[Penang, Malaysia] Classical Thai dinner at 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗧𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘀

[klyeoh (Peter)]

The Chef de Cuisine of Kebaya (The Seven Terraces’ fine dining restaurant), Zachary Choong, and Chef Tubtim of the Royal Consulate-General of Thailand in Penang collaborated for the first time last weekend - producing a series of classical Thai dinners to celebrate Songkran, the Thai New Year.

Zachary Choong is well-known for his modern take on Penang-Nyonya cuisine, but Chef Tubtim’s input was pretty evident in this 3-day special Songkran menu: I finally experienced authentic Thai flavours for the first time here in Penang! The irony is that Penang is only about a couple of hours’ drive away from the Thai border, yet, Thai food in Penang has always been localized to a large degree.

No such problems yesterday evening, when we were served a series of well-prepared dishes, most harking back to the era of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V), who reigned from 1 Oct 1868 to 23 Oct 1910.

3 types of appetizers were served:

• Ma Hor (ม้าฮ่อ) - caramelized minced chicken with peanut & pineapple.
  

  

• Miang Kham (เมี่ยงคำ) - betel leaf wrap with grated coconut, lime, dried shrimps, peanut, Thai chili and galangal.
  

  

• Hor Mok Pla (ห่อหมก) - Thai spiced seafood mousse, stuffed into completely deboned fish and pan-fried.
  

  

Salad

• Nam Phrik Long Ruea (น้ำพริกลงเรือ) - Thai-style raw vegetables salad (sawtooth mint, cucumber, carrot, tomato, long beans) with fermented shrimp/salted egg/habanero chile dipping sauce. The creator of this dish was purportedly Royal Concubine Mom Rajawong Sadub Ladawan, who prepared it for a picnic for two sister princesses: Sohmdet Ying Naawy and Sohmdet Ying Glaang.
  

  

• Gaeng Phed Ped Yang (แกงเผ็ดเป็ดย่าง) - roast duck and lychees in red curry. This was my favorite dish for the evening: the fresh lychees provided bursts of fruity sweetness amidst the onslaught of chili-spiciness of the red curry blanketing the slivers of roast duck. They really smashed it with this one.
  

  

• Pla Kra Pong Lui Suan (ปลากระพงลุยสวน) - fried snapper with a fabulously tart and spicy relish/dressing consisting of raw mango, peanuts, ginger, lemongrass, shallots, dried & fresh chilis.
  

  

• Phraram Long Song (พระรามลงสรง) - shrimps and kangkung in spiced peanut sauce. I’d only had a version of this Chinese-influenced dish using poached chicken - substituting it for fresh shrimps turned out to be a pretty good choice, too. The peanut-inflected sauce reminded one of satay sauce dip.
  

  

• Gaeng Ranjuan (แกงรัญจวน) - beef slices in a fiery broth flavored with fermented shrimp (kapi). shallots, lemongrass, galangal, ginger, kaffir lime leaves, chilis. In Thai, the name of this dish literally translates to ‘to yearn for’.
  

  

Desserts:

• Thong Ek (ทองเอก) & Foi Thong (ฝอยทอง) - both with sweet, custard-like puddings made from duck’s egg-yolk and soaked in syrup (not overly sweet here, which is perfect for us). Both of these egg-yolk-based desserts are attributed to Maria Guyomar de Pinha, a Portuguese-Eurasian chef in the royal kitchens of King Narai, who reigned from Oct 1656 to July 1688. She introduced these desserts, adapted from the Portuguese fios de ovos to the Siamese court’s culinary repertoire.
  (Another variant of this type of eggy desserts is the sangkhaya, which was adapted from the Portuguese doces de ovos, which became the kaya of Singapore & Malaysia).
  

  

• Khaoniao Mamuang (ข้าวเหนียวมะม่วง) - Mango with sticky rice, plus the addition of ice-cream and crisp-fried shallots here.
  

  

Overall, far & away the best Thai meal I’d ever had in Penang. Looking forward to more collaboration between Seven Terraces and the local Thai consulate.

[Harters (John Hartley - a culinary patriot eating & cooking in Northwest England)]

Man, I am sooo envious!

[klyeoh (Peter)]

@Harters David Thompson’s Nahm at the Halkin in Belgravia used to be this good, if not better. Pity it closed down in Dec 2012 when David decided to relocate to Bangkok.

Aussie chef Thompson’s celebrated London restaurant Nahm to close its doors (smh.com.au)

[klyeoh (Peter)]

Last Sunday, my walking buddy and I paid a visit to the grave of Thomas Leonowens in the Old Protestant Cemetery.

𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 knows the story of Anna Leonowens - how the young widow & her son went to the court of King Mongkut of Siam to become a governess to the King’s many children, because Yul Brynner & Deborah Kerr immortalized her story in “𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐠 & 𝐈”.

But very few people know that Anna Leonowens was widowed in Penang, and her husband was buried in the Old Protestant Cemetery here.

When Chow Yun Fatt & Jodie Foster remade the story in the 1999 film, “𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐠”, Jodie Foster, who was staying at the Sheraton Hotel Penang just 10 minutes’ drive away during the filming, actually came here one morning to visit Thomas Leonowens’ grave.

Anyway, it got us into a mood for some good Thai food, so we returned to the Kebaya Dining Room at the Seven Terraces for a Thai dinner this evening:

We started off with the special cocktail for the evening: dragonfruit & calamansi juice, with gin & Cointreau:

We had three types of starters:
𝙃𝙤𝙮 𝙈𝙖𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙜 𝙋𝙝𝙤𝙤 𝙂𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙖𝙚 (green lip mussels grilled with spice paste). Large, fresh mussels which we enjoyed, although I did find the red curry sauce a bit too spicy for my palate.

𝙈𝙞𝙖𝙣𝙜 𝙆𝙝𝙖𝙢 𝙎𝙖𝙡𝙢𝙤𝙣 𝙍𝙤𝙚 (betel leaf wrap, with grated, toasted coconut, dried shrimps and herbs, topped with salmon roe). This was very nice - my only complaint was that each of us were served only one of these: a mere one mouthful!

𝙃𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙤𝙠 (crisp-fried mackerel stuffed with red curry filling). My favourite item for the evening: it’s like the most delicate fish sausage ever - the whole, deboned mackerel was fried till golden-crisp, whilst the filling was soft & souffle-like. The sauce was punchy, but tempered with the addition of creamy coconut mik.

The main course items were served communal-style, to be shared:

The dinner spread consisted of:
𝙆𝙖𝙚𝙣𝙜 𝙎𝙤𝙢 𝙋𝙡𝙖 (hot & sour soup with barramundi and coconut heart). Very spicy indeed - I think Thai soups are meant to be accompanied by steamed white rice, rather than taken on its own.

𝙆𝙖𝙞 𝙏𝙤𝙧𝙙 𝙃𝙖𝙩𝙮𝙖𝙞 (crisp-fried spiced Southern Thai-style fried chicken). This is more of a street food dish, so quite surprised to see it on the table of a fine dining restaurant. It’s served hot off the deep-fryer and very garlicky.

𝙇𝙖𝙧𝙗 𝙋𝙚𝙙 (chargrilled salad of duck, with toasted rice powder and herbs). My fave items among the mains - the toasty crushed rice gave an aromatic lift to the grilled duck-meat, and the sweet-tangy-salty dressing was perfectly balanced.

𝙔𝙖𝙢 𝙏𝙖𝙡𝙖𝙮 𝙋𝙡𝙖 𝘿𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙁𝙤𝙤 (mélange of fresh seafood with crispy catfish floss, green mango and salted duck’s egg).

𝙆𝙖𝙚𝙣𝙜 𝙆𝙚𝙤𝙬 𝙒𝙖𝙣 𝙉𝙪𝙚𝙖 (green curry of Australian grain-fed beef).

Dessert: 𝙒𝙤𝙤𝙣 𝙈𝙖𝙠𝙧𝙪𝙩 𝙇𝙤𝙞 𝙆𝙖𝙚𝙬 (stewed kaffir lime in light syrup, with nutmeg jelly & pickled ginger, atop shaved ice).

Still, one of the best Thai spots in George Town. With travel in and out of the country still cumbersome, with various quarantine checks, most Penangites are still choosing to stay in Penang. But dining out seemed to have returned largely to “normal”.

[Harters (John Hartley - a culinary patriot eating & cooking in Northwest England)]

@klyeoh

But dining out seemed to have returned largely to “normal”.

Similar was happening in the UK, but the latest reintroduction of some restrictions (which actually don’t directly effect hospitality) coupled with worries about the new variant are causing a lot of restaurant cancellations. We were at a favourite local place last night and the owner was very annoyed about “no shows”.

Your dinner looks really good.

[klyeoh (Peter)]

@Harters

We were at a favourite local place last night and the owner was very annoyed about “no shows”.

Maybe he should start demanding a no-refund deposit for reservations!

[Harters (John Hartley - a culinary patriot eating & cooking in Northwest England)]

They’ve recently introduced a deposit for larger groups (5+) but I agree that they should extend that to all bookings. No shows have become very damaging to the industry, even before the pandemic (but more so now).

[klyeoh (Peter)]

@Harters

No shows have become very damaging to the industry, even before the pandemic (but more so now).

Agreed - many restaurants have been very hard-hit financially by the lockdowns.

[fooddabbler]

@klyeoh

Agreed - many restaurants have been very hard-hit financially by the lockdowns.

I think restautrants were hit by primarily by the disease, not by various attempts at mitigation. The lockdowns were an attempt to control an out-of-hand situation, not imposed on whimsy.

[klyeoh (Peter)]

Dinner last Friday was at Kebaya restaurant at Seven Terraces, which held the 4th in its series of special Thai Sam-Rub dinners.

Sam-Rub IV was held over last weekend (Fri, 15 July to Sun, 17 July), and this instalment promised the most authentic Southern Thai cuisine, as attempted by its Le Cordon Bleu Bangkok-trained head chef, Zachary Choong.

Pre- and post-dinner entertainment was provided by traditional Thai dancers (Nora chatri), performing the Nora dance form from Southern Thailand, which has just been listed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (ICHH) list in 2021.

Our dinner spread:
𝙆𝙝𝙖𝙤 𝙮𝙖𝙢 - nasi kerabu with budu (Southern Thai fermented shrimp sauce), herbs & smoked fish.
Tiny, canape-sized portion, but big, explosive flavours from the tiny prik kee noo chilis.

𝙈𝙞𝙖𝙣𝙜 𝙠𝙝𝙖𝙢 𝙗𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙣 – wild betel leaf wraps with toasted grated coconut, dried shrimp, lime segments, ginger, chilis, shallots, peanuts, palm sugar & shrimp paste.

𝙂𝙤𝙧 𝙡𝙖𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙙 – Southern-style char-grilled duck-legs with tamarind-palm sugar glaze.

𝙃𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙤𝙠 𝙥𝙡𝙖 – crisp, de-boned mackerel stuffed with red curry prawn pate. This was the only dish repeated throughout the Sam-Rub series due to its popularity.

𝙂𝙖𝙞 𝙩𝙤𝙙 𝙃𝙖𝙩𝙮𝙖𝙞 – Hatyai-style crisp-fried chicken with Southern herbs & spices. I normally try to stay away from deep-fried foods nowadays, but this rendition of the Southern Thai fried chicken was so well done, it was one of my favourite courses for that evening.

𝙂𝙖𝙚𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙤𝙢 𝙥𝙡𝙖 – hot-and-sour turmeric-accented barramundi soup. Strictly for chili-heads! Tongue-searingly spicy fish consomme.

𝙆𝙝𝙖𝙞 𝙥𝙖𝙩 𝙥𝙖𝙠 𝙬𝙖𝙖𝙣 – stir-fried Sabah vegetable leafy greens with egg. This dish utilizes a green, leafy vegetable from Sabah, the north Bornean state in East Malaysia. It’s being used here as a substitute for the Southern Thai pak liang.

𝙆𝙝𝙪𝙖 𝙠𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙣𝙪𝙚𝙖 – spicy Southern-style dry beef curry. Yet another extra-spicy dish. Seems that Southern Thai, as a regional cuisine, surpasses Central Thai/Bangkok cuisine, in terms of chili-spiciness.

𝙉𝙖𝙢 𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙠 𝙠𝙖𝙥𝙞 – raw vegetable salad, salted duck’s egg and fried fish with chili-fermented shrimp paste dip.

𝙔𝙖𝙢 𝙬𝙤𝙤𝙣 𝙨𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙖𝙮 – seafood & glass noodles salad, with tangy-spicy dressing. One of my personal favourite Thai dishes - but not the pork-less rendition here, which lacked the richness and sweetness which minced pork normally gave the dish.

Dessert: 𝙆𝙝𝙖𝙤 𝙣𝙞𝙚𝙬 𝙢𝙖𝙢𝙪𝙖𝙣𝙜 – Thai mango with sticky rice, with rice bubbles & coconut ice-cream.

Overall, still the best Thai food in town - whenever Kebaya switches its offerings from the usual modern-Nyonya to the special Thai promotions. It’s admirable that Kebaya sticks to offering modern interpretations of Penang-Nyonya, in a nod to the home cuisine of its location. But seriously, Chef Zachary Choong is really in his element, and only shines through when he cooks Thai.

[Harters (John Hartley - a culinary patriot eating & cooking in Northwest England)]

Looks like you had great eats, Peter. And entertainment a well.

I’m a big fan of mackerel and the dish you had sounds just fab. We’re surrounded by the fish by it rarely appears on menus here.

[ZivBnd (Ziv)]

Wow! What a series of epic feasts! And the photography is outstanding as well. I was going through the dishes, thinking, this would probably be my favorite, then it was the dish a few photos down, then another, but the Hormok probably takes the laurels as the dish I want to try the most. Your description of the dish and the seeming simplicity of it sitting there on the plate is an intriguing combination.
Yum Woon Sen is one of my favorite Thai dishes and the photo of the calamari sub’ed in for the minced pork looked interesting. Maybe not as good, from your description, but interesting nonetheless.
I am not a desert person, but the mango with sticky rice and ice cream looked outstanding. My ex-GF went to Thailand with me for 3 weeks years ago and I took her to all my favorite places in Bangkok, Ko Samed, Ko Kud and Ko Chang, with one of our stays being a bungalow off of a pier over the bay itself, but for years afterwards the first thing she would tell people about her trip to Thailand was “They make the best desert in the world and it is just mangos and rice!”
Then there was the Nam Phrik Long Ruea, I looked at the photo and thought to myself, “Where would I start to eat and how?” There are certain dishes that I order and wonder if I am even eating it correctly, should I wrap the bigger bits in the “lettuce” or just munch on it as palate cleanser every couple bites? LOL!
Thank you, Peter, for this series of posts and the photos that accompany your description!

@klyeoh

Nam Phrik Long Ruea

[klyeoh (Peter)]

@ZivBnd

Then there was the Nam Phrik Long Ruea, I looked at the photo and thought to myself, “Where would I start to eat and how?” There are certain dishes that I order and wonder if I am even eating it correctly, should I wrap the bigger bits in the “lettuce” or just munch on it as palate cleanser every couple bites?

It would act as somewhat of a palate cleanser - one can just pick any of the raw vegies and dip those into the nam prik. Confession: I’m not a big fan of that particular dish, so didn’t actually touch it that evening!

[klyeoh (Peter)]

@Harters

I’m a big fan of mackerel and the dish you had sounds just fab. We’re surrounded by the fish by it rarely appears on menus here.

That dish was so good, John. I also think the “secret” of the kitchen was to serve just tiny portions of each dish in the menu degustation, so we always ended up wishing we had more.