Review Penang Inn - Box Hill

We ordered minced meat tofu, fish head curry, and garlic and chilli pork ribs. The tofu was handmade and it was quite delicious. The fish head curry was good too but there's very few fish meat, almost just bone and sliver of fish meat attached. The pork ribs was average. It would have been better if the meat is less lean and more fatty. We saw 2 tables ordered the braised pork leg. You need to order them a day before if you want to try. The place wasn't full when we arrived on a Friday evening around 6pm but most of bigger tables had been reserved. Service was good and the waitress was helpful with our orders.

There are some interesting dishes not available in other restaurants. The service and food are excellent, and I can truly recommend you give it a try. However, like most Chinese restaurants, the presentation has a lot of room for improvement. The restaurant also serves Malaysian food. The chef is from Kuantan, Pahang state of Malaysia. He took over the business a few months ago and kept the name. The slow braised pork leg is very well done. The skin is very soft, and the fat just melt in the mouth. It is served with fried Man To (bun). The steamed Barramundi is just cooked to perfection, with salted mustard green, tomato and tofu. The vegetable is fried with small bits of salted fish, extremely appetising. The fresh squid is batter containing salted duck egg yolk. However, the oil is due for a change. The Shanghai pancake with red bean paste is nice to complete the dinner. You can check out the photos and judge for yourself. Car parking can be a problem, especially in he day time. You may have to park via Docking Road, and take a few minutes walk. PS this is my own unbiased opinion, not influenced by any gain from anyone including the owner and the staff of the restaurant.

Very good Malaysian style cooked food. Have not tried their hawkers food.

I had Nyonya stir fry which tastes really good. I wish they have more veggies on them though.

Good and reasonable priced food and nice service.

I wrote this review under the previous ownership. Now the sign out front says "asian food". Oh dear. I feel I have been here for the last time. Adjusting stars to 2 until I know more. I love Penang Inn. Always great service and quality food. I like their Malaysian dishes the best, but everything is good quality.

Service was great - a whole teapot to myself, and the char mee hoon was excellent

This restaurant has a new.chef/owner since January this year. The chef is from Malaysia and he is well versed in Cantonese cooking. We had a special steam wild barramundi that was done Teo Chew style that was perfectly cooked. We then had a braised pork leg where the meat was well cooked and fell off the bone. We then had a sweet and sour pork that had nice chrispy pork pieces in nice sauce. We finished off with some Chinese pancakes. Nice meal with excellent service. Waiting staff was friendly and efficient. Highly recommended

Very busy place and seems to be under new management. The food were quite tasty and authentic. <br/><br/>The laksa and fried noodles were well prepared . Staff were running around serving full house. Speed of food getting prepare was amazing .

One of the most authentic Malaysian restaurants in Melbourne (this is coming from my Malaysian friend's that dine here). This restaurant has recently become our new local since the ownership change. Great selection of dishes and the chef is constantly adding new dishes to the menu. Menu is well priced and good value for money.

Great service and dishes from Chef and owner Ah Loong, always good food and service from their staff. Dry Bak Kut Teh, curry fish and stewed duck was good, and spicy calamari was delicious.

We have to give this place one star. We’ve been a frequent diner here since we first discovered this place in Feb 2018. However, our most recent visit to the restaurant has been utterly disappointing. We ordered the vege and bean curd dish which used to be our one of our favourite orders here but this time round, it was tasteless and oily. We also ordered the char koay teow and Hokien mee. The char koay teow again, tastes bland and all we could taste were the oil. The Hokien mee by far was the worst out of all, the noodles weren’t thoroughly cooked and some parts were cold due to the noodles not being thoroughly cooked. We did not finish any of the dishes we ordered this time. Huge disappointment as their food used to be decent. Their service is still as great as ever but with the declining quality of food that were served, we will most likely not be returning anymore.

I saw the review and went to the restaurants expecting to be very good but we saw the sign of "New Management "when we got there and it make me worry but all the meal was very nice. We will be back for take away. Also staff was very friendly and service was very fast!

A great Restuarant to enjoy delicious and authentic Malaysian food with your friends and families. Food is affordable and dining tables are large, which is good for large families celebrating birthdays or anniversaries. Staff are plentiful and helpful. Food arrives relatively fast and it’s not as salty as other Asian restaurants.

Had lunch on a weekend, ordered sweet and sour pork rice, laksa and char kuay teow. Service staff are still getting used to the pace, everything from getting seated to getting orders taken, to getting more water/utensils took a fair bit of time. <br/><br/>Food was decent but not impressive. Large portions for lunch set (drink not included). Nothing really stands out, speed of service really is a bit of a downer. There are probably better options up in the Doncaster area, as far as lunch is concerned. <br/><br/>Dinner might be a different experience altogether, have heard good things about dinner dining.

Having not been here for ages due to an underwhelming experience many years ago, we decided to give this place another go especially since the sign out front declared that it was "under new management". Second chances can be a wonderful thing:)<br/>The service was warm, friendly and efficient. Almost everything we ordered was a highlight! Loved the wonderfully spiced fish head curry. Their (highly recommended) apple chicken was crispy, tangy and extremely addictive. We were told that they make their own tofu, which was silky and left me wanting more. The char hor fun was served on a bed of fried vermicelli - a hard to find combination in Melbourne. <br/>Penang Inn will soon be my second home...!<br/><br/>

We came here for lunch on a Sunday. If you are after a quiet place where you can have a conversation not just with the people next to you but across the table, this place is for you. Food wise, I thought it was good, especially the salted fish char mee hoon. Staff were polite and attentive. We had a coeliac (gluten intolerance), and the staff happily allowed us to change the dish so that it was GF.

Unfortunately the beef kuey teow and the sweet and sour pork fried rice were quite underwhelming. Noodles were quite salty and too much sauce. Fried rice was bland and the sweet and sour pork’s flavour was too strong. Service was nonplussed. Not sure will revisit.

Quiet restaurant, came for lunch. Tofu was really soft, but the soup was quite salty and I found a hair in my bowl... a quiet lunch spot in Box Hill during lunchtime, with the food coming out quite shortly, which is always a bonus.

The most authentic Malaysian food in melbourne, made with so much care and passion for food. The chef is very friendly and invests his time with his customers even during busy times. This is under the new management.

The restaurant has changed hands and the new owners don't seem to know what they're doing. After being seated for 20 minutes, we had not been given menus, water or glasses. Other customers seemed to get frustrated with the lack of service. We walked out without ordering. Sadly, the friendly family restaurant is gone.

Today I feel like Malaysian food, this place was on a corner which the parking was difficult to get as most was 1/2P. I was looking for nasi lemak to be exact but was quite disappointed that a Malaysian restaurant doesn’t have it. Instead, we try curry laksa and fish head beehoon. <br/>Curry laksa ($13) is a little spicy. And considering I don’t really eat spicy food, this was still in an acceptable range. The portion was generous with lots of stuff inside. Soup was delicious although I can feel the MSG is a bit too much. <br/>Fish head beehoon ($12.80) is also very generous in portion. There are lots of bean curd, fish and vege. Kids love this. Although again, a bit too much MSG imo. <br/>These 2 dishes are enough for us family of 4 w young children. <br/>The service was amazing!! Love to see how their family work together incl their kids helping out too. <br/>It’s a dinner well spent. Hopefully next time we come, they would have nasi lemak already.

Got took away today and we were impressed by the improvement in the food with the new management! We tried the dry pork hakka noodles which consisted of thin wavy noodles and tasted delicious. We also had the fried kuey tiao, it had chicken which is unusual but good as it provided decent amount of meat. We also had the curry laksa which tastes good and authentic. It comes with sambal too! <br/><br/>Also tried the fish head curry noodles today. It came with eggplant, tau pok, good amount of fish, and was good!<br/><br/>Today we ate in and got the Thai fried fish which tasted fresh and crunchy but the sauce was a bit sweet. We got the four Malaya sambal veggies which tasted good but wished it had more eggplant. We got the fried kuey tiao but today it had not much chicken. We also ordered the yunnan pork ribs which were delicious. Felt a bit thirsty afterwards. It was quite expensive to eat in and would prefer to take away next time

Do not eat at the place if you don’t want to get food poisoning! My husband and I went to have dinner at this place for the first time and it was a nightmare. I ordered a Thai mee hoon, and after a few mouthfuls I noticed there was a piece of RAW chicken in my food! That piece of chicken was definitely RAW! I told the waitress and she took the food back to make me a new one. And she also told us she won’t charge us for my food because that was their mistake! But then when paying they still try to charge me for my food and trying to make up some crap saying that piece of chicken was not raw, it was just some vein of the chicken! Oh dear, it was definitely raw! I own my business, I run a cafe and I’m also the cook at my cafe! I can definitely tell if the chicken is cooked properly. And let me tell you one more time, the chicken was definitely RAW! And the food here is full of MSG, avoid at all cost if you don’t want to have terrible experience here. Service is too slow as well. Won’t be surprised if they gone out of business soon, they either lift up thier game or go home. Be careful everyone, eat at this place at your own risk!

I went there a couple of times and both experience were satisfying. Homey ambience with friendly staffs. The food was also great and it is a good place to bring your family.

GREAT service, excellent food. Would highly recommend this restaurant. Parking was easy.  The staff were very friendly and would leave what they were doing to come and inquire what we needed when we called them.  Value for money was excellent. Four of us ate a belly full for $114.00.  Only thing I can fault was the wait for food but I heard it is freshly made by husband and wife team and it did come out piping hot and fresh.  So if you have good company to while away the time while you are waiting the time passes.

Ordered takeaway <br/>Waited 1 hour !!<br/>No apologies; rude waiters; <br/>So easy to explain to customers that there's only one cook. But no one gives a shit here. <br/><br/>If you order takeaway, DO NOT pay until you get your meal.

Have been to this place twice. But somehow there was a difference in the taste of same food served during those visits. <br/>Food - 4/5 <br/>Ambience - 5/5 <br/>Service - 5/5 <br/>Will visit again for their curry laksa during cold winter nights!

Tasty food at a very reasonable price run by a family owned business. Mandy is a very pleasant host and the lunch menu is excellent value. Definitely one of the hidden gems in Eastern Melbourne. I highly recommend you check out this restaurant.<br/>

My wife and I are not food critics but we do know good food when we eat it. The Penang Inn in Box Hill is our preferred choice for Asian Food in our area. We generally have our Orders home delivered and delivery is always prompt. Yes, they get very busy sometimes and so one can wait 45-50 minutes but the food arrives hot and well packaged. Their Entrees are delicious and we have never been disappointed with our choice of main courses. They will add bean shoots to their special fried rice on request. One of our favourites is prawns in tomato sauce with seasonable vegetables which I highly recommend (not on their Menu but they do it on request). Their lettuce delight and BBQ pork entrees are also great. If you want a good Asian meal at reasonable prices then you can't go past Penang Inn.

Back in Melbourne to check out the food scene here once again. Ordered a Nasi Goreng, Sweet and Sour Pork on rice. Overall it was a very average served dish. The nasi goreng tasted more like a curry rice dish than the authentic nasi goreng that I am used to. The place is quite simple and pleasant. Ample seating available and it is right by Dominos Pizza and a few other food shops. <br/><br/>Probably best to try other food shops if you are after more authentic Malaysian style food. <br/><br/>

Located near Box Hill CBD this restaurant is not quite obvious even though it is on main road.<br/><br/>We tried a variety of dishes which included tom yum soup, chicken satay, dim sims, lettuce delights, curry laksa noodles, duck in lemon sauce and nasi goreng. The preparation was average and duck dish was too sweet. Very disappointing was staff who lacked communication skills and seemed very reluctant to explain us the dishes. Also it was disappointing to see one staff member sitting in a corner table preparing spring rolls without wearing hairnet, gloves etc.<br/><br/>Revisit: Maybe?

Terrible experience, 50 minute wait for entrees then they still didn't turn up. We ended up leaving. Penang you have to lift your service otherwise families like us will not come back.

Thought of trying out something different in Box Hill and popped in here for dinner. Overall pretty average experience. <br/><br/>The restaurant itself was fairly bland in appearance. I had the chilli chicken with roti - the chilli chicken dish was alright but nothing out of the ordinary. The roti was disappointing, there were two small pieces which were hardly enough to compliment the meal. <br/><br/>Overall nothing that really makes it stand out from the rest of the busy Asian food scene in Box Hill.

We went here for lunch, it was very quiet which can sometimes put you off going to a new restaurant. Thank god we stayed, we had the Lorbak, sambal calamari + coconut rice and curry laksa. All the dishes were tasty and we had to take some of the laksa home because there was enough to feed two. Will definitely be back to try the beef rendang, roti etc. Also, the service was very friendly and attentive, there's no wonder it's been around for ten years and has a loyal customer base!!

UPDATE 10/10/2018<br/><br/>Under New Management<br/>CKT was bland, rice noodles were overcooked and soft, needs lots of improvement.<br/><br/>Or did I order the wrong dish? Specialty of the house?<br/><br/>PREVIOUS<br/><br/>Put your best FOOD (foot) forward .... <br/><br/>Too close from home, too easy to stop by and enjoy their food .... rather than cook dinner and clean after.<br/>Not on the main drag of Box Hill, across from the Town Hall and next to the Police station that's how I give direction to my friends and family, sure enough some would still call on my mobile, not naming names here. Parking can be tricky during the day, but there are plenty free 2 hr area within walking distance, then again you don't need that long to enjoy their Lunch Specials .... around $10/serve, can't go wrong when some Ham & Cheese Croissant is about $7-10.00<br/><br/>We've been here many times over the years, whether be Lunch or Dinner, individually or with a group. Corner block, not a big place, airy, feels spacious, lots of natural lights and clean, simple, pleasant and enjoyable space to dine.<br/><br/>When you go there often enough, there's always an occasion when they are not on song, like our last lunch; Char Kwee Tiaw was too oily with this strong Pork lard smells to it and not enough Tom Yum in that Vermicelli .... HOWEVER on just about most occasions they always deliver these well cooked, tasty dishes, whether be those classic Malaysian dishes or some of those Cantonese inspired dish. That's a sign of a good restaurant, after all they have a very good Chef and I'm sure all good Chef can have a "human" day and this place is not one of those fast food franchise store that don't have a Chef.<br/>Highlights; Beef Rendang have them with some hot Coconut steamed rice, always good. They cooked them overnight or longer as I've been told just to make sure that they are tender and falls apart. Char Hor Fun and Char Kwee Tiaw are always a favourite of ours. They've got plenty to offer on the Menu and we enjoy just about all that we've ordered so far.<br/><br/>We love their BYO corkage .... so always BYO. <br/>The best way to do it in this place is to bring a few wines variety and share some dishes, wine matching is always fun right or wrong ....<br/><br/>Basic desserts; good old Banana Fritter or Fried Ice Cream, always done well or you can go elsewhere for more fancier selection.<br/><br/>Great team on the floor, always pleasant, polite and happy to tend your request.<br/><br/>There's something special about a Family-run establishment, you can feel their passion and effort in presenting the best possible food for their patrons, we can appreciate that.<br/>Again very enjoyable, please keep up the great work as we live nearby.<br/><br/>We thank you for always putting your best FOOD forward.

Went on a Thursday night with 5 friends. It was quiet but the wait staff were extra attentive so we didn't mind. We ordered 5 dishes to share. All were lovely and cane out quickly. Price was very reasonable. Will be back.

Delicious and seriously addictive food!<br/>Personal favourite... laksa yummy<br/>Staff are friendly with a sunny disposition <br/>Always greeted with a smile

Great Ipoh hospitality. <br/>Popular Malay and Chinese fare - their Malaysian Prawns were a treat. <br/> <br/>Quick and friendly service - we'll go back!

Been there numerous times. Love everything I tried. Always friendly quick service, consistent quality food. My favorite is the laksa, simply delicious!

Char Keoy Teow. Very nice indeed .

A hidden gem in Box Hill. There are many great restaurants in Box Hill - however most are crowded and are an in and quickly out affair. Penang Inn is a rare find with a relaxed atmosphere and top quality Malaysian food. Generous portions and great value for money too.

Order 9.8laska and they service me seafood laksa. Charge me extra 2 dollars! I felt uncomfortable about it!

An Oldie but a Goodie. Good food, good service, good value what more can I say. A must try dish is the honey and black pepper fish.

Surprisingly impressed. I have always written this place off as westernised Chinese, and had one bad takeaway many years ago. Stopped in today for their lunch menu and had the laksa. Firstly, I'd give service a 10/10. Efficient, polite and not in your face but there when you barely turn your head to ask for something. Atmosphere is dated, but at least it is exceptionally clean. The serving size of the laksa was quite generous, esp compared to another Malaysian place a few doors up. As for the complexity of flavours, well it wasn't bad for a suburban place, and there was a multitude of ingredients from eggplant to house made char Sui to fish cakes and chicken. It was not a bad dish, and packed more heat than I thought it would. Going back to try the salted fish noodles that caught my eye soon.

Delicious always. I have lived in Box Hill for 21 years and have been going to Penang Inn for as long as i can remember. We often get takeaway from there and it is always delicious, but if you actually go in the food is twice is good! Especially the seafood. <br/><br/>My family love the curry chicken, calamari, beef dishes (all of them), lemon chicken, prawn dishes and the duck with vegies (melt in your mouth meat).<br/>I wouldn't say its the best/fanciest restaurant but you are always guaranteed a yummy meal. Service is always superb.<br/><br/>Only one downside is the vegetarian dishes which are often filled with white cabbage which I personally don't like. But this is not a good reason not to go! Everything else is A +

Westernised Chinese Malaysian, but still OK. Not a very authentic or traditional Malaysian Restaurant, but is fairly typical of most in Melbourne. Having said that, the food was still very enjoyable and our group of 8 had a great night. The service was good, and thej prices reasonable. <br/><br/>The Beef Randang was pretty good, and the satay chicken nice, but I would have liked some ketupat (Rice Cubes) with it, however very few Malaysian restaurants do that here Melbourne. <br/><br/>Worth a try.....

Brilliant. Love the Penang Inn - have been going for years and it's the one time my kids actually "eat" well. Food is great, prices are very reasonable and lovely service. Would go there just for their Sweet and Sour soup - I'll be back soon!!

Way too salty!. Got takeaway laksa, hot and sour soup, garlic prawns and mee goreng on a sunday night. All of them way way way too salty. hot and sour soup actually inedible, no idea really if the food would taste any good with less salt as it was hard to taste past the salt.

Yum. Have only been here once for a work lunch, but it was worth the effort - will have to go again. Very tasty food, inexpensive, and as much green tea as you can drink. Give it a try

Really enjoyed my birthday dinner there a few weeks ago. Hidden little gem with nice simple decor & great food. Staff friendly & efficient. Good vegetarian options. Loved the satay prawns!<br/>Have found a new favourite & will back many times.

Can't decide. Tried this place a few times and have found it inconsistent. Sometimes it's good and sometimes it's just terrible. The owners are wonderful, but there is simply not enough consistency.

Fantastic Malaysian. Love this unassuming restaurant. Have been frequenting for over eight years under two different owners/managers and food is of a consistently high service and authentic. The mee goreng is probably the best i have had. Service is quick efficient and yes, decor is dated but the prices and food make up for this. Overall with so much choice in Box Hill this restaurant will not disappoint

Slow service but amazing food! Recommend the Mongolian beef

A consistent favourite of mine with delicious food and friendly service. Mandy is always there ready for a chat and the quiet atmosphere makes it a welcome change from the busy, dizzy style of other Asian restaurants. Recommend the home made dim sims and spring rolls and the Malaysian noodle dishes.

I was looking for something more authentic than this..the food dishes that we order was extremely oily and salty. But the noodle dish was not too bad..

Delightful meal. We ate here recently and very happy with our experience.<br/>Staff were very helpful and attentive without being intrusive.<br/>2 of our table were gluten intolerant and there was a great range of choices provided on a separate menu.<br/>I would not hesitate to eat here again....sorry I don't live closer.<br/>My favorite - Honey and Black Pepper Chicken. Yumm

No good. I took my parents there for dinner and the slow service was absolutely terrible. The restaurant wasnt busy yes we were there for about 1.5 hours before being servied main courses. We eventually walked out as we had enough of the waiting and they didnt charge the entrees which was a nice gesture but i certainly wouldnt go back. Other people ordering takeaway shared our frustrations and im sure they wont return either. Made our way to another place on station street and our meals came out less than 10 mins after we ordered them

Great Malaysian. There's been a huge turnover of restaurants in Box Hill, but Penang Inn has been around for years, probably because people such as myself keep going back. The Malay dishes -- satays, gado gado, nasi goreng, etc -- are their forte, but many of the Chinese dishes are good too.<br/><br/>Plus, they deliver!

Pleasant restaurant. This is a wonderful spot away from the chaos that is sometimes characteristic of Box Hill. It is quiet and pleasant and the food is quite good. The service is friendly and attentive but not intrusive and even when full, you can carry out a conversation with your companions without having to strain your vocal chords and ears - a very welcome change for a Chinese restaurant.

Awesome Food!. I usually get take-away from Penang Inn and can never fault it. The Curry Laksa is amazing, with good size prawns - very tasty. Lunch specials are great value and never a disappointment. The staff are very kind!

Delicious food, Dowdy Dacore. If you want a romantic dinner for two; candle lit dinner, soft romantic music, and inviting surroundings that will draw you into the Malaysian feel, this is not the place for you. If however you do enjoy delicious, distinctive, and divine food that you can not stop eating until your really full, and even then, keep eating, you'll find this place delivers.<br/><br/>It would be nice if they improved their decor and ambiance to match their food. Also some music and placing the takeaway counter at the front of house to avoid pickups walking straight through the restaurant would greatly improve this. The paper table cloths and also the harsh light gave a feeling more of a "quick eat" dinner than a traditional Malaysian eat it. <br/><br/>Awesome food though ! We had the Szechuan Combination whichhad plenty of meat and seafood and also the chicken and mushroom. Both were excellent !

At first appearance it doesn't seem like much. It is a very clean & neat. And unlike other Asian restaurants it is very spacious & quiet. I will say that within the first 5-10 minutes we were unimpressed by the slow service but then as soon as the food arrived all was forgiven. Once the first dish arrived the rest of the food came promptly and was perfectly steaming hot hot, definatley no cold food here! The food was DELICIOUS - all of the dishes we ordered. There was 6 of us dining and we ordered a range of different entrees & mains. Honorable mentions go to.... ENTREE Satay beef & chicken skewers - rocked! Garlic prawns - smoky flavor mmmmm yum yum!! MAINS Salt & Pepper calimari - perfect! Sweet & sour pork - excellent! Coconut rice - best we have ever had! We ordered 5 entrees, 6 mains, double coconut rice for 6 & 1 can coke. Total bill came to $25 per head. All in all FANTASTIC!

Kind of the best Curry Laksa. Yes the soup and taste is very good, and kind of authentic too