Penang may be gone from Bethesda, but we had dinner there last night… just not in Maryland.
We stopped by the Philadelphia, PA location in Chinatown, and it immediately brought back memories of the restaurant that was once a Bethesda favorite. What many people may not realize is that Penang actually began in New York City in 1996.
The very first Penang opened in Flushing, Queens, by founder Suan Lee “Stanley” Cheah and his wife, June. It quickly became a hit, earning praise from The New York Times for its authentic Malaysian street food, especially its legendary Roti Canai.
That success led to rapid expansion across the Northeast. By the end of 1996, Penang had opened outside New York for the first time in Boston’s Chinatown, followed by locations in Philadelphia, Washington DC, and eventually Bethesda.
The Bethesda restaurant opened in 2001 at 4933 Bethesda Avenue, where it was owned and operated by family member Kevin Cheah. For nearly two decades, it became one of downtown Bethesda’s most beloved restaurants, known for its Malaysian dishes, distinctive dark mahogany interior, and loyal following.
Even after a $60,000 renovation in 2014, Penang ultimately closed its Bethesda location in October 2019 after an 18-year run, leaving longtime regulars disappointed when a note on the door announced it would not reopen.
While the original Flushing location closed in 2015, the Penang story continues. The Boston Chinatown restaurant at 685 Washington St., which opened at the end of 1996 as the company’s first location outside New York, is still going strong today.
For those in the D.C. area looking to relive the Bethesda experience, the closest Penang is about 2½ to 3 hours away in Philadelphia. Located at 117 N. 10th St. in Chinatown, it has remained a neighborhood staple since the late 1990s and continues to draw crowds for the same Malaysian favorites that made the Bethesda restaurant so popular.
We ordered the Homemade Roti Canai with chicken curry, Nasi Lemak, Hainanese chicken-flavored rice, and a peanut pancake for dessert. It was every bit as good as we remembered, and for a couple of hours, it felt like we were back at the Bethesda location.
