I really love Penang, and I honestly think that people who don't like it just haven't ordered the right dishes. Their tofu curry is, hands down, the best homie vegetarian meal in Philly. It's incredibly flavorful, comforting, and feels like true home cooking. It's such a simple dish, yet very packed with flavors. I've even dined here with meat-eaters who said they preferred it over the restaurant's meat dishes and thought it was the best item on the menu. I also highly recommend the roti canai. It's another simple dish that's full of flavor, and the curry dipping sauce is absolutely delicious. This time we also ordered the fish with the sweet and sour sauce, and it was very good. The sauce had a great balance of tangy and sweet without overpowering the fish. Penang isn't a trendy or particularly a "cute" restaurant, and the service isn't exceptional. But if you're going for the food, it's absolutely worth a visit- especially if you're vegetarian. read more

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We had originally planned a 15 person reservation for tonight and the tables were ready upon our arrival for our 6:30 resy. Due to last minute additions we were at about 19. They were able to accommodate which was great and very kind because I know this is not typical. From there they took our orders in a timely fashion and water pitchers were provided. From there it seemed the food took forever (expected for a big group) but it came out in distinct stages. One of our tables had their food and were finished before the next received entrees. From the time we ordered around approximately 7-7:15pm, our table of 6 respectively from our group did not receive their entrees until 8:30pm. However the beef chow fun was delicious and we scarfed it down asap. I understand waiting extended times for large parties, but to see smaller tables come in (3-4 people) and leave before we had our entrees was disappointing. Since the food was still overall good I'd like to come back with a smaller group and try some other menu items. read more

We always come back and eat the roti canai, Kang klung veggies, and Penang chicken with white rice, which is very flavorful. Highly recommended. Couple of downsides are that they charge for hot tea and eliminated a few dishes. read more

Food is amazing and reasonably priced. Service was slow but worth it for the food. My family is from out of town and I brought them here many moons ago, and they still talk about how good the roti canai is from "that one place in Chinatown". read more

I have some great friends, and this outing proved just that. I planned a Sunday field trip, something I'd like to implement monthly, to the African American Museum for the Ruth E. Carter Afro futurism in Costume Design exhibition (Sinners, Wakanda Forever, etc.). And what do you need on a field trip? Lunch! We looked at the options around us, considered dietary restrictions, and decided Penang was the place for us. And they did not disappoint! Service was great... We were immediately seated. The weather was a bit chilly, and when we requested a new space away from the door, we were accommodated without incident. When I tell you the roti with curry changed my life?? I could eat that everyday and not get tired of it?! It's sooo perfect! Sheesh! We ordered a lot of different dishes, so we kind of shared around the table, leaving nothing to be desired. The green curry seafood in clay pot was delicious! I mean, every variation of curry I tasted was somehow the best curry. Haha The mango fish was sooo good! The fried vegetable dumplings were amazing. I will surely be back. I don't even care if I have to get it delivered, I will be enjoying this food again! read more

Penang - Malaysian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Every single time I order from here it never disappoints!! I usually order the penang pad thai and the curry tofu with rice. One of my favorite restaurants in chinatown read more

My husband and I dined here before going to Chinese Lantern Festival. There were not many people there. You have to use the QR code to see the menu. No more a pot of hot tea. Maybe they are cutting cost. It took forever for the waiter to take our order. He's very stoic, no smile. It took quite a long time for the food to arrive. In the past roti canai came out fast. Roti canai was delicious as always. Chicken satay: the chicken was definitely much small than before. Seafood sizzling plate: it was a disappointment. Lack of flavor, squid was hard to chew, I felt like chewing a rubber. Service was definitely bad. I had to go to the counter to ask for the bill because our waiter was hard to find. I asked for containers for the leftover. I asked two waiters but the containers never arrived. Finally I asked the girl whose job was to clear up the tables. She was friendlier than the waiters and gave me the containers right away. I think she should be promoted. There's a discount for paying with cash. read more

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My boyfriend and I tried Penang for lunch on a recommendation from a family member. We ordered the roti canai as a small app to share and we thought it was unique and flavorful. I ordered the huge bowl of wonton soup with noodles as my main and my bf ordered Hainanese chicken. The soup came out extra hot and the wontons were fresh. I loved the addition of noodles bc it made this a very hearty dish. My bf was a little disappointed in his choice because he found he was picking through a bunch of small bones the entire time. It was likely a mistake on his part ordering. The flavor was good, though! I loved the decor and our server was very nice. read more

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The food was very good. Customer service however, was horrible. From the beginning the server had an attitude and looked like he'd rather be anywhere else. We had asked for him to bring out a physical menu for a member of our party and a knife, and he never did. He had also given us a dirty and stained plate - which shouldn't have been served in the first place. He really never tended to us during our time there, only really coming to us to get our order and bring the food. The food very good, but the experience as a whole was horrible enough to overlook it and not come back. read more

Penang used to be a mainstay for us in NYC, but all the locations there shut down years ago so we were happily surprised to find one in Philly. Ordered the Roti Canai, which wasn't great, and the Dry Curry Chicken, which was outstanding. Service was friendly and prompt. The fake fireplace on the dual mega screens was a bit kitschy but it was nevertheless a fun place to relive some good memories from this chain's better days. read more

Penang - Dried Curry Chicken with Rice - Malaysian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Penang is one of my favorite restaurants to eat in China town in Philly. This place gets busy during peak times and typically a wait time. This is in city so parking is going to be challenging but there are lot of paid parking lots closer by. The interior is good and maintained well. I ordered Roti canai with Chicken sauce and also vegetable sauce. The Roti very thin flaky bread and that goes with that Coconut curry style chicken sauce. I can easily go for more than 3 Roti canai's on a good day .lol... Then ordered Roti Telur which is the stuffed with onions and egg between the Rotis and good for sharing I wouldnt recommend it for individual meal. This also comes with chicken or veggie sauce. We ordered their classic Curry chicken with bone and this time it was too much turmeric but typically this is a great food to enjoy. Singapore street noodles was good with good combination of veggies and perfect texture. Overall had again a fantastic experience at Penang. read more

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I've been here a few times, and whenever I'm craving Malaysian food, this is my go to spot in the city. I always order the roti canai, it's a must. The satay is pretty good too, though I usually only get it when I'm with friends since the mixed satay platter is perfect for a group of three. The curry dish was flavorful but could use a bit more spice in my opinion. The menu is available via the QR code on the table, they accept cards but you can get a small discount if you pay in cash. read more

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nasi lemak is good; they have a pickled veggie that has a peanut flavor that is super good. The meat in the dish is beef rendang I believe. Chicken over rice is my go to! Lots of meat, taste delicious, and affordable. Satay is good but the meat was kinda burnt. read more

Penang - Hainanese chicken over rice - Malaysian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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I really enjoyed dining here and would highly recommend it if you are visiting Philly. We got the roti with curry sauce, which gave a mix of Indian food naan and Chinese scallion pancakes vibes and it was amazing to dip in the curry sauce! We also got noodle and chicken and the sauce on the chicken was so flavorful and great. I loved it! The servers were also very attentive and refilled our water cups. The food was also served really quickly. read more

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We were walking around Philly and came across this Malaysian restaurant! We wanted a good combo of a vegetable-based appetizer and an entree so we got the Kang Kang Belecan (10/10) and Fried Pearl Noodles (the noodles were indeed pearls!). The foods were not greasy at all - I think they did a good job of balancing chewiness, savoriness, and spiciness. Service was kind and regularly checked in with us. I was a bit disappointed by the state of the woman's bathrooms - between the two bathroom stalls there was a malfunctioning toilet and a broken door. Otherwise, the whole place is quite beautiful! A wonderful place to eat and the high ceilings gives a level of spaciousness when eating we really appreciated. read more

Penang - Kang Kung Belacan - Malaysian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Penang is amazing! I've been going to this Malaysian restaurant for years. We quickly got a table because we went on a Monday afternoon. The place is pretty big and it was pretty quiet inside. Ended up splitting a roti canai, satay chicken, and the chicken curry. The roti canai was so tiny. I remember a couple years back it was a lot bigger. Skimpflation has really hit Penang! It was still really good however. The satay chicken was also really tiny but I liked how they cooked it. It also looked like quality chicken pieces. It did have a small side of onions and cucumbers. The peanut dipping sauce was to die for. The chicken curry I highly recommend getting. I really liked how the chicken was thinly cut. I also really liked the texture and taste of the curry. The curry was so thick and flavorful. I can't believe it took me more than 10 years to try the chicken curry from this place. read more

Penang - Malaysian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

3.5 rating. I've been multiple times, haven't been disappointed. My most recent visit was the first in a long time. The menu changed to QR codes, fine, but menus didn't have any description of the dish. I'm pretty sure the physical menus in the past had descriptions telling you what was in the dish. Server was quick to come take our order but then we had to flag the server down multiple times because items were missing or just taking a long time. Restaurant wasn't busy at all. Food is good though. Roti always good, got a side of coconut rice. Tried the Penang satay beef. Beef was soooo good!!! Just overcooked and dry though, i can imagine how great it is when cooked properly. I can't remember the noodle dish name but it was solid, nothing amazing but good and they didn't cheap out on the protein. read more

Penang - 5 Penang Satay Beef - Malaysian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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As a loyal customer of Penang for over nine years, this recent visit with my boyfriend was the most disappointing experience I've had. We arrived at 8:30 pm, knowing the restaurant closed at 9:30 pm, so we rushed to order. To our surprise, we were greeted with an unpleasant and hostile service from our server. He persistently tolled everything--foods, water, and extra sauce--across the table as if we were bothering him. At 9 pm, one of the servers started sweeping around while we were still eating, banging on the chairs, which made us extremely uncomfortable. We could go on, but I hope the restaurant takes action to address this issue. If it continues, I won't be bringing my family or friends here. I genuinely love Penang, but I shouldn't have to feel this way. Please address this problem immediately, or you'll lose your business. read more

Penang - Malaysian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

As a fan of Penang in Atlanta we ventured into what I'm guessing is their branch in Philadelphia. (Perhaps they're not affiliated. Beats me!) I'd certainly return, but that would be after I try at least a dozen other restaurants in Chinatown that pique my interest. With that said, other than the bread I wouldn't duplicate this order. For an appetizer, we went with Roti Canai, a flat bread that comes with a chicken curry dipping sauce. Both the bread and the sauce are delicious! Beef Rendang is good if you have a hankering for Jewish pot roast. I'm telling you, it's reminiscent of what I grew up with in Brooklyn. So lightly spiced, I'd never know it's Malaysian. And the fried squid?! A big no. You can't taste the squid underneath all that fried stuff. With a bunch of servers all helping out, service is efficient and impersonal. The place isn't cheap. Not terribly expensive, but for the price of entrees they could certainly throw in a ball of steamed rice. read more

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Met my friend for lunch and bring her first time she asked me to pick my faves. Roti cani - large thin flat wheat bread cooked on a hot flat surface then folded and served with a side of chicken curry to dip. So delicious! Main course s of chicken curry in a hot clay pot - taste the sweet coconut milk and the hot spice that's subtle but the wows your taste buds! Fried squid with chilis so light and crunchy. Beef rang dang - my favorite has a delicious rub of spice and tender beef cubes. Service is fast and the staff are super helpful and friendly. I could eat here every week - guess what I'm going again this weekend with another friend! read more

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Penang is a sit down Malaysian Restaurant who used to be, in my opinion, the gold star for Malaysian Restaurants in the city. But over the past decade or so, things have changed. Their chicken satay is having smaller pieces than ever, higher prices, and seems to be overcooked more often than not. Their Roti Canai seems to have smaller protein in the dipping sauce. The service seems to be more curt than it used to be and very transactional. There's no more free hot tea. And of course those dreaded QR Menus which are made worse since (1) the prices on those menus do not match what's on the website and (2) there is no description of the menu items on there so unless you really know your Malaysian Food, you may not know what you're getting yourself into. And these cuts have happened quite dramatically -- it's not just inflation at play. They're still good but they have started to cut corners which is a shame, because they were so good. It seems like they're starting to coast on their reputation and it shows. The other things nobody ever talks about: - Water: The water here has a funky taste... but you're in Philly so this is par for the course. - Restrooms: There are two Men & Women Restrooms though it can be tight getting there since the walkway is shared with where the waitstaff gets the food from the kitchen. - Accessibility: There is certainly seating options if you're in a wheelchair but the restaurant is certainly very tight to navigate so it could be tricky. - Seating: There's plenty of seating. - Will it fill you up? In general, yes, but it's less food than before for sure. read more

I've been here multiple times since moving to Philly, and Penang has always been my go-to spot for Malaysian food... but honestly, that might be changing. The food quality has noticeably gone downhill over the past few months. To start, my party of four asked for a pot of hot tea. The server told us it would be $5, which is fine--especially since it was freezing outside and the restaurant itself was cold (the heat didn't seem to be on). But near the middle of the meal, I asked for a refill (literally just more hot water), and the server came back with the owner/manager and said it would be another $5. That's ridiculous. The tea is already made--charging another $5 for hot water is wild. The service didn't help either. The server was pretty stoic, and the whole interaction felt awkward, especially while I was trying to order off a QR code menu that had zero descriptions of the dishes. That lack of explanation definitely caused issues. For example, we ordered the Singapore rice noodles expecting something curry-based, but it tasted like a sweet-and-sour ketchup sauce instead. Not good--and totally avoidable if the menu actually explained what the dish was. As for the food, the roti canai was disappointing. The curry was watered down and lacked flavor compared to previous visits, though I'll give credit where it's due--the roti itself was nicely toasted. I don't know what changed, but something clearly did, and it feels like a leadership issue. Overall, this visit was really underwhelming, and I won't be coming back anytime soon unless things seriously turn around here. read more

Beware of asking for hot tea, they charge $5 for it. This is not acceptable in Chinatown. I will not be back again. read more

Penang - Beware of asking for hot tea, they charge $5 for it. This is not acceptable in Chinatown. I will not be back again. - Malaysian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

My go to order here is Beef Rendang and Roti Canai with Chicken curry. They have been consistent in taste and quality throughout the years. Service is super quick so if you are in a rush, this is the perfect place. read more

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Ordered king pork buff yesterday for dinner it was over cooked, meat is very dry. Don't go there anymore. read more

Penang - King port buff - Malaysian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

You really do need to flag someone down every time. Nevertheless we persisted and enjoyed our family-style feast for four! To start, we got two kinds of roti canai, chicken and vegetarian. Both were too watery and a bit lackluster. Entrees made up for it! The seafood with crispy noodles are generally my favorite, I dare anyone to mess this up. Chicken chow fun was some of the best I've had! Beef randeng was a bit forgettable and the portion size was smaller compared to the other dishes. Tofu mango was the star of the show and everyone's (minus the one who doesn't eat fish) favorite! Great balanced flavor. They were super busy at 7pm on a Monday, though there was no wait, and a little touristy. By 7:30-8 it cleared out a bunch, so if you're thinking of dining during the week, come closer to that time. read more

Penang - Mango shrimp and the beef randeng - Malaysian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Per a recommendation from a friend, we came in to try this place for some Malaysian cuisine in Chinatown. Busy inside with full large tables, we had a feeling it was going to be a challenge when it came to time and service, but we were keen to wait and not sweat it. We got drinks when we waved someone down for some water and then were able to order when we flagged someone else down after seeing others order who came in after us. We got our drinks a bit late. I ordered the satay tofu appetizer, which was so gigantic that I didn't need to order an entre. It was large for no reason, and the sauce was a bit spicy and overpowering. We tried the Chow Kueh Teow with only veggies, and this was a favorite dish with the right amount of sauce and flavor. We weren't honestly impressed with the service or the food, so we will probably bounce around to try other places in Chinatown instead. read more

Our family had dinner here during a recent stay in downtown Philly. It's located in Chinatown. This restaurant came highly recommended by my siblings who had eaten here a year ago. It serves traditional Malaysian cuisine. I thought the food overall was good. I was disappointed that rice did not come with the food and was an extra charge although we ordered a number of family style dishes. Service was also lacking. Our server failed to provide appropriate utensils or extra napkins. Definitely an area for improvement. read more

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Omg i was not expecting this place to be so good. I don't remember what I had ordered but I do remember curry flavor. It was tasting like a good soup with potatoes and meat with curry flavor. So good. Service was okay. Place was nice and very clean. read more

Penang - Very good flavor!!!! Sorry I dont remember what it was. - Malaysian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I've been coming to this place since 2022, and I never expected to feel this disappointed. What should have been a simple, enjoyable visit turned into a very uncomfortable experience due to the behavior of one of your servers. I politely asked about a menu item I couldn't recall, and instead of receiving basic courtesy, I was met with dismissive body language and an attitude that made me and my friend feel unwelcome and disrespected. Let me be clear--this isn't about one small mistake. It's about a noticeable decline in service standards. The difference between how this restaurant used to operate and what I experienced today is significant. The professionalism, warmth, and basic respect that kept customers like me coming back seem to be gone. I'm sharing this because I believe management should be aware of what's happening on the floor. Experiences like this don't just affect one visit--they change how people perceive your entire business. I genuinely hope this is taken seriously and addressed immediately. I would prefer to update this review with a better experience, but that depends entirely on how this situation is handled. Looking forward to a response. Service 0 to 5 food 2 tp 5 read more

One of my favorite places to stop by when in Philly. Their food just hits different. Even with a 2hr travel time, the food was delicious when I arrived home. My favorites are the Crispy Golden Fried Squid, Shrimp Puffs, Roti, Fried Tentacles w/ a side of Chicken Rice. read more

Penang - Crispy Golden Fried Squids - Malaysian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Penang's is a place I was put into from a friend. Fell in love instantly, I first ate here with a take home order and recently visited to dine-in. I love their chicken curry with potatoes and onion. It's sooooo good, I always order a side of roti as well because why not? lol The service was great and easy too, a slow Thursday so I was greeted, seated and served fast. With my food coming out even faster than expected fresh and hot. Ended my time that evening with some tea to settle my stomach and enjoyed to eating area big and spacious for a group of friends/family. Chill and nice place eat downtown in Philly's Chinatown. read more

Penang - Chicken Curried Chicken with Rice and Onion Roti Home Made Roti Canai - Malaysian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Came here on a cold Sunday afternoon for a late lunch. We were seated quickly with maybe 4 or 5 other tables already seated. The place is quite large compared to other restaurants and very clean inside. We got wonton soup and pad thai, both were very good and deliveredquickly to our table. Portions are large and I appreciated we weren't rushed out, as we were excited to relax in the warmth. You save 3% on your check by paying cash. read more

Penang - Wonton mee soup and pad thai in the background - Malaysian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Menu is not really easily accessible and kind of confusing unless you're already aware of the dishes they serve. Asked a server what we should order since it was our first time and he looked at us like it was a bothersome question. He said, "it depends what you like... rice, vegetables, chicken, beef, seafood..." so no help whatsoever. We literally had to use their menu on DoorDash to see images and descriptions of the dishes. This all took far too long and was made way more complicated that it needed to be. We would have loved if anyone could have just recommended a few dishes to us, since we were game to try anything. We ended up ordering a few popular items but were just underwhelmed. Food was alright but a bit overpriced. Rice was kinda cold, oddly. 5 dollars for a single piece of roti? Restaurant was far too cold and kitchen was insanely loud. Cups were old plastic and need to be replaced. Can't say we'll be returning. read more

Visiting chinatown from outta town and stumbled upon a busy Asian restaurant. They front said they had the best appetizer in town - curry chicken roti, so had to drop in for a try. We were lucky to be seated promptly. Food came fast, service was fast, a quick paced establishment. Curry chicken roti - As an appetizer, this was impressive. Tables with more people ordered multiples of this dish. Very tasty in terms of flavour. the curry was more watery than I was used to and came with 2 potatoes and 2 pieces of chicken. The roti was the star of the show; super thin, crispy but light, buttery. Would recommend. Hainanese chicken rice - This is of the bone-in version with a bit of other variations that I am not used to. The chicken was sitting in a pool of soy sauce vinegar mix and served with a spicy vinegar sauce. It also came with a bowl of chicken oil rice. Chicken was tasty with the sauce, but the bones were a bit brittle and there were some shards shattered around the meats; a bit annoying. Did not care much for the rice. Nice to try, would not recommend again. read more

Penang - Malaysian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Restaurant was busy but not too crowded. The decorations were plain and forgettable. Even the servers were lackluster. However I came for the food and left satisfied. The home made roti canai was excellent. The soft roti enhanced the flavorful chicken curry. read more

Penang - Home Made Roti Canai - Malaysian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Went with my family on a Saturday around 2:30pm. It wasn't busy. Relaxed casual atmosphere. My husband had the Malaysian iced coffee and really enjoyed it. I shared the Penang seafood fried rice and a chicken and beef satay mixture with my husband. Rice portions are generous, we both ate and still had rice left to take home. The rice was delicious and I was happy to find fried rice that is not drowning in oil. The satay were so good, the beef especially had a kind of sweetness almost to it something very subtle and the peanut sauce it came with was my favorite and the rest of my family enjoyed it as well. My dad has the chicken fried rice and he enjoyed it too. My sister had the Mee Siam which had a nice spice to it and the noodles texture was just right. We also shared the fried ice cream with the bananas and it was awesome! Some improvements could be to update the paper menus, not a fan of QR code menus. They were out of a lot of the drinks on the menu and staff could be a bit more friendly. read more

This restaurant is busy. Located in Chinatown, there's only street parking or use a parking garage. The lighting is darker but it makes the place feel more intimate. This would be a good spot to bring friends, go on a date or eat out with your family. The restaurant is short staffed but the staff is so friendly. It may take a little longer to get your order but definitely worth it. We ordered a mixed satay plate, green nasi lemak, beef rendang, and roti with chicken curry. Where we sat I could see the kitchen staff make the fresh roti, stretching it thin and cooking it. The roti was good and went nicely with their chicken curry. It had some chicken chunks and some potato, majority was the curry sauce which was liquid. The mixed satay plate came with chicken and beef. Both meats were flavored and grilled nicely, the peanut sauce was honestly amazing. It really elevated the skewers. The green nasi lemak is basically fried rice which was good, had a nice flavor to it. Our favorite dish was the beef rendang. So tender and melt in your mouth pretty much. The beef rendang sauce went so nicely with their coconut rice. Flavors were well balanced and I honestly wish we ordered a bigger portion of it, but everything we ordered was the perfect amount for us. read more

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Stopped by and got some roti chanai to go. Place was pretty busy (6pm) when I arrived. Food came out pretty quick and I will come back for the Nasi Lemak! read more

Penang - Interior - Malaysian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I have been here a few times and every time I have gone they have not disappointed. The service is great. The food comes out in record time and at a good pace. I always opt for the roti canai and haianese chicken with rice dish. They do have various options. I forget the noodle dish but it was spicy. So, please make sure if you do not like spicy food to please let them know! read more