Bistro offers real taste of Malaysian, plus great sweets

Bistro offers real taste of Malaysian, plus great sweets

Dewi Santoso, Jakarta

Ask people what they know about Malaysia and most will talk about
its infamous Petronas Tower -- the so-termed Twin Towers of Asia.
Little will they say about the country's cuisine as many claim
that it is the same as that of Indonesia, ignoring that it tastes
surprisingly different.

In Jakarta, where a variety of restaurants is mushrooming,
Penang Bistro is one of the few that provide diners with the
assorted tastes of Malaysian food.

Located in Jl. Pakubuwono, South Jakarta, Penang Bistro offers
diners a variety of Malaysian food from appetizers such as roti
canai (Indian-style crispy pancake with chicken curry dipping
sauce) and Malaysian beef satay (with chef's special dipping
sauce) to main courses such as claypot prawn curry (braised prawn
in curry broth), Penang asam fish head (fish head stew served in
Penang sour broth), sotong goreng (deep-fried crispy cuttlefish
with honey sauce), mango chicken (deep-fried chicken thigh
seasoned with mango sauce) and chicken kailan (sauteed kailan
with chicken meat and mushroom).

For those who have eaten roti canai in its original country
before, they might find the one offers by the house too crispy.
However, the dipping sauce tastes perfect with a combination of
mild curry and just a hint of spicy flavor.

Malaysian beef satay may sound commonplace to diners as satay
is common hawker food here. Yet, although some diners may
normally find the meat too dry, others may want to try to take a
bite on the house beef satay just to sample its tenderness.
Again, the dipping sauce -- more red than brown -- gives diners a
combination of light, yet rich textures.

Dubbed by the House as among the top five favorite foods, some
diners who are used to eating juicy cuttlefish may find sotong
goreng overly crispy and dry. Diners who dislike honey may find
its sweet and sour honey sauce a bit overpowering.

The claypot prawn curry and Penang asam fish head, however,
may become seafood lovers' must-have favorites as they taste
superbly delicious.

Served in a reddish curry broth, claypot prawn curry may look
like nothing but a common spicy curry with prawn. But once diners
taste it, they will find the savory broth soothing as the
sweetness of the braised prawn makes the spicy curry taste very
mild.

For fish eaters, Penang asam fish head may be just the
solution to their never-ending search of the perfect taste of
juicy, succulent fish meat.

Served in aluminum foil, the delectable fish in its entirety
-- not just its head -- will allow diners to experience the
pleasure of spicy and slightly sour tastes in combination.

Once diners finish their main course, they are advised to
leave some room for dessert as all that curry and sourness may
tempt them to seek a pool of sweetness.

Those with a sweet tooth can opt for either ice kacang (red
beans, sweet corn and nutmeg topped with shaved ice and rose
syrup) or durian cendol (green pea flour stripes and sweet red
beans topped with shaved ice and durian).

Even for those who dislike durian, they may be astounded by
this cendol as it contains enough sweetness -- not too much, not
too little -- with a mild durian aroma that makes the dessert
worth trying.

At around Rp 200,000 (US$21.27) for a five-course meal, the
restaurant is certainly worth a try for Malaysian food fanatics
as it offers both taste and ambience at a reasonable price.

Penang Bistro
Jl. Pakubuwono 6 No. 2
Jakarta Selatan
tel. 7260303
Open Monday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.