From fried rice to laksa, Chennai gets a taste of Malaysia at lunchtime

Malaysia does not do lunch halfheartedly. The hawker centres are full by noon, the plates arrive fast, the flavours are unambiguous and nobody leaves the table hungry. Penang by Crystal Woo has taken that philosophy and built a weekday lunch set around it. Dhasha Sendhil, who runs Penang, describes the gap she was filling plainly: a lunch that feels premium yet approachable, designed for professionals, friends catching up and diners who want something beyond the usual business lunch. The format is quicker and lighter on decision-making than the regular sharing-style menu, but the cooking is from the same kitchen, the same standards and the same authentic intent.

A new Malaysian lunch in Chennai brings hawker-style comfort to weekdays

We started with the Vegetable chee cheong fun, silky, thin-steamed rice noodle rolls filled with fresh vegetables, it is honest and decent but not the strongest version of this dish in the city. If it is your first time having chee cheong fun, it will introduce you well.

The Chicken chop fried rice is the must-try of the lunch menu, and it earns that without qualification. Fried rice topped with crispy chicken chop and brown gravy; the rice is properly wok-fried and the chicken delivers the crunch and juiciness together that the dish promises. The gravy ties it all with a savoury sharpness that keeps the whole plate interesting through every bite. This is the order to anchor your set around.

The Penang char kway teow is the classic: flat rice noodles stir-fried in the Penang style. It is good, the wok heat present and the sauce doing its job, but it has the potential to be exceptional and stops just short of it.

For the beverage, the Bandung is the easy favourite: rose milk with a Malaysian twist, sweet and floral and the right colour for a midday break.

Apart from these, Dhasha’s own picks from the new lunch menu are the Claypot laksa, Nasi lemak and Mee goreng. She is clear that this is only the beginning, “We see the lunch menu evolving with seasonal specials, regional Malaysian favourites, and rotating dishes that reflect the incredible diversity of Malaysian cuisine.” The set format is already strong. If the kitchen keeps pushing the Char kway teow and brings the Chee cheong fun up to the level of the fried rice, this could become one of Chennai’s most reliable lunch stops by a considerable distance.

Meal for one: Rs 600. From 12 noon to 4 pm. At Penang by Crystal Woo, Nungambakkam.

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