Penang Restaurant Reviews

My brother and I had a great meal here. We found them while wandering through Chinatown looking for a restaurant for dinner. Plenty of diners, so that was a good sign it would be good. Started the meal with the Crispy Pork Intestines. Really good. Followed by House Special Pork with Yam and Penang House Special Squid. Both were excellent. Especially enjoyed the squid. Would definitely come back when in the area.

Looking for a Chinese landed at Chinese Friendship Gate and stumbled upon Penang it was very authentic ! The staff were very polite and we were given some Traditional tea which was great after the cold weather then the food arrived be warned portions should be shared as they are massive we learned the hard way after ordering starters as well ! Can only say everything was terrific my favourite was the satay to die for and prices were cheap for what you got I would go back truly great and used by the local community very busy , defo worth a visit 👍🏻

NEVER in a million years would I come here!! First off the waitress we had was so rude. She didn't want to serve us and when food was delivered to the table the food was COLD!!!!!! When asking to get another plate the waitress made a huge fuss and tried to refuse to take it off the bill. Overall I would never come back the food was not that great and I would never recommend going to a restaurant to be served cold food!!!

This is a busy, friendly restaurant in the heart of Chinatown. As visitors to Philadelphia we were unfamiliar with the menu but the helpful staff kept us right. The views into the open kitchen were an unexpected additional entertainment ! We enjoyed Shrimp Puff, Vegetable Spring Rolls, Chicken with Ginger & Scallions and Mango Chicken. Each of these was well-presented and delicious. Altogether a great way to experience an unfamiliar restaurant.

When we have visitors from out of town, I took them to Penang. Because their foods were good. However, their food quality must have degraded and even my wife noticed. Her chicken curry dish had so much oil and my sea food Sarang tasted exactly like Chinese food. As for dessert, we ordered ABC, shaved ice with red beans, was awful. The orange colored syrup tasted so artificial.

I have weird tastes so ordered beef tripe soup. I started eating and I realized that there was no tripe whatsoever in the broth. I called the server who assured me that what was in my bowl was tripe, I then called the owner who tried at first to pass fatty brisket for tripe and then changed tactics and explained that the three tripe items they have on the menu are prepared with a different kind of meat. For the price of a soup I was patronized and treated like a fool, which I was as I should have checked my food before touching it as, this way I could just have left. I will not go back.

This used to be one of my favorite places to eat. I have been coming here with my family for over 10 years. The food is usually great and the staff is quick. HOWEVER, we went last night to celebrate my brothers graduation and ALL of our seafood dishes had rotten shrimp in them. My brother is not very food conscious but even he pointed out that the shrimp had a bad taste. My mom and I tasted the shrimp from all the seafood dishes and had to spit it out. She told the waiter and sent back a few pieces for the chef to try, only for the waiter to come out and say that the chef didn't taste anything wrong with it and the best he could do was take 20% off our bill. We weren't looking to get any discounts, we were simply trying to make the staff aware of the rotten shrimp. My mom was mostly concerned about the chef's judgement. She has been in the restaurant industry for decades and was appalled when the chef said he didn't taste what was wrong. Those of us with seafood lost our appetite and left with our plates still full of food. Money and time wasted. Not sure if we will be returning, such a shame considering this was a staple restaurant for us :(

I really enjoyed this restaurant. This restaurant makes me feel like I am in the hawkers squares back in Georgetown Penang. The rotie is a must try.

I used to love this place but I went yesterday and didn't like the food or service. I rather eat a grilled cheese at home. It was very disappointing. Service was terrible. We were first served with green tea which was cold and was promptly replaced with a nice hot one. Chicken Sathay was amazing. Yum yum was just an extra chilli soup with no lemon grass or flavors in it. Veg spring rolls were burnt and after complaining our waitress just smiled. The roti cannai was very okie. The roti was not how it used to be crispy n greasy. Won't go there again. Penang has become a penang express with no quality sorry to say that.

We come here at least every month, we’re regular customers and I have to say I love the food here! Quality fresh and so delicious!!! My kids are usually picky eaters but whenever we dine here they eat everything. If its you’re first time dont skip the Roti Canai, its an all time favorite and we never come here without ordering it.

This place, located in Chinatown, had great food but it was just bordering too busy to enjoy. The menu is huge and pretty much has every concoction of Malaysian cuisine you could imagine. The food was actually pretty great however you might get indigestion.

Some friends and I were in Philadelphia for a work conference and walked to check out china town. After reading some reviews, we decided on Penang. We were greeted as soon as we walked in and brought tea over right away. I ordered basil chicken which is a favorite at a place back home. It was ok. It was lacking a little flavor. My two friends ordered mango chicken and a lo-mein dish. The mango chicken looked tasty, she just said it was “good, nothing spectacular.” With all the other restaurants in the area, I might check some place different next time I’m in town.

The restaurant was very busy, but our food still came out relatively quickly. The dishes were very flavourful. Highly recommended for families as even my picky 12 year old found a dish he enjoyed.

I degraded this restaurant to terrible in 2016 after the original owners sold the restaurant. I revisited this restaurant twice a few months ago (September and December 2018), and I am happy to report that the QUALITY HAS BEEN RESTORED to its best level for a Malaysian foodie. We tried various dishes and all of them excellent again. We inquired and were told that a new owner took over the restaurant about a year ago but was told that the kitchen staff was the same that has been with the restaurant for decades. The previous owner must have not treated the staff well for their food to be so terrible in our 2016 visits. The new 2018 owners seem to know how to keep their kitchen staff very happy.

Decided to eat in Philadelphia’s China Town and walked by Penang and chose it for lunch. I ordered the Chicken & Broccoli meal with white rice. On a scale of 1 to 10 I would give the meal a 7, the service a 9 , the cleanliness a 6.

Great place to dine, busy spot with many different choices to choose from. Good place for lunch and dinner for any occasion with family, friends or for dining alone. Service is great and the food is absolutely delicious.

I lived in Malaysia for 2 years and always try to find Malaysian or Indonesian restaurants wherever I visit, but they are few and far between. I have been to Penang at least three times, twice in the last week. Roti canai is just like my memory. Chicken curry was good but not as good as my memories.

Have been going to Penang for 16 years now. the cost hasn't changed much and the food is as tasty as it was 16 years ago. good and quick service.

Ate lunch while attending conference. Service and food were both good. Food arrived at reasonable time so could enjoy meal and return to conference.

I heard a lot of this place and perhaps that increased my expectation a lot. But, truly in my humble opinion it is not so great. Firstly, the taste is very important. Good taste is like soul of the restaurant but, at Penang neither I found taste nor the food presentation to any degree of pleasantness. Secondly, Penang needs to change its silverware and plates and perhaps all of furniture. It didn't feel good at all from experience and ambiance perspective. Thirdly, Penang must seriously reconsider its wine on cellar. Felt like the White Wine had no essence left, still it was served. It was as plain as tap water. Finally, maybe it was heightened expectation or really bad Chicken Satay (over cooked and very sweet) that made me really dislike the place. And it was not like the dishes were dirt cheap or anything. The prices were all at par with any mid-range eateries, so I felt like I did not get any value or pleasure.

This place in in Chinatown where, as you can imagine, the competition is fierce. Had the best chicken satay I ever had. Chunks of well marinated chicken and very good peanut sauce. Sauce was nothing special but the chicken was great. I decided to go light, so I thought, and ordered the Noodles with Duck. A HUGE bowl came out full of very tasty broth with hunks of duck & vermicelli style noodles. It was very good and I had enogh for a next day snack. Would recommend for a casual meal.

Bro and I stopped here in search of an Asian restaurant that would stand out. Well, we found it. This place was packed! So we figured that they must be doing something right. One thing we noticed was that we could see the kitchen staff hard at work right in front of our table. They were rolling pasta like crazy, wokking up aromatic delicacies, and filling orders left and right. We ordered Tsingtao Beer -- what else? -- but make the mistake of ordering sake. That was my first faux pas of the evening. I was told in no uncertain terms that Japanese rice wine is not served at a Malaysian restaurant. Oops! The food we ordered was Spicy Crispy Squids, served hot and spicy. They are described as "fried squids tentacles in chef's special sauce." They were served as a high mountain of tentacles rising about 2 inches from the plate. See pic. Both bro and I are well acquainted with squid, but these were the first we've tried that were fried in this fashion. Ironically, the more we ate them, the less we were sure whether we liked them or not. Strange. We then noticed 2 young ladies near us who also had a massive plate of fried squid tentacles on their table. We asked them if they liked the squid. One of them said yes, while the other wasn't quite sure. So 3 out of 4 people surveyed weren't sure if they liked this 10 dollar appetizer. Of course we ate all of them, because that's how we're wired. If you pay for 'em, you eat 'em.

Penang never ceases to amaze me. Fast service, friendly staff and made to order deliciousness. I loved the Glass Noodle Clay Pot and the Chicken LoMein - MADE for my friend THANK YOU!!

The place is beautiful. Clean and nice furniture. The service was good and the food really nice. The place looks fancy, but prices are really good. Definetely a good place to hang out with friends or family.

Very authentic considee this is the US. I cant find anything close to this level of authenticity in the whole west coast of US. Love it.

I was in Philadelphia with friends on a cold rainy day. We headed to China Town for dinner and learned that our target restaurant had closed. We found Penang Malaysian and decided to give it a try. The restaurant was busy and we saw that as a good sign. In retrospect, we should have asked for recommendations as first timers. We each ordered different dishes. As I started to order the spicy prawn soup the waiter told me he didn't recommend it as I would find it too spicy and fishy. I happen to like spicy but even fish shouldn't taste fishy. He suggested the wonton instead. It was fine but nothing special. Three of us had noodle dishes. My Singapore rice noodles, a dish I have ordered in many different places, arrived on a chipped dish. I did not want to wait longer so I turned the dish so the chip was facing away from where I was eating. The flavor was mild while listed as spicy, not bad but not notable. More notable was the need to dig to the bottom of dryish noodles for 4 small over cooked shrimp. Another at the table had beef randang. Again ok but not notable. Two other noodle dishes, pad Thai and a basil dish rounded out our meals. We ate, the prices were fair. The waiter spoke English and was attentive. Other than a chipped dish there was nothing bad about the meal. However, in a city with a reputation for restaurants at a restaurant in the heart of Chinatown, we expected more.

Food always delicious and service is very good. Cant go wrong with the curry chicken or the mango shrimp!

This is a good place for a meal. Lots of Malaysian items on menu and spice level is just right. Waitress was helpful in identifying what choices would be good on a cold freezing night . The tea makes a big difference on a cold night . The variety of options is quite good. Prices are reasonable too

We came here as a party of 8. They were accommodating considering the small space. We ordered the curry/Indian bread appetizer, beef curry, chicken satay, beef chow fun, mango chicken, fried rice, calamari and pearl noodles. I would say our favorite dishes were the curry/Indian bread, beef chow fun and chicken satay. All the dishes were delicious though!

No atmosphere, difficult to converse with, an abundance of staff. We were advised of this restaurant by our hotel as we wanted Chinese food (Penang is in China Town, Philly). It was very difficult to order or ask questions about the food or menu due to non/limited English speaking staff. We managed to order what we thought we would be pleased with and then we asked for sweet and sour sauce. The waitress said 'we are malaysian, not chinese'...

We visited for lunch while up in Philadelphia for a convention. The food was a little spicy but not terribly so, even though the menu denoted it as spicy; it was flavorful and plentiful.

The food was good, and reasonably priced. I would say very authentic. There was a huge selection. What I didn’t like was the service. It seemed disorganized. Many different people dropping things off, and at different times. The help seemed largely inattentive and disinterested. It was a busy Saturday night, but overall I expected a better experience.

With so many choices on the four-page menu, it was hard to decide; but the food is delicious and the servings generous. Bustling with activity, the service was friendly and efficient and the experience captured the ambiance of thriving Chinatown.

I visited Penang few days ago, and the experience was really bad. Now my tummy is rumbling. I ordered noodle in clay pot and hainanese chicken. The pork in the noodle clay pork was spoiled as it had sour taste in it and it smelled funny. I brought my concern to the waiter as I wanted to notify them about the pork. He asked if we want another one, I said no, because I was afraid they may just use the same pork. He took it away and then came back with the pot. I told him I would pay for it, just take it away because it made me sick by just looking at. However he refused to do it, and insisted on placing the pot on the table. What kind of service is that? Also the hainanese chicken was undercook (as you can see in the pic) and it was cold.

The wife wanted Chinese so we walked down to Chinatown looking for “something”. With so many restaurants to pick from we just happened upon Penang. My wife ordered the seafood crispy noodles unsure as to what it was. It was spectacular! The broth mixed with the crisp noodles was delicious. I ordered the stir fried pearl noodles and they were very good as well. We saw the cooks making some sort of bread and asked what it was. It was a handmade pancake appetizer so we asked to try that as well. It came with a great curry. The “pancake” was a very light puffy bread that was delicious with the curry. As a reference for the title, my wife and I have spent a lot of time in San Francisco and have eaten at many of the restaurants in Chinatown there.

Having livd in Malaysia, I can nly say that this restaurant serves some very authentic Malaysian cusine (among others). Oh Roti canai how I have missed you. The Sizzling plate of chicken with pepper was partcularly amazing, and I can also recommend the Nasi Lemak and the Crispy noodles with stirfry. The vegetable dumplings are a great starter as they basically melt on your tongue.

Avoid this restaurant. I have been going to Penang since last 7 years. It was very good restaurant in the pest. In fact, it was one of the best restaurant in China Town, Philadelphia, if you like Malaysian Cuisine. In last 1 year their food quality deteriorated significantly. Many items which were cooked delicious in the past is horrible to eat now. It is not only food quality that went poor, but also the price where they started cheating. They add up the bill and tax and then IMPOSE a 18% TIPs on the total amount and charge that amount to your credit card. They do not give you the option to give TIps on your choice. In the past I gave tips between 12%-20% based on the service quality of that waiter on that day of service. Now, they just force you to pay the maximum tips on the total bill. Poor quality food + cheating on bill. = Horrible restaurant. Avoid this restaurant.

Penang is a wonderful restaurant! A friend and I wandered in after a conference and were delighted with the pretty set- up and open kitchen. I love the teapots they leave at each table, and the menu seemed full of yummy choices. I ended up ordering the curried veggies with rice, and my friend got mango chicken. Both dishes tasted fresh and delicious, and the portions were huge! I would go back given the first chance!

We took a chance without reading any reviews and were delighted with the selections and authenticity of this food. Try it!

Really good good. In the middle of China town. Great atmosphere, nice decor, friendly and professional service. The waiter really wanted to make sure we knew what we were ordering as far as heat level and flavor. They have some exotic fare like you would find in Malaysia or Singaore. Very reasonably prices but portions are not American sized. Parking is terrible, must find a parking structure or walk a good ways. Please, if you are in the area and like south east Asian food, make sure you sample Penang.

The food is a classic collection of Malaysian, Indian and Chinese dishes. Go there for a time with your family or friends and a slightly exotic time which is on a budget.

We visited here attending a conference. First it took 32 minutes to take our order. But more concerning, they gave my order to someone else who took a spoonful before they realized the error. Since we were at the table near the cooks, I watched carefully to see what they would do with the contaminated food. The lady who got the wrong order even warned them that she had tasted the food. The cook simply put the clay pot back on the fire and attempted to serve it again. Of course I caught them and pointed this disgusting behavior out to the new server. Wonder what they have done when no one else was watching. Never coming here again. Absolutely disgusting!

Ordered the roti canai and chicken rice. Both were mediocre. As someone who used to live in Singapore, I found the chicken rice surprisingly bland and the roti canai just seemed too thin. Neither were terrible, but they didn't live up to expectations.

Other than the Petronas Towers, chowing down at Penang would be no different than chowing down at Valentine Roti - clammy and humid, crowded, aromatic.... The standard bearers of roti canai and nasi lemak are executed pretty well here and variations of aren't bad either. Prices are fair but service can be disorganized and slow though. In addition, their use of damaged/chipped dishes is troubling for they should not be used for hygiene purposes, not to mention safety.

Grabbed a late night take out when I arrived in Philly. Chicken satay, pad Thai and spring rolls. All awesome. Nice friendly server on the take out desk.

I got the Pad Thai. It was pretty inexpensive so I thought it wouldn't be filling and thus I ordered a side of brown rice. The Pad Thai was good and very filling.

I had a truly disappointing experience at this restaurant. The service was horrendous, with food being unceremoniously thrown onto our table. The manager was rude and completely unresponsive when we brought up our concerns; he didn't even have the courtesy to apologize. We repeatedly asked for utensils and dinnerware, and after 4-5 requests, we finally received our utensils, but still no water. Overall, it was a frustrating visit, and I cannot recommend this place based on the service we received.

This is a great place to stop in for some delicious chinese food. What a selection!! It was hard to choose because there was so many items. There was a group of four of us and we had one appetizer and two main entrees and it was plenty for all of us. We had mango chicken which I've never seen at the place near my house, but I would get it in heartbeat again. The mango is cooked with the chicken and served in the mango skins!! It is just a little spicy so that you can taste it, but not overly so. It was delicious. I don't remember what appetizer we had, but we all loved it and then my old favorite of beef cow fun. OUTSTANDING!!!! Stop in here and you won't be sorry.

My favorite dish was the roti canai! We asked for vegetarian sauce and it was so flavorful. The tofu satay was light and crispy but the sauce was a little bit too sweet for my taste. Thai basil noodle was yummy.

Not Fancy but the food is good. I had the Basil Chicken and enjoyed it. Service is typical and friendly. I would gladly return.

Just a short wait for clean table. Great food, attentive service. Hot tea and BYO. I did not like the Roti, but hubby and friend did. mango shrimp, pad thai, chicken and veggies. all great. keeper

If you love somewhat spicy foods, this is the restaurant for the Asian traveler. Some Asian restaurants serve cuisine which has, as I term it, "Americanised", this restaurant serves authentic tasting Malaysian food .

Order: Roti Canai, Chicken Satay, Curry Mee Price: $29 Pros: Hands down the best Roti and Satay I've ever eaten, Cons: The food was exceptionally spicy (I loved it so not a negative, just fair warning) Thoughts: As our final meal for the day we settled on Penang mostly due to the amazing reviews for Roti which we both love. It also got phenomenal reviews for almost everything else. Apparently we got pretty lucky because when we showed up the restaurant was mostly empty and, based on reviews, the place can get very busy at times. The interior design was very interesting; some of the tables were small round steel tables that almost looked like a wok with a metal disk as a lid. Overall it looked very much like a Chinese market, and led to a unique overall décor choice. I’ve seen it done in a similar way several times but this was the first one that did it effectively. Once we sat down and got our customary tea we put in our order we were surprised how quickly the food came out. We were unsurprised but delighted that both the roti and satay were delicious. The roti was thin but not too crunchy and the spicy peanut sauce was just mouth wateringly perfect, just the right level of spicy with plenty of flavor. The satay was perfect as well, crisp exterior with moist interior, tons of flavor cooked into the chicken, and the perfect sauce to accompany the chicken. We both loved the appetizers and would have easily eaten two of three of them. Once we polished off the appetizers we moved onto the main course. Once we dug in, we confirmed my suspicion that my wife basically just doesn’t like traditional Chinese food. The Curry Mee was honestly good, if exceptionally spicy, but neither of us liked it. I don’t want to talk too much about it because I don’t believe it was the quality of the food that caused us to not like it, it was just the type of food and I really don’t want to knock a place because I don’t like their type of food. We absolutely loved the roti and satay, and I would go out of my way to eat here again. I’d probably try some other dishes as well and if you already know you like authentic Chinese then you should make sure to stop in.

Looking for somewhere to eat. Give this place a try. Food was delicious, prices reasonable. Went there on recommendation of local. Service great and place was packed on a Thursday evening

I was so happy when I found out that this restaurant was so close to my hotel. The service was excellent and fast even when it was very busy. As a Malaysian, I found the food to be quite authentic. The baby oyster omelet was very tasty. During my weeklong visit, I visited the restaurant multiple times. A must visit for Malaysians or South East Asian individuals.

It was conveniently located right at the entrance of Chinatown in Philadelphia. The hubby and I ordered roti canai, nasi lemak( Malaysian coconut rice with fish in a spicy sauce ), vegetable spring rolls,and Thai basil noodles. All the food was excellent but my sambal for the nasi lemak was a disappointment. It did not resemble the spicy sambal that I know the dish to be. The service was great! All our dishes came within minutes of ordering. I would definitely come again.

After hearing so much about Penang it's been on my list for so long. Food was disappointing! We had the roti telur which has the roti with egg and onions. The curry was Delish. We had chicken satay but it was quiet dried out. The curry along it was tasty though but sweet. We had the Indian mee goreng the noodles were not as tasty and chicken was dried out. It was in brown oily sauce not recommended. We had mango tofu it was beautifully served but tofu was deep fried and very sweet. It wasn't as flavorful. We also had the Penang spicy chicken which came out as sweet and sour chicken with deep fried chicken in this extremely sweetened sauce. We couldn't eat it! The Singapore noodles was ok. We had Zinfandel and Sapporo beers. The service was inconsistent but they are all nice. We made reservations in advance because we know how busy it gets.

We loved this place, very busy and friendly. THe food was exceptional. We hada seafood dish and a noodle dish and it was plent of food for two. I will be jonesing for the sauce on those noodles for a while! Go right now :)

If you don't mind a lot of activity swirling around you, this restaurant has great food and very quick service.

was a very nice cozy place, authentic food and great customer service. reasonble prices and a place i would go back to in philly

Always love coming here. The one here and on Elizabeth Street in NYC are great. The Roti Canai is always what I get. The lychee drink is great too.

I took Nasi Lemak. It was too cold and bad. Looks like, they do not serve fresh and quality food. My wife took Lo mein and that was bad as well. Finally their bill was another shock. They charged 18% TIPS on the top of the total bill. In the bottom of the bill there were a few tips suggestion like 15%, 18% and 20% but they themselves did not show respect for their suggestions and just added the 18% tips on top. When I asked them, they said that I can give more tips over 18% tips if I want. but that is how the bill is. It seems like robbery !!! Bad place !! I went there to see some good reviews but totally disappointed.

This place offers the best beef rendang in town and the quality has been consistent for the past 10 years. And you must try their ad thai as it's mind blowing!

Just returned from Singapore and I have to say the roti, satay, and char kway teow at Penang is as good if not better than what we had there. We went to Lau Pa Sat and had satay from the highly rated stalls...not as good as Penang!

We stop by here for lunch. Ordered yang chow fried rice, steamed dumplings, chicken satay, and egg noodles curry soup. Everything tasted delicious, probably the best chicken satay we've ever had. No parking. It took quite a while for our foods to come out. Maybe because the place was huge and packed. Highly recommended.

I have tried several Malaysian foods in greater Philadelphia area, but it is the best and most authentic. I like Char-Koi-teow most. Must try in China town in Philadelphia area.

Its Malaysian chinese food.We try roti canai, which is crispy and nice, beef rendang which was also good, fried squid delicious. Price is not expensive. Worth it. Fast service and helpfull waiter

I ate here with a small group for lunch based on the recommendation of one of the group members who had been here before. To keep it short, the food was tasty, portion was large, and price was very affordable especially given the portion size. Would definitely recommend this place.

This was my 1st try in the restaurant. The place was very noisy, full house. Foods were tasty , price was reasonable, menu has many choices. Specially the Roti Canai and Chow Kuew Teow taste yummy! But the service makes us unsatisfactory. We sit down about 5 minutes, there were 3 servers came and asked for orders drink. After we ordered, asked for order appetizer, again 2 server asked for main dishes. We kept telling them gave us sometimes, coz menu has many choices. But they kept coming back and makes us feel a bit annoying. After we done our dinner, I understand usually they will asked if we want to order any dessert, take out the leftover food and bills. When the bill presents to us was automatically add 18% tips on it, it's not giving you an option to pay for the tips depending on their service. After we paid, chatting for a while. One waiter came and asked we have to leave and giving out the table. But there still 2 empty tables standby and no one waiting (at 10PM). 4 of us was feeling everything so rushed for this dinner. However, I enjoyed to having dinner with friends but I disappointed the service of this restaurant.

I recommend getting the #1 on appetizers (a Malaysian pancake you dip in a curry sauce) and the #1 in soups (Prawn Mee). This was quite excellent, and the service was good too.

I went here with some business colleagues for lunch. The food was a good representation of Malaysian cuisine but the service was poor in a nearly empty restaurant. We couldn’t encourage our waiter to bring our check, get water or more hot tea. Perhaps an off day. We will attempt another visit when the sting of this one wears off.

My family took one of my cousins here for her birthday. We had a large crowd which did not seem to phase them. This was my first time eating here and I was impressed by how good everything tasted. Since we went family style I tasted several dishes including Fried chicken Wings, Penang Spicy Chicken, Beef Satay, Chicken Satay, Duck with Ginger and Scallion Rice, Masak Chicken, and Roti Canai. It's a BYOB place.

The Singapore noodles lacked seasonings. It was was rated as being spicy hot, but someone in the kitchen neglected to add the hot pepper. The Penang pad thai was bland and lacking character and spice and everything nice. The basil chicken with flat noodles was the tastiest of the three platters ordered. The server never returned to the table until it was time to bring the check even though the restaurant was not busy. When served the meal, I complained about the chopsticks which had food clinging to them. Not a pleasant experience. I had eaten there before at lunch time and at that time I was pleased with the food however even then the service was below par.

Friends and I found this restaurant by accident one time a year ago. I was finishing chemotherapy and they took me for lunch as a reward. They have a dish called Mee Siam. It is delicious and they will happily customize it for you ( I don't like tofu but had them add chicken with the shrimp). I only get that fish when I go but all the dishes on the menu sound just as appetizing.

The mango Chicken was displayed beautifully and was quite tasty. I does not come with rice so be prepared to order separately. It's listed as spicy on the menu but was not, in my opinion, spicy. The server did offer to alter the level of spiciness. You receive a large portion so you may be able to share if you don't want to take some in a to go box.

We found this restaurant by accident while roaming the chinatown part of Philadelphia. We ordered roti chanai, a homemade according to the menu, seafood and tofu soup. The food quality varies. For example the roti chanai was quite good, close to the original. The bah kut teh, however, was not so good. Service was standard.

I used to enjoy eating here but yesterday our waiter made us wait like 20 minutes before they took our order and then the waiter walked outside for another 20 minutes after he took our order and I saw our order was ready so I waved to the other waiter to follow up and he got a little rude and he said they are short staffed. And I noticed that the bus boy is using the same gloves cleaning dirty plates and handing over new chopsticks and plates. And my husband saw him in the bathroom with the same gloves on and just washed his hands with the gloves on. This restaurant had some serious issues with cleanliness. Bathroom is dirty. We are never coming back here ever again.

Love the food. If you longed for the taste of good Malaysian food, this is the place. Start with the roti and chicken curry. Just delicious. We ordered many of the appetizers like the chicken and beef satay. Do try the noodles and rice with beef rendang. Great food and we were so full. 😀

Stopped by for some lunch before heading out of Philly. The Roti Canai and Bak Kut Teh soup were both amazing. Great place for some Malaysian food in Chinatown.

Penang has a wonderful pan-Asian menu, nice decor and friendly servers. Their Pad Thai is the best anywhere!

Wonderful meal in Chinatown at good prices. Our favorite was the Roti Canai. I could have had the Roti Canai for my meal! Service was also very good.

We stopped in for an early dinner after work. This place Philly's Chinatown has an open kitchen , large portions and swift service. The menu had some dishes that are like Thai food, but for the most part it was all new to me. We each ordered appetizers and shared a couple of main dishes. More than enough for four people. The appetizers alone would have been plenty for our admittedly small appetites.

A local Philadelphian recommended this treat after a morning at the Phili Flower show. We ordered the Roti Canai ( Malaysian favorite) as well as a fried tofu with cucumber and peanut sauce as appetizers.SERIOUSLY 2 of the MOST FUN and scrumptious appetizers ever. Let me say that I am not usually a fan of Tofu- DON’T be deterred. Trust me - order it. Main dish of Basil Chicken was another winner. Clay pot curry was ok . Next time I will try the mango chicken which looked exquisite at the next table over! Cool atmosphere. I’m still dreaming about those appetizers. Authentic food ( frog, fish head, intestines) for those who are adventurous!

This is probably my favorite restaurant ever. I never had anything I didn't like. The service is good and the food comes out quickly. Their menu is big and has a lot of variety. Some of my favorite things here are the beef chow fun, clams with black bean sauce, mee siam, and fried tofu. It is consistently good. I've introduced other people to it and they also love it. I go here over and over again.

Located right in China Town. Very busy place full of locals waiting in line on the weekend. Everything we had was delicious. Portions large enough to share. Don't expect to sit there for a long time--- they want people in and out.

Stopped and placed a to-go order when in Philadelphia on business. It was cute inside and they were very friendly. I tried the beef fried rice and I thought it was excellent. Would definitely get it again if ever back that way

The place is in China Town so there are a lot of choices. So I used TripAdvisor and picked this one. I was not disappointed. It wasn't too pricey and is high end Chinese food. Very good.

In a neighborhood crowded with intriguing dining choices, this is a standout. The setting is trendy & along with lilting music, the pot of hot tea brought immediately to the table enhances the experience, as diners consider the extensive detailed menu of intriguing choices, served in portions so generous that take-home is an added bonus.

Perhaps not the best decor or the most attentive service but certainly a genuine experience with fast, good service and food for a great price.

The wait was worth it. The wait staff was friendly, helpful, and attentive and the food was delicious and the portions were generous.

3rd visit to Penang good quick service. Open kitchen. Food comes out in a reasonable amount of time. Good food - we have gotten different dishes each time and have never had a bad meal.

Some Waiters seem to be stressed and impatient. After taking the order took over 15 minutes just to serve a beer and ice tea.

We took my college grandson here who had never tried Malaysian food. He totally enjoyed the experience. We have visited Malaysia several times, and eating at this restaurant is like being in Malaysia itself. The beef rendang was especially good!

We tried several dishes and they were all very good. We were in a corner by the window and we ignored after our order was taken.

We came for a Sunday lunch a bit after 1pm with a party of 4 - so well after the brunch/yum cha rush . The wait staff walked back and forth several times without offering menus or tea. After we requested tea and waiting for more than 10 minutes, we had to request tea again from another waiter. We ordered several dishes - family style. The first couple of dishes came within reasonable time and they were tasty. We got served the bill without getting the last couple of dishes or us asking for the bill. Some members of the wait staff were just outright insolent. Have never been to a restaurant with such uniform inattentiveness. No courtesies whatsoever and no apologies for any shortcomings. They did everything right to not get our repeat business.

I was surprised to discover Chinatown near my hotel! I wasn't craving Chinese food so I stopped by Penang. I had the Roti Canai, and it was quite good with the dipping sauce, which had a bit of heat but not a lot. I also ordered Chow Kueh Teow that was also good; nothing spectacular but good.

While visiting Philly we stopped for dinner at Penang Malaysian Cuisine. It was recommended to us by an acquaintance in Florida who said don't miss it if we are ever in Philly. We arrived at 5:30pm on a Thursday and faced a very unimpressive store front in Philly's Chinatown area. Some letters in their neon sign were not working and the whole store needed a complete facelift. After entering the restaurant, we found the same situation inside. Virtually no decor to speak of. However, what we did see were table after table of Asian customers dining there. That convinced us to stay and give it a try. Glad we did. They have a very large menu featuring Malaysian, Chinese, Thai and other Asian cuisines, which made it tough to pick out our dishes. We finally settled on Singapore Rice Noodles, Penang Pad Thai, Mango Chicken, Green Curry Chicken in Clay Pot and Penang Seafood Fried Rice. We started the meal with vegetable spring rolls and Seafood Tomyam soup. While all the food was good to varying degrees, the Tomyam soup has to be one of the best I ever tasted. It was filled with seafood and very spicy. And the best part of the meal was the price. It was so cheap. Also, service was very fast and efficient. I would certainly return on any future trips to Philadelphia.

The Roti Canai at this place is excellent! It is an appetizer though but we just went there on the recommendation of a trusted friend and it didn't disappoint.

Start with the Roti best anywhere. All dishes made fresh and flavors amazing everytime in area have to make a visit. It has become the family favorite, always bringing somebody who has neve been and they love it too.

I lived in Malaysia for short time in the past. I am familiar with Malaysian cuisine. While walking through Chinatown, I found this one. Very simple looking but packed with customers inside. Initially I was hesitant to go inside , but I did at the end. It was a good decision and realized it after I started testing their food. I went there several occasions afterwards. The waiting time was relatively short but the service was relatively slow due to lot of hungry customers. It was noisy. It has a large menu to choose from. They have Chinese and Malaysian food. So, you will not be disappointed. I tried Nasi Lemak and it was good and fill you up easily. 2nd day , I tried vegetarian steamed potstickers. It was average. But the steamed sea bass with ginger and soya sauce was delicious but little pricey. Overall, I had a satisfying experience with my orders and definitely plan to come back in future.

Not much was opened late in Philadelphia when we arrived, that in itself is weird. We wandered down to Chinatown and found Penang. We were greeted and sat quickly. Server took FOREVER to take our order. It wasn't busy and seemed clean. We were seated in front of the kitchen so we got the treat of watching them close up the kitchen and clean it. Food was ok. I loved the vegetable spring rolls. Weirdest thing was the kitchen staff staring at our table. We were a table for 4 ladies and it was creepy. I had better food but I'm thankful they were open.

We fancied something a bit different for dinner than our usual diet of steak/beef, so headed to Chinatown when we were in Philadelphia. We stopped by and hoped they had a table as it was 6.00pm on a Saturday night and was already looking quite full. We were quickly seated, but after that, the service wasn't quite as attentive and the waitress seemed to forget about us. We didn't order any appetizers as we weren't that hungry, but ordered beers (Sapporos) which took a while to come, and also Spare Ribs (as an entree) and Green Curry chicken. The spare ribs came first, and at least 10 minutes earlier than the curry did, which was very odd and we're still not sure exactly why! We had each ordered rice, expecting both dishes to have a reasonable amount of sauce. The curry needed the rice, however there definitely wasn't enough sauce with the ribs to warrant the rice. The curry, when it finally arrived, was clearly freshly made, which redeemed itself, and had a good amount of heat in it (I'd asked for it spicy). After getting the entrees however, we were forgotten about again and seemed to have to beg to get the check when we were ready to go. Overall I might give this place another try, but I would probably try to find somewhere else in Chinatown first with better service. For 2 beers, 2 rice and 2 entrees, it came to $44 with tax.

My wife, her sister and husband ate here the Sat. before Christmas. Arrived at 630 with on reservations. We were told about 15 mins but were seated in 5 to 6 mins.Huge menu from Indian to Thai to Malaysian foods, all very authentic and very tasty. Service was excellent and even at the peak of the Sat rush we were not rushed to order. Restaurant as a hole was extremely well run moving tables in and out all while not looking like crazy. We got 2 appetizers and 4 main courses which we all shared. One better then next and plenty of food to each. Our waitress was amazed that we finished it all including the extra white rice which we used to savior the last spot of sauces. Highly Recommenced.

I was looking for a good place to get lunch during my one day trip to Philadelphia and saw this place. I was not disappointed! The food is delicious and the restaurant has a large space with lots of options on the menu. Mango fish highly recommended!

I dined all over the world, from sophisticated dishes in Michelin-star decorated chef restaurants to simple and cheap street food . I've tasted some Good food and tasted some bad food. But it never happened to me that a waiter allowed himself to raise his voice at me and with the full backup of the restaurant manager. The i see it, no matter which restaurant you're in, there are a few very simple rules that must be met. 1. The customer chooses freely and consciously the dish that he wants to eat. 2. Customers may request additional information from the waiter about the dish that he wants to order. 3. Given the fact the dish didn't match the customer's expectations , the customer may ask the waiter to replace it with another dish from the menu. 4. The manager may not honor the request of the customer. 5. If the customer complaints are not suitable the manager's spirit , he may ask the customer to leave. 5. Customer must pay for dishes that he ordered. Unfortunately this was no the case when we visited Penang last Sunday. We asked the waitress to replace a dish we didn't like and she just yelled at us telling us "i Paid for this dish - you can't return it", "I told you all about this dish - you should know" etc. we asked to speak with the manager, his was even worse. Making me feel like a criminal for not liking his food.... we didn't finish the food , paid the bill and left the restaurant. Do your self a favor and avoid this place. But if you insist on dinning here, you better have an attorney to back you up in case you ask to change a dish you didn't like. The Manager of this restaurant should be ashamed of himself

I work in international sports management. I started going to this restaurant two years ago, when I had a basketball team from China in Philadelphia for part of the spring and summer. The guys from the team said Penang was their favorite restaurant in Chinatown and I’d have to agree. The food is always great no matter what you order on the menu! They even have BYOB and free bottle opening service. This is hands down one of my favorite restaurant in Philadelphia (Philly)!

Came by and tried their dishes. The roti canai was good but not the wantan noodles which lacked the BBQ pork slices. Portions are big but overall taste are so-so. Prices on the higher side.

We went there for a quick bite before jumping on our bus to New York , we were seated and served in minutes, the noodle tasted fresh and the tea was really a good match, as a first experience it was really good and we will come back again soon!

Visit: March 21, 2019 @ 10pm Only complaint is about our server’s attitude, which ruin our dining experience at Penang. (We are a Chinese Malaysian so we converse with the waitress in Mandarin. She has mainland Chinese accent, wearing black nike shoes, unfortunately didn’t get her name.) 1) Us *politely*: “can we exchange the curry chicken in the nasi lemak to rendang beef?” Her: “of course not, how is there such thing?” LIKE EXCUSE ME WE WERE JUST ASKING?? But when we ask if we can switch the rendang beef’s white rice to coconut milk rice she said can.. she clearly answered her own question: “HOW IS THERE SUCH THING”... Next order: 2) Us: “one hainanese chicken rice, I want chicken breast” Her: “‘where can’ (how is it possible to) choose? If everybody chooses chicken breast who eats the other parts?” EXCUSE HER? We all do that in Malaysia. Even if we can’t do it here she should just say choosing chicken part is not allowed here?? Instead of all the unprofessional, triggering replies?? At this very moment we decided NOT to tip. Mind y’all, she rolled her eyes at us at least TWICE when we were ordering. When we are leaving: 3) as I mentioned, we gon pay ZERO tips. We left RM1 as “tip”. Her: “what currency is this? We don’t accept this. I saw you have USD” Me: “this is Malaysian Ringgit. We are not paying tips because your attitude is really bad” Her: “my attitude is bad what does that have anything to do with this?” DUH??? Isn’t she supposed to know tip is based on how we are treated by the server?? Me: “of course it has, tips are based on server’s attitude” Her: “take back your money I don’t want it. Funny, y’all were requesting for free food” WE DID NOT. I would really make her get her facts right but my bf stopped me bc our lyft arrived... and so I left by saying “your attitude is terrible.”

We ordered the Achat - Pickled Vegetables, Triple Sliced Veg. With Noodles, and the Curry Mixed Veg. The food was delicious and served piping hot. The Achat & Curry were our favorites. Waitstaff were friendly and fast. There are not too many vegetarian options but I suspect they will make food to suit your diet. We were there around 4pm on a Sunday - not crowded. Maybe because it was Sunday and after the rush but, IMO, the management needs to do a better job cleaning the bathrooms and dining area floors.

Thoroughly enjoyed my last meal here in Philadelphia. I selected this restaurant as I walked around Chinatown and noticed a lot of people walking inside and coming out. Being by myself, I was seated at a small tabletop next to the front window that I enjoyed because I could watch all the people walking by - interesting to say the least. For my appetizer I ordered something I never had before, Roti Canai, which is a rolled up pancake that you treat apart with your hands and dip in a cup of sauce, it was very tasty. For my entry I ordered Prawn Mee, which besides shrimp also has pork along with noodles bean sprouts, rabbi, and lots of hot spices one if which I recognized as Sorachi. WARNING, this soup is spicy hot, which was fine by me, cleared my allergy stuffed nose right up. Will definitely return to this restaurant and highly recommend it'

We haven't even left and are talking about coming back! Curried Chicken, Pad Thai, and Singapore noodles ordered, we all enjoyed our meals at 5 stars. With 4 meals and 3 beverages, incl. wine, the bill was just over $50. Unbelievable. Plus they catered to a gluten free member of our family. Must try!

Arrived in Philadelphia 4th of July before the hotel check in time. Hungry and looking for a place to eat in China Town, I spotted the Penang Restaurant. The line was out the door. I waited for a while, luggage in hand, but yielded to the crowd. Went to my hotel, checked in, went back to Penang and waited on a shorter line. Got a table by the window (tables for one or two) with a close view of people walking along on the streets - nice. I ordered Indian Pancake as an appetizer and duck with ginger as a dish. Oh my gosh, lots of food, lots of flavor and taste, and lots of food memories. Albeit, I had a bus to catch the next day with little time to spare, I went back to Penang for take out to take home to NJ. They packed the food (this time the same appetizer, however, chicken and ginger instead of duck) for travel. I arrived in NJ with the best take out ever and had a good food night.

The food is good, nothing to say. Unfortunately the staff kept rushing us, they even tried to order in our place! There was plenty of empty tables around us so we didn't understood why they were acting that way!

Two out of five times we used to come to Philly’ China Town we would have either lunch or an early dinner at Penang because the food preparation and ingredients used were always top notch We were here 8 days ago and sadly I believe things have changed and not for the better We ordered as follows- one ROTI CANAI, which was still very good, one ROTI TELUR, also still very good though I thought a bit thinner than I remember Then we ordered the Malaysian Fried Pork Ribs that I found had too much fat and grizzle, the Room temperature Hainese Chicken which did not have it’s usual stronger chicken taste, a Tofu , Vegetable and mixed seafood hot pot which was very bland and devoid of any significant flavorings, a Salty Fish Fried Rice which was actually better than I remembered and a very forgettable plate of some sort of water spinach which frankly not even the vegetarians in our group liked as the greens themselves seemed old and past their best time Service was friendly, courteous and prompt and our waiter very attentive to our table and our needs I believe ANY restaurant can have a bad day for a myriad of reasons and I will give Penang another try sooner rather than later just not at a time when they are too busy After my next visit I will either change my review for the better or just accept the fact that even the old reliable restaurants are succumbing to the pressures of competition and now need to cut corners on the quality of the food preparation and the ingredients used

After a long drive to arrive in Philadelphia, the hotel concierge recommended Penang for dinner. What a great choice! The food covered the spectrum for everyone in our party. The soups were abundantly large, with noodles and won tons that were delicious. The bar-b-q was extremely tasty and the cost was very reasonable. If you are near Chinatown, stop in to Penang.

Penang was recommended by our hotel concierge, however, the food that we had was only so-so. The meat was grisly and the sauce on one of our dishes was tasteless - even though it was supposed to be spicy. My wife thought the glasses were a bit unclean. All in all, we would go elsewhere.

very helpful friendly staff. Delicious fresh food. Just what we needed after a hard day of meetings!

Extremely slow and inept service after being seated: no water, no menus, no help staff. I had to get up and get menus for our party of 5 from the front door myself, and then had to get up and walk around to find someone to take our order. That took 15-20 minutes by the time we had a waiter. One entree (pad Thai) arrived promptly. But it was 15 minutes before anything else, including appetizers, arrived.

After reading lots of Yelp reviews I & the kids decided to go there during our Philly trip. I didn't have any high expectations of this place and I was so right. It is basically a Chinese restaurant and have some modified Malaysian dishes. I've been to much better Malaysian restaurants on the West Coast where I have come close to eating the authentic cuisine. Ordered the fried rice and some other seafood curry dish. I think I will skip this place on my future trip.

Lovely food excellent fast service. Sure sign of the popularity of the restaurant was the fact that it was constantly full. One criticism would be from my fellow diners the amount of bones in some of their food.

On a one-night stopover in Philadelphia, by chance we stopped into the Penang. We were immediately struck by the warm and friendly buzz, which is always a good start. Although the restaurant was busy, a staff member immediately found us a table. Then the fun began. We weren't familiar with Malaysian cuisine, and while we were debating the Manager himself saw we needed help and came to our rescue. He ended up helping us to choose what turned out to be excellent food, with great good humour and pleasantry. He even served the food to us personally. And the bill when it arrived was great value. I would wholeheartedly recommend the Penang in Phillys Chinatown district. A thoroughly enjoyable evening - thanks

I frequented Penang back when I was a college student in Philadelphia. Many years later I’m in town for work and I could not pass by. Still so good Roti and Nasi Lemak. Price went by few bucks since...2004 but hey it’s 14 years ago! One of the classics from Philly. To me Philly budget gourmet in style (tourists and locals alike) in no particular order: - any Vietnamese and Mexican joints on Washington - Lorenzo and Sons -Pats, Gino’s or Jim’s - Rita’s - Silk City - Penang

On the advice of our hotel staff, we took a chance and ate at Penang. We were not disappointed. Our first experience with Malaysian food. Very large menu selections that allow you to be adventurous if you wish. We stayed relatively safe ordering the Mango Chicken[ excellent] and a deep fried spare rib dish[ also very good]. Finished with a deep fried ice cream and banana desert that we shared and was very tasty. Wait staff were attentive and friendly. Highly recommend.

In Philadelphia for flower show. This restaurant easy walk from convention center. Saw lot people through window so stopped in. Received warm welcome. Asked for suggestions. Enjoyed a spicy seafood curry. Thought reasonably priced.

We went to this restaurant because it had a trip advisor award, and the menu famous reviewers ate at this restaurant. The service was lightening fast. Many waitress and waiters were at your disposals and none are specifically assigned to your table, so you have access to all of them no problem. We ordered the Indian pancake since everyone else had it. It was excellent. However, the food went down hill from there. The most terrible food was the pork and yam dish. The yam was undercooked and tasted awful. The pork was mainly FAT slices. We sliced off the fat and what remained was a sliver (tiny sliver) of pork. So disappointing.

Interior needs to be upgraded a bit. It’s a bit dull looking place. Food is authentic and has a good variety. except the ribs dish was disappointing. Service was ok. I’d say it was an experience.

Unique flavors that seemed authentic to us (although we have never been to Malaysia). Broad menu so plenty of choices for any tastes! Very busy even late in afternoon. But fast and responsive service. Only after we finished did we realize that we should have ordered their famous, award winning appetizer--the roti pancake with dipping sauce. The Beef Rengang was tender and flavorful. The Penang Chicken had a great curry tasting sauce. The rice dish listed on the menu as the first rice dish, (can't remember name) was a full meal for $6.95, with beef, veggies, and rice with anchovies. They Added some salty flair to a flavorful meal. The frozen dessert they call abc, was very interesting and large enough for sharing. Delicious combination of jell and shaved ice and rose water.

It was the first time my family tried Malaysian and they weren't disappointed. Portions were good and all dishes tasty. This place has been around a long time and does very well and you can see why. For those unfamiliar, Malaysian is like Chinese only with a twist, if you enjoy curries and you enjoy rice and noodle dishes you'll love Malaysian.

Tried this place out on Labor Day. Service was very good and the food was awesome. I had the pad thai, and i would definitely recommend it.

Was looking for a quick place to eat lunch.. Penang was absolute Fantastic! I had a curried beef and rice. The Flavor was mouth watering and the beef was very tender!!😀😀😀😀😀

Three of us went to Penang for dinner. We started with steamed dumplings both vegetable and chicken. They were excellent. Next chicken and beef satay and they were even better. We could have stopped there but ordered noodle dishes as well. Flat noodles with Basel was very good. Singapore style was ok but we have had much better. Overall. The service was slow they may be short handed. We recommend the appetizers over the noodles.

Not bad..recommended. Will surely come back again. So far this is one that we suite our taste. The problem is hard to find a parking place.

It is very sad for me to write this review. You may see this on other review sites. I migrated from Malaysia 30+ years ago and was overjoyed when Penang opened about 17 years ago in Philadelphia to satisfy our home-sickness for Malaysian food. The quality and taste was superb even compared to Malaysia. We noticed some slight changes over this past summer when we last visited but did not think much about it. But yesterday, our dinner had not just degraded, it tasted TERRIBLE. Apparently, there are now new owners and we also noticed all new service staff that we had not recognized before. We talked to the waiter and then to the owner (or maybe one of the owners). That was a second disappointment. We learned that the new staff and new owner(s) are not Malaysians. Also instead of listening to what we say about the food about not tasting right, we only got adamant excuses that the cooking staff is the "same" staff. We did not leave believing that they cared about what we (Malaysians that have patronized Penang since it opened) had to say about the food we just had, to correct the situation. We then also noticed that there were almost no other 'asian"-ethnic clientele like the usual whenever we had visited. Another bad sign for a ethnic Malaysian restaurant. This is a sad moment for a Malaysian who loves his ethnic food. But my yearning is not going to be satisfied by Penang anymore. It was a very sad moment for my family.

We had a Malaysian friend with us ,so we left the ordering to him We had Roti canai (excuse my spelling ,because I don't remember the exact one) that was great!!! We also had beef and chicken skewers as an appetizer with some peanut dip ,they were both really good Chicken dumplings were ok ( will skip those next time ) Ren dum beef ??? Like I said that's what sounds like but might b the wrong spelling but in any case you should try that ,it was so good!! Maksa chicken (was pretty good too) We had coconut and plain rice ,definitely get the coconut one . Service was good and friendly ,they were very busy and not a very good selection of wines but they have some decent beers and awesome juices (try fresh squeezed watermelon) I'm definitely coming back here !!

Consistently excellent Malaysian food in Philadelphia! Excellent fried Kuey Teow, very good Beef Rendang, and tasty Roti!

This Malaysian eatery was a venue for meeting a childhood friend and his family. Having the chance to meet after about four decades, ordering food was not a priority. That possibly allowed my friend to go on an ordering spree. When the food arrived, the reasonably big table looked small to hold the plates. Needless to add a major portion of the food could not be consumed. The whole fried red snapper and the prawn dish stood out. But more than the meal, the time (more than three hours) was enjoyable for the company. For a relaxed dinner, this is a great place.

After a good walk in the Philadelphia downtown, we decided to get some food from Chinatown. Decided on Penang for the malaysian food. The starters are excellent and the beef rendang was tasty. The service is excellent and suggestions from staff should be considered seriously.

Great food, friendly attentive staff and very nice ambience. Great restaurant for all occasions. We had the Roti Canai, Green Curry Seafood Clay Pot, Beef Rendang.... It was all amazing !!

This another of Philly's treasures. We stopped in after attending the Chinese Lantern Festival in a nearby park. We had Chicken Satay and Tsing Tao beer (my wife had a white wine). The food was tasty and fresh and the beer was nice and cold!

Here is a perfect typical place in the heart of china Town: welcome with tea , delicious dishes, everything is prepared right now in a kitchen full of cooks, attentive service, small Awards (-3% if you pay cash extra) and the possibility very easy to leave with leftovers Really to discover

i love their food very much, authentic and delicious. I always dine in there whenever i am near china town.i highly recommend roti canai, curry chicken and satay....yum....

Complicated menu so don't be afraid to ask for clarification from the wait staff. A young crowd, lots of families and very busy but you don't feel overlooked. BYOB if you care to, good for large groups but not sure if you need to make a reservation for same, decent prices; big thank you's from the management; all in all a good choice for Philly's large Chinatown experience.

I used to live in Singapore, and this brought good memories. Peanut sauce for the satay was great. Oh and the Mango Chicken was wonderful!

Terrific Malaysian/fusion food in the heart of Chinatown! We loved the Roti Canai appetizer (thin pancakes with a delish dipping sauce); lots of great rice and noodle dishes from which to choose (Nasi Lemak was fantastic!). Busy, bustling place - best to get there early on weekend nights.

Summary - Fantastic. Finished a week long tour of the states and wanted to see philly and the city before getting back to the uk. Looked for some good reviews and saw this. The place is packed with people but plenty of staff The atmosphere is nice with the buss of people enjoying their friends and family whilst enjoying the food - which was effortlessly great. Food - Asian - nothing fancy looking 👀 but lovely and tasty and plentiful.... I eat a lot and this defeated me so beware not to order too much. Staff were great and would reccomend - especially for groups or couples. 10/10

Probably my 5th or 6th visit over a period of 10-15 years. The food is typically excellent. The servers were working as a team today and I think we almost had a different one at every step along the way, but they made that work okay, even checking in midway to be sure everything was satisfactory. Three of us ordered three entrees and a shared appetizer: the appetizer and two individual servings of rice arrived practically together and two entrees arrived shortly thereafter. I do not like rushing the eating of an appetizer to avoid entrees getting cold. That was not a problem for the third entree: it was a very long time before it arrived. Of course the rice had cooled down by the time it arrived. They need to work on timing. The noise level in the room is terrible: there is nothing to absorb sound other than people and adding music is not helping matters. When the music gets loud the customers get even louder. This is not a good place for conversation. They need some sound-absorbing panels on the walls. We'll be back, but only because the food is excellent.

Highly recommend the roti canai and seafood lo mein soup! The fried ice cream was great too! Fast service

The food was authentic, tasty, and generous portions. The staff friendly and service prompt. It does get very busy though so reservations recommended and/or arrive early!

When we were first seated someone brought us a pot of tea and said nothing. 2 seconds later a waiter came to take our order, we had just sat down. Well since we didn't order it took another 15 minutes for another waitress to come. She took our order and then we sat for probably 20 minutes. Then a woman brought out my food and not my husband. So I started eating and another 15 minutes goes by and he still has no food. The waitress never came back to check on us so my husband had to flag down another server. We found out our order was messed up and his was not made. This server was very nice and apologized and got them to make my husband right away. Food is very good. We both enjoyed what we had but the service is very slow and no follow up with you. Not sure I would eat there again.

This place offers a variety of asian fusion dishes. The place is beautifully decorated and the food are delicious. You can tell how good this place is on how many customers are coming in and out. We ordered mainly Malaysian dishes and at the end of dinner, my family were all highly satisfied. We are definitely going back the next time we are in the area.

My family returned to Philly for a wedding and decided to eat at Penang Malaysian Cuisine again. It was a big disappointment. The food was not as good as before. In fact, it was below the normal standard. Chicken rice was too soft; mee goreng too soggy; and roti prata was so-so.

Huge menu selection and portion sizes also generous. Roti and satay curry starters are worth going for alone. Fast service and tasty food. If you need a break from burgers and pizza - this is a great allternative....

I went in with a friend at 7 pm on a Friday night. There was no wait when we got there. I ordered the vegetarian pot stickers and 'mild' Pad Thai. Both were good but the Pad Thai was one of their specialties and marked as hot / spicy... so it came out medium. My friend ordered the fried coconut dessert, but they gave us the bill before bringing out the dessert. I understand they were busy but this felt awkward and rushed. Otherwise, everything was good. We sat right next to the cook line, it wasn't too loud and was fun to watch 'the dance' of the very busy chefs.

I was with my son traveling around By car. Last destination Philadelphia, the last night was Chinatown. This restaurant was over expentations. Very delicous

Basic furniture, don't expect linen tablecloths. I would call it a Pan - Asian cafe. Very extensive menu. Flavours are not delicate, but they're OK. Quick no-frills service. Portions are huge, prices reasonable. It's OK if you are hungry and fancy a change from burgers.

Penang Restaurant managed by a Malaysian is the real deal. The portions are generous and the flavours are quite authentic - since we are from Singapore we can endorse. We had a few rounds of the Roti Canai which is highly recommended. The beef rendang which actually is an Indonesian cuisine was also well prepared with the meat almost melting. The Satays were well prepared with the peanut sauce to die for The Char Kway Teow which is listed as Chow Keow Teow is also almost authentic though missing the cockles and big flat rice noodles. They use the thin flat ones and was light on the soy. The Sambal prawns were also delicious though less spicy!! All in all. Superb meal.

From the start the wait staff is incompetent and rude. I went with a party of ten and all the meals and appetizers came out at different times. The wait staff just put food in front of you without any clue as to what you ordered. When I questioned my meal I was told that's what I ordered. Others complained also. At the end only half of us received the correct meal that we ordered. One person received his meal after all were finished, he asked to take it with him. He wasn't very happy. It was ridiculous and frustrating. To ad insult to injury the food is not good at all and I am not a fussy eater. I would never recommend this restaurant to anyone. What a mistake.!!!!

Excellent food with average service. We started our meal with hot tea, complimentary, and two appetizers. An order of Roti Canai (see picture) and Vegetable Spring Rolls. The Roti Canai was cooked perfectly and the curry flavored chicken broth was very tasty. The Spring Rolls were a touch over deeper fried yet remained delicious. Our main meals were Basil Beef, Penang Pad Thai with Coconut Flavored Rice and Spareribs Malaysian Style (see picture). All were prepared perfectly and extremely scrumptious. The service was average at best. Also, this restaurant will bring food when it is ready opposed to bringing it all at once. This and a not so present waiter did not distract from a great meal. Overall, it was a very enjoyable experience.

If you are walking around Chinatown for the first time you will be surrounded by restaurants and one of them is Penang Malaysian Cuisine. Beautiful inside and it can be very busy. The food and atmosphere are great. Service was great too. Not hard to find, I believe it is on the same street as The Chinese Friendship Gate. Another must see. I highly recommend this restaurant.

One of the best restaurants ever ! Not fancy but very authentic yummy. A Malaysian friend recommended it so I knew if she liked it then it has to be authentic Malaysian food. Well the one think that stood out is the chicken satay that tasted better than anyone I tried in any other restaurant! Crazy amazing texture and very generous quantity. Just a bit oily so not for a healthy diet but when I want to indulge and cheat, this is so worth it. Also the indian pancake is another amazing discovery. Heavenly it is this crunchy thin pancake served warm fresh from stove to the table with a bowl of a warm dip that is an amazing flavorful gravy with chicken and potatoes stew. This is the best I could describe it. The rest of the dishes are noodles etc that you d pick based on your preferences. The service is friendly. They give you hot tea and I loved seeing them cutting herbs in front of us on a table across felt like a family business. See the photo capture of that :) Loved this place so much and kept going back!

We've had Beef Rendang in Malaysia and Indonesia and this one isn't any less. We've been to this place so many times over the past 10 years and it's one of the most consistent restaurants in Chinatown.

This place is great! I don't often come across Malaysian food, so when I saw this I knew we had to go. Located just inside the Chinatown gate, this restaurant is very popular and crowded. There were only a few tables left when we got there at 7pm and after we were seated there were a lot of people waiting outside. We ordered the roti as an appetizer, the watermelon water (so good) and pearl noodles and sizzling beef. The noodles were fantastic and the beef smelled good, although I didn't eat any as it was my husband's meal. The portions are generous and a good value for the price. We'd been eating all day at the Reading Terminal Market, so we weren't able to finish our dinners, which was a shame because it was so good! Definitely come here with an empty stomach!

We have been dining in Penang in Boston and New York for years and the food quality and experience are always wonderful. The one in Philadelphia is no exception. The celebratory atmosphere can quickly warm you up even in a very cold day. The staffs are cheerful and pleasant. The menu offers wonderful choices but the Hai Nan Chicken was out of this world. This place worth multiple visit so you can try all their dishes including the shaved ice for after meal treat.

As a fan of Malaysian cuisine, I was glad to be told about Penang on a recent trip to Philly. Had a solo dinner here, and only wish I could have dined with a whole host of family and friends, so I could have sampled more of the menu. What I did try was the baby oyster omelette, the seafood scrambled egg chow fun, and one of the drinks I recall from childhood - soya milk with grass jelly. Very tasty food, served in generous portions (I could only finish a fraction of it), absurdly low prices. Cheerful, efficient service. Definitely worth a return visit.