Food quality is bad, service is bad, very dirty restaurant. I order a naan sort of bread with some small curry. The naan was chewy and the curry was watery. My dad ordered a soup it was nasty and my I had a duck soup for my entree. Nasty. My mom ordered chicken it was cold and undercooked and nasty. The only good thing was my coconut water. Go somewhere else. One more thing when the elderly waitress was cleaning the table she was stocking the plates in front of us it almost spilled on my Gucci scarf. read more

cheap, flavorful, filling. would definitely get the roti canai again, the pancake has a texture like scallion pancake--thin and flaky and slightly crisp. The nasi lemak components paired really well together and the spices were great. We liked the hainanese chicken but felt like it was less meat than we expected, would try something else instead next time. read more

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F-Bomb this place. They forced me to tip the recommended amount when the food wasn't even that good. I tipped what I thought was right, but the worker held my family hostage until we tip higher. WTF!!!! The salted fish fried rice had barely any freaking fish. The pad Thai noodles was very overcooked and wasn't even noodles; just 3-4 inches broken into pieces. WTF??? The chicken fried rice was the darkest fried rice I had ever seen and seem saturated in soy sauce. They were nice until you don't tip to their standards, when it should be your standards. They making tipping a freaking law here. I hope your business fail due to customer service!!! Be grateful you have customers and stop forcing people to pay you what your not worth. read more

Back in college way back, my friend and I ate at Penang often and although it was good, I didn't realize how good until I recently visited again after the pandemic. Due to Covid, a lot of the food quality in Boston has gone down, so I was worried it wouldn't live up to my expectations. I had been telling my dad about this place, so I wanted him to love it as much as I do. The first time I brought my dad, I ordered my usual salty fish fried rice and roti canal as appetizer. After looking through the menu, my dad ordered a fried squid dish and vegetables. I am so glad he ordered the vegetables because it was the first time I loved the vegetables more than anything else we ordered. The weekend after, we ended up at Penang and ordered it again. I can confidently say I will be ordering it every single time. I had to look up the menu to remember what it's called and it's "Kang Kung Belacan." It's Chinese watercress seasoned with a Malaysian sauce. Whatever they season it with, I need to know! I could have eaten just this one dish and be completely satisfied. My dad doesn't like to go to restaurants more than once because there are a lot of places with the same food. However, this was the first time he asked if we could come back. And so now, we eat here almost every weekend. This review is super long, but I can't say enough good things about this place and if you are ever in Boston, go to Chinatown and eat at Penang! read more

Penang - Malaysian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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This place used to be so good. It was something different from the repeating cuisines you see in Chinatown. This visit was kind of disappointing. The Indian meegoreng noodles reminded me of the Chinese egg noodles. The curry that came with the roti canai was so watered down. The usual chefs that worked there all left so I hope the original kitchen staff come back or hire some better chefs. But the customer service was good, still the same people. read more

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We loved the mango chicken, roti and chicken flavored rice. Beef Rengdan was a bit tough but flavorful. Take out service was quick and friendly. We will be back. read more

expensive mediocre food this is cuisine wannabe ambiance was good but food was just meh read more

Excellent food, and there was something for everyone on the menu. I ordered something I've never had before. Some shrimp thing with a very tasty sauce. No idea what it's called. But I highly recommend it. read more

I have loved this place ever since I came here as a child. I crave the appetizers and desserts all the time! Things to order: Roti Canai Indian Pancake (MUST) Panang Satay Beef Curry Beef Brisket Casserole Pineapple Fried Rice Hokkien Char Mee ABC (another MUST--it's a dessert, but I order it with my food as more of a drink) read more

This place isnt bad for affordable Malaysian food which is hard to find in Boston from what I understand. Its located in the heart of Chinatown between all of the hot pot places that have suddenly popped up. Inside is decorated nicely and the service is attentive, and our waiter even made recommendations on food based on whether or not he thinks what you want to order is.. easily eaten by those not used to the cuisine for lack of better terms. My girlfriend and I order the beef rendang (?) Rice and another noodle stew type dish, whose name escapes me since it was a more traditional dish - curry mee maybe?. Both dishes were like 10 dollars which was great. The beef rice was nice, tender and flavorful though I wish there was more beef while the stew was good but had bitter melon (not a fan) but the noodles and fish/seafood in the dish were good. read more

Penang - Malaysian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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I ate here as a party of two and wish I had a bigger gathering to try half of the menu! The place was mostly full but they popped out our food after what felt like seconds after the order was given. We kept it simple and ordered the pineapple fried rice and 1/2 order of the Hainannese chicken. The chicken was a 10/10, the soy sauce flavor perfectly seasoning the silkiest chicken I've had in a minute. The fried rice had a slight curry like flavor and was a good portion. I'd recommend everyone try the chicken and hope it's as good as the one I had! read more

Every time I'm in Boston, I always try make a stop here and recommend it to all my friends! Having traveled to Malaysia and Singapore a number of times, this is one of my favorite Malaysian & Singaporean restaurants in the US! It can get crowded in the evening though lunch time usually isn't too packed. The inside ambiance is awesome and the service is decent. My all time favorite is their Char Kueh Teow (Malaysian fried noodles with seafood). Their kang kung belacan is pretty good along with their Hainanese Chicken Rice, Hokien Char Mee, and Prawn Mee. They're all pretty similar to the food I would eat in Southeast Asia. This is a must eat place in Boston's Chinatown! read more

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Amazon Malaysian restaurant. It was 6 of us and we ordered 2 roti canai to share, and within a minute ordered 6 more so each of us can eat one by ourselves. I got the Nasi Goreng, and it was amazing! Felt so full at the end of the meal but it was every bit worth it! Looking forward to my next visit to Boston! read more

Penang - Nasi Goreng - Malaysian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

First time here. Located in Boston's Chinatown. Either take the Orange Line or risk limited parking in the Area. Order a few different dishes for a party of 7. Reservations are allow and possibly recommended for large parties? Wide variety of vegetable seafood noodles rice hot pot meat dishes as well of course appetizers. Order their house specialty chicken, beef chow fun, garlic green bean and shrimp, fried rice, and signature noodles along with a appetizer. Food was delicious in flavor not to overpowering. If some do not like spicy food they offer alternatives sauces that are just as flavorful and non spicy. Service was spot on very polite quick and professional. Place is good for group outings and dates as there is plenty to try and mix and match. read more

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Wandered into China Town and into Penang. Service was great, food came out really quick and was as tasty as I've had in quite a while. Tried bead curd appraiser, not my jam but not bad. Enjoyed the various seating options. Interior was that of a failed seafood restaurant. They do not take American Express. read more

I can't believe I've been in Chinatown so many times and passed by this place! The interior is very nice, it's clean and modern an there always seems to be a handful of people there. Our waitress was super friendly and was readily available to answer any questions we had about the menu. I ordered what seemed like the two most popular dishes - the Hainnese Chicken and the Singaporean Rice Noodles. The noodles were super fluffy and it was very easy to eat :) The menu said it was spicy but I wished I had asked for it to be spicier. The vegetables and shrimp inside of it complimented it very well. The chicken was very good as well, except there were bones in it that were hard to pick out so be careful when biting into it! There were so many options on the menu so I will be back to try them! read more

Penang - Singapore Rice Noodles & Hainanese Chicken - Malaysian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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stumbled here on a sunday night. relatively busy but we got seated immediately. menu is online, barcode available on both ends of the table. a bit sad that they dont hold much of the curry dishes in traditional malaysian places. some of the dishes are also prices on the more expensive end. we ordered the roti, prawn mee, mee siam, beef rendang and the chow keuh tow. curry for the roti canai was super watered down, roti was a a bit undercooked. prawn mee is like the name, soup smells of shrimp. dish comes with 2 types of noodles (vermicelli and egg noodle!) great combo if you ask me. although wish there was a bit more garnish. the mee siam was unflavorful but a generous portion. the bottom of the mee siam was all bean sprouts. if youre not a fan of bean sprouts let them know. when i got to the bottom of my plate it was all sprouts lol everything else was good. rendang was good flavor. and keuh tow you cant really go wrong. read more

I had diarrhea immediately after I ate the food in the restaurant. We ordered curry chicken, duck, bean curds and beef skewer. My husband had a bottle of beer and I had a cup of watermelon juice. The food didn't taste good and made me sick. This is the first time that restaurant food gave me diarrhea. read more

First time ever trying Malaysian flavored foods. This place did not disappoint. The flavors are different from what I'm use to but I came in here with an open mind since I've never had Malaysian foods. The pineapple fried rice was delicious. The flavors weren't heavy. The basil added a bit of freshness to it. Singapore noodle flavors was light. I'm use to a heavy curry flavor when it comes to this dish but it wasn't the case it. The dish was still delicious regardless. It was my favorite between the two dishes. My only complaint between the two dishes is that I wish the shrimp was deveined. Half of the shrimp was deveined but it would've been GREAT if all of them were. We came in during lunch hour on a Friday and was seated immediately. Service was quick. Seems like a "you eat, finish and get out of the door" kind of place. They do get pretty busy. read more

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It was a struggle to find a dine in restaurant that served Thai, Malaysian or Indonesian food (we weren't being too picky). Penang fit the bill, and lucky for us, it was quite good. Ethnic restaurants often fall into one of two camps: authentic or creatively altered to appeal to a western palate. Looking at the menu and the disposable plates on the tables, we quickly surmised that this place screamed authenticity. The menu was quite extensive, with rows of similarly prepared dishes in which only one ingredient was changed! If you didn't know what Malaysian food tastes like, you wouldn't be able to tell from looking at the menu. We ordered the pad Thai with shrimp and the green curry pot with chicken. The pad Thai was wonderful and spicy. The green curry had good flavor, but lacked depth, in comparison. All in all, we were pleasantly surprised. read more

I come here very often and my MUST HAVE item is the Roti Canai. I ALWAYS order one for myself- I never want to share this! Soo delicious. I can't eat spicy food but this isn't too spicy and is tolerable. I'd order two if I was really craving it! I got the Longan drink and it is also super tasty! It is nice and sweet and they also don't fill the cup up with all ice, which is great. I then ordered the clay pot pearl noodles in gravy sauce. It was good but was sort of plain. I feel like the entrees aren't really that great, which is why I'm giving it 3 stars. There's usually not a long wait and the waiters are usually accessible. The down side, giving the rating less stars, is the fact that they only accept a maximum of 2 credit cards, which is sometimes inconvenient when it is a restaurant known for big groups. read more

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Came here really just to try the roti canai. Decided to also order a seafood char kway teow. The roti was especially crispy and thin and loved that. The sauce wasn't anything too special. The noodles were solid and homey, nothing to write home about. Thought it was missing some dimension (maybe slice). read more

Penang - Malaysian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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I got the hokkien char mee, char kway teow, penang chicken wings, and Kang kung belacan. Everything was good, especially the chicken wings, they were flavorful and crispy. The veggies were garlicky and spicy, which I liked. It was just expensive at $17. I didn't like the hokkien char mee too much, it was too soupy and not all that flavorful. It wasn't too busy on a weeknight, and everyone there was super super nice, service was great, the food came out quickly. I liked the food, but my Malaysian friend that I came with said it all wasn't very authentic. I don't know southeast asian food well enough to judge, but I personally liked it. read more

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Our last dinner in Boston and we elected to try Penang, a Malaysian restaurant in Chinatown that's pretty good sized. They have a pretty large menu, with Malaysian, Singaporean, Thai, and Chinese-inspired dishes. We had a vegetarian in our group so it seems like a solid choice. I ordered their Roti Canai which was like a puffy crepe that had a nice chewy texture with chicken curry on the side - very good appetizer! My entree was their Penang Dried Curry Chicken with a side of brown rice. The curry was okay - it was described as simmered in lemongrass, chili paste, and coconut curry but honestly it tasted alot like the chicken curry dipping sauce with the Roti, only with a larger portion size. Chicken pieces also had both skin and bone - I don't mind the bone but the skin felt out of place here with its gooey-ness. Not a bad dish, but I probably should have chose something else. Note they got some really interesting items on their menu such as sauteed frog and fish-head curries. read more

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Cheap, super fast, lots of options. Highlight was the curry chicken dish which went super well with rice. The noodle broth was a little lighter than my liking. Chow goon tasted decent. Also love their mango slushie drink. read more

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I liked the food but would not recommend for a second visit. The quantity was okay but taste wasn't that great, I have had better asian food in downtown read more

Penang - Clam with House Special Sauce - Malaysian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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This is the only Malaysian restaurant in Boston that I know. If other self proclaimed Malaysian restaurants in this city or state exist, they have got to have Nasi lemak, otherwise that would not be a Malaysian restaurant. I would say this is an average Malaysian restaurant. The food they have here are decent and quite close to Malaysian cuisine. Popiah, Nasi lemak, roti canai and others are standard fares. I only wish they have milo ice. read more

Penang - Malaysian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

The best Malaysian food I found and love. It is really good for their roti canai which is still a kick of spice but not to spicy so perfect for beginners although I love spicy. I love and recommend their hanai chicken with must call their chicken rice which is made with chicken stock and ginger. It has a better flavor. With covid they have a temperature check in the beginning of entering which assured everyone's safety and their menu is through QR code too. There customer service was also very attentive. Love and will definitely come back many times for their food again read more

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Boston's prices are typically outrageous but Penang's pricing is fair, especially given the generous portions they give. I ordered the Mee Siam and it was very good. Big portion, good pricing. I also like the wooden interior. Service was good. read more

Penang - Malaysian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Living in LA you get spoiled by all the different types of food...but I must admit, I still find it difficult to find tasty food from Malaysia. This place in Boston is my go-to place. It hasn't changed much since I last came about 5 years ago. Biggest tip is to go for the real Singapore dishes versus the Thai based stuff. Go for the: Baby oyster omelette: you will not be disappointed! Singapore rice noodles: this is equivalent to Pad Thai for Thai food. It's like a basic food to introduce newbies. Curry Mee with Young Tau Foo: go for the spicy curry broth...so yummy! Buddhist Yam Pot: fried yam shaped in a ring stuffed with veggies and cashews Skip: Spicy Thai Chicken: not so much flavor as expected Dishes are best for family style and are decent sized,...even the appetizers look like meals! read more

Penang - Malaysian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

It's tough to give this place 3 stars because I was really expecting a lot more based on my experience years and years ago. That night we ordered the house special squid, green curry seafood claypot and the watercress along with a side of both coconut and chicken flavored rice. My friend swore up and down that the squid that came wasn't the dish he ordered. The waiter came over, pretended to listen and walked back in less than 3 minutes with the same dish but with the special sauce mixed into the same plate he served us a few minutes before. Hello?! Let's not even state the obvious which was the version we were suppose to get is fried as opposed to the grilled squid served at our table. The curry seafood was also just okay. The taste was a bit on the milder side for me and the soup base too watery. Honestly, any regular Thai restaurant would blow them out of the water on this one. The watercress was enjoyable though...4 stars on this dish. Overall, I think the service detracted from the experience and it may be a while before I come back but I'm willing to give it another chance when my Malaysian cravings strike again. read more

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Overpriced food. You could get a better deal and a better meal somewhere nearby. Don't be fooled by the edgy sign and the cool restaurant setting. The food speaks for itself. If you're looking for an overpriced with poor flavor chinese food, then eat here. I was very disappointed with the King Pork Buff and the Seafood on Crispy noodles entrees. The King pork buff tasted like Mcdonald's chicken nuggets with the sweet and sour sauce packet poured all over it. The Seafood crispy noodle was even more disappointing. It lacked flavor and was a bland corn-starchy sauce smothered over the soggy noodles. I would not recommend this place to anyone looking to eat in ChinaTown Boston. Try Gourmet Dumpling House or Taiwan Cafe for better food options. read more

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Took a long time to be waited on, but once our order was in the food came out almost immediately. This is a great place to grab a quicker bite to eat. Great large menu, I recommend to get several dishes and family style. The interior is very cozy and well designed. read more

Went on a busy theatre night..thankfully this was one place that wasn't packed with a hour or two wait. Staff was attentive..cause there was no one else in the restaurant til later. It's clean and interesting decor. But they were nice. Ordered basil fried rice. It was way too hot for my companion..beyond normal. Someone else ordered beef chow fun, had to request some hot sauce or seasoning..got some very interesting paste. Another rice dish was ok. The dumplings were somehow tasteless, bland. Another Malaysian appetizer was very good. I think you just have to know what to order here. read more

I used to love this place. Last week, I went here for lunch with a friend. I haven't been here for a while but I heard a lot of negative reviews recently. I was a tad nervous but I still decided to go through with it., I ordered the Nasi Lemak rice place. It came with coconut flavored rice, curry chicken, boiled egg, anchovies, and pickled cucumbers. It was delicious. It definitely did not disappoint! Hope to come back again and try other dishes next time. read more

We came to the restaurant for dinner while visiting Boston. Don't be fooled by the appearance. The restaurant is very clean, even the restroom!!! We ordered roti canai, Hainan chicken rice and seafood fried rice. Sorry no pictures since we dived to the food as soon as it came out. Price is reasonable for the portions. Food was good and came out fast. Staff was friendly. read more

Got takeout on a Sunday night. Food still as good as I remember - haven't been there in a few years. Order included our favorites - nasi lemak combo, Hainan chicken (whole), curry beef brisket, chow kueh teow, roti canai. Only took about 20 minutes at 6pm. Decent portions. Note: roti does get a little soggy when you get it for takeout - I usually dine-in the restaurant. Credit card payment still requires you to sign and hand sanitizer was readily available. There's dine-in and social distancing of tables. Staff wear masks. read more

I had high hopes for Penang considering the number of 4+ star reviews its Yelp page had, but ultimately, my hopes were misplaced. My rating would be closer to a 2.5. Roti Canai (2/5): The roti canai we were served had no substance! It was paper thin and lacked any of the char typical of stone-cooked flatbread. Moreover, the menu claimed it would be served with a chicken curry dipping sauce. The "sauce" we were served had no curry flavor at all at all. It was much too runny, hardly spicy and tasted more like chicken stock with a touch of cream. Worst of all, the chicken pieces that were in the sauce had been cooked for so long that the bones had begun to break down and my tongue was nearly lacerated by several bone shards--not pleasant! Curry Beef Brisket Casserole (3/5): The casserole also had zero curry flavor! Rather, it was more of a tomato-based braise. One silver lining is that the brisket was incredibly tender, but the meat could definitely have used some salt. Mie Goreng (3/5): This classic Indonesian/Malaysian fried noodle dish was completely disappointing. The flavor profile here tasted more Chinese, like beef chow fun, than anything else. It was also very bare and devoid of mix-ins. The dish featured one piece of shrimp, some sauteed vegetables and a handful of beef pieces, not worth what I paid for it. Additionally, the acidic component they'd added (either vinegar or lime or both) was much too overwhelming. It was akin to a mix of sweet Thai Chili sauce and soy sauce and uncharacteristic of the Mie Goreng I knew. While our order came quickly, the flavor profile in the dishes we tried had no likeness to Southeast Asian cuisine at all. Perhaps it was because of the late hour on a weeknight that we were served some sub-par food. It was nice that we didn't have to wait for long, but I couldn't shake the thought that the reason for the quick service is that all these dishes had been prepared ahead of time and were simply doled out. I did and would have expected more from a Malaysian restaurant in Boston and it is unlikely that I will return. read more

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Been coming here for years..Great food, never disappoints! The pineapple fried rice and the jumbo shrimp in spicy sauce are my fav.

After touring the area my family and I were looking for a nice restaurant to dine in and we happened to come across Penang. Right when you walk inside it's very spacious and the decor is nice but simple. As we were seated, we were given our menus and tea right away. There is a great amount of selection in the menu, you'll just have to see for yourself! The food in general was very good. I feel like the price fits perfectly and you also get a good amount (and by good amount I mean more than you expected) food portions. The service was very quick. Always cleared the empty plates, refilled our water and no wait time! Definitely a place you should go if you're in the area. read more

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