An Asian Persuasion
PENANG
[from February 2002 issue]

Let's take it from the top: The Washington metro area now hosts two restaurants called Penang. The first opened in Bethesda last summer. The second opened recently on M Street. Confusing? Related? Well, yes and no, depending upon who answers. Sifting through the replies turns up that apparently one brother owns one and another brother owns the other. And there the story can stop, for what the dining public cares to know is: How's the food?

As it turns out, DC's Penang looks like the hottest spot in town. Crowded with twenty- and thirty-somethings in the bar area, and noisy with all-ages patrons in the diminutive dining room, Penang has shot to the top as the "now" destination. That has certain drawbacks, for at peak hours on peak nights table waits may extend to at least 45 minutes; the decibel level precludes anything except intimate conversations; and harried waitstaff can mix up orders.

Consider this recent scenario. The hostess eyed guests sympathetically as they asked for tables. Discouraged and hungry, plenty of wannabe patrons trooped away rather than sit it out. Of course, the hostess told me, pointing to the already crowded bar area, if you can find a seat, you can order dinner and eat here. But, short of my crouching on the stairs, that proved impossible.

Since the object was to eat and not to hang around, I decided on a bountiful takeout order filled with some of my favorite things--except that it wasn't, for instead of the peanut-sauced gado gado salad, I ended up with a tom yam soup. A Thai-inspired soup? It was that kind of evening.

It must be that the open kitchen, upstairs from the main bar area, works on overload capacity. They have to cook for the whole restaurant, said the waitress when I asked about my very overdue order. And it looked shorthanded for staff that serves such large crowds, for eating in the bar area was an idea that obviously had appealed to others as well, a way of having it all without the wait.

But the rest of the order came intact. And, the gold medal for the meal falls to the stunning roti canai (noted as an "Award Winning Family Recipe"), which is a thin, foldable wheel of fried Indian bread that serves as scoop for the accompanying chicken curry. No cook skimped on this dish, for the curry breathes its own fire and the bread was simply wonderful and chewy. But for that matter, the Bethesda version is also wonderful--and if this is a family recipe, then that's the explanation.

But the balance of the meal, including the tom yam soup, fell short of the mark. The beloved Penang Char Koay Teow, a stir-fry of rice noodles and assorted seafood, was here darkly disappointing, offering up a swirl of ingredients, including baby octopus that resembled a tangle of rubber bands. The beef rendang, usually hot yet sweetened by an underlay of coconut milk, lacked the requisite chili punch, and the Thai soup tasted too complex for a dish that should sing with the citrus clarity of lemongrass and the spark of sliced chilies.

Come back, urged the waitress when she handed me the order. It's usually not this crowded. Try a Monday or Tuesday night.

But maybe going to Bethesda is simpler; there's parking around (DC's Penang has only one valet who struggles to keep up; forget street parking), the menu is lengthier, and never yet has any meal disappointed or vexed. If you opt for the DC Penang, plan to come by metro or cab, and bring a crowd of six or more. That way you can make reservations and maybe not wait. Alternatively, select an off hour, like 3 p.m. on a Saturday.

Penang, 1837 M St.; tel., 822-8770. Open: Mon.-Thu., 11:30am- 11pm; Fri. & Sat., 11:30am-12mid.; Sun., 11:30am-10pm. Entrée prices: $7.95-$19.95.