the service. About 10 min., or so after sitting down one of the many waiters that we had asked us to move. I thought that was kind of rued; as we were comfortable(took our coats off), and conversing with the next table. It is a busy restaurant that brings out the food way too fast. This is my complaint; tithe food was great!
(3)Vivian C.
With the exception of a snack stop last year, it has been a while since I've been to Penang. My old favorites were the wonderful Home made Roti Canai (Indian Pancake) and the Yam Pot in one of its 2 proteined forms. As we were warned by our waiter, the Roti Canai $4.50 is no longer home made... the chef who used to prepare it has left the country. It was now a smaller Chinese supermarket product - two of these pancakes would have been preferable to match the quantity of the lost homemade version, and easier to share among the four of us. Other than that sad turn of events, everything else we ordered was acceptable both in taste and quantity: Chow Kueh Teow $8.50 (flat rice noodle) Hokkien Char Mee $8.50 (thick yellow noodle) House Special Fried Nasi Lemak $7.95 (coconut rice) I particularly enjoyed the coconut flavoring the rice dish because it differentiated the cuisine here from that of a Chinese restaurant. *** 5/2014 *** Rumor had it that they once again had a Roti chef in the house, so I had to investigate, and it was true!!! Be careful of the curry though, cause of the splintery bones you may make acquaintance with - but hey, it is chicken, what do you expect? The rest of lunch was: Seafood Scramble Egg Chow Fun $9.25 (pan fried flat noodles on light brown egg gravy sauce with squid, shrimp, scallops) Spareribs Malaysian Style $11.50 (marinated spareribs lightly fry with sauce on the side) Malaysian Buddhist $10 (mixed vegetable with bean curd skin & Chinese mushroom in Chef's special sauce) Hainanese Chicken (half) $10.75 (steamed chicken (with bone & skin on) with Chef's soy sauce) Steamed Coconut Flavoured Rice (Large $7) The vegetable dish was on the small side. There were enough ribs in the Sparerib plate for 1 each plus 1 (count 8). Yes, Malaysian plates are less generous than those of Chinese restaurants. But it was still a tasty meal, especially the coconut rice with either the juices and soy sauce from the chicken, or with the remaining curry sauce from the appetizer. $11pp.
(3)Safinah B.
I've come here a lot as a kid with my family but as a kid I was willing to eat anything so never quite knew if I really liked it or if I was eating for the sake of eating. I came here last night with my friend after a long day and we expected a long wait but it was only a five minute wait. Our waiter was really one of the best waiters I've had ANYWHERE. He expressed so much concern about allergies and orders and though I'm not allergic to anything, I do have preferences and he was so sincere about modifying my orders (yes I ate a lot) to my preference. He was very quick and knowledgeable and I'm so glad we got him as a waiter. My friend loves the Indian pancake with the curry. Seems everyone here does too. And for an appetizer, get the Achat! Not too heavy and filling and leaves room for entrees.
(5)Priscilla T.
I'm upping my star rating because I have now tried just about every dish on the menu and the last time I came here, I brought a group of 12 with me and the manager and staff were just AMAZING. Food first: + Hainanese chicken rice - smooth, juicy, tender chicken + fragrant rice + Beef kuey teow - I like how they use thinner rice noodles than typical chow ho fun + Nasi goreng - not half bad (coconut rice + crispy, savory toppings) + Chicken satay skewers - perfectly grilled, not at all dry! Service next: + All the staff are friendly and attentive + They don't bat an eye if you get a bit rowdy + We ordered a couple bottles of sake and the manager threw down an extra one on the house :) He likes to call it "Japanese tea." Heart.
(5)Lauretta L.
This was my first time trying Malaysian/Chinese food, so I can't speak to its authenticity, but I enjoyed our dishes. The Roti Canai was fun to eat, although they really should serve it with 2 pieces of roti. I'm a taro fanatic, so I loved the Buddhist Yam Pot. I would probably even love plain boiled taro. Anyway, my date said it used to be better, but I liked it! We also got the spicy sauteed squid, which was a bit too sweet for us. You definitely need to get rice to balance out the flavors. 1 fat star off for the incredibly slow service. It probably took over 30 minutes for someone to take our order, and then another 15 minutes (at least) to get our rice. If it wasn't for the good company, I'd probably have been a very sad and hungry Lauretta.
(3)McLaughlin P.
Only good for non-South-East Asian patrons because their food only looks good but is very mild on taste. Even Assam Laksa is so mild that it doesnt have its usual pungent aroma or the taste. Its very American (sweet and bland). It turns up as the only Malaysian restaurant in Yelp and in Chinatown, but can easily be avoided if you are looking for true Malaysian fare.
(2)Ali H.
I've been looking for a good satay long time ago, finally I found what I was looking for. Chicken and beef satay are amazing, the dipping sauce that comes with it is a blast. Beef rendang is really good too, I used to eat it in an Indonesian rest. Back home.
(4)Huey N.
I'm going to admit that I have not had much experience with malaysian food so I can't vouch for how it weighs against other restaurants, but I can say that I did like it. The food tasted like what I expected, a collision between thai and indian. The beef rendang was really tender and seasoned well with the coconut milk and lemon grass. The mee goreng were thick chowmein-like noodles tossed in a heavily spiced sauce. We also ordered a seafood cassarole which was basically shrimp and scallops tossed in typical asian veggies in a clay pot, pretty generic. The service was really quick and overall I thought the food was pretty good.
(4)K L.
Great authentic Malaysian food here. Penang offers food that is common in Malaysia but uncommon and difficult to find in the U.S. Great quality food, fun decorations make you feel like you're in the older part of Malaysia, good service, good prices.
(5)Annie N.
To be blunt, this was not my favorite place in Chinatown. The interior, all-wood/bamboo design mixed with the extreme temperature made this restaurant feel akin to a sauna. I understand the appeal of an open kitchen but something must be done to keep your guests from melting! The service was slow as molasses and left much to be desired. The food itself was average; nothing to write home about. Quite frankly, I struggle to find any redeeming qualities that would inspire me to return.
(2)C K.
Roti prata (2/5): roti was warm, but the curry on the side was between cold -- luke warm and slightly diluted. basil friend rice w/ shrimp (3.5/5): had about 4 shrimps; decent amount of seasoning penang curry w/ dried chicken (3/5): could be stronger; decent amount of chicken
(2)Alee G.
Penang is one of my favorite restaurants to go to in Chinatown. Malaysian food at its best! I order the same thing every time I go here - the ginger scallion duck with rice. I know, I should try something else, but when something is good, it's GOOD! Soooo, why not stick with it? I'm a HUGE fan of duck, so for all you duck lovers out there, if you haven't tried this dish, put it down on your list. You won't be disappointed, I promise. The atmosphere is also great. It's very spacious and the decor is natural with bamboo nicely incorporated in the design. The staff is friendly and helpful, and of all the times I've been there, I've never had to wait longer than 5 minutes for a seat (huge plus). 5 stars!
(5)Rina C.
If you are a clean freak don't come here. it's not very clean here. table feels really sticky both time when I came here. I like the mango slush with the bubble (bobba) even though the bobba is under cooked the slush itself is good. they actually used real mango in there. had the combo fried appetizer it's quite good. had four kinds of fried items. my favorite is what taste like chicken and taro roll. roti with egg and curry sauce. This is also good because the curry dipping actually has big pieces of chicken in there stir fried rice noodle with salty fish. this is slightly salty for me but I think it's because the salty fish. they also added shrimp and chicken in this dish. sizzling plate spicy beef is not good because it didn't came to the table "Sizzling". they just used the sizzling plate not really letting it cook on the plate. service is good food come quickly.
(4)Kari C.
The first time I came here, we ordered the Penang Pad Thai and the Satay Chicken for appetizers. The pad thai was great. Note, it was also spicy and I usually don't like spicy foods. However, the satay chicken sticks were not so great. Maybe it is because I personally don't really like Malaysian food all that much but it barely had any flavor besides a rather disgusting, sweet aftertaste. The peanut sauce that came with it was also very interesting. I was not pleased with it and kindly asked the waiter to bring it back to the kitchen. He did and did not charge it to our bill so that was a plus 1 star to this review. The service was average but it was also a busy Friday night so I can imagine it being a little hectic. I came here a second time with my girlfriends and we ordered this very thin flakey bread sheet thing with sauce, I think it was called roti canai, which was surprisingly good. Wish it came as a bigger portion though. We also ordered this plain chicken with a special soysauce which was very good too. I think it was called haianese chicken. It came with a very delicious rice that seemed buttery but with other things as well. We ordered an extra bowl of that. This is a great place if you're into Thai and Malaysian cuisine food but if you're not an exotic, adventurous foodie like me, it may not be the place for you. (Also, from what I see, this is not a place for your typical Chinese cuisine even though it lists as Chinese under categories.)
(4)Susan C.
The service isn't so great here, but the food is pretty good. I haven't been to Penang in a long time, so my friends and I decided to go there for dinner last night. Got there around 9:30pm-ish and were quickly seated. We ordered the Chicken Buddhist Yam Pot, the Squid in their Spicy Sauce, the coconut rice and the chicken rice. I always get the Yam Pot when I come here because I love taro and it comes in a fried taro bowl, it's basically a stir-fry dish served in a taro bowl. Still as good as I remember. The Spicy Squid was something new I tried at my friend's recommendation. I must say, I liked it a lot. It was light, spicy (but not overwhelmingly so) and savory. I definitely could have licked the dish clean. In terms of the service, it was awkward and we felt a little rushed at the end. They tried to take away our plates before my friend was done. I would say go for the food, but be wary of the service. Also, if you're going in a group and plan on splitting the bill, you should note that they have a $12 minimum for credit cards and you can only pay with 2 cards max. So if you have a group of 3 or more, some of you should plan on bringing cash.
(3)Lameer Y.
went there today again, didnt like that much. me and my wife ordered roti canai again, something didnt felt right, singapore rice noodles, there was 2 piece of shrimp..but the pineapple fried rice was pretty good, i even did ginger duck soup togo. Service was pretty attentive today may be they was not busy as usual. But i will go back again for sure. 4 weeks on a row. i love this restaurant.
(2)Alyssa W.
I don't frequent this place often, but when I do, I always order the Roti Canai appetizer, always delicious. Finger licking curried chicken dipping sauce with a crispy, chewy, perfectly prepared roti. YUM. Another must have, Hainanese Chicken with chicken rice.
(4)Nashrah R.
I wouldn't say Penang has the best food, and I can't speak much about its authenticity but it is a bargain restaurant in terms of both its price and polished interiors. It's also a great place to bring groups if you don't mind sitting in a large round table (hey, the rotating dish piece in the middle is fun!). The roti canai is delicious as is a tofu curry stew I sampled from a friend's order. The Penang Seafood Noodles could be more flavorsome (note: the menu says it's spicy but if you ask them to make it less spicy, you'll basically end up with a bland plate of noodles). I'm not a fan of Assam Laksa, but that's more to do with the dish itself rather than Penang's serving.
(3)Bob S.
We've been here many, many times since they first opened; finally getting around to writing a review. Penang is a good, not great place to eat Malaysian food. We go there because it's a lot easier to get to than Penang Island. And, like when *in* Penang, when *at* Penang, we tend to order vendor food: Char Koay Teow, Mee, Goreng, Mee Siam, Beef Rendang, Roti Chanai, etc. They do a passable job on all of those; sometimes a very good job. On this visit they nailed the roti chanai. The 'seafood scramble' is also usually decent. A decent option for Malaysian food in Boston. If you're looking for the best Asian food in Chinatown, look elsewhere
(3)Reese D.
We went there about a week ago for their Chinese New Year's Special. Being born and bred in Malaysia up till our early adulthood, my sisters and I are extremely picky whenever eating at a restaurant purportedly serving Malaysian cuisine. The Chinese New Year's Specials offered at Penang were spot on! We were extremely happy about that. For appetizer, we began with the Lou Sang - a colorful salad with minimal amount of thinly sliced raw salmon, served with a sweet savory plum sauce. It was good. The Salt & Pepper Calamari is always good. We had the steam salted chicken, the 8 treasure duck, two orders of the butter shrimps (they were HUGE), XO sauce fried rice and a stir fry green. I also placed an order for Hainanese Chicken Rice for my mother-in-law who is not too fond of authentic Asian food and a stir fried beef with hor fun. Those came out good, as usual. My sisters proclaimed it authentic, although I can't really recall the exact flavor of how it should be but they tasted delicious, nonetheless. A steal too, if you ask me. For 8 adults and 2 children, the bill came up to $190+. Will definitely go there again for their CNY specials next year.
(5)Diane K.
After scouring Chinatown for a place to eat on a Saturday night, we ended up at Penang. I was disappointed that it was a chain, but since I'd never been to one before, I gave it a go. And I'm glad I did because it was a tasty experience. I went with the yelp recommendations and wasn't disappointed: Roti Canai (a must!), Nasi Lemak (yes!), and Mango Chicken (fresh mango--seriously fresh, seriously delicious). I wish I had more of the rice from the Nasi Lemak (whatever rice that was). Overall, a wonderful experience and for a Saturday night, we got seated pretty quickly.
(4)Khoa N.
I've returned to Penang a couple months ago after years of being on hiatus. And within these past months, I couldn't help coming back again and again. I remembered how good the roti canai was from before and it tasted the same. Without fail, I ordered this every single time I've been here, ever since the very first time. What I discovered this time around (as a sensible adult) is to explore the robust menu, and not just stick to the stir-fry noodles (which all tasted the same to me before - causing my ambivalence for this restaurant). I realized that many other dishes are tasty. So far I've tried the Hainan chicken, all types of fish (deep fried and steamed), clams, veggies, mango chicken, stir-fry noodles, beef, calamari - and they're all delicious. The chicken flavored and coconut flavored rice are very savory, especially the coconut one - it was extremely fragrant. The wooden interior decor complements well with this exotic Malaysian cuisine. I enjoy its oriental and tropical feel. This restaurant is also great for big groups. Family style entrees or personal dishes, they've got you all covered. P.S. Don't forget the ABC shaved ice dessert.
(4)Maria D.
I was not impressed by the service. The food was very bland and not tasty at all. My boyfriend ordered a Thai iced tea and the boba was hard. He asked for a new one. And the came back with smaller glass (clearly poured the old one into another glass). The boba was still hard. Overall, I do not recommend it and will not be coming back.
(2)Joseluis A.
malaysian cuisine! one of my favorites and i dont get to have it so often as there no malay restaurants in miami, at least not that i know of. the first time tried penang i went by myself for lunch. the restaurant was kind of empty but there was this table sharing the steamed fish. wow. i wanted to join them cause it looked so good. service was quick to bring me a glass of water and get my food order. got the roti canai and the prawn mee, a spicy prawn soup with rice and egg noodles, sliced pork and vegetables. does that sound good? you bet it was. the portion is big but i did not give up and finished every last drop. few days later i was around and met up with a friend for dinner. i suggested penang of course cause we were right there... and i really wanted to have it again before leaving boston. went in like at 8pm, it was packed. people everywhere including parties of 8 people or more. little kids that i wanted to murder, everywhere but its all good cause we got a table, the last one available waiting for us. again i got the roti canai, if youve never had this, take note. mister j got some sort of spring rolls that i did not care to try. he also got the pad thai which i got to try out of curiosity only because i really was looking forward to my meal. oh, the pad thai was good. very good but i got some combination action coming my way as i got the nasi lemak. that is coconut rice flavored, chili anchovy curry chicken, hard boiled eggs and some other deliciousness i cant explain. decent service, good prices, very good portions and delicious food. how i wish there was a place like this in miami.
(5)Michael C.
Good not great, maybe I'm not a huge fan of this cuisne. A few dishes I found to be pretty tasty. their beef dish I had called Beef Rendang, was great. The coconut rice also went perfectly with that dish. Everything else I had was either too fatty or or greasy for my taste. On the bright side this place was very speedy when it came to bringing out the food but service besides that was just Ok.
(2)Encore T.
We were actually heading to a Chinese restaurant but it was getting late and being tourists, with the attendant at the nearest T answering "no where is safe" when we asked her if it was an OK at area, we basically semi-ran to the closest restaurant which happened to be Penang. What a great accidental find! We ordered a variety of comfort foods like beef brisket curry and some roti. The desserts were good too - if we weren't as hungry, we could have tried a better variety of authentic Malay curry but we were just too hungry. The food came fast and was yummy, especially after a long day of walking. The servers typically seem to leave you alone but were attentive. Unfortunately we were seated next to a lady who arrived with a friend who seemed nice enough but had a voice that sounded like she was on helium. No getting away from that... Given that curry is probably available in lots of places, i don't know if it was over-priced but it was a good meal nonetheless. I'll try and stop by again next time in Boston.
(4)Angel N.
This was our second time here (not realizing we came here the last time too lol). Everything was amazing -- Okra, Bakkut Teh, Nasi Lemak, Laksa, Hainan chicken rice, and of course... Roti Canai! Highly recommended. Great service too.
(5)Jonathan N.
Love the foods here. The services could be a little bit better. Peak hours at lunch and dinner time are like a zoo there. I like the chicken curry appetizer, mango shrimp, pine apple fried rice, their spicy fried fish and ABC dessert.
(3)Renee S.
This place is so great! It's very clean for a Chinatown restaurant and the owners are the nicest people you'll meet down there. The food is delicious- you have to get a roti appetizer. The wonton soup and veggie clay pot curry are my favorites.
(4)Esther T.
I am an actual Malaysian, and from NYC. Penang is a chain Malaysian restaurant and we have several in NYC. It's my least favorite Malaysian restaurant. I came cuz I was with family that can't get Malaysian food where they live. The only thing I feel they have over anyone else is the roti canai, but not the one in Boston. Roti Canai here is stale, not crispy and flaky like it should be. Roti canai should be made to order. Here it feels like it's pre made. I ordered a fried pearl noodle and golden fried squid. They were decent. I just have one very major complaint: they don't have sambal belachan!!! This is a shrimp chili paste that u use mostly on any fried noodles. It's as crucial as ketchup to a burger! But they didn't have it. What kind of Malaysian restaurant doesn't have it??? It's like a diner without ketchup. That was crazy to me. But I guess this is acceptable in Boston. My NYC standards are high. Personally, my choice would be nothing but seafood in Boston.
(2)Andrea H.
Ah yes, dinner with a side of confrontation. My favorite! Here's about how it went: Me: Is it good? Server: Yes. (writing) Me: What advice do you give before ordering frog? (the menu says to ask the server for advice before ordering) Server: You want frog? Get the frog. Me: No but the menu says... Server: It's good (writing) OK, so I'm getting the frog. My sister ordered the mango shrimp. Her bf contemplated going with the mango shrimp but then decided on a chicken dish (not mango). Less than 5 minutes later, mango chicken came out. My sister politely said, "Excuse me but I didn't order chicken, I ordered shrimp." The person delivering the food brought it back to the kitchen. The server came right back with the plate and set it in front of my sister...and proceeded to argue with her that she did order the chicken. All of us were there and assured her that my sister did, in fact, order shrimp. We suggested that maybe she misunderstood as my sister's bf was deciding and wrote something down wrong. She continued to argue for several more minutes and then stomped away in a huff. Awkward. Our meals all came at different times. We were pretty sure that the mango shrimp was going to come back out with some special "ingredients" but it turns out her dish was pretty much shrimp with ketchup. The frog was mostly fat and bones and not great and sister's bf wasn't thrilled with the chicken either. So yeah, the food wasn't good, the service was absolutely ridiculous and I would never go back. The end.
(1)Michael L.
The roti canai was good but it was definitely an appetizer for probably one person. Penang's dishes are decent but for what youre going to pay coming here, you could find better around china town. I felt like the servings were small and did not justify the price.
(3)Maud D.
Three words: Satay Bean Curd.
(4)Michelle M.
I am a big fan of Penang! I can't believe how really cheap and incredibly delicious the food is there. Authentic Malay dishes, I try a different one in the menu every time I go there, super yummy soups, casseroles, loud but friendly, well decorated atmosphere, efficient staff. Wonderful gluten free options (which is obviously important to me as i am gluten free :) Penang gets a 4.5 star from me.
(4)Winnie K.
Came here last Friday night with a friend. I'm not an aficionado of Malaysian cuisine so wasn't sure what to expect. The interior is very kitschy and almost outdoorsy looking. Which was a little confusing, but at least it was well lit and clean. Tried the Indian pancake appetizer and was pleasantly surprised! Didn't realize I liked curry and the pancake was light and delicious dipped into the thick and spiced sauce. The chicken fried rice was pretty average but was good. Overall I would try this place again. Some of the menu items are much more adventurous that I would try but there are plenty of other "safer" items I wouldn't mind trying.
(4)Nancy N.
Great Roti Canai!!!
(4)Jonathan G.
The first time I ate here I actually went WITH a Malaysian dude and I asked HIM to order. I have since been back and tried a bunch of other dishes but nothing has been as good as the original spread he turned me on to. And this place has become one of my favorite restaurants in Boston. Today I had a wonderful lunch here with friends that consisted of: SATAY BEAN CURD, PENANG POH PIAH (steamed spring rolls), CHOW KUEH TEOW, DUCK CASSEROLE, MANGO SHRIMP and BEEF RENDANG w/RICE. The food was brought out fast and hot. It was all very delicious. I love the spices they use! The Spring Roll is light and has a sauce with a kick to it. Bean Curd is crispy and savory with crunchy/juicy veggies inside and peanut sauce on top. The Beef Rendang is savory and soft with a wonderful spicy gravy. The mango shrimp is sweet/hot and is served inside a halved mango. CHOW KUEH TEOW is my favorite dish here. Fried noodles with baby squid... succulent and savory. Oh so good. My stomach is growling just thinking about it again.. and it's only been half a day since I gorged myself there. A new "gamble" try was the Duck Casserole. This dish was fantastic. The duck was great and the sauce and veggies were delicious. Watch out for the bones if you get this dish though. What appears to be a chunk of duck may actually be half bone when you pop it in your mouth! All in all, this place is JUST GREAT. I've never been disappointed in Penang. The food is awesome, the price is right and the service is friendly and polite. Thanks Malaysia, for sending your best flavors to Boston!!
(4)Kate L.
I used to love it here. LOVE - but that was years ago. I went here last night and it was very rushed. The service was fast-food like and the food was mediocre. We had the pancake with curry app which is always super yummy. Best curry in town. But then we had pad thai and ribs - both of which were not good or as stated on the menu. The ribs were fried and sweet... unlike what we expected. And the pad thai had tofu and shrimp - didn't state this on the menu. It was super oily and kind of flavorless. It was also SUPER loud b/c there was a party of 12 right on top of us.
(2)Bridget L.
This was my family's first time ever eating Malaysian food and WOW we loved it! We raved about that restaurant for days! Found it by walking by and seeing the busy crowds. Thought that was a good sign, and it was! The thing we left with was that although we ordered very different kinds of dishes, they were each super flavorful! We ordered the wonderful little roti canai that are small pancakes that come with a very tasty dipping sauce. Small portion, but yummy. The pineapple fried rice (had shrimp in it!) was pretty good, but a bit dry. The sizzling beef dish my husband ordered was our hands down favorite. We'd order 3 of those again when we go back. Such a depth of flavor and it wasn't too spicy, which I appreciated. We also ordered the mango chicken which was a nice twist on sweet & sour chicken. Slices of mango were in it and it was served in hollowed out mango shells. Diet Coke was served in cans (ask for glasses & ice if you want them) and very cold. Hot tea was provided and a nice touch. Very crowded and the seating system is a little undocumented. I finally asked someone and they said to tell the guy behind the register and he'd get us a number. It was written on a tiny piece of cardboard and we waited about 20 minutes. Not bad. Fabulous service and incredible food. YUMMMY! Lots of people looked like they were regular guests and asian. What a fun experience.
(5)Choc P.
Just ate here today for lunch. Penang is always my go-to place to eat if I'm hungry after watching a movie at AMC Loews. Food: -Roti Telur Basically Roti Canai with some scramble eggs, onion, and spices. I've heard my malaysian friend saying that they don't make the Roti Canai in the house anymore and for him it sucks, so I was a bit worry about ordering Roti Canai and chose this dish because I hope the spices and onions would hide the supposed bad taste of Roti Canai. This dish came with the same curry sauce, just like Roti Canai. -Nasi Lemak Coconut rice, curry chicken, some pickled veggies, anchovies, cucumber. My only complain of this food is that this is the second time the I ate here that the pickled veggies were cold, as if they just came from the fridge so it felt a bit disgusting when I ate it. The curry chicken was marvelous, though. Cooked in low heat with lots of spices until it's tender. For those of you watching your calories, you better leave this one of your radar. The word 'Lemak' in malay means fat. So, this dish is very high in fat. From past visits, the only authentic dish for me is the Hainanese chicken rice, kangkung belacan, the satays, and the steamed fish in soy sauce[market price, so watch out].This is basically what I would order when I come here for a taste of home with fellow Indonesians. For me personally, the beef rendang is not authentic at all because it's too soupy and the spices flavor was very weak. I believe they don't cook it long enough for the beef to tender and absorb the spices flavor. This place is as good as I can get to a taste of home in Boston. I know the pain of preparing a malay dish and how long it takes to cook it and for the taste that I encounter there, this place deserves a five star.
(5)Tony S.
My sister has no taste buds. And she married a "Nahm" from Cheers, who knows absolutely nothing but has an opinion on everything. I've stayed away from Penang for the longest time because she said the food was aw-uber-ful. We're 1/4 Indonesian, so I figured she knew what she was talking about. 2 years later, I was surprised to see the restaurant still around considering how awful the food was supposed to be. Then it dawned on me that my sister also thinks her cooking is good (it is if you like foot-powder flavored curry), and has never lived in Singapore or Malaysia, and she hated the brief stint living in Indonesia 20 years ago. What could she possibly know about Malay food other than the few dishes she knows that are similar to Indonesia, which is little more than satay. So I took the family in yesterday and decided to brave the wild. There are certain dishes shared in Indonesia and Malaysa that are close siblings, and very easy to tell if they have it all wrong. We sampled 3 of them: 1) Beef rendang (a coconut, spicy beef dish). If you're Indonesian or are familiar with Padang food in Indonesia, this was a more saucy version of what it is like at home, but very good. 2) Martabak (or Murtebek... or however the Malaysians spell it, which is the crispy dough filled with meat and onions, that you can dip in a curry sauce). In Indonesia we don't have a curry sauce to dip in, and it wasn't as crispy as home, but still very good. I love how they serve this version. 3) Chendol (the ice cold coconut dessert with palm sugar sauce, beans, and pea-floured jello........ a childhood favorite). We have this more as a drink format at home, but the Malaysian version serves it more dessert-style in shaved-ice form. Excellent. I hate that I've been longing to eat this food whenever I'm not traveling to Asia, and never realizing how good it was in my own backyard. We also ordered the wonton noodle soup for the kids (they LOVED it just as they did in the old country), and the Hainan chicken rice (which was surprisingly good, and a slightly different take than it is in Singapore, but still very good). I'm happy to find a slice of my roots (or close cousin Malaysia) in Boston, and am definately looking forward to coming back regularly. If you have kids, just note that the restaurant only has 2 high chairs at present, but if you sit along the wall, the kids aren't as tied down, and they have a bit more freedom to move in their seat.
(4)Titi T.
3 1/2 Stars...Some things were yummy...some things were not so yummy....Yelpers were right on the Mango Chicken, Pineapple fried rice, and the Roti Canai was the best... We also had the famous Haianese chicken..that is a great dish...i will be back for more of these items....we ordered a few other things and they were just ok.. the noodles were a disappoint and the chicken satay was overly sweet..Great Service and the ambiance is wonderful..the interior is nice and clean..and so are the restrooms..thats a plus in China Town...
(3)Milena P.
I got sick after eating here. 'Nuff said.
(2)Michelle T.
Been here twice, ordered about 10 different dishes and enjoyed them all!! This place is always buzzing with business at meal times, but they do a great job of seating you almost right away. Service is fast, professional, and efficient. Flavors are really authentic! Malay cuisine is such a perfect combo of Chinese and Indian with a Thai flair. Portion sizes for entrees are not meant to be shared in order to be "full" but they are ample for one person. You can't go wrong with any of the fried noodles dishes! Roti canai ($4.50)- is a wonderful appetizer. The roti itself isn't greasy like most other places i've eaten it at, served piping hot with a little bowl of curry. Perfect! Seafood Tom Yum Noodle Soup ($8) - Great sour and spicy broth with a great variety of seafood inside (though not a lot) including fresh shrimp, scallops and squid. Lobster "Special" ($26)- WOW. The guy in the kitchen picked an incredibly huge, juicy lobster. The sauce was a black bean and shrimp sauce that was sweet 'n rich. Ridiculously delicious, but messy too! Mee Siam ($8.50) - This is a fabulous noodle dish comparable to pad thai, but so much more flavorful. Served piping hot...that fried egg...YUM. Chow Kheh Teow ($7.95) - A winner dish!!! The noodles are definitely fried in a giant wok, contributing to its smoky flavors. I'm not Malaysian, but I wouldn't hesitate to bring my out-of-town Malay friends to Penang!! Price is fair, food is yummy and authentic!
(4)Amy M.
This is one of my favorite spits in the hinterlands of Chinatown. I come back here for the absolutely killer Roti Canai (seriously, EVERY table orders this) and the bang-for-your-buck $7.95 Nasi Lemak. For under $10 you get a giant plate of some of the most flavorful coconut rice I have ever tasted, a hardboiled egg, little spicy crunchy anchovies, a heaping portion of curry chicken, cool refreshing cucumbers and some veggies marinated with screw pine leaves-- hella authentic. For the more daring of the bunch, try the Durian Shake. it smells like feet and tastes like heaven. Though I suppose for some people, smelling feet is heaven enough. Bring them to Penang as your pre-Foot Worship dinner? Who knows. Other favorites include their hot pots, ANY of their tasty noodle dishes and for a special treat, get the crabs in hot sauce. it would be a total mistake to leave without partaking of the ABC. This is a super crazy desert featuring shaved ice topped with sweet rose syrup and filled with goodies like coconut jelly, red bean, sugar pellets and corn. Yes. Corn in a desert. Fabulous. They have a pretty good beer and wine selection as well. A great, affordable spot to chow down on some Malaysian specialties. As a testament to how much I adore Penang, my family told me they would take me to any restaurant in Boston in 2005 when I graduated college. I chose Penang. And in 2012 it's still going deliciously strong.
(5)Lynn C.
I've been here twice. Had a mishmash of different sort of foods that arent memorable enough for me to remember the names. I remember one or two dishes that were very good, but the portion was so teeny tiny that we were still hungry after spending $30 for two people. One time we went with a large group of people, and it was still disappointing. I probably wouldn't volunteer to go back, but if my bf's aunt insists on taking us there again, I wouldn't be rude and complain... ....okay, maybe just to my boyfriend in private.
(3)T J.
The roti appetizer is, as many have pointed out, very good--but I still feel $5 for it is slightly overpriced, but whatever. The nasi lemak was actually quite good, and unfortunately, this is what I now get every time I go there. Have tried a few other entrees as well, but this is by far the best. The flat noodles with beef was also OK, but the mix of flavors in the nas lemak is so far the best choice--which is obviously a personal preference. Overall, I think this is a nice place to grab a quick bite, and it isn't too expensive. If the roti were a bit cheaper, I'd visit way more often :) I also like the fact that they are open a bit later than the other restaurants in the neighborhood--oh, and I usually gulp down a large amount of the free plain tea as well.....
(4)Josephine L.
Back home, there is the most sumptuous Malaysian restaurant near my house that people drive for miles to get to. It used to be very bare bones and the focus was all on the food, but once the secret got out (thank you, national newspaper), they got so massively rich that they gut-renovated the entire restaurant to be black sleek 'n' chic and raised all the prices while increasing none of the portions. I would still go there occasionally when I'm home, but it's really not the same anymore. So when I heard of Penang, I was hoping it would be like the restaurant back home...pre-exposure. It kind of is. The decor is very tiki-like: bamboo-esque interior, a roof-hut type overhang, etc. Not pretentiously lounge-y with "mood" music playing in the background. And the prices are pretty reasonable, although a few dollars more and they wouldn't be. But the food, thankfully, bears more than a slight resemblance to that back home. The roti is perfect: thin, crisp and elastic all at once, slightly sweet the way roti should be, and best of all, you don't have to pay extra for the curry chicken sauce. Score! Based on Yelp recommendations, we tried the Mango Chicken and weren't too impressed. The sauce was way too heavy and....is it made from ketchup? Because it kind of seemed like it was. The Pineapple Fried Rice, on the other hand, is absolutely delicious. Just the right amount of fruit and veggies and the rice is perfectly fried without being the slightest bit greasy (a real feat if you've ever tried to make crisp fried rice). The Beef with Onions/Scallions (forget the exact name, it's #3 on the menu) was pretty good, but nowhere near as tender and flavorful as similar beef with scallion/onions I have at Chinese restaurants. We tried ordering the coconut pudding for dessert, but they were out of it! Alas! I'd definitely come back to see how their other Malaysian staples compare and also how good their desserts are (I have high hopes for the fried bananas).
(3)Mei-Lin S.
Maybe we didnt order the right things, but what really bugged me was that the seafood CRISPY noodle had a lack of well CRISPYness! I was looking forward to the basic crispy noodles you see at many Chinese restaurants but when it came, it was in soup and gravy and was not crispy what so ever. That probably bugged me the most and ruined the rest of it for me
(2)Aboud Y.
I've had some really good meals here and consider Penang one of my favorites in the Boston area for Southeast Asian cuisine. Why, do you ask? -- Fun atmosphere. Its a cool space that's always buzzing with activity. It just feels alive. It is one of the better chains out there with two locations in MA, three in NYC, one in Philly, and another in Reston, VA. It doesn't come off feeling like a chain though. -- Good service. All of my servers have been prompt, friendly, and really professional. -- Expansive menu. Lots of options featuring Malay cuisine (which itself is a fusion of Chinese, Indian, Thai, and unique Malay selections) -- Food. I've tried several delicious items on their menu...we esp. liked their soft-shell crab specials when they are in season as well as their Hot & Spicy Crab dish. Tasty. I'll be back.
(4)Joe C.
Hit this place up while on a business trip. Started with the Roti Canai, kind of like a tortilla with a side of chicken curry to dip. It very nice, a little spice and deep curry flavor. Also had the Beef Satay, little chunks of grilled marinated meat. The peanut sauce that came with it was a little different than I've had at other place, it was a little chunky and had a lighter peanut flavor, complimented without overpowering the flavor. Entrees were... Sizzling Beef, Penang House Special Lobster, and Pineapple Fried Rice. The sauce with the beef was really nice, a little sweet and tart, but the beef was a little tough. The Lobster was awesome, the best thing we ate there. Fried Rice was excellent. Definitely worth a try if you're in the area... place was very busy.
(4)Anthony C.
I will never come here again. It didn't make me sick, but nothing was delicious. I now feel guilty for thinking that my beloved New Malaysia in NYC's Chinatown has slipped...It's Le Bernardin, compared to this place. The meal: A flaccid Roti Canal, pancake all gummy gooey. No bite, no snap. The curry all bland...Then, a Mango Shake that tasted like it was made with Mango Kool - Aid or Mango Hawaiian Punch. After that, a moment of crisis while waiting for the Beef Rendang w/Coconut Rice: "What if it's really amazing? All unctuous and soft and spicy and Malaysian Grandmothery? What will happen? What will my ultimate opinion be?". Well, no such issues raised their hydra - like heads. It was all mediocre. It was a grim, dystopic, post - lifeish night in the shadow of the - well probably never really glorious - self that's called Boston's Chinatown.So, I made like a sad, seedy Philip K. Dick character, collected my dust, and flew away into the ignominious emptiness. So it goes...Tomorrow's another day.
(2)Samantha W.
I love Penang. The food is delicious, always comes out hot and very quickly, and the roti is amazing. My partner's mom is from Malaysia, and this is her favorite restaurant in Boston, which says a lot about the authenticity of their cuisine. The only way I'd rate it better would be the use of gluten free soy sauce/have a gluten free menu. Otherwise, it is so delicious.
(4)Jeff M.
Penang is good, really good. I wanted to give Penang four stars but once I compared the restaurant in my head to similar places offering Asian fare I decided it deserved three stars, probably closer to the three and a half. I went to Penang with a Malaysian colleague on a Tuesday night and the place was pretty buzzing. My colleague ordered some great dishes for everyone to try. Satay bean curd came stuffed in fried tofu. I pretty much hate tofu but thought the fried sort was very nice. Is it possible to go wrong when you fry something? As with the entire menu the Asam Laksa is an authentic Malaysian dish. I was warned that not too many non-Malayasians like the dish because its fish in fish broth. I thought it was very nice but my colleague told me it should have had more lime in it and been spicier. Mixed curry veg clay pot was also very nice. The House Special Squid was my favourite. It was cooked with szechuan peppers and was almost like General Tso's chicken. We asked for everything spicy and nothing came out spicy enough. Despite dining at Penang with two ethnic Indians, and one born and raised in Malaysia, maybe the house thought it was spicy enough since I was white and may no be able to handle the heat. My colleague says that happens from time to time. I want to go back soon and order a whole fish. Many diners were having the whole fish and you can even see them before you eat them in the tanks as you walk in!. Try having the Tiger beer with your meal and order chiles to mix with soy sauce.
(3)Tamarod M.
My gripe with this place was once you step inside and you mite wana be inside if it's 20to30 f degs outside, it's a bottle neck at the door with no waiting area to sit. Fire hazard?
(3)Zhibo P.
The Indian bread is must try!
(4)Kelly O.
Props for this being the only place around that would take a party of 10 right away at 6:15 on a Saturday night (I'm looking at you, Jacob Wirth/IT/Rockbottom). I'd had Malaysian once before, years ago, which I remember generally liking so I was interested to try it again. I enjoyed the Roti Cani app, and I had the house special fried rice which was coconut rice with peas, carrots, shrimp, ham, and egg. It was decent, didn't knock my socks off but wasn't *bad* by any means either, and it was a big portion for only $8. The rest of the table had a similar experience, their dishes (Pad Thai, Mango Chicken) weren't bad but weren't the best either... in particular, both were a bit spicer than expected (especially given the usual versions tend to be the opposite of spicy), so I was glad I chose my blandish rice, although I was sad for it to be less flavorful than I would have liked (you CAN do flavorful without heat, people!). The atmosphere is kind of cool, like an overgrown tree house, but service was all over the place, sometimes they were attentive, sometimes not (and were quite brusque which of course could be construed as rudeness, typical Chinatown). I'd be willing to venture back and try something else on the menu, especially since the prices and portion sizes were right... but I have to say, during our meal I was looking longingly out the window across the street at Pho Pasteur and was really wishing we were eating there instead. If I'm on this street, Pho Pasteur is ALWAYS going to be my top choice...
(2)Jason H.
They do alot of dishes well. This is one of my go to restaurants when I have company and I want to take them out-it's pretty cheap and you really can order anything on the menu and not be disappointed (at least I have yet to, and I've had ~10 different dishes). I can't comment on the regional authenticity, as I have recently been to Malaysia but didn't go to Penang, mostly stayed in the south and KL. Don't be fooled the tastes will be a little different than from Singaporean food! If you're looking for a standard malaysian dish, get the nasi lemak. It's available around the whole country, though each region does it a little differently.
(5)Cecilia L.
If we can only have one Malaysian/Singapore place in this town, I'm not sorry it's Penang. It may be a chain, but it's fast, cheap, delicious, and in my experience reasonably authentic. The Hainanese chicken is sumptuous in its soy vinegar sauce. The nasi goreng is hearty and filling as a workman's lunch should be. The excellently wok-charred char kway teow's inclusion of squid tentacles gives a nod to the cockles traditionally served in the region. Two can dine for $20.
(4)Angela C.
Disclosure: I have not had real Hainanese chicken and rice in Singapore so I can't speak to how authentic the version served here is. HOWEVER, the version they do have is pretty darn good. The chicken is moist and flavorful, and you can taste the schmaltzy flavor imparted to the rice. The soy sauce it comes in is savory and light and the accompanying chili sauce is BOMB. The only turn off is that if you're not used to eating boiled chicken skin (I imagine if you didn't grow up in a Chinese household like I did, this is somewhat unfamiliar) the chicken might be difficult as this is pure, unadulterated chicken skin, not crisped up or glazed. I love it, but my boyfriend struggled a bit. We had ordered some other dishes as well but I had come here seeking the chicken and rice and am happy to report it was a success!
(4)Alisa K.
I just visited Kuala Lumpur and felt like I wasn't there long enough to eat enough, so naturally I wanted me some Malay cuisine. This place was solid - the pad thai and the vegetable curry clay pot were decent but not amazing. The food came out ridiculously fast- like faster than at a Thai restaurant, which I've always felt is the fastest (and yummiest) cuisine- but which also made me wonder if they just have giant vats of premade pad thai, curry, and clay pots which they just mix and match in the back. The service was a little curt and we weren't offered dessert but I was full anyway. Sadly, their meat is not halal, so I didn't get to try my new favorite food ever- beef rangdan - but my friends who had it seemed to like it. It didn't look as yummy as in Malaysia, but what does?
(3)Big B.
Nice food. Very taste, except the environment is not so good....
(4)Sandy S.
My mom's from Singapore, so when I heard about a Malaysian Restaurant right in Boston Chinatown, I couldn't have been happier. I've been back many many times and enjoyed it every time. A lot of the dishes bring me right back to Hawker Centers in Singapore, but with a price tag of almost twice as much. Luckily that's still cheap for restaurants - you can eat here for as little as $10 for dinner. Rice plates and noodles are all around $7-$8 and are pretty good for a meal. Almost every time I've gone starts with the Roti Cani or the Roti Telur. These are both good with the accompanying chicken curry. The curry's a little too salty, but for some reason I still finish it ever time. The Nasi Lemak plate is delicious. The coconut rice and ikan bilis (delicious crunchy fried anchovies) are great with the chicken curry. The Mee Goreng and the Chow Kueh Teow are great noodle dishes if that's what you're in the mood for. They also have a pretty standard Prawn Mee. The only thing I miss off their menu is a Curry Laksa. I still haven't found a great place for this in North America outside of Vancouver. Beef Rendang's always a good choice! It's so much easier to order here than to spend 3 hours over your stove watching the beef tenderize. My chief complaint would be about the saltiness of the food. While it isn't out of scope for the curries and soups being served, everything seems very very salty. This, if anything, is what prevents me from coming more often. I've actually never ordered takeout from Penang, but I see no reason why these delicious dishes wouldn't be as good from the comfort of your own home.
(4)Romney D.
After reading some of these reviews I have decided to not pull the race card on Penang. What a way to start off a review! I would love to give this place 0 stars if that was possible. I arrived here at 8:30 and did not place my order until 9:10, after having to flag down a waiter. I was with a group of 5 women and we received our meals relatively quick. During the time that we were eating, no one came over to ask us if we would like a refill, if the food was okay, if we needed anything. The next thing I know, the check is down on the table, which was really unfortunate because I was looking forward to trying the fried ice cream. I let the waitress know that I wanted the dessert and once it arrived I couldn't help but to notice a waiter standing about 2 feet away from our table staring at us. He would keep coming over and asking us if we were ready to pay. Then our first waitress came over and asked if we were ready to pay, then someone else and so on! Where were all of these people when we wanted to order? Where were all of this people when my beverage was on E? Finally one of my friends had to tell them to back off & we would pay when we were ready! I couldn't help but to notice how they were not doing the same thing to other people in the restaurant who were clearly there WAY before us. We spent nearly $200 on the meal and $20 of that was gratuity. They refused to put the dessert on the same receipt and would not take my visa for the 7 dollar dessert, claiming that there was a $12 minimum. So we gave them a $10 bill and when they returned with the receipt holder it was empty. I asked where the change was from the dessert & the waitress responded "oh you want that?" I was like um YES!? Ridiculous. I think I'm still a little upset about the customer service mainly, that I can't even speak about the food. I'm absolutely appauled by this service and I would never recommend Penang to anyone.
(1)Marissa P.
Maybe I shouldn't have ordered it here, but the pad thai was terrible! Service is OK. Do not get the pad thai.
(3)Dave M.
had the beef chow fun, seafood casserole ($15.50), pineapple friend rice, and ginger chicken. everything but the casserole was good, which was a curry soup. only complaint is that the portions were small. service was friendly and professional.
(3)Tim F.
I love Malaysian roti and few restaurants make roti quite as delicious as Penang. It is a definite must try. Other foods such as the beef rendang are also quite good. Whatever main dish you try, make sure to have it with the chicken fried rice which is most excellent. For drinks, the Durang shake is excellent for those who have acquiesced to the distinct taste and smell. :) Otherwise, you may want to stick to the other freshly made fruit drinks (pineapple, coconut etc) or Malaysian iced coffee.
(4)E K.
As a Singaporean, I'm so happy to have a restaurant like this here when I'm too lazy to cook food from my childhood. However, everything is just pretty normal, and if I want to spend a whole day cooking, I can probably do better. emylogues.wordpress.com/…
(3)Camille R.
Can someone tell me what is Malaysian Cuisine? This spot charges a lot more for mediocre food than all the surrounding Chinese restaurants.
(3)Harri S.
They give you a hell of a lot of food for the price. Or maybe the delirium caused by my stomach made me hallucinate this fact. The three of us split everything from a whole chicken curry, to a paratha appetizer, some satay, a prok ribs dish, and a seafood noodle soup. Nothing was gross by any means, all quite delicious. The bones in the chicken were hard to navigate though. My only problem was the service. It was so. freaking. slow. And I on the other hand was so freaking starving. This was a problem. Also I wish they had at least a few waitresses/waiters who could explain the dishes when asked. Everyone was so aloof. It was slightly awkward.
(4)Kenny L.
It's time for bed, but I'd like to leave everyone with a bedtime story. The Bad The waiters and waitresses at Penang are 100% right about doing things wrong. I'd love to tell you how the Okra tasted, but apparently I didn't order that, according to my insistent waitress, who instead brought out string beans. I'm pretty sure I ordered it, and the rest of the 4 people at my table were pretty sure they heard it as well. But when a waitress from Penang tells you your entire table is wrong, she brings up a good point. After all, I never thought of it that way, but now that she mentions it, maybe we were all wrong and she was right. For the price-to-portion ratio, you might be expecting a lot more than you receive, especially for a restaurant in Chinatown. The Good The place looks cool. They cook their rice extraordinarily well. For the life of me I cannot reproduce that magical rice.
(3)Francisca W.
walked in two weeks ago between 5-6pm; there were a few tables occupied. sat down, party of 3, ordered a few dishes without incidence. food came. most of them were not bad, although the overall sensation was that the portion size seems to be a bit on the tiny side. the Duck Soup Noodle, Okra w/Malaysian Sauce (ma lai jaan), and Beef Rendang (a bit spicy) were all a ok-- nothing to write a song about, but not bad either. most disappointing is the Indonesian Mee Goreng. had this dish a few times in the previous years, and would order it whenever possible. it used to be very flavorful, and it came with a mini wok that was such a cute presentation! right now, wok is gone, portion size reduced (it's practically two bitefuls' worth of stuff), some ingredients that i could noticeably find previously (ex. the deep-fried bean curd-like pieces) now disappeared as well. not a very happy camper. would not decline to go back if my SE Asian bug crawls again. but would not dream about it every night, either.
(3)Ken S.
Festive and friendly, Penang was a great venue for my friend's college graduation dinner last week. She's from Malaysia, and she promised me that the restaurant was "pretty authentic", saying, with a laugh, that the main difference is that Penang is much cleaner than what you'd find in Kuala Lumpur! The restaurant was crowded and noisy, but so were we, and we hardly noticed it. She and her family did the ordering, and soon wave after wave of dishes began to arrive. We had to work hard to clear the lazy Susan in the center of the table and make room for new things to try. First up were the Roti Canai (pancakes with curry chicken sauce) and we could have just kept ordering more of those as far as I was concerned, they were so light and the sauce so delicate and tasty. The beef and chicken satay that came next were the least interesting items of the meal--with a sweet marinée that overwhelmed the taste and texture of the meat. So, skip the satay and leave room for more compelling choices, such as the Seafood Combination Casserole, which was brimming with fresh shellfish flavors. Whatever you do, don't miss the traditional Home Style Steamed Fish with garlic and ginger sauce. It's presented head and all in a chafing dish such that steam rises from the poor fish's maw (see photo). The body is neatly split down the middle so that meat from both sides can be easily removed without flipping the fish over. Evidently, this is an important part of the presentation because Malaysian superstition says that flipping a fish over at the table can cause your boat to overturn at sea. I was also told that the cheek meat, a tiny morsel found below the eye, is a delicacy that is reserved for princesses, but I ate it anyway. And you should, too, whether you are a princess or not; it tasted fine and I suffered no ill-effects. Not knowing my bravery in ethnic restaurants, my hosts didn't challenge me with such things as frogs and chicken's feet. These are on the menu, with warnings that you should seek counsel from your server before ordering! What do you suppose they need to tell you? I look forward to our next visit and finding out.
(4)Sophie P.
The Malaysian part was good to me. The Chinese part was meh. Good for groups though.
(3)Kevin T.
A little disappointed, but I guess it's better than nothing. Roti isn't right, I know because I know how to make roti, but the ayam curry isn't bad, although I was expecting daal. Satay is so so, kacang sauce passed but could be better. ABC mediocre, and cendol failed big time.
(3)Yasmeen C.
Delicious Malaysian food in Boston!!!!! Coconut rice to die for :-P Open late too:::-)
(5)Eric C.
Wow! I am so glad I found this place. I think it's been 4 years now since I last went to Singapore/Malaysia and I haven't been in a city in the US that had Malaysian food. Yes, definitely a deprived child. When you type in "malaysian" into the find category, Yelp gives you a bunch of places that have 1-2 malaysian dishes so don't be fooled. You need to get to Penang who only exists to give you the best food around. Penang is situated in Chinatown here in Boston. I have walked past this place many times and never recognized what it kept inside. Designed like a "hut" on the inside, there are plenty of seats to accommodate a busy meal time. We went around 3pm and 3/4 of the seats were taken. Another thing to note is that a lot of people do take out as well. As soon as you sit down you're greeted by a waiter who takes your order. Before you know it, food is appearing at your table just quickly enough for you to finish one dish and go on to the next. I ordered quite a bit for two people because I really wanted to try all my favorites. We started with Roti Telur (Indian bread with curry sauce), Bak Kuh Teh (spare rib tea/soup). This was a great way to start with a little of everything. Medium sized Bak Kuh Teh is enough for 2 people. It was sweater than what I have had previously but totally hit the spot. The Roti was excellent as well. When it came to the main dishes we went with the obvious, Hainanese Chicken Rice, Indian Mee Goreng and Chow Kway Teow (totally botched that spelling). They were all excellent and authentic. I have only good things to say about the food! I was told that the chow Kway Teow was spicy but totally tolerable. We also ordered a side of Kang Kong which brought back memories of eating at the food stalls in sweaty/humid Singapore. We also finished up with a mango and sticky rice (which was excellent and covered in coconut milk), Malaysian ice tea and a red bean drink. Proportions are generous and we walked out obviously with a lot of leftovers. Pricing wasn't bad and definitely affordable. Too bad they don't take American Express. Highly recommend this place. I will definitely be coming back!
(5)Sam Y.
Had a great experience for my first time. I was pleasantly surprised since I am a yelp snob and anything below a 4 star will have me scrunching my face like "Eh..." Food wise this place is underrated. I looked at the negative reviews and a lot were complaints abt services. FYI if you come to an Asian restaurant expecting good service then please turn around and just get out. Because that just isn't going to happen. We ordered the roti canai (Indian pancake) and that was divine - beef kabob, seafood gravy noodles, and string beans with shrimp. They were ALL good. I was just sad that I didn't have any more room in my stomach to fit some more dishes. Anyway because of this I look forward to coming back. As for the service I experienced, it was average to mediocre but I don't care about that as long as the food is good. I've had far worse services so get over yourselves people. Go to a Ruth's Chris if it's that important.
(4)Anh L.
This is one of my and my family's favorite restaurants in Boston. We usually go here for dinner on Fridays, and our favorite is the golden fried squid!!! The way that they make is is just very special, the flavor is awesome, and so crispy. No other places has it as good, in our opinion. The only thing is the portion keeps getting smaller for some reason, so sometimes we would need to order two portions. Another of my favorite dishes here is the Buddhist yampot, since I'm a huge fan of taro, and in this case, it's fried taro net, with seafood inside! The way they make the net is also quite special, not the usual crispy thin pieces of taro, but the fried mashed taro, which I love so much more. The roti canai is pretty good as well, and the Indian mee goreng is my brother's favorite. The fish dishes here aren't that great though, in my opinion. I tried order a few times but none of them really stood out.
(4)Cindy H.
I think this place is a tourist trap. I came here a lot during high school since we didn't go exploring Boston. The food doesn't taste authentic, much more Americanized than I expected. With the long waits and other food options in Chinatown, I'd pass.
(3)Dan G.
Came here with a large group. It was very hot and humid outside and just as hot inside, but once I tasted the food, that was no longer an issue. It was a very tight space as they get super crowded for dinner, but the service didn't lack. We always had filled water and our food came out in less than 10 minutes. I recommend sharing family style and getting a few dishes to try. Everything ....and I mean EVERY thing was delicious! I also came here with people who know how to order (In Chinese at that) so we got about 7 different dishes plus dessert.
(4)Ahmed A.
We ordered the Chow Kueh Teow. We took a a bite and immediately didn't like it. We asked if we could exchange it. The waiter went back to ask the manager and then came back said "no exchange". I pulled out my phone to add that to this Yelp review. I guess the waiter saw me on Yelp, then went back to tell the manager (the manager was sitting a table behind me so I could over hear the interaction). Seconds later the waiter rushed back to our table with a menu and said, "Ok! Ok! Exchange!!" The Power of Yelp. We got the Mango Chicken instead. Much better. The Beef Rendang was very good and very tender. I recommend that above everything else.
(3)Daniel C.
Our last dinner in Boston and we elected to try Penang, a Malaysian restaurant in Chinatown that's pretty good sized. They have a pretty large menu, with Malaysian, Singaporean, Thai, and Chinese-inspired dishes. We had a vegetarian in our group so it seems like a solid choice. I ordered their Roti Canai which was like a puffy crepe that had a nice chewy texture with chicken curry on the side - very good appetizer! My entree was their Penang Dried Curry Chicken with a side of brown rice. The curry was okay - it was described as simmered in lemongrass, chili paste, and coconut curry but honestly it tasted alot like the chicken curry dipping sauce with the Roti, only with a larger portion size. Chicken pieces also had both skin and bone - I don't mind the bone but the skin felt out of place here with its gooey-ness. Not a bad dish, but I probably should have chose something else. Note they got some really interesting items on their menu such as sauteed frog and fish-head curries.
(3)Kimberly T.
I've been coming here for years - and I can say that the portions have gotten way smaller over the years. I usually come here whenever I'm craving for their pineapple fried rice, and obviously their roti canai. Their curry dipping sauce is the best, and I always ask for an extra bowl of curry to accompany my food. The servers are easy to flag down, and very nice. Once my friend found a hair in a dish, and when we showed it to our server, she apologized profusely and brought it back to the kitchen for a new one. We tried the ABC, which was literally a cup of shaved ice with red beans, palm seeds, and coconut jelly. The ice had no syrup for flavor. We also ordered the mango sticky rice for dessert, which was served with a lame excuse of a peeled mango, which was wayyyy too unripe and canned pineapple chunks. Overall this place is a nice place to grab dinner, but you're better off going somewhere else for dessert.
(3)Prasanna R.
To start the service was spotty for a weekday. But you can't blame them, as there were only two waiters on the floor. Roti canai and Roti Telur were our first orders. I wish they had vegetable curries for Roti Canai. The best thing we ordered was the Spicy Vegetable Casserole. It came in a clay pot and its delicious. Order it with coconut rice and you got a big meal. We will be back again for the casserole.
(4)B W.
Stopped in while walking by for my dad's birthday. Guessed some random items on the menu. Ended up loving all 5 items. One of the best curries I've ever had. Great service.
(4)E C.
They accommodated gluten free nicely for my phad Thai, but when it came I felt I like I was eating a bean sprout salad with noodles and there were FOUR little shrimp in the whole $9 dish.
(2)Olindi W.
The food was flavorful and yummy! We got the beef on a stick appetizer. The service was unfortunately pretty non-existent. After about 15 minutes of sitting at our table (no water served even), we had to flag a waiter down and then never saw them again.
(3)Shazia S.
Horrible food and Service Ever !!! Food was cold and servers were rude ! Was there all the way from chicago for malaysian and thai food .. Bad experience .. Not reccomended any more .. Never coming back.
(1)Kändiß Z.
The food is really good! It takes me forever to pick what I want because it's hard to make up my mind. But, Everything I ever ordered was very good. The menu is really strange because it will say "ask suggestions before ordering" for some items. So, does it explode, or something? Is the food still alive and jump around? I don't know... But, service is often very bad. If you are getting take-out, the service will be better. But, eating in the restaurant often bad service. I once went on a rainy day, because I figured less people would be there, and get better service. It was true that much less people were there, but the servers ignored us, didn't bring us drinks, and we waited a long time to get anything, even napkins. It was actually worse than when the place was busy. That's why I usually just prefer to get take-out now. But, the food is really good! ^_^
(4)Christina P.
This place was poppin' on Friday evening around late dinner time. Came here with a group of 10-11 but I had made a reservation so we got a table quickly. They have a couple big tables with the lazy susan spinners which makes it good for big groups. Anyway, Penang is a Malaysian restaurant chain--it seems like one of the few (only?) Malaysian restaurants in the Boston area but this Penang is one of the worse I've been to (others being several Penang in NJ). But with limited options up here I ain't gonna complain. Since we had a big group we ordered a bunch of dishes, some were good and some were just okay, but nothing was actually bad. Here's a quick run down: Roti canai - we tore through like 6 orders of this. Flaky crepe-like bread to dip in chicken curry. I've had better roti canai, but it was still good here. Seafood scramble egg chow fun - they ran out of fat rice noodles so they used the thinner rice noodles that the make the chow kueh teow with. Disregarding the noodle change, this dish was still disappointing. The sauce was really really bland so the whole dish didn't really taste like anything. Green curry seafood clay pot - meh, very little seafood in way too much broth with minimal curry flavor. Would not recommend. Beef rendang - tasty, tender beef in this curry-like sauce that falls apart when you eat it; definitely recommended but eat it with rice. Penang pad thai - super flavorful pad thai, doesn't feel very authentic with the amount of sauce and toppings in it but delicious nonetheless. Malaysian pork ribs - the rib I got was really fatty and hard to eat but the guys seemed to really dig this dish. Recommended to people who like Chinese spareribs because it's like a dry version of that. We also got the mango chicken, pineapple fried rice, salted fish and pork fried rice, and chicken curry with rice which were all satisfying but nothing to write home about. The service was just okay. The restaurant was busy at first so the waiters got a pass for being inattentive, but even after it died down it was really hard to get them to come by the table. Surprisingly, they didn't add tax for a big group. I'm glad I gave the one up here a shot and I'd probably be back if only for the roti canai and a small rice dish, maybe. Give it a shot if you've never had Malaysian food! If you have had it, I'd suggest keeping your expectations minimal.
(3)Mr F G And Ms M S.
3.5 Stars! We were here for dinner on a Monday night. The place is spacious. The food here is decent, definitely not the best Malaysian food that we've ever eaten. We both got the Nasi Lemak. The portion is average. Our waitress were friendly & polite. The service was pretty good.
(3)Sonia N.
It's tough to give this place 3 stars because I was really expecting a lot more based on my experience years and years ago. That night we ordered the house special squid, green curry seafood claypot and the watercress along with a side of both coconut and chicken flavored rice. My friend swore up and down that the squid that came wasn't the dish he ordered. The waiter came over, pretended to listen and walked back in less than 3 minutes with the same dish but with the special sauce mixed into the same plate he served us a few minutes before. Hello?! Let's not even state the obvious which was the version we were suppose to get is fried as opposed to the grilled squid served at our table. The curry seafood was also just okay. The taste was a bit on the milder side for me and the soup base too watery. Honestly, any regular Thai restaurant would blow them out of the water on this one. The watercress was enjoyable though...4 stars on this dish. Overall, I think the service detracted from the experience and it may be a while before I come back but I'm willing to give it another chance when my Malaysian cravings strike again.
(3)Graceypoo M.
Was hankering for some rice with a dish that had strong flavors. Had the nasi lemak today (sorta a sampler)--which comes with a fragrant coconut rice, chicken rendang (nice thick sauce and bold flavor), sweet pickled cabbage and cucumbers, fried anchovies in sweet onion chutney, and boiled egg ($8.75). I should have stopped there. I also had some hainan chicken with rice. Comfort food--tender pieces of steamed/boiled chicken, in their light soy sauce with cucumber and cilantro (cilantro is key). They also serve it with a mild garlic fried rice and a side of sambal sauce. I would have liked it if there were some ginger slices, but otherwise it was really good (~$6.75). I am glad I stopped by.
(4)Julia K.
You can't go wrong with: 1) roti canai = thin tortilla like bread with a savory curry dipping sauce 2) nasi lemak = coconut infused rice with yellow curry chicken + boiled egg/veggies 3) chow kueh teow = seafood stir fry noodles in a slightly spicy brown sauce The food is really flavorful, but the portions are a little small. For $12-$14 for a noodle dish, you'd expect to be full to the brim.. but that's not always the case here. The rice dishes are fairly good value. Each is ~$8-$10 and is comparable to the typical portions you'd get at any chinese restaurant. All in all, this is a good place to go when you've had enough of the standard cantonese and taiwanese food in chinatown!
(4)Aishwarya M.
Must try the Roti canai with chicken and the Curried chicken with rice! The food wasn't very spicy although I asked for their most spicy. Most of the dishes have a tinge of coconut in them...and that I feel boosted the flavor.
(3)Trina T.
Been here about three times and coming from Singapore, some dishes served here are pretty good and affordable like the chicken rice and nasi lemak but others lack the authentic taste or is not really what I know of Malaysia or Singapore food. I tried the basil fried rice recently and the taste was decent but isn't really how Thailand cooks up their basil fried rice. But seeing how rare it is to find Singaporean cuisines, I'll make do with this place. You can find better Singaporean cuisines in NYC, Philadelphia and Seattle.
(3)Myan T.
I can never come here and not order the Indian Pancake! It's definitely a crowd pleaser!! The chickens wings and roasted chicken is pretty good. I don't recommend noodle options here since I find it too bland for my taste. Curry is decent, its usually contains an abundant amount of meats and veggies. The spicy options here aren't very spicy in my opinion. They have a vast selection of entrees here. It usually takes me a good 15 minutes to decide. Prices are fair.
(3)Kyle G.
What a disappointment! This was a family favorite when it was in Harvard Square, but it is difficult to find anything good to say about the meal we had last night. The Roti cani was about 1/3 the size it used to be, satay was made with the toughest chicken I have had in a long time. The pad tai was ok, though tiny, and with only three shrimp. Blick.
(1)Jasmine D.
I always enjoy eating at Penang, when I live here for year. No doubt had to stop in for lunch. Excellent Malaysian food! I ordered the same everytime, the haianese chicken, the veggies and the pancake (roti). The restaurant decore is all wood finish. Parking is troublesome, you can park in the garage on Beach St. and with a coupon discount for $2-$3. from the restaurant.
(4)Aia T.
Whenever I go to Boston and I am in the mood for Chinese food, Penang is my go-to restaurant. But last time I was there, it was completely what I did not expect!! I ordered Achat...which was okay. It was quite busy but it didn't seem like they are short on staff. Next appetizer, Roti with egg and onions with a curry sauce on side. Horrible!! Who would combine Roti and egg and onion then dip it in a silly curry with no flavor?? Who does that? The dish could have been better if they did not put egg and onion in it. Just roti and the curry sauce...just a suggestion! Next, I ordered a stir fried Malaysian noodle with shrimp, octopus and according to the menu, it has soy sauce. I specifically requested to the server to make it really spicy. I was not sure if he was not paying attention or he just did not care! It seemed like he understood it cause he nodded very well. By the time the food came, I did not even dare finishing it cause it was literally SOAKED in soy sauce!! Disgusting! I felt that each bite will increase the sodium level in my body tremendously. It was that bad. I was so disappointed and did not even finish the food. I left with so much disappointment and of course still hungry! I am done with Penang. Sorry.
(1)Nick B.
This place is great, every time I visit Boston I try and come here, the roti canai appetizer seemed better each time, I always order the Nasi lemak, as it has many flavours on one plate... Service is so so, often they have tried seating me near the restroom, and seem off put when I ask to sit elsewhere, gets busy here, but still my money's as good as others.... But food and price makes up for this, and once the waiters take order they are helpful and pleasant... Malay restaurants are limited, so this one is a must for me ....( I lived in Malaysia before and crave the food, which is rarer in North America than you would think )
(4)Jane Y.
I visited during lunch time on a snowy Saturday and half the tables were occupied. The decor was nice and the restaurant was pretty spacious. I was greeted and seated right away. I immediately pulled out my phone to check their Yelp review when someone asked if I was ready to order. I hadnt even seen the menu and they thought I'd be ready to order. I ended up ordering hot tea, Roti Canai, and Chow Kueh Teow. The Roti Canai was great and the Chow Kueh Teow wasn't bad. I was still eating and the waiter asked if I was done. I saw him hovering to see when I'd be done. Overall, I thought the food was good but service was pushy/impatient. I give this place 3.5/5.
(4)Tuli S.
Roti Canai. Yes. This is the only place up here (in Boston) where I've been able to find this. It's not the BEST Roti Canai I've ever had but it's pretty darn good. Order your own because you won't want to share :). The Roti Telur is pretty tasty as well. I used to come here a lot during college for their Pad Thai and Mango Chicken. Since then the Pad Thai has definitely changed. It used to have squid and other interesting tidbits in it. Now it has a totally different flavor and just comes with normal stuff. I've switched over to the Chow Kueh Teow which has flat noodles and squid! It's good but a bit heavy- can definitely tell that it's pan fried. The Mango chicken is a little to sweet for me so I've been sticking to shrimp/noodle dishes instead. I've also had the Beef Rendang which is delightful! I would recommend getting some kind of dish with veggies along with this because it only comes with a bit of cucumber and a plentiful helping of meat. Also it does NOT come with rice so remember to order some! Also the fried ice cream with two fried bananas is amazing. The ratio of shell to ice cream is off so next time I'll probably ask for a little extra scoop of ice cream. Very good and it's enough to share. The shell is crispy on the outside and soft and delicious on the inside. They do it right.
(4)Dan H.
The service was incredibly fast and the food was great. The only con I have is that the place is quite stinky The chicken dry curry was delicious
(3)Akira J.
Very disappointed with today's visit. I went there on my lunch break since I was craving the fried ice cream. I ordered chow foon bc there's a minimum for using your card. The food was fine but i was very upset that my fried ice cream was all batter and no ice cream. It didn't taste like much, just the batter you would taste on the outside of a chicken finger. I was not impressed with the service either since I did not get my water until I asked for my bill. They didn't care to walk around and just handed things to me over the log fence. I use to love this place. . Over the past few years it has gone way down in the overall quality. Prob will not be a next time.
(2)Nanci C.
I used to eat here a lot when they first opened and the line would go out the door. The Indian pancake with the curry sauce was excellent. Everything tastes good. Not going back for many years, the curry is watered down multiple times and the servers are still eyeing at your bill to see if you are paying or how much tips you will pay. Forget it. I don't understand why people still order from here and their Hainan chicken is not even good. Bad service! Will never go back to eat.
(1)Wilma O.
A very welcome restaurant to Chinatown! Very different from other restaurants in the area and makes up in atmosphere for where most other places here suffer. That being said, I know very little about Malaysian food, so I cannot comment on authenticity. We ordered based on the server's recommendations, so hopefully these dishes are representative of the restaurant. - Malaysian ice tea - more like Chinese-style sweet milk tea than Thai ice tea. Tasty, refreshing, and cutely presented. - Roti canai - I've had better elsewhere. The curry was a little bland and they should have served more bread. Perhaps interesting to try if you've never had it before, though! - Seafood combination casserole - tasty, fresh, though a bit bland or standard-tasting. The tofu inside really held the flavor well. - Crispy golden fried squid - amazingly tender, well seasoned, and with a little kick on the accompanying veggies. I loved this dish. - Pulut hitam - a mild and unanimously very tasty dessert. Also I think a great introduction for someone not accustomed to South Asian desserts. - ABC with ice cream - delicious, and the ice cream is so soft and topped with a tasty caramel! The ice was a bit hard and already a little melted, but pretty yummy (reminiscent of Korean patbingsu). Overall, this place has great atmosphere - perfect for a date or a girl's chatting session. It is also very clean, and the food is very palatable. However, I can not speak on authenticity. I will definitely come back here again!
(4)Anonymous J.
Bad experience with waiter taking down the wrong order and would not own up to his mistake. AVOID this place. service is really bad.
(1)Ruby H.
What an amazing restaurant! Truly surprised at the quality of the food. There's a lot of choices, good variety! I loved the roti appetizer! Definitely unexpected but great! I also tried the penang house special squid which was unbelievable!
(5)Chris L.
If you are looking for some chinese food with a kick, Malaysian is the way to go! I came on a weekday during dinner with some guests visiting from China and found that the quality of the dishes were much better compared to dished made during rushed weekend service. The Roti Canai was crispy and came with an awesome chicken dipping curry. I've been to 3 other Penang's, 2 in NJ and 1 in NYC and this Roti Canai beats them all. The Chow Kweh Tiao was also great- the perfect amount of bean sprouts and seafood + the wok fire aroma, aka wok heii, put the dish over the top. We also ordered the signature water spinach dish. The flavors here could not be beat. The dish was definitely greasy, but had great flavor with the special sauce used containing chili flakes, crushed dried shrimp, shrimp paste, and garlic I subtracted a start from the rating because they are heavy handed with the oil. I used to work in a Chinese kitchen and I know that less oil can be used if cooking with just a little more care. Overall, great food for a decent price considering we're in Boston!
(4)Jessica L.
Came here after church one afternoon, and was actually pretty surprised that they could fit our large group of 9+ people within 10 minutes. The places wasn't fully packed, but it's never easy finding a place that could seat us that fast on a Sunday afternoon. Anyways, we were seated, and the food actually came out SUPER fast as well. Remember that this was around 12-1PM on a Sunday, PRIME TIME for people to grab lunch/brunch! I'll just review few of the things I tried: Roti canai - I tried my friend's order, and at first, I didn't know it was roti because it was SO thin - to the point when it was too crispy on the edges. The texture was fine in the middle of the roti...but I personally thought the roti was too thin and too crispy. However, when the second order came out, the texture was a lot better - so I'm guessing the first one was just an abnormal mishap. Pineapple fried rice - The taste was great. the portion was also great. the presentation was also fantastic. But here's the thing. We ordered two orders of the pineapple fried rice, one for each table. And one of the reasons we wanted this dish was for the presentation - fried rice served inside a pineapple! However, only one of the dishes was served in the pineapple...sad......... Chow Kueh Teow - Stir fried noodles with brown sauce and meat! This was the dish I ordered. It was supposed to be spicy, but it wasn't. It really wasn't! It's not because I'm asian, it really really didn't taste spicy to me....But other than that, this dish was delicious. The portion was also plenty, and I actually took it home and ate it for dinner as well!! All in all, I was impressed with their service, and their efficiency. I was disappointed by some dishes, but the taste overall was great! Would love to come back and try other things next time.
(4)Kathleen B.
Very delicious, loved the atmosphere. Try the Laksa is you are feeling adventurous and like fish. Don't try the Laksa is you don't like fish! The spare ribs are heavenly.
(4)Christina O.
It's funny how all of a sudden you can be in a different area without going far at all. Without even really thinking about it, we walked into Penang, a Malaysian restaurant on Washington St. The menu was huge and after going back and forth between several entrees, we ended up ordering a few apps. Both tables next to us had ordered the Roti Canai (Indian pancake) so we figured that was a must try. It was a really light, crispy pancake served with curry chicken dipping sauce. The sauce was soooo good but you definitely want to eat the pancake while it's warm and puffy or it gets too crispy. We also had Penang Satay Chicken, marinated chicken grilled on skewers with a peanut sauce. This was also really good. Our third item was Penang Poh Piah, steamed Malaysian spring rolls stuffed with jicama bean sprouts and shrimp. I'm not a huge fan of spring rolls, but Lindsey said they were good. Overall, the food was tasty but the service was spotty. It took forever for a server to approach us and a really long time to get our check. They were surprisingly busy for a Wednesday night at 9pm.
(3)Sylvia C.
It's been a while since my last visit....glad I came back around. Didn't realized I'd missed their curry chicken and chow kiew tu (similar to pad thai but not sweet). Their curry chicken is cooked in a thicker paste-like sauce which yields a deeper flavor compared to other Asian curries. Another popular item we'd ordered was the roti - very thin crispy light pancake served with a lighter version of the curry chicken. Though I recommend each person ordering their own - hard to share. =)
(4)Adam L.
Although i came here over once, this place was okay! Im going to keep this review short and straight to the point. Ofcourse get the Roti for the appetizer like everyone says. Its a must try if you don't know what to get. It comes with soft wrap bread with a sauce that taste like curry! Very flavorful For the maincourse meal i got rice with Beef Randang. It was honestly very normal to me. I don't know what all the buzz is about. It was basically just regular beef with rich. Nothing very special about it. The sauce was good but i mean you will get pretty bored of this dish. Eventually you'll get tired of eating just rice and beef lol
(3)Meia F.
Very yummy Coconut rice! I haven't tried anything else there but I always come back for that one dish. I gave Penang 4/5 stars because I don't get a ton of chicken with the Nasi Lemak dish. If nothing else, I'd definitely recommend the coconut rice, by itself or as an entire dish.
(4)Brittni H.
Great food but small potions I wasn't really full after... But I like Thier ABCs desert
(1)Dennis K.
Food was okay but the order was incorrect and they overcharged me. Ordered spicy steamed snapper and got steamed sea bass with sweet sauce Waiter said dish was $37 and was billed $38 Asked for itemized receipt and made to wait 10 minutes. I suggest ordering typical dishes and double check bill.
(1)Joyce L.
I think this place is a hit or miss - it really depends on what you order. The only thing worth ordering here it the roti canai and the hainanese chicken. Those two things are really well done; the mango chicken and the pineapple fried rice are just not worth getting. The mango chicken is too sweet... too much sauce, not enough chicken. I really like the interior decor of the restaurant. It's always clean and spacious, with everything made of wood. It's a safe option if you need a quick bite in the chinatown area, but not my first choice.
(3)Nicola Y.
The pad thai here was disappointing, although it was Malaysian version pad thai so I feel like maybe I'm being unfair. It seemed too wet, although it was pretty sweet. Also, it was barely spicy even though I asked for extra spicy. They get an extra star for the atmosphere - the restaurant is beautiful and just looks COOL! Loved the complimentary tea and great vibe. If I came back, it would be for the Roti Canai appetizer. It is AMAAAAZING. Omg. Amazing. They get a star just for this dish alone! SOOOOOO GOOD!
(2)Minju K.
This is one asian restaurant where my group of friends always come for birthdays, good-bye dinners, celebratory dinners and etc. I don't know how others experience was with this restaurant but I came with a friend who knew what to order already so it was amazing to me! I cannot remember what the name of the foods were but the portion is just enough to have 5 main plates including coconut rice and an appetizer for 7 people. if everyone in the group eats A LOT then order another dish. The price is a lil more on expensive side for asian cuisine in the area but it will be much more affordable if you share it as family style!
(5)Jennifer A.
I was very disappointed with this restaurant. The place was packed, so I decided to order take out and eat in my hotel room. I forced my way in to the front to order a rice plate #1 Chicken curry with hard boiled egg and #3?? Beef rice. Upon arrival at my room, I opened the first rice dinner box and was shocked to see the tiny portion which cost us about $8.5 each. The chicken curry was such a tiny portion, about 3 pieces! The box was divided like it was a bento box. Did I order a bento box?? Did I order a children's dinner meal???? A full grown man will not last on this tiny feast of a box. My box was the beef, which smelled great and looked good, surrounded by a mountain of rice that covered 3/5th of the box.... When biting into a piece of beef, one will discover how over cooked and hard to eat it was. My tiny Chiuhuahua would probably have a hard time chewing this as well. Altogether, it was fail dinner of 5 beefs. Based on my 2 orders, I am puzzled as to the yelp ratings. I only visit restaurants after checking out the reviews. This was a fail :( wasted my money and had no more time to reorder fast Chinese food bc everywhere was about closing time.
(2)Mary T.
This restaurant is pretty good for lunch. The service is fast and the price is reasonable. I tried the pad Thai here the other day, while it didn't taste like pad thai, the flavor was still pretty good. When they say there is shrimp in the pad thai, they mean they will only put 2 shrimps in the pad thai. My friend tried to switch the noodles in the tom yum noodle soup to flat rice noodles and they said they have to charge her extra.
(3)Herman S.
To sample what west indonesian dish has to offer, one must try the nasi lemak combo. It comes with coconut rice, chicken rendang, curried vegetables, fried anchovies, and all sort of pickles. The beef rendang (beef curry cooked with coconut milk) is also a delight.
(4)Xia L.
Came here for lunch yesterday with my friend. We tried their bubble tea drinks: langoon and coconut with boba. I like the idea of actually slicing up real fruit in the drink. We also tried their roti pancake and fried noodles. We both enjoyed everything.
(4)Yichen L.
This was my second visit to Penang tonight. I was puzzled when I saw the 3.5 score it received on Yelp, and thought their food was definitely underrated, because last time I was brought there by a Singaporean friend, and she really enjoyed it. But today, when I had their dessert Bubur Cha Cha, it really deserves a three stars (or less). The taro and sweet potatoes tasted like having been frozen for a long time, and the rest was tasteless, too. I really hope Penang can offer something sweet that can come up with the standard of their other food.
(3)Jin W.
Ordered Hainan Chicken take out for New Years and got food poisoned. The entire family was sick in bed for three days. Was one of my favorite restaurants in the past but the food quality and cleanliness declined dramatically over time.
(1)Quynh Nhu D.
Roti Canai - I love you. I love you so much when I actually take people here to visit you, I order one order for myself and get defensive when people be asking if they can try it .. UGH I guess society said I should share... hey only a little bit... dammit get your own portion.... Thankfully I get the whole Hainanese chicken rice dish to myself. I'm planning to consume this quite regularly when I'm moving closer to the area, because around $7 (6.50 + taxation) for lunch can fill me for the whole day. That's usually all I get since the umpteen time I've been there because I'm loyal like that but soooometime I try their other things: Curried Chicken with Rice (with bones and skins) - good. Fine. It's no Hainanese chicken rice but it taste good. But I'd regret that I didn't get my HCR House Special Fried Nasi Lemak - fine... interesting... but still not as good as HCR Singapore Rice Noodles - weird, not to my taste. regretting that I didn't get HCR Indian Mee Goreng - way better than Singapore Rice Noodle but still should have gotten the HCR dammit Ginger Duck Noodles - why did I get this, I don't like noodles, duck was salty.. the soup was not fun.. oh why didn't I get the HCR Beverage: Thai Ice Tea = can't go wrong with it. Water Melon Drink = yum perfect summer drink Malaysian Ice Tea = good, it's a Malaysian restaurant they kind of have to make it right The ABC dessert. Yummy. Hated that I have to share... Conclusion... don't share anything. Eat everything yourself. Be selfish. It's yummy, you deserve it. Especially always get the Roti Canai. and Idc what you like but I love my Hainanese Chicken Rice did I make myself clear
(4)Sakura V.
Penang has been around as long as I can remember. I've tried many dishes here but none seem to quite amaze me. The two things I do like are the Roti Canai and the Hainan Chicken. Ambience: Very interesting. The design does make you feel like you are out of boston. There is a big dining area and plenty of seating Roti Canai - Sometimes the curry comes spicy which I like alot. I have yet been to another restaurant around the boston area where you can see the chef authentically create dough. The curry can be ordered in a larger size, it just takes time to explain to the waitstaff for them to understand what you want. Hainan Chicken - I was never a big fan of this dish before but Penang's version is a bit different. There ginger sauce is more sour and spicy than most which I liked. Its best to eat this fresh. After a while the smell isn't too appetizing. Their fresh drink selection is another plus. I love getting fresh green apple juice. I believe I've seen carrot in the mix as well. Service: Typical Chinatown Service (quick and no frills)
(3)Le T.
Penang is the place to go for authentic malaysian food! Hainan chicken is a must get if you're new to this. Also, they have options for brown rice which is a plus! A very unique option they have besides the white rice and the brown rice is the chicken flavored rice. absolutely delishhh. My mouth is actually watering right now. It's actually insane that I can imagine how it tastes like right now. Anyways, the service was good, wouldn't say great because the waiter didn't speak english.
(4)Mike B.
Out of towner, stumbled upon this restaurant while out for a walk on a winter's night. Plus: They serve food, Malaysian food to be exact and it is pretty tasty, which is desirable when paying for food. I had Pad Thai, my coworker had a Beef Dish. It was incredibly tasty. Con: They don't have refillable soda or liquor. Otherwise it was an exceptional experience, tasty food, reasonable prices, and friendly and courteous wait staff. Almost wish I was staying in Boston longer so I could eat here again.
(4)Wayne T.
Would recommend overall, nice decor, good selection of food hard to find elsewhere in area, prices reasonable Had the large spicy crab here, very good for price; also ordered fresh fish, expensive, not worth price Have learned what to order, what's good/not, flavor definitely more unique when sick of typical chinese food taste
(5)Henry W.
Past glory.....okay dishes for the newbee who wants to try something new besides the row of chinese ones nearby.....but service was mediocre, i asked some questions but server had interest and attention span of a teenager, the roti curry soup watered down, soy sauce was way overused (as in veggies could swim). This place has seen better days.
(2)Matt L.
Penang- located in Chinatown, just across from one of the Chinese supermarkets. The place is actually pretty good on account of it's authenticity: they have options such as Phad Thai (not Malaysian, but...), Char Kuei Tieu, and other things. They also have a sticky rice and mango, which is decent, but slight overkill due to being super sweet. The ambiance of this place is alright, but the staff is a little rude. My particular experience felt like they were trying to rush us out the door- which was very likely because the place started to get pretty busy. Overall, this place has decent Malaysian food. Fairly priced, clean, and a decent number of options.
(3)John W.
Penang is easily one of my favorite restaurants in Boston and one of the best to me in China Town. Cuisine: Malasian but if you love Chinese...no problem. Seafood is excellent...the fried rice in an actual pineapple body is my favorite....you really can't go wrong with anything on the menu. There is a huge dining space also...it's spacious enough for big groups also. I have gone to numerous parties here. It's really an excellent restaurant. Check it out.
(5)Vivian S.
Well, come here because I miss my hometown food. It turns out kinda disappointing but the chili for their hainanese chicken rice is on point tho.
(2)Cathy L.
My boyfriend took me here and I was blown away. not a single thing we ordered didn't amaze me. started off with the Roti Canai and I was hooked. we ordered a second serving, that's how good it was. next was chicken pad Thai. this was okay. like any other pad Thai, nothing bad. then I ordered the golden fried squid and nearly inhaled it. it was pure perfection. each bite was perfectly crisp and seasoned. i could live off of this ended the night with the fried ice cream and banana dessert. it's exactly what you expect. overall, a great meal with great and fast service.
(5)Mike H.
There are a few times, although far and few, where I am just so caught off guard at a restaurant where I'm rendered speechless. I'll get to why later, but first, the good! The food is on point. It's made quickly, (seems) fresh, presentation is on point, and also tastes amazing. We ordered the rangoons, fried squid, Pad Thai and Duck with ginger rice. The rangoons were so creamy, crispy, and full of flavour. The ambiance is actually pretty cool. Different levels of dining, like stadium seating, separates a dining room and makes it more private while still keeping it open. The only reason it loses a star is that the waitstaff all seemed way too rushed. In the first five minutes of being there, we were asked if we were ready to order. We. Just. Sat. Down. How about you pour water before asking if we're ready to order for the third time? After we said no, we tried to hurry but we felt his eyes on us. It's just weird that WE felt bad for making him wait... I shouldn't complain though, I'm totally going there again. The food was awesome.
(4)Marely M.
Super delicious! I love the selection. The service is very good. They are fast and attentive. I'm a super fan of their bread (yogi) I think. Great location that is close to mayor public transportation and right in the city. I used to go there with coworkers for lunch and it will be packed. Make a reservation. Have to go back soon.
(5)James W.
I love this place and presently must recommend the Beef brisket curry casserole. The brisket is fall off the bone tender with a perfectly matched curry sauce to accompany it. Not too spicy yet very flavorful. The Roti Canai is definitely worth having for your appetizer as well. I will be back to try other dishes eventually but I can't get away from that brisket.
(4)Banny S.
My husband and I being going to Penang for more than 7 years! We love their food! and it's the only, and I mean only reason we go there. Unfortunately the staff does not give a damn about the customers! We used to see the owner a lot every time we ate there and the staff was great! They used to serve you right away, bring you some tea and asks if everything was ok with your food. Unfortunately about 2 years ago we no longer see the owner when we go, and the staff kinds of just "Chill" we were there on a non busy Sunday for lunch time last month, and it took 10 minutes for a staff member to finally say "What do you want?" The food arrived very fast but then our waiter was gone we kept asking whoever was around for refills and the bill. I'm in love with their food, but every time we go they are out of something. Long story short the lack of management has impacted this once awesome please. I used to recommend every one but I'm scare to do so now. From now on we'll be ordering just take out.
(3)Heidi C.
Satay was delicious, the Indian Roti with curry dip was delicious so was Kang Kung Belacan (Chinese watercress with shrimp paste). We waited 10 min for a table for 2 on a Thursday night, the service was fast and staff were all very friendly. The restaurant was packed with large tables. So why the 3 star? because I was looking forward to a sumptuous bowl of laksa, so I ordered the Asam Laksa, which said "spicy and sour" in the menu, but it wasn't sour nor spicy enough for my taste buds. The Chow Kueh Teow, fried flat rice noodle was great in general, except the noodles were a bit 'flaky", it had broken off into small pieces instead of the full long noodle. N Will still come back if I was dying for some Malaysian, but won't be my first choice. Bill was just over $50.
(3)Kris S.
Called Penang to get a take-out for Hainanese Chicken Rice. The waiter told my girlfriend she had to wait five hours for the take-out and she believed them. Rekt. Anyways, we take-out pretty often and its always less than ten mins. Sooo~ gullible, but the waiters here do have a nice sense of humor. Chicken Rice and Roti are the best dishes on the menu. Guaranteed no disappointment. I mean, where else can you enjoy a decent Chicken Rice in Boston (except some very unique places - given that there are so many Chicken Rice styles)? This is an exceptionally prime location too! TLDR; 4.5/5 for food, service quality, and cleanliness.
(5)Veronica C.
This is the only place I go for Malaysian/Singaporean food in Boston! Located in the city's Chinatown and just a few minutes walk from the "T" make this place super easy to find. On weekends and weeknights, this place can get crowded enough that you might have to wait outside for a table (not so great with Boston's chilly weather on winter time). I have come here numerous times and ordered countless dishes. My favorite has got to be their chicken and seafood Hor Fun. It's my kind of comfort food and is simply delicious. The portion can be so ginormous that afterwards you may have to go for a loong walk to even convince your tummy to start contemplating digestion. Service was an A+ by Chinatown restaurants standard. Value for the place is also great with dishes mostly coming in under $10 (for their individual plates menu). I would highly recommend this place if you ever find yourself in Boston looking for Singaporean/Malaysian food.
(4)Tobias G.
I like the interior - brick, wooden floor, nice paintings at the wall. The service was quick, but we came quite early (5:30 on a Friday). The Roti Canai appetizer was really delicious. Recommend! The Singapore needles missed chicken, but was quite good. I didn't like the Cheow Kueh Teow. Tasted good at first, but I quickly got tired of it. Wouldn't order again.
(3)Hadeel A.
Food was delicious. We were five persons. Every dish we ordered including starters was delicious. Roti Canai was really good. Noodle dishes were also yummy, we ordered the Chow Kway Teow, sea food rice noodle, and beef noodle. Coconut rice is yummy. Will go back again.
(5)Chaivut C.
Had the tendered chicken and roti. Heaven! This place serves tiger and Chang beer too. Feel like being at home anytime I dine out here. Great place!
(5)Maurizio F.
Great food! Everyone is spot on about the Roti Canai....it's unbelievable. But even better, they have a "hot pot" version. If you love the Roti Canai but just crave a bigger portion than this is the way to go....trust me. Get a side of Brown or White rice with it and it's a great meal.
(5)Power F.
The service was fast and friendly. Not exceptional, but acceptable. The ambiance is quite nice. This is a tale of two dishes however. I ordered Mee Goreng. I was quite disappointed by the blandness. Mee Goreng has been one of the heartiest and most flavorful Southeast Asian dishes I have had in the past, but Penang simply was lacking that extra burst of flavor. I would rate this 3 Stars. My companion ordered Tom Yum Gung. This was very good a solid 4 star dish made spicy and authentically. I decided to temper my review and weight the Tom Yum and the service above the poorly made Mee Goreng. I would go back but if more lackluster dishes like Mee Goreng is served I might not give it a third try.
(4)Maly A.
Service was OK but food was below average. I've had better at other Penang locations.
(2)Samantha L.
I have been going to Penang for almost 20 years. This past week, I went once with my family and friends - my hubby who is also from Malaysia remarked that the standard had gone down, meaning the food didn't taste very good. I went back again with my co-workers because one of them wanted to go there. I have to say that the quality and taste are not the same. Penang was very consistent for the 10+ years I've been going, but lately something has changed. I hope the Penang management will note this and go back to the previous recipes.
(2)Bonnie L.
I've been here a few times ( maybe 5-6 times?) and from those 5-6 times, I've had completely mixed reviews on it service wise.. One time I would come in, and everything would be perfect. The waiter seated us within 5 minute and brought our food correctly and within good waiting time. And another time (like last night) I went.. The server completely forgot my friends food. We asked a few waiters because our waitress was nowhere to be found on the food.. and they said in "2 minutes" but we clearly saw he made no contact with the kitchen staff. When we finally found our waitress, my friend decided he no longer wanted the food and asked to take it off the bill. The waitress misheard him say he'll take it to go and she brought him the food to go. We told them we didn't want it anymore and she gave us a very mean look and walked away. We had to ask for our bill twice before it came and we asked them to charge a certain amount on 1 card and split the rest onto 2 cards. When we got the receipts back, we found out they swiped my card twice.. Food wise, the roti canai(aka indian pancake) are a must try. I've got to say, their coconut juice is pretty good too. I wasn't expecting that great of a coconut juice.. but it was good and it had coconut jelly/pulp in it too! Their pineapple friend rice.. the unique part of that is that it is actually served in a half cut pineapple. It had an interesting taste to it. It had a little pineapple kick that people may or may not like.. and in my friend's case.. she absolutely hated it. I personally wouldn't mind it but there is a little taste you would not expect from it.
(3)Mike T.
Man so disappointing how Penang is nowadays. This place use to be so good, cheap and had plentiful portions. I feel like the food here isn't as good as it use to be. Went here for hainese chicken and it was cold. I also got the shrimp with string peas and it literary came with 4 pieces of shrimp. I will come back to try it again but we will see how it is.
(3)Jessi R.
We stopped in randomly before a show--it was different, and conveniently right off the T. Free water and tea, without even asking. That gives a star automatically. The Roti Canai as an appetizer was fast, but the meat was greasy and had bones, which was disappointing as it would have been nice to easily eat it with the pancake. The "spicy" Prawn Mee was lacking in the spice department--even I could eat it. It was also an unnatural shade of red, with a heavy artificial shrimp taste. My Buddhist Yam Pot was better--the taro bowl was an impressive touch that even had another patron commenting on the presentation! It wold have been nice however if the menu had mentioned the carrots or celery, or if regular mushrooms were noted in addition to the black mushrooms. I totally get that you have to supplement because black mushrooms are uber expensive, but if you're going to do that, don't specify a particular type. I do see myself coming back, if only for the uniqueness since I can get most of the other Chinatown offerings more conveniently.
(3)Sravan M.
Roti Teloor and Roti Kanai are my favourites. and don't miss out on the coconut water.
(4)Chenkai L.
I really like the bamboo decor in the interior. The food here is relatively authentic. I got the spicy seafood noodles, which wasnt very spicy but was very tasty, it had spinach and bean sprouts in it. My company had the pan fried noodles, which is your standard asian pan fried noodles, oily, flavorful and characoal flavor (which was quite good). We also got the thin layer bread for appetizer, the bread wasnt toasted enough but the curry that came was it was delicious.
(3)Bela S.
I've never been to a Malaysian restaurant before today. I did grow up with some wonderful Malaysian neighbors who often brought piping hot food over for me after they got home from work. This place almost captured my childhood. Almost. To start we had the bread (name eludes me right now) with curry dipping sauce. The sauce was rather great, with a rich chicken and curry flavor. I would have liked more of this. I had the green curry chicken hot pot. Let me just start with saying that the chicken and vegetables, although plentiful, was quite forgettable. They didn't take on the flavor of the broth at all. They looked and tasted as if they had been steamed and then simply added to the broth. I wasn't very thrilled, but the broth did have some redeeming qualities. It was a lovely coconut green curry broth, and the flavors were actually there. It was rather excited taking a mouthful of that after a couple of mouthfuls of chicken and vegetables, all the while wondering if I had made the wrong decision. Wife got mixed pad Thai, and it was pretty good. It got to be a little sweet about halfway through the meal, but overall not bad. I'd say this was the best plate of the evening, overall. Sister in law got some sort of beef and noodles. It was rather greasy. She ate about half and didn't want to take it home. I guess I don't blame her. Prices were reasonable and we may be back when in the area. There are a whole lot of other plates that in interested in trying.
(3)Ashley N.
This place wasn't that spectacular as recommended, but it was an okay meal. We ordered -Home Made Roti Canai (Indian Pancake) which was alright. The curry sauce it came with was a typical curry. Pretty good. -Duck: not recommended. The sauce was a typical sauce that can be easily made at home. -Sambal Shrimp with Petai Belachan: Pretty tasty! I liked it but of course I wish there was more shrimp. I loved the sauce. I asked for extra spicy and it was not that spicy for my taste buds. Atmosphere: great! not too loud/noisy but good enough to hear the person across from the table. I like the decor. Service was good too. Seems like they do just want you in and out, but I did take my time to order and eat. Pricing: I don't think it was a good price for the food. A little above average than what I usually pay. Overall: good place with good food. I would definitely eat here again, because I do love Asian food and this place deserves another chance. I would try different dishes.
(3)Xiao Z.
Been here for a quite number of times in the past few years, and the quality has certainly diminished drastically with increasing prices, diminished portions and extremely rude customer services. The stuffed yam dish shrunk by nearly 1/3 of its original glamor, the vegetarian dishes all taste remarkably similar to each other and all incredibly salty. The staff are too attentive, and on a slightly quieter day, would pester you for an order every 2-4 minutes (yes, I actually counted). Certainly, Penang is still considered by some, as a "safe" Malaysian restaurant to try out in Boston Chinatown, if you're not ready to venture into the multitude of restaurants with ducks and pig heads hanging upside down from the window sill, you can come here, but you'd miss out on so many better options. Food: 2 stars Price: 2 stars Service: 2 stars
(2)Saad M.
This place is awesome. Service is exceptionally fast; from time to order our roti appetizer came out within 5 minutes and all 3 mains were out in less than 15 minutes. Atmosphere is casual, lots of families eating as well as young adults having drinks with dinner and being boisterous. Prices were incredibly reasonable and portions were huge. I left feeling very full and wanting more. The special squid dish was ridiculously good, would come back just for that; we also got the beef rendang which was a good mix of indian and east asian and also a flat fried noodle dish with who knows what in it. all incredible. I would order without even looking at the menu next time I went. Highly recommended.
(4)J. G.
The service tries hard but the place is SLAMMED! Enjoyed the pad Thai soooo good with the mushrooms, rather savory and A MUST HAVE is the mango chicken it is amazing! Had the roti it was nice but the least pleasing of the meal. Wish I had more time in Boston this would get another visit!
(5)Sophie R.
Not impressed.. The dishes tasted the same - same sauce; nothing like or close to what the Bay Area Malaysian restaurants offer.
(2)Idy T.
This is one of the better restaurants in Chinatown! I love South-East Asian food because of the spices they use and the pungent flavors that each dish has. Penang is pretty authentic when it comes to Malaysian cuisine. The last time I was here, I ordered Roti Canai, which is a type of Malaysian flat bread and it comes with a side of curry to dip the flat bread in. I also ordered the Laksa, which is a noodle soup dish. And finally, I ordered the Penang Seafood Fried Rice. Every dish was very delicious and flavorful. I love the Roti Canai because the flat bread is flaky yet soft and it tastes even better with the curry sauce. The curry is not spicy at all so this dish is perfect for everyone. The Laksa was also pretty good. The broth is full with spices and seafood flavor. The noodle was perfect and it absorbed the flavors of the broth. The fried rice was also made perfectly. It was not too oily and it was also full of flavor. Besides the delicious dishes that Penang serves, the decor of this restaurant really gives you a feel of dining at a restaurant in Malaysia. The staffs are friendly and service is pretty good for a restaurant in Chinatown!
(4)Lizzy S.
They're good if you know what to order. Our first visit to Penang left us kind of disappointed, but it turns out we ordered items that weren't to or liking and/or expectancy. At that moment, we were longing for a more 'thick' Malaysian cuisine and what we found were leaning towards more of a Chinese tastes. We went there last week and this time we were prepared with suggestions on what they do best (in my friends' opinion)... and we agree with their pointers! Everything we ordered was solid! Delicious, rich, and reminds us of good Malaysian food (the westernized version, I must say). Here are what reaffirmed us for a future visit: Roti chanay with chicken curry dipping sauce + chicken satay + kangkug belacan + crispy golden fried squid + samba shrimp with petty bellman + pulut hiram (dessert).
(3)Amanda G.
We loved Penang and have been going their for over 5 years. Our favorite dish is the pearl noodle! We always get one to go! There BOBA Tea is delicious as a desert drink and they let you have it to go. Prices are VERY reasonable! You will not be disappointed if you dine here. We suggest the Mango Chicken, Dumplings, Pearl Noodle, and Ginger Chicken
(5)Jennifer L.
I came here the other day with my boyfriend and we ordered the crab rangoons, some Thai iced tea, rice with salty fish and another rice dish with duck. Overall the food was pretty good! We both finished our dishes. What I really didn't like though was the service. I felt like we were constantly being rushed... We got really annoyed after they kept asking if we were finished when we obviously weren't. Other than that, I would probably come again to try the other dishes on the menu!
(4)Amanda P.
I find this place overhyped Food was okay Service sucked Thai iced tea was lacking flavor.
(3)srinivas m.
This was my go to restaurant for the longest time, I used to drive from providence once a month and would look forward to eat here. I recently moved back from Chicago(I used to brag about Penang all over Chicago), it was a huge shock and disappointment on my recent visit on 28th august. 1st the service-:really poor and pathetic, bad attitude and poor hygiene.this restaurant was never known for its service, but the servers are the worst in all the restaurants I have ever visited(I'm a restaurant management professional with over 15 years of top management position experience). 2nd the food-: very poor quality, the roti Canai was bland, the noodle were tasteless( we let the server know, he had no reaction and said he can't do anything about it) 3rd -there was an overall sad and desperately poor ambience(I will never ever return, telling all my friends as well) It's really sad and pathetic that Penang has lost its identity(a lot if my friends warned me) please spare yourself with torture and filth.
(1)Mike J.
Pretty good place to eat. Good service. I would go there to eat every night if I live close to chinatown.
(4)Jimmy H.
Food is good however rude service had to wait to be seated with no one in the restaurant then had wait for server to come over and say what you want then he slamed my soda on the table so rude..
(2)Cerina H.
I love coming here with a big group so we can order lots of different things. I've never had to wait even with a larger group because the restaurant is really spacious. Food is amazing and there are great options. I like to order something different every time but there are a few that I always have to get: Roti canai - crispy, soft pancake with curry chicken dipping sauce. Eat this while it's still hot! Buddhist yam pot - vegetables and/or protein (chicken or seafood) in a fried taro shell. The taro shell is crispy and sweet...a great combo with the vegetables Chicken or coconut flavored rice - good with other dishes Chow Keuh Teow - pan fried noodle. Not as visually or conceptually exciting as something like the yam pot but still delicious. I would not get the Hainanese chicken unless you want to bring home a big plate of boring chicken with lots of bones.
(5)Scott W.
First, I want to give credit where credit is due. My fiance and I came here on Saturday night and the food here was quite good. I had the Roti Canai, which was extremely tasty. Then for my entree, I had the Chow Kueh Teow, also quite delicious. So, my complaints here are not with Penang's food, but everything with their service and false advertising. To be clear, Penang is NOT gluten-free. Despite several reassurances from my waiter that the coconut fried rice was gluten-free, we ended up ordering that for my fiance. Big mistake. Within ten minutes, she had nausea and vomiting because of Penang's clearly gluten-laden rice. To make matters worse, as we ate, we had to ask for the waiters to refill our water. Three separate times. It was unbelievably bad service. Luckily, my fiance only has a gluten insensitivity, not full-blown celiac disease. But if you do have celiac, I would avoid Penang at all costs. If you are not affected by gluten, again, I reiterate that the food was quite good. Just go elsewhere for any meaningful service.
(2)Duy L.
I can't count how many I have been here, but every time the feeling was mutual. The food was good but you get mix feelings for the service. Sometime you can have good food with very bad service, and vice visa. All the time that was there I never had a well balanced of both service. I recommend the Cantonese chow foon. It's a fried clear wide flat noodles with vegetable and a choice of meat. The fried ice cream is also recommended.
(3)Daniel B.
Well, even though I had the beetle experience, I decided to go back. You know what, their food is really quite good. I had the seafood rice noodles and the roti appetizer. Both were very good. The roti was really fantastic and came with an awesome sauce. So, I'll take back my 1-star rating and go for 4, because all food I've had there has been tasty and I want to explore their extensive menu.
(4)Brian G.
Incredible Malaysian/Singaporean food! The nasi lemak is outstanding as is the Singapore mee. They even have ikan bakar (barbecued sting ray). The food makes me yearn to return to SIngapore once again. One thing that they do go over board with...almost to the point of being laughable...is the lobster special. A steamed pepper lobster! While I realize they are trying to mimic the great steamed pepper crab of Malaysia/Singapore, somehow dressing up a lobster...ESPECIALLY in Boston, of all places, like this borders on sacrilege! I can't believe it took me this long to find this restaurant. Despite the indignity leveled against Homarus americanus, this place is great! The only "bad" thing...no sago gula malacca :((
(5)Diane H.
It seems after new management that the food quality has deteriorated. My pad Thai was disgusting... And the red bean shake I once loved taste totally different now which is disappointing. The service still sucks, so that's nothing new. They had a table made up of two tables for 6 people and did not want to break it apart to sit my party of 3 until a solo man came and she was forced to since we would all be waiting with empty tables sitting. I don't want to return. Even the Indian pancake is very thin now, seems the portions is smaller.
(2)Nina W.
Not clean and smells like moth balls on a bad day... the waiters do not speak any English so forget about asking about items on the menu...I asked how the seafood in the soup were cooked and he answered, "Frozen." So lame. Also in my soup were like, wood splinters. Never again will I go back.
(1)Jason M.
You've probably heard a lot of people talk about the roti canai with the spicy curry dipping sauce. They're spot on with their thoughts. Sweet, tangy and a little bit of heat... it's the perfect appetizer before a fantastic meal. The Beef Randang is a standout. The beef falls apart at the slightest touch and the sauce is rich and spicy, perfectly complimented by the coconut rice. The other two standouts for me are the decor and the desserts. Penang is gorgeous. Wood and bamboo everywhere. The entire place is a constructed building within another building. It's restaurant inception. And the desserts? Amazing. Pro tip - by all means, order the peanut pancake for dessert... but recognize that it takes 20 minutes to cook. Order it with your entree and you'll be just fine. Just note most of the items in the vegetable section aren't vegetarian options. Most contain shrimp paste or seafood of some sort.
(4)Mark D.
Good spring rolls but the clay pot green curry seafood dish I had was pretty boring. Lots of other places to try in the area. Service was marginal. Didn't get any attention after they deliver the food until they wanted me to pay the check.
(2)Sparky S.
Really liked the Nasi Lemak Combination which is flavored coconut rice, with chili anchovy curry chicken and hard boiled eggs. A good option if you have a nice appetite. Decent ambiance and service. I am giving an OK review, since I am yet to explore their menu. But I am looking forward to visiting the place again.
(3)Connie C.
Went back to Penang, and I'm so glad they have their original indian pancakes back! Hainan chicken was still good and i still feel like their portion is going smaller and smaller.
(4)Nimish S.
Flavorful food, the chicken quality can get better. Overall good place quick service.
(4)Suresh K.
never got disappointed in the case of food
(5)Manfred S.
Great place to get some nice noodles for lunch. Service is friendly (especially by Chinatown standards). I particularly like their mee siam and they make it spicy if you ask.
(4)Nisha K.
Rotti Canai is my favorite appetizer and you can't go wrong with mango chicken. The quantity is really good, one dish can easily share between two people. Serving is okay. The only thing I found annoying is the place is very noisy and hard to hear people
(4)ThulsZ G.
Tried my fav indian bread canai ( Parota), which was okay and the curry was too good to order the same again. This place was pretty decent when compared to most of the Asian restaurants that I have tried( no offense plz).. You will definitely get disappointed, if you expect to drink when you eat, as they provide a real less variety of beers and most of them are exported from China..
(3)Amy L.
My fav Malaysian place in the Beantown. The staff is friendly and helpful and as long as you are open to their suggestions, their food won't disappoint you. The only time I hated my food was the time I went solo and ordered something I had no idea of and did not ask for their insight. LOL
(5)Erie C.
My friends and I came here for a friend's birthday. The food was decent. What I found funny was that all my friends found the roti canai to be their favorite. It's sad how the appetizer tasted better than their entrees. I've eaten at numerous Malaysian restaurants in NY - not every one of the restaurants were great but their quality triumphs over this restaurant's food. I think it might be because this is the only Malaysian restaurant in the neighborhood. Their service was horrible. I've asked for water three times before they actually brought it to us. Hopefully, they would improve. What I Ordered: Nasi Lemak and Roti Canai
(2)Al N.
I was really craving Asian food, since my family has been driving across America for the last week. This place was really quaint. We ordered the roti canai, house special squid, green beans with chicken, and shrimp fried rice. All of the dishes were really good. My favorite dish was the house special squid. It was sweet and salty, which are my favorite flavor combinations. Being Asian, I'm really critical on all types of Asian food. This place doesn't disappoint! I wish I took pictures of the food but I was too busy devouring the deliciousness. Nom nom. Thank goodness there's a location in LA! I'd definitely come back!
(5)Suneeta B.
Their roti canai is the best! Probably the only thing I go there for, but their customer service is horrible. I ordered the steamed chicken and the waiter said "it's steamed ok?" When I got the food the chicken was completely cold, confused, I asked the waiter he said "I told you it was steamed" but that didn't tell me it was cold. The women working their looked at me with an attitude and began to snicker to the other workers, and my waiter couldn't refund my money, so I asked if they could heat it up, and put the food in the microwave and brought it back. Will not be coming back for dinner. However I will always stop by for roti canai and fried ice cream!
(3)Hansel B.
They have pretty big servings here. The wait staff is a little annoying because they keep trying to rush you. That's the one part I didnt like about this place. The food gets you full. It has some flavor, but you can tell that it's not fresh ingredients. It's about as good as you can expect from a chain restaurant.
(3)Sidi L.
great food hereï¼they are special and deliciousï¼My friend took us here to celebrate that he got a jobï¼
(4)Linda C.
Good place to take friends. Food is good. The variety is vast and varied... BUT I won't go out of my way just to come here. It's just a place to suggest if I'm in the city with friends and everything else looks closed. Meaning, it's not a place I'm crazy about, or one that I crave when I'm hungry. It's CONVENIENT ONLY...and has decent food. *The best thing here is the jasmine tea. That should already reveal a lot.
(3)Huong D.
The service are terrible. All the older servers are mean. The food is good. Went there 10 times, always was given attitude. I just dont get it.
(2)David C.
My first bite of anything at Penang was a piece of smoldering hot chicken laced with tiny bones. I couldn't swallow the mouthful without choking, and I couldn't spit it out without looking like a barbarian. My tongue was doomed, and the rest of my meal was tasteless. The. End.
(1)Jenn S.
After a movie on Christmas, my friends and I started to wander around Chinatown, looking for an open place without a ridiculous wait. I knew Penang was open and had been to a Penang in New York and remembered liking it. So when we saw it, we ventured in. The wait was only 25 minutes, so we decided to give it a go. I They do NOT have a good waiting area. We were constantly in the way and I actually got pushed out of the way by a waitress... She could have just said "excuse me," but we'll overlook that. Once we were seated, a waiter came over immediately and the service was FAST. We decided to split a bunch of things, so we could all try everything: - Homemade Roti Canai (Indian Pancake): It's Malaysian all time favorite, crispy style pancake & curry chicken dipping sauce. The pancake was thin and we had to use our hands to rip it, but the curry chicken dipping sauce was AMAZING. We kept it to put on our rice and agreed that we would have been happy eating JUST that with rice as our meal! - Penang Satay Beef: Marinated beef on skewers, charcoal grilled to perfection served with peanut sauce. The peanut sauce was chunkier than you get at a Thai place, and I liked the full, chopped cucumbers & red onions (as opposed to cucumber sauce at a Thai place). The beef was VERY flavorful. Definitely delicious! - Penang Poh Piah: Steamed Malaysian spring roll stuffed with jicama and shrimp: we ordered the vegetarian version (which we think came with tofu, which none of us usually like - this time was an exception). They pre-cut the spring rolls, which made them VERY messy (they basically just fell apart), especially because there were no forks on the table and we were only using chopsticks. This was my least favorite dish. For our entrees, we went with: - Chicken Chow Fun: Stir-fried flat noodles in a special sauce with beef, scallion & bean sprouts. This was DELICIOUS. I love flat noodles (these didn't seem stir-fried, but what do I know?) and the flavor was fantastic. - Mango Chicken: Shredded mango cooked with spicy sweet & sour sauce. Served in mango shell. Also delicious, and with a nice presentation! The mango was definitely evident and was a nice compliment to the other dishes. - Sizzling Beef: Sliced beef with green/red pepper and onion. Served on hot plate. This was good, but nothing to write home about. I don't recall it actually sizzling when it arrived, but that's ok. Overall, I loved the entire meal and would DEFINITELY come back. For 4 people, with 1 beer and 1 soda, it came out to about $74 (before tip)... That seems pricey, but we did get 3 appetizers and 3 entrees... And if we weren't such piggies, we might have had leftovers!
(5)Michael D.
Ehh, decent food, but a few gripes: 1) Too expensive for what you get 2) They try too hard to be "classier" than the other chinatown joints. Personally, I think you can get more food, better tasting, and for cheaper at other joints around the area. BUT i guess there's not many malaysian places around.. so looks like they're chillin in the market niche for now...
(3)Chong C.
I went there with my girl with high hopes of having great food. I had shrimp something noodle, and my girlfriend had other noodle with curry flavored broth. Both were okay. I mean Okay. They were not bad, but not too delicious either. Service was fast and server was nice. My experience here was, in short, OK
(3)Eric S.
The Roti Canai is to die for! It's not particularly cheap, but it's really good! I also ordered something that I can't pronounce, but it's sort of like a chinese version of a pad thai. Of course, I also ordered a pad thai. Their desserts are also very good.
(4)Ben D.
wow this place is great! Some friends and I wanted to find a new place to eat in Chinatown and wandered into Penang out of convenience (was the closest place from the T stop we hadn't eaten at). Free tea and water were instantly placed at our table, made us happy especially because it was a little cold out that night. For 8 bucks I ended up with a delicious spicy noodle dish, which was actually spicy. I like spicy noodles :-D My friend ended up ordering the Mango Chicken based on other Yelp reviews. The chicken came in the hollowed out shell of a mango fruit. Looked awesome and tasted really good (I had to steal a bite). I'll definitely be trying out Penang again someday soon.
(5)Andrea P.
Yummy! Service: Great! They were quick, immediately dropped off the free tea, and continually filled my water glass. Our waitress gave a great suggestion to my bf about his food choices (which one was spicier and overall better) Food: It was good stuff, came out super hot, fresh, and fast! Curried chicken was spicy and delicious, as were the spare ribs. I wanna head back to try more soon. Atmosphere: I found it to be really cute. I liked the whole "outdoor" look.
(4)Zach S.
Definitely my favorite restaurant in Boston. First, it has a really nice ambiance/interior which makes you feel almost like you're eating outside. Secondly (and most importantly) the food is amazing! I used to try out a different dish every time I went, until one time when I decided to try the Curry Mee soup. Ever since then, I have gotten the Curry Mee soup every time I go because its so delicious! They also have some really interesting desserts that are worth trying (such as ABC) as well as some interesting drinks such as lychee drink and red bean shake. I've never had a bad experience in the 10+ years I've been going there and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes Malaysian or is willing to give it a try!
(5)Eric L.
This restaurant has one of the nicest interior decors of any inexpensive Asian restaurant I've ever been in. The setting is an old brick building with a lot of laminated woodwork, giving the ceilings a slanted roof appearance. Another plus for tall folks - the chairs have high seatbacks so when you hang your coat, the sleeves don't touch the floor, a pet peeve of mine. We ordered the Roti Canai (roti with a curry-potato-chicken dip sauce), the chicken rice (chicken infused rice with a plate of bone-in steamed chicken), and the Udang Mee (shrimp broth with noodles, pork, and shrimp). The roti was light and not too greasy. I expected the chicken rice to be outstanding, as I have been told it is one of the "national dishes" of singapore, but the rice was very subtly flavored. The chicken was similar to the Chinese style steamed chicken (bak-jam-gai) and was tender and flavorful. I've always found chicken cooked on the bone to be more tasty than boneless chunks which tend to get dried out. The shrimp noodle soup had a strong flavor of shrimp paste (a good thing) but was less spicy than I had expected. Overall the food was quite good, and coupled with the pleasant decor and reasonable prices, this was a very nice dining experience. And for tall folks, those chairs with the high backs!
(4)Jin C.
Having grown up in Singapore, I know what Singaporean/Malaysian food is supposed to taste like. I would like to say that Penang's mee siam is nothing like the mee siam I was expecting, but it was tasty by its own virtue. Their curry mee with yong tau foo is also spicy and flavorful. Can't go wrong with curry, I guess. Also, low prices and huge portions. Win!
(4)Phil O.
I've been here about 3-4 times, and most recently I've been ordering the shrimp w/ a red/spicy paste with onions and steamed white rice. For the money (about $12-13), the portion size is impressive. I plan on going back here for sure.
(4)Victoria K.
It was pretty good, I'm a wuss with spice and I asked them to make the tomyum less spicy. It was still super spicy, but it was still good. The fried squid was delicious.
(3)Mike R.
I haven't had Malay food since Singapore and they set the bar pretty high there. Penang is great. It has a nice relaxed atmosphere and the food is delicious. Nothing is too greasy and the flavours are just right. You have to wave down servers to get refills, but I can deal with that given how good the food is.
(4)Bob F.
Went in for a bowl of noodle soup and was please to find an $8 bowl to Tom Yum soup loaded with shrimp, scallops and calamari all served in one of the best Tom Yum broths I've ever tasted. Needless to say I ate every bite and look forward to a return visit soon. The asparagus with shrimp entree caught my eye as well. I should also remark on the freshness of all the ingredients at this restaurant. Definitely worth a visit.
(5)Sharon D.
YUM! We came for lunch at noon for an office gathering and within minutes of us getting there, the place was packed! There seemed to be a lot if larger groups so definately consider calling ahead. We sat immediately, the staff was incredibly friendly and the orders came out quickly and piping hot! Best Seafood Tom Yum Soup with Rice Noodles! It was huge, delicious and easily enough for two meals! Others ordered the Pineapple Fried Rice that was beautifuly presented in a pineapple, Beef Randang and Pad Thai. All were extremely happy with their choices and we were especially pleased. So much food, affordable prices in a fun atmosphere! They do not accept Amex.
(4)Mariel T.
I went to Penang for some Malaysian food before seeing a movie down the street. We only had 35 minutes before the show started-- and we made it for previews thanks to wonderful and fast services at Penang. I ordered a mango chicken dish that was truly wonderful. I was so pleased when my dish came out in 5 minutes!!!!! The dish was served in hollowed out mango peel and included generous slices of ripe, delicious mango. (Too often have a ordered a dish with mango, and you simply cannot identify the fruit because it is not appropriately ripe.) The Roti Canai seemed to be a wildly popular dish, I saw it come out of the kitchen countless times while dining at Penang. The ceramic pot soup my fellow diner got was severed piping hot, and enough for 2 dinners. YUM! The restaurant is large and good for groups, loud and casual. Penang will have return business!!! Thank you.
(5)Tim D.
One of the best Asian restaurants in Boston. Their best stuff is *really* good. And often strange. Here's a run-down of some things I've gotten there, along with the grade they earned once safe inside my gullet: Curry Mee with Young Tau Foo Grade: A One of the most surreal, outrageous and compelling things one can eat in Boston. It's a fragrant curry-broth soup with two kinds of noodles, big dog-ear flaps of fried tofu skin, fish-paste stuffed inside bitter gourd slices, fish-paste stuffed inside eggplant, some random bobbing fish balls, green onion, fish-paste stuffed inside some other sort of vegetable and... and.... Dude, I actually have no idea what this dish is, but I've now eaten it hundreds of times and it's a part of me. A very special part of me. Assam Ikan Bilis Grade: B It's best not to stare at this dish for too long. It's a zillion tiny anchovies in a very tangy tamarind-onion sauce. Good to share, but I doubt you'll want more than five or six bites because the tiny fish are very chewy and the jaw quickly tires of them. Satay Bean Curd (appetizer) Grade: B Unremarkable but refreshing and inoffensive. Good for mild-tempered conservative types and young teenagers. Chow Kueh Teow Grade: A One of the best noodle dishes in Chinatown. Smoky and rich; tastes like the noodles themselves were mesquite-grilled. Ipoh Bean Sprouts (appetizer) Grade: B+ A very pleasant appetizer for the man who just can't get enough bean sprouts (did you not know he existed?) Achat (appetizer) Grade: C+ Turmeric-covered vegetable pickles; I think there's a good reason I've forgotten these, but I can't quite remember it. Penang Pad Thai Grade: B+ This is a boring choice at a place full of gutsy options, but it's undeniably a fine version. Indian Mee Goreng Grade: B+ Full of flavor, but a little "ketchupy" for my taste. Mee Siam Grade: B+ (Ditto) Seafood Scrambled Egg Chow Fun Grade: B+ Slightly smoky chow fun noodles drenched in a warming, soupy egg broth with some shrimp and squid lazing about. Gross in its way, but deeply comforting, especially in the winter. Clay Pot Pearl Noodle\ Grade: B+ Similar to the above, but with thinner noodles. Asam Laksa Grade: A- PUNGENT. Try it at your own risk, but at least once in your lifetime. The waiters will try to warm you away from it. But be bold, my friend. Prawn Mee Grade: A A marvelously rich shrimp broth with two kinds of noodles. One of the top soups in this town, for my money. Seafood Tomyam with Rice Noodles Grade: B- Skimpy on the seafood and a touch too sour, but I've never liked this soup anywhere so I'm not a good judge of it. House Special Fried Nasi Lemak Grade: A- Mild, light, subtle and clean-tasting, without the slightest hint of greasiness. A new frontier for the greaseball genre of fried rice. Shrimp with String Beans Malaysian Style Grade: A The most perfectly-cooked string beans; the most perfectly smoky shrimp; the most addictive dried shrimp-paste "sauce".... For the sake of all who live, just eat this my friend. Shrimp with Lady Fingers Malaysian Style Grade: A The same as they above, but with okra instead of string beans. Penang House Special Squid Grade: A- Tangy and pungent. It's squid in a sauce similar to the Assam Ikan Bilis sauce. Not very filling, but unusual! Sambal Shrimp Grade: B+ Shrimp in tangy sauce with onions; same basic genre as the House Special Squid but not quite as good. Too many onions. Fried Ice Cream Grade: B- Breading a bit too thick; ice cream all melted inside. Why taunt us!!? ABC Grade: A A dada dessert: kidney beans, corn, wiggly stuff, chewy stuff, shaved ice, coconut sauce, more wiggly stuff, whatever just get it.
(5)Nat C.
Amazing curry and roti.
(4)Elly W.
I haven't been here for the longest time. Finally went last night. It's not as crowded as it used to be, so that's great. Ordered the usual dishes, Roti, Malaysian veggies, Char Keow Tew noodles, buddhist yam pot, fried calamari, green curry, Hainese chicken nd sweet and sour pork. Everything was good, less oily as before. Good place.
(3)John S.
Service was fast. I did not get food but got a durian shake. It was tasty and seemed like they used real durian. Was around $3.50 if I recall. My relative got food and he said this place is best/most authentic Malaysian food in Boston area (he's from Malaysia).
(4)Josh R.
This is the place I go to in Boston every few months when I want to have some Southeast Asian food or hang out with some friends who love that type of food. The place is conveniently located near the T and only a few blocks from the AMC Boston Commons, so it's a nice play to have a meal before or after watching a movie; although it does get very packed on weekend evenings! My best experiences there have been a late lunch around 2pm after the crowd has disappeared. For entrees, I highly recommend the fried squid, "hokkien" black noodles, some very tasty flat noodles called "Char Kway Teow" and also the yam basket dish (with seafood?). I also love to start the meal with the "Roti Cinai" appetizer, which comes with a mild curry sauce that you can dip your "Roti" or a thin crispy version of a flatbread in. Oh, and one time, I had a divine experience with the "Satay", or chicken served on a thin wood bamboo skewer. I think the appetizer plate comes with four or five of these skewers. The meat was moist, succulent, exquisite and glazed. I absolutely loved it! I haven't had the desserts here yet as I normally end off my entrees feeling really full, but friends have told me that some of the dishes are pretty authentic and the list looks decently large. Prices are decent and service is alright, nothing to shout about - just regular tea service and I've noticed that during peak hours the service standards do go down considerably (for example our tea pot went un refilled for a whole 10 minutes once). Remember to call ahead!
(4)May L.
I am a Malaysian and where I live does not have a Malaysian restaurant. Therefore, visiting a Malaysian restaurant during a trip is a must for me. I went to Penang Boston and ordered Char Kueh Teow and Prawn Mee. However I am quite disappointed as even my housemate makes better of these two dishes than the restaurant. Penang Chicago definitely offers better dishes.
(2)Q S.
A mix of Cantonese, Malaysian, Thai and other foods. Fairly average and not exciting. But if you know what you're ordering, it won't disappoint you. I like the Hainanese chicken and the Malaysian Buddhist. Not a fan of their drinks.
(3)Sarah F.
The worst food I've had in a while. I hate wasting food, but I couldn't even finish the angel hair shrimp noodles. The food my friends had ordered looked just as unappetizing, but I still gave the fried fish a try only to have my suspicion confirmed by the bland taste. Yuck! The staff was friendly enough, but seemed to be in a hurry to get rid of us. Overall, not a good experience. Will be a while before I give this place a second chance.
(1)Karina L.
A solid Malaysian restaurant in downtown Boston, but if you're looking for good service look elsewhere. We started off with the Roti Canai, which was fantastic. But it's pretty difficult to mess up Roti Canai so there's nothing impressive there. The best part about dining in Penang is their rice dishes menu -- which collects their most popular main dishes (hainanese chicken, beef rendang), and gives you a plate full of that with rice and side vegetables for a low price. I got the beef rendang dish, and the portions were enough for a full meal. The beef wasn't anything to write home about, but at $8 dollars I certainly wasn't complaining. The meal was pleasant until we got to the payment. My dinner-mate and I were both paying with card, and we carefully wrote our last name, the last four digits of the credit card, and the amount to charge on it onto the receipt. Despite this being pretty standard practice, we explained to the waitress how much we wanted on each card when she came to pick up our check. She proceeded to do the exact opposite and switched the charges on our card...when we informed her of her mistake she walked away without a word or apology and tried to amend the difference in charges only to end up charging us the wrong amount twice! We tried to get her attention again and she, quite obviously, avoided us. We hailed the manager down who said he could give us the credit back and re-charge us the same amount. We waited, and waited, and waited. 20 miuntes later, I approached the hostess desk asking if there was an update on our check and she rolled her eyes and pointed at the check, which was just lying there on the table. Of course, we were so foolish to have waited at our table. How rude of us! We signed it and scooted out. Never again!
(2)Jimmy G.
Because I come here every week and order the same thing, Pad Thai and Diet Coke, I feel compelled to write a review. The service here is everything I personally desire from a dining establishment: unintrusive and respectful. The humble staff make one feel at home and I really appreciate the fact that you can eschew propriety by just saying what you want, getting it, and avoiding the fuss. Since I have only ever really tried their Pad Thai and something else, which I can't remember, I have given the restaurant three stars (the Pad Tha, though delicious, could come more generously).
(3)Krissy K.
Penang is one of those places I always try to make a point of visiting whenever I'm in Boston, and I have been eating here for over 10 years. I'm not sure if this location is related to the ones in New Jersey anymore. On my most recent trip, I was actually in Lodi, NJ and passed by that location and said to myself, hmm, I'll be eating there in a few days, but I was very tempted to stop in and have a nibble - that's how much I enjoy Penang. My favorite item is the Roti Canai, and Penang is the first place I ever had this dish. Other favorites are the Hainanese Chicken, Pineapple Fried Rice, Mango Chicken, Yam Pot, but really, I've never had anything I didn't like. Portions are generous and reasonably priced. The servers are also really nice. This is a great place for big groups and something a little different from your usual Chinatown fare.
(5)Kacey B.
I chose this place because it appeared to have a nice, comfortable atmosphere when I walked by, and it did. The food was tasty, well done and what was expected from what I ordered (I am unfamiliar with Malaysian cuisine). I felt service was good, it was the weekend and they asked during appropriate times of the meal. I was content with portion size and prices, I can see returning.
(4)DD T.
Have you heard of anyone who claimed he could live on 3 meals of chicken rice per day for one whole year? Yes I have a few friends who said so including myself. The Hainanese chicken rice is absolutely great. Duh, as you all know it, chicken rice originated from Singapore. Penang is a Malaysian restaurant, and the distance from Malaysia to Singapore is like from Cambridge to Boston. They should pluck up the courage and call that Malaysian chicken rice or Singapore chicken rice. Sorry I digress, but chicken rice = the best dish in this restaurant. The Roti Canai is fun to eat for appetizer, and a little small in size. In Singapore we call them Roti Prata, where the fillings are made up of cheese or eggs or meat you name it. I like it that way much better. If you like water spinach (or morning glory if you're Brit, or kang kong if you're from South East Asia), get the sambal kangkong (chilli shrimp paste water spinach). They serve a variety of Thai and Chinese beers. Penang partly subdues my homesickness. I keep coming back because there are no other Singapore/Malaysian restaurants in town that I know of.
(4)H T.
I had the PRAWN MEE noodle soup, they said it was spicy, but it was very mild, not what I was expecting. Their soup broth was pretty good, but kind of too salty. Food to avoid: SATAY BEAN CURD- save your $$$, this dish is very bland. The tofu is not seasoned, nor is the cucumber or bean sprouts, the peanut sauce is virtually tasteless. Not even remotely spicy!! Take off the asterisk that denotes hot & spicy. Service: Service was average, waiter just put the food down and then ran off, very quickly. Lots of waiters, but no one came by to ask "if everything was alright." I wanted to try the ABC dessert, but I was told they don't have any other dessert, except fried ice cream and glutinous rice, until 5pm. Why?? oh yes, and I got a crappy wobbly table.
(3)K J.
American fast-food places started this trend. They would usually place their high priced items first on the list(menu, displays...) so that any human who looks at it,will usually tend to buy it. The East however thinks different. They put their best sellers(not the priciest) first on their list. So if you are new to any type of Asian cuisine, and do not know what to order usually go with the No.1 in the section you are interested. Like the Roti Canai, the Nasi Lemak, the watermelon drink. All No.1's and all taste so good. From human psychology to economics. Why is the Chinese economy so much better than the Malays. It is because the Chinese are really hard working...... they take care to take out the bones out of the chicken in almost all their dishes. Now how am I supposed to eat the chicken in the curry, with the bones with only a fork and a spoon(forget the chopsticks, its plastic and the food will fly out anyway). This place has everything to be five stars, a unique cuisine, great tasty food, nice decor but quality of service could definitely be better else take a buck off every item on the menu.
(4)Tb Y.
Our friends and I come here very so often because this place has really good indian pancake. it's my favorite i have to say. The food here is really just ok that's why it lost a star but i have never really tried real malaysian or indian food so i am not gonna really comment on it like that. But i mean there food is good just too much oil. It can get really busy from time to time esp. on the weekends. It is a really nice place for family dinner and the decor are really interesting.
(4)eric u.
nasi lemak, roti canai. two reasons, five stars.
(5)Lys W.
Birthday Malaysian food, yum! I had the Curry Mee, Roti Canai, and a glass of wine. The Curry Mee was excellent and just the right amount of spice, but the roti left something to be desired. The curry for the tori was good, but the roti itself tasted kinda stale. They are better at Aneka Rasa, but the Curry Mee is better here! One problem that I found, which was the same when I went to Malaysia, is the difficulty in finding good vegetarian malaysian food. I tend to order a meat dish, and just eat around the meat, which while still good, isn't exactly the best way.
(3)Rhiannon L.
The roti canai is fantastic and amazing drunk food when I'm wandering home from a show. Other dishes are good but not as memorable. Speedy takeout to top off a boozy night.
(4)Gordon f.
Was gonna write a review based on my latest visit to Penang, but Connie C. beat me to it. I could probably copy paste word for word what she just expressed ......plus pineapple fried rice not served in pinepple anymore either, totally disappointing. Will not be returning.
(1)Kree K.
they make the yummiest roti. and the abc dessert is not bad either.
(5)Bella and Aleksey R.
I haven't been here in a while, but I recall it is a very good Malaysian place with nice bamboo decor. Dishes are exotic but not so much so that a person not from Malaysia would be afraid to enjoy them. I like the unique offerings they have with their rice dishes.
(5)Andy H.
This is a great place to get something to eat. The food is very quick to come out, and the appetizer was excellent. One recommendation from me is the Indian bread as appetizer (a crepe type of bread along with curry soup, it is very good). One complain I have is the waiter seemed to give you the impression that they wanted you to leave, they keep asking if I was done with my meal or not when I clearly have more food on the table. Me and my guest didn't appreciate that. I would go back again.
(3)Jenny L.
This quaint bamboo hut of a restaurant is one of my favorite places to eat whenever I'm in Boston. It serves authentic food that will make you come back for more time and time again. I can't remember any of the dish names, but I'll never forget this place. I trust most of the items on the menu and definitely recommend it to people up for a taste of Malaysia.
(4)Mary M.
I've gone here a few times with my friends, and we all love it. We usually all order one thing each, and share it family style so we are able to try everything. I love all the dishes I have eaten here so far and it is really cheap for such good food. I don't know all the names of the dishes since I usually just point to things on the menu. I just remember having some really good chicken, tom yum soup, some taro dish, and this beef dish (the sauce was so yummy). I would say just go, and point to anything and try it. One of the few places here that I love eating at and wish we had back home.
(5)Melissa C.
Good, standard place. I usually come here for lunch, but I've been here once when they should have been closing because I couldn't find a bar that was still serving food. The people have been really nice and polite and welcoming, even really, really late at night. The decor is odd, but it reminds me of a certain sort of restaurant in Asia, so although it looks weird, it feels right... does that make sense? I always pick something at random that just has a lot of stuff in it. That's my general method when I don't know what the heck I'm getting. More stuff... must be better... So far, I've always been happy with what I ordered. There's something on the menu that you have to consult with your server to order. I'm pretty sure I'm going to try that next time. Also, I like getting tea as my default drink, especially in the winter. So, the food is an average 3 stars, not bad, nothing to get excited about either. I'm throwing on an extra star because the people there are great.
(4)Riem K.
Took my friend Erica here for her birthday last night. There's two things that I RAVE about here, the Roti Canai and the fried ice cream. Delectable! Everything in between my Roti Canai appetizer and my dessert of fried ice cream, is just not spectacular to me. Some of the food, I find to be not balanced when it comes to seasoning. Erica got the green curry and it was a green soppy mess, I got the seafood sizzling plate and it was sizzling! But it overcooked my food =(. I have to say, the fried rice was good though. I definitely will go back, like I always do. Not frequently, but I always go back once in awhile. And everytime I do, I always look forward to my Roti Canai and my deep fried ice cream! yummmm!
(3)Shruti V.
I went here with my cousin. I had the Indian mee goreng and it was perrrfect. And I like the Vietnamese sauce they gave us on the side when my cousin asked for the dish to be extraaa spicy! Service was prompt, especially considering the huge crowd of customers!! we got everything we needed. I also loved the tea here. Between the two of us we had a pot each. I definitely plan to come here again! I'm not sure about how authentic the food is over here .. but I guess they cater to a larger crowd.. Although Penang maybe slightly more expensive than some of the other Chinatown restaurants(not toooo many places to choose from in Boston's Chinatown), I think they're a pretty standard and reliable restaurant.. :)
(5)Kristin M.
penang is one of my favorite places to eat in chinatown (since i'm not usually in the mood of chinese food). like everyone says, the roti and ABC are yummy. i also really love the fried pearl noodle, the curry fish head clay pot (!), and the buddhist YAM POT!!! seriously, try the yam pot. the chendol dessert is also good. really, you probably couldn't go wrong with anything here, but be adventurous. the one thing that consistently annoys me is that they don't have paper towels in the bathroom. and then there is the incident with melissa l. she mentions below. i have been in many times before and just ordered dessert though, so i am thinking it was just bitchy waitstaff.
(4)S S.
I have been going to this place since last 6 years. If you can survive the long wait, and large gaggly group of teens past the door you should be fine. The decor is passe, with bamboo. Oh but the food is delish, i loove their roti canai-do try and the mango shrimp. Itried the coconut juice . Its so refreshing and they have the cream at the bottom of your glass. I love the food here, very yum!
(4)Andy S.
Was very sad to see Aneka Rasa go, as I had a great time there always and was closer to where I lived. However, Penang, as I later found out, is owned by the same person -- Jimmy! He's the man, always welcoming and attentive. Anyway, as for the food, I love Malaysian/SE asian food. I order the spicy sizzling beef (not that spicy), the Hainanese chicken (with the chili sauce), and beef rendang, along with lychee ice drink. It is like a four-hit combo. The layout inside the restaurant makes it fun and casual. Try to find some street parking, because the lots are so expensive.
(5)Dan B.
really good place in the middle of chinatown. Definitely stands out from the countless chinese places, since it adds a sort of tropical twist to Asian food. The fish is really good too, they serve it whole, with all the body parts intact, which should make it fresher but also kind of makes you feel bad for the fish, since dead fish always look a little sad.
(5)Huan z.
Even though they brought me the wrong dish! but I like the restaurant. The deco are great. They have a lot of choice of food. There is no one fab dish, but every dish is in good quality. Use to go there a lot when I was working in downtown.
(4)M. T.
I usually get take-out from Penang but during the last month, I ate in twice and had no problems with the service. It does get crowded during dinner time but isn't that a good sign? These are the dishes I would recommend: Appetizer: -Roti Canai Entree: -House Special Crab -eating this WILL get messy but it's oh-so good! -Mango Chicken -Bean Curd, Thai Style - the name is deceiving because I have to dig to find tofu in the large mass of stir fried vegetables but i still like it -#4 under the vegetables menu - it has an unusual name that I can't remember but the waiter referred to it as "stir-fried chinese watercress with a garlic sauce" -Hainanese Chicken
(5)Allison L.
I have been to many different locations of Penang... This one in Chinatown, Boston is the best!
(4)M. Deloris D.
Penang is good but a tad overpriced. I ate here more frequently when I worked in Chinatown and the food was alright. I'm no expert on Malaysian food, but I'd say the seafood could be fresher and the service more friendly. Like Jimmy says, the Roti Canai is delicious but it's expensive and it comes in a ramekin the size of a thimble. Apparently people love the ABC, I, however, am wary of desserts that contain corn not in the form of high fructose syrup and beans not of the jelly variety. For that reason, I choose fried ice cream as my favorite dessert and I wish they fried more flavors than just vanilla.
(3)Jayashree P.
The Roti Canai rocks and the juices are yummy. Try the watermelon and coconut. Skip everything else.
(3)Sarah k.
Food is delicious and the service is quick. The calamari is the BEST in Boston. It is really crispy with a light dough, not thick like many places. The chilled bell peppers and little drops of sriracha the calamari is tossed in takes the dish to another level. Roti canai is yummy, so are all the stir fried noodles, tom yup soup, beef rendang (melts in your mouth) and i LOVE the chicken broth rice, added a richness, so delicious!
(4)Kurt B.
Seriously, this is probably one of the best Asian restaurants I have been to in my short time here in this world and I have been to many. My girlfriend introduced me to this place and I had eaten here two times, both on a Saturday night at around 6 PM before seeing a show (Blue Man Group and Rent). You can't beat the location of this place (right on Washington Street near Boylston). The portions are generous, depending on what you order, and the prices are just right. Each visit my girlfriend and I were seated right away. The service the first visit was okay in regards to speed and attention, but the second visit we had at least 3 servers helping us and the service was quick (especially with us rushing to catch a show). The interior is interesting and fun - better than the norm - and the ambiance is energetic and bustling (if that makes any sense). As for the food, it's top notch. From the two different appetizers I've tried (both variations on the pancake served with tasty curry flavored dipping sauce) to the two entrees, they were very delicious and somewhat spicy too, which I like. The menu is huge and offers a variety of Asian dishes that you do not normally see. My girlfriend always gets the mango chicken and she loves it. It comes served in a mango shell with a generous portion of mango and the sauce is similar to a sweet and sour. I can't wait to visit this place again and again to try out all the different stuff they have to offer. Try this place out and you will either like it or love it!
(5)Rudy W.
good place to get to know some of the malaysian food. roti prata is nice, cendol is not what i was expecting. its too dry. chili crab was nice, too sweet but its nice bakut teh, was terrible, the meat was tough. I had the kangkung, not bad, need to make it a bit more spicy, but.. I guess it adjusted for the local taste. satay was ok and the dry chicken curry was nice. the coconut rice was ok, I think they put too much water when they cook it. other than that, you can taste a little of malaysian food here in boston
(3)K G.
One of my favorites for many years in Chinatown. As many may say, the Roti is the best I've had outside of the far east. They make so many dishes better than most that you really have to try it out at least once. Singapore noodles are the best I've ever had anywhere. The service has always been good to me and I love the decor. They keep it clean and fresh with the lobsters hanging out in front. Prices are very reasonable for Boston and food this good.
(5)Stephanie F.
I've been here a few times so I think that a review is in order. I came here recently with my college roomie on a Saturday afternoon. We were seated immediately, but noticed that after a while the place got packed and there was a line out the door. We came right on time. I love the roti. The entrees that I have tried are also good. The portions are generous.
(4)Mr H.
Can you imagine going to a diner and then coming out and saying "that wasn't authentic mid-20th century working class cuisine" ? :-) Would you then say, "I have plenty of friends who are working class and they told me that that's not working class diner food as they know it" :-) probably not... That said Penang is great as a restaurant. The pig intestines are a wonderful, crunchy appetizer that I try to get anytime I'm in town. The squid is good. One time I had it a bit over done, but most of the time it's been wonderful. The staff is pretty nice and the bathroom is a clean and pleasant delight. I also enjoy the fun, decor! Worth a trip!
(4)Kevin L.
In the game of Unlikely Threesomes (of Words), this would be a contender: Buddhist. Yam. Pot. But those three words equals effin goodness. Because a BYP is a kind of a bowl, made with fried taro stuffed with corn, snow peas & black mushroom topped with cashew nuts. (Chicken, Tofu or Seafood optional) And it is So. Much. Food. Sound weird? it kinda IS! but it's GOOD! Good service, seemed like a more distributed system, we were tended to about a dozen times, with what seemed like 8-9 different servers.
(4)Kristi T.
Yum. Yum. Yum. Consistently good. Roti canai is perfect blend of savory & spice. Mango sticky rice for dessert...mmmm.
(4)Deepa C.
Came here for lunch with one of my favorite yelpers as a last resort (one pho place was closed, the other packed). I remember going to the Harvard one in college, so didn't think we would have any problems here. And I was right. The decor was ok. I love exposed brick and liked the bamboo thing they had going on, but the colors were very muted and a bit drab. That said, I can see how this place would look great if there were more lighting or natural sunlight. The service was prompt - tea, water, appetizers, bill. One entree came a few minutes after the other, but it wasn't the end of the world. As far as the food goes, good Malaysian flavors and portion sizes. My noodles were great - with this caramelized onion action that was SO good. Lots of different textures worked well together. The roti canai (one of my favorite dishes anywhere) was well done, but the sauce was a little oily for me. The soup potions were very large as well. I would not turn this place down, but would probably try somewhere else in Chinatown before coming here again. That said, I could see it accommodate a large group well.
(3)Sasha R.
What's there to say... It's a chain restaurant, although it pretends it isn't. It's all rustic-like and bamboo laden inside, just like real Malaysia (I can only assume). Some of the dishes are fairly standard, like pad thai, roti, and mango chicken. Others sound like they might not be for the faint of heart and stomach: chicken feet and pig snouts in light brown sauce, or whatnot. Maybe not pig snouts. But I swear chicken feet are on the menu. In general, Malaysian cuisine is sweet, sour and hot, and might do a number on ya if you're not prepared. The good news is, they get the food out to you very fast, and it's a cheap lunch. I didn't hate it.
(3)Yosiris P.
The food is awesome! The pineapple fried rice is to die for. The seafood, chicken and veggies in it are perfectly cooked. The best part is the fresh pineapple, the rice itself is served inside of a hollowed pineapple half!!! The roti with the curry chicken on the the side is so good. The curry dipping sauce is just right. The curry at all does not overpower all of the flavors. The Pad Thai is pretty good too. For dessert have some Mango icecream. Its served in a bowl, 3 medium size scoops, great for 2 people to share. Service was fast and prompt, restaurant was clean. Ambience very upbeat. A must go when in Chinatown!!!
(4)Kimberly P.
Oh Penang. Penang, how you have disappointed me. Being from Philly, I've been to the Philly location a bunch and have always loved it which is why I recommended Penang Boston as a great place to meet up with a few friends. Don't get me wrong, there was nothing wrong with the food. The food was amazing as always, especially the roti cani (best dish EVERRRR). I have a bone to pick with the service, which was non existent. Our waitress literally pulled a disappearing act after she took our drink order (which mind you was taken at least twenty minutes after we were seated). Fifteen minutes later she gave us our drinks and then... who knows where she went. We had to flag down at least 4 different people through out the night because our server never came back. Literally, we grabbed someone to place our food order, grabbed someone else to ask for more water, grabbed someone else to ask for more sugar.... it could go on and on. A waitress' job is to serve right? If so, why were we the ones putting in the effort? Being a waitress in a past life, I usually am very understanding to these types of situations if I am dining at a peak hour but the place was not busy and there was no excuse for such atrocious service. Like I said, the food was delicious but, before we were finished the check was dropped on our table by our original server who magically reappeared. She didn't ask how the meal was, she didnt ask if we wanted dessert or coffee. She just plopped the bill on the table and left. Because I wanted dessert I had to flag down yet another server to order dessert. In the time span after the first bill was dropped at least 5 people came over to take the bill, I kid you not. One guy was literally hovering around the table and came back three times to see if we were done even though we were clearly still counting our cash. Let me get this straight, when we were eating we couldn't get a server to come to our table for anything but once the bill is on the table BEFORE WE EVEN RECEIVED OUR DESSERT you are pestering me to pay?! And the place wasn't even full or busy so they didn't need the table for more people. I had enough and told them to not approach our table again, that I would let them know when we were ready to pay. The final straw was when the server claimed that she couldn't add the dessert on to the first check (which we did not ask for) and that we had to have a separate check. That was fine... until she said that we couldn't use a credit card because the minimum was $12. The whole experience (minus the food) was horrid. I had high expectations but clearly Boston's Penang does not even hold a candle to the one in Philadelphia. It is a shame because it is a great place minus the wait staff.
(1)Rene K.
OK, I have been to Penang for over 10 years, as long as I have lived in Boston. The food is always excellent and the service is good. But I will no be going back any time soon because they add tip to their bill!!! There were 3 of us for dinner, we ordered 4 mains and 2 apps, along with drinks. The bill came to $84, with $17 as a tip!! WTF!!!! Seriously I can understand if this was a big group but 3 people??? I would usually tip 20% but I refuse to add another penny to the tab. This is not right and believe one should all complain about! So check you bill before you pay.
(1)Jen H.
Friend and I were trying to pick a place for dinner. I love the Penang in DC, and hadn't checked this one out yet so I offered it up. The DC decor is totally different - more upscale of sorts. The decor here is neat though, all bamboo and making me feel like I'm in Malaysia somewhere! I got my typical Malaysian Iced Tea (w/ only a little ice) and the Beef rendang. I will say that this is the first time I've gone when it wasn't a lunch special. Although it is still tasty as ever, not quite the same deal!!! My dish was fairly expensive, so I savored every last bite! (Oh yes, I was being a heffer that night and ate it all, sooooo good and couldn't take any leftovers w/ me!) It's only a short walk from Downtown Crossing/Park Street and RIGHT down the street from the Chinatown stop, so if you're in the area and looking to try a new place - check it out!
(5)Danny G.
A tasty place. I had the Malaysian fried noodles and a dish with fried taro and chicken. Extremely well made. The fried taro nest was perfect!! The noodles has great "wok hay". A must have!!
(5)Ben G.
Quite centrally located in relation to public transport, Penang is a nice, safe option in Boston's Chinatown. Overall, the food was amazing, but the service (both quality and frequency) were noticeably lacking. Interior: Well outfitted and clean, the ambiance was still enjoyable--especially for a busy Friday night. It was pretty loud and packed, but the set-up is such that you still have personal space and can carry on a conversation. Appetizer: You absolutely must try the Roti Canai. A delicious crispy pancake with curry chicken and potato is a wonderful (and flavorful) way to start off the meal! We also tried the chicken satay, which was more 'home-style' than other satays I've had in the past. There was a nice, chunky peanut sauce and nice skewers of chicken to go along with it. Entree: I thought the Ginger Chicken was pretty standard and not terribly impressive. That said, the quality of the meat and flavors was there, but I'd be interested to try something a little more exotic next time I go. The person I went with the Young Chow Fried Rice and really enjoyed it. It looked delicious from afar and the portion was sizable. Tweaks and Trepidation: I completely understand when restaurants are packed on a Friday night, but what I hate is when guests are served out of order. Even after I told the waitress I was in a bit of a hurry, it took a long time for the check to come and then paying it was even more of a hassle. They might need to instill some better quality control with the service. Finishing Notes: I will definitely go back to Penang and highly suggest in--the quality and selection are outstanding and it's a fun place to take a visitor or someone unfamiliar with the area. There is something for everyone and you know that the quality and flavor are going to be there.
(4)Sarah G.
Not impressed. Overpriced and uninspired food. I was excited to try the Buddhist taro bowls - a nest of fried taro filled with vegetables. They were brought out to us almost instantly after we ordered them, which means they had been made in advance and sitting around long enough to turn from crispy, fried goodness to soggy, heavy goo. The "vegetables" ended up being a bunch of snap peas and baby corn. The $13 price tag must have been for that one piece of previously frozen broccoli. They no longer carry any beer but TsingTao.
(1)Rick W.
I wish this was the Penang in LA. I am so jealous. U guys make me want to move to Boston just for this. The food is excellent, cooked perfectly even and to perfection. Encore is the word I will describe. How do you guys do it? Ya'll still left me speechless and I still have that crave even back in LA. Being there and eating there totally reminds me back at home, I miss it much. I was here for my sister's Master's graduation celebration. I'm so glad we went in time right before they were closing, they had the choice to turn us down and left us with nothing for dinner. They were so cool, openly invite us with smiles and took care of us like a true professional. I can't describe enough how incredibly good the food is, I remembered I had so much that night, I probably had food coma that I was walking back to the hotel in pain. Yes I know, I'm a pig at times, live to eat is my motto. I remembered we had Nasi Lemak, CHar Kway Teaow, Nasi Hainan, Kakung Belacang, Indian Mie Goreng, and of course an Ice Barley for me to complement my dinner. Keep it ya'll...I'll defintiely come back here again in the near future or whenever I'm in town again.
(5)Paolo B.
Our first time eating Malaysian food and we weren't disappointed. It's actually a mix of southeastern Asian cuisine (Thai, Cambodian, Filipino), as well as distinctive Malaysian food at very reasonable prices. We ordered the chicken dry curry, squid with vegetables, and fried seafood noodles and all were very delicious and quickly served. The chicken curry wasn't too spicy and the fresh cucumbers served alongside it complemented it very well. We also liked the fried squid with vegetables. At first I thought it was a little too salty but it actually went well with the fresh bell peppers and red onions it came with. Finally, the fried noodles with seafood reminded me a whole lot of pancit (Filipino noodle dish). It was good, and it came with lots of seafood. Overall, very reasonable and located in close proximity to Loews Theaters. It's a good night out to have dinner here at Penang's and then catch a movie. Oh yeah, we finished everything! Great eats in Boston Chinatown.
(4)Channa P.
The 2 stars is for service. We got there at 10:50pm on a Friday and was seated by the hostess. The waitress came to take our order 5 mins after we were seated. We told her we needed another minute or two. She informed us they are trying to get ready to close so to put in our order at that moment. I was annoyed. After we got our food three different wait staff came over to ask if we needed anything else because they are closing. At this point, it was only 11:30. We felt rushed. First of all, if you're about to close, tell us that. Why seat us and then rush us out? Secondly, according to their posted hours on Yelp, they close at midnight on Friday. We were there an hour before they close and should not be rushed like that. I've been to Penang and always liked the food. The service was a lot better many years ago. The last couple of years I've been here, seems like they lack in good service.
(2)Johnny G.
The food and atmosphere was mediocre and the service was pretty awful. First of all, it is loud and pretty crowded. We had to repeat our orders a few times . When the food arrived, the server didn't remember who had ordered each dish and it was hard to hear when he was telling us which dish was which so it took considerable effort to get dishes to their owners. I had the Ginger chicken which was bland and the chicken was a little overcooked. The only plus is that the portions were generous. I would probably not return to this restaurant.
(2)lily l.
The Roti is so amazing, lightly crisp soft and served with a chicken curry. You must try their Buddha yam pot with shrimp. My absolute faves when I go there. The service always fast and friendly.
(4)Tammy L.
I've been here countless times. Sadly to say I haven't tasted a variety of dishes. Every time I go here, I always have to order prawn mee. It's not spicy enough for me, but there's something about it that makes me keep ordering it. My only complaint is that there isn't enough shrimp in it!
(3)Jessica F.
I think they should move the fish tanks somewhere else so that the first thing you think is, "Neat-o, it's like a straw hut, but indoors!" instead of "Why is that crab staring at me?" I'd like to come back with a larger group of more adventurous eaters. I gladly passed up the intestines and chicken feet in favor of the Beef Chow Fun. The food was good, but way, way overcooked. My bowl was steaming hot when it was served so the noodles were on the pasty side and the flavor had been heated out of the beef. I took half of it home in a pint-sized chinese food carton and when I went to eat the "cold" leftovers for dinner I found that it was still warm. Although I think that time in the fridge allowed the flavors to blend together a little as it tasted better than it did at the restaurant. If you're not a terribly adventurous eater or have a very American palate (like me) their very large menu will seem quite small. I would go back again, but this time with someone who knows the menu well.
(3)RafiQ S.
If you're looking for some Good Malaysian food - this is definitely a best bet. Malaysian dish is a mix of Indian, Chinese, Thai, Filipino and Middle Eastern cuisine. Since Southeast Asia is quite a melting pot of traders, the fusion of various spices and dishes are incorporated into both Singapore and Malaysia. Living in Dallas, it is hard to find a good authentic Malaysian restaurant, and Penang says it all! Although we were there on our first day off peak hours - I had to stop myself from ordering everything from the menu, since it brought so much memories. The Roti Canai is definitely a thumbs up! Crispy and well-balanced tatse of an asian bread that should be dipped in the curry. The Hainanese chicken rice is well seasoned, although I prefer the Singaporean version of roasting the chicken instead of the Penang's version where they boil it. The Nasi Lemak (Coconut Rice) has a great flavor. If you don't like fishy stuff, then this dish is definitely a no-no! Coz they made the chili paste with anchovies and onions. Not something Americans are fond of. The decor is OK. Has a Traders Vic look to it, but more of an Asian version. The following day, we came around 11 am, and it turned really crowded by noon. So if you are ready for some Malaysian dish, arrive early - and enjoy the food. As for me, I miss home cooked meal back in Singapore, so I ordered everything that sounds familiar. And I was willing to pay for it.
(4)Yi W.
Unfortunately, I did not like their wonton too much, and their staff are way to slow
(2)Jose G.
holy crap. It takes a lot to throw me off at our last visit i was completely taken for a spin. Hair was found in two separate dishes. One time i can forgive and say "what the hell accidents happen!" Twice in the same evening. I'm done completely done....
(1)Jeffrey H.
It loses a star for the service. For appetizers, I always start out with the roti canai which is delicious. Then entrees are 1/2 hainanese chicken and pad thai. There's only about 4 pieces of shrimp in the pad thai which was a bummer. However, you can never go wrong with the hainanese chicken. Absolutely delish. Then for desserts we get the ABC. Overall food is good, service is ehh, and atmosphere is okay.
(4)Jocee Z.
~~ nice!
(4)Alex W.
Amonst many carbon-copy Asian cuisine in downtown boston, this place stands out in service, ambiance, and FOOD. After wandering the freedom trail all day, we ended up here and the food was promptly served and decently prepared, and this was a weekend night. All three prongs of what a restaurant should be were satisfied: food, service, ambiance.
(5)Veronica P.
O my god, reading the reviews I'm kicking my self for not trying the roti canai. I had.... prawn mee and tried my friend's hainan chicken rice. Hainan chicken rice is one of the best I've tried. Top 10! Or Top 8! Rice was very flavourful, chicke was moist and tender, the chilli has just enough tartness, sweet, salty. Anyway, prawn mee was ... missing something (broth). Still enjoyed it and will try the roti canai next time.
(4)Kelsey M.
Really nice atmosphere and the food is OK. My dish had bone-in chicken and there were tons of bone fragments in the sauce. My friend's green curry dish needed more spice. Was not sure who our wait person was because it was a different person at the table each time.
(3)Jason H.
The short: Nice ambiance, clean, quick service. Good for a casual or slightly more than casual date, good for lunch. I'd eat here again if I'm in the area. The long: Came here with a friend during her lunch break. It was busy but not packed, which meant we got a table for 3 right away, and the waiter came a couple times within 10 minutes while we looked at the menu. The food came reasonably quickly after we ordered as well. Tea and water was provided no issues. Service was fine. We ordered the hollow vegetable, fried ham rice, and a fried squid+onions+peppers dish. The squid was excellent, crispy and hot and not oily. The vegetables were good, as most restaurants make it. The rice, however, was a little sticky and oily, and really not worth anything special. Given that this place presents itself as a good restaurant, it was not up to par with what I felt I should expect. I would have expected this fried rice from Panda Express, not a fresh preparation. But let me end by saying that the squid was excellent. Why not 5? The fried rice. Why not 3? The squid, the service, the scenery.
(4)Derrick C.
It might just be me but fruit and meat rarely go together. Aside from pineapple fried rice and maybe some Hawaiian dishes, I've never really been a fan of all those island flavors. Thought the decor was a little overly tacky too...
(3)Espresso T.
Quality at this restaurant that used to be one of my favorites has gone way down. Disappointing!! The Roti Canai's curry was literally watery...what happened?!?! The Hainan chicken rice...I can't believe they had the audacity of giving me a whole dish with chicken breast meat only. For Asian chicken dishes where the chicken is cooked boned in, the breast meat is the worst selection and it's the dark meat that is considered the good meat. A whole plate of breast meat only was a TOTAL RIPOFF. Then, the portion of two other rice and noodle dishes were small and taste wise just average or a bit below average. Very sad how sub-par this place has become.
(2)J W.
Two times in 3 weeks after not coming here for almost two years. Wife likes the Seafood Tom Yum soup and the Hainanese chicken, so I get dragged along. The chicken is good though. It's very tender, juicy and I love the soy and hot sauce combination. The seafood in the tom yum soup is cooked well, but the noodle are a bit too undercooked for my tastes. I like my rice noodles a bit overcooked, so they are more soft. Also, I think they must cook the noodles separate from the soup, so there's very little flavor in the noodles. First time, I had the pad thai. I was so not impressed with it that I didn't order it again and went with CHOW KUEH TEOW. Disappointed. Both dishes indicated spiciness, but there was none to be found. For what it's worth, the Pad Thai was better. My favorite part of the meal was the Roti Canai. Hands down the best I've had. It's made to order and this last time, they must have given us twice the usual amount or they've been screwing us over the past 6 years! Service was decent. The staff was attentive and quick to fulfill requests. I just don't like the table for two seatings. The first time, they put us at a table for two that was the first table for two on your right as you walked up the ramp to the elevated dining room. I didn't like that experience as we we very close to the table next to us. Every table is close here. They cram as many tables as possible in this place. The problem with the table we sat at was because of the elevated dining area. I turn to my right, and I am eye level with my neighbors. I turn to my left and I'm butt level with my other neighbors. I sat at a different table the second time. I noticed that that table is first choice for any table for two.
(3)M N.
Really nice malaysian food for great price. The roti kanai is awesome - must try. The Satay was amazing too. Also ate the veg fried rice, which was very good. The dishes seemed authentic malaysian to me. Perfect blend of spicy and tasty. The roti kanai is our favorite - I can eat a whole meal of just these.
(5)Yancey L.
I had great time in this bamboo decorated restaurant. The food are awesome, I'd never had such tasty bitter melon dish before. The curry soup is thick, savory and taste just right. More importantly, their price is really reasonable. I should come here more often.
(5)EricaLynn J.
Choose Your Own Penang Adventure: 1. Enter restaurant. You can do so with your entire party ready or tell your waiter that the rest of your group will be joining you. If you have your entire party with you from the getgo, please skip to number "6". 2. Waiter will ask you no less than five times in three minutes if you want to just start eating and have the rest of your party catch up. He may, as a means to a hint, keep picking up the untouched menus from the end of your table and pretend like he is going to take them away from you forever. If you don't feel like waiting for your party and think the waiter has a point (e.g., "I'm starving and the normal three minute turnaround time for food in this area is not good enough to satisfy my rumbling stomach and I need to eat NOWNOWNOW"), OR you have already memorized the menu and have known what you want since 4:30 p.m. last Tuesday, please skip to number "5". 3. Since you are waiting but not ordering for yourselves, the waiter may get slightly agitated if you, at the very least, do not order some sort of beverage besides water. If you prefer not to rock the boat, and browse the beer, wine and specialty juice list and find something you like, please skip to number "5". 4. Oh, silly customer! Don't agitate the waiters at Penang! They don't have time for your silly crap. They are used to serving excellent, interesting food in a very high quality, yet fast-paced manner, and you're totally disrupting their chi. You're sitting around waiting for your buddies to finally show up and you can't order, at the very least, a glass of white wine? How about one of the delicious appetizers? 5. You make do with the limited beverage list and browse the appetizers. Many members of the waitstaff hear you and your party giggling about the 'crispy pork intestines' on the menu. And take that surprised look off of your face -- yes, you're reading the menu right, there are chicken feet and you can have 'em in a hot pot, or fried, or in a bevy of ways. The fine print says, "ask server for advice before ordering." Adventurous people, please skip to number "8". 6. You place your order, making sure to include in it some really great choices such as the seafood, egg, and vegetable chow fun hot pot with brown sauce, mango chicken, sweet and sour shrimp, dried curry lobster, etc. 7. In no time at all, your food is brought to you in the order it was cooked and ready. You may feel like you're being rushed, but that is not the case. If you're the last one to get your food and your party has already started eating, and you want to go to the restroom because you are bored, skip to number "9". 8. You totally love your chicken feet with chinese mushrooms: skip to "10". You think that you went in a little over your head and next time should stick to ginger duck noodles... as your stomach is now feeling really weird and you're getting a bit lightheaded.... 9. Wow, these restrooms are really something to see! You take your time because you can't help but, given the circumstances! 10. Soon, you and your entire party is stuffed and full and everyone looks defeated; the portions are huge and you're wondering if you can possibly ever be able to eat food again. If you can't resist the dessert menu anyway - skip to "12". 11. You ask for the check and the waiter is truly surprised. No dessert? You must be in the wrong place! How can you not want bubor chacha (sweet potato with coconut milk) or some fried ice cream? Tempting, but you are so stuffed you might burst - skip to "13". 12. You know that saying no to dessert, even after your Malaysian food adventures have rendered you unable to walk straight, is just a silly idea. You realize that pulut hitam (creamy black rice with coconut) is the long lost dessert lover that you'd been seeking your entire life, and immediately cannot remember a time when you two were ever apart. 13. You pay and saunter out of the restaurant, and as you stumble down the street you realize that you never did know where Centerfolds was, and - kapow! boom! zap! - there it is. Right around the corner. You look at Empire Garden across the way from you and remember a time when you thought *that* was the toast of the town. You're thrilled that you have since found many superior places, such as Penang, that trump Empire and their likeminded counterparts with their adventurous cuisine and affordable price tag. Sure, you can go with the basics. But why bother? Penang may not always be the easiest route to take, but you'll *always* have an adventure!
(4)Nabeel N.
Two words for you - Roti Canai. OMG this play serves up some of the best Malaysian food. The indo fusion in their food makes me crave this place long after I have left with a satisfied meal ;) There's also a chain in Philadelphia
(5)Jenny S.
I always go there to get Roti Canai. good food, ok atmosphere, ok service.
(4)Nom Nom T.
We make trips to chinatown mostly to satisfy our cravings for some pretty authentic Malaysian food. The roti canai, lorbak, char koay teow, prawn noodle, hailam chicken rice, nasi lemak, seafood scrambled egg chow fun are what we would usually order here. The Roti Canai can be on a pricey side, but the crisp indian bread with a side of curry chicken dipping sauce is to die for and is a hit among many of my friends. The Lorbak is a platter of fried spiced meat in bean curd skin, fried tofu, fried shrimp cake and preserved eggs with hoisin & chili dipping sauce. If you like fried stuff, you'll like this! Char Koay Teow is the Malaysian version of pad thai (minus the crushed peanuts, and fish sauce but has more soy sauce!) and is one of the most popular hawker food in Malaysia. They do it ok here... definitely not the best I've had inside the US... The best Char Koay Teow I had was in Penang Restaurant in Arlington Heights, IL. The Prawn Noodle soup (Hokkien Prawn Mee), is yellow and vermicelli noodle in a shrimp base soup, served with meat, shrimp and some greens. This is another popular hawker food in Malaysian, specifically in Penang. It's got a very flavorful broth ( and "shrimpy" so you might need to get used to this) and my only complaint is that they don't serve this with some hard-boiled eggs like they do in Malaysia. Hailam Chicken Rice is boiled chicken served with some cucumber and soy sauce. The best part of this dish is the bowl of super yummy fragrant rice that comes with it! I wish they serve 2 bowls of the rice with each order! The Nasi Lemak is fragrant coconut rice served with chicken curry, pickled veges, egg and sambal. My husband always have a hard time choosing between this and the prawn noodle soup. The Seafood Scrambled Egg Chow Fun is like what the Cantonese call "Wat Tan Hor". Thick flat rice noodles, stir fried then drowned in a scrambled egg seafood sauce. Yums! They sometimes serve this with some (non-spicy) pickled green chili... and sometimes they don't! Food is overall not bad but service tend to be mediocre.
(4)Jenet S.
I've been here a few times & the food has always been good for the most part. The service is friendly but it always seems like they rush you. That's why I took off a star. We went here last week & it got crowded so the tables were too close together. There's no privacy. We were rushed to take orders. The food came out wicked fast but we weren't even 5 minutes through out appetizers! But when we were ready to cash out it took forever to get the check & run my card. The menu is very unique which I love & the curry is always well prepared perfectly.
(4)Erin R.
Pretty good - things that are 'spicy' aren't spicy. At all.
(3)Jeremy B.
I was thinking, the day after our usual July 4th explosions and fist-pumping and beer swilling, about what makes America great. Its the fact that, despite all of the terrorists and predatory bank scandals, and lack of health care, that I at least had the freedom to sit in this rustic/jungle themed cafe and eat a giant breakfast bowl of spicy, steaming curry noodles, with fried and stuffed tofu, eggplant, and bitter melon, all while sipping a glass of chilled Malaysian-styled Ipoh coffee with sweetened condensed milk. Wait, no. Fuck that--that's what makes Malaysia great. Freedom of second-rate choices, (which is how "Penang", the restaurant, measures up to Penang, the paradise), is what makes America simply tolerable. Sometimes. In some ways, Malaysia is the actual melting pot that we Americans brag about. As a food jerk and a lover of anthropology and people and shit, Malaysian culture (and food) is an unbelievable work of art; a mix of Malay/Indonesian roots, Thai influence, the Hokkien diaspora, and the presence of a sizable South Indian population-- the consolation prize left behind by plundering European colonists. Well, that and the little known "smoked ham-hock curry", I shit you not. If you like any of those foods, Malaysia is your heaven. Naturally, every Malaysian place in the US is thoroughly disappointing. as most of these places are operated by Hokkien entrepreneurs (Chinese originating from Fujian province). While they offer passable versions of the Chinese-influenced dishes of the Malaysian spectrum, they usually fail to deliver the unique, contrasting and explosive flavors one would experience from any given street hawker on the restaurant's namesake island, where I"ve hadsome of the most memorable meals I've ever had in my life, for under a dollar, at 6am in a dingy noodle shop. Penang is as close to the real thing as I've had, stateside. Those famous rice noodles known as chao kway teow (which can be spelled 7 other ways) was quite good, though lacking the diversity of seafood that warrants a "specialty" tag. The nasi lemak is a great introduction to Malaysian fare, like a Malaysian bento: a heap of light coconut (& screwpine leaf, hopfeully) flavored rice, surrounded by achar (a cross between Indian pickle and kimchi, sorta), a bit of creamy chicken curry, and a pile of ikan bilis, a sort of condiment consisting of deep fried peanuts and tiny anchovies tossed in a tangy and spicy tamarind sauce. Speaking of tamarind, the assam laksa isn't bad, either, Assam laksa is a spicy /sweet/sour mackeral and rice noodle stew. In a perfect world known as Georgetown, this would have the mind altering finishing touches of fresh chilis, fresh mint and fresh pinnapple, torch bud ginger and sweet and stinky syrup on the side. But this isn't Georgetown or KL. Oh well, still decent. I also have a "cendol" fetish, which Penang indulged adequately with their passable version--a mound of ice, green noodles, palm sugar syrup and coconut milk. There may have been sweet red beans in there too... I'm not entirely sure about Penang's owndership, but, in my experience, they have done just as well as any hidden gem in Queens. But here's th thing. Where is the effing BELACHAN? If you walk by a restaurant purporting to be "Malaysian", you should be struck in the face by the delighful scent of belachan, the fermented paste that carries a delightful bouquet of rotting shrimp anus; the not-so-secret but indispensible condiment of every Malaysian table. Or what about the sweet and slightly astringent scent of Indian curry leaves and other whole Indian spices hitting hot oil. No, Penang doesn't deliver what I want: shrimp ass. Melting pots. Organ meat breakfast stews and "bone teas". Crispy and tender layered flatbreads (roti chennai, which suck EVERYWHERE I've ever had them in the US). Amazing beaches, warm tropical air, monkeys, giant butterflies, monitor lizards, and durian ice cream, which tastes like oniony armpit custard, but is fucking delicious. Truly a land of plenty. Stop eating out and save up for a plane ticket.
(4)carol l.
I ordered the Roti Canai for an appetizer and curry chicken with rice. The Roti Canai was good. The curry chicken was spicy and came with a good sized portion of rice for $6.95. It did have bones and was not fun to pick through. Would have been much better with boneless chicken. The service was poor. Hardly anyone spoke English. If you asked questions, another waiter would have to be summonsed to translate. Took forever to place our orders and we were waited on by many different people. The owner (i'm guessing) came over to our table of 5 and was rude. Not what I would call good service. Nothing really stood out and I won't be going back anytime soon.
(2)Cynthia L.
Out of Town Review: Unfortunately, I'm not lucky enough to have good Malay food at home, but I Have tried amazing food in Malay in Australia. Rambuktin Drink - You know that spiky hairy exotic fruit you see in the Asian supermarkets? That's this, but not intimidating at all. In fact, this drink was tasteless except for the ice cubes and lychee fruit. Roti (Appetizer) - Hot, doughy and soft, everything came out fresh and Beef Rendang Rice - I was told the Rendang wasn't done well because it was so tough, but overall the sauce was done nicely and not heavy, compared to Indonesian Rendang. Chow Keu Tiao - It tastes just like the Cantonese styled Chow Keu Tiao, but had squid anda much more dense taste with more soy sauce and oil, so I was easily filled up. Stir Fried Veggies - Chinese Water Spinach stir-fried with dried shrimp. At first smell, it is pretty funky, maybe even unappetizing, but the dried shrimp gives it a completely different texture than just stir-fried Chinese Water Spinach. If you like banh beo, you won't mind this. Shaved Ice - A mix of pandang leaf flavor, condensed milk, corn, grass jelly, and a host of other ingredients. I was a bit put off with the corn, but it wasn't bad at all with the other combination of ingredients. Dimly lit and quiet when we went for dinner. I was completely inundated with the flavor explosion that happened here. If you're in Chinatown and craving Chinese-Malay food, def stop here!
(4)Nathan W.
Had to meet someone in the area and decided to grab some food here (after getting food poisoning here a few years back), I was smart to avoid the seafood and got only chicken. It turned out ok , no food poisoning this time, avoid the seafood fried rice and you should be ok!
(3)Elissa P.
My friend, Cody, and I stumbled upon this place, when we were turned away from Pho Pasteur, which was closed. Panang was OPEN - and it was past eleven at night! Being girls from the Southcoast area, and NEVER being able to get, do, or eat ANYTHING late at night or on Sundays, this was particularly thrilling. The place is really spacious with fashionably faux-rustic booths and floor-to-ceiling windows (which we sat by.) Our order came out, like, unreasonably fast. The appetizer was delish - a steamed, spring roll-type thing, with fresh veggies and shrimp inside and a spicy sauce on top - AMAZING. I got a fried noodle dish that was loaded with squid and was good - maybe needed a tad more soy sauce or salt or something? And Cody ordered a seafood Tom Yum soup that was only $8, packed with crisp, just-cooked veggies, and was about the size of her head! All-in-all, we had a great time. This would be such a fun place to come with a large group of friends and order one of everything! I am not familiar with Malaysian cuisine, and Penang's menu has lots of interesting stuff, I've never tried before. I want to go back soon and sample the deep-fried pig intestines!
(4)Bailey F.
With the passing of one of my favorite restaurants in the back bay due to some Ikea wanna be buying out a building, I had to find another venue for Malaysian food, and while it may not be what I was hoping for, it will suffice.this place is fairly large And the size od the menu would make Gordon Ramsey pitch a fit but the food makes me happy. I'm a sucker for roti cani and they delivered exactly what I wanted. My mee Siam was very well cooked and actually pretty lite on grease for a fried noodle dish. The mango sticky rice can't be botched and overall it's a good night of eating.
(4)Stacy H.
god, this place is expensive. i ordered the veggie casserole -- the one of maybe 3 things on this menu that is vegetarian -- and it was just okay. it was essentially just a mix of vegetables in some sauce in a clay pot. but from the $15+ price point, i expected something phenomenal. i know for sure i'm spoiled because i came from the san gabriel valley in california and had access to many asian restaurants, but is it my fault that i associate more pricey food with better food? ... probably... but i'm not coming back here again if i want to get the bang for my buck. as for the service -- the waiter who seated us was polite and prompt, and the waiter who took our orders was pretty good. my only complaint was that they didn't understand how to divide our check when we paid with cash and credit cards. 2 stars for: not having many vegetarian options, for being expensive but not tasty
(2)Jane L.
I've always had a decent food experience at Penang. However, I just had lunch there with my friend and bit into the nastiest shrimp ever...it was mushy and I have tasted nasty shrimp before. I complained to the server who then offered to bring out another dish. I had lost my appetite and turned down their offer. At the end of the meal, I asked one of the servers if they could take that dish off the check. She countered with half the price because we had eaten "half the dish". True...we ate some of the noodles before taking a bite of the shrimp. Once I spat out the shrimp, we didn't eat the noodle anymore. Frankly, I was a very offended and said that the dish was not edible and you could try the shrimp if you want. It wasn't about the money...it was the principle. She took away our dish and came back with our check deducting the noodle dish but at that point I was already really annoyed. You can have ok food and ok service and people may return for more. But when you have a bad food experience and then you feel offended by the server, the restaurant will lose you as a customer forever. And then you may feel compelled to write a negative review on yelp.
(2)Jeff D.
I liked Penang though I'm not exactly certain why it's a Malaysian restaurant. The food choices seemed quite Pan-Asian and we made the most of it. Based on some of the Yelp reviews I ordered the Hainanese chicken and rice, which was quite good. The way they cut the chicken pieces gave easy access to the bone marrow. Big fan of that. We also got (among other things) spring rolls, an appetizer I can best describe as a fried sausage, fried tofu and scallion pancake plate. My FIL got a clay pot green seafood curry which was very, very good. It was hot like a green curry should be, not at all tempered down to suit Western tastes. The Malaysian noodles (the one Malay dish we ordered) were very good as well. All told, no complaints at all. We will definitely be back.
(4)Nadine F.
I was walking by this restaurant and didn't realize that it's the same Penang as the giant chain I've been to in Philadelphia and DC. It doesn't help that the vast majority of Malaysian restaurants are name Penang. We started with the roti canai and teh tarik, which were fine but nothing special. The roti was a little soggier than it should be, and the tea was slightly too bitter. We ordered the beef rendang and sauteed squid as our main course. The beef was good, but the squid tasted really fishy and not fresh at all. The worst part of the experience was the service. The restaurant wasn't crowded at all on a Thursday night, and yet the waiters seemed very annoyed, bordering on angry, whenever we asked for anything. I definitely won't come back to this location.
(2)Joanna C.
I give them five stars for their absolute speed and efficiency. Then I take away one star, since how was it that you were able to cook my beef within a 5 minute span?? Seriously - we walked in and were sat really quickly (there were 3 parties in front of us, and we were all sat within 5 minutes). There was tea waiting for us at the table. We had just walked here from the movie theater, so my teeth were chattering pretty good since it was SO COLD out, so I promptly took a big swig of my tea thinking, oh it's sitting at the table, it's probably lukewarm. And yeah... it was SCALDING hot. I almost spit it back out. And instead I had to endure the blistering heat as it seared my mouth and esophagus as it made its journey down to my poor tummy. Be warned. When they say hot tea, it's hot! We ordered our dishes - Beef Rendang for me (I'd never had it before, but I was totally craving beef. And there was a star next to it which meant spicy and Joanna LIVES for spicy), and Green Curry Chicken Clay Pot for my dining companion. Not gonna lie - FIVE MINUTES (not even five minutes) after we placed our order, the beef rendang showed up at the table with two bowls of rice for us. I sat there staring at it, and staring at the people who brought it since, there was no way in hell that was my order. I must have someone else's. And so, I sat there and waited for someone to come clucking by and be like, "sorry, not for you!" Until the smell of it got to me and I finally dug in. And yeah, it was ours. And yeah, it was awesome! Thick chunks of beef in this great spicy sauce. My dining partner was impressed at my ability to order such great food. I shrugged in modesty and chalked it up to my Asianness while silently patting myself on the back. We were gleefully stuffing ourselves with the Beef Rendang when his curry chicken clay pot appeared. It had sound really good on the menu, but when I bit into it, it tasted like soap. I didn't say anything, since I'm sure it's a jasmine flavor I'm just not used to, but I couldn't get past the thought of "oh my god, I'm eating soap!" So I let him finish off that dish while we fought over the chunks of beef with our chopsticks. If I lived or worked near this place, I would be here ALL the time. We were in and out in 30 minutes flat. And we left AFTER the three parties who were sat at the same time of us had left. Crazy fast. Welcome to Chinatown I guess! :)
(4)Peter W.
We ordered a lot of classics like the Hainese chicken, chicken rice, Beef Renang, and Chow Kuey Tow. All very good. The Pad Thai was ok. The Roti looked great. It was so popular at our table that I didn't get any :(.
(4)Susan S.
Just came from this restaurant from having dinner with my family and I wish we never went. It was an even more disappointing experience than the last time I went several years ago when they served me water with a fly in it. I just thought I would give them another chance, but I've made a terrible mistake. Their prices I noticed went up for the same mediocre quality food. For starters we ordered the Roti canai. The thin pancakey like dish was so crispy thin in parts that as soon as I started to touch it, it would fall into shreds before it could reach my mouth which was half of the portion already. And the other thicker chewy parts were good with the sauce. But even the sauce seemed a little watered down and served in a tiny amount with really overcooked dried chicken in it. This dish has definitely gone down in quality and execution despite its amazing potential in its flavor. The other 4 dishes we got were Masak Lemak with chicken, Penang Pad Thai, Pineapple Fried Rice, and Crispy fried squid. I actually wanted to try some other dishes but for some reason I somehow got discouraged and questioned by the waitress from ordering certain dishes that may have been considered too spicy. I would have to say none of the dishes that we got with marked spicy stars were spicy at all, so I don't know what that was about. When I would order a dish, she would ask me if I was sure, which was annoying and happened like 3 times. Anyways, I was most enthusiastic about the Masak Lemak dish but when we actually tasted it, it was one of the worst dishes of all that we had. The chicken was not fresh and it seemed like it came from the freezer. This dish was actually recommended by the waitress. I can withstand bland food but I can't stand the thought of paying to eat not fresh old chicken in a restaurant. It just reminded me of the horrors of Gordon Ramsay's kitchen Nightmares show where restaurants would serve week old food. And this was one of the moments where that possibility came into my mind with this dish. It was so dry, slightly rubbery and the salty flavor in the chicken didn't go with this runny looking semi sweet oily sauce. The pineapple fried rice was mostly peppery tasting and dry. It too was so disappointing compared to when I had it years ago in this restaurant. It did not come in a pineapple like it used to and the dish had no taste of pineapple in it or any sweetness. The few pineapple chunks that were in it were obviously from a can and consisted of a dull pale yellow color. There weren't even any pieces of squid in it as the description had listed and the shrimp that were in it were flavorless. The pad Thai noodles were so overcooked and also had no dynamic flavor. It should have been named limp noodles. It just seemed like they threw in some spicy chili paste and called it a day. Now the only dish that was probably even remotely acceptable was the fried crispy squid since it was beautifully fried with not too much batter resulting in a great crispness to its bite. However besides it being salty and slightly spicy, it didn't seem like it had any Malaysian identity to it but rather a Chinese one. The texture was there but the flavor left something to be desired. I think there are so many good restaurants out there but honestly I think coming here is such a waste of time and money. Service sucked as our waitress was no where to be found towards the end of our meal. No one seems to really care and the owner( guy with the ponytail?) seemed to just stand around staring into space. By the way, the drink I got was a Malaysian iced tea and that was so watered down tasting and most probably from a can that I could get from the Chinese supermarket. There's a lot of misses with the restaurant coupled with the identity crisis. What am I really eating here? I don't care what cuisine they call themselves as long as it tastes good.Yet I think they offer themselves under the disguise of exotic food to trap people in.The dishes are just so sad and bland. My body also does not feel so good after eating here. I would not come back here ever again. We were robbed blind tonight.
(1)Christina T.
Ate here with my cousin since I was visiting Boston for a medical school interview at BU. Delicious food - the roti, friend calamari, and chow fun. I must warn you though - don't eat the onions in the fried calamari dish unless you like raw onions! I love that this place is open late and is smack in the middle of Chinatown. I would be a frequent eater here if I lived in Boston!
(5)Anna L.
I always get Hainanese chicken rice here. They are so delicious and the display is very appetizing! My husband will try other things such as beef chow fun or beef casserole, roti, salted fish fried rice. Everything i listed is delicious! However, when i got take out there, it's not as good. I determined that it's only good when you get to eat it right away! once it cools down, the taste is not as good either.
(4)Meems D.
WARNING:: COCKROACH ALERT, I REPEAT, COCKROACH ALERT!!!! I am NOT kidding!! Unfortunately we came across what later became dubbed as the break dancing cockroach at the end of our dinner. We were all waiting for our dessert to share, fried banana (in my opinion is just chicken fingers without the chicken-GROSS) The waiter placed a stack of plates on the middle of the table and left, I was passing each plate out and suddenly, after the 4th plate or so, this GIGANTIC cockroach was laying on it's back, I didn't notice it until my friend screamed and started pointing! I looked down and the cockroach started flipping on the plate from holding onto its last seconds of life, hence the break dancing cockroach. I jumped so far back! The waiter was right next to us taking another table's order and we interrupted, uhh, excuse me, he saw the cockroach and quickly grabbed two plates, using one to cover the plate with the cockroach on there to hide it and continued to take the other table's order!! And all this was just to add to the minuscule and bland entrees we ordered.
(1)Yohini S.
I am a big fan of this place. I love the food and they have good options for vegetarians. Roti canai is amazing. I miss the food!
(5)Karen T.
I'll admit, I'm pretty ignorant when it comes to Malaysia and anything pertaining to the country. That being said, when I reached Penang, I didn't really know what to expect culinary-wise. My sister and I had spent an afternoon walking around and enjoying the city, and after a bit of power shopping, we were really hungry for dinner. We chatted up a salesgirl at Zara, mentioning that we were thinking of heading to Chinatown for some eats. She immediately recommended Penang, saying that it is one of her favorite spots. Not even really intending to go, by the time we reached Chinatown, all we wanted to do was sit down and start eating. Haphazardly we actually found ourselves right in front Penang, and just decided to stay. The decor and vibe is pretty modern and very bustling, so I took that for a good sign. The hostess was in a total frenzy though, zipping around and not really paying much attention. When she finally approached us, we saw that there was an empty table which was unoccupied during our wait. We asked to be seated there, but she mumbled something we couldn't hear, and then proceeded to seat us in a small cramped spot, sandwiched in between two other tables. So already, this was annoying. During our wait outside, we already chose which dishes we wanted, so as not to waste any more time. We put in our order of a fried rice noodle dish, a soup noodle dish, and the chicken with Thai sauce. From what I could gather, Malaysian food is a culmination of all Asian cuisines, highlighting Chinese, Thai, and Indian. I thought that was interesting. But while the descriptions sounded promising, the food itself just fell flat. It was disappointing. The chicken was very much like Hainam chicken, but not as good. The "Thai" sauce is chutney-like, which wasn't bad, but just not as flavorful as I'd expect. The fried noodle dish was average, much like pad see ew. A bit too oily and salty for me though. The noodle soup was also just average, with two types of noodles (one thick, one thin) and a broth very reminiscent of the Vietnamese soup "bun rieu". One of the upsides is that the food came out at lightening speed, which was appreciated considering how starved we were. But other than that, the food is nothing to write home about. Since my knowledge of Malaysian food is super limited, I can't make any substantial comparisons. Though if this is more or less representative of the food, can't say I'm much of a fan.
(3)Marie C.
We haven't been here for awhile, but a recent visit with the children, and family, was fantastic. The food here is fresh, tasty, and always affordable..the portion sizes are generous for sharing, and the ambience is loud, friendly. The staff are kind and efficient. They were very forgiving of our table of messy youngsters, too, a point worth mentioning. We had the kids eat the wonton/chicken soup - it was a clear, delicious chicken broth, with wonderfully yummy wontons - and the bowl was large enough for three kids to share. We also had the clay pot shrimp and noodles, the string beans and shrimp, mango chicken (this comes nicely presented in a hollowed out mango), roti, and one other noodle dish whose name escapes me..all the food was excellent, fresh and plentiful. For dessert we had a good mango and sticky rice, and the fried bananas with ice cream. I recommend the Malaysian cold coffee (like a Thai iced tea - tall & sweet) too.. A good place to go before a theatre show, a movie on the Common, ice skating on the frog pond, or shopping in Downtown Crossing..good, cheap parking is found in several of the above-ground lots in Chinatown.
(4)Deanna D.
The food at Penang is consistently good. I've been to the one in NY and its almost the same here in Boston. The Roti canai was really delicious! I had the Nasi Lemak and that was really yummy-- the chicken curry was flavorful and the fried anchovies gave the dish a delicious flavor kick. My boyfriend had beef noodles which were also very good. We will be back for sure!
(3)David V.
The great reviews on Yelp really gave us high hopes for this restaurant. We were very excited to try it, and unfortunately, it did not meet our expectations. If we were to rate Penang (Boston) only on the quality of the service, it would get 5 stars. But, since we have to include the food in this rating, it only gets 3. The restaurant is very nicely decorated and very clean. Upon walking in, it feels like you are on vacation. All of the employees we encountered were excellent, especially our server who was very patient and friendly. She took the time to answer our questions and explain the unique cuisine. We started with the roti bread with curry, and it was delicious. So, at that point we were still excited. My wife ordered a chicken dish from the "Chef Specialties" section. It looked good, and smelled good, but it tasted like dish soap. So, she returned it and our server was very accommodating. A manager even came over and talked to my wife, and they brought her a new dish-the mango chicken. The mango sauce was perfect, however, the chicken was not very tender. It seemed like the food was rushed out too quickly from the kitchen. I ordered the coconut prawns (also from the "Chef Specialties"), which were deep fried GIANT prawns served with a mix of eggs and coconut milk. Next time, I will order without the heads (which is an option) because I did not enjoy them. The prawns, however, were fantastic! They were so tender and fresh! This dish cost $22.50. While I understand that fresh seafood is pricey, I think it could have been cheaper. We also ordered a side of the coconut rice which was tasty. Penang features a large menu with lots of variety and affordable options. The food that we had was good, but we've certainly had better for cheaper elsewhere. We are actually surprised at all of the high ratings this restaurant received. We are sorry to say that we probably will not return.
(3)Doris T.
I have been to Penang thrice and I loved their food every single time. The Roti Canai is very good as the other reviewers have pointed out. I am also a big fan of their Buddhist Yam Pot, delicious! They also have the best Tom Yum soup that I have tried. My other favorite is the Nasi Lemak which has two huge pieces of chicken in a curry with coconut rice and a side of anchovies and vegetables. The portion sizes are quite big and definitely worth the price. If you are in a big group, try doing the family style to get a taste of all the different dishes. I also tried their flavored ice-cream, not too bad either. Unfortunately, the customer service at Penang is not the greatest. It is a very busy place and quite popular for the good food. Hence they don't like waiting too long for your order. Surprisingly, however, my most recent visit there was very pleasant. The waiter was very cordial and patient (we were a large group) with us and in the end they also gave us free coffee!!! Does not happen everyday, but the good food definitely does. So, if you have not tried the place and like spicy food, you should definitely try it at least once...
(5)Masmin P.
I'm Malaysian and can attest to the authenticity of the food here. Yes, there is definitely more of a Chinese-cuisine slant to the menu offerings here, but the truly Malaysian stuff is pretty darn close to what you'd get back in the motherland. My personal favorites here are the roti canai, satay (both chicken and beef), nasi lemak, udang (shrimp) masak lemak (not what I was expecting since it's more of a sambal, but still really tasty) and Indian mee goreng. I've brought a number of of co-workers here and they really enjoy the food.
(4)Alan Y.
The food here is pretty good, but not spectacular. The Roti Canai is very good, as is the Roti Telur. The Rendang is good, but the portion size is too small. I found the Chow Kueh Teow decent but too greasy. Avoid ordering the desserts if possible. I had the Chendol, which was served in this tiny flask and was frankly very bland tasting. Their spinach, from what I remember, has a lot of flavor. The service here is a bit slow and it can get crowded, especially on the weekends. I am not really familiar with Malaysian foods, but I have enjoyed all of my dining experiences here.
(4)Traci K.
I adore this place. Regardless of when you go in on any given night, it seems to be packed (though you never wait long for a table). The service is super speedy, but I never feel rushed. Definitely get the Roti Canai. My go-to meal is the Clay Pot Noodles -- especially for blistery cold days. The pot keeps the food pipping hot through the entire meal. Yum. The beef chow fun is always pretty classic as is the pad thai with seafood. I honestly can say that I've never had anything here that I didn't like. Seriously tasty.
(4)Sean M.
Time was this place had more Malaysian-goodness than it has now. Some dishes like the noodle dishes and casseroles seemed to "pop" more. The Chow Kueh Teow is one dish I still think is decent. The most disappointing decline is a the Cantonese Hainanese Chicken, it's a hollow shell of it itself. The chicken rice is still good but the chicken is over cooked and less tasty. The Roti and Murtabak are better than other offerings at Malay places. The service is fast and efficient if not brusk, and prices are inline with the rest of Chinatown. * Still in the lunch rotation but less frequent. * Seafood dishes like the crab and lobster are still in the ballpark.
(3)Nicole T.
I am new in town and all excited to check out this Penang for some authentic Asian cuisine. I had previously been to NJ Penang restaurant and had excellent experience. The service is bad. The waiting staff has no smile when they serve us. We ordered Chicken Satay ( very juicy, but the peanut dipping can be better.) which we were informed, during ordering, the wait time was 10mins. We agreed. And we also ordered Wonton mee ( Soup ok, but the wonton is not so nice.) and Nasi Lemak (Portion is big, achar is crunchy and nice). Drinks we had a durian shake (Love it, taste like real durian and only durian in it) and coconut drink ( with a few pieces of floating coconut flesh.) We waited for long while for our food to be served. But we were not so happy not so much of the wait, the food, rather, the attitude of the service. What's wrong with some smile for the customers? We will go back for the food when we miss the durian shake, but not so soon.
(2)M. N.
Delicious and great vibe once you are done waiting and are seated! Definitely worth the wait though! Great price and great food; very loud and busy on weekend nights.
(4)Andrew R.
You MUST try the coconut pudding - it comes in a coconut! and it's not on the regular menu, so ask for it. The roti canai also comes highly recommended. And if you like that, you'll love the nasi lemak rice dish. so good. bump bump. so good. bump. I got-a-you.
(4)Erin B.
Having been going to Penang for years and the food has always been good, but the Roti Canai was the reason for going. We went yesterday, and it was teeny tiny, and the same as the frozen roti you can get at an Indian grocery store. Reading the reviews below, it seems that the chef left, but we were not told the dish was different until the 4 we ordered arrived at our table. How sad :( The curry tastes the same but the roti is vastly different. Alas, I won't make the trip to Penang from the suburbs anymore. They can't find ANYONE? to make the roti the other way??? The photos of the Roti Canai are the "old style" and are NOT what the dish is served like at the present time.
(2)Jon R.
During my vacation in Boston, I was lucky that my friend took me here. It was pretty quiet when we went which was probably before the lunch crowd arrived. I had the indian mee goreng which was delicious but the thing that made me really remember this restaurant was the roti canai. oh man that thing was absolutely amazing. the curry was so good that once i returned home i was still thinking about it for several days. I wish I could return here and try more dishes. The restaurant was clean, service was good.
(4)Rick H.
I can't handle spice so their sizzling beef is nice but not a red star
(3)Chenna V.
Good n cheap malaysian food. My best : "Roti Kanai" tastes like indian "dhaba parotha with kurma".
(4)Angel C.
I love Penang. I've been here several times and have never had a bad dish. This time I had the Hokkien Char Mee - tasty noodles in sauce with pork and veggies. My favorite dish here is the Buddhist Yam Pot, which I think is actually taro and not yam. Think mashed taro, shaped to look like a bowl, covered in a tasty batter, and fried! Now, doesn't that just sound delicious!? The batter comes out really nice and crispy, and it's not too oily. Remember I said it's shaped like a bowl? Well, they fill the bowl with stir-fried choice of meat (pork, chicken, seafood), veggies, and cashews. YUM! I would recommend going with a big group here so you can order a bunch of stuff and share! The pineapple fried rice is very good, and if you're adventurous, try the salted fish fried rice. The roti canai and the beef rendang are also very good. And for dessert - they have really good desserts! - you have to try the ABC. Trust me on this one. You might read the ingredients and go "huh???", but it's delicious! And pretty light too.
(5)Katharina S.
Penang is my favourite restaurant in the world. I have eaten at many places world wide, but non of them have ever served me such a great Pad Thai and deserts. I recommend this restaurant to all my friends who are coming to Boston.
(5)Ell C.
The interior is very impressive with structures made of thick bamboo, made resemble a hut. It contributes to the experience of Malaysian cuisine at Penang. I love the Roti Canai and the ribs, oh the ribs - so scrum-diddly-umtious! I liked the wonton wee (soup with noodles), penang pad thai, and the noodle with gravy, if you're into that. PS- Be sure to bring a take out container for leftovers and a bag!
(4)N B.
Aweful food. The service is poor. I asked for veg dish and he brought it with shrimps in it. Asked for cold sake, he brought it hot. Food was very oily and super spicy . I ordered Maska Naka which was for $14.50 and what came was small portion of broccoli and some spicy orange chicken like dish. I could've well paid $15 and ordered an awesome filling steak meal. Never going there again...
(1)Mai N.
Would definitely go back! Good roto canai okra and shrimp (shrimp with ladies fingers) jumbo shrimp. beef penang abc for dessert Love it. Good clean restaurant too. Always busy. Rec - going as a group so you could have more to try from.
(5)Megan H.
I always love their food. Everything is delicious. I tried the Dry Curry Lobster yesterday. It's AWESOME! Dessert is good as well. All different kinds of smoothies and sweet drink, taste so good! You should definitely try it.
(5)Amy M.
I think another reviewer said it best--"meh." Completely underwhelmed by our dinner at Penang. Honestly, it's not even worth detailing what we ordered because nothing was good enough (or bad enough) to invest the time describing. Don't stand in line for this one, not worth the wait.
(2)A. L.
My husband and I are both Penangites. Whenever we come across restaurants that dare to use the name of our island, we have high expectations as to its authenticity and taste. Well, we yelped for Malaysian food in Boston, and went in on a Friday night for dinner. Had to wait 20 minutes as the place was packed and busy. When we were finally seated and placed our order of Char Koay Teow, Satay, and Prawn Mee Noodles, we were starving and not in the best mood. However, when the aroma of the Char Koay Teow drifted across our nostrils, we inhaled deeply the "wok-hay" (translated as breath of the wok) that gives the noodles the slightly burnt taste. It was by far the most authentic Penang-style Char Koay Teow that we've had in the 20 years of living in the USA. The satay was absolutely heavenly! For those of you who want authentic Penang food, this is the place. We went back the next day for Assam Laksa (another Penang specialty which is an acquired taste). Poh Piah (Jicama Spring Roll) fell below standards as the Penang hawkers usually drench the Poh Piah in broth instead of serving it dry. But it came close. Service was efficient and the wait staff kept coming by the tables. I'm sad that we don't live in Boston now.
(4)Oz L.
We visited Penang. They are 3 1/2 stars. Their prices are a bit higher then the other Asian restaurants in/near Chinatown. We tried their Jumbo Prawns in special sauce, hunain chicken, stir fried frog legs, and a steamed fish. The food was good not great, The seafood was not as good as some of the other Asian seafood restaurants. However their hunain rice was great. It was essentailly white rice with the juices from the steamed hunain chicken dish. We had this instead of white rice!
(3)Jennifer I.
Mafan! (mandarin word meaning TROUBLESOME) Move over Zagat and all those GREAT reviews you got.. let me spill the truth. That WORD landed this restaurant a star instead of a possible 4. My fam (just the 2 and a half of us) and I arrived in Boston last Friday afternoon. Took a strolled in the beautiful, friendly (yes, very friendly people) city and headed down to Chinatown looking for some comfort food. I, in particular was elated upon seeing a restaurant named "Penang". I thought, "Oh so familiar.." (I've lived in Singapore for many years, familiar with the food that region including Malaysia, Penang and sort..) Lets go for it! The restaurant was crowded, so that must be a good sign, food must be good. We waited for about 15 minutes to be seated. We're lead to a table right at the entrance of the kitchen. I knew my seat will get bumped into from time to time. So, I placed my daughter in the outside so hubby and I sat facing each other and we both can attend to our daughter. Well, one guy came over and mumbled to the waiter. The waiter told me its better to moved my daughter over where I'm at cos a group of people are coming to the BIGGER table (more $$$$$$ spent I guess, so prefered treatment). Those people on the BIGGER table came 40 minutes later, when we're almost 3/4 done with our food. So, what's the big deal?Anyway, I asked for milk and my hubby asked if they can helped toss the old milk out of our baby's bottle since the toilet was occupied. he said - "ok, ok" and as he walked away, I heared him mumbled "Ma fan..." Well, I don't have to look chinese or a certain way to know mandarin or 16 other languages out there! Lets fast forward to food.. I'm know what indian mee goreng tasted like (it was my twice weekly lunch staples when I lived in Singapore) and nasi lemak.. lacked the lemak (creaminess). Roti canai.. oh so delicious and ooo ever so expensive for a thin piece of of dough. It doesn't matter if I'm spending $30 or $300 on food. I expect some courtesy. A "Hi" and "Thank you", that's all if you can't do the rest. Is that so difficult to deliver?
(1)Michael A.
Penang, I'm a fan! Great ambiance, and great food! Short and To the point: I have been coming here for years, and every time, specifically for their mango chicken dish, indian pancakes and pad thai noodles with shrimp. Penang has never failed me! You'll love the ambiance/decor when you walk in, but you'll smell like the place when you leave.
(4)Stephanie L.
The good: The portion sizes were generous, and the curry hot pot was AMAZING. It also managed to stay hot (in temperature) the entire meal, which was comforting. I'm vegetarian, and there were quite a few options for me, which was nice. The food tastes almost as good as leftovers ... and you'll have some, if you order one dish per person. You could probably order n-1 dishes for n people and be fine. The annoying: not all dishes come with rice (making them more expensive than they seem - and they're really not that cheap compared to some values in Chinatown); the server didn't bring or refill the waters very quickly.
(4)Michael S.
It's a great place if you like lots of meat. I like the atmosphere and the taste is good but there is one thing missing: vegetable! Unless you order a veggie dish you are very unlikely to have a significant amount of vegetable in your dish. Service is not very friendly.
(3)Victor L.
After having so many friends tell me about this place, I finally got a chance to try it. My friend and I had the mango chicken, spicy sizzling beef, watermelon freeze, ice cofee, roti bread, and for dessert we tried the sweet black bean soup dish and the fried ice cream and banana dish. My thoughts (for what it's worth): mango chicken - different, but tasty. the chicken was moist (mostly because of the sauce) and the dish had lots of mangos and some veggies on it. not bad! spicy sizzling beef - the beef was pretty good, but the dish was not spicy at all. it was more sweet than spicy. came with lots of onions and some peppers. not amazing, but still pretty good. roti bread - i really like roti bread so maybe i am biased, but it was great. the curry sauce it came with was awesome. i think this sauce over rice would be great! watermelon freeze - this was pretty gross. it tasted like very watered down watermelon juice. ice coffee - tasted like the the instant coffee you find all over korea (on ice)...but it was pretty good. very sweet. sweet black bean soup (dessert) - my friend ordered this and i didn't think i would like it, but this turned out to be my favorite dish. it was just sweet enough. fried ice cream and banana - it was good if you like fried stuff...but it wasn't special. i've had better and i've had worse. overall, the food came quickly and was tasty. service was good and the decor is kind of cool. i would recommend to my friends and will go again to try some of the other stuff on the menu.
(4)Sarah G.
Went with a party of five, four adults and one child. Give the woman behind the register the number of people in your party to get a number (making a reservation seems like the way to do it). She'll give you a rough estimate of how long if you ask. We had a reservation and waited 15 mins tops; compared to no reservation and waiting 20-30 mins. Wait in the packed doorway for her to call your number. Cool interior with bamboo walls and cool tables, the volume is good, busy but you can still hear one another at your table. The staff was nice and our waiter was prompt and accurate. He held off on ordering a dish for us because he thought it was going to be a bit too much food for our table, and he was right. I can see how that might not work with everyone. We ordered a variety of dishes and all were great. Dishes I would order again: The Malaysian spare ribs, Chicken Satay (over the beef satay), Padthai, Sambay shrimp, Pork Buff. Everything we ate seemed well seasoned, and well cooked. We ate a whole lot, a few beers, left feeling good and stuffed. Spent ~$120. Great food, great atmosphere - can't wait to go back again.
(4)T. N.
This is one of my favorite restaurants in Chinatown. The food comes out really quickly and everything is absolutely delicious! There's a lot of variety. I closed my eyes and picked the first thing I saw when I opened them and guess what, it was amazing! I don't know how to pronounce anything on the menu but that's ok because there are great descriptions at the bottom of all the names. The only reason why I don't give it a 5 star is the waiters are not particularly friendly. However, they will give you what you ask for. Definitely will keep coming back here. As well, you should come here with cash, particularly if you're going in a big group. They won't accept more than 2 credit cards per bill. Strange huh?
(4)Eric F.
Decent Malaysian food. Ordered the Chow Kueh Teow (Malaysian stir-fried flat rice noodles) which was solid and had a fairly spicy kick. Service was fine and the eating quarters were a bit cramped at lunch time. Overall, it was more or less worth the money, but nothing really stood out enough to make me want to come back anytime soon.
(3)Chaz M.
So I've been to Penang a handful of times and always leave with the feeling that the food is good but the service is lacking. "ORDER" is the greeting we received when we sat at the table? This quite abrupt and dare I saw rude server approached us with this curt annoyed attitude. She was asking us if we wanted to order and what came out of her lips was "ORDER". Ok so I usually get the rotai canai which Im butchering the spelling but less so than my pronunciation. This waitress had no idea what I was trying to say and was like "OH you mean the Rotai Canai". Give me a break I didn't try and correct her multiple mispronunciations of the English language. We had the mango chicken which is an old standby and seafood rice noodles which tasted like the were prepared in dish water which dare I say from our experience with this server wouldn't be a far stretch of the imagination. I wasn't impressed this time around probably from the rudeness of the server but the food struck a mediocre tone. I'll probably return but with some hesitancy.
(2)Stephanie K.
I love the mango chicken and the Roti Canai with fresh pancake crispy indian style pancake and curry chicekn dipping sauce. Also, they have a variety of noodle soups that are very good as well. Howeverm it is very hot in the restaurant so it is not a place i would go to in August and the food tends to be on the spicy side.
(4)Rayid G.
In my quest to try all penang restaurants in the US, i went to this boston branch with high hopes. I only tried the mango chicken (which is one of my favorite dishes at the other penangs) and was very disappointed. The best thing about mango chicken is the sweet mango mixed with the tangy spicy sauce. Unfortunately, in my dish, the mango was very sour and combined with the sour sauce, didn't really create that contrast. I saw a lot of malaysians eating there which probably means that it's decent food or that it's the only place in town and they're homesick or desperate :)
(2)Casey H.
No, no, no. Just gross. Very poor quality meat. Even the frying couldn't disguise this fact. I will say we were with a large group of 10. There were 3 people who actually liked it, but the rest of us thought the food was disgusting.
(1)Howard H.
Been going here since my wife introduced me to Malaysian cuisine. My rule of thumb is that the curry that's serviced with the Roti Canai will tell you if the curry is good that day or not. Ordered the Curry Mei and Seafood scramble egg chow fun. Curry Mei curry was pretty good and not too spicy but they switch the fish balls to this small rubbery kind and the chow fun was cooked to perfection. As usual the food came out quick and was in and out within 30 minutes.
(4)Deborah H.
My coworkers and I came here for dinner to eat a smorgasbord of food, but in all honesty I don't remember anything but the lobster. Oh, the noodles weren't good, but the Hainan chicken rice was great. Then the next day, after an awful client meeting, we returned here instead of catching an earlier flight home. Each one of us ordered a lobster to ourselves. I went to change out of my abhorred suit in the spacious bathroom, while my male coworkers ripped their ties off in their seats. We each got a different flavor. The lobster made each one of us feel a teeny bit better about ourselves. I recommend the lobsters, especially the curry one.
(5)Kevin D.
One of my favorite restaurants. Love the roti canai! Oyster omelet is very good also.
(5)Barbara B.
I love everything about this place. Their rice dishes are the way to go for a light meal. If you want something more heartier, go for the noodle dishes. The milk shakes are really good too - I always get the durian shake when I come here.
(5)Chad F.
Roti Canai was ok, and Nasi Lemak was a bit too hot/spicy for me. Beef Chow Fun was good although a bit oily. Very cheap overall, which is a good thing. Horrible customer service.
(3)Jeffrey K.
Not too impressed. The decor and the look of the restaurant is much better than the food in my opinion. The service is good (water was refilled every other sip). The food is sub par not my favorite place in Chinatown. When I found out it was a chain that's when I nodded my head and realized why the food/feel couldn't hold a candle to 1/2 of the other indy owned spots around the corner. The look of the restaurant is what drove me in the food is what drove me out.
(2)Maggie N.
Stopped at Penang for lunch with a few friends, first time trying Malaysian food, and I'm sold!!! We ordered the Indian pancake, Chow kueh teow, Hainanese chicken, some vegetable dish, and dessert. All dishes were at or above the average, with the Hainanese chicken and the dessert (this creamy, black-ish glutinous rice that I can't remember the name...) being exceptionally good. I never tried Malaysian food before so I'm not sure how Penang is, compared with the standard, but we definitely had a good time there. 5 people ended up with a $60 lunch, which is quite decent IMHO. Service was a bit slow (we asked for extra napkin/ utensils and were forgotten..) but it's minor. I left happy and full :-).
(4)Good M.
They went through a transition of new management and hiring all new kitchen chefs/staff in early 2010. Since then everything have gone downhill! Authentic and properly trained chefs in Indo/Malay cuisine were replaced by incompetent "fresh off the boat" rejects. Cheaper and less ingredients are now used in their once beloved signature dishes. Their quality and portions have significantly decreased while prices increased. Long time patrons of this place will tell the same stories. I stopped going there after 5+ years but a friend convinced me to give them one last shot. Boy does he owe me big time for eating this crap!
(2)christine l.
I used to love coming here with my friends and sisters. We would order the pineapple fried rice, the hainanese chicken with the rice, the indian pancake, and etc. But when i recently went there for my birthday i didnt get the same taste from the food like i used to get. Some of the plates were overly salty and some of the portions were smaller in size. I was really disappointed :(
(2)Elizabeth D.
3.5 stars (will return but not exactly a "fan" yet) Came here for the first time after going to school across the street for 2 years. I always glance across the street when eating at Pho Pasteur or Emperor's Garden. My parents were in town as well as my aunt and uncle so we headed over fr something different. The service was ok. Nothing to impress. We had to ask a few times for water and then for refills. The food was better than the service. We starte out with the roti canai. It reminded me of a thinner scallion pancake. Pretty good. For entrees we ordered seasonal fish steamed wth garlic and ginger, seafood delight, Malaysian noodles, green curry clay pot chicken, and chicken flavored rice. The fish had a very nice presentation and nice flavor. The Malaysian noodles tasted like Thai pad see ewe but a spicier version... pretty good. Everything was tasty enough, but I need to give it another taste as my taste buds aren't quite accustomed to the spice yet. We really enjoyed the chicken flavored rice and even took the leftover home for fried rice the next day!
(3)Sara S.
Ericalynn G. and Tara C. decided it was time for a girls lunch, and what a better place to go then Chinatown... obviously! Ericalynn is a huge fan of Penang, and Tara nor I had ever been, so we decided it was perfect! I'll admit, I checked out the menu online beforehand and was a little hesitant. I'm not a full-blown vegetarian, but I prefer vegetable dishes. I also do not eat cooked eggs, and many of the dishes had eggs in them. Luckily, I was able to make a modification to a Prawn Mee (egg and rice noodles, shrimp, vegetables, in a spicy shrimp broth- usually with pork). Tara C. had a little more of a difficult time... I believe a combination of language barrier and just overall confusion. I'm sure she'll be reviewing her experience. The Prawn Mee was awesome. Honestly, I was surprised at how good it was. Huge portion of broth and the aforementioned goodies. The "spicy" shrimp broth really wasn't spicy, but the flavors were much more complex than Pho you would get at a Vietnamese restaurant. The only type of veggie that was in the soup was spinach, but I love spinach so I was happy. The combination of egg and rice noodles (thin one and thick ones) was great. There were so many noodles, though! I didn't eat half of them, and I always finish all my food :) I wish Penang had lunch specials like nearly every place in Chinatown does. I really wanted to try their Mango Chicken and Ginger Chicken, but $12.50 for lunch in Chinatown is a little steep. OK for dinner, though. Their seafood sound great, too. Fun atmosphere, very clean... service needs some help, though. Lots of different servers with a general feeling of confusion.
(4)Alvin P.
love this place. I used to go to the original Penang in Queens, NY with the fam all the time. I would've given it 5 stars if I wasn't born in Malaysia and had the real thing. The Roti, hokkien mee, and chicken rice are good. I've had some food that didn't really meet my hopes (lobak, sarang burong) but it still quenches my thirst to malay food! I can't find anything better in Boston so I would recommend it.
(4)Mrs. G.
I really liked Penang. We visited for an office holiday party. Parking was tough but it was definitely a unique dining experience. If you love trying new things this place is for you. We were served family style on a lazy susan in the center of the table. There was tons of food. I really liked the mango shrimp that was great. I wasn't a huge fan of the white boney fish we ate (i am not positive what it was). All and all, if you are looking for a unique dining experience check it out. It has a neat Malaysian atmosphere.
(3)Francesca H.
Good food, but not great. I think it's important to mention that is a chain restaurant. My dad and I went here once and we were treated with excellent service, so I will give them that. We ordered the Green Curry Cassarolle, which was okay and the pad thai, which was really good. Even my dad, who is a cook, complimented the cooking (the highest of compliments he gives is 'okay'). The flavor was really savory and had enough sauce. We also got the chicken satay, which was okay but a bit pricey for little sticks of chicken. Another time, I've also tried the duck, some fish dish, fried seafood, and some type of soup (I'm not sure what they are called since I didn't order this time around, I just ate). The soup I had was really good and had a strong herb taste I highly recommend. It is a bit pricey for so little soup though. The manager is also very friendly so don't forget to say hi (he has a ponytail I think).
(3)Lisa C.
I've had lots of amazing malaysian food in my life since I grew up in New York so this place was only ok for me. The service was good, the food was ok but not great, and the atmosphere was exactly what I expected. I had a chicken curry rice plate which was boney and way too salty and the roti appetizer was delicious but again, not amazing. I would come back, but definitely not one of my favorite places.
(3)Nicole E.
Penang is delicious Malasian cusine anxiously awaiting a trip to your tummy. I went in on a busy Friday evening around 8pm. They told us it would be a 10 minute wait for a table. No biggie. The bonus was when they had us seated in more like 2. We arrive at our table to enjoy the hot tea they set out for us. It was really busy but I never felt neglected. Once we had settled on what to have, the food came out quickly, but well timed. The spring rolls were big and delicious. My bowl of seafood and noodley goodness was just that. It had some veggies to satisfy my omnivorous tendencies with just a hint of spicy for my wimpy mouth was perfect.I sampled the sizzling beef which was super sweet and sticky. A must if you are into that sorta thing. It wasn't spicy but was delicious over white rice. We shared a small bottle of sake which I recommend to duos or for those who don't want much to drink. We wound up staying for almost 2 hours but never once felt pushed out. It was a fun night and I will most certainly be back!
(4)Hinano K.
I remember coming here to eat with my husband on the last night of our trip to Boston. We were in the mood for some Singaporean/Malaysian style food so we drop by here. We ordered some stir fry pearl noodles, roti canai, Malaysian style spare ribs,hainanese chicken with rice and last but not least my favorite drink of all time Malaysian ice tea. Overall the food was pretty good, but the ribs are not to my liking. I had better at Nyonya in NYC. The other dishes was great though, so I will come back again just won't order the ribs. If you by chance in the area, you should give this place a try.
(3)Archana V.
A movie at AMC is almost always followed by a delicious dinner at Penang. I can vouch for all the malaysian delcacies. The husband and I usually start the meal with the roti canai or the roti telur and move on to the nasi lemak or one of their noodle dishes. I've never been disappointed. Except that it is always packed and the wait can be pretty long, especially if you are in a bigger group.
(4)Tony L.
Nothing too memorable about this meal that blew me away. but i don't recall eating malaysian food anytime in recent history but i'd say it was a good first experience. i don't remember what it is i ordered but i think it was some sort of chicken dish and some curry dish, but theres pictures if you wanna figure it out.
(3)Stephen T.
A little slow on the service but the food was pretty good for a midnight snack.
(3)Wen Y.
Good taste with really nice view.
(4)Leighann F.
Attack of the noodle craving strikes again! After a bit a of a mishap in attempting to go to Imperial, Penang was the last-minute executive decision for lunch. After taking the first bite, I only was left wonder why this wasn't the number one choice for our lunch destination. The meals were enormous, the service was speedy and, despite the packed house during high noon, I could actually hear everyone at my table's conversation. Prawn Mee? Don't mind if I do! Not one but TWO different kinds of noodles, plentiful pieces of pork and shrimp, oodles of vegetables, all in a spicy broth. For the first time since this whole noodle fiasco began, I wasn't able to finish them all. I left some stranded. A bittersweet ending, for I was so full from the portion size, but saddened to leave those tasty little guys behind. I am looking forward to returning to Penang to try some of their other dishes. Oh who am I kidding...it will be noodles every time!
(4)Nikki Z.
Food is pretty good - I've had the roti canai and the mee siam. 5 stars for the integrity of the staff. I left my credit card there and when I went to check the next day, the staff had safely saved it for me. Thanks Penang!
(5)Hieu N.
This place is alright. The space is big and the set up is pretty sweet with the bamboo and all. Service was decent. They come around every now and then to ask how things are and overall, nothing special, just doing their job. The food is like this rating, good but not amazing. My favorite would probably be the salted fish fried rice. Ive had it at tons of other places and by far this place was probably best. The roti appetizer is the shit, love it every time. Its a little on the pricier side of Chinatown but you get what you pay for. The portions are pretty good and the presentation is fine also. Its a good place if youre in the mood for spicing things up from the usual in chinatown.
(3)Emily C.
Haven't been to this location in years, but I've always been a fan. Recommend: - Roti Canai (an obvious choice) - Taro/veggie dish. I don't remember the name, but it's a deep fried taro in the shape of a bowl filled with mixed vegetables. - Chicken and mango (but only when mango is in season)
(4)Wei H.
This is my fav in Boston!!!
(5)Charles C.
I really like this place. I do. But they only had TsingTao beer the last time i went and I was about to rip the head off a chicken. I was pissed, and contemplated buying a beer at some other restaurant and bringing it over to Penang but then I knew they'd be pissed and that would lead to bad news bears. I recommend the hainanese chicken and the noodles (whichever one is the popular/favorite one... it says it on the menu). I also get a good laugh out of some of the menu descriptions every time i go there. The two calamari dishes --- one says that it's the most popular one, and the other says it's chef recommended with two thumbs up. Hahaa. And there's also a dish where they advise/warn you to ask your waiter before ordering... it's THE OLD CHICKEN MCNUGGETS WITH DARK MEAT! hahaa Good place to eat if you're not in the mood for chinese or vietnamese. Hahaa, good luck figuring that out.
(3)t h.
Not good, I have eaten here maybe 6 times and have always enjoyed it. Last night may be the last. We arrived 45 minutes before close and the chairs in 1/2 the restaurant were up on the tables.....Totally tacky. The service was excellent, so I had to give 2 stars for that. The food was however mediocre at best. The noodle soup was overly salty and passable, The vegetable dish with the chefs special sauce on was not good. My dining companion thought it had gone bad, I was not sure, just thought the chef's sauce was a dud.....
(2)Kris M.
Very nicely decorated and good ambiance in the restaurant. However, you're obviously paying for it in the food prices, which are a few dollars higher here than your typical chinatown restaurant. Still, where else can you go for Malaysian? Hence, if you eat here, sitting down is a better deal overall than take-out. The food itself was alright, had some roti canai that was a bit limp from steam and a beef rendang and rice plate that was not bad - maybe a touch too well done, but not by a whole lot and still juicy. Decent sauces. Didn't love it, didn't hate it, therefore 3 stars.
(3)Tammy H.
A couple comments first 'cause I like to run my mouth off. (1) Now why would a reviewer say that Penang is "not really Malaysian" when she's never had Malaysian before? and (2) don't order pad thai, please. Try something else, especially at a restaurant that's mostly for Malay food! So, I come here every once in a while whenever I get a craving for Malay/S'porian "comfort foods". During my last trip to S'pore, I haunted hawker centres and food courts like none other. I documented every detail I knew about the food, and I've been ordering them one by one at this place for nostalgia's sake. So far, I've had the poh piah, yong tau foo, nasi lemak, mee siam and the Malaysian iced coffee. They've all been up to my expectation except for a couple things. The poh piah was not as good as I hoped. It had a lot of lettuce (which I call "filler"), and I prefer mine to be stuffed with tastier things like bean curd, shrimp and peanuts. The nasi lemak is not like what I've had in S'pore, but maybe that's because Malaysia and S'pore have their own versions of the same dishes. I definitely prefer whatever I've had in S'pore, but I'm in the US ... should I be picky? On my next trip, I'll go for the hokkien char mee and kang kung belacan. After that, it's on to the fancier dishes ...
(4)Preeth K.
I knew that Malaysian food was a fusion of Chinese, Thai, native Malay and Indian cuisine. I just didn't realize how wonderful the food would be. For appetizers i had the Roti Canai, which is primarily an Indian dish. Roti is a very thin, yet chewy bread, that is pan fried to a golden brown. It is not overwhelmingly warm, but it is not lukewarm either. It is just perfect. The Canai is a chicken curry gravy. Ours came with 2 pieces of chicken and 1 piece of potato. Most likely it was just a cupful of this gravy put in the bowl. You are supposed to dip the roti into the canai. I like to dip the roti into the canai for a few moments so it absorbs the gravy as much as possible, which leads to an explosion of spicy and delectable flavor in ones mouth. I also had the beef and chicken satay, which are skewered chunks of chicken and/or beef, which you can dip into peanut sauce. It is a classical thai dish. It was great. For entrees i had beef rendang and nasi lemak. Both of these were found in the "rice dishes" section of the menu. The portions were quite large. The rice was very aromatic and definitely made the taste that much better. The beef was so tender. It almost tasted like silk. I also liked the chicken, but it was too much like the canai chicken, which I preferred as a gravy/dip rather than an entree. I enjoyed this restaurant immensely and can not wait to try the one in the capital of cuisine, New York City.
(4)Andy C.
Penang serves up really tasty Malaysian cuisine at great prices in a cool funky atmosphere. The exposed brick and hut decor creates somewhat of an urban paradise where you're both inside and outside. As for the food, the Asam Laksa, Nasi Lemak, and Hainese chicken are my favorites - all very flavorful without being too strong. The laksa soup is rich without being thick, while the Hainese chicken is very tender and the lemak comes in a very generous serving size. The waiters are great too - when my friend's food got cold, they heated it up again upon request, and they were more than willing to help us split our check between card and cash.
(4)Ian M.
The curry laksa was spicy and flavorful. I liked the pepper and fish paste. The mee siam was ok, but a bit oily and nothing near authentic. The prices were low and the portions were generous. The wait staff was rather aggressive about clearing our plates, but managed not to be discourteous about it. It's a place I'd go back to.
(4)Nay M.
Three words. Beef. Chow. Fun. (You can find it under the noodles section of the menu) Also, the Pengang Poh Piah is a great appetizer (a bit spicy, but delicious)
(4)Dave Y.
We were walking around Chinatown hoping to try out some Chinese food, but ended up in this Malaysian restaurant. I must admit we we were a little apprehensive before we went in, but we were not disappointed at all. The menu is pretty extensive. Amongst the various items, the Mango Shrimp stood out. This is definitely worth coming back for. The decor and ambiance is pretty good too. We also ordered a special noodle dish and fried rice. Everything was great except that the wait staff was rushing us towards the end. They were visibly getting busy, but that doesn't mean that you whisk away your current patrons.
(4)Sivakanth M.
Indian and Malay/Thai fusion. Good fusion food idea right! So I ordered roti telur and mango chicken as suggested by fellow yelpers. Chicken was a bit smelly, The general meat or poultry smell, meaning meat was properly not marinated or not marinated long enough with appropriate spices. Finally gave my Amex card and was denied. So watch out, next I asked the waitress to staple my cc and itemized receipt. She called another waiter and both did not understand stapling. Finally showed with hands and he comes back and tells me that is clipping and not stapling in a very weird and sort of rude way. One and done! Will not go here on my future trips.
(2)Karen H.
Went here for the first time in 5 years, and it's hasn't changed a bit. This was a favorite of ours when we discovered it over 12 years ago and it still rocks. All our favorites were even still on the menu. The Malaysian spring rolls and the roti teleur are our must-haves, as well as the Buddhist yam pot (we've always gotten chicken, but now you can also get it with seafood). The tom yum koong is the best we've had - we ordered it to share with with our 12-year old daughter, thinking we'd have leftovers to enjoy later, but she scarfed most of it down, and there was NONE left! Service is also friendly & efficient. I highly recommend
(5)luke b.
One word: GOLDENCRISPYFRIEDSQUIDMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!! It's worth the four stars for that. Plus they have other yummy dishes like the Roti Canai. AND if you order pineapple fried rice, it comes IN A PINEAPPLE! Amaze.
(4)Rich Y.
Roti, and ABC dessert are my favorites from here. Its good place to eat with family and friends. Every dish has its own unique flavor, a little bit of Malaysian and Chinese fusion.
(4)Julia C.
penang, malaysia is second home to me, and one of the greatest pleasure of living there was the AMAZING malay, indian, thai, and nyonya food. that being said, this restaurant's malaysian food is authentic. it *just* might be better than some of the food that i've had in the real penang island! some of my recommendations: pearl noodles in gravy, hainan chicken rice, PRAWN MEE, char koay teow, chili prawns, beef chow fun, sizzing beef, pineapple rice and of course, roti canai (delicious pancake with chicken curry). if you like chicken curry, it's decent here as well. i don't remember everything that i've gotten here, but i come here frequently and i haven't had anything that i haven't liked. nom nom nom. two downfalls: first, i wish they had claypot chicken rice, though. how you can have a restaurant named "penang" and not have that dish is completely beyond my comprehension. boo. also, servers can be a tad bit rude, just rude enough to knock down a whole star. i've had servers empty half-finished dinner plate contents onto my eating plate without being asked, and taking away the dish without being asked to. also, getting the server's attention for a refill of water or tea is close to impossible.
(4)Sara G.
So I hadn't had the roti canai here prior to yesterday, when I got some to console myself after a bitter afternoon at the RMV. I mention that because it leaves me with no direct comparison, but the pancake served with my roti was thin, crispy, and everything I had hoped for. Delicious. I was only there for a snack, but I would return again.
(4)Zizzles A.
The curries I've had here are some of my favorite foods, ever. It's more pungent, and not as strangely goopy as chinese and japanese curries, my least favorite type, and lack the strange, from-a-cheap-packet aftertaste, not nearly as sweet or stuffed with seemingly random vegetables as thai curries are, but not as ghee-d up and rich as Indian curries. That's a recipe for perfect if you ask me, and one of the best ways to eat it is with their roti. It's not at all like indian roti, as it's more like a crepe or pancake than a bread, but it's crispy, chewy and tender all at once, super thin and tasty. My second favorite rendition is the curry beef brisket, and finally the dried curry chicken with bones and skin. I've never actually had that here, but I fully expect it to be similar to Aneka Rasa's version, which was amazing. They used to serve a curry chicken with two breasts, and while the curry was good as always, the meat was dry and flavorless. Curry definitely calls for dark meat, and while I've avoided their curry chicken since the last time I ordered it, I believe a bone in version is on their menu. If you're not in the mood for curry, then I don't know what to say, since every trip for me has included at least two iterations of curry in one form or another. Stay away from anything that's stir fried with mangos. The mangos get totally mushy, and are usually too sweet to accompany meats. I'm not a fan of pineapple + savory foods either, but at least the pineapples hold their integrity after being cooked. I've tasted the Pad Thai and the beef rendang, and both are good, but by no means special. You also don't have to be too afraid of ordering dishes that sound a little chinese. Hainan chicken for instance, is very similar to a Cantonese poached chicken, and the version here stacks up to the the BBQ places that do similar dishes. The chicken flavor is very pure, stronger than the Cantonese iterations of the dish certainly, which puts it a notch above regular sliced poached chicken in my book, and is just salty enough so that you don't absolutely need to dip it in any sauce.
(4)Courteney M.
I had my first experience at Penang a few weeks ago, and I don't think I've ever had worse service at a Boston restaurant. My two friends and I were seated around 11:20. We were the second party in the restaurant. The waiter took our order around 11:30. Then the waiting game began. With a small army of employees working (and not so many customers), one would think that the food would come out within what would be considered a normal wait, if not quickly. Not so much at Penang - one friend got his meal at 12:05 (we had to leave at 12:15), I had to get my meal to go, and my other friend couldn't wait any longer because we had to go so she didn't end up eating. For lunchtime in downtown (when people don't have the time for long leisurely lunches), one would think they would do business faster. We had a sneaking suspicion that our waiter forgot to put our order in, because several similar-sized parties who came in after we did were served their food before ours came out. Regardless, we only bothered him at noon to ask what was up with our order. We got the runaround from there. They didn't apologize for the delay, or to my friend who didn't get her order, or even offer any sort of acknowledgement that they had screwed up. It's a shame, because when I got back to my office, the food was actually really good. Just not worth the hassle of awful service. If I ever get the craving for Malaysian food and wanted to give a place that treated its customers so shabbily my business, I'd make sure to order takeout.
(1)Queen G.
This is the first restaurant I tried when I got into Boston, in the South Street Bus station. It was a friday night and the lines were LONG! It didn't take that long to get us seated, but there was absolutely no room to wait, especially since I had luggage. The service was okay. I ordered a seafood noodle dish and it was okay. I've had better Malaysian food in NYC. The food was kind of salty and a little too savory for my taste. It's a solid spot if you're in the mood for it, but get ready to feel full and heavy after a meal here.
(3)Trish L.
Two words - coconut rice. It makes everything better. The prices are higher than many places in chinatown but you are paying for excellent fresh quality food. Delivery is available through foodler but the minimum for delivery is $40 so not really practical unless you have a few people.
(4)Brandon C.
I am Malaysian so I pretty much know how Malaysian food should taste like, and Penang is not bad at all. They're Chinese dishes are pretty close but not they're Indian and Malay food. Either way it is still delicious. I recommend the beef rendang, crispy fried golden squid, and murtabak. Service however isn't great, so it gets 4 stars.
(4)Luke P.
The food is very good. If you've never tried Malaysian, I interpret it as an amalgamation of Thai, Chinese, and Indian. A lot of spice - including heat - and flavor. I've enjoyed everything ordered on the menu - the Roti Canai, Chow Kueh Teow, and Beef Rendang were all excellent. Service was very subpar though. I've never had a server who spoke English well, so trying to ask questions or communicate anything abstract is nearly impossible. They were also extremely rushed and seem to want to spend no time taking your order or giving you any feedback on the menu. The food and drinks do come quickly though and I've never had an order not be 100% accurate. I'd recommend the place for the interesting and tasty cuisine, but just expect really unfriendly, although prompt and timely, service
(3)Justin L.
Wow this place was awful. We have eaten at Nyonya in NYC and many other Malaysian restaurants for the last decade. I have eaten here before but I guess they got really bad after a while. The service here was terrible. We arrived at 2:30 for a late lunch. About 6 waiters and an empty place. I ordered a Nasi Lemak and my wife ordered Asam laksa and a roti. First came the Nasi but where was the Roti. We ask for water and then said where was the Roti. Confused look. Then Asam arrives with no fish flakes and the color of greyish brown/purple. We didnt bother eating it. Still asked for Roti. Then a new lady comes back asking twice what was wrong with it. Awkward and weird exchange. We order fried tofu. Ask again for Roti. It still doesn't come. It's flipping roti! Easiest and quickest appetizer! I got through halfway my Nasi which was not that special trying to eat slowly so my wife got something before I finished. I put money on the table for my Nasi and we walked out. I dont know who they cater to here but whoever does go never had authentic Malaysian food or will pay for terrible service. Go to Nyonya in NYC.
(1)Jack C.
I was in town for a conference and decided to venture out from Hynes to Chinatown on the first night for dinner. I got off the T at the Chinatown stop and proceeded down Washington Street towards the marquees in Chinese, no prior knowledge of where to go, no recommendations, no reservations, determined to stop at wherever grabbed my fancy. Penang called out to me from amongst the Pho and Banh Mi joints. "Hmm," I thought to myself, "Malaysian. I've never had Malaysian. What the heck?" Boy, was I happy with that decision. I had the curry brisket casserole; the speed at which it came to my table belied the hours it must have simmered to get so tender and flavorful. My only complaint is that while the tea was complimentary and quite good, the steamed rice that naturally would accompany a curry casserole was not included.
(3)Ian H.
I don't know what Malaysian food is supposed to taste like, so I can't speak for Authenticity, but yeah I like the food there. A lot of it seems similar to Thai food but with a different undertaste (shrimp paste maybe?). I don't remember all the different things I've had there, but the two standouts are their chicken or beef "dry curry", (which is actually really different from either Thai or Indian curries), and their Beef Chow Foon (which yeah it's something you can get at almost any restaurant in Chinatown, but for some reason Penang's is my favorite). Anyway the reason I'm only giving it 3 stars is because one time a cockroach crawled across my table while I was having dessert, and that freaked me the hell out. To their credit, the dessert was good enough that I still finished the dessert even after seeing the cockroach. I've gone back there a few times since then and the food's always been fine, but in general I don't like to go in there now. In conclusion, yeah. I really hope the "different undertaste" is shrimp paste.
(3)Tina K.
I really like this place, its like a fusion of Chinese/Malaysian/Thai cusine. For starters, I recommend the ROTI TELUR ( a traditional Indian pancake, filled with egg, onion. Served with curry chicken dipping sauce). If you like Indian food, this is what to eat.... and for entree I love the GREEN CURRY CHICKEN CLAY POT (sliced of chicken breast in green curry coconut broth with eggplant & string beans). If you like thai curry this is the dish to get. The sizes are pretty reasonable, I usually do a family style food-combo when going with a group of friends. The restaurant's decor is nice and unique, you kind of feel like you're in another world! :D I def. recommend this place. (also a cute date place~)
(5)Vicky L.
Penang is one of my favorite Malaysian Restaurants in Boston. Although it's a chain, I've noticed that each Penang is a little bit different. For example, the Penang in Boston has a more charming, authentic themed feel to it, while the one in Soho has a very trendy, almost asian fusion vibe to it. It's also more expensive to eat smaller portions of the same thing in New York City. My favorites are the Sambal Shrimp, the Kang Kung Belacan, the Roti Canai, the Malaysian Iced Tea, and the hainese chicken flavored rice. Penang is a great place to bring a group of friends. Good atmosphere, relatively inexpensive prices, and a full menu ranging from fish to beef to tofu, means something to accomodate even the pickiest of eaters.
(4)klam c.
Went there end of Sept. when I walked by earlier in the day and saw its signage, with its many Zagat ratings posted. Perhaps this set my expectations too high. No Malaysian restaurants in my town so I changed our dinner plans to eat here. Satay beef and chicken were alright. Peanut sauce was surprisingly good - the downfall of most places. Chow Kway Toew was well executed and not greasy but the portion was literally half of the size we expected. Glad it was in that order tho - rather have a little good food than lots of mediocre. Green curry was watery and lacked any depth. Very disappointing. Bonus points for having Chen doh on the menu! However, it was far from authentic with lots of ice and very little topping - beans, 'worms' - there was some buried underneath the ice but still, not a very good rendition. If you've had it in Malaysia, you'd give this a "fail" as my eating companion did. I was delighted they had deep fried bananas, served interestingly with strawberry jam - a great complement. And with six pieces to the order, it was very generous. The food was okay but if you're hanging out a shingle saying you're good Malaysian, I expect it to be GOOD. I guess this place is okay if you're just trying something new but if you've been to Malaysia or have friends who cook Malaysian at home and are therefore used to that flavor profile, you will be disappointed. Ratings: Guest 1 never had Malaysian before: Good Guest 2 spent years in Malaysia: Poor Guest 3 (me) visited Malaysia, has eaten a lot of homecooked: Okay Service was good and the decor was fine - easy to carry on a conversation. We wouldn't return. cheers, (=
(3)Valeria H.
Penang is one of my fav spots in Chinatown. We went there by suggestion of a friend. Have been a fan of Penang for a handful of years. For those who have never had Malaysian food it's a great place to go and try it. The atmosphere in the restaurant is fun, it's like an outdoor island with exposed shed roofs and doors with a semi exposed kitchen. They are always super busy (which means a lot of people agree!) The food, in my best explanation of Malaysian, is a mix of indian (the use of curry) and authentic mandarin (clean flavors, white rices, stews). Their drink menu is basic, wines, beers and Malaysian drinks. My fav dishes are the spicy spring rolls, indian pancake, veg. fried rice, mango chicken, salty squid, and satay. If you don't know how to use chopsticks, remember to ask the waitress/waiter for forks. The only reason I took a star off is the dessert menu. Malaysian desserts are soemthing I am not thrilled about..but my husband loves the peanut dessert (name escapes me).
(4)John P.
It's a great, fun atmosphere. I went to highschool in Singapore, and this reminds me of all the great food we used to have there. The servers are spread a bit thin so you may need to flag them down, but they're usually helpful in picking out dishes. Try the Roti Canai, the Murtabak, the Char Kueh Teow, and the India Mee Goreng.
(4)Lily T.
I've been eating at Penang for 4 years now and will continue to be a regular. Whenever my friends and I want something that is consistently good, we'll go to Penang. The usual favorites: Hainanese chicken with chicken flavored rice, crispy golden fried squid, kang kung belachan, and bak kuh teh soup. We had the roti canai many times it got boring after a while, but it's still a favorite. For dessert ABC is a no-brainer/brainfreezer, but we've tried most of the other items too - how about that fried ice cream? And the green tea ice cream at Penang is surprisingly unbeatable! As for drinks, try the watermelon drink - or you can always get Malaysian ice tea, purely awesome. If you wanna opt for something a bit different, try the ginger & scallion whole fish or duck. They're different and definitely delicious. Nothing beats a whole steamed fish simmering with a warm, subtle aroma of ginger. My friend and I finish one whole fish after a quick ten minutes - or maybe less... The only thing about Penang is it's way too popular... Going there during the weekend around 7pm pretty much means waiting at least 15 minutes for a table. Friends and I have recently tried to have an earlier dinner around 5:30 or 6pm when Penang was about 1/3 packed. If you could arrange an earlier dinner I would strongly suggest that so you don't need to wait too long. Plus, if you wanna head to a movie with the buddies, the Loews Theatre at the Boston Commons is only a short walk away, and the earlier you get to the theatre the more choices of movie you have. Wouldn't that work out amazing?
(5)J Z.
I'm Malaysian-Singaporean, a deathly combination, if I do say so myself. We are known to be the biggest foodies in the world... so Penang didn't really live up to my standards. I mean, this is probably as good as you can get when it comes to Malaysian-Chinese food.. but if it was a restaurant in Singapore/Malaysia, it would probably have shut its doors within a month. If you are Sporean/Msian, check out the mexican guy flipping pratas in the window. it's pretty hilarious heh. i've been here a number of times, so i recommend the chicken rice, wonton noodles, roti canai... i dont recommend the chendol... what's with the avalanche of gula melaka!?!?! (brown sugar syrup)
(3)Peach W.
I work just around the corner from Penang and this is a spot I frequent for take-out. I usually order Penang Pad Thai without squid, which is delicious, could be a little more moist or the House Special Fried Nasi Lemak, it did look boring but ended up being very tasty. The takeout helpings are large also. The inside is very cute, definitely would like to find the time to eat there. Okay so now I have had lunch there. Ginger chicken was delicious (I thought the ginger was water chestnuts so watch out!).
(4)Asia S.
Great and fast service. The Hainan chicken was super authentic. I love all the curry there. It provides many choices of Chinese, southern Asian cuisine. Super busy place.
(5)JS C.
The food was delicious, with lots of flavor. The price is reasonable for what your getting for. My Hubby and I tried the mango chicken not quite worth $15+ to our opinions, but it was OK. If your thinking of dinning in to Penang resturant you have to try the coconut shrimps (cant remember quite the name; but they will know) and the Malaysian spare ribs. Not to mention their fried ice cream; YUMMY!
(4)Justin Gwailo H.
Although service is kinda rushed, I've been to Penang since 2000 and they've been pretty consistent with their food. This is the only place in Boston area that serves authentic Malaysian food. The place is always crowded on weekends, so best to come here during weekday/weeknight. My faves are MURTABAK, CURRY WITH YOUNG TAU FOO, CHOW KUEH TEOW, MEE SIAM, PRAWN MEE, ASAM LAKSA, NASI LEMAK, HAINANESE CHICKEN WITH RICE, BEEF RENDANG, CRISPY GOLDEN FRIED SQUID, COCONUT JUMBO PRAWNS, KANG KUNG BELACAN & finish off with a bowl of ABC for dessert!
(5)Lisa D.
It's not a bad choice if you want to have something besides Chinese or Vietnamese food. It's good and quick food, but sometimes the service is a little too quick. You can get great service because ever waiter/waitress will help you so you can get outta there ASAP! The Roti Canai is the one thing you have to order from here. The mango curry is yummy, the pineapple fried rice comes in a hollowed pineapple, their noodles are decent though they kind of taste the same. And 'spicy' is NOT spicy. I return here only because it's convenient.
(3)Mike G.
the most god-awful, greasy pad thai ever. went here hungry for hainanese chicken which turned out bloody - hello salmonella! could not and should not eat.
(1)Tracy K.
I went here with a large group and so I got to try out a bunch of different dishes. None of them really floored me, though. The green curry, noodles, and fried rice were just okay. Service was faaast, almost too fast, like did you just pop this in the microwave? And when my friend wanted more sugar in his grass jelly drink, the waiter laughed and was clearly telling his co-workers about it. Wtf? I'm also not a big fan of their interior decor. I felt like I was either in a rice paddy museum, an Asian supermarket, or a construction site. I get that the unfinished wood is supposed to be cool, but I don't think they pulled it off well at all.
(3)Jimmy T.
If you want to change your life, get the Roti Canai (with chicken curry). This, and this alone, gives Penang 4 stars... the crowning jewel that shines above the mediocrity that is the rest of their menu. Maybe order 5 of these tasty appetizers and you'll have a full meal... seriously, why isn't there an entree version? Their pan-fried noodles are decent, but saturated with grease. I usually go for the Hianese Chicken... nowhere near as good as grandma's homemade, but it's edible. Do not go here before an interview or for a date unless both parties are ok with having heavy Penang breath. Do yourself a favor and bring along some mouthwash.
(4)Catherine A.
For anyone who's ever been to malaysia and eaten the local food from the food stalls, this place is as close as it's going to get in the States. Roti chana, hianese chicken, just begins to starts the list. Went here with 6 other people and we shared family style. All the dishes were delicious. For vegetarians, the taro bowl is delicious. Service is on par with what you get in a thai or chinese restaurant -- 3 stars for service. Downside--the wait. Reservations aren't taken and they won't seat you until your whole party is there. My only regret -- having walked pass this place many times (I live nearby) and taking so long to finally stop in and try it.
(5)Tom E.
For my first taste of Malay food in the USA, I was dragged here by our dessert-loving ambassador for sugar Miss Hana T. Our mission? To secure the world against two more uneaten helpings of ABC - the shaved ice extravaganza. Penang didn't fully impress on entry - we had to stand and wait for 15 mins whilst the legion of staff busied themselves around the nice bamboo interior. You definitely get the feeling that this could be a chain and would be equally at home at a Framingham strip mall as they are here. But whatever. Where we did come unstuck, was when we heard that they were too busy to allow us to eat just dessert and go. That we be too cheap of us. Begrudgingly, we did order some roti canai and it was very good but the insistence left a sour taste. The ABC was awesome though. A mountain of sweet bizarreness that fully satisfied only a couple of hours after we'd finish lunch at L'Espalier. Kudos to Penang for that.
(3)Ranjit V.
The service was slow, but once the food came out- delicious! My family and I got this red snapper thing. The presentation was excellent. Not sure if the HVAC was working so it was really hot inside, but that might have been the heat of the food as well.
(4)Christine J.
As good as it gets in Boston. Inside the place is pretty big and the decor is well-done. I've never had to wait for a table, even during busy dinner times. Their food spreads from Malayasian to Chinese to Thai, but their specialty is Malayasian. Definitely get the roti cani for an app - it's probably the best executed I've ever had. For an entree go with one of the Malayasian curry dishes - the Nasi Lemak is very good here. The place is a tad bit pricey and the service could use some improvement, but overall a good choice.
(4)Ligaya T.
Solid Malaysian food in a festive bamboo space. If this is your virgin experience let me break it down for you, just trust me on this one: Roti canai (pronounced cha-nai, as I was corrected) Penang Poh Piah Nasi lemak (if you'd prefer fried over steamed) Watercress Beef rendang Green seafood clay pot Mango chicken (if you're in the mood for mixing meat and sweet) Coconut drink ABC (this thing makes non-asian people wigg - shaved ice with corn, beans, grass jelly, palm seeds, tapioca, condensed milk and pink food coloring. in the words of weird al, just eat it.) That way you can be the non-Malay that impresses all your friends (pretty accommodating for groups) who knows what to order. Don't get freaked out if stuff looks strange or the ingredients seem incongruous, your taste buds will take you to gastronomical nirvana. I'll meet you there.
(4)Howe L.
Probably one of my favorite spots in Chinatown. The food brings the variety of Malaysian (mix of indian, chinese, thai) cuisine and the intrigue that makes one go "ooo, whats that?" as servers bring food to other tables. I also love the decor, which attempts to bring you back to a street hangout in a tropical paradise. Some dishes still remind me of typical, greasy cantonese meals, but overall, its a place above the rest in Chinatown.
(4)tracey l.
Excellent food here every time!
(5)Dianna B.
In reading other reviews, I started thinking about Penang and the half-dozen times I've been there. 1) Is it authentic Mayalsian food? I have no idea, but I think it's a fun restaurant and different from other places. 2) Is it overpriced? Not necessarily. I went with a party of 4. We had 2 apps, 4 entrees, some rice and 2 bottles of wine. With tax & tip, it was $40/person, which I felt was reasonable. 3) How is the service? Upon sitting down, 2 different waiters will ask you within minutes whether you're ready to order. Once the food comes out, you will never see them again. However, they do a good job of serving everyone at the table at the same time, so no one is left waiting for their meal to come out 4) What's good to eat? I'm a fan of the Roti with Curry and Bean Curd Satay for apps. I've had the chili crab (good, but messy), the mango chicken (too sweet, not for me), the mee siam (awesome) and the sizzling beef (very good). A nice cross section! This is a fun, loud place that adds some variety to going out and is a nice change of pace from other bistro options.
(4)Anna G.
We went there on a Friday night around 8 pm, and it was crowded but they were very accommodating. The service was fast and the food was good. I had the mee Siam and it was great! The portions were pretty big and the prices are really reasonable.
(4)T A.
Pretty good if you can't swing the $5k for ticket to Malaysia. It's definitely more Chinese-influenced Malay cuisine, but the roti canai (doughy bread with a side of chicken curry for dipping) is on target as is the beef rendang (a reduced curry with a coconut milk base). I do like their Indian mee goreng (seafood noodle dish with squid ink--don't let that put you off, it only adds a taste of saltiness), although the spiciness of this dish tends to vary everytime I order it. It keeps my bank account a bit acceptable rather than my having to fly to KL every month.
(5)Dave L.
I was psyched to have Malaysian food again, right here in Boston. Penang is unfortunately over-priced and worse quality than I have had in another places. If you really need Malaysian food and you are stuck in Boston, I suppose this is the place to go but if you are choosing between several food options, stay away from here.
(2)Amy O.
I was looking for a place that is a quick walk to the Opera House that I could bring my family to before a show in Downtown Boston so I peaked into Penang and decided to dine there for lunch. First off, I have to give credit to the unusual and original interior of the place; lots of bamboo/wood, a kind of a kitschy hut theme but by no means was the food cheesy. The selections were very varied with a large selection of appetizers, noodles, soups and great specials. My friend and I started off by sharing the yummy Roti Canai (Indian pancake) which is a crepe-like pancake with curry chicken dipping sauce. We then shared the Mango shrimp dish, which was a lovely blend of sweet & sour. The lychee and coconut juices were fantastic and we treated ourselves to some plum wine, which was also very satisfying. If you want to be brave they also have pig's intestines and frog entree's, but we stuck with what we liked/knew. If you go with a large party, I recommend sharing your dishes because they provide one of those lazy Susan's where you can rotate your plates around the table. My only complaint is that the specials are a tad over-priced, otherwise I'd give this place 5 stars.
(4)g-pap ..
as my life-compass threatens to guide me to places like burlington VT or lebanon NH, i realize not only how much i love cheap great eats, but also that there really aren't that many places that serve food that is TRULY unfamiliar to the honky palate. Panang is one of those places. helpfully, they label such foods "ask your server before ordering!" if you do, your server will try to dissuade you in broken english. ignore this plea, unless you have no intention of eating bizarre pickled stuff, or wierd sour flavors, or heavy umami flavor, or things that smell like ammonia. but let's start with the basics -- the menu is wide and welcomes all budgets -- 6$ meal-soups up to 25$ chef-special entrees. so, this can be a cheap wolf-down before trivia night at the tam, or a special something. the roti appetizer is great -- a savory nan-type bread. the satay is ok but unremarkable. the fried intestines appetizer is fantastic -- but unusual. very soft, pliant tripe with a whiff of ammonia (again, you will have to convince your server that you want it) but deep-fried in a firm coating. splendid. my GF, a yelper, hates it. tom yum is the staple meal-soup, kind of my malasian pho. it is mild flavor with strong pineapple, a savory broth and many fruits of the sea. there is a noodle version and a no-noodle-more-fish version that costs a little more. highly recommmended. prawn mee is another staple, with a more sour and umami flavor and burnt onion. it kinda smells like fish food but dont' let that disssuade you. there is some tough pork, which doesn't really go with the prawns that well, but...still a nice flavor. rarely have we tried the big ticket items, because we are po', but the fried fish is always excellent. other items like stir-fry and clay-pot stuff and mango chicken are good but isn't distinct from run-of-the-mill thai food. there are a couple stir-fry things that are good--salty fish/salty cantelope-type things, that i forget the names of (bitter melon?), if you want adventerous. they are....different, and usually good. worth the try of course. once i ordered a durian shake, which is something asian natives develop a taste for and long for when away from home. like the brits and their marmite. again, i was told not to order it. i did, and it tasted like feet. but if you are into these things, it's apparently pretty good. we tried the ABC dessert yesterday, and i am unqualified to say much because i think dessert is a waste of precious meat-space. also, i hate coconut. so, at least it was tolerable, and the GF liked it a whole lot.
(5)Lydia C.
Penang has great ambiance and decor. The prices are reasonable and the service was average. We ordered the Mango chicken (YUM!!!!!!!!!) and the fried Malaysian noodles (Its like the thai dish "pat see yuu") and that dish was...fair...The ingredients were good however it seemed to be lacking the right balance. Our dessert the ABC was good and had all the right things in it (only complaint is the ice could have been shaven a tiny bit finer) Our Roti Canai was YUMMM, it's a thin Indian style chewy bread dipped into curry sauce with two chunks of Potato and chicken All in all the trick to Penang is you have to know what you like and order what you know is good (and there are many Interesting and yummy looking plates there!) I also would recommend the Chendal (although my only knock is its only served on certain days! =( ) Chendal is a dessert with tapioca pearls in warm coconut milk with taro or sweet potato chunks MmMmMMm
(4)Sara L.
YAY! I used to come to this place in college, and was recently back in the area. Roti's great, but the beef rendeng is what I always get. YUM YUM YUM! I love beef rendeng, and this one has good memories as it was the first one I ever had!
(4)King L.
One of my favorite restaurants in Boston's Chinatown. Fantastic food. Every time I go there I've never been disappointed.
(4)Anne W.
I thought I'd give this place a shot.. looks so hip everytime I pass it and it's down the street from Centerfolds. And I've never tried Malaysian... and as an Asian, I give all Asian places a fair shot. This place is not horrible.. but it's definitely not good. Prices are reasonable. And the food... hmmmm.. it was more like bad Thai food. I got the green curry with seafood. It was not green at all.. more milky white. Is that supposed to be that way? The service is kind of spotty. I asked what was better on the menu, they wouldn't tell me. They were not quick to ask me how the food was or if I needed more water. They were very quick in dropping the check and checking it time and time again to see if money or a credit card was in there. I would skip this place. Not really Chinese.. not really Malaysian.. not really good.
(1)Elmer T.
Oh how I miss this place. Love the mango chicken and the fried rice. My wife and I use to go here when she use go to Tufts. Pretty good place to hang out. Service is okay. Definitely a place I would stop by if we ever are in town.
(4)Brandon O.
Being Malaysian and eating Malaysian food as much as possible both here in the states (mom's cooking) and back in Malaysia (family, hawker stands), I was hoping to add some authenticity info in this review. Bak Kut Teh - This is one of the few places that I've seen this in. Nowhere near as good as a good Subang BKT but it's not bad. A little light on the herb flavor and heavy on the sauce flavor. The meat is tougher than it should be. Bak Kut Teh literally means Meat Bone Tea and the meat should be falling off the bone. Prawn Mee - I thought this was the most authentic dish we had. Good amount of soup and prawns. The soup was very good and the noodles well done. Recommended. Char Kuey Teow - My benchmark dish for Malaysian places. This was also pretty good. No clams :( but they did have a big piece of octopus which was a nice touch. $7 and pretty big. Love the decor and service was fast. If you've never had malaysia food, I do recommend getting the Bak Kut Teh and Char Kuey Teow.
(4)Daniel R.
Crispy vegetables, seafood that was cooked correctly (not rubbery or chewy), tasy sauce, just a win over & over. Very nice decor inside & even though it was super busy on a Friday night, still got a table in less than 3 minutes wait. Complimentary tea is always a nice touch too! Very impressed, noodles cooked perfect & a nice portion (not huge, fat American portions, but not small & skimping you portions either.) Makes a great alternative for when I'm pho'd out from Pho Pasteur across the street.
(5)Sadaf H.
Sadly, this place is hit or miss. On some visits we've had fantastic food, and on others not so much. We do keep going back though, since there's not many other options for Malaysian food in Boston. A group of 6 of us all got sick from eating here last Summer. I took a 6 month hiatus from Penang, but gave it yet another chance earlier this year. Overall, it's not terrible. I have had many more good experiences here than bad, but the bad one can't be overlooked.
(3)jazzy l.
When I was young, I would love the Fish head/tofu vermicelli noodle soup for this place. I come to expect to eat it but the waiter tells me that there is no shipment of fishhead until 2-3 days b/c of the snow. If you want to eat this dish, call ahead of time. The Sambal shrimp was okay. Too sweet. The Hainan chicken was okay. The pad thai was better than Kharo Sarn in Brookline.
(3)Michael B.
Wait time of the waitress took longer than expected when we were seating, dont know why since people left and we were of a good few. but besides that the food was amazing. I always get the chicken rice and fried calamari or half chicken. staple when i go. i decided to try something different and i am glad i did. I was in the mood for noodles and saw the listing for seafood chowfun etc. WHen isaw the Seafood gravy in Crispy Noodle. it sounded so tempting that i got it and i am glad i did! the noodle texture was what i had expected and the sauce was great! the price was good too, it was a big bowl for only under $10! can't beat that at all!
(4)Sheila S.
This place gets four stars for being my local source for Hiananese Chicken. The service is good too - they ask you if you've had this dish before and warn you that the chicken is only cook part way. It's served with very tasty chicken rice and an awesome sauce. The Roti Canai is good too - seems like everyone wants to order it as an appetizer. All-in-all, a nice non-Vietnamese and non-Chinese compliment in Chinatown.
(4)Melissa L.
I don't have a problem with Penang as far as food goes. Love their Nasi Lemak, Roti Canai, even their Beef Chow Fun. I always get the coconut drink with huge chunks of coconut in it, and their desserts are stellar. But two nights ago, I got really annoyed with them. My friends, Kit and Kristen, and I had a hankering for some delicious desserts after we'd gone for some hearty hot pot at Kaze, so we headed on over to Penang, hoping to get some of their delicious ABC (shaved ice drizzled with red beans and yumminess) and peanut pancake. We asked the waitress if we could have just some dessert and she said that was fine as long as it was $8 a head. We just came from dinner, so there's no way we were going to order $24 worth of food there if we just wanted a simple dessert! And I could understand if we were taking up space from patrons who would have eaten more and spent more money at their establishment, but the place was not packed at all! We said "Do we have to?" And the lady, who just seemed not nice in general, said that it was restaurant policy to have a minimum of $8 per person. Kristin said she'd never heard of this before. The waitress did not budge and pointed to the menu that said $8 minimum. So we left, annoyed. That was stupid of them because instead of making like $10-$15 dollars and 3 satisfied customers, they've made $0 dollars and 3 annoyed customers.
(2)David M.
My sister ordered the Indian noodle dish for dinner last week. There was absolutely nothing Indian about it The sauce looked, smelled and tasted like ketchup. And the waitresses are confusing or confused. I don't know which. Dialouge ----------- Me: Can we get individual bills? Waitress: Yes. Me: Cool, can we each get our own bills then? (We had a party of 4) Waitress: Only two of you. Me: Why can only two people get seperate bills? Can we pay with different credit cards? Waitress: You have to order at least 12 dollars to use your card. Me: So if we get 36 dollars worth of food, we can get three seperate bills.. Waitress: Yes. Me: So we can get 3 individual bills... Waitress: No. What? All in all, nasty and overpriced.
(1)Mrs. M.
The food was pretty good, maybe a solid 3 or so. The service is terrible and deserves about a 2* rating. Don't come anywhere near this place between 12-2 during the week, it is a mad house. They seat people they know first so even if you have been waiting their friends will get seated before you. The wait staff don't know how to wait on tables. They are madly rushing around, clearly stressed out and not at all friendly. They don't follow normal protocol with taking orders, like step 1 "Would you like a drink?" then step 2 "what would you like to eat?" You have to flag your waitress down for water and then she is clearly not thrilled like it's beneath her and how dare you want a beverage. I don't think I'd go back to eat there on the basic principal of manners. Manners go a long way and will also get you more then a measly $5 tip we left you.
(2)Julie Z.
Penang steals the cake for favorite malaysian restaurant. this was my first time trying it! I liked everything especially the NOODLE SOUP. AMAZING NESS. I never tasted something so good and yummy. It was a bit sour but at same time salty. I loved it. It had 2 different types of noodles and spicyness. We also got the roti. I enjoyed it but it was just typical. nothing special. We ordered the iced tea malaysian style but It came out too milky. We asked the waitress to return it and at first she was hesitant but later on came back to ask us if we wanted to change. I opted for iced coffee and it turned out better! The servvice was okay, i think its typical but theywere nice to change drinks for us. the decor was very nice. woody look to it. i'd comeback if i lived in boston area. =P
(4)Andrew K.
This was the fanciest Penang I've been to. The restaurant is very well decorated and it was packed during lunch. The service was kind of slow probably because they were slammed but I didn't mind that much because the food was amazing. We go the Roti Canai as the appetizer because everyone seems to love it but I thought it was just ok. The Haianese chicken half size was amazing. The duck noodle soup was also very good with the broth being very thick. The food was excellent and I would definitely come back.
(4)Ishpal B.
HOME STYLE AUTHENTIC The first time i went to this restaurant i was impressed. Now my mother being from Singapore, I judge the Malaysian cuisine with a little bit of a harsher tongue, but I was pleasantly surprised when i came to Penang. The food was deliciousand had a very motherland taste. Also the classics can easily be found, such as Mango chicken, Sizzling beef...though i would recommend the Penang sizzling beef (it's spicier) and things such as the Malaysian Ice tea, Roti Cani, Satay stickpins Lemak, Mee goreng, and Fried Banana can all be found. The coconut rice is delicious, but the prices are a little high for the atmosphere. Well it's not your typical hole in the wall, with it's bamboo decorations but no five star white table cloth either. Average entree price $12
(4)K M.
I've eaten here many times, and never really had the greatest service. But then again, it's in Chinatown-- so it's typical. The food was also a-okay-- I've had better. My boyfriend and I went there for a late dinner one night. We got there about 10:30PM and we asked what time they closed-- which was 11:30PM, oh great-- we made it! We noticed, they were already starting to clean (sweeping and chairs up)... but we didn't think much, since we were in there before the kitchen close and the time the restaurant close. I've been to restaurants like 99, when we got there late but the service is still great! We ordered two beers and two appetizers to start. That went smoothly and came out fast. Then we ordered our entree(s) which also came out fast. Less than 5 minutes into our meal, a waiter comes by with the check and rudely ask "can you pay for your bill, we want to close up?" How about asking "how's the food, can I get you anything else before the kitchen close?" UNREAL! I was furious already though I know we got there at a late time, but still you still have to serve your customers until they leave! Our waitress was gone soon after she took our check and made sure we put a tip in there! Yea $50, here's your $5! Ugh I hate bad service! Oh and when we walked out-- we walked out with everyone from the kitchen. I would rate it 1 star, but 2 star for better food than Bubor Cha Cha!
(2)Matthew W.
Went here with the GF about a month ago while wandering through Chinatown. Our rule of thumb for Chinatown is "eat where the locals eat," but while a quick peek through the window appeared to qualify Penang, stepping into the establishment revealed a clientele clearly not from the surrounding area -- not to mention decor that appeared to be trying too hard. Oh well, might as well sit down and give it a shot. And sit we did -- so long that we almost got up and left before the server came by to take our order. Not exactly off to a good start here. In general the service bordered on inattentive but managed to get the job done. GF ordered the penang lobak ($8.50), a combination appetizer plate consisting of fried spiced pork roll, fried tofu and fried shrimp pancake, plus a side of coconut rice ($1.25). I opted for the pad thai ($8.95). We also split satay chicken skewers ($6.95). Pad thai was good -- not on the level of Allston's Brown Sugar (hands down the best pad thai I've ever had), but still tasty. In general, most of the meal was of similar quality. The exception was the coconut rice, which was outstanding. More savory than sweet. I'm not a big fan of coconut in anything, yet found myself stealing spoonfuls of GF's rice at every opportunity. That being said, the distinct feeling of being ignored by the wait staff prevents Penang from being rated any higher.
(3)Wei L.
This place never disappointed me! came to this restaurant several times since it is so close to my school and where i live. food is amazing, I ordered all different kinds every time i am there. Always very satisfied. The service is pretty decent.
(5)Roy T.
I am afraid I am ignorant of Malaysian food, but Penang waas a good introduction in my opinion. Several co-workers decided to go pick up takeout for lunch for us all. Everyone ordered the same dish on recommendation from the most experienced I did too. Mee Siam, I had read the description and it sounded like it would either be wonderful or WAY too spicy for me. It was perfect. The Chili Sauce had LOADS of flavor and the heat level was great. The noodles were well cooked, not soggy, the shrimp well cleaned and the portion was appropriate for a lunch serving (as well as being fairly cheap). We also got a side dish that I believe was the Roti mentioned in other reviews. That was delicious. Some of the best Asian food I've had in ages, definitely will be exploring it more again on my own.
(4)John Daniel G.
I go here semi-regularly and I always enjoy it. They have a diverse menu with lots of fish, chicken, and vegetable dishes, both spicy and non spicy. I don't normally like spicy meals, which I think outnumber the non-spicy meals, but there are enough alternatives. A lot of their dishes I have never heard of, which is great if you are not looking for cliched Asian cuisine. And the menu is huge. I never had to wait for meals that long and the prices were fair. The only thing I would suggest is going during lunch or on a weekday for dinner, because there is usually a huge line.
(5)Nate Y.
This is like deja vu, but I experienced the same as Vonda B. and have pretty much the same thoughts. My experience just from yesterday was that the food was still good; the mango chicken was still excellent and the roti with curry was wonderful, but the service not so. When they brought over the main dish it appeared that they had both of our dishes (i.e. noodle clay hot pot and mango chicken) but the server put down only one and the left with the other. I'm pretty sure it was ours since I watch the server go back to the kitchen with the dish. The other faux pas was when they cleared off our table the server wasn't holding the dishes very steady and gravy spilled into one of our water glasses, ah, no I didn't ask for gravy with the water. Fortunately we were done eating. On a positive note I did forget my credit card and they did come running after me to hand it back to me. I won't say I would never go back, but I would probably try to go when I thought they were less busy and can be more attentive to what they were doing.
(3)Jimmy T.
YEE SANG ( Raw Fish Salad ) promotion from 01/28/2011 until 02/17/2011. Colorful salad w/ sliced raw fish ( Salmon ) and crunchy shredded vegetables served throughout Chinese lunar new year celebration .
(5)Jang David K.
I'm not a big fan of Penang though all my friends love this place. It's ok. Some dishes are def. 5 star quality but some dishes just dry, plain, blend and flavorless... You gotta try their roti canai, probably my fav. dish here. Absolutely fell in love when i had it for the first time 5-6 years ago. When it just comes out of the kitchen all steamy and hot, i feel like the happiest man alive. I think their noodles and fried rice dishes are pretty much average (pad thai and all....it's just dry and flavorless) and 3.5 star is a fair rating of this joint. But i'll be honest. When I see Malaysians ordering all these crazy dishes that only natives know about, I wonder how different my reviews would be. Think about that. I come here like a Korean-American noob that knows nothing about Malasian food, I'm just gonna order my typical mango fried rice, roti canai and few chicken/beef dishes....but I know that's not what Malaysians order when they get here....i wish i knew what they were ordering and how good those dishes are. So Penang is one of those places where my rating could go up as I try more dishes (mostly, my update review ratings go down for most restaurants). Actually for all my reviews on restaurants that are from different culture than American or Korean, I'm seriously gonna be fairer in my reviews, knowing that I'm very limited in my selection of dishes. It's like when a American comes and orders bulgogi at a Korean restaurant....you see, we Koreans never order bulgogi...but somehow, the most popular Korean beef is bulgogi and they review accordingly...ahhh...they are missin out on kalbis, ahnchangsals and sachisals....you get my point. Penang, I will give you guys more chances. Don't be disappointed with my 3 star review just yet.
(3)Branson L.
You know something changed in the last year or so... It's still ok but just not as good as it used to be... Is there one Malaysian person that works in this whole place? Regardless, I always get the Nasi Lemik... just hasnt been as good the last couple of times... different plating, and different flavor... and no included fresh peppers... its being more gentrified or something. The indian pancake is a good stand by... I still like their thom yum soup, but again, it used to be somehow better... oh well, still one of my top choices in Boston's Chinatown.
(3)Alice I.
THERE WAS A COCKROACH IN MY PAD THAI TAKEOUT :( !!!!!!!!! I didn't see until I got home.... had to throw the whole box out sucks :( I also ordered the pineapple fried rice, which was decent, nothing special, and kind of small .... I've had okay experience eating there in person many times, but this is unfair to take advantage of takeout people who won't know until they get home!! Don't take out!!!
(1)Wesley C.
From Vermont and we have nothing like this. The food was really good and enjoyed the yam pot, the roti Cani was phenomenal, wan ton soup is a great deal will be back :)
(4)Harsh V.
Best Roti Canai in New England!
(4)Dean M.
Was in Boston for work, stayed near Chinatown. Walked by Penang, so checked it out our second night there. Yea, the decor is a bit kitschy, but who cares. Service was fine, Tiger beer was cold, and the menu had a good selection of items. We had three dishes. First we had Murtabak as an appetizer. They describe it as a Malay pancake of beef, onions,and egg. This was quite good, not too filling as an appetizer should be. We had a spicy shrimp dish called Udan Santan. This was a bit disapointing as the shrimp were very large and chewy. Not a ton of flavor. Would not order this again. Lastly we ordered a steamed fish home style. It's served as a whole fish, on a platter with heat underneath, in a nice broth of ginger and garlic. This absolutely rocked. One of the best steamed fish I've had in a long time. Spices were just right, fish was very tender. A nice touch is they remove most of the bones (but not all!) without destroying the visual appeal of the whole fish. I'd definitely order this again. Final thought: I'd visit Penang again when in Boston. Would like to give some of the other dishes a try.
(4)Tyler C.
i tend to have fonder memories of this place because of my family's experience w/ their livingston, nj ( yeah, of all places...but that is a mini chinatown there, almost so....), Flushing, Queens locations. And it seems like one of the few decent Asian places in Princeton NJ so that location served as dinner for my sister's graduation. but yeah, generally tasty stuff. See J.C's review for the skinny on what to order. When I'm working overnight nearby, I often get the Hainanese Chicken; there's a number of decent sauteed vegetable dishes there too. This place is a tad more expensive than the NJ/NYC locations but ok.
(4)Tara K.
Big menu, busy place, some dishes look more exciting than others. Tasty for the price point.
(3)John M.
My wife and I eat here whenever we go to the theater and have never been disappointed. The food is excellent and there's a huge and varied menu to choose from so you'll never get bored. It's also very reasonably priced - dinner for two, with soup, appetizer and dessert typically runs about $50-60. Also, the faux bamboo decor is nice and the restrooms are always impecabbly clean, a rarity in the Chinatown/Downtown Crossing area.
(5)Jacky K C.
favorite place to eat in boston; get the prawn mee, has a special, hard to make, shimp stock. go ahead, look around, no restaurants offer this kind of made from scratch stock. other foods are great too, roti, curry, indian mee goreng to name a few.
(4)Audrey H.
Omg the pickled vegetable appetizer (called "achat" or something like that, the last on the list of appetizers) is amazing. It comes with tasty peanut crumbles all over the pickled vegetables. I'm into fermented food (healthy!) so I keep begging people to go back with me so I can have it again. The language barrier was an issue with me because I can't eat gluten. I asked whether a few things had gluten, and they were like - yeah, we put soy sauce (which contains gluten) in everything - why don't you have this hot pot? So I got a plate of completely unseasoned vegetables and seafood for $15. Not really happy about this. I wish we could have figured out some sort of sauce that didn't contain soy sauce.
(3)Maria P.
I went here with a friend and we had the roti appetizer. It was pretty good. I also had the beef chow fun as a main course, it was awesome and the beef was cooked just right. My friend and I shared some fried ice cream for dessert which was good too, but the sauce on it was a little odd-tasting. Overall, it was a good experience!
(4)Katie H.
I can honestly say that never in my life have I ever said "Hey, I could really go for some Malaysian food", but yet, there I ended up at Penang. And now I know why I had never said that, there's barely anything on the menu I would eat. I've been trying to be a little more open-minded, and adventurous when I go out to dinner, but it just wasn't happening here. Every dish I'd have any sort of interest in would end up being one of the ones marked hot and spicy. My mouth doesn't do hot and spicy. At least not without tears. Or a dish would look really great, but then I'd noticed it involves fish heads or chicken feet. No thanks! I ended up going with the Fried Pearl Noodles in a special sauce with shrimp, pork, egg, scallion & bean sprouts. And it actually was pretty good. My two dinner dates were not as pleased with their dishes and barely touched them. Service was pretty horrid. Our waiter never returned after taking our order, so if you wanted another drink you were SOL. Also, our appetizer arrived 5 minutes after our dinner. We weren't given our check until one of my friends visibly started rustling money around on the table top. All in all, worth a try...probably wouldn't return.
(2)Jungmin L.
There's hardly any difference with Bubor Cha cha. But Penang is more crowded and the air circulation seems to be worse (ie. clothes will smell like kitchen), so maybe the previous has an advantage. All the standard fares - Roti canai, Beef rendang, Nasi Lemak etc...are reliable.
(3)J. H.
Dining at Penang is like a hectic yet fun exotic dining adventure. The decor here strongly features bamboo and other tropical elements. The service seems like they are highly caffienated as they are all zipping all around the restaurant. I love Malaysian food, some of my favorites are the Roti Canai (Indian pancake with chicken curry dipping sauce), Roti Telur (indian pancake filled with egg and onion with dipping sauce), Poh Piah (steamed spring roll with shrimp and jicama), Beef Rendang, and Chow Kueh Teow (spicy rice noodles with seafood eggs). Penang is great for groups since they have several large round tables.
(4)Jack W.
This place was just awesome. Satay, spring rolls, and Mee Siam were delicious. On my trip to Boston a few days ago I ate Italian, Persian, and the obligatory trip to Legal Seafood. Penang was my favorite of all. I will make a point to go there every time I'm in Boston.
(5)Laureen B.
I do not know what the fuss was about this place. The decor is nice I guess, actually kinda looked like a seafood restaurant but whatever. The food wasn't too good, and if you are a Vegetarian there are LITERALLY like one or two things you can order, i got veggie rice! The hostess and waiter were rude and it just wasn't anything special....
(2)Jasmine E.
I totally forgot to write a review about my visit here. Now I can't even remember what dish I ordered *whimpering* OK whatever it was I ordered I remembered I was very happy with it. Tasted great, cooked perfectly. I have been to different penangs in 3 different cities (Atl, Dallas, NY,) and the food is always great. For those who are dessert eaters, try cendol. Its shaved ice and they'll put these green things which i think is tapioca and rice mixed together and sometimes they'll put beans in it and other ingredients and then top it off with coconut milk. :-) wow just thinking about it got me hungry.
(4)Grace G.
this was my second time here with a group of 14 ppl. always have bunch of food to try. the coconut rice not that good this time.
(4)Michelle P.
After a long day of work this was an interesting place to go out to dinner. I'm very adventurous when it comes to food and this was the first time I had Malaysian Food. Very yummy. The atmosphere was great it was a little quiet. I definitely would not risk bringing a kid here unless the child is brought up on this kind of cuisine. It was funny to see things like cuttlefish listed, or fried pork intestines, with the caption ask server before ordering. It was great. Though we know what Pork intestine is. Its pretty much sausage casings. Except these were the full intestine, yes we ordered some. Like I said have to be adventurous. Though you must eat these as soon as they come out of the fryer or else the texture is really chewy worse than cold calamari and the taste is enhanced 10 fold and BLAGH! We also ordered seafood fried rice, spareribs, I got an order of duck that was really interesting I loved the sauce. The server was very attentive, and the fresh fish display when we walked in the place was awesome. You really need to be adventurous when it comes to food to eat at this place. I want to go back and try the other ask your server dishes before too long.
(5)Scott W.
A great space and delicious food to match. After ordering, I suffered a bit of buyers remorse. But once the food came, I knew we made the right choice. I had the mango chicken with extra vegetables and my partner had the Ginger chicken. Both well worth it. Very delicious!
(4)Brian B.
Penang has excellent food. The flavors seem to be much stronger and diverse then your typical asian restaurant. I highly recommend the Penang Spicy Beef Sizzler. The only negative was that the service was one of the slowest I had in Boston. I definitely recommend trying this place out.
(4)Nora P.
Two trips here this week. The roti canai was fantastic and we took Tony S.'s recommendation and tried the beef rendang too, spicy but good. I was a bit leery after seeing all the mixed reviews of the place, but we had a good meal and so much beef rendang that we took some home for leftovers. If I'm in the neighborhood, I'll be back. By the way, the place was packed during our second trip- always a good sign.
(4)Ian G.
I am Chinese-Malaysian, so I preface this by saying that I compare Malaysian food to my mothers and to Malaysia and Singapore. Anything else is going to pale in comparison. And unfortunately, this place does. In fact, my parents came to visit, noticed this place on their tour of the city, and walked in for lunch. By the end of the meal, my mother was so upset with the poor quality and lack of authenticity that she demanded the manager and then berated him for calling his food Malaysian. Poor guy.... you really don't want to be on the receiving end of my mother's tirades... What can I say? My family loves to eat. From my standpoint, there are some highlights: the roti canai is really quite good. Passable for the real deal and i loooooooove roti canai. green beans and shrimp is good and the "convolvulus" with belacan is good too. One of those hot/sweet/sour deals with the prawns is good but VERY overpriced. Now the downside. Laksa noodles is NOT really laksa and they quite frankly sucked ass. The char Kway teow is strictly mediocre. (These are two malaysian standards that shouldn't be screwed up in any malaysian restaurant). In fact nothing else seems all that authentic or memorable. Overall, I haven't found anything better that approaches malaysian food in Boston. My experience with Anikasara in brighton wasn't positive at all. I have yet to try Tiger Lily. Hopefully will have better luck there. Until then, I might come back to this place but will be very very cautious with the menu.
(3)Tien D.
The food used to be a lot better but the quality and taste has definitely decreased the past few years. I used to come here maybe once a week sometimes twice but the food has changed. The only thing that keeps me coming back is roti canai.
(3)Elaine S.
So Sorry to See the Decline - My favorite restaurant in Chinatown is no more. Apparently Penang has a new chef. All the old, great flavors are now gone and replaced with flavorless, poorly cooked dishes. We ordered our favorites- Mee Siam, Buddah Yam Pot, and Salted and Spiced Squid. The Mee Siam had a tomato sauce base which was incongruous with the dish as previously prepared. There was only a hint of the fried tofu that the dish normally has. The taro in the Yam Pot was not sufficiently cooked although the vegetables were good and crisp. And finally the salted and spiced squid - barely any flavor, not sufficiently cooked and no spice to speak of. All in all a terrible disappointment. One other note, at high lunch time the restaurant had many empty tables which is quite unusual. Perhaps others have discovered the deterioration in quality and have looked elsewhere.
(2)Shang S.
1) Get roti canai! Warm, stretchy, crispy goodness. Save the curry to complement your... 2) *Large* bowl of coconut rice. Okay, we, a party of 4, ordered 3 entrees (bhuddist yam pot, penang sizzling plate of beef, and the char see liu (sp?)), but it was the huge, densely packed $5.75 bowl of rice that did us in.
(4)H C.
I have been coming here during and since my college days (a period over 10 years!). Since I moved away, I still visit whenever I can. Sadly, I haven't found a decent replacement yet! I have also visited the Cambridge location but I prefer the original more. Better ambience. I noticed that a lot of yelpers don't seem to know what to order on the menu. May I suggest a few... Definitely the ROTI CANAI (which seems to be the house favorite app), SINGAPORE RICE NOODLES, and BUDDHIST YAM POT with chicken. The last is my absolute favorite - a house speciality that I haven't found anywhere else - believe me, I've tried. You can also order the yam pot with beef or just vegetables. I *always* order these three items. Don't miss out! You may also want to try the coconut rice (a little sweet and very fragrant) or the chicken flavored rice, as opposed to the standard steamed white rice. Finally, some of the prices have gone up from the menu available online. Still a great bargain - 3 people can definitely feed on the 3 dishes I recommended above for under $30 (pre-tip). p.s. I avoid the lines by going early (before 6 p.m.) or non-rush hours on the weekends - after 2 p.m.
(5)Li S.
I have thanks my friend for bringing me to penang. it was really good. I like the fish head soup. and the char kway teow.
(4)Julie C.
this place is soo soo soo yummy! whenever i come here , i want to try something new, something adventurous, something where you have to ask the server for advice (haha) this time around, this is what bf and i got started off with the PENANG POH PIAH- Steamed Malaysian spring roll stuffed with jicama and shrimp. these were spicy with siracha sauce on top! watch out! next- bf alwasy get the PRAWN MEE-Rice & egg noodles, sliced pork, shrimp, vegetable, bean sprouts in a spicy shrimp broth. the broth is soo tasty! and for some rean, his meals always comes before mine! hmph! but i just take sips of his broth while i wait and nibble off his bowl, its soo damn good. i get jealous whenever he orders it even tho i kow i can order my own :-) i got the SPARERIBS MALAYSIAN STYLE-Mrinated spareribs lightly fry with sauce on the side. so hot darn frikking good! it doesnt come with rice, so you need to order it as a side. i prefer white, but they do have chicken flavored rice and coconut flavored rice which sounds pretty tasty. a really satisfying meal. bf notes that this place must be good since it was full of Asians..hahha. service can be a little unattentive but they do try their best when they notice. this is a great place to stop before the theater or movies.
(5)James L.
I love their roti canai because it tastes authentically Indian. Many Indians migrated to Malaysia/Singapore, and they influenced the cuisine there. However, yesterday, I got one of the sea food dishes with shrimp paste, and I was not pleased. It had sugar in it! GROSS! I'm sick and tired of these ethnic restaurants adding sugar to everything. I would have rated it one star had it not been their amazingly good roti canai.
(3)Jh M.
too expensive im from bay area, ca and malaysian food does not and should not go past ~$10 a dish we ordered string beans + chicken (string beans undercooked), seafood casserole (wait, where's the seafood? theres just a bunch of ginger and green onions), and roti canai (is this canned meat sauce that i'm dipping into?) only reason im not giving it 1 star is because this place is probably da bomb in boston
(2)Sue W.
Why oh why do I keep coming back to this place? I have yet to actually find a dish that I absolutely love. My safety dishes have been the Indian pancake app, chicken flavored rice and hot tea but come on now... an appetizer and a side of rice can't be the best dishes at any restaurant. The soup is always too sour, the chicken dishes are flavorless and the portions are pretty small especially if you are doing family style. Sure the decor is nice and there is a good variety of food selection but there are other places with way better and more affordable food around the area. It's pretty obvious that there are plenty of Penang fans out there with the long lines out the door on the weekends so if you must dine here, expect a wait (no reservations either). I've said that I'll never go back on MANY occasions but don't worry Penang, I'm a sucker for punishment. Grrrr...
(1)Rajiv R.
Penang, in Chinatown is one of my favorite dinner haunts. It is reasonably spacious(if not too crowded) and the food is exceptional,but reasonably priced. Add a bottle of Sake and life is good. The food is Malasian with vibes of Indian, Chinese, Thai, Korean and Japanese flavors. My favorites include two appetizers, both featuring Roti(Roti Telur , Roti Kanai) and . The chicken curry dipping sauce is absolutely delicious. I usually order the Penang dried Chicken curry, which is probably their best entree. Other noteworthy dishes are the Sizzling Seafood platter(which has a milder flavor) and and Masak Lemak with Shrimp. Be sure you order the chicken and coconut flavored rice. The grand finale of of the dinner was the fried ice cream, a paradox in words, but a big winner in taste. Besides the food, there are other great things I like at Penang. One is the Malaysian hut-style decor and the fact that it is easy to find, at the corner of Washington and Kneeland. Give this place a try, if you are in the area. Official Website
(5)Josephine P.
When I saw the menu I was pretty excited. My mom is Malaysian and I loved when she made me authentic dishes. I ordered the Asam Laksa which is similar to Tom Yum in Thai cuisine, my boyfriend ordered Penang Seafood Rice Noodle, and my other friends ordered the Chow Kueh Teow and Nasi Lemak. Everyone really enjoyed their dishes I would recommend the Chow Kueh Teow for sure. The Nasi Lemak was really fun too and I liked most of the ingredients on the dish except for the anchovies, but that is just personal preference. The Penang Seafood Rice Noodles were pretty good, but it just tasted like bland Chinese rice noodles and I was hoping for something more flavorful. My dish was really tasty too, except for the huge amounts of tiny little fish bones. I can't handle that so I just drank the soup because it was so lemongrassy and delicious and gave the noodles and the fish remains to my boyfriend who rather enjoyed it. I personally don't like ingesting itty bitty fish skeletons so I am going to take away a star. I also thought their tea was pretty strange. I it tasted like Lipton. The people there are pretty nice and the ambiance is like being in an asian-syle cabin kind of reminiscent of an Islands restaurant. It's cute.
(3)Z T.
This is the only Malaysian restaurant that is pretty decent and consistent. My favorite dish is char kuew teow, rendang and nasi lemak. What I avoided here for a long time is the fresh coconut drink which was frozen coconut drinks instead of freshly opened ones.
(4)cj m.
I often came here when I was still a student. Having spent a spell in Singapore, I crave SG-Malaysian food - and Penang never disappoints! Service has mostly been friendly and quick. Here are the dishes I've tried a. roti canai - it's ok - i prefer island hopper's b. poh piah - doesn't come close to the poh piah i get from hawkers in SG c.char kuey teow - yummy, just enough spice. love it! 4 stars d.mee goreng - it's good - but i still prefer rendang's (closed now) e. mee siam - it's good a 3.5. f.prawn mee - love it - a 4 g. wonton mee - love it - a 4 h.beef rendang - it's good. i'm just not a big fan of beef rendang in the first place. i.hainanese chicken rice- yummy! k, it's not boon tong kee - but it's close enough. j.nasi lemak - not bad. though can be more authentic k.tom yum - best tom yum soup in Boston j.fried rice with salted fish - so good - if you're craving for it :-) k. sambal shrimp - it's ok can't wait to try other dishes.
(5)Mina K.
I will preface this review by saying, I don't really know what malaysian food is and to me, it tastes like a fusion of thai and chinese food. With that being said, I don't know what the "proper" items to order are. Nevertheless, everything I have ordered from this place has been pretty solid, from the curry to fried rice and soup. =)
(4)Justin G.
I don't know what it is about this place that everyone loves so much. Yeah, the decor is cool but something is lacking. I think that when you walk in your expectations are high in the sense that the place is almost always packed and it looks like a restaurant that should serve amazing food... but it doesn't. I have been here at least 5 times and have sampled almost their entire menu but am still craving something more. I don't know what it is...
(3)Stephen Y.
Oyster Fried Egg, Roti Canai, KanKung Balachan, Hainanese Chicken (they are kinda hugh)... Deserts- Bo Bo Cha Cha and Glutinous rice w red bean.... Pretty good food - quality of seafood dish can depend on freshness and seasonal availability. One quibble- should provide water to wash hands after dissecting crustaceans rather than using the sickeningly toilet water scented handwipe.... sorry- I'm just picky. Very prompt service.... sometimes too prompt....
(4)Vickie C.
The food was actually alright...until I found a dead spider in my dish.
(2)samatha r.
Well, we went in there because I wanted to try some thing new and not Chinese. We were surprised when we saw the menu, as many things looked and felt like Indian dishes. So we ordered seafood fried rice & duck in garlic & tamarind sauce.. it's our first time eating a duck, we liked it. Next is dessert menu.. Desserts are awesome. we tried ABC which is a tall pink tower in a cup. I loved it. we decided to come later on to have just desserts for entire course.
(5)Doris K.
I love this place. Their oyster pancake (app) is really good and filled with oysters. The roti canaii is also very good. I really enjoy their fried intestines. I usually stick to their rice plates. The beef rendang is really tasty. According to my mother it comes with too much sauce but I still like it. The Hainese chicken with chicken rice is also really good. I think a lot of these are more Chinese dishes mixed with a Mayalsian flare but they all taste pretty good. For dessert the purple rice pudding is also very tasty. Best of all this place is very affordable. Service: Don't expect any, so don't expect to leave much of a tip.
(4)Susan D.
This is a great spot for groups and for couples on their first date. I really enjoyed their noodle dishes. I have tried the fried taro basket with a chicken & sauce piled inside. The quality of the food is really consistent and on the spicy side, which I like. I especially enjoy their sister restaurant in NYC, Nyonya.
(4)Tiffany C.
Don't try their lobster... it was not cooked.. so we ordered another one.. & once again it was not cooked.. the food is alright...
(1)Gen M.
Great tasting food -- everything we tasted was amazing. The red curry is delicious. The bbq pork -- yum. The red curry chicken didn't have enough chicken in it, too much bone. But it was so good! Definitely nicer and neater than most places in Chinatown.
(4)ChianWen T.
This place looks so hip. Again, I feel bad for the 2 stars because pretty things deserve more compliments. I think it was my fault. I ordered off their Chinese menu. It was probably a bad idea as they don't purport themselves to be Chinese at all. It was some noodle dish. It was nasty.
(2)Kaz Z.
This used to be one of my most favorite eateries in Boston's Chinatown. Myself and my husband stopped by last night after a movie, and I ordered what's got to be my all time favorite dish at this place. Ginger Duck Noodles. A huge bowl of hearty broth, with chucks of duck still the bone, plenty of savory curly egg noodles and dark greens. I've eaten it here over a dozen times. Except this time, I think I got bad duck. Literally, within 3 hours of eating the soup, I felt queasy and started to feel chilled. I took some bitters to settle my tummy, and went to bed. I woke up around 2 am, sick as sick could be. I was violently ill, and continued to heave, cramp, and feel chilled and weak the rest of the day. So bad I could barely stand and my husband had to stay home to care for me. I called the place, thinking maybe I wasn't the only one who'd been sickened. The woman I spoke to was evasive, and insisted that there was no possible way their food could have made me ill. No possible way? She continued to argue with me, until I told her as kindly as I could that she was being really less then helpful, and that I was calling the Board of Health. My husband and I had consumed identical food stuff yesterday, with the one exception being the duck soup. No way it could have made me ill? Thanks. I won't be going back.
(1)May N.
There is always a wait at this place when I'm in the area for dinner on the weekends so I thought it'd be good. It was kinda enh. A girl friend and I came close to 8 pm on a Saturday night and waited 10 minutes. Once inside, it's a large space that was not incredibly spacious. The waitstaff is alright, just adequate. The menu offers a lot of choices so it took a while for my friend and I to decide. She got the sizzling beef with a side of rice. (You have to order sides of rice?!?) I ordered the Penang seafood rice noodle. My dish was barely spicy, not that flavorful, and did not have that many veggies in it. We both felt the food was salty and that the Viet options down the street would have been tastier and cheaper.
(3)Tiff L.
I love their Roti Canai and Mango Chicken. The only bone I have to pick with them is their portion size. The portions are quite small and the prices are expensive for the quality of the food.
(2)Jen J.
Love the tropical/rain forest decor. I always start off with the Roti Canai. The curry dipping sauce is perfect. . The dishes can be a bit small if you plan on sharing. On the other hand, the Tom Yum Noodle Soup comes in a large bowl that I can never finish. It is my favorite dish...plenty of seafood, rice noodles, and spicy Tom Yum broth. I also like the Sizzling Beef. There are some dishes on the menu that more authentic than Mango Chicken if you want to be adventurous. We tried one (forget the name) and the waitress warned us that it might be something different. Oh boy it was! It tasted gross, but that's not to say the dish wasn't made correctly. It just didn't work with my palate. The food/value/service isn't good enough for me to come back here often, but whenever I'm craving a yummy noodle soup I stop by for the Tom Yum.
(3)Fannie M.
I have been searching for authentic malaysian food. While I was in Boston for vacation, I was surprised to see one so I decided to give it a try and it turned out to be the most delicious dinner I ever had! I actually dined in twice during my stay. Excellent food, good service and reasonable price. This place is highly recommended!
(5)Victor M.
Went out to celebrate a friends birthday. Once we were all there we didnt had to wait a long time for our table, even though the place was really busy. I had the mango chicken per a review I read here, and it was very good. Excellent service too.
(4)Ann S.
The food's decent, but there are three things that keep me coming back. the malaysian iced tea, red bean shake, and their indian pancake. The pancake's addicting, served with a warm bowl of curry. It's the best appetizer, and I never get sick of it. All the other dishes are decent, not the best.
(3)Joseph D.
Great for catching some lunch downtown while working. Happy staff that stays attentive and will help you figure out what you are looking for or will happily provide a recommendation. The food was fantastic with a real ethnic take on combining Asian, Indian, and other Malaysian ingredients and cooking styles. Try their Penang featured soup!
(4)Jameson L.
No long boring story......just go and get the pancakes there. JUST DO IT.
(5)Stacy W.
I used to go to this Penang 4-5 years ago, and loved it. It was always a bit greasy, but the atmosphere was fun, the food was good with generous portions and it was pretty cheap. I went back last night with a craving for the dish I used to get, and was completely and totally disappointed. The portions have massively shrunk. With all the other authentic restaurants in Chinatown that portion out HUGE dishes dirt cheap, perhaps it was my fault for going to a chain restaurant that has mostly mediocre yelp reviews. But still, I wanted to give it a go. My dish just had a general salty flavor, and was enough for at most one person. The vegetables tasted fresh and were cooked well, but the highlight of the dish - the bean curd skin - well, there were like 2 pieces in it (it was the Malaysian Buddhist). I was so disappointed, and mad that there are so many wonderful restaurants in chinatown and that's what I had. Not to mention the flies that kept buzzing around my and my friend's head. She had a noodle dish which was good, but again, a really small portion. I won't be going back - not when there is Gourmet Dumplings and Shabu around the corner - and not to mention, the many other delicious, cheap, and generously portioned places around.
(2)Ken M.
Solidly "meh." The food was either super sweet or super fishy. The service was alright. Busy place with lots of people. It may be that it is just not my kind of place, and I'm okay with that.
(2)Anthony L.
This is probably my favorite place to go in Chinatown. Excellent food and the service is lightning fast. Also, the atmosphere is more relaxing and less claustrophobic than most places in Chinatown. I regularly come here for my lunch break and sit and leave within 30 minutes of arrival. Some of my favorite dishes include: Beef Rendang Malaysian Pad Thai Green Curry Chicken Clay Pot Overall, a very good place to eat.
(4)Chris S.
My first intro to Malaysian food is at Penang. I know all the Malaysians at MIT make this the default go-to place in Boston, but I honestly have no idea how it compares to real Malaysian food, but here's what I felt - Their prawn mee is really tasty - the broth is a tangy combination of shrimp and soy flavor - the shrimp flavor is definitely there, but it's not overwhelming and really compliments the noodles that are inside. It's just as good as the prawn mee I've had in Singapore. Their roti canai has generally been pretty good - sometimes more oily than others, but decent. I really liked the prawn mee, and gravitated to it consistently to it for the last few times I'm there. It's definitely a consistently tasty dish. The place is great for groups of 2-4. It's really awkward to go as a solo diner (not at the Vietnamese restaurants across the street, for example). Expect a wait with a large group. Go with Malaysians because the owners give them special treatment ;)
(4)Pre S.
Been here twice, the first time had the scrumptious Roti canai, Nasi lemak and pad Thai. Loved the anchovies. Craved for it while i was pregnant and visited the second time . Somehow the anchovies weren't as yum as the first time..it was different. Nevertheless, would love going back to have them again.
(4)Bianca T.
A Chinatown dream come true ! After a day of walking around the city we wondered through Chinatown to find this gem ! The restaurant manager was our waiter - he was warm, welcoming and patient. He explained almost every dish on the menu you to us ... it was so helpful ... Every morsel of food that came out was incredibly fresh, tasty, mouth watering and SPICY !! We ordered the Roti Canai (crispy pancake with coconut curry chicken dipping sauce) - it was a nice start ! although it was startling to almost choke on a bone and cause an emergency ... when eating the chicken out of the dipping curry ... My entree was - Spicy shrimp pad Thai - very delicious but the shrimps were not cleaned ... yuck ! My mom ordered the - Spicy Curry Mee Seafood Soup - it was so tasty. it was a huge portion served an a large bowl enough for at least two people. The dominant flavors were curry, coconut milk and seafood ... so good ! For dessert we shared a coconut pudding which was served in a hollowed coconut .... it was a gift to my taste buds ... a perfect finish to the meal !!! definitely going again !
(4)Scott B.
It's like my momma always said, "You can't get by on looks alone." Although the truth of this statement could be refuted, it seems that Penang has indeed survived solely on its decor. With walls, ceilings, and entryways resembling Vietnam jungle huts, Penang proved itself to be a theme restaurant which struggles for any hint of people-friendly flare. From the moment we entered Penang, to the end of our meal, we were treated, not like a burden to the staff, but like we did not even exist. Our server spoke to the wall, not to us. A smile? Give me a break, absolutely not! The food was just decent. There are a gadzillion choices in Chinatown for Asian dining... so I'll pass on the bamboo tomfoolery and take my business to an establishment where I'm treated like my patronage is appreciated.
(2)Ellie W.
Don't even think about ordering food from here if you're doing take-out. On a gross, rainy day, we decided to head here for some laksa soup and noodles. You'd think it takes about 10, 15 minutes for takeout, right? I mean, somewhere in the definition of takeout is "sort of quick", no? Little did we know it would take nearly an hour for us to get food. The whole reason we decided on takeout was so we could bring the food back to work. We saw a few of our coworkers walk in to sit down and eat, and they got their food and FINISHED IT before we ever got ours. I mean, this is Chinatown, so I don't expect customer service to be their top priority--it never is, but the dumb girl at the front never even thought to say, "I'm sorry it's taking so long". When we asked her how much longer it'd take, she said, "I think it's coming" but didn't even bother to check. I speak Chinese, so I know she didn't even bother to ask anyone. Needless to say, we ended up angry and annoyed. If she hadn't already charged my credit card, we would've left. And the laksa soup was definitely not worth an HOUR-LONG WAIT. For that, I'd expect the soup to be stewed by some magical unicorn from Narnia or something. ******Also, I've had to sit by the window watching some hooker argue with her pimp while she unzipped her jeans, shook her hips around, and yelled across the street, "You don't control this!" I don't think I ordered that as dessert, but er, ok.
(1)Lala L.
A great place for a dinner party of 6 or more. The most popular app here is the roti...a Malaysian style fried dough....but very thin. The curry dipping sauce that accompanies it has the right amount of spice. Some of the better dishes *according to moi* are the Chow Kway Tieu...the Malaysian version of the Chinese chow foon noodles. If you're not afraid of bacon, do try the house special braised pork with the pickled vegetables. They're more like slabs of pork, so beware. Yet quite tastey with rice. Another good choice here is the Hoi Lam chicken. They do make a very good steamed chicken, and it's easy to mess it up if the chef doesn't know what he's doing. I've always wanted to try their chili/curry crab, but never had a chance, so if any of you out there adventurous enuf to dig right in and get your fingers dirty...let me know how it is. The mixed drinks here are pretty yummy too...and don't forget the dessert. The ABC is a bowl of crushed ice layered with red bean, jelly, corn (yes, corn), syrup, and other wonderful sweet things....you gotta try it on a hot day.
(4)Yasha M.
Most of Malaysian restaurants look are alike. I think they all copy Penang restaurants. I ate in in 2 Penangs in NYC, 1 in Boston and 1 in Philly. They are all very good. Try Nasi Lemak and Tofu Curry soup.
(4)Lily J.
Delicious. Love the roti canai appetizer (crispy style pancake & curry chicken dipping sauce) and beef chow fun. Servings are plentiful and I always end up eating too much! Try to save room for dessert - I enjoyed the ABC (shaved ice with red bean, corn, palm seeds, jelly, red rose syrup & milk). Penang gets super busy on the weekends so be ready for a wait.
(5)L M.
Fantastic food.. Roti Canai .. was something special again .. so was the rest of the food.. the spicy chicken was a little too tender.. but the beef rednang was amazing
(4)Zuhair S.
I honestly don't think there's much difference between Malay food and Thai food, but that's another issue... I really didn't like how my appetizer was overcooked; the batter on the meat was too crispy and felt like it'd been in the fryer for too long. The me gorang, however, was decent, and I liked how much food I got for 9 dollars or so. Considering it's near the Common, the prices were pretty reasonable.
(3)Andrew K.
I like the trendy environment and the fact that it's introducing lots of people to Malaysian food. The food could be more authentic though, and I found the meat to be a little tough and the prices a little high.
(3)Atrebor B.
I would give this place 0 stars if I could. I ordered the Asam Laksa noodles hoping for something nice. The overcooked bloated rice sticks were bathed in a murky muddy concotion which resembled a slop of some sort. Visually; it was disgusting, gastronomically; even worse. The taste of the soup had a pungent odor in the nasty sense of the term and a gross aftertaste. The menu description claimed it includes fish flakes, but there was not even 1 flake or any protein for that matter; resulting in a bland vegetarian dish. I couldn't even finish half of it since it was so foul that I decided to go to the McDonald's across the street instead. The worst meal I've had in Boston so far, recommended only for your worst enemies. First impressions are everlasting and I am extremely reluctant in giving it another, or even half a chance.
(1)Cynthia T.
I've always walked by Penang but never tried the place out until a few days ago. Food there was awesome. I can't believe why I never bothered stopping by before. The atmosphere was pretty cool, sorta reminds me of the inside of a boat. It was pretty unique and very different from all the Asian restaurants I've went to. Service there was not bad at all. Definitely better than most Asian restaurants because during your meal they do come and check up on hows everything but respects your privacy and leaves immediately after. I ordered Pad Thai and it was good. I've tried many Pad Thais before and this would be by far one of the best. I've also tried their iced coffee but I wouldnt recommend it.. taste like any regular coffee to me but gone in a few gulps. Maybe its the size of the mug? But anyways. I really think people should give this place a try. Food was great, service was ok. Price is a wee bit pricey but still affordable. I would definitely be going back. And now I know why Penang is always packed.
(5)Fortress A.
I really really like this place. I come here whenever I have family or friends come over and need a good flavorful dinner to spice things up. I order the Penang House Special Lobster and sauteed convolus almost every time, can't get enough of it! The staff is really friendly too which is not as common in Chinatown restaurants.
(5)Vonda B.
They would be a four-star if I hadn't had such AWFUL service the last time I went. I probably went about 5 or 6 times in the span of a year and things were always decent until that last time. They were just incredibly rude, inattentive, and lazy. We were a table of 6 and they just did not give us the time of day. I was outraged. I have not been back since and it has been over a year and some now. Otherwise, I actually like the food here. I think they do the best fried tofu in Chinatown and my friends and I really enjoy their mango chicken dish. Actually one friend misses the mango chicken so much that he begs me to lift my ban, but I will not budge yet. Maybe in a few months. Anyways, the mango chicken dish has the right amount of spice and sweetness. I have also tried their frog dish (annoying to eat as they just chop it up with the bones still intact) and a ginger chicken dish. Both tasted good, but nothing amazing. And I have to kid kudos to one of the better waiters who cleared our table with amazing dish stacking skills. I am still a little dumbfounded by it to this day. If I go again and get better service, maybe I'll bring them up to four-star. Until then, I am not budging!
(3)Tracey N.
The Singapore Noodles keep me coming back, and it tends to be my default dinner & a movie spot. Also love the Buddha yam pot, roti canai, and the shrimp with asparagus. Other safe bets for the menu-overwhelmed include the sizzling beef with peppers, the satay appetizer, and the squid (fried calamari). It's also pretty kid friendly, the one time I braved bringing mine (he liked the Singapore noodles and roti canai too, but not much else). Our waitress was excellent and super friendly. Service is fast to the point of getting you in and out to turn around the table, which can be good if you've got other things to do, but not so great if you're hanging out with friends. You have to walk through the prep area (tight squeeze!) and near the kitchen to get to the bathroom, and I really wish they had paper towels instead of hand dryers in there--one of the few downsides to the place are their bathrooms. In the years I've been coming here I've never been disappointed, and have always come early to get a table since it gets packed quickly. Great people watching, too!
(4)Carolyn B.
I love Penang, mostly for the bamboo hut decor and the Tom Yum Soup. Veggies and seafood served in a fiery hot broth in a seemingly bottomless bowl. I have dined at Penang several times and every dish has been delicious. Service is fast and perfunctory, but the servers are always willing to offer wonderful suggestions.
(4)Stellina M.
Best place for a birthday party! I have had a few there! Eat anything with mango in it and enjoy! Great Malasian cuisine! Did you know this "thing" started in NYC?
(5)troyala G.
i used to eat here many times with my girl. The food is allright. I like Chicken Satay. Especially, peanut sauce is great. Chicken rice is also great too. The sevice is good. Since my girl moved, i just stop eating there i dont know why. Only doing take out. Anyway, i gave them 3.75 for Overall
(3)Nicole J.
If there's one place in Chinatown that you need to go to, it's Penang. The decor, the food, the service are all spot-on!! Flavorful food, and would be an excellent place to go to whether you're on a date or with a big group.
(5)Mina I.
Fried Rice Noodles w Salted Fish - sooo good! Stir-fried rice noodles with salted fish, pork & shrimp, vegetables & bean sprouts. I also like their Noodles in Soup - not just regular soups.. This place is really pretty on the inside too with lots of exposed wood and nice wooden benches at some of the tables.
(4)Paula N.
It is very crowded and noisy, especially Friday and Saturday night. If you want to find a quiet place to enjoy a meal and chat with your friends, it might not be a good place. Food is ok - Some have quite good taste such as Indian Pancake, Crispy Squid, Satay Beef, and Crispy/Steamed Fish. You lunch/dinner should always end with Chendol - make sure you ask the waiter not to put a lot of ice.
(3)Juggy W.
A bit too expensive to be in Chinatown. The oyster pancake is pretty good (diff from Taiwan cafe's but also good).... but again... TOO EXPENSIVE... just like that new condo down the street... who the hell would pay $2800 a month for a 1-bed without parking in the combat zone?!?!? jeeez.
(3)Michelle X.
Pretty delicious food, good flavors, spicy!, cute ambiance. Would definitely come back.
(4)Tina T.
um umm good, and l love the interior design of this restaurant. their open kitchen can prove that they are clean. definitely you'll see what's wrong if theres anything going wrong with your food. mango chicken is a great choice and their indian pancake is something to try. price is average, friendly service, clean enviroment. onlything is it's in Chinatown again, NO PARKING!!! LOOK across the street, Pho Pasteur is the best Vietnamese Restaurant around.
(4)Khalid S.
Food is actually good here, but they're freaking SLOW. Every time I've been here, my lunch break ends up being longer than an hour, not good for a work day, maybe you can relax and enjoy if you're not supposed to be back at work. I've had their Pad Thai which was good, but it's better across the street at Pho Pasteur. Roti Kanai was great though. My buddy got Pineapple fried rice which they actually serve in half a pineapple, looks pretty cool.
(2)S M.
Food was ok. Service at lunch was rushed and indifferent, even before things got busy. Prices were high, and they charged me $1 extra for rice, which I did not order.
(2)Valerie W.
Consistently good food for really reasonable prices. I always try and order something new here (seeing how the menu is gigantic I will be able to do this forever) and I've always been very happy with what shows up on my table! Seriously such a great mix of flavors you can't go wrong here (unless you are a picky eater or have bland sense of taste). I like the Downtown Crossing Penang a lot more than the Harvard Sq version as I think its cheaper (though I may have made that up) and better decorated (cool bamboo vs. warehouse feel). I think that this is a good place for a date! So many choices, such good food...who isn't happy about that?
(4)Michael K.
great place for malaysian food! i love the roti and curry chicken. i could eat that for every meal!!!
(4)R.G. W.
I wish this place was a little bigger and had live music. Otherwise, the service here is generally very good (there are tons of workers, all the time), and you get more bang for your buck than at other Malaysian/pan-Asian places (i.e. the over-priced Tiger Lily or noodles-that-taste-like-armpits at Island Hopper). I especially like the desserts!
(4)Jessica R.
There's really only one vegan thing on the menu here. But I like that one thing. So it is ok.
(3)Thomas M.
I had the Mango Chicken, and yes, it was fantastic. Get it.
(5)Lynette M.
convenient to the theatre
(3)Cecily A.
What I liked most about Penang's was the food. I have been here twice and received good service overall. There was inconsistence in service between my visits though. Regardless, the food was amazing and I'd definitely go back. Recommended!
(5)Brendan M.
Not bad, but not a stellar experience either. Plus points are that the Malaysian cuisine, though not the most authentic, does make for a welcome change from the usual Chinatown fare, and the prices are mostly reasonable. I went with a friend and we shared the mixed appetizer platter, a mango chicken and a sizzling seafood platter. The appetizer was very nice, and the mango chicken was good as well, and well presented. However the seafood platter was very bland and disappointing. Service was not up to expectations either as you really get the feeling they are trying to turn over the tables as fast as possible. My plate was snatched away from me literally as I was raising the last morcel of food to my mouth!
(3)M C.
I was definitely one of the many people who hated on Penang. It was sad to me, because a lot of people seem to have great experiences. I believe the trouble is that I have no idea what to order, and somehow always get lost on the menu. I tried the Buddhist Yam Pot with Chicken according to Heather C's suggestion, and it was by far, very unique. It kind of reminded me of a bird's nest, but it was made of this delicious deep fried taro. Although it's hard to mess up anything deep fried, this was very delicious on its own. I think the filling ruined it. It was very boring and generic tasting. The chicken curry was very rich and fragrant with coconut milk and mild spiciness, and the roti was very warm and crispy, yet soft at the same time. Very pleasing to eat. I also got the red bean shake. This was not like any other shake I had, but it definitely was not different in a bad way. It was kind of like melted red bean ice cream. And if that is your thing, you might enjoy it. It definitely satisfied my sweet tooth. What I didn't know, and I guess this was ignorance on my part, was that they charge for rice. I still can't get used to that. Coming from the west coast, where you get a whole tub of rice with your dinner, I have never had that happen where they charge rice by the bowl (one doesn't even come with the entree). That kind of makes me want to take one star off just because of that. Before I do, the place is very popular, even at 9-10 PM on the weekdays. They must all know something I don't.
(3)Yony K.
Penang, how do I love thee, let me count the ways! Ha. The best roti canai on the planet. Also the best beef rendang rice plate. I'm drooling. The kids love the Hainanese Chicken, which is a steamed, tender chicken dish served with soy sauce. No meal here is complete unless topped off with their dessert, called "ABC." It's a sweet, shaved ice dessert, complete with corn and beans, amongst other things. I know it sounds nasty, but it is arguably one of the best desserts around, especially in the summertime! RUN! TRY IT! NOW! GO! HURRY!
(5)So S.
Great Malaysian (more like all Asian, Thai, chinese etc). Better in this location than others. Good date place--all bamboo interior makes it very pretty and foreign. For those non-Asians out there, here are the things to order: the Roti Canai appetizer (first thing on the menu---comes with a Indian pancake thing)...love this!! Pineapple fried rice and the sizzling platters are great. Try the House Squid. There is a spicy noodle soup dish I love called 'Prawn Mee' . All of the above are unique to this restaurant. Great fried ice cream as well.
(4)Esther L.
Fun atmosphere, and really good food. Try their Indian bread, and their coconut rice. Their food is pretty heavy (because they use coconut oil in a lot of the dishes) so be aware of that. Their pineapple fried rice actually comes in half of a pineapple, which is neat. I like their dessert a lot (some kind of malaysian ice dessert with some lentils and sweet syrup).
(4)Michael G.
The food here is great. Take a break from eating at the myriad of Chinese restaurants or the million Thai restaurants in Boston and have some Malaysian. The restaurant is pretty busy, but the food comes out quickly. The atmosphere isn't bad, though you're certainly not going to get the quiet of an expensive French restaurant here.
(4)U V.
i still love this place even though waiters are not that friendly even though i always leave a good tips.....i can't get enough of their Roti Canai & tom yum soup......believe it or not the only reason i kept going back was u guys curry that come w/the pancake......if only i can get my hands on the recipe for that so long Amigos!...
(4)Celicia C.
I've been going to Penang since I was in college...and maybe some years before that as well when I was in high school =P. And whenever we go, it was always predictably good - we always got the roti canai, sizzling beef, mango chicken, house fried squid (the salty spicy one), and maybe the pineapple fried rice. and maybe an occassional malaysian iced tea. but this time Ken and I took my parents there for my dad's birthday and we had a blast changing up the tried and true fair. besides the usual pineapple fried rice and roti canai, we got the galangal shrimp, the indian mee siam, the ka kung balacan (basically a water vegetable drowned in shrimp paste - really yummy!), and the penang squid in a special sauce. and some malaysian iced teas of course. everything was yummy! and to top it off, the waiters came out and sang happy birthday to my dad with a flickering candle in the famous red bean and jelly A.B.C. always a tried and true favorite.
(4)Merri L.
i went here yrs ago with my friend t. i got some random dish, which tasted ok. i think there were a lot of dishes with peanuts, which i cant eat. there was a side of what i thought was rice. but it wasnt. it was tiny, whole fish. now, i like sushi and everything, but whole fish with eyes and bones... ew. i had a bite before i discovered this, and couldnt eat it. t liked hers tho. dessert was fried ice cream i think, which was pretty good. still, i couldnt go back, thinking of all those little eyes.. i think now i might have given it another chance, if i were still in boston.
(3)Clint L.
If you are in Chinatown, Penang is the only Malaysian cuisine worth going to. I have dined there many times. They have been opened for 10+ years. The atmosphere there is nice. It has a relaxing island vibe to it. The dishes are not that big. I always think about their soups(very good). I usually order the Seafood Tom Yum or the Chinese Herbal for soups, both are usually pretty good. I tell them to tone down the salt when I order because it could get pretty salty. Appetizers, almost always the Curry Pancakes. The Fried Calamari is not bad, too. For the main dishes, usually Hainanese Chicken, with a side of Chicken Flavored Rice or Fried Green Beans and Shrimp topped with spicy paste, which is not that spicy. I love spice. I ask them for some fresh chopped chili pepper with soy sauce to eat with my food. For desert, I get the Coconut Pudding, whenever they have it. It is so GooD, rare chance you will encounter it. Service is ok, nothing special. The 4 seat tables are too small, it would be good for 2 people. If you have more than two, ask for a bigger table, which is very limited. It is a passing grade in my book.
(3)Ruth P.
I came here for my last birthday with a big group of friends and it was the perfect place to go. They took our large-party reservation, sat us quickly, and we all had some good food at a reasonable price. So all was well... HOWEVER I then returned a few weeks later with my sister and decided to order something a bit pricier since I knew my friends wouldn't be footing the bill as they did on my birthday and I ordered a $20 coconut shrimp dish and it was TERRIBLE. The dish consisted of maybe 7 HUGE shrimp that were fried in a very dry batter that only barely tasted of coconut. The dish came with no vegetables or sauce and the only thing besides the shrimp was the fried crispy things that must have fallen off the shrimp while it was in the frier - ugh! it was bizarre and not worth $20.... so order carefully :-)
(3)Eric W.
I suppose I'm not the one to ask. I've never had Malaysian before, and maybe I never will again. That being said, this is was a nice, odd dinner spot if you find yourself in the Theater District - Chinatown without a plan. The menu can be intimidating: fish head soup ("no"), chicken feet ("no!"). But, there's plenty of dishes that are familiar enough to try, but not so familiar that you'll lose out on the experience. My little miss lady tried the Pad Thai, which was similar to what you've known in the past, but with squid. I had the Nasi Lemak. The description from the website reads: "Coconut rice subtly flavored with cloves and pandan leaves served with,curry chicken, fried anchovies and hard boil egg." I couldn't identify everything, but I enjoyed it, so let's leave it at that. We ate for under $25, which makes it about as good of a deal as McDonald's, and a whole lot more interesting.
(3)Ebrahim B.
STUFF ON THE MENU IS GREAT, IF ONLY SOME OF IT WASNT SO DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT HALF THE INGREDIENTS ARE. AND THE SPECIAL SAUCE AND SPICY SAUCE ARE THE SAME THING. TRY THE MASAK LEMAK IF YOU LIKE CHICKEN, ITS GREAT.
(4)Jeffrey W.
Definitely one of the safer restaurants in Chinatown. A friend ordered for me and everything I tasted was great, though it can be a little spicy. It's a good place to try something new.
(4)Josh F.
I've probably eaten here 10 times and I've never had a bad meal. Some were just passable, but none were inedible. Huge menu selection of Malaysian/Indian cuisine with a few interesting items like chili-anchovy sauce and some frog dishes. Something for everyone. It's also inexpensive; the lunches are a good deal. Don't forget to order a bubble tea for dessert! Nice view of JFK St. if you get a table next to a window. The service isn't the best; the waitstaff can seem annoyed that they have to serve you and English is obvioulsy their second language. Good alternative to the overpriced and run-of-the-mill menu at Bombay Club located across the hall.
(4)Immer E.
the food is good, but they have a limited vegetarian selection - less if you're vegan. the dessert menu is worth taking a look at.
(3)monkey l.
oh penang, i miss your roti canai and your peanut thingy dessert (whatever it was called on the menu). the decor of this place is pretty clever -- bamboo seats and tables. i always found the food to be consistently num num, and the service to be decently friendly. a short walk from the T, it's a good choice to go with a few friends and go family style.
(4)Foodie S.
One of my favorite places. Especially great for a big group, so you can get a lot of variety to share. Waiting staff is very friendly. Extermely fast service.
(4)Melissa B.
Ate here once and it was good. There was a bit of a wait though. The service was pleasant and very helpful. I'd go here again.
(4)Ashley M.
good, very cheap, reliable pan-asian, nicely situated near many of the theater district clubs/bars.
(4)Rico B.
Still have great quality food since the first time I visit. It is still the best Malay restaurant in town. Tried the one in Cambridge, but wasn't as good as the original.
(5)S L.
The food here tastes great, although I question the hygiene. I ordered a dish to go for my husband, and after eating it, he spent a day in the restroom. I still come here occasionally with friends, but he completely refushes to step into the restaurant.
(3)Ame k.
the food i ordered is good but i hate to go with a bunch of ppl there. they ordered some expensive stuff and it tasted horrible. everybody can cook better than that.
(3)Mark C.
This is my favorite Asian place in Boston. My ace number one dish is the Curry Mee with Yang Dofu (spelling?) noodle soup. Plenty of thin rice noodles as well as thicker chewy wheat noodles in a complex heated up curry broth. Veggies stuffed with fish paste are the fabulous treats along with fish balls, bean sprouts, bean curd skin fritters on top and various other shapes and textures of tofu, Bring a hanky, this always forcefully cleans out the sinuses.
(4)dj z.
Usual menu: Fresh Sea Bass (Teow Chow Style) Mango Chicken ABC (dessert) Pilut Hitam (dessert) Anybody who gives this place less than 3 stars is seriously off their collective rocker - sounds like you're not ordering the right items!
(5)Jenn T.
i've always enjoyed the food here. roti cani is a must for appetizer...i really just came to write a review to let everyone that know that about 3 years ago, i ordered the ABC shaved ice for dessert and the dish came out with a dead cockroach stuck to the end of the spoon. now now, i know all restaurants are dirty and you know what? i don't care. i grew up eating street vendor food. i know my stomach can handle it, but you know, i don't want to see it. how can you put the spoon in the dish and not see the freaking cockroach?! i still go back there once in awhile and still order the shaved ice but i always get worried when the dish is coming out haha
(3)Cahaya S.
Yes, everyone -- this is the REAL thing! It is the REAL Malaysian food - take it from a REAL Malaysian....it is not a blend of Filipino or Thai or anything like that. It is what it is -- and this IS as Malaysian as it gets (with a couple of additional exceptions on the menu -- which are thrown in there to cater to the "non-natives" - like Pad Thai (not Malaysian - that's definitely Thai!) I have to say, I'm relieved to have some decent home food in Boston -- after being deprived for so many years. And the nice thing about it is that Penang at least has a nice ambiance, beautiful local artwork by a US-based Malaysian painter and a warm bamboo/wood decor which is reminiscent of the village "atap" or "kampung" houses back home. So....I come here (often!) when I have a craving for teh tarik....mmmm....sweet, yummy, milky - probably still condensed milky hot "pulled" tea - which produces a lot of froth/foam on the top, because of the way it's "pulled" (not shaken, not stirred!); or if I have a craving for Nasi Lemak (coconut rice with chicken curry, pickled veggies, hard boiled egg and best of all! pickled/chillied dried anchovies; or the Hainanese Chicken Rice with it's plain, steamed chicken on a bed of chicken-stock flavored rice and the side condiments )the best part!! of chili garlic sauce and soy-sesame-ginger blend sauce; or the Curry Yong Tau Fu -- rich, coconut based curry soup with an assortment of tofu, stuffed peppers, okra and fish-cakes, with noodles as an option; or the Mee Siam -- delicately flavored friend vermicelli noodles with shrimp, tofu and egg and a spice, tangy, slighty chilly zing to it....really I could go on.... I've hardly ever gone wrong here -- yes, it certainly is a lot more expensive eating here at Penang than the prices you'd pay for food of this kind (and better) back in Malaysia -- and yes -- street vendor/hawker/banana leaf food like Nasi Lemak -- which sells for under USD$1 in Malaysia from the roadside -- costs over $7.00 here....and the Roti Canai (as good and mouthwatering as it is over her -- hardly compares to the real thing back home - in size, thickness and layering -- but what the heck - it's worth it for a little bit of home in my belly..... Mmmm..mmm..mm
(5)Devin W.
I ate here many times and the food is good, however 5 mins ago I have doubts in this restaurant because I mean while enjoy my chow keu teou ( Maylasian fry flat noodles) not only once that I was chewing on a hair but twice I found another long black hair in my food. Very disturbing and hope they will be more careful about cleanliness. Do I recommend this restaurant? only if you are dining in so you can complain to them at that moment. I can't complain to them since i order take out and hence, this is my only recourse. Ate at your own choice and risk. That's all. Good luck!
(2)Nicole M.
I've only been here once, but I need to return! Their mango chicken was so delicious, I can't wait to have it again. And I'm a fan of the decor and ambiance. 3.5 stars.
(3)Daniel T.
For someone who's actually from Asia, I'm constantly disappointed by "authentic" asian food in the states. Hoping to capture a larger American audience, most Asian food here falls into one of the following category: a. Disguistingly oily b. Disguistingly sweet Combo C. Disguistingly oily & sweet And yes, usually "disguistingly oily/sweet/both" tend to be the only flavors within the dish. So for a Southeast Asian restaurant like Penang, I wasn't expecting a home cooked meal. I just didn't want "Combo C". Yes, I had low expectations. But Penang did meet my expectations and more. It's not exactly authentic but the basic flavors (spice, chilli heat, coconut richness) were there. The beef rendang was smoky and rich, the kang kong crunchy and spicy, the yum basket hearty but not overwhelming. This place calls for a big group outing, prices are more reasonable that way and you get to taste more dishes. I wouldn't travel all the way for the food. But if you're in the neighborhood and want something other than the usual cantonese/vietnamese eats, Penang's not bad.
(3)Lana G.
I think this place pulls about 2.8 stars, but since I'm super-nice, it gets 3 from me. I like the atmosphere, the staff is friendly, and the place is clean. The food is ok. I think it depends on how hungry you are. We had a few appetizers (the chicken skewers were ok while they were hot, but once they chilled a bit, I couldn't eat them anymore - they started to have this strange aftertaste of fat and oil). I had the something "Yam" entree. It was alright. If I were still in college, I would probably rate this place higher because it's cute and my 'food expectations' were a bit lower. If you are driving and can't find street parking, try the garage across from the East Ocean City, it'll cost you $9.
(3)Chin C.
Great food with reasonable prices, Penang is one of the great Asian restaurant in Boston. OK here are my suggestion Roti, Satay chicken for app. Hainanese chicken, mango shrimp, and Red snapper fish in Thai sauce for entree. A ha they are so great!!
(4)Jeffrey H.
OMG, so good. Mango Chicken = Delish! Also had the Hainan Chicken and the Rotti Chenai as an appetizer. Usually crowded but food comes out in an expeditious manner. Definately worth a try.
(4)Marc C.
I took my girlfriend there for a valentine dinner & i was expecting to spend over 50$. We didn't hold back when it came to selecting dishes. They we're great (not salty or greasy). I recommend the coffee ribs. Also It only came out to 35$. I DEFINITLY RECOMMEND THIS PLACE FOR DINNER (for the family, date, or just a casual dinner)!!!!
(4)Seamus O.
This like the food in this restaurant but there are things I don't like. They have a huge menu to satisfy those who love seafood, those who love meat and vegetarians. They have another place out in Harvard Yard too. My favorite is the Roti Canai and the seafood rice noodle. I only gave this place 3 stars even though the food is good - I don't like the live fish as you enter the restaurant. Sometimes you'll see dead ones that have used up all the oxygen in the tank. I trust them not to use these but who knows. Either way customers don't need to see that stuff as you enter the place.
(3)Justin T.
First Malaysian restaurant I ever experience. I've been going to this location since 1999. Even during the busy times the service is still great. The dishes are wonderful. I highly recommend this restaurant to everyone. The Manager Jimmy Toh is awesome. He does what he can to accommodate you. Everyone I recommended to go to this restaurant loves it.
(5)Linh V.
Forget the food. Get the fried ice cream, it even comes with fried bananas.
(3)Kathleen A.
A fun environment with really good food. I had their popular squid dish, I forgot the name, but now I know why it's popular! Next time, I'm going to try their roti with the curry dipping sauce because a lot of people seem to rave about it. Quick and great service too!
(4)Darin T.
My first night in Boston. My flight was over 2 hours late. My colleague and I rush to our hotels and then scouring for a place to eat; its almost 10 pm. We head down the street, and based on the recommendation of the concierge stop at Penang. Despite it being so late. They seated us, and allowed us to eat and finish without rushing us even though were were the last two people in the restaurant. The good was good. Not spectacular. The ambiance of the place is interesting. The interior looks like it belongs in south east Asia. It adds a nice touch. I'd have given the place 3 & 1/2 stars if I could rate in 1/2 stars. But, the kind service pulled 'em up to a 4.
(4)April M.
I LOVE this place! However, not EVERYTHING about it is great. First off, the food is excellent. I would say it is very authentic in terms of food quality, flavors, textures, all work great together. The Mango Chicken is my absolute favorite entree. For appetizers, I HIGHLY recommend the Roti Canai - it's a thin, doughy pancake with a curry/potato/chicken dipping sauce which I drink once I'm done dipping! It's amazing...I would go there JUST to eat this app. Also, the Beef Satay is not bad at all (although I like my Mother-in-Law's homemade better). Lastly, to top off the wonderful dinner, I always end with FRIED ICE CREAM! It's amazing! You get two generous scoops of ice cream, two bananas, covered in dough and fried, then drizzled with honey and a little jam. Mmmmm! My mouth waters thinking about it. I've eaten across the street at Pho Pasteur and after my meal there, more than once have crossed the street, ordered and waited for my fried ice cream to go! It's THAT good. Anyways, the atmosphere is a little crowded (you can hear the people next to you, not much room to move around). It isn't a place to go for ambiance by any means, but it isn't so loud and uncomfortable that it isn't worth the trip. As far as service, the waitstaff has always been quite attentive, watching your beverages and refilling or asking when necessary. The service is also fast, I've never had to wait long enough to start wondering "Where's my food?". Now, to the negative, not that there's anything that bad about the place. For one, there is ALWAYS a wait. We've never made reservations ahead of time (and I can't say whether I know they even take them or not). We've waited almost an hour at one time...you're usually going to wait at least 20-30 minutes (this all applies to the evenings after 6 0'clock without reservations as this is when I've always gone). A good rule of thumb at Penang is to add about 10-15 minutes to whatever wait time they quote. As for service problems, ONE time our appetizers were served to the table next to us (who had been seated about 15 minutes after us). We don't know if they even ordered the same apps or not but they just took them and started eating and we had been waiting for about 20 minutes since our apps were ordered. They definitely got our food. We had to ask the waiter where ours was and at that moment, you could see the panic in his eyes as he looked at the table next to us realizing that he served them OUR Roti Canai and now, not only were we upset, but that table just got a free round of appetizers on him! We ended up getting our Roti Canai served with our entrees as they needed to make another round of 6...we weren't too pleased. They did nothing to rectify the situation with us either. Just brought them out with our meals...I didn't even want them at that point. I wanted my entree, not a side of Roti Canai. This only happened once. Aside from the unavoidable wait time, there's nothing that's enough to keep me away. It is a little pricey too - not exorbitant, but certainly not cheap. In conclusion: Wait time, Roti Canai, Decent service, Decent atmosphere, Medium Price, Fried Ice Cream. Enjoy!
(4)Byron M.
It kinda looks like a malaysian hut as you walk in. Cool. Everything is very bamboo like. I have been here on a few occasions and each time I have been very pleased. I highly reccommend their Roti Cani - its a crispy indian style pancake/bread like puri with a curry chicken dipping sauce. I also like their Chicken and Beef Satay skewers, they are very flavorful. For entrees I suggest their pineapple fried rice and the Chow Kueh Teow. The flavors are unique and this place is worth the trip. The service was adequate but not out of the ordinary. I am told that this place does get very busy so plan for the extra time if you go on the weekend or go on a week night. This place is very reasonable. Most of the entrees are less than $15 and alot of them are under $10. We spent $50 for 4 people.
(4)