Penang introduces unique food to suburbs

You no longer have to schlep to Chinatown to try Malaysian food. The number of Malaysian restaurants in the Chicago area doubled recently with a new branch of Penang.

Ken Lim, a scion of the family that opened the first Penang restaurants on the East Coast, opened the local version -- Chicago's only Malaysian restaurant -- in Chinatown in 1999. This summer, Lim added a lovely suburban sister near the Arlington Heights/Rolling Meadows border.

The unique angular architecture of the former Zippy's has been transformed into a stylish, gracious setting filled with lots of natural wood and earth-toned upholstery. More elegant than the Chinatown spot, this spacious, well-lit restaurant offers a comfortable mix of booths and tables.

The enticing Northwest suburban location presents a menu similar (although not identical) to the downtown Penang. Named for one of the 13 states of Malaysia, Penang concentrates on the cuisine of that country, plus some dishes from neighboring Thailand.

Indian, Indonesian and Chinese influences figure strongly in Malaysian cuisine, along with ethnic Malay flavors. Expect the fresh seasonings of lemongrass, shallots, ginger, galangal, lime, cilantro, garlic, chilies, curry leaves and turmeric; such spices as coriander, cumin, aniseed, cloves, cinnamon and cardamom; and the earthy tastes of shrimp paste and soy sauce.

Malaysian curries, for example, lie somewhere between Thai- and Indian-style dishes in flavor, though more delicate in seasoning and, often, soupier in consistency. Roti canai and roti telur, two appetizers, both make use of a drippy, yellow, turmeric-laced chicken-based curry, used as a dipping sauce for sheer, slightly chewy, crepelike flatbreads called roti, made from dough kneaded and stretched to paper-thinness and then cooked on a skillet to a light crispiness.

With roti canai, you tear off pieces of the roti to dip in the sauce, scooping up bits of chicken or potato, for messy but delectable eating. An even better option, roti telur, features the roti stuffed with a flavorful omelet of diced onions and sweet peppers and cut into squares.

Another of the typical Malaysian curries, the entree beef rendang, presents chunks of flank steak stewed until tender in a rich, somewhat oily, brown sauce nicely but not heatedly flavored with coconut milk, onion, lemongrass and chilies and served with rice. Penang also offers rendang with chicken, cooked on the bone.

The menu warns that this is a spicy dish, but it tasted mildly seasoned to me. If you like things hot, you might want to stress this when ordering.

Penang's staff does seem to feel that its suburban patrons might not be up to authentic flavors. For example, our server warned us away from the Hainanese chicken, a steamed half chicken served at cool room temperature with dark soy sauce, insisting that "only Chinese people like that."

We did try the pandan chicken, an appetizer of deep-fried, batterless chicken wings. They were very good, as far as wings go -- crisp, meaty and ungreasy -- but the promised pandan-leaf seasoning was disappointingly subtle.

The hot, fried wings made an excellent counterpart for a chilled salad called achat, a melange of Malaysian-style pickled vegetables, including cabbage, zucchini, carrots and string beans, in a sprightly dressing piquant with lemongrass and tamarind, topped with peanuts -- a delicious blend of sweet-sour flavors and crisp and crunchy textures.

Lemongrass, with ginger, also add terrific flavor to the Malaysian pork chops: a generous portion of thin, grilled chops on the bone, given a light, tasty, slightly sweet glaze.

Penang offers a variety of seafood dishes, such as salmon grilled in a banana leaf, curried shrimp, crab and mixed seafood and several steamed-fish options, as well as outstanding seafood noodles: Penang char kueh teow, thick, chewy noodles stir-fried with whole shrimp, rings of squid, chunks of sweet Chinese-style sausage, bean sprouts and chives in a zesty, soy-based sauce.

The seafood dishes generally tend to be the priciest (most costing more than $22), while the majority of other entrees cost less than $15.

Other house specialties include mango chicken or shrimp, stir-fried with bell peppers and fresh fruit in a sweet and spicy sauce; yam pot, a fried taro casing holding a stir-fry of seafood, vegetables, mushrooms and cashews; and grilled rack of lamb.

A number of dishes cater to vegetarians, including tofu items such as "vegetarian duck," tofu sheets in vegetarian "oyster" sauce with broccoli and mushrooms, and stir-fried tofu with mango sauce.

Delving into all of the unique items will occupy numerous visits. For the timid, more familiar dishes on the Penang menu include soups such as wonton and seafood tom yum, fried rice combinations, noodles such as pad Thai and Cantonese chow fun, Cantonese roast duck and assorted stir-fries, so it's safe to bring a mixed group here. But I urge you to undertake some of the more unusual fare.

Desserts range from exotic choices such as ice kacang, an odd, layered confection of shaved ice, red adzuki beans, grass jelly, sweet creamed corn and more, to deliciously sweet banana "pancakes" made with roti to more routine, Bindi-style sorbets frozen in fruit shells.

Penang's bar serves tropical drinks such as Singapore slings, as well as nonalcoholic fruit smoothies.

Service on our visit seemed friendly, though somewhat disjointed.

Penang

1720 W. Algonquin Road, Arlington Heights, (847) 222-1888, www.penangarlington.com

Cuisine: Malaysian, Thai and Chinese

Setting: Stylish, free-standing spot

Price range: Appetizers $3.50 to $12.95; entrees $8.95 to $24.95; desserts $3.50 to $8.95

Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sunday

Accepts: Major credit cards ($25 minimum); reservations

Also: Full bar; free parking; delivery ($30 minimum); $7.95 lunch special, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays