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Penang

3.7 (1.3k reviews)
Closed • 11:00 am - 11:00 pm
Updated over 3 months ago

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PENANG ATMOSPHERE

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

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Hind A.

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.

Mira J.

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!

Seafood noodle soup
Retna S.

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.

Trish L.

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.

Dried Curry Chicken with Rice
Utsav R.

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.

Roti telur
Ramesh A.

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.

Laura P.

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.

Hainanese chicken over rice
Uyen N.

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.

Sabrina H.

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.

Kang Kung Belacan
Michelle C.

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.

Payal P.

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.

5 Penang Satay Beef
Amy P.

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.

Beef Rendang
Meredith R.

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.

Green Curry Chicken in Clay Pot

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Mawn - Crab fried rice

Mawn

4.7(273 reviews)
1.0 mi•Bella Vista, Italian Market

Was finally able to grab ANOTHER coveted Mawn reservation after a year of trying for 4:30pm (right…read moreas they opened) on a Thursday night! This time having had one visit under my belt, we decided against the chef's tasting (no hard feelings, just didn't want to end up with another whole fish) and not a single thing disappointed. We started off with the head on soft shell shrimp, mahope samut seared scallops, and burmese ginger & melon salad which were all so fresh. I think of the group my favorite was still the tasty head on soft shell shrimp. For our mains to share we tackled the all star seafood fried rice that was prepared with uni, lump crab, bay scallops, shrimp, crab fat butter, trout roe and then also had the delectable yellow curry noodle soup that featured blended coconut curry, shaved cabbage, long beans, herbs, peanuts, and we chose chicken as our protein. For two people it was MORE than enough to share and we even ended up taking home a portion of the fried rice. For desert we had the jasmine rice pudding which was to DIE FOR and really icing on the cake to a perfect meal. The service was prompt, pleasant, and the staff very frequently changed our plates and silverware which I'm coming to expect in "hard to get" restaurant experiences. The venue itself is small and intimate, but you don't feel squished in the slightest. Cannot wait to be back in another year!

First time at Mawn from a last second reservation cancel!…read more There were so many good sounding appetizers I wanted to try but we decided to stick with the papaya salad, clams, garlicky cabbage. Clams were cooked well with a very flavorful tom yum and cheese buttery broth mixture. Papaya salad was some of the best I've had and I've eaten a many papaya salads... it was more vinegar/fish sauce side. The garlicky cabbage was my waitress' favorite menu item and i was kind of dissapointed. The cabbage had a good flavor from the mixture of furikake and the sauce but overall it was very oily and salty. The scallop toast was one of the specials and it was absolutely delicious!!! Best item of the evening. There was scallops on a toast, brown butter, and salmon roe. Honestly, we were very full by the time our main dishes, the khao soi and yellow crab ramen came out but we made an effort to eat both. Neither was overly impressing, the khao soi was some of the better khao soi around but the usage of ramen noodles rather than flat egg noodles which I'm used to, definitely took away from the experience for me. The yellow crab curry was surprisingly more spicy than we expected, which could be a good or bad depending on the customer. The vibe here was very fun. All the staff were extremely attentive, engaging, friendly, and helpful! You have a window view of the streets of south philly to a low lit room with a sophisticated moodlit room.

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Mawn - Inside

Inside

Mawn - Banh chow salad (served with shrimp and chicken however, we 86ed the shrimp)

Banh chow salad (served with shrimp and chicken however, we 86ed the shrimp)

Mawn - Fried chicken

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Fried chicken

Heng Seng Restaurant

Heng Seng Restaurant

4.6(33 reviews)
2.3 mi
•$

Delicious option for kuy teav[1] - Cambodian noodle soup - and they're open early (9am)! Besides…read morenoodles, try their special fried rice, it comes with all the proteins, including savory beef. Full of locals. Bring headphones if you're easily triggered: a dude answered two calls while I was there, and when he wasn't talking on the phone, he was endlessly on the TikTok. When he left, it was blessedly quiet except for noodle slurps. Quick service. Last I was here, the server was busy. When she had a moment, I left my seat to pay her early. When I got back to my table, my bowl was gone. :( On the bright side, there was very little left, but I was hoping to savor it... :D Limited seating. Cash only. There's a TV. (Thanks to whoever put the BBC on!) Warning: In the men's bathroom, the hot water can get extremely hot. [1] Anyone who knows me knows that I'm extremely loyal to a different kuy teav restaurant - this is my backup kuy teav spot.

Not sure what all the hype is about, but I won't be coming back for the following reasons:…read more 1. The place is very small, extremely crowded, and the wait is long. 2. The female server was very rude. 3. I found a piece of human hair in my dish and asked for a replacement. The waitress clearly didn't want to replace it and tried to convince me it was corn silk. Seriously? Do they think I'm a fool? It was obviously a strand of hair. I almost threw up. 4. The portion of the dishes is very small!! Not worth the price! I do not recommend this place.

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Heng Seng Restaurant - Interior

Interior

Heng Seng Restaurant - Special rice platter, to go (also comes with a sauce)

Special rice platter, to go (also comes with a sauce)

Heng Seng Restaurant

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Southeast Asian Market - Stuffed chicken wing

Southeast Asian Market

4.7(43 reviews)
3.9 mi
•$$

HOW DID I JUST FIND OUT YOU CAN CHECK IN HERE?! Omg, I've been coming here all the time and…read moreapparently only have ONE check-in. What a crime. Anyway, I absolutely adore this place. It's usually PACKED, but one of my little tricks is to come on a cloudy day or when it looks like it's about to rain. The crowds thin out a little, and honestly, I prefer it that way. More room to wander around and figure out what I'm going to eat without having to squeeze through a sea of people. What can I say? I LOVE everything about this market. There's such a great mix of Southeast Asian food, along with other Asian cuisines, so you can come back over and over and still find something new to try. My personal favorites are the Cambodian skewers and the Vietnamese rice shrimp cakes. Those are always on my radar whenever I come here. One thing I've noticed is that the vendors and their locations can change around more than I expected. I initially thought the same vendors would always occupy the same spots, but nope! There's always the possibility of stumbling across something new. This time, I found a Chinese skewer stall near the left entrance that was almost completely sold out by the time I got there. That's how you know people are coming through! I also spotted a new Taiwanese-style place. Meanwhile, my friend was having trouble finding the lemongrass Philly cheesesteak lol. And the newer fried crab stall? ALWAYS has a line. That's part of the fun, though. You never quite know what you're going to discover on your next visit, and you can easily turn this into a whole food crawl with friends. Even the little details add to the atmosphere. The leftover sugarcane bits scattered on the ground almost look like wood chips, and somehow it all adds to the lively, slightly chaotic market feeling. It's not some polished, sterile food hall, and I honestly wouldn't want it to be. The vendors and staff are usually absolutely SWAMPED because of how many people come through, so I'm not coming here expecting fancy restaurant service. I'm here for the food, the variety, the atmosphere, and the chance to discover something new every time. It's charming, lively, delicious, and such a fun way to experience different Asian cuisines all in one place. Bring friends, come hungry, and be prepared to walk around several times because you'll probably keep spotting things you want to eat. I love this place. Clearly, I come here enough that I should have figured out the check-in situation sooner. See you again soon!

I have been following Ca's Tra on Instagram and specifically went today to get their Milk Tea - we…read moregot the Ca's Special Milk Tea and The Creme Brulee Roasted Coconut Milk Tea (today's special) - both were phenomenal! Definitely get their Ca's Special, it is loaded with fun colored jellies, boba and flan! We also stopped by at a Thai vendor to get the Khao Soi. The broth was rich and flavorful, the fried egg noodles were fresh and crispy and the meat was perfectly cooked. This weekend market is a must if you are in Philly between April to October.

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Southeast Asian Market - Assortment of Grilled Goodness

Assortment of Grilled Goodness

Southeast Asian Market
Southeast Asian Market - Ca's Tra Milk Teas

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Ca's Tra Milk Teas

Little Cambodia

Little Cambodia

4.0(2 reviews)
2.5 mi
•$

Little C. is located in the heart of South Philadelphia. It's pure Cambodian culture at its best…read more For the most part the people are very kind and peaceful. It is really a very tight and closed community. There's a temple of worship that was built by hand from the monks that reside there as well as the people within the community. Often you find families outside playing in front of there homes or in the park across the street. It's common for the locals to be grilling in front of their house and selling there food for a small profit. You will find the unique scent of whatever is cooking in the air all year round. On the downside it's very dirty. The sidewalks and streets are lined with food scraps and debris. It is not such safe place to travel at night. It is known to have gang activity.

The corridor of 7th street between Oregon and Tasker can best be described as 'Little Cambodia.'…read more For those willing to brave the neighborhood, there's some secrets to be found here in the warmer months, May to September. The groceries in this area are cheaper than any place on Washington avenue and just as varied (if not moreso). The real reason to come down here is the street food. Anywhere in this area, but particularly along 7th between Ritner and Snyder, you'll be able to find street hawkers selling freshly open-air grilled beef and chicken at a single dollar per serving (two servings and some sticky rice for $2 for a total of $4 is enough for a meal). The best thing to try to get in this area if you're adventurous is the papaya salad from any of the hawkers (I prefer the fat lady at 7th just south of Winton, around 2130, I guess). In Thai, it's called somtam, but it is of Cambodian origin and called bok l'hong. Its hot, garlicy, salty goodness is fantastic at $5 no matter which hawker makes it for you (and it's prepared fresh to order by all of them, too). It's an enormous amount and really, it's enough for six people as an appetizer salad. Goes great with sticky rice. There're also hawkers along Moyamensing between 8th and 4th and around Mifflin Square at 6th and Ritner (NOT Mifflin, oddly enough) and they all carry the same sort of stuff. If you're worried about the area, there's a hawker on the south side of Jackson St near Mildred between 9th and 8th and that area's a tad less rough. I'd give five stars, but sometimes you'll venture here and find no hawkers. Their availability changes with the weather and on colder or rainy days, you'll find no one.

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Little Cambodia - Cambodia Town has little markets and shops in addition to the bountiful restaurants.

Cambodia Town has little markets and shops in addition to the bountiful restaurants.

Little Cambodia - Beautiful architecture, temples, and statues line some of the streets of Cambodia Town on 7th st.

Beautiful architecture, temples, and statues line some of the streets of Cambodia Town on 7th st.

Little Cambodia

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Nam Vang Restaurant

Nam Vang Restaurant

3.8(55 reviews)
6.3 mi
•$

You like Kuytiev Phnom Penh? You like Banh Mi Thit Nguoi?…read more Nam Vang has some of the best bang for your buck in both categories in the whole city. My oldest brother and my sister in law swear by this place and they're from the old country. I was born in the new country, not too far away on West Chew Avenue, and had been going to the attached market formerly known as Hong Kong Supermarket since the 90s, and Nam Vang is just as much the real deal for me. I usually go to South Philly for my Asian groceries, but I'm really tempted to start taking an extra five minutes of driving time, losing 5 minutes of parking time, and coming up here to shop while also grabbing a bite. The banh mi are well-filled with super creamy pate, crunchy pickles, jalapenos that are actually spicy, and the coarse ground ham and cha lua pork roll we all know and love - all toasted to flaky perfection. It's honestly in the running to unseat my all time faves at Cafe Saigon further down Adams Ave, and is comparably priced. Only $6 gets you one of the best sandwiches in town. And finally, the real thing you came for, the Kuytiev Phnom Penh, or as seen on Viet menus across the city, Hu Tieu Nam Vang. The broth is perfection. The combo of meats and toppings is comprehensive. The standard "pork three or four ways plus shrimp" combo has got everything you need. A squeeze of lime, some bean sprouts, and chili oil or pickled chilis gets you past where you thought you could go on Flavor Ave. Pho wasn't my first noodle rodeo as a kid. A big pot of Kuytiev was. And to be honest, when I was a kid, I hated flavor. Too stimulating. I was also much skinnier. I have the opposite problem now, but I legit regret every bowl of of my Aunt's home made kuytiev that I barely ate, back when my metabolism could handle more than one bowl a month. These noodles taste like a happy childhood. Or if you're less poetically inclined, they taste like some of the best, most underrated noodle dishes in all of Philly. Get some.

I wish there're more meat in my Hu Tieu Nam Vang but it's pretty good. Not 100% what I expect a hu…read moretieu nam vang is but it cured the craving. The Bun Bo Hue is great too.

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Nam Vang Restaurant
Nam Vang Restaurant
Nam Vang Restaurant - Special rice vermicelli

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Special rice vermicelli

Penang - malaysian - Updated October 2026

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