Where it all Began: Penang

Penang has three meanings to me: 
1. It's the island where my girlfriend is from (it's in Malaysia).
2. It's the restaurant where I took my girlfriend out on our first date (February 11, 2012).
3. And it happens to be a restaurant with very authentic Malaysian food (in terms of food AND price).

selamat datang to Penang!

Jess and I have been here several times. When we go, we usually kick-off our meal with roti canai (awesome appetizer), but last night we decided to jump right to entrees since it was a little late and we weren't that hungry.

Jess ordered one of her favorite entrees, Hokkien prawn mee (literal translation: shrimp noodles), a spicy noodle soup dish that is very popular in Penang. The dish consists of egg noodles served in richly flavored dark soup stock with prawns (shrimp), pork slices and bean sprouts topped with fried shallots.

Hokkien prawn mee

I was feeling a little adventurous last night, so instead of getting my usual order of Young Chow fried rice I asked for Cantonese Chow Fun, a very common dish among locals in Malaysia. The dish's base is very similar to your typical chow fun with one major difference: delicious thick egg gravy with a side of pickled green chili bathed in soy sauce. I must admit that the initial appearance caught me by surprise - however, after my girlfriend assured me that I was in for a treat, I quickly gave it a try and have not looked back since...this stuff is REALLY good!

Cantonese chow fun

One more thing to note, the restaurant has changed a lot since our first date over a year ago. We sat in a boat-style booth area that is not there anymore, which is a little upsetting. However, their makeover gives it an appearance that matches the quality of the food.

In summary, Penang has the best Malaysian cuisine in Central New Jersey, and it rivals restaurants like Banana Leaf and Nyonya, located in Philly and NYC, respectively. Additionally, our bill was under $25 dollars, and we even had leftovers for lunch the next day! Great food for a great price. This is a great restaurant, and we always look forward to coming back for more good Malaysian food!