Penang Malaysian Cuisine

Really wonderful decor inside, and lovely staff, but honestly the food was a bit mid. Left a lot to be desired. Quite basic, plain flavours. The peanut sauce with the satay was flat, and the onions or shallots were distracting. The noodles were low dimensional and slightly watery. The nasi goreng tasted too much of smoked soy or kecap manis. All-in-all okay, but you've only got one shot at eating in Boston's Chinatown, as much as I loved the decor and folks working there, I would advise other places for their food.

Assam laksa 7/10 - flavor profile is right, could be more intense, noodles are slightly overcooked. Kangkung belacan 8/10 - very nice, intense belacan, good wetness level, no complaints. Nasi lemak 7/10 - rice is dry, okay flavor & fragrance. Chicken is curry-style, cooked well, good flavor. Comes with spicy achar, pretty normal and good. Sambal shrimp 4/10 - way too much veg, kinda too few shrimp. Too wet, too little sambal, flavor is off as a result. Fried rice 3/10 - big plate of unidimensional mass of rice, without much flavor. Uninspiring.

Wife and I went tonight (Friday). We got right in with no wait, which was nice. With it being Friday night, they were busy so the service wasn’t the fastest, understandably. We got the spare ribs, pineapple fried rice, and traditional Singaporean dish, Hainanese chicken (the whole reason we went). Never having had hainanese chicken, I loved it! Will definitely be back for more. According to another review I read on here, it is very authentic (I personally have no way of knowing if authentic or not). The pineapple fried rice was not spicy, but very tasty. Oh, and the peanut pancake with ice cream. Everything was phenomenal with the exception of the dessert. It tasted like nothing but canned corn. Do not recommend.

Very solid Malaysian food. My favorite was the hainanese chicken, very tender and flavorful. The vegetable with shrimp paste was also very good.

I recently went back to Penang Boston after many years. I used to love this place, especially the Roti Canai, but this time it just wasn’t what I remembered. The flavor and texture felt different, and it didn’t have the same standout taste that made it a favorite. Prices are still reasonable, and the menu has a lot to choose from, but overall the quality just didn’t match the experience I remembered from years ago. Still a decent spot, but not quite the same as it once was

Really cool atmosphere! Reminded me a lot of a costal fishmarket with all the wood. Service was fast, but not too friendly. Food was good.

Honestly, I was surprised by how big and nicely decorated it is inside, especially since from the outside it doesn’t look like much — and a lot of places in Chinatown are pretty small and packed. They’ve got a ton of dishes to choose from too. It was so hard to pick just a few, so I’m definitely going back to try more. Loved the Penang lobster and watercress.

I’ve ordered from this restaurant several times, and the food is always fresh, well-seasoned, and packed with care. Their catering service is just as reliable. They arrive on time and food is always delivered hot. The dishes taste homemade and you can tell they pay attention to small details. Our guests kept asking where the food came from. If you want a caterer that’s easy to work with and food that consistently hits the mark, this place is a solid choice.

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

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.

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.

Penang has been a round for a while and I have always loved their roti with chicken curry it is so delicious and packed with flavor. I keep the curry and pour it over pineapple fried rice which is also delicious. The squid, chicken, shrimp noodles is a must as it is presented in a mini silver wok. They also offer mango sticky rice and fried ice cream for dessert. Cute wooden decor with attentive service from all.

Penang is a Chinatown staple and their food is always so affordable and flavorful. For an appetizer, their roti + curry is so delicious. Their Hainanese chicken is usually pretty good, but was a little dry this time. You also can't finish a meal here without getting ABC for dessert (which doesn't always look the prettiest) but tastes amazing. The staff are very helpful & nice too. Overall, love this place and would definitely come back.

Came in on a hot summer night for a quick dinner. Red bean slush came right away and was good, fried rice however lacked some flavor. Portion was huge and I had plenty leftovers for lunch the next day.

Came in on a Sunday afternoon with a party of 7 and was seated right away. They have a few big round tables and smaller tables on the "top of the bridge". Roomy and spacious. Some pros and cons - some of the dishes wasn't what I expected but not bad. I did like the roti canai but wished their curry was thicker, it was too watery for my liking. Hainanese chicken is also okay - I'm used to the soy sauce being on the side as a condiment. The Asam laksa was also lacking a bit. It could be a bit spicier. A big bowl of rice is $9 and can feed a large party so if ordering more than a few bowls, opt for the big bowl to share. Not a bad place to stop in if craving for Malaysian

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.

Disappointment by the food here! It's underwhelming by how the taste missed the mark even when it came to simple dishes or what are known to be signature dishes to Malaysia. The poh piah wasn't even close. Shredded lettuce in poh piah??? Absolutely ridiculous. The worst poh piah in my life even compared to those that I've had in the United States. Please remove it from your menu if you can't even get the right ingredients to the appetizer. It gives the a ppetizer a bad rep and distorts the true reality of what poh piah is. Chicken satay was ok. Lacking in taste since some of the common spices used wasn't added such as coriander. Beef rendang was at most more like curry beef. No rendang taste and the meat was dry. I can make better rendang at home. Chow Kuay teow was the only dish that was close enough though missing what we call the wok hei (the smokiness of the stir fried noodles when cook on high heat). Only thing enjoyable that prevented the one star rating. Won't be coming back unfortunately.

Roti is always amazing here, the rest is good. Spareribs are good flavor but fried a little dry. Basil fried rice was good, a little spicy if you like that and not packed with flavor but because of that it pairs well with other dishes. Hainanese chicken was plain ish with sauce as it is traditionally. Overall good, cool ambiance, great service!

If I can give no stars, I would. As a kid, I used to love this spot but after this time I'm no longer returning. Brought home leftovers of the Singapore noodles and my mom was eating it today. Come to find out, she found a PIECE OF METAL in the food.

I enjoyed my meal at Penang. There were so many options to choose from on the menu, and the noodles that I ended up ordering were good - they weren't exceptional, but I did enjoy them. I do have to say though that the service here is amazing. I wanted chicken stir fried noodles, but this wasn't available on the menu, so I requested it from my server and she made it specially for me! And the food came out very quick. The food is also reasonably priced and the portions are huge. As for the ambience, the place is really pretty and has a nice atmosphere. The wooden decor makes it seem very authentic and traditional, and it creates a comforting feel. Overall, a good experience!

I stopped here for dinner with some friends. I think we were drawn in by the interior decor because it looks like you're transported to Malaysia. We ended up trying the following: - Roti Canai: Below average. I found it tough and very chewy. - Chow Kueh Teow: Good. The best dish of the night. - Watercress: Poor. Very fibrous and chewy. - Bubor Chacha: OK. Very basic. Service was friendly. Overall, it looked better than it actually was. Given my limited time in Boston, I wish I had gone somewhere else because the food was on average subpar.

We came here pretty late on a Friday night and the first thing that I enjoyed was the interior design. The inside has a cabin-type look, with wood lining the walls. We were seated immediately, and given menus. The menu was pretty long, and I had trouble deciding what I wanted. The service was quick, I did feel a bit rushed with them bringing the check as we were still eating. Drinks/apps: we both got thai iced teas, and I was surprised when they brought them out in plastic cups. I have never had a sit down restaurant serve me drinks in plastic cups... We also ordered some dumplings, which I enjoyed. The spring rolls we ordered pretty much fell apart as soon as I took a bite. Entrees: I got the Wonton mee which was a nice hot soup! I enjoyed the noodles and broth, it was filling and the wontons tasted yummy! They did fall apart as well after being in the soup for a while. My bf got the asparagus chicken in lemongrass sauce, which was good. The portion was a bit small, but my soup was a good size. TL;DR: The food was good, but I was not overly impressed with any of the dishes. The interior was very nice and felt cozy, the restrooms were also very spacious and clean. The dishes were all pretty pricey for the amount, so I think there are some better places in chinatown to explore if you're looking for something to eat.

I feel I haven't really found much Southeast Asian food in Boston so this was a nice find! Our group shared a bunch - my favorites were the migoreng and the shaved ice dessert. The food was well priced, portions were big enough for sharing with 4-6 people, and the interior was surprisingly nice (you can't tell from the outside). They only take reservations for groups of 8 and larger.

Stopped by for a quick lunch and tried the Malaysian noodles-- a bit different from what I'm used to, but absolutely packed with flavor! I asked for extra spice, and they brought me some chili oil on the side, which was a nice touch. The restaurant is spacious with plenty of seating, making it a great spot for groups. I'll definitely be back if I'm in the area!

Friends that are locals visit this lovely restaurant in Chinatown regularly, so we met them at Penang for a wonderful dinner. They made reservations for eight of us and they had the perfectly sized round table to accommodate our large group. Thankfully, it wasn't extremely busy because we were there for quite a long time. There was no pressure to push us out the door and everyone really enjoyed their food. I had the mango shrimp which was very reminiscent of sweet and sour. It was very sweet, and I was hoping for a little bit more of a spicy kick as it was described in the menu. The chicken satay was delicious and I tasted the chow Fun-which was just like I had when I was a kid. The watermelon (non alcoholic) drink that I ordered was delicious. I specifically asked for no additional sugar and it was light and refreshing. Next time I really want to try the red bean shake!

I'm a big fan of Malaysian cuisine, particularly the roti and curry combo. The combo was absolutely delicious. The squid dish was flavorful, but the lettuce wrap at the bottom wasn't necessary. The refreshing Singha beer complemented the meal perfectly. The restaurant had a casual, fast-food atmosphere and could be a bit noisy.

Great place for a pre- theater meal. I enjoyed my pineapple fried rice- Shrimp With Shredded Pineapple, Vegetable, Basil & Egg In Fried Rice. It didn't have a lot of pineapple or shrimp but I enjoyed the taste. Service was good and the menu was diverse. My dining partner had another shrimp dish that she enjoyed. Prices were reasonable and there was plenty of seating.

A great find in Chinatown and much less packed than the other restaurants in the area on a Thursday night. It was very spacious. I also thought the service was quick and our server was very nice. My friends and I did family style and overall enjoyed the food. The food was very flavorful, but everything felt over-salted. I ended up chugging water after I went home. I would do it again though.

Growing up, I definitely ate here A LOT! I always had great memories eating here & remembered Penang being the place that served pineapple fried rice, in an actually pineapple lol. I feel like their dishes are hit or miss but here's what I like to order: -hainanese chicken -roti canai -Penang curry fish fillet clay pot -shaved ice All these dishes always have great flavor and great representation of Malaysian food! I mean, of course, not as good as you'd find in Malaysia, but to be honest, even the Chinese food in Chinatown is nothing compared to food from China lol. Very good, given that there still aren't really any other Malaysian spots in Boston... Penang is really it, even 20 years later. ALSO, Penang is the only place in Chinatown that offers shaved ice! Malaysia shaved ice aka "ABC"/air batu campur is a little different from Korean Bingsu or Chinese baobing, in which corn is a common topping, and palm seeds! I really like their shaved ice, highly recommend! Sometimes I just come here for their shaved ice haha. Parking: very tricky. It's Chinatown so depending on the time and the day you go, it can either be easy to find or incredibly difficult & you might just wanna go home because of how terrible the parking situation is. Many parking garages and lots around though.

Met hubby's cousin her so was a fail on pictures, but had to write a review for the food. It was quite delicious and reasonably priced. Service was friendly, but a little rushed. When we got there it wasn't very busy l, but by the time we left it was hoping. They were getting ready for the rush, lol. The restaurant is decently sized with nice decor accents.

Really great southeast Asian spot! Great Malaysian and adjacent food. Highlight for me was the Roti Telur, an egg bread appetizer. The menu is huge! So so much to try here. Quick service and a nice unpretentious interior. Definitely excited to come back here!!

I've come here quite a few times over the years and honestly it's never disappointed, however it's never my first choice out of all the Chinatown options. The food is decent and service isn't too bad - portions are honestly a bit on the smaller side so things felt a bit overpriced. I personally am a big fan of their flavored rice and have ordered it every single time I've come since it's the most unique thing on the menu that I remember. The space is quite large so I've never had a problem getting a seat; it's ambiance is quite unique with the decorations as well. Overall, I don't think it's amazing food, however it gets the job done in terms of feeding large parties in a reasonable time and okay price.

Service was quick and helpful. The food was really quite good. The curry's and soups perfectly spiced. The restaurant is spacious. I would come again !

I was craving some beef rendang and remembered that I used to really enjoy it at Penang. I was almost right. The sauces here are amazing. Roti canai - delicious. 5 stars. The curry sauce such a good opening taste for the rest of the meal. Beef satay - 2 stars. The beef was tough though it as a good medium for the flavorful dipping sauce. Singaporean rice noodle - 5 stars. This was the winning entree. Nice flavors. Not many shrimp but each was well cooked. Beef rendang - 3 star. This was disappointing. The sauce was great, but the beef was tough. Seemed like it needed to be cooked for another hour. Chicken curry - 4 stars. Again, great sauce! The chicken didn't suffer from the toughness of the beef but the small shards of bone made it more challenging to eat. Deep fried fish fillet - 3 stars. The flavor was there. But the fish was tough and hard to chew through. Was the fish fresh? The service was kind and fast. I was I could just buy their various sauces as that was clearly the best part.

Disappointed! Food came fast but the noodles for the mee goreng were thin! I'm Malaysian and that's not what noodles are supposed to be! They definitely substituted with lo mien! Also to my fury! When I asked my leftover food to be in a to go box, they have me half of what it was originally supposed to be!!!! They're cheating me off of my money!

Good food, quick service, friendly staff. Atmosphere is cute, located in chinatown. The duck has bone so be careful. Tasty overall and good portions

Friendly service, authentic flavors, good portions and reasonable prices! I lived in Singapore and Malaysia for a few years and the ambience and food bring back great memories. Highly recommended! Clay pot fish, kway teow noodles, beef rendang and kang kung greens are excellent!

I want to give this place 4 stars. But it was just meh Mango chicken was great - delicious flavor. However, the presentation made it hard to eat. They cored out two mango shells and placed the cooked chicken in it. However, they mixed it unusually so that one shell had all the mango slices and the other had the chicken. Also, I marked a spot down because they do charge extra for rice. Thai iced Tea - well made, but was honestly pretty warm. I wish they had kept it in the fridge. It wasn't that enjoyable because it was just so hot. IG: QueenOfAdventureNYC

Decent prices and a great location with distinctive venue. The service is quick and courteous. Likewise, offerings are interesting and diverge from the norm; and is quite vast and varied in terms of influences and scope. Conversely, I found the food to vary between okay to lightly above average. While seasoning is fine, execution is not consistent across the board. All in all, I would recommend this restaurant; especially as Malaysian restaurants are not exactly common in the US.

I believe I ordered Penang Asam Laksa Don't know how it's supposed to taste but I enjoyed it as very flavorful and interesting! friendly service and enjoyable time

Cute Malaysian restaurant (with a small skew towards Chinese cuisine) tucked on the outskirts of Chinatown. The interior is really interesting and gives that southeast Asian feel. The food is mediocre for the price. To our taste there was a little too much salt in all the dishes. We ordered a Kang Kung Belacan, the Hainan Chicken (half), and pineapple fried rice. The fried rice was unfortunately not in an actual pineapple (as it was advertised). The chicken was bomb and the spinach was good. tldr; neat Malaysian cuisine that has very Chinese tones but a little overpriced

This was my first time trying Malaysian food but it won't be my last. We ordered Penang Seafood Rice Noodle and Nasi Goreng with chicken. For the noodle dish, the seafood was cooked well. The flavors were great and the noodles had a nice bite to them. For the rice dish, I liked this one a lot. The portions are pretty decent sizes too.

Penang used to be one of my favorite restaurants but the quality has gone downhill over the years. You can't go wrong with the roti canai but the Hainan chicken and chow Kueh teow is no longer excellent. The whole Hainan chicken is $35 but the portions are tiny. The hot sauce is still excellent but 2 people shouldn't be able to eat an entire chicken... makes me wonder what they do with the rest of the chicken? The chow kueh teow is usually delicious but the latest time it tasted like a flavorless chow foon, it's supposed to have some chili flavor!

We ordered the Indian mee goreng and the prawn noodle soup. Neither was authentic. Service was okay, had to ask for water several times.

I'm originally from Houston and we have amazing Malaysian food so my standards are quite high. Penang is pretty good! Not the very best Malaysian food out there, but still really delicious. There are several vegetarian options and everything I've tried has been fresh and flavorful. I love the wooden interior of the restaurant, and the service is quick. I do think it's a bit overpriced, especially for Chinatown. Some of the noodle dishes are more reasonably priced, but I ordered a tofu veggie stir-fry once for ~$18-$19 and it didn't even come with rice (heads up to check if your order comes with rice!) so I had to pay close to another $3 for that.

Pros: Roti Canai: 5/5 Flavorful and fresh. Quick service Cons: Almost all the other dishes we tried were sub par. It tasted below average. Either lacked flavor or wasn't cooked well. The dishes we tried - green Thai curry, roti tellur, Singapore noodle was the worst. The fish sauce flavor was way too dominant. And the whole restaurant smelled like fish sauce. And the waitress was pretty rude.

Penang offers compelling tastes of Malaysia. Loving their Boston's tea house-like interior with exposed brick walls and wood furnishings. There's always a wait for a table, but the turnovers are quite fast. For dinner this evening: 1) Roti Canai wasn't all soft & flaky, bites of chewiness, though great was the curry chicken dip; 2) Penang Poh Piah, the filling fell apart with the steamed wrap sticking to the plate; 3) Kang Kung Belacan, perfectly sautéed; 4) Hainanese Chicken, good, the meat wasn't as silky as usual. Still, the taste is there with all the dishes. I must change the order on my next visit to include my other go-tos: Mango Chicken and off-menu Spareribs. Along with superb service again, 5 stars? CHEERS!

This place is sooo good. So so many options. Good for groups , getting a bunch of dishes and eating family style, and also good for a date with your husband. Also good for a lunch break. Food comes fast! They have a great drink menu (non alcoholic- like the watermelon drink) and dessert menu. My personal favorite is the mango chicken. It admittedly does not do well as leftovers so enjoy fresh. Come and enjoy all the food!

We were so looking forward to this food. Roti Canai looks good in the picture. Taste was ok. It was good see chunks of chicken in the sauce along with bone. Not sure if they have a vegetarian option. We think they froze the Tom Yum soup. They added too much vinegar instead of the natural sourness of tomatoes. The texture of tomato slices was of frozen tomato. Do not order their basil fried rice! It is just rice soaked in soy sauce with not a trace of finessing it. Tasteless. Not even salt. They did not even attempt to stir fry a bit. Such a waste of money.

Food and service were excellent! Dishes were exactly like what I had in Indonesia. The woods interior gives a great vibe. You know it is good when you see it filled with expat Asians. Highly recommended!!!!

It's always hard to find authentic Malaysian food in the US, let alone in Boston, and unfortunately, Penang was no reprieve from this dearth. My friend and I came by for dinner earlier this week around 5:30 pm - there were 2 other tables when we arrived, and a few more filled in over the course of our meal. The interior decor is really thorough in a traditional village vibe, with lots of exposed brick and wood. We started with a roti canai - which was extremely disappointing. The roti was bland and soggy, nothing like the fluffy and crispy roti that I adore. The curry was significantly better - chicken and potato decently tasty - but overall I was very turned off by this dish, which is arguably one of the most basic/popular Malaysian dishes out there. We also ordered the Indian mee goreng - probably the high point of the meal. The sauce was tasty and noodles well cooked (with a generous helping of peanuts sprinkled on top), but I don't think had a very authentic flavour; it could have passed for some chow-mein-esque dish at a generic American Chinese restaurant. Finally, we had the asam laksa. First, as a note, asam laksa is not the same as the more common nyonya laksa; the former is made with a more sour broth (the 'asam') whereas the nyonya laksa has a spicier, coconut-based soup. This much the server did confirm with us, so of course there's credit where credit is due. I make this digression to emphasise that my distaste for this dish is not because I expected the different type of laksa, but rather because the soup was not great in and of itself. The flavour profile was entirely unbalanced, with the broth way too sour than expected. The mackerel flakes did not taste fresh, and the other veggies just seemed haphazardly thrown in as an afterthought. The noodles tasted fine though, although that is not much of a redemption. That being said, to Penang's credit the price point was not the highest, especially for the relatively large portion sizes. However, for this quality of food, I really do not think that I will be coming back anytime soon.

penang has authentic malaysian food. my favorite is their roti canai ($6), which is a type of bread that comes with curry. my boyfriend and i also ordered beef rendang rice ($14) and cantonese chow fun ($15.50). i thought that the chow fun was ok, but wish it had more seasoning. the beef rendang rice was super filling and flavorful - we loved it! the ambiance of the restaurant is nice. it's quite different compared to other restaurants. customer service was good and the waiters were friendly. overall rating: 8/10

I was raised in Malaysia and I crave Malaysian food time to time, which I find Penang to be as close as it gets. The food here is honestly so good all around whatever you get and the prices are reasonable in my opinion especially with the quantity. You should come here with a group of people to share and try all the dishes! There are a lot of seats and tables, along with food coming out relatively fast and the waiters being efficient. Love it here!

The food was horrible, the beef curry like stringy, grisly beef heated up in a microwave. It most certainly was since my food arrived in 2 minutes. And they did tell me they charge five bucks extra for a tiny bowl of rice. Steer clear

Not only is the food here both cheap and tasty, but the restaurant itself is also impressively clean and cozy.

Quick late dinner after my bf picked me up from airport so it was great they are opened until 10pm Ordered roti appetizer, hainanese chicken, and spicy sizzling beef dish. I had high expectations for the roti but it was SO chewy that it felt underdone. The parts that were crisper tasted better but overall so disappointed :( For hainanese chicken, it was good but certain parts of the chicken was for sure dry. The sizzling beef was really tender so A+ for that because most Asian places don't tenderize it enough. It's most definitely not spicy, at all

I've visited other Malaysian restaurants in the US and was excited to find one in Boston! I took my boyfriend to Penang for his first Malaysian restaurant experience and he absolutely loved it. We got the roti canai, chicken satay, Kang kung belacan and the Hainanese chicken. The roti and curry sauce was a little thinner than usual but both were still delicious. The chicken satay had good flavor and was tender. The veggies and Hainanese chicken were amazing and delicious. The only complaint I have was that the entrees did not come with rice, you have to order them separately. The dishes were a bit on the pricey side and for the cost of them, it would have been nice to have rice included. It won't stop me from visiting again though!