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Penang

3.5 (1.2k reviews)
ModerateMalaysian, Thai, Seafood
Open • 11:00 am - 9:30 pm
Updated over 3 months ago

Order Penang Takeout or Delivery

Penang Photos

Business Info

PENANG ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Casual
Good for groups
Good for kids

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Recommended Reviews - Penang

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Reviews With Photos

Cecilia T.

First restaurant we ate at for lunch when we arrived in Boston bc we love Penang esp. the one in Philly & Jersey. We got the roti canai, satay beef, crab rangoon, fried squid, Hainanese chicken & spicy Thai chicken with rice. The service was quick, friendly & attentive but however, the food was mid- we honestly expected better. The curry sauce for the roti was bland, beef satay was dry & tough, crab rangoon barely had any filling in them, squid was tasty tho and the chicken + rice was flavorless. Also, the spicy Thai aka chef's special sauce was disgusting. Probably the worst Penang loc. I've ever been to.

Rachel S.

The decor in the restaurant was very inviting and there are a lot of seating areas. I was able to be seated with my party of 3 quickly on a Friday night. We had the oyster omelette first and my Singaporean dining partners quite liked it. We then had the main courses-- hainanese chicken rice, bak kut teh, beef rendang, and Kang kung belacan.. the Kang kung and bak kut teh were quite good but the bak kut teh was weirdly sweet. The beef rendang was really tough but some parts were tender and good to eat. Overall not a bad place but the flavors were not exactly what my Singaporean dining partners expected.

Singapore Rice Noodles
Stephon M.

Singapore noodles here are the best i ever had! Service was pretty good and ambiance was chill for a Saturday night. Only thing they should fix is you can smell the cleaning products.

Shrimp and Stringbeans
Bronwyn B.

Delicious $14 lunch - Shrimp and String Beans with Malaysian hot sauce. It was so good I wanted to lick the plate! Nice service also.

Veggie Penang Pad Thai
Parita A.

Review would be a 3.5. Went to Penang before a show at the Opera House. It was pretty quiet around 6 but filled up fast within the hour. Service was quick and friendly, which was great since we were on a schedule. I will say getting our check took a really long time but likely because the restaurant was filling up with people so our server was busy. It was my first time trying Malaysian food, and I enjoyed it. The flavors were bold and different, a bit sweeter than I expected, but still really tasty overall. My favorite dish was the satay bean curd, so flavorful and perfectly cooked. Everything else was good but pretty sweet for my personal liking.

Pad Thai, curried chicken over rice
Eva A.

Stopped by for a late night dinner and it was pretty empty, but I think we got lucky because it's always packed when I pass by it. The pad Thai was not great. I'm not sure if they make it non traditionally / not like standard pad Thai or it was just an off day. But the curried chicken over rice was incredible. The meat fell off the bone easily and we could not stop thinking about the dish for the rest of the night. Need to return and try other menu items to review fairly.

Veggie Casserole and Hokkien Char Mee
Hubert H.

A classic Boston restaurant in Chinatown specializing in Malaysian cuisine. Very variegated menu with diverse offerings but I wish it was executed with more finesse. The tomyam clay pot was decently flavored but there was sand and hard bits in the clam, and a lot of the shells were broken and got all in the soup. Also salty. The shrimp with lady fingers was actually a fried okra dish, and the cook on the okra was really good, fried and nice and crispy, with the right amount of seasonings. The beef rendang was a bit tough, and should have been stewed at lower heat. The dish was somewhat monolithic. The veggie casserole was good but a bit ordinary in conception. The hokkien char mee was also too salty without enough complexity in flavor. It could have had more diverse ingredients as well. The Penang Asam Laksa was supposed to have fish flakes but I couldn't find any. Also, nothing in the description said that it would have pineapple. This sweetness overpowered the soup. The apps were more successful: the roti telur pancake was crispy and light. The fillings were interesting and delicious. The baby oyster omelette was quite decent, with a fluffy egg and a lot of baby oysters embedded inside. Service was solid, and atmosphere conducive to conversation.

Homemade Roti Canal (Indian Pancake)
Dinesh G.

My fellow South Indian who crave for some vechi porota and Salna - this is the place. Go to Penang, order their Homemade Roti canai- the appetizer is closest to vechi Porota that you get back home! The basil fried rice, nasiroang is something to try out as well! The staffs are very friendly and if you are a group, I recommend making a reservation!

Nasi lemak - coconut rice with chicken curry, vegetables, boiled egg, raw cucumber and sambal tumis ikan bilis (spicy anchovies)
Masmin P.

Food is consistently good here. I ordered my usual roti canai, Nasi lemak and Indian mee goreng - all satisfying. Hearty portions, rich in flavor. Service was quick.

Leftovers the morning after
James B.

Service was reasonably fast on a Friday night, very convenient location next to where I was staying. First time having Malaysian food in a long time so wanted to try something new. Ordered appetizer + entree to have leftovers to enjoy later. Would go back to try the different types of noodles

Hainanese Chicken with Rice  Home Made Roti Canai Indian Pancake
Jimmy N.

I haven't been back to Penang in a while so I had to last week. I requested for extra cucumbers and they were able to fulfill my request. No extra charge. The chicken was so fresh. I know sometimes they give you a lot of bones but just know, the chicken is fresh and juicy. Glad I went back because it reminded me how good Penang still is.

Alice K.

Chinese choy sum - pretty standard Seafood pan fried Noodle - tasted fine, good amount bean sprouts (not same color as the noodle oddly), could use more ingredients (fried egg pieces bit meager), small pieces of squid. Decently large dining area, have some round tables good for bigger groups. Table had ordering via QR code sign but didnt work so ordered via waitress.

Curry Mee with Young Tau Foo
Kevin W.

tl;dr decent portion, food is pretty good, don't come here expecting anything special for service came here for Friday night dinner. No wait at all, was a large restaurant with a lot of open seating. food was decent, out of the 3 we got, the roti was ok. the curry was good but the pancake itself was difficult to eat with the curry. service was a bit slow. Restaurant wasn't busy but service staff was just standing around chatting. overall, food was decent enough for me to come back

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Chicken Satay was tender and tasty! Fast efficient service. Unique interior with wood logs wrapped with ropes felt authentic.

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Penang Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Penang

Hi! Could you tell me if you offer any vegetarian or vegan options at Penang?

I think there's a couple of things that you can get that are vegetarian like the Penang Poh Piah (had stump but there's a veggie option), the Satay Bean Curd and the Kang Kung Belacan Spicy. I'm not sure if they're vegan but there's vegetarian… 

What are dishes are gluten-free?

You'll have to ask them how they prepare their sauces. I would expect the Hainannese Chicken to be GF. Many of the rice dishes should be gluten free or could be of any fried items were omitted. I believe the pineapple fried rice may be GF.

Is anything Gluten free?

Yes

View All 8 Questions

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Rod Thai Family Taste - A6. Crab Rangoon

Rod Thai Family Taste

4.0(531 reviews)
1.9 mi•Fenway
•$$

I remember being recommended this restaurant by Andy from Sipping Room but didn't actually visit…read moreuntil months later when my brother took me. Tbh I don't think I would come here myself if I wasn't recommended to come or have someone tell me what's good. You have to order and pay at the counter first, deciding eat-in or takeout. Either way, you have to grab your own utensils and throw out your own trash. We ordered: tom yum soup noodles with seafood, beef tendon soup noodles, and sticky rice with banana Tom yum soup noodles was labelled with two chilis and I think that's the appropriate amount of heat for me. I like how it has heat without affecting my tastebuds or making me struggle to eat. My nose watered a little but it wasn't like a river. I did have to eat slower due to the heat but it didn't annoy me. The broth isn't overly salty or watery. I like how it's tart and spicy which really increased my appetite. I chose seafood honestly because this is Boston. It came with shrimp, fishballs, and calamari. The shrimp was my favorite part, fresh without being overcooked and rough. Fishballs weren't as chewy and was a bit fishy. Calamari was middle of road with some pieces more tender than others. Beef tendon soup noodles has more of an herbal soy sauce broth that's rich gelatinous (yes it solidifies when cold). The beef tendon and beef stew pieces were all tender and juicy. This is a great hearty option too especially when you're under the weather. It wasn't as outstanding as the tom yum broth to me. The noodles used in their soup is a thin rice noodle. I thought it would be the tough type that can withstand hot soups, but it ended up being soggier than I'd like. The tom yum pad thai also seems good. It smelled good when my brother was reheating his leftovers from a few days ago. Too bad I didn't try a bite. Sticky rice with banana is a banana wrapped in sticky rice wrapped in banana leaf. I like how the sticky rice stays soft inside the banana leaf. The banana seemed too sweet at first but it was a perfect way to balance my palate after I went through the spicy and tart tom yum broth.

I tried this restaurant years ago and was disappointed with the food. After seeing the high reviews…read morehere, I decided to give it another chance. Unfortunately, it was just as disappointing this time--a waste of money. The food lacked the distinctive spices and seasonings that make Thai cuisine so flavorful. The beef salad, consisted of just a few slices of beef that seemed steamed, with a sauce that looked and tasted like the peanut sauce served with the chicken satay. The green curry resembled a good Thai green curry in color only. The spicy and sour soup was neither spicy nor sour--just salty, with two shrimp. The chicken satay was the only edible item. It lacked a flavorful marinade, but at least it wasn't dry, and the peanut sauce made it bearable. I really wanted to enjoy this meal, but giving this restaurant a second chance only confirmed my first impression. It does not do Thai food justice.

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Rod Thai Family Taste - Inside

Inside

Rod Thai Family Taste - N2. Pad See You Noodles

N2. Pad See You Noodles

Rod Thai Family Taste - Inside

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Thaitation

Thaitation

3.8(404 reviews)
1.8 mi•Fenway
•$$

We stopped into Thaitation for lunch between visits to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and the…read moreMuseum of Fine Arts; it was the perfect spot, since it only took us about 5 minutes out of the way. The restaurant was casual, but nice, and had several other tables of diners at that time. The staff was very friendly, as well. The menu had some really interesting dishes that I had not seen elsewhere, but I was lame and ordered my usual - Chicken Pad See Ew. I found the poultry to be very tender, and the included broccoli was fresh and crisp. I should note that the broccoli used was the popular Calabrese kind, while Chinese broccoli cost $1 more. In fact, there were several upcharges scattered around the menu, which was a bit much. Anyway, back to the dish...In addition to the broccoli, carrots were also included, which was not typical for Pad See Ew, but I was fine with it! The sweet soy sauce was a bit thick, like a light gravy, so that was a bit unusual, but the flavor was terrific! I heard reasonably positive things about their Pad Thai and Drunken Noodles as well. Thaitation would be a place I would frequent if I lived in the area.

Unassuming restaurant. Not very large, but plenty of open seats on a Friday night. Service was very…read morequick. Noise levels were low for most of the meal, but at one point turned up to blast a rendition of "happy birthday" for another guest - after that, music stayed a bit too loud, which seemed to clash with the otherwise calm ambiance. They didn't ask for our preferred spice levels for the main dishes, and I would've liked everything a little bit spicier. We originally wanted the salmon spring rolls but they were out. We got Tod Mun (fried fish cakes) instead, and they were really tasty. They were smaller but greater in quantity than what I've seen elsewhere, and the sauce was good. I'm not a huge fan of the side salads, though this one surprised me with the spiciness in the dressing. We ordered the mango curry (which comes with chicken, and we added steamed tofu for no charge) and tofu drunken noodles. The noodles were really good, plus looked more appetizing than the similarly-popular pad thai. I was hoping the mango in the curry would be large, beautiful pieces of sweet mango on top, so I was a little disappointed that the small chunks weren't quite as flavorful as I was hoping for. However, I was still quite happy with the dish overall. It also comes with a (pretty small) bowl of rice on the side. The food by itself would be 4 stars for me, except that at the very end of my meal, as I was polishing off the curry, I found a long hair stuck to the bottom of my plate. It didn't match ours, so I know for sure it came from the staff. I know it happens, but the ick factor is hard to get over. Knocked off a star for the unfortunate hair.

Photos
Thaitation - Thaitation

Thaitation

Thaitation - Coconut Mousse, fresh mango, mango sauce, and raspberry sauce.

Coconut Mousse, fresh mango, mango sauce, and raspberry sauce.

Thaitation

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Mahaniyom - Soft shell crab

Mahaniyom

4.4(440 reviews)
3.1 mi•Brookline Village
•$$

The food is amazing! A lot of people mentioned about the crab fried rice but I don't love it as…read moremuch because of too little crab! From the 2-3 times I've been here, I had to add shrimp to this dish as well! I love the pad thai and I am not really a pad thai person! I also love the pork cheeks here! The service was great! Busy place!

I was fortunate enough to snag a table at Mahaniyom after a 40-minute wait, and I'm glad I stuck…read morearound! This is not a very large restaurant, with a bar, tables lined up along the wall, and window ledge seating near the front. Probably 20 ppl capacity or so, It's a cozy little spot with a lively atmosphere, especially during dinner. One thing that stood out right away was our server. She was extremely friendly, with such an inviting smile and warm demeanor. You could tell she meant business! She got our order in quickly and made us feel welcome from the start. We ordered the spicy ong choy appetizer (Pak Boong Fai Dang), which came with a serious chili kick and was absolutely delish! If you enjoy some heat, this one delivers. The whole branzino (Pla Lui Suan) was another winner, cooked beautifully to the point where the meat was flaky, tender, and practically fell off the bones. We rounded out the meal with crab fried rice to get some carbs into the mix. I especially enjoyed the nice lumps of crab throughout the rice, and the accompanying sauce was a match made in heaven! My only wish? Bigger portions! Everything tasted so good that I wanted more of it. Perhaps that's why they call it Thai tapas? The portions are definitely on the smaller side, especially if you're coming in with a big appetite. You'll probably want to order a few dishes to share. Overall, Mahaniyom delivers some seriously good Thai food with bold flavors, excellent execution, and genuinely hospitable service. Despite the wait and smaller portions, I walked away impressed and would gladly return to try more of their menu. Quality Thai food in Boston that's worth checking out!

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Mahaniyom - Inside view of bar and seating area

Inside view of bar and seating area

Mahaniyom - SALT & PEPPER PORK CHEEK

SALT & PEPPER PORK CHEEK

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Interior

Penang - malaysian - Updated October 2026

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