A Trip to Chinatown for a Malaysian Meal

Welcome to Penang! What is Penang exactly? Well it is a state in Malaysia as well as the name of the island that comprises that state.  It also happens to be the name of a restaurant on 10th St. in the heart of Chinatown.

I've been to Penang two or three times previously, and always enjoyed the food.  Having gone at various times of day, I noticed that this restaurant is always busy!  There are also several tables devoted to large parties (8-10+). From observation, this can sometimes be large families or just as possibly a big groups of friends.  When you sit down, the table is set with small plates, a napkin, a teacup, and chopsticks. A pot of tea is brought for the table.  The kitchen is open sort of expo-style to the dining area.  So as we warmed our hands on some tea and flipped through the menu, my eyes were repeatedly drawn to the large flames shooting up out of woks from time to time.  The chefs moved around quickly but casually as a parade of aromatic dishes made their way from the window to the dining area.

Geographically speaking, Malaysia is in a really unique spot-- it shares land borders with Thailand, Indonesia and the small nation of Brunei and maritime borders with Singapore, Vietnam, and the Philippines.  Historically, it is just as unique.  Modern Malaysia is multi-ethnic as well as multi-cultural.  Apart from Malaysia's native inhabitants (dating back 40,000 or so years), Chinese and Indian settlers and traders reached Malaysia by about 1 AD.  The modern country then spent over a century as part of a series of powerful empires.  The Portuguese conquered Malacca (still a city on the western coast of the Malaysian peninsula) in 1511, thus setting off a period of European imperial rule that persisted through WWII.  Following the Portuguese, the Dutch and ultimately the British won control of Malaysia. Only after a 3-year Japanese occupation during WWII, serious threats of communism, and finally race riots did Malaysia finally establish its current borders in 1969.  Thus too marked the start of independent rule.

All in all, I was sitting down to a virtual patchwork of culinary influences.   I cannot say I am intimately familiar with the up- and downswings of Malaysia's history or its diverse cuisine, I immediately noticed the wide cultural influences present in the menu.  Noodles and rice (of several preparations) comprise the major carbohydrates in Malaysian and neighboring cuisines.  Items like coconut, mango, and pineapple pop up frequently too-- reminders of the nation's tropical location.  Protein items were especially telling of regional delicacies.  First, the menu was positively punctuated with seafood.  There were the usual suspects (shrimp, prawns, lobster, squid, fish), but many more foreign variations and preparations.  Shrimp paste appeared often (and is considered vegetarian), along with jelly fish, salted fish, and fish head.  Other proteins reflected better-known land animals, but many cuts were distinctly non-American.  For example, at Penang, you can order beef tripe, chicken feet, pork intestines, and Chinese sausage.

After looking through the multi-page menu, we decided to start with an appetizer.  Despite some interest from my friends in more unusual and adventurous dishes, we agreed on "Roti Telur." Pictured to the right, it's a traditional Indian pancake filled with egg and onion, served with curry chicken and potato dipping sauce.  When the dish came out, the roti was large and fluffy, and the dipping sauce was incredibly fragrant.  The dish was delicious, and it sparked our appetites for the main course.  It was also a great example of the multicultural nature of Malaysian food.

For my main dish, I chose something I had ordered before and enjoyed immensely.  Asam Laksa is a dish of “spicy and sour rice noodles served in chef's special lemon grass broth with fish flakes.”  However, the experience is really much more than that. The noodles are rather thick, but round, and well-made to hold up to the thickness and flavor of the broth. The broth itself is where 90% of the flavor lies.  It’s spicy and creamy and incredibly aromatic.  The “fish flakes” reminded me more of the imitation crabmeat that is often used in California rolls.  While it had a distinctly fishy taste, the texture was firm, gelatinous and processed.  The “fish” was sliced in approximate medallions and coated in what I judged to be alight breading of sorts.  Overall, that ingredient was weirder than I remembered.  Honestly, I mostly picked around the mystery fish and enjoyed my noodles and broth. 

All in all, it was yet another great experience at Penang.  Though I feel I should try something different next time I eat there, returning to old favorites is certainly fun.