[NON-HALAL]
When it comes to Penang, foodies tend to make a beeline for the hawker stalls, and for good reason: the island is arguably the best place in Malaysia to have your fill of simple but delicious street food.
For a more indulgent and luxurious meal, however, there are many terrific upscale restaurants in the state for you to try. One such establishment is Maple Palace Chinese Restaurant, also often referred to by the name of the building it is housed in, Maple Gold.
Maple Palace has been around for at least the past decade, run by chef Loy Tan, who provided the writer and his guests with a special tasting menu to showcase some of his new offerings – an exercise done every couple of years to keep the fare fresh.
First off was the seafood ice plant salad with Iberico char view. Spanish pork was used to create the traditional barbecued meat Malaysians are so familiar with, providing a distinct and subtle nuttiness to the already delicious starter.
The cut was perfect with just the right amount of fat, and contrasted perfectly with the salad, which gave it an additional layer of sophistication.
Next up was pan-seared foie gras with breaded crab claw – the best way to enjoy the shelled seafood without getting your hands dirty. With that piece of duck liver, it was an umami overload in the best possible way.
Then came the Iberico pork rib with 8 head South African abalone. For those unfamiliar with how these molluscs are measured, size is determined by the formula “600g divided by x”, where x is the weight. Hence, 8 head abalone means 600g/8, which equals 133g.
This dish was a showcase of east meets west, with the perfectly marinated and baked pork ribs prepared with the seafood using the most traditional Chinese method imaginable. Somehow, it all worked out tremendously well.
The fourth item on the menu was the oven-baked cod with egg white and black truffle. Cod is always great when cooked just right, and with the additional flavour of the luxurious black fungus and egg white, the flavour of the fish was elevated to another level. Delicious!
The writer’s favourite was the ramen with French blue lobster and ginger scallion, a dish as simple as it was exquisite. The noodles were like angel hair pasta but less chewy, rich with the juices from the lobster and ginger. It might have been heavy on the carbs, but it was well worth it!
For dessert, there was chilled mango sago with pomelo, and black glutinous rice with deep-fried sesame ball. The sweetness levels were on point, and both were cold treats that provided a refreshing ending to a meal that certainly did not disappoint.
All in all, you are bound to come away impressed with chef Loy’s creations at Maple Palace. This is the place to be for fine, upscale Chinese dishes with a touch of what the other side of the world has to offer.
Maple Palace Chinese Restaurant (non-halal)
47, Jln Sultan Ahmad Shah,
George Town, Penang
Read the original article here. Trying to influence your cravings since 2005, Kar Yeong was Guest Judge on Versus 1001 Rasa Baba’s 2018, R.AGE Food Fight Judge 2015 and NTV7 Foodie Blogger 2014. To read more about Kar Yeong’s food journeys, visit his blog at KYspeaks.com.