[Penang, Malaysia] Modern-Penang cuisine at 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗻 𝗚𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗽𝘂𝗯, Pulau Tikus

[klyeoh (Peter)]

Chin Chin Gastropub at Pulau Tikus offers trendy fusion fare at its counter to complement some of the best local Penang brews in town.

Penang-born Chef Beh Weng Chia was amazingly talented, churning out tasty fare with his relaxed style, and friendly interaction with his customers. He incorporates local Penang herbs and spices into good quality produce, both local and imported.

What we had this evening from the degustation menu:
Appetiser: Tuna and snapper in light soy-honey dressing, complemented by crunchy vegetables.

Boston lobster, squid and octopus with Thai kaffir lime-lemongrass-dressing. Perfectly-cooked flavours and textures.

Unagi (eel) with pan-seared foie gras, grilled scallops and asparagus with teriyaki sauce.

Seared Wagyu, fresh wasabi and kimchi - this was perfect. Best dish for the evening.

Lobster porridge with prawns and shimeji mushrooms. Again, perfectly-balanced flavors.

One of the best meals I’d had in a Penang restaurant this trip.

Address
Chin Chin Gastropub
25-G Lintang Burma, Pulau Tikus, 10250 George Town, Penang
Tel: +604-226 2509
Operating hours: 5pm to 1am daily.

[sck]

Peter, would you say they serve pan-Asian food with a Penang twist?

[klyeoh (Peter)]

More Japanese-influenced Pan-Asian, incorporating fresh Penang produce to supplement imported stuff like foie gras & the like. So far, the new wave of chefs in Penang are more intent on fusion-Japanese-French, as this appeals more to Penang foodies who tend to favour foreign, rather than local-influenced dishes at upmarket restaurants.

[klyeoh (Peter)]

Lunch today: back to 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗻 𝗚𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗽𝘂𝗯 after a 4-year hiatus. It was a simple lunch, but those were surprisingly very well-executed dishes:

Cold capellini, with lumpfish caviar & kelp.
This beautiful edible work of art was first introduced by former Chin Chin Chef Jack Yeap to El Faro (Jack has now moved on, and cooks at Indigo at the Blue Mansion).

The dish was conceptualized by ex-Les Amis Singapore executive chef, Gunther Hubrechsen, back in 2004 (before he branched out into his own restaurant, Gunther’s, on Purvis Street in 2007).

Jack Yeap would’ve picked up the dish during his Les Amis work stint. This dish has also been offered at the now-defunct Quickie by Chin Chin in Gurney Plaza, and now here.

Bikini sandwiches. The name comes from the Bikini Concert Hall in Barcelona, where vendors have been selling Jamon Serrano, Manchego cheese & truffle sandwiches to late-night revelers and concert-goers since 1953.

Chin Chin Gastropub’s bikini sandwiches stay through to the original, with Jamon Serrano and Manchego cheese sandwiched between wafer-thin toasts, slathered with truffle honey.

Grilled Iberico pork collar, with Romaine lettuce, smoked ham, organic corn & honey mustard dip. This is the best pork dish I’d had in ages. Will come back for this.

Chin Chin Gastropub has undergone a change of ownership since my last visit. But everything seemed virtually unchanged, which is a good thing, IMO.

Chin Chin’s location on Lintang Burma, the quiet street of retail & commercial outlets in a residential part of Pulau Tikus, is beginning to look busier nowadays.

[klyeoh (Peter)]

Back to Chin Chin Gastropub to try out its autumn black truffles menu this afternoon.

1. "𝗣𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄"- blue swimmer crab, Yukon potato & black truffle, in a puri shell - pleasantly surprised by this starter, which reminded me of the Indian golgappa or pani puri sans the liquid component. Instead, swimmer crab meat formed the main body of the luscious filling. Delish.
   
   

2. House-made, truffle-infused 𝗳𝗲𝘁𝘁𝘂𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲, with Parmigiano-Reggiano & black truffle shavings - this was a simple dish, executed pretty well here. I loved the al dente texture, but yearned for more Parmigiano-Reggiano. The heady fragrance of the black truffles lifted the dish, but it lacked a rich egginess that I expected.
   
   

3. 𝗝𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝗴𝘆𝘂 𝗿𝗶𝗯-𝗲𝘆𝗲, with beef gravy, smoky mustard & black truffles - this was the piece de resistance. For wagyu, the meat was surprisingly chewier than I’d have liked.
   I really love Japanese wagyu, ever since I first tasted it back in 1993 - not in Japan, actually, but at Hong Kong’s Matsuzaka restaurant. I’d always subconsciously rate the wagyu I get at each restaurant subsequently. Chin Chin’s rendition, whilst aromatic, would probably only rate in the lower half of my list.
   I blame the quality of the meat, rather than the cooking - I didn’t ask where the wagyu was sourced from.
   
   

4. Dessert: Coconut 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗮, with whisky mousse, fresh coconut strips and dehydrated pineapple crisps - a refreshing end which salvaged the meal somewhat, after the “average” wagyu experience.
   
   

Head chef, Sue Lim, who’d joined Chin Chin Gastropub in 2018 from MacAlister Mansion. She worked under the tutelage of previous head chefs, Jack Yeap and Beh Weng Chia. Young but talented - she can only get better with experience.

[naf]

@klyeoh

“𝗣𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄”- blue swimmer crab, Yukon potato & black truffle, in a puri shell

Intriguing, crab and truffle. Was the crab cooked with Indian spices?

[klyeoh (Peter)]

@naf

Was the crab cooked with Indian spices?

No, the only Indian adaptation was the use of the crisp puri pastry shells.
The crabmeat was very lightly-dressed in vinaigrette.