PENNAPRA PRIVATE DINING + SUPPERCLUB
A HIDDEN SUPPER CLUB IN HISTORIC GEORGETOWN, PENANG
It's universally accepted that Malaysia is rather inept at Thai food. Despite sharing a land border, the secret balance of flavours seems to get confiscated at immigration along with other suspicious packages. Though Tom Yum can be found on every street, the way in which the locals cook it would be seen as sheer blasphemy to a Thai. Overly sweet, overly creamy, pungent in all the wrong ways, and relying heavily on frozen seafood, the best thing to do in Malaysia, is eat Malay, Chinese or Indian food.
Until now.
Hailing from Kamphaeng Phet -a town 5 hour drive north of Bangkok- Chef Pennapra Yathai aka Mei, runs the kitchen, husband Ben Lo covers front of house.
Promoted as a casual high-end supperclub, this 'reservation only' restaurant seats anywhere from a handful to 12-14 guests along facing tables to encourage mingling. The atmosphere is chill, with carefully curated Thai music acting as a backdrop.
The kitchen is located behind, and one wouldn't even notice it until the waft of heavenly scents come seeping into the dining room.
Now, onto the experience.
* Menu photo is from Sep 2024, items may have changed.
A menu is placed before each guest, as Ben introduces the ethos of the restaurant, maintaining that they value consistency, freshness and quality over all. Their seafood is sourced from the best suppliers in Georgetown, their vegetables and herbs are bright and crisp, the beef is of the highest quality and the drink pairings are the result of years of relationships with the industries best importers.
Bottom line, you are not going to get cookie-cutter ingredients at Pennapra.
After a selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks are served, the amuse-bouche comes out, fiery, flavoursome and addictive. Mei's version of edamame kissed with a Thai "Phad Kha Prow" flavour hits addictively well. They are not messing around with the spices on this one, but it's not overpoweringly hot. The balance of the herbs, chillies and edamame sets your mouth to salivating-mode, ready for the fish course.
Next up is the "Sushi-not-sushi" which exemplifies simplicity. The Japanese Halibut fin (Engawa) is meltingly fatty and tender -a rare part of the muscle strip that is highly prized- and the plate is an artwork in itself, with the accompanying elements harmonious and not fighting for attention. As Ben explains, the meal should eat like a good DJ set, where you're not constantly hit with high intensity breaks, blowing out your eardrums over the course of the night, but instead taken on undulating waves of a curated journey where the tongue can find joy in subtle flavours along with acidic or spicy contrasts.
A dish that Pennapra have been furiously perfecting in their test kitchen finally made an appearance on our second visit. The world may know the famous Jay Fai in Bangkok, and her $45 crab omelette, but not many people have tried to reinvent the humble dish in a format that might surprise.
Pennapra serve their version more as a souffle than a traditional omelette, packed full of fresh, delicate crab meat, and christened with edible flowers and crispy bits. They don't hold back on the seasoning here (Jay Fai is routinely criticised for under-seasoning hers), but it doesn't eat salty. It eats delicious.
During any tasting menu, there will be dishes that are more noteworthy than others, and somewhere within the parade, one that makes the room go silent.
The Tom Yum bouillabaisse is that dish.
Deceptively unctuous, this is nothing like the intense and unruly Tom Yum soups slung out in their hundreds by stalls all over Malaysia. This is a dream of complexity and restraint. The soup-base is deeply fragranced and opulent without the cheat-code of dumping liters of coconut cream to add richness. The seafood is all prepared meticulously and the mushrooms add an earthy sweetness to the soup. You can taste the freshness on the shrimp as it bounces perfectly on the tooth and doesn't eat rubbery or pasty. This soup is a triumph. A showstopper that has the whole room Ooh-ing and Ahh-ing as if on command.
The baby squid course is a game-changer. For all those who dismiss squid as being "chewy like rubber", you haven't tried the one at Pennapra. Barely hissed on the grill, fresh as the day, and delicately plated with accompaniments that don't take away from the subtle flavours, this dish is one to look forward to as the night progresses.
Every meal is better if there is a personal connection involved. Whether that is a recipe handed down from a family member, a childhood memory that triggers the chef to create, or something else. In this case, the main course is served, followed by Ben walking around with a fifty-year-old china teapot that belonged to his mother and pours the green curry sauce tableside. He mentions that any green curry served in restaurants that is thick and consists mostly of coconut cream, is basically made for tourists. Real Thai green curry is thinner.
There is a choice between high quality beef (A5 Miyazaki Wagyu, Australian Wagyu or Angus Ribeye depending on supply), organic chicken breast or halibut (mentioned beforehand at the time of booking), and each one pairs well with the sauce. My fish was perfectly cooked, flaky and yet with a crispy skin. Some blistered vegetables complete what was a tasty plate of food.
A nutmeg sorbet acts as a palate cleanser before the dessert. A nice touch of fresh mint and lime accentuate the flavours.
The final savoury course announces itself in the form of wafts of heavenly scents from the kitchen. A Thai river prawn cooked on the grill, with a freshly made "nam jim" dipping sauce. Nut-crackers are provided for those who want to explore the fleshy arms of the crustacean, and the head-butter is another option for dipping the perfectly cooked meat in. For the brave, a pair of fiery red chillies tempt you to take a bite, and after the cooling palate cleanser, we did just that.
The Nam Jim Seafood sauce is craveable, with a deep heat melting into intoxicating freshness from balancing chillies, lime, coriander, fish sauce and garlic.
Seriously, you could drink this by the glass.
As the vinyl needle figuratively moves to the final track, dessert is served.
For those familiar with Thai cuisine, Mango Sticky Rice is the universal go-to. You cannot visit a restaurant in Thailand without seeing it on the menu, and it's almost always a winner. Chef Mei reinvents this humble dish by serving fresh Goldenlily mango with puffed rice, a coconut ice-cream and mango caviar. The dessert is not overly sweet, and plays well to cool down the palate after the Nam Jim (and red chillies) of the previous course.
Being one of only two restaurants in Malaysia (and the youngest restaurant in history to win it) bestowed with the official
THAI SELECT SIGNATURE honour in 2024, Pennapra Dining Room is balancing modernity and tradition with aplomb. Drawing on the vast heritage of Thai cuisine, but bringing some of the more standard dishes into a new light, by changing ingredients or cooking methods, it offers an insight into the mind of a chef who is not afraid to take new directions, but always remembers the path back to where she came from.
If you happen to be in Georgetown, or planning a visit to Malaysia, then we highly recommend reserving a table at Pennapra.
The Mouth visited Pennapra Dining Room twice, 4 months apart, to experience if the restaurant was consistent. No money exchanged hands and the management had no say in the direction or outcome of the article.
