With 44 years of experience in serving authentic Penang cuisine, Copthorne King’s Hotel’s Princess Terrace has cemented a reputation for being the top Penang buffet restaurant in Singapore. Helmed by Chef Lim Por Tit from Penang, the restaurant uses only the finest ingredients to give diners a gastronomic experience. Offering an interesting medley of dishes, Princess Terrace’s cosy and nostalgic ambience transports one from the hustle and bustle of the city centre to a food haven.
The restaurant has won several awards and accolades including being listed as one of Singapore’s Top Restaurants in Wine and Dine and Singapore Tatler’s dining guides and the recent Asiaone People’s Choice Awards 2013, a testament to its popularity.
To commemorate the restaurants’ 44th anniversary, Chef Lim will be dishing up 15 new Penang heritage dishes in addition to the popular items on the buffet from 5 to 18 August. These dishes include kerabu beehoon, salted vegetable and duck soup, tow kwa pok, rempah fish, kerabu chicken, sambal goreng, inche kabin and more.
Many people often confuse Penang Peranakan food with the normal Perankan dishes such as ayam bua keluak and babi ponteh. Though some of the dishes are a little similar, Penang Peranakan food is inspired mainly by Hokkien and Thai flavours.
Start your meal with the appetising salted vegetable and duck soup. Fresh duck is simmered with salted vegetables and ginger until the meat is soft and tender and the flavour of the salted vegetables starts to permeate the duck meat. The soup is served piping hot and the homely flavours help to whet one’s appetite for the main meal.
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Tow kwa pok
The tow kwa pok is also one of my favourite appetisers. The beancurd is fried till golden brown and stuffed with minced pork, diced cucumber, mushrooms and fish cake. When accompanied with braised soya sauce and chilli, the taste permeates your taste buds, making them tingle with delight.
Tempt your palate with the kerabu beehoon – a vibrant and piquant Penang peranakan dish of dried, cold rice vermicelli tossed with sambal belacan, calamansi juice and herbs. A perfect appetiser to open up one’s appetite!
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Rempah fish
The rempah fish is another dish not to be missed. Rempah is a Malay word which means spices or mixed spices. It is a basic ingredient used in Peranakan, Malay and Thai cooking. The main spices used in rempah include dried shrimps, shallots, cloves, ginger and tumeric slices, lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves. Chef Lim’s rempah fish is served piping hot in a claypot. The aromatic and flavourful dish is simply bursting with flavour and goes extremely well with rice.
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Kerabu chicken
The kerabu chicken is another signature Penang peranakan dish. The chicken is boiled in a pot till cooked and seasoned with lime juice, ginger, lemon grass, shallots and chilli. The unique combination of flavours makes this dish irresistible.
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Sambal goreng
Those who like seafood will be enamoured by the sambal goreng - a prawn dish with a coconut based sauce. This is very similar to the Thai tom kah. Although the dish sounds spicy, it is actually very mild.
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Inche Kabin
Diners who like fried chicken will be captivated by the inche kabin – a crispy Penang peranakan deep-fried chicken. What makes the chicken so special is that it is marinated with over 10 herbs and deep-fried twice, resulting in a texture that is extremely light, fine and crispy. The main ingredients used to marinate the chicken include chilli, coriander, cumin, fennel, clove, cinnamon, tumeric, ground black pepers, salt, sugar, shallots and thick coconut milk. The inche kabin is excellent on its own or as a side dish.
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Nasi ulam
Other than the above new dishes, diners can also look forward to the perennial dishes on the existing menu such as Hokkien prawn mee soup, char kway teow, Penang laksa, nasi ulam (a couscous style rice cooked with a combination of 36 herbs and spices) and more.
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Nyonya kueh
To bring this spellbinding affair to a close, indulge in ice kacang, apom bokwa (pancake with banana sauce), silky soya beancurd and a scintillating array of delectable Nyonya kueh.
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With food writers
The Penang Heritage Cuisine promotion runs from 5 to 18 August. Princess Terrace is located at the lobby, Copthorne King’s Hotel.
For reservations, please call 6318 3168 or email
princessterrace@millenniumhotels.com
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