Penang Malaysian Cuisine
| Address: | 1720 W Algonquin Rd, Arlington Heights, IL 60005, USA |
| Phone: | +1 847-222-1888 |
| Site: | penangarlington.com |
| Rating: | 3.9 |
| Working: | 11AM–3PM Closed 11AM–3PM 11AM–3PM 11AM–11PM 11AM–11PM 11AM–9PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 11
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A Private User
My wife and I just got back from our 3rd visit to Penang in Arlington Heights and I had to make a point of posting a review this time because although the food remains delicious for every visit, the service just gets better and better. Now Im not saying the service was bad the first or second time - weve always received excellent service there, but tonight we were given a dinner suggestion that turned out to be so unexpectedly enjoyable (fish head soup) and then Cindy the manager made sure everything was good and was even making us laugh with a story she told us. I made a point of asking her name so that I could mention it here. When I moved from Chicago to the suburbs a few years ago, I feared that I would be forced to eat at boring cookie-cutter restaurants. In a desert of mediocre food and mediocre service, Penang is an oasis. p.s. In reference to the previous reviewer, if you have expectations of getting your appetizer within 5 minutes, then 30 minutes is a long time to wait. They must have been particularly busy that day because weve never had to wait more than 10 minutes for our appetizer (speaking of appetizers, their roti is my new all-time favorite appetizer).
SA
Samuel Tan
This place touts itself as offering Malaysian cuisine. This may be true as evident from its menu, but I personally found the taste of their food somewhat lacking. I am originally from the area and I do know a thing or two about how Malaysian food should taste like. The coconut rice was too dry for me and the coconut taste did not really come through. For $1.50 per serving, if it was truly authentic coconut rice, i would gladly pay for it, knowing how rare it is to find something like that on the menu. However, it fell short, though it was a valiant attempt. The mee goreng, which is essentially fried noodles, was a little too sweet for my taste. It was nice to see it on the menu but to have my hopes dashed by the dish itself, was disappointing to say the least. Maybe my expectations are too high, and I got overly excited by the items on the menu. If I were feeling homesick and wanted to get a taste of home that was maybe close to 60% of what it should taste like, I might consider making the drive out here.
BE
Berseker Mayan
Penang is not your average Asian restaurant and while the name suggests Malaysian cuisine exclusively, there are actually a number of other non-Malaysian options to choose from. I have been here several times and the food has always been quite fresh and well prepared. As far as I can tell, the dishes are authentic, as many of them have quite distinctive flavor profiles, some of which can be quite aggressive or even offensive to the American palate. However, this is not a criticism: there are several great items available for those who may be a little less adventurous. For the most part, service is attentive and friendly, though when the restaurant is busy, the kitchen seems ill equipped to deal with the volume resulting in long waits for your order. Would recommend the Roti Canai and Curry Mee for any first time visitors.
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A Private User
I lived in Holland and every single neighborhood Indonesian-Chinese restaurant I frequented was heads and heels above this joint. Seemed promising when I read that the chef once lived in Holland... oh, well. Cheap plastic bowls, toilet-bowl temperature water without ice, and a hovering manager made for a very unpleasant experience. The manager could not give us a straight answer about whether the food had MSG in it, and that is a problem for both of us. Very overpriced for rather meager and totally uninspired cuisine. The food was lukewarm when it was served and stone cold by the time we finished. The sweet and sour sauce had a really off taste that I could not pinpoint, but certainly not something I would recommend.
NI
Nicholas Lee
If you want to experience authentic Malaysian food in the suburbs of Chicago, this is the place to go. A menu full of fusion dishes between Indian, Chinese and Malay influences from South East Asia will bring alive your taste buds. From appetizers to dessert - there are plenty of things to try. The price is a little high but couple that with the quality that youre getting, it is well worth it. What stops me from giving this place 5 stars is that food service is slow. Even when the restaurant isnt packed, the kitchen is always slow. So make sure you have plenty of time to spare or order ahead if you can. Perhaps this is a sign of food truly being cooked to order and not microwaved? :)
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S James
Good food, but horrible service. After i left no tip for the poor service, i was asked by the supposed manager to pay a tip atleast 10%. She practically begged for a tip, and asked why i wouldnt pay a tip. I told her for poor service, and she said that i should cause i got an extra free drink(glass of water). I refused to pay tip and will never go there again. The total bill was 9 dollars and expected a 10% tip, after i waited 30 minutes for an appetizer, had to keep asking for refills and cleaner silverware are, you kidding me?!
A
A Private User
The food was good. I left few dollars as the tip with the huge bill for the high priced menu already. But someone took the dollar bills and the owner came to my car rushing and complaining that there was no tips left. I told him that I left some cash in it. But he would not listen. At that point another person from the restaurant came out and told him that there were some cash. I was in a hurry and I gave him some more cash anyway. He took it without any hesitation and went in. I felt horrible. This would be my last visit there.
QU
Quang Nguyen
I wouldnt be surprised if the place closed next year. As people have mentioned, the service here is not great. Waited 15 minutes for a server to come get us water and our drink orders. There was only one other person in the restaurant! The food here is ok. Nothing really to brag about. The bathroom is disgusting. Smells like piss, and the floors are sticky. This is unacceptable. With a restaurant being so empty, there is no reason why the bathroom shouldnt be clean!
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Lillian Lau
Food was great, and having visited Malaysia, I can confirm that the food tasted authentic with a good level of spiciness. Service was also great, even though we had come in late, everyone was friendly and willing to serve us. The only trouble was trying to find the place; there are several places with the same address, so it took a while to get there, but I think it was worth it. I definitely recommend this place for authentic Malaysian food.
A
A Private User
I went there on a weekday evening with a colleague. The service and decor were pretty good. Wish I could say the same for the food. The roti canai I had was pretty good, although a bit runny. I asked for a penang curry, and they gave me what they said was teh closest to it, a highly "recommended" mixed vegetable dish. Unfortunately it tasted stale and more like an ordinary Indian curry than a Malaysian dish.
IV
Ivee L
Chicken satay and roti canai were the best!!! They are totally worth the drive from the city! Prolly the best chicken satay around Chicagoland. They actually charcoal grilled the chicken. The lemongrass pork chop was very good too. Penang curry was just average. It wasnt spicy at all and on the salty side. Fried banana was a great dessert! Btw, freezing cold in here! Bring a jacket ;)
