Little Penang
Where? Little Penang (Te Aro, Wellington, New Zealand) Map Menu
When? Saturday January 14, 2023
Who With? Me
Food Style? Malaysian
LP is one of my favourite places in Wellington. They’ve established themselves as one of the city’s top casual eateries, serving home style Malaysian fare. Uncle Keith and Auntie Tee have been at this for over 11 years; I remember their small little stall on Manners St where they first opened, and now, they've got a larger restaurant. The pandemic has really been difficult for them, with staff shortages and closures that have been prevalent throughout the hospitality industry. Still, when I came to visit, the place was busy and full of people wanting to taste the delicious food, and I was genuinely touched when Uncle Keith recognised me in the queue and came over to give me a hug. Today, I’m by myself and I’ve ordered my favourite dish, the char kuay teow.
Mains
Char Kuay Teow: Flat rice noodles fried with prawns, Chinese pork sausage, chives and beansprouts
It arrives quickly. Spicy, peppery and with generous servings of Chinese sausage to give it that extra smokiness, this is just how I remember it. It’s been long enough since I was in Malaysia that I’m craving good Malaysian food again, so this has definitely hit the spot.
To be honest, I love a lot of their menu items. You don't often see otak-otak on Malaysian menus in New Zealand, and here it's served with beautiful aromatics like lemongrass and ginger in a banana leaf pouch. I love Auntie Tee's claypot rice and hokkien char as well. And when I'm feeling particularly in the mood for sweets, the pandan cakes really hit the spot too. I genuinely wish them all the success in the world because they deserve it. Their food is some of the best Malaysian I’ve had outside of Malaysia and I’ve always raved about to anyone that will listen.
Posted by Jeremy at 2:36am on Sunday October 29, 2023 :: 0 comments :: 
Little Penang
Where? Little Penang (Wellington CBD, Wellington, New Zealand) Map
When? Saturday October 15, 2016
Who With? Juliann
Food Style? Authentic Malaysian, Penang-style
Little Penang is by far my favourite Malaysian restaurant outside of Malaysia. The owners, whom I affectionately call Uncle Keith and Auntie Tee, started off their humble little shop on Dixon Street about five years ago, but moved to a larger premises next door after demand became high. And it's no wonder, because their food is the most authentic I've had in New Zealand. There's a tendency to cater to European tastes when in New Zealand, but as the country becomes more cosmopolitan, people become more adventurous and are willing to try those authentic Malaysian flavours - spicy sambal, rich coconut, lemongrass, coriander, mango. There's a lovely story in the window of the shop about a lady who came to eat at Little Penang, and was moved to tears at how good the food was - "it's just like how my mother used to make it". European and Malaysian alike, we can all agree that the food at LP is top notch.
I go there so often with my workmates that the owners know me by name. Another of my workmates, Juliann, and I were privileged enough to be invited to their exclusive Fifth Birthday Celebration. Such a momentous occasion! The restaurant is packed with friends and family and VIPs, and there's a long central table, very traditional, stacked with the most amazing looking display of Malaysia's finest food. 
The entrance has the roti man twirling and flipping the roti on a hot plate, and really the only thing missing from Malaysia is the heat and humidity. It truly feels like home right now.
Auntie Tee's eldest sister has flown down specifically for this and has made her signature sambal prawns. I can see the vibrant red and orange colours of the sauce from where I'm sitting and I know it's going to be popular. Each dish on the table represents a part of Malaysian cuisine: there's Nyonya, Hainanese, Cantonese, Malay, Indian and Hokkien, and it's one of those things that hits it home that there's truly something special and unifying about Malaysian food.
I want one of everything but I can't fit it all on my plate. I guess I'll be going back for seconds...
Posted by Jeremy at 12:26am on Wednesday January 25, 2017 :: 0 comments ::