Sky22 Penang Street Fare – Indulge in the Luxury of Penang’s Finest Delicacies!

Ask yourself, what’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word “Penang”? I bet it was FOOD! The streets of Penang are renowned for iconic dishes from Malay, Chinese and Indian cultures.

So what are you waiting for? Gather your friends, because Courtyard by Marriott Singapore Novena will be bringing the best street food that Penang has to offer to you. Specially curated by Penang native and Executive Chef John Chye, this savoury and scrumptious weekend buffet will be available every Friday evening to Sunday afternoon from 12th July to 8th September of 2019!

Miss Tam Chiak readers enjoy 30% off! Simply quote “Miss Tam Chiak” while making a reservation.

The highlight of the Penang Street Fare buffet is the DIY Nasi Lemak Station. Instead of using conventional ingredients such as Chicken Wings or Otah, Courtyard by Marriott Singapore Novena will be introducing an elevated and more lavish version of Nasi Lemak.

Delectable mains, to be accompanied with fragrant coconut rice, include Lobster Sambal and Anchovies, Beef Brisket, Lemongrass and Turmeric Chicken, Curry Mud Crab, Otak-Otak, and Spicy Prawns with Pineapples and Achar.

While at the Penang Street Fare’s Grand Premiere, I had the privilege of feasting on their delectable Lobster, which was fleshy and fresh. Garnished with a flavourful Sambal chilli sauce, the exquisite crustacean, together with traditional spices and herbs from Penang, tasted amazing.

The Beef Brisket Rendang was tender and succulent such that I could feel the individual layers of meat falling apart in my mouth! It was very appetising. The Lemongrass & Turmeric Chicken had charred bits that were extra crispy! With all these savoury delights at the table, the buffet’s cucumbers tasted extra refreshing, serving as excellent palate cleansers.

If you’re keen on trying something that deviates from the conventional chilli or black pepper crabs, go for the Curry Mud Crab which exudes a wonderfully pleasant aroma. This is a result of a combination of both sweet and savoury spices, which give the curry infused crab an intense and earthy fragrance.

The Penang Street Fare also offers a vast array of delights such as Penang Char Kway Teow, Penang Seafood Carrot Cake, Hokkien Prawn Noodle Soup, Lor Bak (5-spice pork roll wrapped in beancurd skin), Braised Pork Belly, and Chef John’s signature Penang Laksa.

One of my favourites was the Hokkien Prawn Noodle Soup. The aroma from the huge prawns drew me in the moment the dish was placed on the table. I knew instantly that it was cooked with the freshest ingredients! You can also take charge of the ingredients and customise your own bowl of Hokkien Prawn Noodles.

The bowl I ordered consisted of an interesting mix of thick yellow noodles and thin white bee hoon. The meat from the giant slab of pork rib was astonishingly tender. It was cooked to perfection as the entire piece of meat just fell off the bone when I attempted to peel it off! I also really liked the thick fishcakes which were super satisfying to chew on.

The other dish that caught my attention was the Penang Laksa. What really appealed to me about it was the robust and refreshing tangy broth. The broth was incredibly flavourful and addictive!

I also loved the traditional version of Penang’s Oyster Omelette. Starch is mixed into the batter while the omelette is being whipped up. This gives the eggs a thick and soft consistency which goes well with the large, juicy oysters!

Some people may be inclined to skip the oysters while eating this dish, but the oysters used were fresh and bouncy. Worth a try for sure!

If you’re a fan of curry, brace yourself! Looking forward to the palate-pleasing Nasi Kandar, a popular staple recipe originating from Penang. Steamed rice of your choice (Biryani Rice, Turmeric Rice, Tomato Rice) served with a variety of different curries – Ayam Masak Lemak (Chicken Curry), Fish Curry, and Prawn Curry.

The tantalising buffet also features a Lok-Lok station. Penangites call these ingredients on skewers Lok-Lok, which literally translates to “dip dip”, referring to skewered food being dipped in a pot of boiling water. I got especially excited when I laid my eyes on the variety of Lok-Lok skewers!

The lok-lok station features fish balls, meatballs, cuttlefish, fish cake, assorted sausages, clams, sea snails, vegetables, bean curd, and century eggs. There are three sauces (sweet sauce, hoisin sauce, and chilli dip) which you may dip your skewers into for additional flavour.

I tried each skewer individually before dipping them into the respective sauces. Of all the skewers, I loved the Fish Ball the most because they were super soft and exceptionally huge! Be sure to be on the lookout for the Lok-Lok station.

The Penang Rojak Station is another aspect of the Penang Street Fare that I found intriguing. The Rojak served here differs from the conventional Indian or Chinese Rojak you usually find at Singapore Hawker Centres.

This Penang style Rojak has a range of ingredients you may choose to either add or omit to create your perfect plate of Rojak. Ingredients provided include cuttlefish, fresh cucumbers, jambu (wax apple), green apples, pineapples, chinese crullers and a spicy prawn paste. The station also provides Tau Pok instead of You Tiao, which I felt was equally or even crispier.

Another dish I found fascinating was the Ju Hoo Char (Braised Cuttlefish with Sweet Radish! It is a popular Peranakan side dish served during festivals such as Chinese New Year, consisting of thin shreds of stir-fried radishes, mushroom, and cuttlefish.

Ju Hoo Char is usually wrapped with fresh lettuce leaves and consumed with Tee Cheo (sweet sauce) and/ or chilli sauce. It goes great with rice too! Do you know what this dish reminded me of? Popiah! It tastes surprisingly familiar to the popular local spring roll I’ve had since young except that the conventional Popiah’s nuttiness is being replaced by the slightly crunchy and crispy shreds of cuttlefish in the Ju Hoo Char.

If you’re looking to satisfy your sweet tooth, end your gastronomic adventure by indulging in a spread of traditional sweet treats! For desserts, there’s crispy Apom Manis (Sweet Indian Crepes), freshly fried Pisang Goreng (Banana Fritters), Bubur Cha-Cha, Tau Suan, Apom Balik (Chinese Peanut Pancake), and more.

My personal favourite would be the Michael Jackson in a shot glass. It consists of Soya Bean, Grass Jelly, and Longan. A small serving of nostalgia.

There will also be free-flow of traditional drinks such as Teh Tarik (Pulled Milk Tea), Syrup Bandung (Rose Syrup with Milk), Lemongrass, Grass Jelly, Milo Dinosaur, and Teh Peng.

I always knew that the streets of Penang were famous for their Peranakan dishes but I had never been so readily exposed to such a massive variety, even in a buffet setting! Save the hassle of travelling to Penang because Courtyard by Marriott Singapore Novena will be bringing the best of Penang to you!

Pricing:
$56++ per adult, $28++ per child aged 6 to 12 years
Inclusive of coffee and tea. Child aged 5 and below dines for free.
Add $38++ per person for free-flow prosecco, house pour red & white wines and beer!

Miss Tam Chiak readers enjoy 30% off! Simply quote “Miss Tam Chiak” while making a reservation.

This post was brought to you by Courtyard by Marriott Singapore Novena.