Penang Szechuan Cuisine Restaurant — Restaurant in White Rock

I'm deeply disappointed that I have to update this review with a negative response. My family and I were eagerly looking forward to our Father's Day family dinner, and we decided to order 11 dishes from this restaurant to make the occasion special.

What made us particularly thrilled was the fact that they have a wide range of gluten-free options on their menu. As some members of our family follow gluten-free and vegan diets, we were delighted to see such inclusivity and variety. We couldn't help but rave about this restaurant to our family and friends, looking forward to them also getting to experience the delicious food.

However, our excitement quickly turned into disappointment when we picked up the order and reached home. To our dismay, we discovered that most of the food was no longer warm, indicating that it had likely been cooked well in advance, possibly an hour or so before our scheduled pick-up time. It was disheartening to realize that the dishes had lost their freshness.

Unfortunately, reheating 11 dishes was not a viable option, and we ended up having to serve a cold meal. As you can imagine, nobody in the family was particularly impressed with the food under these circumstances.

In light of this experience, I sincerely hope that the restaurant's management takes note and makes changes for larger orders in the future. It would be beneficial if they can find a way to ensure that meals, especially those of this magnitude, can be delivered and enjoyed while still warm. Alternatively, it would be helpful if they can communicate the challenge of delivering warm meals for such large orders to customers, allowing them to make informed decisions.

It is my sincere wish that they address these concerns, as I genuinely want others to enjoy the same level of satisfaction and culinary delight that we had experienced in the past."

Original FIVE star review....

I recently had the pleasure of discovering this outstanding Chinese food takeout restaurant that offers an extensive selection of gluten-free options. As someone with dietary restrictions, I was thrilled to find a place that not only caters to my needs but also delivers exceptional flavors and authentic Chinese cuisine.

Naturally, being celiac for over 22 years, I was very skeptical as most Chinese food experiences to date (well, actually all of them) have resulted in cramps and disappointment. Not this time, EVERY dish I tried exceeded my expectations! The chefs have clearly mastered the art of blending flavors and textures, resulting in mouth-watering gluten-free Chinese delicacies. Whether you're craving traditional favorites or exploring new culinary adventures, this restaurant has got you covered.

One of my top recommendations would be their gluten-free Thai Chicken. The chicken was perfectly cooked, tender on the inside, and delightfully crispy on the outside. The sauce had just the right balance of sweetness and spice, creating a harmonious explosion of flavors. We ordered five other dishes and all were excellent. Honestly, I can’t wait to try more of them.

What truly sets this Chinese takeout apart is their dedication to offering a wide range of gluten-free options. Their menu is thoughtfully crafted, featuring an array of more than 65 gluten-free options. It's a mind-blowing paradise for individuals with gluten sensitivities or those who simply prefer a gluten-free lifestyle.

If you're a gluten-free food enthusiast or someone who appreciates remarkable Chinese cuisine, Penang Szechuan is an absolute gem. Their commitment to excellence, extensive gluten-free menu options, and exceptional flavors make it a standout choice. Treat yourself to a culinary adventure and indulge in their delectable offerings. You won't be...

I've read a few reviews on other sites about how great this place is. I've also had a couple of friends of friends mention that this place is IT for Asian food in White Rock/South Surrey. Well...since I have yet to try any other Asian joint in White Rock/South Surrey I do hope this isn't it.

I ordered the House special spring rolls, Roti canai, mee goreng, and chicken curry.

I'll start with the good; they're friendly. And the House Special spring rolls are quite tasty.

Ok, the bad.

1. It's pricey.
2. Delivery is NOT free even if it's after 5pm and your order is over $20. Deliver also will take 40-50 minutes. Take out on the other hand, is 15 minutes.
3. Any place that describes Roti Canai as a crepe has it wrong. The Roti was flat, oil soaked and lifeless. Proper roti is heated until it puffs and you dip it into a some sort of curry sauce - I prefer a vegetable curry sauce. The sauce for the roti was...unidentifiable.
4. The mee goreng at least looked like noodles. But I have never had mee goreng that tasted so...different before. It was dark brown and had zero tomatoe in it. At least it was spicy. The prawns in it tasted decent - no doubt from frozen but that's ok, at least they weren't thawed and left in the fridge for a few days - they get grainy that way.
5. The chicken curry was a complete disaster. If anyone has ever made curry with the Japanese Glico brand pre-made curry cubes (boil water, add cube, add meat and stuff, simmer, eat), this is what it was...except not as good...and that Glico stuff is not good. Firstly, who puts raw cucumber in curry? Secondly, I can see the curry spices suspended in the thick, pasty, starch thickend sauce. And lastly, I think my 3 year old could eat this as there was zero spiciness to it.

Will I try it again...surprisingly, yes. Their menu is huge. I want to try something that they can't screw up. Maybe I ordered the wrong dishes but I am craving for the spring rolls. I want to like this place so badly - partly because I don't know another Asian place in the area.

Also, Penang is Malaysian - my mother is Malay. Szechuan is from Sichuan in China - my Dad is Chinese. If they opened up a restaurant, this is what it would be. They'd also fight a lot as to what food to cook because Penang and Szechuan just don't make sense together. It's no wonder the food I had has such an identify crisis in flavour and...

Absolutely disappointing and failed on every level possible:

1. Delivery - I originally ordered to have the food delivered to my home. It had an estimated 30 mins wait, which was fine. But at the 45 mins mark, I had to call in as my family was hungry to ask for status. The food had not left the restaurant and apparently, the driver was leaving. But my food was still there. So we decided to pick up the food ourselves seeing that it would be quicker and we would get our food at a decent time.

2. Food - As a Chinese, this was not neither Chinese food nor Malaysian/Singaporean food. It was an embarrassment to have ordered this for my Malaysian Chinese mom in law. We could not describe how bad the food was. a) Roti Canai - simple dish, but very dry. Sauce was extremely watery. b) Hokkien Style Chow Mein - This was not Hokkien - Hokkien noodles have a typically dark sauce and smoky flavours. Chow Mein means fried noodles. This dish delivered none of this and was tasteless. c) House Special Fried Rice - this looked as unappealing as it was unappetizing. Extremely bland, chicken was chopped so many ways and actually tasted old. Nothing special about this dish. d) Garlic Sauce Chicken - we specified that we did not want anything spicy, but this dish came very spicy. Called into the restaurant, but they couldn't do anything and only offered a free dish on the next order. The dish itself had so much onions, it should have been called "Garlic Sauce Onions". e) Honey Garlic Pork - best dish of the night had a hint of honey. Very dry otherwise.

3. Cleanliness - as we walked up to the restaurant, we saw a rat outside and instantly hoped that the restaurant didn't have a rat infestation inside. Inside, there were three tables that were not cleaned. The restaurant did not look presentable which raised red flags.

Overall, if I could give this restaurant 0 stars, I would. I don't understand how this restaurant is okay with serving this food. The food tasted much worse than microwaveable foods. Don't let the name fool you as it is not Malaysian and it is not Szechuan cuisine. I am a huge proponent of supporting local small businesses, but this is one I would very strongly recommend to...