Back to Suffolk House yesterday, just for its White Laksa. Seems like I could never get enough of it.
My lunch companion who’s quite conservative, taste-wise, chose an item in the menu closest to “what one can find back in New Zealand” - Fish ‘n’ Chips! Oh well.
Anyway, the fish ‘n’ chips was served “Penang-style”, i.e. with tartare sauce on the side, instead of vinegar as would be the case in New Zealand. 
The dessert we had was a revelation, though - it was Chef Mathijs’ signature: 𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳-𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘶𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘨 𝘱𝘢𝘷𝘦, 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘸𝘯𝘶𝘵 & 𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘯 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘹, 𝘮é𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘯𝘶𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘨 𝘧𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘵, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘶𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘨 𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘣𝘦𝘵.
Chef Mathijs gave the nutmeg the same treatment as he would a quince - he slow-cooked the fruit, thus removing its astringency and making it gentler to the palate.
He then paired nutmeg, prepared four ways: as a preserved fruit, a semi-liquid gel, a soft but firm jelly, and a sorbet, with a chocolate pavé . An absolute stunner.
The dining room was full today - Penangites, like most people anywhere, I suppose, liked to splurge on a fancier meal at the beginning of the month.
We met Chef Mathijs afterwards. He’s Dutch, but has been in Malaysia for the past 13 years - the last 6 with Suffolk House.
Chef Mathijs gave the restaurant’s offerings a more “Continental” feel, and with Asian touches here & there, whereas his predecessor, Gordon Robertson’s cooking was decidedly British.
