The ultra-exclusive ๐ฆ๐ผ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ ๐ฃ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฎ๐ป๐ด, the third for the brand after Bali and New York, opens its doors at the Khoo Kongsi Clanhouse yesterday, Jan 15 2026.
Designed by renowned Penang-born Singaporean architect, Chan Soo Khian (Founder of SCDA Architects), the luxury boutique hotel marked a return to his childhood home - his mother was a Khoo, and he had stayed in one of the residental shophouses there till the age of 4.
Dinner was a bespoke private dinner at the Lounge & Wine Bar, prepared by ๐ฆ๐ผ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ ๐ฃ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฎ๐ป๐ดโs new Executive Chef, Mathijs Nanne, whoโd previously helmed the kitchens of Suffolk House for over a decade.
Scrumptious meal, consisting of:
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Toasted Focaccia, with Tomato and Nutmeg Relish, Spiced Hummus and Local Herbed Feta.
Very tasty trio of dips - the nutmeg one, a nod to Penangโs heritage - the British East India Company smuggled nutmeg saplings out of Dutch-ruled Banda in the Moluccas) and planted them in Penang in 1794. It broke the Dutchโs global monopoly on the nutmeg and mace trade. The tomato-nutmeg relish was unique and absolutely addictive.
Both the hummus and herbed feta were perfectly executed. A good start.
Grilled Watermelon, Smoked Duck Relish, Turmeric Leaf. - brilliant idea: pairing juicy sweet watermelon batons with savory, smoky-aromatic duck-meat. The finely-julienned fresh turmeric leaves gave a subtle herbal fragrance to the whole dish.
Tuna and Curried Chickpea Salad, Crushed Peas, Nori. - absolutely love tuna sashimi, in this case, prime, fresh cubes of crimson-red tuna loin, laid on a bed of lightly-spiced chickpeas and topped with fresh salad leaves. A medley of interplaying flavors and textures - which we are beginning to realise is Chef Mathijsโ forte: blending European and Asian/Oriental ingredients to achieve something more than the sum of its parts.
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Baked Garoupa with Momotaro, Tahini and Coriander. - this was an omakase/Chefโs Choice meal, and Chef Mathijs used the freshest fish he obtained from the markets this morning - smothering the bounch-fresh fish-meat with an intensely-sweet-flavored Japanese Momotaro tomato concasse, with the tahini and coriander providing some variation in taste. Overall, a total umami overload!
Confit Duck Leg, Pickled Red Cabbage, Citrus and Five Spice Sauce. - Chef Mathijs said he prepared these a couple of days in advance - for the flavors to seep into the duck-legs. We can understand the lengths he went through for this dish - they were finger-lickinโ good. The pickled red cabbage provided the sharp tang necessary to cut through the richness of the utterly delicious, golden-roasted duck-legs which were glistening with duck-fat.
Roasted Sweet Potato, Green Chili and Lime Relish. - I like sweet potatoes, but these ones werenโt exactly sweet enough for me. I think โproperโ roasted sweet potato needed to be patiently done over a long period and over low heat. Chef Mathijs is still in the process of recruiting a sous chef and a commis chef, so may not have the luxury of achieving everything perfectly with his one-man-show at the moment.
Spice Roasted Root Vegetables, Malaysian Gremolata. - very good textural-wise, but could do with a bit more seasoning.
Caramelized Date and Onion Relish. - my fave dish at dinner this evening. I mustโve polished off 80% of this bowl, meant for sharing by 3 people.
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Aged Cheddar, Dried and Fresh Fruits, Papaya and Nutmeg Jam, Toasted Sourdough. - no pastry chef in the kitchens as yet, but we were so full, we appreciated the cheese & fruits platter at the end.
Worth noting that to dine here, one needs to be a staying guest at Soori Penang. This was a special bespoke private dinner arranged by the Executive Chef Mathijs to offer us a glimpse into what he plans to offer the hotel guests. Weโve been frequent guests of Chef Mathijs during his one-decade tenure at Suffolk House, and weโre glad to see him given a freer rein to conceptualise the menu here.
Absolutely smashing dinner, which we thought was the most enjoyable meal weโd had so far - certainly a good start to 2026.
Address
Soori Penang
48, Lebuh Acheh (Acheen Street), 10300 George Town, Penang, Malaysia
Tel: +604-684 1111
