Travel by Gastronomy

I can hardly think of better ways to whisk yourself off to another country, without stepping foot on an airplane and denting your wallet in the process, than by immersing yourself in its culture through samplings of its local cuisine. I have yet to experience Malaysia; this is perhaps the reason why I was especially eager to try out the Malaysian dishes at Penang Hill, one of the few restaurants in the metro that serve Southeast Asian food. 

The minimalist facade of Penang Hill at The Promenade, Greenhills, San Juan. Photo by Jorica Pamintuan

The first thing one would most likely notice is the name of the restaurant. After all, to the Westernized Filipino ear, it sounds decidedly foreign—exotic, even. Penang Hill, or Bukit Bendara for the locals, is a hill station in George Town, Penang, Malaysia. Like most hill stations, it is a renowned tourist spot characterized by cool weather, an interesting array of flora and fauna, and several parks and resorts packed with activities for those who seek adventure. Hill stations are considered remnants of the Age of Imperialism, because they were developed by the colonial rulers as places to which they can escape when the heat from the lowlands gets too unbearable for them. (Sounds familiar? The Philippines also has its own famous hill station: Baguio City, the Summer Capital.) Now, they connote something more pleasant: a haven to all who are looking for a much-needed respite, foreigners and locals alike.

Most Filipinos find Asian cuisine more foreign and exotic than those from the more distant nations of America, Mexico, and Italy. Yet, the Malaysian dishes offered at Penang Hill demonstrate how closely-knit our cultures innately are. Their food selection embodies the same thrill and comfort its namesake gives to the adventurous and the weary.

India is one of the greatest influences in Malaysian culture, and it manifested itself centuries later in Malaysian cuisine. Roti canai, one of the appetizers on Penang Hill’s menu, is a dish of Indian origin that is one of Malaysia’s more versatile staple foods. Roughly translated, roti canai means “pulled bread”—so named because the elastic dough used to make it is stretched and pulled before it is grilled. The Malaysian’s sense of culinary novelty has paired it with every kind of complementary dip imaginable: eggs, cheese, chutney, bananas, onions, even Milo powder. In Penang Hill, however, it is served with the standard—though regrettably small—helping of curry sauce on the side.

The perfect roti canai, according to food enthusiasts and the locals of Malaysia, should be lightly toasted, flaky and crunchy on the outside, yet soft, chewy, and buttery on the inside. Penang Hill did not disappoint in this aspect. It was served steaming hot—almost too hot to handle with bare hands. Still, eating it sans knife and fork is quite a sensory experience. Paper-thin flakes of the roti canai delicately fall on the plate as the bread is teared into bite-sized pieces. One does not need to use much force in tearing the bread, since the inside is soft and firm. Unlike other breads, it does not crumble. Its slightly sweet, buttery taste is indeed the perfect canvas for a wide gamut of tastes. There was, however, nothing exceptional about the curry sauce. It did have enough flavor to render a slight kick to the taste buds; other than that, it was relatively unremarkable. Perhaps just as well—nothing should steal the limelight away from the roti canai.

Most Asian cultures have a knack for mixing different types of food in one dish to create unique culinary experiences from an otherwise ordinary fare. One fitting example is tapsilog, the well-loved Filipino breakfast meal consisting of marinated beef strips, fried eggs, and a hefty serving of garlic rice. Interestingly enough, Malaysia has its own version of the tapsilog called nasi lemak.

Nasi lemak, or "rice in cream": an assortment of familiar flavors fused together to create a truly unique Malaysian dish. Photo by Apo Española

Touted as the unofficial national food of Malaysia, nasi lemak (or “rice in cream”) is a very popular dish usually served at breakfast, but a true foodie would have no qualms eating it at any time of the day. Garlic rice cooked in coconut cream, cucumber slices, dried anchovies, peanuts, hard-boiled egg, and a sweet-spicy sauce called sambal present a harmony of tastes, and a serving of either chicken, cuttlefish, beef, pickled vegetables, or kangkong completes the meal. Traditionally, nasi lemak is cooked and served in banana leaves.

Penang Hill’s version of the nasi lemak is served with chicken curry and kangkong, and the sambal is incorporated into the kangkong and the dried anchovies. Who would have thought that the crunch of richly-flavored roasted peanuts would go well with the sticky sweetness of garlic coconut rice? Or the slight spiciness of the sambal with the distinctly piquant taste of curry? The smoothness of hard-boiled egg, the freshness of kangkong, the saltiness of dried anchovies—a motley set, but nasi lemak makes one believe they were created for each other. No single ingredient overpowered another. The charm of this dish lies in the quiet yet potent harmony of seemingly clashing tastes and textures.

Satisfied smiles all around! Prof. Rara's J195 class, fresh from a gourmand's dream tour of Malaysia. Photos by Jorica Pamintuan

Penang Hill restaurant, the ticket to my first gastronomical sojourn to Malaysia, left in me an impression of a culture as robust as the flavors infused in its dishes, a land as abundant as the Cornucopian selection of ingredients in its cuisine, and a people as diverse as the textures in its self-proclaimed national dish. For novices of Southeast Asian culture, it offers a fascinating glimpse into a world that is worth exploring.

Penang Hill is located at The Podium, 18 ADB Ave., Ortigas Center, Pasig City; The Ledge, Level 6, Shangri-La Plaza Mall, Mandaluyong City; and Unit 3 L/G, Promenade Mall, Greenhills Shopping Center, San Juan. Contact the Shangri-La branch at (02) 910-2530, and the Promenade branch at (02) 725-3727.