Penang Digs Itself a Deeper Hole

By Chuck Sudo in Food on Sep 28, 2007 8:52PM

Wednesday we told you about the closing of Penang Malaysian Restaurant and Sushi Bar in Chinatown for multiple health code violations. Even though a Penang spokesman would only comment to Chicagoist that they were "doing the best (they) could to correct the violations," manager Joe Leung felt slightly more confident when he told Crain's that they only had "plumbing problems" and expected to re-open that same day.

We received an e-mail from Tim Hadac from the City Department of Public Health this afternoon. Here's his update:

Penang failed re-inspection this afternoon. Their license remains suspended. This was a re-inspection they specifically requested when they came to CDPH HQ and signed an affidavit saying they have brought themselves into compliance with the law. The inspector found mouse and rat feces in various places throughout the restaurant. There was still a leaking pipe under the three-compartment sink. There was still a leaking grease trap in the basement. And finally, there was still a need for a general cleaning of walls, floors and food service equipment. How they expected to re-open today, and how they even predicted they'd re-open today (to (the) Crain's reporter who asked them), in that kind of a non-compliant, unsafe setting is beyond me.

Now we know where we won't be eating this evening.