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.