little penang

absolutely fantastic, i go there very often. i recommend the curry puffs and lobaks, they are very very nice. the customer service is perfect; friendly, tentative and professional. it's alsogreatto see the menu expanding.

the mee goreng is just about the best i have eaten in wellington. made with a lot of love which isgreatto see in wellington although stingy on the meat (3 prawns and that was it).

named after penang island in malaysia, little penang offers authentic malaysian cuisine in the heart of wellington. looking for a warm & filling hot meal for a casual lunch, my partner and i enjoyed our first time at little penang this weekend.

on our visit, about 1pm on a saturday afternoon, little penang was busy and crowded as always. however, the restaurant is spacious and accommodates many tables for guests, which adds to the vibrant and lively atmosphere. to me, the decor is rather plain, and if they had dim lighting, candles, and a cocktail menu, i would also love to come here for a classy dinner or date night.  

the food selection features a variety of meats and vegetables with different sauces & curries, which are all displayed in a cabinet at the front. i chose one labelled 'mild vegetable', served with rice, adding a turmeric chicken drumstick. along with a drink, charlie's orange & mango honest fizz, the three came to $19.30. 

my mild vegetable curry dish served vegetables including carrots, potatoes, tofu, and mushrooms, while also being served with cucumber, egg, and the most deliciously flavoured peanuts. i absolutely loved them and wish i could simply order a dish with the peanuts and rice. overall, i enjoyed my vegetables and rice - there was a pleasant and tasty variety served in generous portions. my turmeric chicken drumstick was average; it was enjoyable but could've been more flavoursome and tender.

my partner chose the mild chicken curry dish and added a pork bun, spending $15.80. he had the pork bun first and liked the texture because it was baked, as well as the delicious pork inside. he chose noodles to be served with his chicken and thought they complemented each other well; he loved the mildly spiced chicken that wasn't too hot, the curry it was drenched in and the overall flavours. while he enjoyed the chicken he thought it was a little dry. 

overall, agreatfirst experience at little penang. the restaurant has a warm and inviting atmosphere, and the food is very wholesome, homely, and nourishing. i'd highly recommend little penang if you crave delicious and authentic malaysian cuisine that is simple and affordable.

i have now visited the legendary little penang on a number of occasions, and am yet to be let down by this fine establishment.

within my humble family lil' penang has a wondrous reputation, and is acclaimed just as highly as the 1997 cult classic australian comedy 'the castle. 

as a relative newcomer to the empire of penang i was worried that the lofty expectations created by my peers would lead to inevitable disappointment at a mediocre inner city malaysian joint. however, just as if witnessing the fulfillment of agreatprophecy my heart was warmed as i accepted the embrace of a mystical place no longer foreign to me - and i knew that what had been whispered was true.

it just seems to have the balance of everything i look for in a restaurant, a diverse and authentic menu full of interesting flavours; a warm and lively atmosphere; very reasonable prices and grand serving sizes; and above all, that feel good x-factor which is so hard to pin down.

if anything, the only thing it could be missing is the one absolute knock out dish but there are many which come close. my personal favourite would have to be the sumptuous otak otak, as i am a sucker for the freshness and vibrancy of coconut and fish.

please, do yourself a favour and visit this sacred spot.

little penang is agreatspot for some cheap and cheery malay food. the teh tarik is amazing, highly recommend getting a mug of that with your meal. the nyonya starter platter is agreatway to try a few different entrees. you cant go wrong with any of the mains really. i've tried their curry and roti, the otak-otak, char kway teow and nasi goreng and it's all good, so i think its safe to say they're probably all good! just look out for the spice level. i always ask for mild because i cant handle spice, but i've had friends who have ordered medium spice and its hotter than they were expecting.

the food here is so delicious, andgreatportions for the price. i had the claypot rice which was great. the only thing i walked away negative about was that the smell of the food there stuck on my clothes for days! perhaps the place could have better ventilation.

fantastic service, food and value!greatflavours; interesting mixes; wonderful. very efficient service even when they are really busy... ............ .........

ate here during our 2 weeks stay in nz. wasn't many authentic ethnic 4-5 star reviewed restaurants from zomato in wellington (trust me we walked to a sushi place which was western owned) however this place was advised by friends back home in australia and guess what .. it did not disappoint!!greatservice,greatfood andgreatatmosphere!

this was my first time at the restaurant but i have heard many good things about it. it didn't disappoint! we go seated straight away (we were there around 5:30pm but it got super busy past 6pm). the staff was very friendly and explained the menu. we all got the roti, curry and rice dish. there was 5 curry options to choose from. all valued at around $11!! which was a bargain for a meal and it was super filling and tasty!greatfor a student budget!

cozy place andgreatfood. authentic malaysian food with greatflavour n nice balance. minor side only the service bit slow. overall we enjoyed it

went here couples of time and the foods were never disappointing.

they are famous for the char koay teow but i went the other direction and chose claypot rice on my first visit, and hokkien char on my latest visit, with a side of lobak and the pandan cake (i forgot the name)

the pandan cake is a must try and a must have for every visit, agreatdessert yet not too sweet for an appetizer.
lobak is a good appetizer if you prefer savory appetizer.
i personally prefer claypot rice than the hokkien char, but nonetheless both were filling dishes.

i'd been wanting to come here for a while due to thegreatreviews and rating and managed to persuade my skeptical husband. the staff were very hardworking, nice and accommodating and i liked the decor though it was certainly noisy on a saturday night. unfortunately i found the food not so good. there are a lot of fried things which makes it rather greasy and the batter had a burnt taste. the mee goreng didn't taste fresh. i suppose it depends what you order though. the curry puffs were small, dry, and overpriced. the pandan cake was yummy! i don't like writing bad reviews and i'm glad others have had better experiences but i'd be reluctant to give it a second go.

lovely little place in welly to have a decent malaysian dinner. mee goreng wasgreatbut do make sure to advice them if you don't like dishes too spicy. i also bought a pandan cake which was equally delicious. not too sweet and with rich coconut favour. yum!

great quality food there. a really cute store. best for takeaways. sellsgreatmalaysian food and real fast too! very friendly. no real complaints at all! very unique.

i cannot stay away from this place.
the food here is authentic, mouth-wateringly delish and a pleasant surprise for my taste buds every time i come back.
i went three times in a row last week for dinner then went back for lunch 😂
for starters the nyonya platter to share comes with an assortment of tasty nibbles including veggie fritters, peanut tofu and a delicious sausage called lobak. othergreatstarters are the pasembur and kerabu salad.
my favourite main is either the mee goreng which is generous and topped with crispy vegetable fritters or the kapitain chicken curry with roti and coconut rice. the chicken has been cooked so tenderly that when your fork hits it it literally falls apart and is perfectly succulent.
dear god just writing about it makes me want to go back for more 🙀
staff are so friendly and all smiles (they probably know how amazing their food is) definitely a favourite of mine!!!