Penang, Washington, D.C. .....A Taste of the Island City in Washington
Written: Apr 05 '03 (Updated Apr 05 '03)
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Pros: Spicy, interesting cuisine, pleasant atmosphere, reasonable prices
Cons: Malaysian cuisine does have its limitations
The Bottom Line: Penang is an attractive new restaurant in downtown Washington. It is good to see that they have re-opened in record time.
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| tombarnes's Full Review: Penang Malaysian Cuisine - DC |
Washington's ethnic restaurant scene has grown exponentially of late. No longer does one have to make the trek to noisy, crowded Adams-Morgan to get a taste of something vaguely exotic. New, splashy restaurants of every stripe are popping up like daisies all over the capital city. One of the newest entrants in the restaurant sweepstakes is Penang, a branch of the New York chain, which has turned up in the renovated premises of what was once the forlorn Gusti's, an old style Italian place that had long ago seen its day.
The Building
Occupying a prime corner spot at 19th and M Streets, NW, Penang shares its premises with a law firm upstairs, and the dreadful Chipotle (McDonald's South of the Border) below. Happily, the restaurant holds its own against these two neighbors.
Inside, the restaurant has a bar in front and a couple of small dining rooms. The rooms are a bit dark, but they are finished with some care. The look is modern and slightly eccentric.
Menu
First Course
The specialty of the house is the Roti Canai, ($4.75) a crispy pancake with a curried chicken dipping sauce. The pancake is thin and crispy, rather like an Indian bread, and the sauce is good, though just slightly salty. If you want to stick with the tried and true, they do have a very reliable Satay ($7.50). Four skewers of marinated chicken or beef (the chicken is usually better) come with the usual peanut sauce. Fortunately, this one is not as cloyingly sweet as some I've had.
If you like calamari, try the Sotong Goreng ($8.95), as nearly perfect calamari as I have had anywhere. This one is different, though. The light, golden calamari are topped with large slices of red peppers, red onions and come with an incendiary chili paste. This one is not for the faint of heart. You might consider sharing this one, as the portion is quite large.
If you want spring rolls, the Poh Piah are worth trying too ($6.50). I prefer the steamed variety to the fried spring rolls (Sayur Poh Piah), but both are well executed. The stuffing of jicama and bean sprouts is light, as is the Hoisin plum sauce. This isn't really too different, but it is well prepared.
Soup
If you are going to have soup here, consider leaving off the other courses. The portions are enormous. My favorite is probably the Curry Mee ($8.95), a clay pot of egg and rice noodles with shredded chicken , shrimp, tofu and bean sprouts. The coconut curry broth is light and mildly hot, but you can add fire, if you like, from the small tray of fiery sauces they will bring on the side, if you ask.
Another solid offering is their Penang Clay Pot Noodles ($10.95), thick noodles with shrimp, scallops, vegetables and squid. The gravy is dark, and thickened with eggs, but the whole comes off rather well.
Fried Noodles
A very filling dish of egg, tofu, potatoes, shrimp, squid, bean sprouts, the Mee Goreng is topped with a sprinkling of peanuts ($9.95). This is one of the most traditional Malaysian dishes, and if you have spent any time in Malaysia, you may well be sick of seeing it. On the other hand, if you are not sick to death of it, theirs is a faithful rendition of the classic.
Another alternative is the Penang Char Koay Teow ($9.95). Flat rice noodles with shrimp, squid, eggs, and bean sprouts. If this sounds like the last dish I described, you are catching on to the thing about Malaysian cuisine--it's all fairly similar. Still, this dish is rescued from banality by the spicy black soya chili sauce. Be aware that this is very spicy.
The Penang Char Mee Hoon ($9.95) comes with chicken, egg, bean sprouts and the addition of julienned red and green peppers. Lemon grass and dried red peppers add some danger for those who are not inclined to like hot dishes.
Main Course
My favorite here is the rather basic standby, Green Curry Chicken ($14.50), a traditional rendition with generous slices of chicken breast, string beans, eggplant, lemongrass and kaffir leaves. The coconut cury broth is deceptive. At first, you might not imagine that it is too spicy, and then you realize halfway through your dinner that it is indeed very spicy. Add extra condiments and spices with great caution here. This is also available with seafood at $15.50.
The Kari Ayam ($11.95) is a clay pot of chicken (dark meat only), simmered forever with potatoes in a red curry and coconut milk gravy. Simple, yes, but very satisfying on a winter's day.
The Tulang Gunung Api ($13.95) are pork rib cutlets in a rich Malaysian barbecue sauce. Rather than hot, the spices are subtle here, though the dish can be a bit messy to eat. Wear an old tie or blouse if you order this one.
There are a number of seafood dishes as well. The Kari Udang ($20.95) is particularly good. Jumbo shrimp cooked in their shells come with a spicy red curry paste with herbs and onions.
If you like whole fish, the Ikan Merah Special ("excellent choice"), is a whole red snapper which has been fried and plunged into a fragrant fish sauce of hot spices. This isn't for everyone, as the fish has not been fileted, but the taste of the dish may be worth the bother of doing your own fileting.
Simpler offerings like the Asparagus Udang ($12.95) may please those without palates of iron. This one is particularly nice. Chicken or shrimp in a mild brown sauce with mushrooms and crunchy asparagus. Very simple, and very good too.
Rice Dishes
What Malaysian menu would be complete without the ubiquitous Nasi Goreng? This typical dish ($8.95) has the usual egg, squid, corn, peas and carrots in a spicy sauce over fried rice. They also offer Pineapple Fried Rice ($9.95), but this reminds me of a Hawaiian luau. Only the mint relieves the dish of its sweetness.
Three types of rice may be ordered as side dishes, plain, Hainanese, or Coconut Rice. Of these, I prefer the last of the three. One would do well to remember that the Chinese influence in the cuisine of Penang is paramount. Over 70% of the population of Penang are ethnic Chinese.
Dessert
The Fried Banana is basic fried banana with a slightly sweet sauce. One gets six pieces, which is more than enough.
My favorite here is the Chendol ($4.95), even if it may seem very odd to the Western palate. Shaved ice with green pea flour strips, coconut milk, rose syrup and red beans. It sounds a lot weirder than it tastes. Continuing in the same vein, we have Ice Kacang with Ice Cream ($4.95) which is somewhat similar to the dish above, but they add peanuts, lotus jelly and vanilla ice cream to the mix. A little goes a long way.
They also have various pancakes with peanut or banana fillings.
Service
The service here is pleasant, if sometimes a little distant. I usually sit in the front bar area, and have not encountered any service issues.
Reservations Etc.
You will likely not need them, except possibly on the weekends. The bar scene is especially busy on Thursday and Friday nights. There is no dress code., but the prevailing look is casual business clothing.
The restaurant is open as follows:
Lunch: 11:30 AM- 3:00 PM Daily
Dinner: 3:00 PM-11:00 PM Monday-Thursday
3:00 PM-12:00 AM Friday, Saturday
3:00 PM-10:00 PM Sunday
The restaurant accepts all major credit cards. Parking is available on the street. Good luck.
A carry-out menu is available as well. Prices are $1.00 less than those mentioned above.
Penang
1837 M Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20036
Tel. 202-822-8773
FAX 202-822-8381
Recommended:
Yes
Kid Friendliness: No
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Notes, Tips or Menu Recommendations Reservations are probably not necessary, bar scene on weekends
Best Suited For: Friends
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Epinions.com ID:
tombarnes
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 - Top 100 |
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Member: Thomas Barnes
Location: Fort Lauderdale & Washington, DC
Reviews written: 684
Trusted by: 441 members
About Me:
With Barbara in Miami, 2004
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