Review Penang Flavours - Doncaster

I was not having high expectations entering this restaurant. It turns out that this has to be one of the best Malaysian restaurants I've been to. The food and drink all tasted amazing. I can rarely remember the flavour of the food I ate before but I can still remember the flavour of the Nasi Lemak I had for lunch today. I'm already craving for more. What a pleasant surprise. Will definitely come back.

One of the best Malaysian restaurants that we ever tried. If you love carrot cake and having trouble finding a good one, you must try their Penang Char Koay Kak. Very similat and taste amazing. I forgot to take the pic, but will post next time I visit them. You also need to try their Fish head noodle soup. They don’t use coconut milk they deep fry the fish head. Taste so light and tasty.

The char kway teow is the best I've ever had so far around this area. It is full of flavours with the hint of charred smokiness! The fish head noodles are just delicious with a generous portion of deep fried fish head served separately. Will definitely come back for more!

Returning to Penang Flavour after many years. The food is definitely better than kast time. Tried the chef recommended menu, and it’s very tasty. The smokey flavour and the crispiness of the anchovy made it complete. Definitely like the flavour. It’s highly recommended.

Since we last came, there’s been a major uplift to the cafe with a much more inviting entrance and decor. Unfortunately the same food we had gone the other way… Curry laksa chicken was one of the worst we had. The blend of spices used was just so odd that it was a put off for us Onde-onde we bought (supplied from elsewhere) was packed with dough instead of palm sugar What saved our day was the not too bad teh tarik (altho not fragrant enough) and prawn mee (rich broth altho we wish there’s more kick & fragrance to it’s chilli paste.

1) loh bak ，10 out 10, excellent, similar quality as in malaysia 2) char tang hoon, 10 out of 10, great 锅气 ( Asian stir fry skill） 3) char koay teow, 10 out of 10, similar quality as in malaysia, especially fantastic with 猪油渣 4）belachan fried rice, generous portion, not too oily, not too dry, 9 out of 10 5) har mee, good portion, taste wise nothing special, just ordinary , 8 out of 10 6) skinless chicken in battar, looks good, but tastes a bit too sweet and creamy, 7 out of 10 7) ipoh hor fun, 8 out of 10, above average quality location excellent, parking 8 out of 10 hygiene 10 out of 10 service 9 out of 10

One of my favour very authentic Malaysian restaurants. Long queue during coivd dinner time. Come early to avoid long queue.

Delicious and authentic Penang hawker style favourites. I only had Char Kway Teow and Sar Hor Fun so far but they are enough to get be back to try other dishes. Give it a try!

I am a regular supporter n never ceased to be impressed by rhyfood offered. Top notch street hawkers food of its best

Best Malaysian hawker food in Melbourne in the eastern suburbs. Non halal of course and has the "wok hei" taste. Very friendly staff there. Definitely worth a try.

Authentic Penang food. Loved the fried bee thai bak, got wok hei and chui yau char. Simply delicious.

Authentic Malaysian! Great Nasi Lemak! Beef rendang melts in your mouth.

Best otak otak after my mom's but if you are craving some malaysian hawler style cuisine...dont go past this kopitiam!

Well if Elain rates it then I'g gonna give it at least four stars.

This is a great place for really good quick Malaysian fix.<br/>Food quality is great fantastic flavours.<br/>So far I've gone through half the menu and it's all been great.<br/>But the one thing I always get is the curry puffs. They are the best curry puffs I have had in Melbourne.<br/><br/>The service is great too, quick and polite with a smile.<br/><br/>The price is also great average meal price, approx $12.<br/><br/>Thanks.<br/>Penang Flavours.

Great food, good service and reasonable price! Their char koay teow is one of our all time fav as it’s as close as you can get to the real deal here in melb. Enough ‘wok hei’ which helps to add flavour to the dish. Defo becoming one of our go to places to fix our Malaysian cravings! <br/>

This Malaysian hawker-style Restaurant has been around for a very long time. Prior to 2014 it used to be called Strait's Cafe. Since the name change to Penang Flavours, I understand that one of the chefs that used to work under the management of Strait's Cafe took over the business and changed its name. So I do believe that the authenticity is still there but maybe inconsistent at times.<br/><br/>I have been visiting this local restaurant in my hood as far back as 2007 from what I can remember.  Even though management has changed quite sometime ago, this place still attracts many customers because within this vicinity and surround suburbs it is one of the better tasting Malaysia eateries.<br/><br/>Please note that this premise is cash only. If you forget to bring cash, there is an ATM a few shops down.<br/><br/>🔆LOCATION🔆<br/><br/>Penang Flavours is situated on Doncaster Road amongst a row of shops next to Chemist Warehouse. There is decent amount of parking at the front or you can park at Chemist Warehouse open space car park.<br/><br/>The restaurant itself is not very big - seats around 30 people or so. There interior decor is simple with a painting and a clock on the wall; walls painted mainly white with torquise strip at the bottom.  Hoewever it has that homely feel and also hawker-style feel. A really no-fuss kinda place. I think that is why there are soo many Malaysians that enjoys dining here because it does bring back memories of their home country but also the staff's friendly service.<br/><br/>You will need to be very mindful that its an open-kitchen and right next to where all the customers are dining.  As mentioned it is a very small restaurant. So most likely will walk out smelling of food. But hey - isnt that supposed to be the authentic traditional way of eating no-fuss Malaysian food? Hehe! <br/><br/>🔆SERVICE🔆<br/><br/>You would always see the same staff here, especially some of the elderly ladies. They are extremely friendly and accommodating.  <br/><br/>🔆MENU/PRICE🔆 <br/><br/>The menu is easy to read and spans across 2 pages on a very simple A4 sheet which is laminated. It indicates which are recommended, vegetarian and gluten-free. There are good options of traditional Malaysian food entree, rice, soup noodle and dry noodles.  They also have alot of food on the counter which you can take-away. My friend loves the bak chang (aka 'zhong') here and would often buy some to take home for her family.  Their Nyonya kuih (small sized snack/sweets) are quite popular.<br/><br/>My recent two visits we ordered: <br/><br/>Char Kuay Teow, $11.90<br/>(Malaysian hawker style stir fried flat noodles with prawns, squid, Chinese sausage, fish cakes, egg, chives and bean shoots)<br/><br/>Char Bee Tai Bak (Rice drop), $11.90<br/>( Stir fried rice drop noodles served with prawns, Chinese sausage, squid, fish cake, egg, chives, and bean shoots topped with fresh coriander, and fried ikan bilis)<br/><br/>Curry Laksa with chicken, $10.90<br/>(Fragrant curry and coconut soup served with chicken, rice vermicelli, hokkien noodles, fish cake and bean curd)<br/><br/>Fish Head Noodle Soup, $14.50<br/>(Rice vermicelli, served with pieces of deep fried fish fillet)<br/><br/>🔆VERDICT🔆<br/><br/>My rating on food quality fluctuates between 3.5 to 4. It really depends on the chef that is cooking. I wish it could be more consistent because this place is quite nice overall. Even better when it used to be Strait's Cafe.<br/><br/>I am reviewing on my most recent two visits. <br/><br/>4 months ago (June 2019) I visited with  my sister for dinner.<br/>I ordered the Char Kuay Teow and always by default is one of their star dishes. Generous serving, the wok-tossed flavour is evident, and overall a very hearty meal. <br/><br/>My sister ordered the Char Bee Tai Bak. The ingredients are exactly the same as Char Kuey Teow but its different type of noodles used to cook. Again great portion and nice flavours. <br/><br/>My most recent visit was a couple of weeks ago ( August 2019) where I came here with a friend for lunch. My friend ordered the curry laksa with chicken although everything was great the main hero is the curry and unfortunately it lacked flavour.<br/><br/>I ordered the Fish head noodle soup. My soup was nice and creamy and had good flavour but the fish itself was very bland. It didnt seem like they marinate it which was a bit disappointing. <br/><br/>Next time, I will stick with just ordering my favourite Char Kuay Teow.

First of all, the restaurant is quite dusty and you can see traces of cooking oil on the walls and windows. Tables and chairs are old. This would have turned some potential customers away in the first sight.<br/><br/>In terms of authenticity, quite spot on the food flavors and the kitchen staff members are probably from Malaysia. We ordered the fish head soup noodle and fish fillet soup noodle accompanied by roti with chicken curry. The taste is good enough to boost the restaurant score to 3 stars.<br/><br/>The other down side is that they currently accept cash payment only. With more people using cards and electronic payment, it would be great if they can start using card terminals.

This restaurant is on the Doncaster main road near Westfield, only 10mins drive from my house. Menu is mainly Malaysian food and prices reasonable. Nothing special about the food as mostly Malaysian food share the same flavours and sauce wherever you go. A place of convenience for quick meal and take away. Weekends maybe abit of a problem to find seats, other days should be fine. Not a place to sit for long after meal.

One of the best places to have Malaysian street food. The cha kuay teow is not to be missed, just be careful when you request for the spice level because normal is already very spicy. For those with low tolerance for spice should ask for mild spice. There's only indoor seating. Good for family food.

Had the Char Kuay Teow and Hokkien Mee here. Both dishes tasted great and had authentic flavours. If not for the cramped seating spaces and stuffy environment, the experience would have been perfect.

We came here on a Sunday afternoon and it was packed. <br/>We ordered the chee cheong fun to share. The rice rolls were beautiful and thin and silky but they were drenched in very heavy tasting prawn paste which I wasn’t a fan of. <br/>We also ordered the wonton mee - the soup was nice but the wonton skin was too thick. The noodles were nice and bouncy but the sauce again was a little too salty and too sweet for me. The green chilli they gave me was amazing and spicy though. <br/>The fried glass noodles were the best - fragrant and fried well and were not overly oily. <br/>The letdown was the iced teh tarik which was way too diluted and tasted like watery tea. All in all an average experience.

Authentic Malaysian/Singaporean good! The CKT has lots of smokiness and was a generous serve! I had the fish head curry laksa. I found the laksa soup to be not as creamy (coconut cream) as other places but their large serve of fish head and how crispy and well fried it was made up for the soup which was a bit lacking. We bought a packet of kiuh (sticky cakes) and they had strong pandan and coconut flavour. Definitely can taste the improvement to the generic bland ones your get at the register of the Asian Grocery store.<br/><br/>We’d love to come back and try and stir fried bead thread noodle and more of their dishes!

Rating: 3.5/5<br/><br/>We used to love their char kuey teow but now it’s just too salty! Quite a shame, unfortunately. <br/><br/>All other dishes are quite average, but the highlight would definitely be their handmade kueh (only on Saturday’s!) We return because of the kueh, as it reminds us so much of home 😊

Delicious Penang Saturday Kuih and lovely staff! The hainase chicken tastes very authentic and delicious Bak cheang loh Mai kai and taro cake. <br/>I highly recommend it and will defiantly be back!

Had visited this restaurant for brunch. It is very close to Westfield shopping centre in Doncaster<br/>Very busy place. Tried their char kway teow. It was good. Service was quick. Chinese tea was piping hot and good. Overall a good restaurant if you plan to try some Singaporean food.

One of the best cheap eat in Melbourne!!!!! 💥💥💥<br/>I find myself coming back time to time. I have tried most of their signature dishes but the stir-fry glass noodle is the best so far (and the coconut-based fish soup is my least favorite) . It isn't an ideal place for a romantic night but a quick and delicious lunch instead.

My review : 3.5/5<br/><br/>Review on food may be biased as I just got back from a food trip to Penang.<br/>Ambience : 3/5. Loud and crowded. As we made booking, we were brought to an area way behind the restaurant through a maze of kitchen and storage area. The ventilation system is badly in need of an upgrade as the place was stuffy that left a strong smell on clothes. <br/>Food : 4/5. The closest I could get to the authenticity of Penang food would be the char Kurt teow. Well seasoned and the bean sprouts were fresh and crunchy. Chee cheong fun was dry, lacking sauce and flavor. The fillet fish noodles was delicious. The fish fillet were fresh and juicy. All dishes were generously portioned. <br/>Service : 3/5. Service was quick.

They need to consider about upgrading their exhaustion system. <br/>Environment: 2/5<br/>Service: 3/5 (no smiles but fast)<br/>Cleanliness: 3/5<br/>Food: 4/5 <br/>Must try food: char kuey teow, char tang hoon, fish head noodle, sar hor fun, her gor chee cheong fun.

Decor is very basic and it can be a bit cramped when busy.<br/><br/>The chicken curry was good. The gravy was nice and reminds me of home cooked chicken curry I use to have. My favourite dish.<br/><br/>The laksa was disappointing as thre broth was very watery. It might be due to the cost but the fish cakes were sliced so thinly that it's hard to know. There was a lot of noodles. I think this was the least impressive dish.<br/><br/>The sar hor fun was nice and not too oily. The ingredients were good and the gravy was nice.<br/><br/>I would go back if I was passing by. Unlikely to make a special trip.

Loved the char tang hoon here. Definitely coming back for it. Husband ordered char Hokkien mee and it was just so-so. It’s a very small restaurant but service was good.

We visited this restaurant after a friend recommended the place. It was already busy when we came in for dinner, and a queue began to build up after we did got ourselves a seat. Anyway, we ordered the chicken curry laksa and char kueh teow which we found to be average. The classic flavours were lacking in my opinion.. but for the portion at those prices, it’s not bad. Staff were friendly and service was fast. The space inside is small so the tables and chairs are situated close together. There’s also very little decor making the only reason to come back here = the food. If I was a local resident, I probably would come back…

Ordered the asam laksa. Tasted good. Price wasn't too expensive as well. Service was fast. Was disappointed that all the kuihs are sold out. Will definitely come back to try the other dishes. And note that it is an open kitchen. So you will smell like food after.

Absolute yumminess overload. This place is fully booked to the brim. <br/>We ordered teh tarik, char hor fun and curry laksa <br/>Teh tarik, absolutely love it. It’s not very sweet. They put condense milk in it. But no added sugar. It’s not made from packet. <br/>Curry laksa, made from scratch with a hint of spiciness. Fried fish head is very yummy. Soft and tender, very fragrant. Very generous portion. <br/>Char hor fun, again, amazingly big portion filled with lots of chicken, vege, fish cake and prawn. It taste just like the ones I had in Penang. <br/>Service was very very good. Very very quick in serving the dishes out. <br/>Will come back again to try the hainanese chicken rice and char koay teow.

The food is always so yummy ... and very reasonably priced ! Regularly eat in and take away ! Definitely worth a visit ! The char kway teow is excellent

Best Malaysian food I can get almost the same as the taste back in Malaysia. Highly recommend the cha tongfun, fish head noodles and wat dan hor.

Great authentic Malaysian cuisine. They were friendly and catered to our spice requirements. Well priced too.<br/>The Nasi Lemak was made superbly and their satay chicken was sublime

We ordered the Char Kway Teow, Roti and Chicken Curry and Balachan Chicken (entree). The entree arrived after the other mains, but service was quick, so can’t complain. The Char Kway Teow was really oily, but not bad in taste - the addition of Malaysian Sausage was unique. The Balachan Chicken was crisp but average - they could have added some sauce to bring some flavour. The chicken curry was nice, but the roti was not fluffy, cut into pieces and tasted like frozen rotis you get in supermarkets. Not the best Malaysian food I’ve tasted.

It’s been almost 5 years since my last visit to Penang Flavours and I’ve forgotten how authentic their food is!! The restaurant is on Doncaster road, near Westfield shopping centre. There’s plenty of free parking near the Chemist Warehouse corner. The restaurant doesn’t have many seating area but we got a table right away when we walked in on Saturday for lunch. Service is prompt. We ordered Char Kuey Teow, Char Tang Hoon, tau foo fa and Teh Tarik. Both the noodles dishes are served in big portion, full of flavour with generous serve of Chinese sausages and pork lard!! We enjoyed our meal every much and we also bought the assorted nyonya kuih and bak chang to take home. They are so authentic and tasty too. I’ll definitely be back soon for good Malaysian food that’s very reasonably price! Two thumbs up!

Incredible fried kueh teow! If you could only order the one item, don’t go past it! My weekly staple at Penang Flavours. They know what they’re doing! ✌🏻

Hands down my favourite Malaysian place in Melbourne. The food is authentic and the quality is great. Service is friendly. <br/>Portion sizes are large but not too large that you’re struggling to finish it. The price is very reasonable. If you haven’t tried it, it’s definitely a must.<br/>

Here's (another) secret......Penang flavours has the most authentic noodle hawker dishes in the Southern Hemisphere. Well worth the drive from wherever you are in Melbourne. May I recommend their char kuey teow (ask for spicy if you dare!), char hor fun and char tang hoon. You will not regret these choices. On weekends, they have a selection of Malaysian kuih at the counter. These taste reasonable and are not super amazing. Service is always good. Be prepared to be infused with wok hei in your clothes or hair.....better than paying for a facial!

Very pleasant experience, friendly staff, especially the “aunty” who was serving us. Thank you for your awesome hospitality. Long story short, great food and great place!

I love their stir fried clear vermicelli noodles dish and also their fried rice. They also have decent laksa as well. Definitely my go-to malaysian place!

The best dish here is their Fried Tung Hoon! Not much meat in it but the flavour is really good. Serving size is big and only cost $11.90. Would recommend if you are over this side of town.

Had the hokkien mee which was okay and the mee goreng which was yummy! Wished they come with more meat in it but for the price we paid it was a generous serving of noodles

Only been once so hard to judge. However, satay skewers not very nice, they were dry and lacked flavor. Nasi lemak much worse than any ever tried. Such a shame as we are within walking distance! We’d like to give them another chance and try noodles next time to see how they are.

Very delicious food, my husband and I frequent this place at least once a week. Friendly staffs, yummy food, big portion and value for money! Food here is always on point, never had a bad one. Awesome Malaysian cuisine at this place!

Came back up this restaurant after a long break. Busy place at lunchtime. They offer a great selection of Malaysian hawker style noodles. My favourite is the fried tanghoon. I usually asked mine up be extra spicy with extra Sambal on the side. Good place for a quick lunch though parking round the front of the shop can be a bit challenging.

The last 3 out of 3 times I’ve been- without fail EVERY TIME we go to order the hainanese chicken rice they say it’s sold out!!! And that’s exactly what we went for.<br/><br/>Every time we arrived at 6pm so it’s not like they sold out from a long busy night. This is clearly no coincidence.<br/><br/>Moreover, the female wait staff there are so grumpy and pissed off, and have that attitude towards you. If you don’t want to be there, do yourself (and everyone else) a favour AND RESIGN WILL YOU! Extremely unfriendly service.<br/><br/>The ventilation system is so bad, you are basically sitting in, oily cooking fumes and oily smells. You’re basically sitting in their kitchen!!! 10 minutes of being in there, and you’re literally choking. You end up going home, your clothes and hair smelling like oily Asian food.<br/><br/>WILL NOT VISIT EVER AGAIN. HIGHLY NOT RECOMMENDED.

For what Penang Flavours offers, it definitely delivers.  Flavours are fresh and food is authentic.  Had the curry puffs (best I've had for ages); also the Char Kway Teow and Roti canai with chicken curry were excellent.  Very good value for money as well.  Based on that, they have a very strong offering amongst a lot of other Malaysian places in the area.

Great authentic Malaysian fare - even the tiny restaurant is authentic. ;) Everything is hot and fresh out of the wok. We were surprised that they came to take our order at the table and checked how spicy we wanted things. Awesome service for an Asian takeaway joint!<br/><br/>Lohbak were perfect - crunchy and moist. Could easily polish off a plate on my own. Curry puffs had the perfect pastry and a yummy filling that doesn't taste spicy to begin with but quickly builds up. Char Kway Teow was excellent - plenty of fillings and not oily like many places. Hainanese chicken rice was yum - chicken was poached perfectly and rice was fragrant.<br/><br/>Only disappointment we had was the beef rendang which was watery and bland.

Fresh food! Good service! Reasonable price!<br/>Everything are very clean and tidy.<br/>Highly recommend the fish head noodles soup! <br/>Taste authentic, the best Malaysian food!

Really authentic Malaysian food - soo surprised they had Lo Mai Gai and not the HK version which I see everywhere in Yum Cha places. I haven't had this dish in years and even though it wasn't 100% as I remembered it from childhood it definitely brought a smile to my face. It's not that oily either and at $5 a pop it was definitely a good starter! My parents ordered teh tarik with little condensed milk and it didn't taste too bad but I'd definitely stick with a normal sugar level haha. I myself had the Hainanese Chicken which is my all time favourite and the serving was plentiful!  The chicken slices were thicker than average and the rice serving was generous for me. Wonton noodles were flavoured well - the wontons were full of flavour and tasted freshly made. Chicken laksa too had a good body of flavour to it. One critique might be the space - there aren't many tables so if you're thinking of visiting during peak, might be best to call and reserve a table, also there isn't much ventilation as they have a small exhaust fan so your clothes will definitely smell of the wok tossed food - and they're cash only.<br/>Will definitely return in the future to try Char Kuey Teow and Sar Hor Fun!

Had a dinner for two here last week before closing time. The dish I ordered was too oily for me to finish. I guess it's alright for the price being charges but wouldn't go there again.

Food is good...  Char Koay Teow had nice smoky flavour... Hainanese chicken rice good too. Nice and simple, the food is quick too. Plenty of things on the menu that id like to try.

The place was crazy busy, therefore I assume pretty good/authentic. Ordered beef rendang with roti. It was tasty, a little chewy. But it was a Malaysian sized serving, at Australian prices. It was a small serve, luckily I wasn't overly hungry. Still, not a bad place for authentic Malay (as confirmed by my Malaysian born, Australian friend). If you're hungry, I suggest noodle dishes.

Good food for what you pay. The Malaysian flavours are quite good and the service is always fast with a smile.<br/><br/>However, the place is very small and not somewhere I would feel very comfortable for longer than a quick bite to eat. There are very limited vegan options but the staff were accommodating.

My ratings goes straight to the food and not the decor of the shop. <br/>Char kuey teow is 90% to the ones I get in KL(the noodle is the thick one and I'm sure they can get thinner ones as my mum uses thin rice noodle when she cooks it), hor fun with egg sauce is 90% to the ones in KL. Always my go to when I'm craving for some good Malaysian food.<br/>Tips: wear clothes that is ready to go in the wash when you dine here. You will stink when you're done. <br/>

Local Malaysian restaurant that's worth a visit. Came here early and got a table, however our friend was running late and didn't arrive until nearly an hour after we first sat down. The staff were so nice and didn't pressure us into ordering first or to give up the table. <br/>We ordered the Loh bak to share and it was one of the best I've had in Melbourne. The noodle dishes were also great and quite authentic.

Service was good, price ok & big portion. I had the Char Koay Teow which lacked of squid & chives. I will order the Char Hor Fun next time. They sell Nyonya kuih too with curry puffs, otak-otak and Msian desserts. Easy to find parking too. Its not far from the Westfield Doncaster S/C.

Fried Tang Hoon was very smoky and enjoyable. Chee cheong fun cut and loosen with lotsa har kou. The tarik was good. Definitely our go to place for Malaysian Hawker dish.

Our favorites here are the fish fillet noodle soup, sar hor fun, char tang hoon and char bee tai mak. The latter 2 are somewhat unique offerings in an area that has lots of Malaysian food options and has the smoky wok flavor ('wok hei') that is authentic to hawker food. It's a small space that hasn't been renovated for a while and can get quite smoky because of the open kitchen (ambience is definitely not Penang Flavor's strength!) so if we have a craving for the food here, we tend to have takeaway. Service is fairly quick and friendly.

Great food! With authentic Malaysian flavours and good service! I always eat lunch here as I can reminiscence about the Malaysian food I used to always have!

Delicious food - I come here every Sunday and I love their extensive variety of food they offer. <br/>Great service and food! I will be coming here until I die :)

Authentic Malaysian fare at affordable prices, definitely worth checking out. Char kuay teow was a hearty helping, and tasted good. Note this is the Penang variant, and isn't cooked using the black sauce a lot of other places use. Would visit again.

The food is made with love, you can taste it every bite. There are too many great dishes on the menu to name - the noodle dishes (all of them) the malaysian fried rice, the rendang, the delicious roti, the satay skewers, I have tried nearly everything on the menu. The restaurant is honest, the chef cooks your food right in front of you so you can see all the fresh ingredients dancing in the wok under an almighty flame. The place is as clean as a whistle (minus the saliva, which can usually be found inside whistles) and when you're a regular the staff treat you like family. I highly recommend this place if you're after fresh, authentic Malaysian food.

The dining area is set right beside the open kitchen where all the stir frying of noodles are happening. You can see fire in the wok which gives the 'wok hei'/smoky flavour goodness in the food. Unfortunately, you can get food odour on your clothes so I suggest patrons to leave their jacket in the car. After a short wait, we were served with our order; loh bak, char tang hoon, assam laksa, char kueh teow, sar hor fun, chee cheong fun and hokkien char mee. I am delighted by the char flavour in the noodles. The chee cheong fun which tasted soft and delicious deserves a special mention. I am however disappointed by the hokkien char mee. It tasted below average to me. On the whole, I'd be happy to return and eat at Penang flavours.

I am so glad we went to check out Penang Flavours. We ordered the Loh bak, curry puffs, sar hor fun (more commonly known as wat tan hor). <br/>Loh bak was very (very) good, albeit very greasy (I suppose that makes it extra yums :P)<br/>Curry puffs err good - so happily overwhelmed with the fillings in the puffs. There's so much that it oozes out as we ate them. <br/>And when our main arrives, hands down this is the best SHF/WTH I've tried in a very long time. Gosh I almost wanted to lick my plate!! Only to realise I didn't take a pic before my meal (couldn't wait to dig in) :D<br/>So yes, we fellow Penangites will be revisiting!! <br/>

Been wanting to try this place for a while, hours on zomato differ from their opening times.<br/>We ordered Curry Chicken Laksa, Char Tang Hoon, and Lobak and Teh Tarik.<br/>First off the Laksa was good in flavour, but it was just missing that fragrance, the oomph.<br/>The Lobak is really good, flavourful and delicious.<br/>The Char Tang Hoon was cooked really well, you can tell the dish is cooked well when the taste can only be achieved using the right smoking point of the wok, we call it wok hei, the dish is very tasty however it is a bit greasy. <br/>The Teh Tarik didn't taste like the real milk tea, tasted like the artificial powdered package stuff.<br/>Staff is very friendly, attentive, service was fast and food was delivered quickly.<br/>Will come back and try many other dishes.

This has always been my go to place for tasty and reasonably priced malaysian food. Unfortunately the past two times ive been here, it was quite dissapointing..<br/>The curry laksa which was once packed with flavour has lost its charm and tastes really diluted. Ive tried to give it a go twice thinking it might have just been a bad day but it was bad both times. <br/>The hainanese chicken rice is okay but tastes different to other places. Its not the authentic hainanese chicken rice flavour that i normally get. <br/>Hopefully they can get back to the standard it once was! <br/>Staff is always friendly.

Delicious authentic Malaysian! Tried the Hainanese chicken with rice and the curry chicken, both tasty and filling! Will be ordering from here again to try some of the other options! (Keen to try the beef rendang) ☺️

Our usual lunch place over the weekend, love the fish fillet noodle, assam laksa, dumplings, char kway teow, etc. friendly and quick service.

Great authentic Malaysian food. Char Kway Teow there is the best I've had in melbourne. Chef uses very hot wok to fry and get the natural char flavor. Hainanese Chicken rice is also one of our family favorites. Nothing beats tender boneless chicken thigh. So easy for kids to eat too. The only little problem with this restaurant is that it's smelly from cooking.

Food is pretty yummy here! The wonton soup and BBQ noodles was value for money; it was a generous portion of noodles and well flavoured. I was full pretty quickly. I wasn't a fan of the wontons as it wasn't very soft and quite big/chewy without much flavour. The sound inside the restaurant is also quite bad. It's a small area but it gets loud very easily and it makes it quite difficult to have conversation and hear people. For the food though, I would come back!

Really great Malaysian/Singaporean styled food. Flavours are WAY more authentic than other Malaysian restaurants i've been to, and really great for the price!!<br/>Definitely recommend

Slightly limited menu but great flavours. My favourite dish here is the laksa, deliciously sweet and coconutty - best of all it's not spicy, which is hard to find. Price is cheap too. The only reason why I didn't give it 5 stars is because of the ventilation. Yes it deserves -1.5 stars unfortunately. Staying any longer than 1 minute will leave your hair and clothes smelling like grease. Please, please fix this!!

Had dinner at Penang Flavours tonight. Food is good. Clean restaurant. Only thing is the air ventilation is very poor. You come out smelling of the food. <br/><br/>Had Sar Hor Fun (wan tan Hor fun) , fish fillet noodle soup and tofu far. All good. Shop takes cash only.

Ordered the Singapore Bee Hoon and Teh Tarik (cold). Both were delicious. The Bee Hoon serving was generous and had prawns, egg, lap cheung and fish cake slices. I wish the Bee Hoon noodle was thinner to be more like Malaysia but it seems very hard to find that sort in Australia. Flavour was really nice and reminded me of Malaysia/Singapore.

Ordered sar ho fan and fried tang hoon to eat there, both are good but not amazing, i guess its more like a healthy clean taste, it was not oily nor hv a strong flavour on it. Was thinking to take away, saw the menu, but ended up take away the same thing again, fried tang hoon and sar ho fan. Definitely will go back to try the others.

This restaurant seemed to be run by a family as I always see same face every time. I have tried many of their dishes and hooked with their Lor bak, Char Thang hoon and Hainanese chicken rice. Their meal portion is quite huge for me.

This place is authentic AF. Looks exactly like an eating house straight outta Malaysia. The food is very tasty. Best char kway teow this side of KL. Packed full of Malaysian, which is validation enough for me.

Have been here several times ,portions were not consistent to times prior to the last time I was here.Seems prices have increases and portions smaller. Overall food still tastes good, pleasant waitress and quick service !

Highly recommend Fish Fillet Soup Noodle since it's one of my favourites when having Malaysian food craving. The portion is big that two people with average appetite can share! Definitely a place that worths a visit for Doncaster district.

When for lunch last Sunday we ordered curry puff, Chee Cheong fun , Har Mee, fried Kwey Teow and Sar Hor Fun. <br/><br/>The curry puff pastry crispy and not feel powdery nor oily with the delicious spicy curry filling. Chee Cheong Fun sauce was amazing combination of sweet sauce and shrimp paste , texture of the rice rolls is smooth and soft. The signature dishes Char Kwey Teow so 'wok flavour' and don't get it spicy if you don't think you'll be able to handle it.Liked Hor fun slightly burnt taste and tasted great with the green chilis. <br/><br/>However, a bit disappointed with the Har Mee , soup comes with thick layer of oil and served luke warm. <br/><br/>Overall food was very good,waitress was helpful and friendly. I will definitely be back!

Best Char Kuay teow in town. Authentic flavours and friendly customer service. Love the food. Great variety!!! Double thumbs up. Surely a great experience if u love asian food. The curry laksa is fantastic too. They cook on the spot to suit your tastebuds.

If you are looking for an authentic Penang flavours, this restaurant is a place to come. Instead of driving all the way to Straits cafe Wantirna, decided to try PF which was previously owned by Straits Cafe's boss. Highly recommend their chicken rice, char Hor fan, Char K Teow, fish head noodle (generous and crunchy) and otak otak. Curry laksa was little bland, and nyonya Bak Chang (glutinous rice) was little dry for my liking, but I absolutely loved the otak otak.

Great little place for Malaysian hawker food. Pricing is good and portions are generous. Would recommened people to try. Not far from the bigger and more expensive Malaysian restaurant down the road.

I had a good dining experience at this place. We ordered the fish head noodle and the Singaporean mee hon. The taste is good and so similar as those in Malaysia and Singapore. There is a female wait staff with long ponytail so friendly and nice to us. Highly recommend this place.

I remember this place used to call Straits Cafe, i think the owner has changed, however still can see some old staff members there. Price dropped on most dishes as well.<br/><br/>Taste still good as per usual, like their combination Hor Fun, serve with the traditional green pickle chillies.<br/><br/>The Char Tang Hun seems like getting even bigger portion, is stir fried glass noodle, with anchovies, Chinese sausage and i think i taste salted fish too, very Chinese tasteful dish.<br/><br/>The fried rice drop noodle was good too, but quite oily when you eat till the end, I guess quite unavoidable.<br/><br/>Although seems like the owner has changed, but the taste of the dishes were still the same quality.

We came for lunch and had the hor fun and hokkien char mee. Good service, food arrived very quickly - and of generous servings and very tasty. Happy to come back! One of the best sar hor fun in the area!

Coming from Malaysia myself, their food is as authentic as u can get in Melb. <br/>Highly recommended, fried kuey teow.

After reading all the positive reviews, I had to try it! The place is very simple, has an open kitchen so you can see and hear all the happenings in the kitchen. Staff handling food are all wearing gloves which is very hygienic. Service was very quick. We had Hainanese chicken rice and seafood laksa. Both were very nice. Seafood was fresh. Laksa had a few very large prawns, fish cake, fish balls, squid, tofu puffs, bean shoots. It was very mild, so if you prefer it spicy, you should request when ordering. The chicken rice was average, but still enjoyable. Will go back to try other dishes, the place was busy but quick turnover, so no need to wait.

First time trying this place and had high expectations given the reviews, however it didn't quite deliver.<br/><br/>As people have commented it a place that easily missed given the unassuming green exterior.  Walk in and you are greeted with lovely aromas.  The interior is very modest decor and looks a little tired, but who cares if the food is good. I loved seeing containers of homemade sauces etc on the cooking bench, as it shows it not store bought sauces. <br/><br/>A nice selection of authentic softdrinks, tea etc are available as well. <br/><br/>There's a few diners eating and and their food looks great.  I ordered Char Kueh Teow and curry puffs.  The curry puffs were almost perfect. Ultra crisp crunchy crumbly golden pastry and a stiff hit of curry, although I got potato I'm not sure I tasted chicken. <br/><br/>The Char Kueh Teow lacked a little punch and depth of flavour. It was cooked really well and not overly salty but it was missing something.  The noodles were cooked perfectly, so often they are over cooked in places, but not here. The miss was that there was only 2 prawns, 4 very small thin slivers of calamari, and I couldnt find any fishcake.  I asked for hot chilli and was told that hot was very very hot, so I opted for medium. If you like chilli ask for it hot, as medium didnt have the heat I was looking for. <br/><br/>The staff were very friendly so that's a big thumbs up.  <br/><br/>Cash only. <br/><br/>Given the reviews and the food wasnt too far off the mark, I'll come back to try a few other dishes. Sar Hor Fun will be next or the Fish Head Soup.  Hopefully they hit the mark.

Penang flavours sure has a good and varied hawker menu, they just needed to back it up with that which is their namesake. The flavours. I found that most of their dishes were lacking in that department. On the standard Melbourne spectrum of Malaysian food, I suppose they're fairly solid but Most of the dishes didn't have the oomph and enough richness of flavour to be up there with the most authentic. Take the char kuay teow, sar hor fun and the char tang hoon for example. All had sufficient wok hei, and normally that is what makes or breaks the dish; but even with that, in the case of the sar hor fun and tang hoon, there was no underlying flavour that made it truly enjoyable, but rather quite bland. The CKT on the other hand relied on salt far too much and counterbalanced the wok flavour. The tang hoon also became soggy very quickly. The kl Hokkien char mee is only worth a small mention, as it is never done well outside of Malaysia in my experience so far. The best dish, I thought, was the Indian style mee goreng. Tangy, sweet tomato flavour and good moisture, with generous, succulent chicken. Not the best around but better than average and it could do without the peas. The Chee Cheong fun is actually not bad in terms of texture, although I feel it would be far more enjoyable if it was served rolled up into little bite-sized chunks, rather than stuck together in a big mass. Also, the dark sauce would be better served on the side for dipping the chunks, rather than poured all over the noodles. Overall I felt this place gives the impression of far more potential and far more authenticity than it actually demonstrates, and I think there are more enjoyable options to be explored that only require a little more travel

UPDATE<br/>Another brilliant session of Char Koay Teow and Char Hor Fun ... my car, clothes, hair and body smelled like the shop ... can't lie to my wife. JT-22/03/2018.  <br/><br/>BIGGER exhaust please .... I'm happy to leave and not take the Char Kwee Tiaw aroma back home :-)<br/><br/>PREVIOUS<br/>Char Kwee Tiaw after hours, no cooking needed<br/><br/>A long day, BoxFit session done around 8:30pm, now I'm hungry for some quick goodness to satisfy this craving.<br/><br/>Woohooooo, Eureka this place is still open, we were the last customers. As we walked in two Ceiling fans were working hard, I don't think the AC was on, it was HOT, steamy, the room is filled with South East Asian aromas and it's not even a 40 degree Melbourne day, lots of goodness has been cooked and served before us, humidity, smells & sweats, reminiscence of a Hawker street somewhere in KL, Kuala Lumpur. I can feel my sweat from the BoxFit session has a new flavours now. <br/>From the Street level, this place is nothing fancy, the bright Green Jade colour is the only attractive feature about it, BUT what they are serving are incredible for what they are charging, they could and should charge more.<br/><br/>Started with the CKT (Malaysian and Singaporean loves to abbreviate words) or Char Kwee Tiaw, Fried Rice Noodles, then Char Hor Fun, Combination Fried Rice Noodles with Egg Gravy sauce and lastly some Curry Puffs or Samosa (Indian) or Pastel (Indonesian). This pastry varied inside, but has common ingredients; Potatoes, Curry and Chilly.<br/><br/>It was the right decision, not sure whether my muffin top would agree, worry about that later.<br/>In under than 5 minutes after we ordered, those goodness were flying onto our table .... so QUICK .... they served the best first .....<br/>CKT - Char Kwee Tiaw, easy 8.5/10 ....VERY strong aroma of the Pork Crackling and Chinese Sausages, BIG Prawns just needs that burnt-wok taste, makes it a little drier .... That was a joy for around $12<br/>Char Hor Fun 7/10, not quite there, rice noodles needs to be fried more but the Egg Gravy Sauce was tasty, it can be better and traces of the egg yolks still prominent, that tasty runny eggs .... about $12<br/>Curry Puffs easily 8/10, fried to perfection, balanced ingredients and served hot, very important in my opinion, the aromatic flavours lingers as you bite into it, $5,50 for three.<br/><br/>All these flavours plus Sambal & Chillies makes my palate sings. Life doesn't get much better than this after a long long day. Simplistic Joy and no drugs needed, just some CKT.<br/><br/>A decade ago or so we might not be able to get these kind of offerings, so I must thank & commend the Chef and proprietor of the business for bringing that Hawkers' spirit and providing these goodness for us to enjoy.

This place does pretty authentic stuff! If you order their Char Tao Hun and Sar Hor Fun you will not regret it!  This place is a family go to place for us!

Came here for dinner and we got the Loh Bak for an entree and the Char Tang Hoon and Mee Goreng as mains. The Loh Bak was very tasty. The Char Tang Hoon was ok but the Mee Goreng was delicious and packed full of flavour. Serving sizes are very large here. Staff are friendly and would definitely come back to try the other dishes.

The place feels authentic. From the smells, the staff and the kitchen literally next to where you're eating. We had the chicken rice and the kueh teow. The chicken rice was alright but the kueh teow was SO good! Had that hot wok flavour that so many other places just can't do. Be aware when they ask you how spicy you want your food cos it ain't like other places when hot is more like mild. When they say hot, they mean hot. It was like my mouth had forgotten what chilli was. Would go again to try other dishes or just to get some not too hot kueh teow

Conveniently located. This place is a great destination to eat on a budget whilst knowing customer service will be nice and the food will be delicious.<br/><br/>The noodle dishes are served generously and are delectable.<br/><br/>The roti canai dish is yummy...if wondering why it's cheaper, it's for those who are not too hungry and want a small meal.<br/><br/>Definitely to be recommended.

Friends wanted to try the place so we went along.  We ordered chicken rice which was ordinary.  There was no special chilli sauce to go with the rice.  When we asked for chilli sauce they gave a few tiny pieces (under 6 pcs) of cut chillies on a tiny cheap plastic sauce dish and little ordinary chilli sauce on another tiny plastic dish.  We also order fried tang hoon, a transparent vermicelli noodle and fried bee thai mak which is a rice drop noodles.  Both dishes were very salty, fried exactly the same style with a couple of prawns and some vegetables.  <br/><br/>The kitchen is in the same area as the restaurant so when they fry something the whole place is smokey and made us cough and cough because of the spiciness of the dishes.  We felt like we all smelt of food after.<br/><br/>Food is very ordinary and we would not return to try other dishes.

24 Feb 2014: came here with a master chef. He ordered char mien instead of char kwei teow. Ipoh mee hoon instead of Ipoh ho fan ( you know how chefs are like: play with ingredients). I ordered my favourite otak otak (please refer to photo). All super yummy.

If you are dying for authentic Malaysian hawker style food this is a must. The fish head noodle soup is delicious with the heads slightly friend with salt and pepper.

Been here once before on a Saturday to try the popiah. Was OK. <br/>The char kway teow (takeaway) was pretty authentic. Big portion. Choices of spice levels too. Mild, medium or hot. The hot level sent me through the roof haha but it was tasty nonetheless. Will come back to try other dishes!

I have their takeaway menu saved in my phone. It's my go-to place when I want Malaysian food. Cheap and tasty, and not too oily like others. I shall try to taste everything on their menu. And none of them have disappointed me so far. If I must recommend something... #05, 28, 29

I've never written a review before but I felt so happy on a recent visit that I had to comment. I loved the Sar Hor Fun when this restaurant was formerly The Straits so I went back to see if it was as good as before. The Sar Hor Fun at Penang Flavours is still just as good.....the best I've ever had outside my trip to Malaysia. It all comes down to the noodles that have that authentic charred taste which is divine and I also love that they don't drown it in egg gravy. They have it just right.  No overpowering garlic taste in this dish like many other places. I have gone to many many places trying to find the right Hor Fun and I'm so happy they have it here.<br/>The service was very quick and I got my meal within 5 minutes of ordering.<br/>Relieved and happy that the quality of food is just as good as before......this is my go-to-place for authentic quick Malaysian!

Ordered the Penang prawn noodles and the chicken satay. The prawn noodles was good and somewhat close to what one can get back in Malaysia. The flavor and aroma is there but it somehow lacks some "kick". Prawns was good in size and the pork slices were made well. The chicken satay was a disappointment I must say. The chicken was fried instead of grilled and the peanut sauce lacks all the flavors a peanut sauce should have. Nevertheless, I will still return to give other dishes a try.

We visitors at Melbourne area<br/>This familr restaurant is recomended by our friends <br/>It delicious, big portion, tom yum bee hun, cha kwee tiau 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻<br/>Thank you for the beautiful food

Penang Flavours on Doncaster Road, minutes drive from Doncaster Shopping Town used to be under the same name as the Malaysian eatery in Wantirna, Straits Cafe. Although under a new name, the food remains just as good as before. Their Har Mee has a lovely prawn soup base flavour, and the sambal mixed in gives it a nice chilli aroma. My only downside I found is the oiliness in the dish, as is apparent in the picture above but I guess that comes with eating out.

Don't waste your time. The quality presentation and taste of the popish was the worst I have eaten in a very long time. I won't be back.

Someone said awful: awfully good. Food was yum. Great job guys!