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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.
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 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.
Delicious $14 lunch - Shrimp and String Beans with Malaysian hot sauce. It was so good I wanted to lick the plate! Nice service also.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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
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.
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.
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
4 years ago
3 years ago
After touring the area my family and I were looking for a nice restaurant to dine in and we happened to come across Penang. Right when you walk inside it's very spacious and the decor is nice but simple. As we were seated, we were given our menus and tea right away. There is a great amount of selection in the menu, you'll just have to see for yourself! The food in general was very good. I feel like the price fits perfectly and you also get a good amount (and by good amount I mean more than you expected) food portions. The service was very quick. Always cleared the empty plates, refilled our water and no wait time! Definitely a place you should go if you're in the area. read more
6 years ago
5 years ago
Disappointing! A lot worse than before. Especially hainanese chicken has no taste now. We used to love Indian pancake with curry; now it taste like crap. We used to come here once in a while, used to love their chicken rice ; now there's only bone with little meat and lots of cucumba underneath to make it appear more. Don't think we'll be back again anymore. read more
6 years ago
Super happy with this place is re-open the staff is super attentive really makes me remember why I love dining. My server, Poh, never left my glass empty once. She is phenomenal and will be back for sure post quarantine! Try the chicken and the curry appetizer with the Indian bread, Roti Canai. Amazing read more
4 years ago
I went with one other person and we ordered the buddhist yam pot, roti canai, and the king pork buff. We had a bunch of leftovers; the entree portion sizes were very large. The roti canal was okay but the yam pot and pork were great! The taro pastry part of the yam pot is a little oily, which doesnt bother me at all. The pork buff was similar to tangsuyuk (korean chinese sweet and sour pork), and the sauce was sweet and delicious. The service was a bit slow, but otherwise I would definitely recommend this place as a twist to normal chinatown food. read more
Excellent service and delicious dishes, we had a party of 13 and were accommodated without a reservation. Not sure if this was due to a Sunday, but I've been before where there is a line outside. Ambiance: do you feel like you are in Malaysia, No. However, wooden tables, perfect for big groups and other tables did seem close to one another. It was loud in a good way! Food: oh man the flavors were bursting with every dish. Started with the bread & chicken roti soup. Must Try as it melts in your mouth. We decided to order multiple dishes from seafood rice, calamari, mango chicken, spicey beef....Umm u get it we went it! I loved my Sambal Shrimp and glad I added rice as it was loaded with onions. Spicey beef was tender but both dishes we wanted more Spice! Service: each waiter was very accommodating with drinks, especially quick service for the kids, food was hot and guest were satasfied. It was a perfect evening for the last days in Boston. Thank you read more
2 years ago
5 years ago
Great food. Mango chicken . Malaysian canai is worth trying... loud. Great food. Staff doesn't understand English much. read more
5 years ago
Not very impressed compared to other Penang. Their famous roti canoe is not that fresh. I have been to Penang Philly and Chicago the food is not great compared to others. read more
8 years ago
4 years ago
I love this restaurant. One of my favorites in Chinatown probably because it's different from your generic Chinese restaurants. This is good food fast. All of our dishes were on our table within 10 minutes. Some will say it's all pre-made, but who cares? It's delicious and I was starving. We started with the Roti Canai (which is a must for everyone), the Hainanese Chicken, Malaysian Ribs, Chow Kueh Teow, and a second round of ordering with Fried Dumplings, and the Singapore Rice Noodles. Another feast for three. Even the waitresses had to stop and ask after we ordered the dumplings and Singapore noodles, "For here or to go?" And then when the other waitress put the food down, she smiled and goes "Really? For you guys?" It was mad good, cheap, quick -- everything you expect from a restaurant in Chinatown. And I have no doubt that I will be back very soon. read more
4 years ago
5 years ago
We arrived late at this great Malaysian Restaurant, and yet we were seated straight away, by the pleasant staff. Ordering was easy, we ordered the Pad Thai, Duck, and Singapore Noodles, finishing off with the Sticky Rice. Incredibly quick service and we soon filled ourselves. This was the day after 4th July Holiday, and yet everyone was really friendly and happy to get our custom. This makes all the difference, given that another restaurant had just turned us away. Noted! We will be back... read more
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. read more
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. read more
13 years ago
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. read more
11 years ago
Not too busy and the service was quick and efficient. The food was pretty good but the selection seemed like a lot of the same dishes with slight alterations. Not many vegan options, which is not so great for Asian fusion dining. The mixed vegetable curry with tofu was incredibly flavorful as well as the Indian pancake. Service was average- not much interaction. This is a nice spot to grab a quick lunch; looks more suited for big groups that are going to enjoy each other rather than the space. With that said, the food was great and worth a try. read more
10 years ago
I was excited to come back to Penang because i remembered the food was good. But it was a disappointment... Roti canai was decent, but the portion seemed to get smaller and smaller. It's so odd to me that hainan chicken came in soy sauce. The chicken was tough and it didn't taste fresh at all. Big disappointment. Nasi lemak was okay, very mediocre and i didn't like the sour cabbage. The best dish was the shrimp with string beans. The portion was also pretty small but no big deal. Overall it was a very very mediocre, but I will def return to try their other dishes. read more
I had a wonderful experience at Penang!! I loved how spacious and nicely decorated it was here. My friend and I were seated at a table meant for a table of four which gave us a lot of room! We had the satay bean curd appetizer ($6) to start. It was a huge portion. It consisted of three crispy fried tofu triangles stuffed with cucumbers and bean sprouts. It was drenched in a yummy, savory peanut sauce! I would've loved to have more of the sauce in each tofu because it was so good!! My friend ordered their Lychee drink (with real lychees on the bottom!- $3.50) and I had their Malaysian iced tea ($3.25) and both were filled in tall glasses! The Malaysian iced tea was so delicious. You can taste the condensed milk in it and everything about the drink was so light and refreshing. For our entrees, I had the Mee Siam, which consisted of rice noodles, tofu (you get to choose what protein), onions, and egg. You get to adjust the spice level since the dish is advertised as spicy. I had it mild and the heat wasn't really there, to be honest! I still loved it, though. It was super flavorful and filling. My friend had the Hainanese chicken with rice ($6.50) as well as the Chow Kueh Teow, which was a savory noodle dish served with shrimp, basil, and bean sprouts. She had to pack her leftovers to go because the portions were just that large! For dessert, we had their fried ice cream. It consisted of a large scoop of ice cream, fried, right in the middle. Two fried bananas flanked its side. It was topped with a delicious and very sweet strawberry drizzle. I loved the whole combination. The ice cream didn't melt as quickly as I expected, either. The service throughout the night was great! Everyone on the staff seemed so friendly and kept up with the restaurant's bustling atmosphere. I'd definitely recommend Penang. :- ) read more
6 years ago
5 years ago
I got the Nasi Goreng for take out and it was quick and easy to go pick it up. The food was still hot after I got home (less than 10 minute walk) and I was able to enjoy it at a nice temperature. There was a big portion and I had leftovers for the next day too. It has a bit of a kick but not too spicy for someone who is weak to extreme spice. Definitely would come back! read more
4 years ago
So delicious!! Got the Mee Goreng, Nasi Goreng, roti, and chicken satay-- everything was perfect and the atmosphere is really cool. Nicely decorated and great vibes! read more
8 years ago
OH MY GOD the nasi lemak is to die for. Beautiful restaurant, about a 15 minute wait on a Saturday evening. Well worth it, however. Haianese chicken was so-so but a bite of that nasi lemak more than makes up for it. The prices are more than decent as well. Finished off with thai tea for the table to make for quite a pleasant experience. read more
4 years ago
Food was good rice was very nice needed some sauce crab Ragu was really good probably the best thing they had overall a 4 star in my opinion great but not mind blowing. read more
I came here with some coworkers after an event to unwind and have some dinner. My friend eats at Penang regularly and so I asked him to order two of whatever he was gonna get. I ended up getting this delicious plate with curry chicken, rice, slightly pickled vegetables, cucumbers, and sweet anchovies. It was a whirlwind of flavors in my mouth. I really enjoyed the food and the wait staff was polite and attentive. read more
8 years ago
When you are hungry, this is the place. They bring your order within minutes(make sure you tell them) Amazing food and amazing service We ordered 4 items and everything is on table in 5 minutes, not exaggerating. We completed the entire food in 10 minutes though(lol we are super hungry) read more
4 years ago
4 years ago
We were seated quickly and the food came out just as quick. The braised pork and the stir fried asparagus with shrimp was delicious! We also ordered a roti because how can you not order roti?!? The only issue was that the curry sauce was very watery and not thick enough. As for the interior of the restaurant, it was very unique and has this wooden bridge vibe going on. Would come back the next time I visit Boston! read more
6 years ago
The quality of this place has definitely declined drastically! I ordered a famous dish - Hainanese chicken rice plate- and got mostly small pieces of white meat chicken without skin and the best part about Hainanese chicken is the skin!!! I think I need to buy the entire chicken or half of the chicken next time, at least I can be guaranteed there's skin. read more
Honestly, Penang has been one of my newer favorites. It's been a longstanding Chinatown stronghold and one of the only places I can think of to get Malaysian food in the Boston area. *My perfect meal here would be* Appetizer - Roti (1 each for all diners) - the perfect warm Indian pancake, papery soft but enough to dip in that warm savoury chicken curry. Lick every drip of that curry; don't allow your waiter to take the plate until it's done. 1 each, even though it's a full pancake/full cup of chicken curry, because it's so good I wouldn't get any less than one set for myself. Entree - Nasi Lemak - the classic coconut rice served with pull apart chicken, pickled vegetables, hot anchovies. It's everything you could want in an entree meal and every bite is pure delight. I've gotten really addicted to that rich smooth coconut rice paired with the just-spicy-enough chicken. Dessert - ABC - Polish off your meal with the quintessential sweet shaved ice. I definitely get some mix of the roti, nasi lemak, beef rendang if you want something hotter, and the mee goreng if you want some noodles instead of a rice plate. When in doubt, I'd come here especially with a group. It's sizable, close to Boylston/Chinatown/Tufts T stations, and offers everything I could want on a random night out. read more
More info about Penang
685 Washington St
Boston, MA 02116
Chinatown
Directions
(617) 451-6373
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https://www.penangcuisineboston.com
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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.
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