Penang Restaurant: The taste of Malaysia

Penang Restaurant: The taste of Malaysia

Kim Griffiths, Contributor, Jakarta

Penang - Special Malaysian Food, Jl. Pluit Karang Timur,
Blok 0 VII Timur No. 62, Jakarta Utara, tel: 669 0874. Opening
hours: 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.

The island of Penang, where I come from, is well known for its
unsurpassed cuisine. It is the cuisine that even other cultures
talk about. The rest of the world obviously knows about it
because it is not uncommon to find signs that say "Penang Laksa",
"Penang Prawn Mee" and "Penang Roti Canai" in Singapore, New York
and London.

Penang cuisine is truly Malaysian, reflecting the cuisine of
its three cultures: Malay, Chinese and Indian.

Recently we discovered a gem called the Penang Restaurant,
which serves real Penang hawker food and real traditional drinks
like Teh Peng (iced milk tea) and Sun Boi (Tamarind) to boot.

Location: Make your way toward Mega Mall. Instead of turning
into the mall's parking lot, follow the road to Muara Karang. As
soon as you cross the bridge into Muara Karang, turn left onto
Jl. Pluit Karang Timur, Blok O VIII Timur and look for No. 62.
There's a big sign outside the restaurant that says "Mie Udang
Penang".

Looks: The restaurant looks modest both inside and outside.
But, really, that's of no consequence when the food is authentic
and you haven't been home to Penang in over two years.

I like the spaciousness and the plainness of the restaurant
because that was how it was in coffee shops in the good ol' days
when I was growing up.

The Penang restaurant can seat up to 55 people and does
catering for parties.

The owner obviously believes in keeping her customers happy
while they wait for their food: there are three televisions
suspended in three corners of the room, running three different
channels. The fact is that you don't get to watch for very long
before the food is placed in front of you.

What's it got: It's got unbeatable service. All the waiters
and waitresses have a can-do attitude. For example, if you are on
the Atkins' diet and carbohydrates are a no-no, you can ask them
to leave out the noodles from your Mie Udang Penang or your Char
Koay Teow, and pile on the veggies instead. They didn't bat an
eyelid, but simply smiled and took the unusual orders, and the
food always came as it was supposed to.

The food is of unbeatable quality at unbeatable prices. We
have yet to find another Penang restaurant that matches this one.
The restaurants we have tried are all overpriced poor imitations.

Taste factor: Arguably Penang's greatest contribution to the
culinary world, Penang Laksa, or Assam Laksa, is a spicy and
savory dish of coarse rice noodles in a sour fish-based stock
cooked with asam (tamarind), topped with shavings of bunga
kantang (lotus flower buds), onions, sliced chili, cucumber and
pineapple. You have the option of having it with hae ko (thick
black prawn paste).

The stock is rich and sour, the way it should be, but the
noodles are a little finer than the ones we get back home. Sold
only on public holidays, Saturdays and Sundays, it is worth
marking your diary for Penang Laksa.

Mee Goreng is fried yellow noodles, dry and spicy with cubes
of boiled potatoes, bean curd and bakwan (savory), beansprouts,
prawns and egg. It is pretty close to the Mamak Mee that the
Indian Muslims prepare in Penang.

The restaurant has just started a new curry menu. The curry is
served with a choice of rice or roti canai. While the roti canai
is comparable to some of the ones we have tried, the difference
lies in the curry. The chicken curry has the oomph that the
others lack. It is available only on Tuesdays, Thursdays,
Saturdays and Sundays.

Char Koay Teow is a dish of flat rice noodles fried with
beansprouts, chives, egg, prawns, cockles and chili. It is
authentic right down to the generous dash of white pepper on the
top.

The other signature dish -- by which this restaurant is often
referred to -- is Mie Udang Penang, which we Penangites call
Hokkien Mie. It is yellow noodles in a special prawn-enriched
soup garnished with beansprouts, kangkung (water spinach), prawns
and egg.

Price points: Prices range from a mere Rp 7,500 for Mie Goreng
Malaysia to Rp 11,500 for Mie Udang Penang. Drinks average Rp
3,500.

Minus points: There are no desserts. We often order a sweet
Teh Peng to finish off the meal. Perhaps the owner could include
Penang favorites such as Bubur Cha Cha, Cendol or Peanut Pancake.

Verdict: This restaurant is worth the long ride up north if
you live in the center or south of town. We feel it's about time
the owner opened outlets elsewhere in Jakarta.