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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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Grandmas Philly - Pad Kee Mao "Drunken Noodles"

Grandmas Philly

4.2(608 reviews)
0.5 mi•Avenue of the Arts South
•$$

I personally always enjoy coming to Grandma's. The food has always been delicious and I'm…read morepersonally a fan of dishes coming out as soon as they're done. I do recommend making a reservation as they can be pretty slammed on Fridays/weekends. The Srirachi wings had a nice crunch to them while still keeping the chicken juicy inside. It would've been nice to have an even amount of wings to drumsticks though, as I like flats more, but thats just a personal preference. The crabmeat fried rice was amazing, a really good portion of chunks of crabmeat mixed in so each spoonful had some. The duck curry was a "Grandma's special" so a much bigger portion and cost - but reasonable. The duck wasnt dry and had a good flavor throughout, not relying on the curry to give taste. The curry also had a hint of sweetness to it which complements the greasiness of the duck. The papaya salad felt very refreshing - we got it at level one as to not overpower our taste buds with all the other food. I did get some chili pepper on the side to add in later. My one recommendation is having Thai peppers as an option instead of dried chili flakes. I much prefer the taste of fresh Thai pepper to add the extra heat. The mango sticky rice is always a favorite. The mango is soft and ripe, the right amount of sweetness. They also mix pandan in with the sticky rice for a more impactful umami (Im also a big advocate for pandan in desserts).

Finally got to try Grandma's after hearing about it for so long, and I completely get the hype now…read more Everything we ordered was SO good. The mango sticky rice, curry dishes, drunken noodles, crispy puffs... honestly, 10/10 across the board. And the drinks were amazing too! I was also really impressed by the vegetarian options. The tofu was delicious, and there were so many things I'd happily order again. Portions are generous, too. It is a little tight inside and definitely gets busy, even during lunch and I do think it's a little on the pricier side. But for me, the food makes up for it. This feels like one of those local spots you're glad you finally tried and immediately start thinking about what you're ordering next time. Definitely a 10/10 for me. Would absolutely come back and recommend!

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Grandmas Philly - Walking in!

Walking in!

Grandmas Philly - Crab flutes

Crab flutes

Grandmas Philly - Thai Sausage

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Kalaya - kanom jeeb nok (bird-shaped dumplings)

Kalaya

4.4(660 reviews)
1.9 mi•Fishtown

It was an amazing meal and in every dish a scrumptious balance of textures, flavors, heat/spice,…read moreand color. Everything we tried was excellent, including the cabbage which may seem simple. The river prawn was very delicious, with deep and complex flavors and the perfectly cooked texture that soaked it up. The service was very helpful and friendly, and the space was definitely busy but open and not cramped. So glad we could come!

great restaurant ambiance and good service. loved the vibes and decor of the interior and the…read moreserver was attentive, changed out our plates after the appetizer (which honestly wasn't super necessary they were not dirty at all lol) and checked in with us throughout the meal. in terms of the food i would say i had really high expectations and unfortunately they weren't met. the thai soda was nothing special it tasted like any store bought tropical flavored juice with a slight carbonation. i was expecting something more a more unique flavor profile. the chicken dumplings appetizer was a good bite but they were SO TINY. i will say the flavor was strong and you can taste all the different spices in the dumpling and the cucumber does a good job balancing out the intensity of the spices. will prob not get again tho idk if it was worth entrees were much better imo. the beef curry was quite salty and sweet but it works well with the jasmine rice. the crab curry also had a good amount of crab meat in it, not overly spicy, and good flavors overall. the flavors of both curry were quite strong so it was nice that the jasmine rice was unlimited. portions were still quite small tho we also got the gui chai. as someone that usually dont like chives that much, i enjoyed it especially in terms of the texture. it was a mochi like texture and crunchy on the outside. the sauce also complemented the dish rly well. overall i would say the dining experience was nice but idk if the food was exactly up my valley and considering the price i prob wont go again.

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Kalaya - Bar Area

Bar Area

Kalaya - Gong Ob Woonsen (Shrimp & Glass Noodles w/Bacon & Chinese Celery)

Gong Ob Woonsen (Shrimp & Glass Noodles w/Bacon & Chinese Celery)

Kalaya - Goong Ob Woonsen (Shrimp & Glass Noodles w/Bacon & Chinese Celery)

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Goong Ob Woonsen (Shrimp & Glass Noodles w/Bacon & Chinese Celery)

Xiandu Thai

Xiandu Thai

4.2(720 reviews)
0.4 mi
•$$

We went visited Xiandu Thai a year ago and the food was delicious minus one thing we didn't really…read morecare for. However overall it was some of the best Thai food we had in Philly and we used to live in the area years ago. We decided we had to come back and see if the food was still just as good and the results are in...IT WAS! First the customer service is still really good and the server was beyond friendly and attentive. The restaurant itself is still super quant and perfect for a girls dinner or a date night! Now onto the food! We ordered the Sexy Shrimp appetizer, Pad Thai, Dan Dan Noodles! The Sexy Shrimp appetizer was good but we weren't really a fan of the dipping sauce that came with it. It was like a chipotle dipping sauce but I think the a traditional Thai Sweet Chili would have been better. But my, my, my the Pad Thai and Dan Dan Noodles were Phenomenal! Portion size was HUGE, flavor and spice was spot on and honestly, I wish I could pick up this restaurant and move it to DC where we are located! Still phenomenal and we will continue to return everytime we come back to visit Philly!

Phenomenal place! I love Xiandu Thai and they offer a good deal Happy Hour and their menu overall…read morehas some great options. Drinks are made well and reasonably priced. I love good Hendricks martini But I also do stray away from some of their original cocktails. The Chicken Pad Thai is my absolute favorite here. I always ask for spice and extra peanuts! Never disappointed. The Drunken Noodles are also a go-to favorite. Their starter options are sized appropriately so you'll have room for dinner. Bonnie & Peter are remarkable and they have an amazing staff. Xiandu is such a kind and friendly atmosphere with a beautiful ambiance both indoor and outdoor. Located right on Walnut Street you'll see beautiful views from their full bar (with two TVs) and they also have a beautiful patio with spacious seating. I would recommend Xiandu for a cute lunch, beautiful romantic dinner and a place to really come have some amazing Thai cuisine!

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Xiandu Thai
Xiandu Thai - Angry Beef

Angry Beef

Xiandu Thai

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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

Penang - malaysian - Updated October 2026

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