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Penang Delight Cafe
Category: Restaurants Malaysian Malaysian [Edit]
3885 RupertVancouver, BC V5M 3W2
Neighbourhood: Renfrew-Collingwood
(604) 566-9898
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
23 reviews for Penang Delight Cafe
23 reviews in English
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Review from Simon K.
I still remember coming here the very first time, and being asked how the heck did you find this place, all by luck, as always using the eyes on the side of my head to spot new restaurants, and to always try to figure out the next place to go and throw my money at, and hopefully have an experience where I can jot some notes in my head and type up some colorful worthwhile review, and Penang definitely deserves my 500th 'write up'. Where to begin, you wouldn't think of finding a fine dining restaurant experience in this neck of the woods, surrounded by Oscar's, Little Caesars, a 7-11, this is 'East-Side' Vancouver! (oh yeah!) There I was, driving home along Rupert, and this restaurant on the corner of 23rd just caught my eye... probably because of the words "Malaysian" in their banner, and from the sight of things, this place didn't look like a 'hole-in-the-wall'. Take down name, check up the 'Yelp' app on the phone, tread cautiously. There was not many reviews of this place near the beginning of this year, and I'm "all-in" when it comes to new experiences!
Along with my partner, and another friend, the 3 of us on a cold winter's night went to this restaurant in the 'East-side' to see if "this was good??" When we got here at night, the place was packed, the place is tiny, but it has a very 'homey' like feel, a mish-mash of things, like a little wooden sign out front, pictures of Malaysia hanging all over the place, a private eating room in the back that could seat 6-8 (I doubt you could fit more, but this place is tight!), one washroom (yes... only one.. labled mens; womens; handicapped!), and a full on kitchen. The place, at max could probably fit about 40, and that maybe pushing it. Close confines, but it didn't feel crammed. The place on a nightly basis, is busy, but you will get enough elbow room to sit confortable and eat, what we hoped this night, was a good meal. When we entered, you could smell the coconut and spices used in the kitchen engulfing the same air everyone was breathing in here. That silent look, when you look at the other people in your party, and just know that when things smell right, your in for a good meal came out of the faces of the people I was with.
3 people on this night, the order, an order of their house made roti, a big bowl of lamb soup, there house made laksa, a big plate of Kari beef brisket, and finally their Hainanese chicken, with two bowls of rice. The portions were a fair size, and if anyone who has met me knows that I don't eat too much, and neither to the two people that were with me that night. Each dish came steaming hot, fresh, right out of the kitchen in the back up to our table. I don't think we were starving, but the plates, each of them, made us salivate with delight. The amazing thing about this experience was learning about each dish afterwards, there is a man named Jack that works here, who can look at your bill and tell you exactly who made each dish, and true to form from Malaysian cuisine, explain to you why it was done in the way it was. There are a number of chefs that prepare different dishes here, it's not a one person show. The care and quality to each dish shows, even to the most simple of things, the dipping sauce for the Hainanese chicken, which was not out of a bottle, but made in house.
When you want commercialized, you go to Tropika, when you want it real good, you come right here, you can compare dish by dish, and you will know what I am talking about. The service is top notch, which doesn't make this just a place where you sit your butt, order, and exit, but an experience into the culture of this food. Jack, the person who served us was able to disect each dish, and would be able to tell you which cook in the back had their hands in preparing and making the finished product. One last thing I will always remember is Jack upselling us on dessert called the "Kuih Talam" where we were stuffed, there was nothing to take home, all the sauces, rices, meats, soups, everything was devoured by the three of us, where we couldn't touch any more food, and even though he knew this, he said that if we couldn't finish this dish, consider it on the house. Can't say no to potentially free food, and when it came out, the four pieces were slowly eaten, and somehow there was room for this. Jack came back later and explained the dish, and how it is not overpowering so you can still savour your dinner. This place is passionate to what they serve, and during the last time we were there, gave us a coupon for $10 off our next visit.
We came back again just recently, and it was still as I remembered it. Even though the coupon was expired, they still allowed us to use it. I would come back again and again to try more of their food, it's just that good!Listed in: Favorite Food Places, Coconut Curry - Thai/Malay it…
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Review from Kin L.
Burnaby, BC
3/18/2012 3 Check-ins Here
Penang Delight Cafe brings back memories of my Penang visits. From the tasteful Malaysian decor to the ambient music, this is about as close to an authentic Penang experience as one can get in Vancouver. I would say the only thing missing is for this Cafe to be in the format of a Penang-style street side hawker store.
Since my first visit, I have been back here three times. Each time, Penang Delight Cafe continues to impress me with their culinary artistry of blending the authentic Penang taste through their own interpretation of the Malaysian cuisine. From their Penang Assam Laksa to their Teh Tarik, everything tastes just right.
I have tasted their Hainan Chicken, Char Kway Teow, Roti Canai, and my favourite Assam Laksa. The price is very fair given the quality of the food. Their service is also quick and friendly. I would definitely recommend Penang Delight Cafe to anyone who loves Penang food. -
Review from Ernesto G.
Updated - 1/31/2012 8 photos
Just iike I remembered it...excellent!
Thought we would try family dinner at Penang since we love their lunch. Dinner was just as good and this time we got to order even more food like their dark noodles (not sure what the real name of this dish is, but just ask the owner for the dark noodles...he'll know. Looks almost like round noodles cooked in dark soy sauce, but its not dark soy sauce because it's not that salty...almost like a black bean paste. So tasty.
Had to end off the night with deep fried bananas with ice cream. I love this dish!
YUM.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/23/2011
Penang is a total delight!
Came here for lunch on Friday and was blown away completely by the super… Read more »
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Review from Houng T.
Sunset, Vancouver, BC
5/7/2012 1 Check-in Here
In search of my chicken rice fix I stumbled upon this restaurant on Yelp. The reviews look good and I wanted to change it up from Cafe D'lite. First off, the place was packed for a Sunday night, a very good sign for a restaurant in a very quiet neighborhood. We ordered two portions of the chicken rice, nasi goreng, chicken laksa and the green beans. The food came out promptly. The chicken rice at this place is a lot bigger and was nice and juicy. A must try for anyone going to a Malaysian restaurant. However, I was once again disappointed with the rice that came along with the chicken. The price was reasonable and the portions were good for sharing. There were quite a few drink items on the menu that you wouldn't find anywhere else. Try the milo dinosaur.
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Review from Lily L.
Vancouver, BC
5/9/2012
I love the food in this restaurant which I discovered about 2 weeks ago, but have been there nearly half a dozen times (lots of take outs as well!). I'm a bit puzzled by the two star reviews but either the food has improved since these reviews or I ordered completely different dishes. I really liked their char kueh teow which was tasty and slightly spicy, a real comfort food. Their cendol ice drinks/desserts are to die for. I've also had the kueh dadar a Malaysian crepe flavoured with pandan leaves and filled with coconut and palm sugar. Yummy! I could eat these desserts every day if I could get away with all that coconut and sugar fix, but then I would need a whole new wardrobe. I've also tried their trio of curries (chicken, lamb, and rendang beef) which were very flavourful. Their hainanese chicken was okay, not as good as Malaysian Hut in Surrey. Service was very friendly and prompt. I would definitely bring my Malaysian relatives here when they are in town.
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Review from Allen C.
9/19/2011 1 Check-in Here
I have lived around this neighbourhood for more than a year and I finally found the time to try this restaurant out. I think what made me hesitate about eating here for dinner was that they called it a "cafe" so technically, the food should be more dedicated to mid afternoon meals and for snacking. I was wrong. This is a full on dinner restaurant at night
The well lit restaurant was packed on a Sunday night and upon closer look the menu is full of my favourite Malaysian dishes. So, we did order the popular Nasi goreng without the spice, beef satays skewers, roti canai and the special mango fried fish. The Nasi, beef satays and roti were very comparable with the top Malaysian restaurants (Tropika, Banana Leaf, etc) though the Roti was a little heavier tasting. A big surprise was that the menu is nearly "HALF" the price of their competitors. Thumbs up in my books. I paid $50 for 5 dishes and I had leftovers. The dish sizes are much larger than normal, but they didn't lose out on the quality.
One problem is that they do not accept credit cards, though once they get enough street cred they should start thinking about it.
In the end it is about the food and me, my wife and baby daughter were all full and satisfied. Yum! -
Review from Roni L.
Vancouver, BC
Updated - 10/24/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I went back to Penang Delight today for lunch with another foodie. This time we ordered the roti canai, the curry veggies in stone pot, the mee goran (yellow noodles) and the beef curry with rice.
Wow. Everything was outstanding. The mee goran was the weakest of the four, but still very nice.
The other three were great, especially the curry beef and the curry veggies. So well done and flavorful.
They added more to the menu and put photos of their dishes in there since I came last, and most importantly, their dish size is now larger, to be in line with their prices (when I came before, their dishes were too small. it seems they improved on that).
So I have to bump up my rating a star and go back for more.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/19/2011
I'm happy to see Penang Delight thriving at the corner of Rupert and East 23rd. There was an Indian… Read more »
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Review from Benson H.
Vancouver, BC
2/20/2012
First time I went there, I called it the Poor Man's Tropika because everything tastes similar to Tropika yet somehow slightly not on par or as tasty. So if you know how you feel about Tropika, then just take your expectation down a notch.
I would give Tropika a 3.5 stars on a good night, so this place is closer to 2.5 stars. While I give it a lower rating, the pricing is slightly cheaper than Tropika so it could be 3 stars in terms of value. But for the money, I think I would pay a bit more and ensure the higher quality at Tropika. Then again, this is restaurant is welcomed addition to the East Vancouver/West Burnaby neighbourhood without having to go all the way to the west side or Richmond for Tropika.
I tried take-out once and I was highly disappointed, so perhaps this is more of an dine-in experience. So 2 stars for take-out. -
Review from Michael S.
4/15/2012
Tried it first time from a friend's recommendation. This place is cash only and in a small location. I thought the food will be cheaper than Tropika given the location but I was wrong. The waitress recommended Curry laksa, char kwai teow, mee goreng, hokkien mie and nasi lemak. But at $12 or 13 for nasi lemak I better cook at home myself. So we went with cury laksa and mee goreng. They also have penang asam laksa but if I remember correctly in Kuala Lumpur they tasted like medicine. Anyways, I like regular the curry laksa, hopefuly they taste like the singaporean laksa ala Prima Taste which is the best. I wanted to order this black hokien mie which is kind of unusual in KL and singapore but maybe I'll save that for the next visit. This restaurant is very crowded so we have high hopes with this place.
So the laksa came and it looked ok but tasted very bland. It lacks salt and the oomph from grounded ebi (dried shrimp) and balacan sauce. I asked for balacan sauce and it didn't taste right either, no grounded shrimp in there. The next dish is mee goreng which is actually not bad but you can't hardly mess up mee goreng unless you don't know how to cook. But unfortunately I had better mee goreng elsewhere. Too bad that better Malaysian restaurant is not available anymore. That place was Yummy Malaysian in Richmond public market. The original owner moved to Kelowna about 3 years ago and sold their business to a chinese couple. I tried their food after the new owner and it didn't taste the same like the original. Back in the day, Yummy had the best mee goreng, deep fried halibut with balacan and nasi lemak all at less than $5.95. In summary, I would give this place another chance but I won't pay for their weekend or dinner menu. My wife and I still like Tropika better than Penang Delight. We pretty much agree with Benson H review below. -
Review from Wendy Y.
12/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
The food is 4/5 but the service, a 6/5 for sure. The dining experience felt very down to earth and intimate.
Amongst the three of us we ordered a Roti, curry Laska, Hai Nan chicken, curry beef, a bowl of coconut rice, a bowl of chicken oil rice, and last but not least - lamb soup. I don't think the lamb soup was on the menu as it was special of the day. Being lamb fanatics, my partner and I went ahead with the soup even though we already ordered quite a bit.
We didn't wait long for our food. The lamb soup came first and my partner and I loved it! The lamb soup was slightly sweet with a light hint of herbs and deep fried shallots. The meats were plentiful. This hearty soup couldn't be any better on a bone chilling night. I was glad my partner's best friend doesn't eat lamb, because that only means one thing, more lamb for me!
The Roti came next. The curry dip was out of this world. I personally found the Roti too doughy (too much flour). But oh well. The curry Laska came next. It was beautifully plated with three slices of fish cake, three slices of (big chunks of) chicken, and half a boiled egg. I was surprised to find 2 types of noodles: yellow noodles and vermicelli. The soup base had minimal hint of coconut milk and I saw a pool of red curry oil floating on top, though the soup wasn't spicy.
The Hai Nan chicken, curry beef and two bowls of rice arrived at about the same time. Let's just say the boys went nuts after the meat dishes. I am not a big fan of meat but I had more than my usual consumption (guilty*). The Hai Nan chicken was very tender, and again beautifully plated on a plate of cooked bean sprouts. The bean sprouts were in a pool of light sweet soy sauce. Oh, it was heavenly. I was impressed that the restaurant made their own Hai Nan chicken dipping sauce. I love loVE LOVE the sauce. 99.999% restaurants would serve the chili sauce that comes in a bottle, but nah uh. The chili sauce was made from fresh chili with lemon juice and god knows what else was in it but it was damn good. It wasn't spicy, just sweet, sour, and tangy. The curry beef was excellent too. I can taste every chunk of meat was from the same "strip" of beef so they weren't from various parts of the cow.
When we were ready to get the bill, Jack, the general manager asked if we wanted any dessert. We said we were good, just the bill. He then said there's a green steamed dessert that he highly recommends. He said if we couldn't finish it, the dessert will be on the house and if we did finish it, we had to pay up double. We chuckled and took the offer from the very humorous Jack.
The steamed dessert looked like coconut jelly (the ones you find in Chinese restaurants) except this one was forest green with a thin layer of white coconut jelly at the top. It was light, and not overly sweet. Needless to say we polished it. By that time we finished, we were full BUT we didn't feel stuffed or bloated. There was no sense of heaviness as opposed to what you usually get from eating typical South Eastern food.
While we were sorting out the bill, Jack came over and asked how we liked the food. I said to him the food was excellent, very home cooking like but no offense, the Roti was on the doughy side. He listened attentively and said the Roti eaten in Malaysia and Singapore are on the doughy side because the locals eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner as a filler, similar to that of rice. Because of this, the traditional Roti is added with a decent amount of flour to give you that filling sensation. Therefore in the morning, all you need is a piece of Roti and a glass of beverage and that's your breakfast. Because food is expensive (and so is flour), the locals eat it to be economical. He explained to us as if he was telling or sharing his personal story. He did not take offense to my comment (none of that defensive attitude) and I was very happy to learn and understand why my food was presented or tasted a certain way. I believe that having a satisfying meal isn't just about eating what tastes good, but also knowing the history and evolution behind it.
Apparently there are FIVE chefs working in the kitchen. Every chef has his or her specialty. For example the chef who made the lamb soup also made the beef curry. There is a dessert chef who actually created the recipe for the dessert we just had. Jack said a lot of restaurants offer overly sweetened desserts at the end of the meal. That can be a problem because you tend to forget what you ate prior. With a light dessert made from selected ingredients of course, you not only remember the dessert, but also every dish you had since you sat down.
The bill came to $60 (excluding tips) amongst 3 people but we ordered a lot. The food isn't cheap but I am willing to pay for what's served. I can't wait to return and try what else they have in store. Oh and if you consume over $50.00 you'll get a $10 voucher for your next meal. I am in.Listed in: Malaysian/Singaporean/Vie…
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Review from Rusty B.
3/16/2012
Yikes! Bad service (lots of upsell, forgot about our rice... TWICE) with mediocre food (don't think these fellas know what Ipoh Hor Fun actually is) passing off as authentic Malaysia. First and last time I will be eating at this poor excuse of a restaurant.
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Review from Marc D.
Vancouver, BC
12/9/2010 1 photo
* New Malaysian spot *
I was seated at a table next to a customer from Malaysia at this newly opened Malaysian spot. He was a pretty amusing guy.
It just so happens that I ordered the exact same dish he had ordered - char kway teow. I was a little worried when I saw his come out as it had shredded lettuce on top! WTF?!?!?!! Is this Taco Bell char kway teow?!?!?!
He didn't look very impressed. I was hoping it was some other dish, other than what I ordered. Sadly, it wasn't.
Photo: http://www.yelp.ca/biz...
My issues with the dish:
- There was almost no spicing at all on the dish, even though it was listed as spicy on the menu with a little chili pepper next to it and everything. I requested a side of sambal to spice things up. That helped a bit, but would have been better if the spicing was evenly distributed during cooking instead.
- There was no char from cooking. One of the things I love about this dish when done well is the smoky charred flavour that intermingles with everything. It was absent.
- The lettuce. WTF?
On the positive side, the Chinese sausage which was mixed in was nicely fermented.
When I ordered the sambal to spice things up, the Malaysian guy at the next table said, "Not spicy enough, eh?"
I agreed and said, "I've never seen it with lettuce on top before."
He replied, "Local improvisation clearly." LOL.
He then launched into a discussion lamenting the quality of Malaysian food in Vancouver and how he can't wait to visit Malaysia and gain weight again!
It was an entertaining conversation, which made up for the lackluster food.
Oh well....It was worth a try.Listed in: Vanoodle, Vancouver…
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Review from Ag T.
Burnaby, BC
3/14/2011
The food I had tasted OK.
My party of 20 had hainese chicken, sambai green beans, roti, beef randang, vegetable curry hotpot, nasi nana, nasi goreng, hainese rice.
Unfortunately, 18/20 of us got food poisoning. Upset stomach, painful stomach cramps and diarrhea. Not sure what happened. I phoned the restaurant and they were not much help saying that no one outside of our huge party complained. Sounded like..."no one else got sick sooo....what do you want me to do?"
I was thinking it's not a big place, the restaurant seats about 30ish total. I would have been happy with "I'm sorry. I hope everyone is ok." That is a sad way to handle a massive food safety incident.
I would've gone back to try their other dishes but getting food poisoning certainly taints the whole experience.
The restaurant is also small and crowded. -
Review from Edward B.
Vancouver, BC
3/30/2011
This place was shown by my fellow Indonesian, who has a Malaysian friend. This Malaysian dude's father or uncle I forgot... was the owner of this restaurant. So bam there I am.
The food here is great. Decently proportioned. There were like 18 of us so we were hogging out on all the food as fast as we could. Do not follow my example, please. 18 of us look very uncivilized because no longer after 20 seconds after the food came, it was gone already.
The only problem here is PRICE PRICE PRICE. I was expecting to pay below $30, but I ended up paying $35. FOR A MALAYSIAN FOOD?!?! ARE YOU SERIOUS?! As a fellow Southeast Asian, I am ashamed to have paid this much for this food. Call me cheap or whatever, but I don't think $35 is reasonable for this food. I mean the food is great but the portion is pretty small. Well, we did order like 15 dishes or something, so you be the judge. But in most Asian restaurants I think with 18 people you should pay around $20.
Okay rant over. I know I'm cheap...
The service was alright, the staff was ok-friendly (maybe partly because my friend came here so much). The service was fairly slow though, so keep that in mind.
Come here if you have spare monehh and you want ok Malaysian food -
Review from David D.
Vancouver, BC
5/10/2011
I was in the mood for Malaysian cuisine and I found this restaurant listed online. I ordered the roti chennai and penang me goereng take out. The food was just ok. Having lived in Malaysia, I wouldn't say it is the best Malay food I have ever had.
I would recommend it for order in dinner but wouldn't go there for a weekend night out. -
Review from Truth b.
Vancouver, BC
11/15/2011
Authentic & Delicious!!!
Malaysian Food Done Right!!!!
Nice ambiance, fair/good service -
Review from Hide T.
Vancouver, BC
4/10/2011 10 photos
No MSG
Good service -
Review from M L.
Vancouver, BC
8/28/2011
Bak Kut Teh with steam rice (pork ribs herbal soup with mushrooms, lettuce and fried tofu) is really delicious & soothing. Laksa is yummy too.
We would come back for their white coffee alone. It's like drinking coffee candy! -
Review from Karrie T.
Coquitlam, BC
Updated - 9/6/2011
Food ok reasonable price
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/4/2011
Tried few times with my family
so far ok
espeically the milk tea its sooooo GOOD
Curry bowl ******GOOD Read more »
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Review from Kwan S.
7/29/2011
We reserved for lunch for 12, all from Singapore. We ordered a variety of dishes to try out the various items on the menu. It was Friday and we understood their desserts were all available.
The Penang char kwai teow was OK, certainly not Penang standard. It had sweet sauce for one, and lets face it, for a noodle dish costing $9 we expected to have more shrimp. Other dishes like Penang assam (sour) laksa were below par. Most of us thought we had eaten better chicken rice in Vancouver. Desserts though available were only OK. Some of us were disappointed. I suspect that if the chef had clear ideas of what the dish he was preparing should taste like the result might be better. We think the chefs were from China, and that's some distance from Penang. And then most customers would not know the difference nor would it matter. -
Review from food-voice l.
Vancouver, BC
Updated - 1/14/2011
Penang vs. Mui Garden vs. Cafe Gloucester
Hainanese Chicken Rice
Hainanese chicken rice is a poor man's dinner originated from HAINAN ISLAND in south China in the vicinity of Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam and Indonesia. It's basically a steamed chicken, and the rice is cook with the left over of chicken fat and broth. It's a very simply chicken dinner for the working class. As the Chinese migrated to Malaysia, Singapore, they gradually modified and improve the dish to suite the local taste. The original sauce serve this dish is a simply one consist of "oil, ginger and green onion" the sauce is to removed the aroma and enhanced the taste of the chicken which is cheap to prepared.
The basic dish of the chicken hasn't changed that much other than the type and age of the chicken used. (how much can you improve a steamed chicken) but the sauce seems to change a lot depends the local taste, some add hot chilli pepper and some add whatever local ingredient to the sauce, other than that, the dish hasn't change since old time. The dish supposedly served cold but now few restaurants served warm with sweet soy juice sauce depends which restaurant you catered.
The Hainanese Chicken Rice served in Mui Garden Restaurant, Café Gloucester and Penang Delight Café is not that much difference from one to another. Mui Garden uses the "free run chicken" and chicken fat rice, with ginger/green onion and chilly sauce. Café Gloucester us the "specialty prepared Chicken "with yellow skin and chicken fat cooked rice, also with ginger/green onion and chilli sauce. Penang delight café appears to used "free run chicken" with special prepared Malaysia type of sauce. It served hot with sweet soy juice sauce.
It all depend your personal taste, there is not too much difference between one chicken to another. Personally I like the one served by Café Gloucester because the "specialty prepared chicken," it's meat taste better; follow by Penang delight café's modified version served hot with specially prepared juice sauce. The third is the one served by Mui Garden Restaurant, the traditional way in serving this dish. I think they all very good and worthy of our business.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/13/2011
Penang vs. Neptune
Herbal Soup vs. Herbal Soup.
When I go out for dinner, I look for good food… Read more »
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Review from S G.
Vancouver, BC
4/10/2011
Maybe it's because I have previously visited Malaysia a number of times that my expectations are quite high. I had spring rolls, beef rendang and roti. None of the dishes were close to what i tasted in Malaysia. Particularly the beef rending, it did not bring back any of the fond memories of the tasty food of Malaysia. But service was pretty good.
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Review from John C.
Richmond, BC
12/16/2010
Roti & Satay !!!!!!!!!!! MUST have !!!!!!!!!
