Penang Restaurant
Chapel Hill, NC 27516
Phone: (919) 933-2288
- Hours:
- Mon-Thurs 11am-10:30pm, Fri-Sun 11am-11:30pm
Editorial Review for Penang Restaurant – by Alex Leviton
The Scene
Housed in the former Pyewacket building, Penang is the place to see and be seen in Chapel Hill. Brilliant reds and stylish Asian accents compliment a large, busy space that pulsates with energy. High ceilings promote a constant noise level.
The Food
If you don't like something on this menu--Thai, Malaysian, sushi, coconut milk, mango--consider yourself a seriously picky eater. The yong chow fried rice brims with goodies. The roti canai appetizer is a delicate, chewy bread with a rich curry chicken dipping sauce. Adventurous diners might try Thai chili fish, which is served head to tail in a chunky, spicy sauce. Rendang chicken is another good choice, but it suffers from a watered-down sauce. For dessert, try the Malaysian version of a Snoopy Snowcone: Ice Kacang, or the crepe-like but not-too-sweet Peanut Pancake.
Editorial content is independent of paid advertisers. Any expenses are paid for by Citysearch.
Insider Tips
Where to SitIf you have a large party or want a more intimate atmosphere, ask for a table in the restaurant's back room.
Know Before You GoFor sports fans: Penang has several tables in the bar. You can order off the full menu while watching the game.
User Reviews for Penang Restaurant
12/09/2008 Posted by localPastryChef
I am a local Pastry Chef and have been in the food industry for many years and I can honestly say the dinner we had at Penang was some of the worst food I’ve ever eaten in my life. Our order was taken on the back of a reciept the waiter had in his pocket. Our drinks were in old beat up plastic mugs just like the kind you would find at a BBQ restaurant with the indoor picnic tables. We ordered spring rolls and Kha Gai soup for apps. The rolls were very ordinary, tiny, but good none-the-less. My soup arrived in a hot bowl, but the soup was a little more than warm, although,delicious, we thought we were off to a good start, then our entree came, Red Curry and Lemongrass Chicken. The curry was dark brown, not red. I couldn’t eat it, it was disgusting, I can’t even describe the flavor. They used chicken thighs (why? cheap?) and I don’t think they were cooked through. This no more resembled Red Curry than the used oil from my trucks oil change. My lemongrass chicken tasted like dirt, really! not even the slightest hint at lemongrass flavor. I think it was in there because the dish was full of some sort of inch long fibers. The chicken bits were tossed in some sort of thick yellow/red fiber paste, no salt, no flavor, just plain gross. OH, THEY CHARGED US FOR WHITE RICE! $.80 each! MY GOD, ITS AN ASIAN RESTAURANT! HE ASKED US IF WE WOULD LIKE RICE WITH OUR MEAL, WE SAID YES.... NO MENTION OF ADDED PRICE! Our LUNCH order came to $50.00 and we didn’t order any alcohol. We didn’t eat hardly anything and they didn't care, nor questioned why we refused to take it home with us. The total lack of care, interest, or concern and the absolute horrible food left me feeling like we had just been had by a con artist. I would have had a better Asian meal if I had put peanut butter on chicken McNuggets. Read the reviews, I wish I had. Do you notice all the ones with 5 stars that read like an ad? I bet they wrote those to try and counter all the bad ones, take my advise, eat elsewhere
Pros: the decor was nice
Cons: everything was just plain bad
11/28/2008 Posted by goblygook
We went for lunch today and there were only a few other people there. None the less, it took forever to get our food. We got Miso soup to start and it was more like salt water. Then our main dishes came. One of us ordered coconut shrimp fried rice, it did not have the green beans or cucumbers listed on the menu and there were only 3 little shrimp in it, oh and no coconut! When asked about the lack of coconut the waiter actually said its just a name, there is no coconut. The other dish was ginger chicken which could have been microwaved left overs. It was swimming in salty soy sauce which is probably where the ginger was but I didn't take time to find it. The spring rolls that came with the dish were the size of my thumb and cold. The side salad was iceberg lettuce with some cucumber and carrots that had seen better days. Overall, EXTREMELY disappointing, you're better off getting some fast food Chinese take out if you want a more authentic meal.
Pros: Fancy Decor
Cons: Food and service
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