Penang--CLOSED

I am a regular at Penang in CHINATOWN, until a few days ago, I order 2 take out. When I got home I started to eat and soon found a short hair in my rice...eww but thats not it...Then, my father was eating the veggies and pulled out a long hair from his mouth from the other take out box!!! Erk! Be careful and watch your food. I love the taste but not the hair. Pros: Tastes good Cons: Hair in food more

Used to be very good - seems to have declined sharply. Soups are tasteless, dishes have little variety, not very flavorful. more

I've been going to Penang for years (both at Harvard Sq and Chinatown) and never been disappointed with their consistent quality of food and service. BUT, the Cambridge location is now called ""Rendang"", with a new menu - new graphic design, same dishes, but higher prices. Before, we would spend around $15 each for 5-6 people (no drinks), sharing family-style. Last week, my friends & I ordered pretty much our same favorite dishes and paid a whopping $24 each. The Chinatown location is still called Penang - so I'll guess I'll stick to that one. Pros: Delicious, usually large waitstaff Cons: ""Rendang"" location now more $$$ more

We order the Indian 'pancake' with the curry sauce that is definetly something worth to come back for. We also order the CUrry Mee with Young Tau Foo which is not worth the money. Seafood with crispy noodle is great, recommended. Beef Chow Fun, will not order again. Buddhist Yam Pot is good, but not that superb like the other reviews. Ice tea sucks, very watery and tasteless. Overall, I wll still come back and try other items that look interesting. Cons: parking more

This place has good good, though the appetizers are tastier than the entrees. I haven't had a bad meal here though. The service, on the other hand, leaves much to be desired--the servers are so attentive that one feels harrassed. It is also unfortunate that Penang lacks a liquor license. Oh, I would also disagree about the decor--it isn't high art, of course, but I find it amusing. Pros: good food, good value Cons: no alcohol, poor service more

This place was a pleasant surprise.... due to the reviews I felt sure it was going to be mediocre- but it was DELICIOUS. We didn't really see an appitizer we'd be interested in but I ordered the Penang Dry Curried Chicken and it was the best asian food I'd had in months. My boyfriend was dubious about my suggestion to eat the Buddist yam pot thing but it was great. Usually he and I can't share a meal but both our selections were so yummy we kept sharing bites. We will definitely revisit everytime we're in the area. Also I LOVED the watermelon Drink... it was so fresh and delicious. The price was a couple dollars more an entree than we usually pay but worth it. Pros: Great food, great drinks, Food came quickly Cons: chilly by windows, pushy servers, weird interior design more

The first time we were there, the service and food was great. I took my out of town guests the second time I visited them. It was 15-20 minutes before kitchen was to close. They asked us to rush in our order (fair enough). However, the food that arrived was stiff and chicken dish was cooooooooold. On complaining, one guy said it is like that only. The other said it is warm. The fried tofu was cold and stiff. (Every other place I eat fried tofu has me gasping to avoid hot oily tofu burning my mouth skin). Well, I am not sure if I am going to try it again anytime in the future. more

This place is similar to the one in New York, but the food is not as good. I would recommend going for lunch when they have a lunch menu that gives you some appetizers and a great jicama salad on the side. Try the mango chicken and the seafood in a taro bowl. Peanut pancake for dessert is also good. more

although i had heard good things about penang, we did not enjoy the food experience (a feeling that only increased in intensity for hours after we left.) everything we ordered was smothered in grease, and clearly everything was cooked in the same old oil because it all tasted the same. the service was prompt, but not especially helpful in deciphering the menu. although the view was great and the lychee drink was a special treat, we would never go back to penang again. Pros: great view, fast service, no wait Cons: greasy, greasy, somewhat overpriced more

Tasty food (most closely related to Chinese, and maybe Indian food). Big menu, reasonable prices, nice service. Generally easy to get a table. Great lunch specials as well. Casual. This is one of the places I go to get a good, predictable meal. more

I went to the Harvard Sq location last week, and I actually prefered this one than the one in China town. It's in the center of Harvard Sq, and the 2nd floor location gave it a great view of the exciting Harvard Sq. The decor is modern, a clean and chic feeling. Food is quite authentic, not as sweet and saucy as most of the American-twisted-Asian food. The price is terrific, most of the items under or around $10. I will be back. Pros: Good Location, Inexpensive, Authentic Cons: Hard for parking more

Food is just as good as the Chinatown location, but the modern decor is jarring. I prefer the more authentic feel of the bamboo walls at the downtown location! Try the yam pots, a terrific treat! Pros: location, exotic drinks Cons: odd modern decor more