Penang Kitchen

Nicely tucked away at the corner of Coronation Arcade is a cosy eatery that is virtually an institution here. Mdm Stella, who has been helming the place for the past 16 years, hails from Ipoh, Perak. Driven by the desire to bring heritage Malaysian food to serve local palates, she eventually settled on serving authentic Penang cuisine which is widely-popular in Singapore.

All the chefs in her kitchen hail from Malaysia and had to go through a rigorous mentorship process and on-the-job training by an original Penang chef to ensure continuity and quality-control so that the food is as authentic as possible.

Imported ingredients from Malaysia

Stacked neatly on a display cabinet are ingredients and cooking necessities like belachan, bak kut teh spices, prawn paste & nutmegs. I even spot Haus Boom - a brand of halal carbonated juice native to Malaysia. These are directly imported from across the causeway on a regular basis which you can buy off the shelves.

I had the pleasure of meeting Mdm Stella and her daughter, Ms Shan Mei, both of whom were humble and warm hosts. Throughout the evening, I spot a steady stream of regulars visiting the outlet, some of whom have started eating here since their school days - a testament to the eatery’s lasting popularity.

Rojak ($9)

But on to the food. I began with a plate of their Penang Rojak, which was a spectacular fruit mix of buah long long, red apples, mango, cucumber, pineapple, starfruit and turnip. Yet what really stood out was the crunchy fritters that were scattered and mixed in with the fragrant prawn paste. They tasted similar to the you tiao we are typically used to, but in the form of crumbs. And despite much probing from me, Mdm Stella kept the recipe close to her heart. That's fine though - so long as she continues churning these out, I will keep coming back for more.

Homemade Turnip Cake ($6.80)

Another specialty they have here is their turnip cakes, made in-house from scratch using a good mix of flour and generous strips of turnip before they are lightly pan-fried. Soft and moist, the turnip cakes come paired with a savoury chilli sauce.

Kueh Pie Tee ($6.50)

Another popular, must-eat Penang delight that is a must-order is the Kueh Pie Tee. The turnip filling was naturally sweet & flavorfully juicy, topped off with a section of prawn meat. Notice how the cup mould is atypically higher and deeper, allowing more ingredients to be packed within the inner volume for a more wholesome munching experience!

Appetiser Sampler ($15)

I rounded off my appetisers with a platter of belachan chicken wings and homemade loh bak. It is my first time having belachan chicken wings as compared to the prawn paste chicken wings everyone is more accustomed to. The belachan flavour was distinct and deeply-infused into the meat, though I felt it could have been juicier. What impressed me more was the loh bak, which was packed firmly with meat and hardly an ounce of fat, with subtle hints of five-spice powder; flavourfully done, beautifully deep-fried and authentically Penang! 

Char Kway Teow ($10)

I was granted the opportunity to enter the kitchen to check out the chef’s amazing wok skills for this dish. Witnessing the frying and tossing at high heat just whet up my appetite. It was superb for me, with all the elements of good char kway teow: good quality kway teow, crunchy bean sprouts, fresh prawns, presence of chives... spicy and savoury, with good wok hei. Easily the highlight of the night for me.

Curry Kapitan ($10)

Mdm Stella mentions that Curry Kapitan is seldom served locally. It is less heavy compared to the curry we are so used to, as it contains considerably lesser coconut milk. Instead, you can detect the distinct flavours of galangal, lemongrass & kaffir lime leaves. The chicken pieces were tender, and the gravy went superbly well with white rice.

Assam Laksa ($10)

This is supposedly one of Penang Kitchen’s best-sellers. The intense broth of kembong fish (Indian Mackerel) and assam had a good intensity and was perfectly paired with a series of condiments: ginger flowers, cucumber strips, prawn paste gravy, peppermint leaves and chinese lettuce. A beautiful dish that was soothing to the eyes as well.

Prawn Noodle Soup ($10)

Check out that beautiful, orange sheen of prawn oil at the surface. The broth had an intense, prawny flavour and the splash of chilli to the soup elevated the flavour further. Just a tad too salty on the night, though. Bonus points for the crunchy bean sprouts which gave the bee hoon-mee added texture.

Seafood Mee Sua Kor ($11.80)

Again, not many local eateries, if any, serve this Penang delicacy. The flavourful broth is thickened with starch and egg to a gooey texture (not unlike a pseudo shark’s fin soup), before it is slathered over the silky mee sua. An optional dash of black vinegar yanks up the flavour of this bowl of goodness.

Nasi Goreng Kampung Penang with Egg ($11.90)

This was a slightly spicy version of nasi goreng delightfully fried with their own version of sambal. We liked the pairing of the spicy rice with the tangy and refreshing achar, crispy anchovies, and the sunny side up with a perfectly runny centre.

Penang Kitchen has to be one of the better eateries that serve quality Penang fare. They have another 24-seater outlet at Far East Plaza #03-89 if you happen to be nearer town.

Penang Kitchen

Coronation Arcade (5 Coronation Road #01-05)

Opening Hours:  10.30am to 9pm
Break Time: 3pm to 4pm
Closed every Monday

Date of Last Visit: 27th April 2022