little penang

amazing food for the price!

loved the food and flavours from this little gem. the pork buns were different to i'm used too, but were amazing (yes i had two). just wished there was more seating!

i heard about little penang quite a while back and after looking at all the fantastic reviews, i decided to visit the place. i was so disappointed with the food. i tried a few dishes and the curries tasted like the supermarket paste curry that i have tried at home. i have been to malaysia several times before and the nyonya cakes were absolutely appalling. how could anyone call this food good! obviously, they have never tried any of the other malaysian restaurants in wellington. absolutely shocking quality and a waste of parking fee!

i was cautious about this place because there is a lot of feeble watered down asian food in wellington. but i shouldn't have been because the rave reviews are right. the food is amazing and just like the food my malay chinese grandmother used to make. it is authentic and delicious and the staff are very sweet. yes, it is a small venue but you can always get a takeaway and eat in the park. i love this place.

awesome food. the staff in here are great. very friendly and easy going. they'll tell you what to eat. and you'd better listen because they know what's what! ok?!

malaysian food at it's very best. i wish they opened for dinner service and had more tables. that's not a criticism, however. i just love the food!

well done little penang!

love it!

beautiful food, and the owner is one of the nicest people you could ever meet!

haven't tried the curries by the counter, but have had wonderful experience's ordering from the menu.

the snacks can be a little greasy, though the desserts are always fun to try.

i just hope they can expand into a larger premises so more of wellington can enjoy the little penang experience!

latest review:
my tastebuds evolve everytime i come here, whether it is for a quick takeout meal or to dine in, my favourite regular dish is the mee siam with chicken and prawns.   what really makes this dish is the inclusion of the home made sambal. 
if i could, i would probably buy a jar of it to take home.

little penang also does a special dish of the day and the day that we just so happened to visit was otak otak which is basically a fish paste that is steamed or grilled in banana leaf - simply delicious.

please check out my website for an indepth review.

second review:
tried this place earlier this year (march 2012)
having moved next door to  larger premises which now houses more tables and through word of mouth this place is now bustling which is definitely better than the small and cramped conditions of their original store next door.

the menu is short and simple that allows them to provide more emphasis to produce good quality dishes.

the curry puff still have not been improved that sits in the warmer for hours .  there is a selection of sweet morsels  which are interesting.

the claypot rice is very good, which i would recommend for you to try if you get the opportunity.   

please refer to my website for an indepth review.

first review of their original store:

menu is very limited, quite expensive for the serving sizes and did not have a lot of seating space.

i have not yet gone back to give it another try to see whether things have changed.

i did a quick stop (take away) last night (november 2012). thought i'd give this place another try.

picked up a curry puff and some sweetend bean curd (my favourite dessert)

curry puff was very average. no spice, full of potatoes and hardly any meat, and itwas cold - hate to think how long it had been sitting in the warmer for.
the tau fu far (sweetened bean curd) was very nice, however could have done with another spoonful - then i would have been very happy.

would be nice if they cooked less food, but cook it more often or on demand, so its piping hot and fresh.

pros:
- great flavours
- staff casual and friendly.
- cassava cake is simply amazing!

cons:
- portions rather small for the price you pay. the $11.5 nasi lemak came with a reasonable portion of rice but only three small pieces of chicken and less than about a cup of curry sauce. considering that we can find equivalent great tasting curry but with portions twice the size for about $12 dollar in nearby restaurants.
- not many places to sit down and eat-in (only three tables).
- less considerate customers holding tables by placing bags and jackets on them.

we were visiting wellington for the weekend and went to little penang for dinner. it was the best malaysian food i've had outside of southeast asia, including char kuay teow, assam laksa and other dishes.

the staff were very friendly and made us feel very welcome. they also gave us takeaway containers so we could take our left-overs back to the hotel. we'll definitely be back!

got a bit of take away yesterday - although the food looked really good it was pretty greasy. the curry chicken did look nice but next time will probably go for that instead.

with out a doubt the best maylasian food in wellington. the food has love in it, made from tradition, with care, from what can only be good hearts and good ingredients and i can tell you i have never been to a restaurant that every dish is so unique and tasty that i dont have a favorite dish as they are all superb! the flavors are amazing, with traditional ingredients like ginger flower, on top of fresh mint and fresh pineapple in the most interesting and tasty laksa i have ever had.
the different and special mushrooms for the medicine soup. the large noddles, the wonderful lemon grass chicken and the home made curry puffs, the best. the masala tea is wonderful to sip it after a meal, sometimes with one of the wonderful cakes, try the penang. the family who run it are kind and genuine, i very much want to see them do well, as the food has so much nourishment, the owners are friendly with real smiles, lacking in hospitality these days. congratulations to them, having the courage to give us the real taste of malaysia not the westernized version. they call the food, street food, so its a bit of a change from the usual cafes and restaurants style. it really has that drop in any time and eat feel. you will be welcomed, and nicely educated through the menu. the prices make it so that you can eat there a lot! every person i have introduced have all loved it, 5 stars is real.
lucky wellington, try it..............you will not regret it.

some of the best food in the city and by far the best malaysian food in wellington.

nasi lemak is amazing
bubur cha cha is just how i like it
and the kueh! yes yes yes please!!!
everything is good!!!

its my local and we eat from here almost every week.

aunty and uncle do and amazing job
great food and friendly service and its nit expensive

very enjoyable evening.
food was great. i found the dishes very authentic
malaysian.
i finished with a masala tea.
good value for money.
incredibally the food was very satisfying. left feeling good.
thank you.

the food is so authentic. very very delicious. trust me you will never be disappointed. there so many different types of food to try and every single one tastes amazing. the staff are so helpful.
cant wait to go back again!!!