Sambal 三佰

With a modern / upscale take on local cuisine, Sambal delivers fusion food with a flair. While the menu is exciting, the food was palatable but nothing spectacular - except for the ‘entangled prawns’ served in a rich aromatic broth with a hint of alcohol. The signature lap Mei fun, popular for its generous toppings of pork lard, did not meet the perfect golden crisp required. Stuffed squid was leaning more to sour in taste and so we couldn’t fully enjoy it.

Before heading back to KL, we stopped by Sambal for lunch, and it turned out to be one of the highlights of our Penang trip. We shared the following dishes: 1. 3 Girls with a Dirty Guy : Homemade salted fish pork patty sandwiched between fluffy baos in three unique flavours. Fun, flavourful, and a great start to the meal. 2. Rempah Ribs : Fall-off-the-bone tender! These ribs are so soft, you only need a spoon. Packed with spices and cooked to perfection. 3. Udang Untangled : Our absolute favourite. Imagine a bold mix of Thai glass noodles and Chinese drunken prawns, all steeped in a rich, creamy prawn bisque. A flavour like no other. 4. Char Siew BIP Rice : Aromatic jasmine rice paired with their house special honey BBQ pork belly, soy sauce, and a runny sunny side egg. Comforting, savoury, and satisfying. Every dish was thoughtfully crafted, well-balanced, and bursting with local and regional influences. Udang Untangled was the standout; unforgettable and worth returning for. The restaurant has a cosy, modern kopitiam-style vibe with fun, cheeky decor that adds personality to the dining experience. Prices are reasonable for the quality and creativity of the dishes. Service was warm, attentive, and knowledgeable. The staff were happy to explain the menu and offer recommendations. Highly recommend Sambal if you’re visiting Penang and looking for something different from the usual hawker fare. A creative, flavour-forward dining experience that’s perfect for curious palates.

Outstanding experience. Kitchen does a great job. Our waitress was excellent, soft spoken and very good at being a server. The appetizer Mango salad is delicious and worth it. The fried could have been better, but I still took home what I didn't eat. The squid is decent. The tiny clams were consumed completely!

We dined at your restaurant recently and overall had a delightful experience. The food was flavorful, and we particularly enjoyed dishes like **"3 Girls w A Dirty Guy"** and **"Udang Entangled"**—the creativity and taste were impressive! The **Honey Lemon drinks** (both iced and hot) were also refreshing, and we appreciated the option to adjust sweetness levels. A special shout-out to **staff Kelvin Ching**, who was exceptionally friendly and attentive. He took the time to explain the menu thoroughly, making our dining experience more enjoyable. His professionalism and warm service truly stood out. However, we encountered an issue when requesting a bowl of white rice to complement one of the dishes. While we had ordered **Lap Mei Fun** and **Teow Chew Nang**, we asked a staff member (a lady with dyed hair) if plain white rice was available. Her response was abrupt, stating it wasn’t served. Later, when my friend politely inquired with Kelvin, the same staff member (with golden hair) interrupted impatiently, reiterating her earlier reply in a dismissive tone. Her attitude was unprofessional, and we overheard her gossiping about the restaurant, which was disappointing. While we highly appreciate the delicious food and excellent service from staff like Kelvin, one unprofessional team member can detract from the overall experience We hope this feedback helps reinforce training on customer service consistency.

The food was packed with flavor! The four dishes we ordered for two people were more than enough to satisfy our hunger. The chicken wings were the highlight of the meal. They had excellent flavor, and the ultra-thin yet crispy skin provided a fantastic texture.

Friendly service and catered for requests. Dishes were ok, tasted nice but no standouts. Meatballs were nice although basic, squid salad was nice and ribs were tender albeit a bit dry. The tapai dessert was too tart. Cocktails were good.

Great dining experience. The food is done to perfection. We were recommended the S&P chicken wings, Udang Untangled and 3 girls and a dirty guy (pork + fish bao) All the dishes tasted great and we enjoyed them. Thanks for the good recommendations. The place requires prior reservation - this could be mentioned here for guest to know. Prices are on the higher side but overall a great experience

Accidentally chanced upon sambal - and decided to give it a try as it looked promising. There were seats for 2pax at 6pm on a Wednesday. Excellent service and atmosphere. Food were some hits and some misses. Some were basic, too salty and others were good. Would recommend prawn vermicelli and pork pate meatball. Worth a visit for a nice and relaxing dinner.