Penang Culture

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Original review at http://www.nahmj.com/2016/06/03/penang-culture-changi-airport-terminal-2/Penang Culture is one of the few restaurants in Singapore offering Penang food. And good news for our Muslim foodie, Penang Culture is a Halal restaurant. We didn’t notice until we saw quite a few groups of Malay gathering for a meal at the restaurant. Currently, there are 3 outlets located at JEMS, Century Square Shopping Mall and Changi Airport Terminal 2. Why aren’t they having an outlet in town?! That’s really a pity.The kitchen is helmed by Chef Wong Thin Lipp, a Penangite who has 20 years of culinary experience in Penang. So diners of Penang Culture could be pretty assured that the food are authentic.To mark their 5th year anniversary (Wow! 5 years! They have come a long way!), Penang Culture celebrates by introducing a few delicious twists.All its outlet has semi-service except at the Changi Airport Terminal 2 that has full service. Nonetheless, it is still a casual dinning environment. Our feasting was at Changi Airport Terminal 2 outlet. We find the staff attentive, friendly and warm.We started off with Penang Culture signaguture dish, the  ($5.95). The characteristics of this dish is the vegetables and fruits are more chunky, the You Tiao is extra crispy and the sauce is thicker and richer comparing to our local Rojak. I like the sauce but would prefer the vegetables and fruits to be thinner so that I could enjoy more of the sauce. Most diners at the table find the dish mediocre. I suppose preference play a large role here.The first new creation introduced on the menu in celebration of their 5th Anniversary is the Penang Fire Wings ($6.55). This creation is rested on the belachan (prawn paste) coated chicken wings. It is then tossed in a sweet plum and Thai chilli sauce. The result of the wings tasted like Yangnyeom flavoured Korean Fried Chicken Wings. And beware for those who has low spice tolerate; it is quite spicyPenang Curry Fish Balls ($4.95) is one of the must have if you like curry fish balls. Even for people who don’t fancy the dish, like myself, enjoyed this dish tremendously. The deep fried fishball that has a slight chewy and yet soft fish balls were immersed in the rich fragrance curry sauce to soaked up the essence of the gravy.Coming up is another dish which I will avoid as I am not a fan of cooked salmon and I did enjoy the BBQ Salmon ($11.95). First, the salmon doesn’t have a strong pungent fishy flavour as the restaurant uses high grade Norwegian salmon. Secondly, with the Chef’s sweet spicy paste make a huge different. The chilli paste which consist of an array of spice and herb does elevate the dinning pleasure.One of the classic Penang food is the Assam Laksa which diners will never want to miss. Base on this classic dish, Penang Culture has added luxurious factor with addition of Norwegian Salmon pieces to the bowl of delight and this creation is known as Salmon Assam Laksa ($11.95). The Assam Laksa at Penang Culture is more rounded and balance as such expect a less sour but yet rich and flavourful soup. The soup is boiled using Sardine, Kembong (mackerel), lots of spice and herbs, hae kor (fermented shrimp paste) and with the key ingredients, the assam (tamarind). Since it is less sour, diners who have low sour tolerance will rejoice while diners who enjoyed the typical Assam Laksa would frown upon. Maybe Penang Culture could come up with 2 version for diners to choose.Most who visited Penang would be familiar with Penang Hokkien Mee (a soup based prawn mee similar to Singapore version). Penang Culture has added Lobster and Scallops in this dish to provide the Premium Lobster & Scallop Noodles ($16.95).Premium Crab Meat & Salted Egg Fried Kway Teow ($15.95) is adapted from the Penang Fried Kway Teow. With Salted Egg added into the it hence it result in a more salty taste profile. So for those who prefer less salty could opt for the original Penang Fried Kway Teow ($8.95) instead.To round up the meal with a sweet note, dessert is never to be missed. We have 2 desserts; Cendol and Bubur Hitam.For Cendol, diners could opt for the original or with durian, Penang Chenol ($4.55) or King of Cendol ($6.95) respectively.The restaurant has provided 3 version of Bubur Hitam. First is the original version, with coconut cream, named simply as Bubur Hitam ($3.95). Next is the Bubur Hitam with Vanilla Ice Cream ($4.95) and lastly is with durian pulp for the durian lovers, the King of Bubur Hitam ($6.95).One of the highly recommended drink is the Ampla Juice ($4.95). There is also an ice blended version, Ampla Ice Blended ($8.95). It has a complex flavour. I could savour green apple, guava and starfruits. I would encourage all to give it a try if you aren’t familar with this tropical fruit.Other recommendation include the Cempedek Milkshakes ($6.95), Coconut Milkshakes ($6.95) and Durian Milkshakes ($6.95).We thought well of the food served at Penang Culture. I am glad that they are at the airport as I have one more option to dine at when I am travelling since I have a habit of dinning a the airport prior departure of upon arrival.More reviews at http://www.nahmj.com/ continue reading

My darling wife had gone to this makan place with her friends during the recent Ramadhan. I hadn't heard much about Penang Culture before that. Many months later, we finally got the chance to visit and tuck in to some Penang-style cuisine.The first thing that surprised us after browsing through the menu was that they offered not only Penang favourites but even some other dishes that you might enjoy as well.First thing on our list was the Penang Hokkien Prawn Noodles.We did some research on foods that everyone should try in Penang and this was definitely on those lists!When someone says Hokkien Mee in Singapore, the first thing that comes to mind is the Fried Hokkien Mee aka Rochor Mee which is the half-beehoon-half-yellow noodles dish with loads of prawns fried up in prawn stock. But when someone mentions Penang Hokkien Mee, we are talking a nice big bowl of soupy goodness.The first thing we tried was the stock which was full of flavour!We were told that the stock was made with prawns and chicken which is what gives it such a rich and flavourful oomph and I could not help but keep gulping it down.You will also get bee hoon and yellow noodles so you can decide which you prefer.But it's topped off with fish cake, chicken, boiled egg and 2 big prawns for you to enjoy!Here's a tip - mix in the spoonful of chilli sambal to give your dish an even more spicy kick!Here's another Penang must-try!We've had Assam Laksa before but this was a whole different story.The spicy-sour fish broth was really the bomb. I thought I had found treasure with the Hokkien Prawn Noodles broth but for those of you going for a more tangy flavour - this is for you!And the best thing is that it was not overly sour that you get tired of the taste after a few spoonfuls.This was a very flavourful broth and boy was I hooked!And here's a special touch that I never expected.You see that spoon with the black liquid? It's Petis Udang (Fermented Prawn Paste)!!Totally unexpected and added such a big difference to the dish!If the broth was not enough to convince you that this was authentic Penang fare, check out the noodles.These are not the regular thin Laksa noodles you'd normally get. These are thicker (very similar to Laksa Cap) and give you a great bite.Pile on some noodles, sardines and yummy broth and take a big delicious SLURP!!Here's the dish that so many people were telling us to try should we visit Penang Culture.One of the dishes that comes to mind when someone says Penang is undoubtedly Penang Char Koay Teow.Don't be confused with the Singapore version which has loads of sweet sauce in it.None of that here but definitely lots of chilli! Don't worry it's not going to burn your mouth off but if you're the type that likes your kway teow to have the full flavour of noodles and spiciness of chilli, this is for you!Finish it off with some greens, beansprouts, eggs and of course - cockles!A Penang hawker favourite available right here!If you're looking for something to share, consider this a good choice of BBQ goodies so you can sample a number of things at once. It's also good for you to whet your appetite while waiting for your main course!You get a nice mix of BBQ prawns, Satay and BBQ squid.In fact, it's even enough to share between 3-4 people!The prawns were great and I love it when they make it easy to eat. No messy peeling!And the sambal was good too! Similar to the BBQ seafood type of sambal you get and this one was a little sweet but definitely spicy!And I didn't get a chance to snap a picture of the squid but it was tender and not at all rubbery!For all you Satay lovers, you'll probably enjoy the Satay here. The meat was tender and the satay sauce was good. Plenty of cucumber and onions for you to chomp down on but you might wanna ask for more sauce.And I know you'll probably say that if wanna east Satay then might as well go somewhere that specializes in Satay but if you're at Penang Culture, the Satay is still something you might want to try if you're there.They've actually got quite a selection of drinks at Penang Culture for to wash down all the yummy makan.One of the more unique ones (and one I've never tried before today) was the Ampla Juice.The Ampla fruit is also known by another name, Buah Long-Long, and is apparently a very healthy choice.It has a distinct veggie taste but also have a very nice tang to it. Definitely gets the appetite going and is refreshing enough to cool your mouth down with all the spicy food.They also have Pink Guava, Rambutan Juice and even Nutmeg Juice!!JENG JENG JENG!!!The King Of Cendol is the perfect dessert for you Durian Lovers.Cendol, sweet red beans and coconut milk topped off with shaved iced, gula melaka and fresh durian!!The cendol was soft and the red beans were nice and sweet. And the fresh durian was definitely the highlight!Definitely a nice and sweet end to a very very satisfying Penang-style meal!They also have other sweet treats for you including Ice Kachang and Bubor Hitam!And for those of you who do not fancy durian, don't worry! All the desserts have a version which does not have durian so you have a choice too!!What we had tonight was just the tip of the iceberg apparently.So many more dishes to try including Penang Belacan Fried Rice, Penang Hokkien Crab Noodles and even Assam Curry Fish Head!!This is a great place for a quiet meal for 2 or even for a family feast.They even have special Kids' Meals!And in case I haven't mentioned, the head chef in-charge of all the dishes used to be a hawker/chef from Gurney Drive in Penang so he must definitely know what he's doing right! I've never been to Penang but I think I've got a great idea on how delicious the food is!For the full review and more mouth-watering pics, visit my blog!http://thehalalfoodblog.blogspot.sg continue reading

This was the place where I had my first taste of "local" fare after being away from Singapore for 2 weeks.I ordered the Penang Char Kway Teow, Assam Laksa, Kangkong and Cuttlefish, Beancurd with sweet sauce, Lor Bak with beancurd, and CHENDOL Of these dishes, the Char Kway Teow and Candol stood out the most. They satisfied all the local cravings that I had. The Kway Teow had sufficient wokhei, and had a generous serving of "hams". The Chendol is a "to-die-for". BEST best best best best dessert ever. It is not too sweet, and yet full of flavour. Best. continue reading

I love how Asian delights, such as Penang culture, is located in Changi Airport so that Singaporeans who miss the local food get to have their 'last meal' before they go on board.There is no hint of any traditional ambience in the restaurant, rather, I was quite pleased with the simple infusion of modernity as they didn't 'try too hard' in making the place so much like a Penang hawker food stall but concentrated in making good food.I was disappointed by the portion we were served though.In the menu, all photos of the food look like they were servings for giants but my heart sank when we were greeted with our erm, appetiser. My family simply took 2 pcs each and the plate was gone. This yam roll was quite expensive though, about $4.50.My dad ordered a plate of black pepper beef, and it costs additional $1 to add rice. The beef is a must-try, its extremely fresh and not fatty. Succulent, as well.This is none other than the traditional prawn mee... only $6.20. Extremely flavourful and cause your tastebuds to come alive! It's not so spicy though.Rated 2 chilli padis on the menu, the Penang Hokkein Prawn Noodle ($6.20) is one of the chef's recommendations. I'd highly recommend it as well because it honestly tasted like I was in Penang eating their noodles. very delicious and they were meticulous in ensuring their meat and egg portion was just right.So this is their only attempt to make us feel like we're in some penang store... using the traditional cup for our milk tea and yuan yang. the drinks cost about $2.50 each! continue reading