Penang was my first taste of Malaysian cuisine. I came for lunch with some coworkers a few months back, and have been waiting to take Adam ever since.
We went for dinner on a Thursday evening and we were seated right away. The interior of the restaurant is thoughtfully decorated, with wall murals and a kind of asian bamboo hut kind of theme.
We started with two Singapore beers (they were out of the Malaysian beer we ordered first) and the roti canai appetizer ($2.95), which is kind of like naan, but not entirely. It is served with a curry sauce (with veggies, a potato, and chicken drumstick) for dipping. It’s clearly a dish that is heavily influenced by indian cuisine.
Drinking Tiger beer, a beer of Singapore.
Roti Canai appetizer.
For our main courses, we got sambal sotong ($9.95), a spicy squid dish, and Penang char kway teow ($8.95), the most popular style of a popular malaysian stir-fried flat noodle dish. Adam thought it seemed a bit takeout-ish, but since it is one of the most popular street foods, apparently, that is probably why it seemed that way to him.
Sambal Sotong
Penang char kway teow
We enjoyed both of our dishes quite a lot, but we gradually became aware of an unsettling fact… everyone in the restaurant was using chopsticks but us. Our food was served with forks, and chopsticks were never offered. I tried to catch someone’s eye to ask for them, but as time dragged on, I gave up and just used my fork. It’s not a huge deal, and they probably thought they were helping us out, but it was still mildly offensive.
Chopstick envy aside, the prices were great (how often can you find an appetizer for less than $5?), and the food was good, too. It was really interesting to experience asian and indian influences in the food. Lastly, the atmosphere was pretty upscale for Buford Highway. They seemed to do a lot of takeout business, so the nice atmosphere was both surprising and appreciated. The food came fast enough anyway, but the service was kind of slow in general and I just couldn’t get anyone’s attention when I needed it. 3.5 stars.
Another interior shot that I sneaked while the hubs was paying the tab.
Penang Malaysian Cuisine
4897 Buford Highway NE, Suite 113
Chamblee, GA 30341
emily
Nerd. Foodie. Gamer. Homecook. Perpetual planner. Gardener. Aspiring homesteader. Direct response graphic designer. I use too many damn commas.
Hi, native Atlanta here who has lived off Buford Highway most of my life.
I have eaten at 90% of the restaurants you have reviewed and am happy
to have found your site. Look forward to more of your posts.
Hello and welcome! I’m happy to have you along for our expedition. I’d love to hear about your experiences at the various places we’ve tried!
Ooh, this one sounds like a keeper, despite the odd service. Love that you tried a dish with squid in it; sounds tasty!