Peranakan Cuisine @ Swez Brasserie, Eastin Hotel Penang

Swez brasserie of Eastin Hotel had recently introduced authentic Peranakan cuisine for the whole month of July (1st – 31st) 2012, which is available during lunchy, hi-tea and dinner (pricing will be revealed at the end of this post). and i was invited to the press conference as a (food) blogger together with Penang famous floggers,CK Lam, Criz Lai, Ken and Jacgy Chan, the proprietor of 43 Cafe, to preview the Nyonya delicacies before anyone else does *brags*. honestly i was a little overwhelmed :/

here’s a sneak preview of what they have to offer. Nyonya cuisine is a blend of Malay and Chinese cooking styles that originates from Baba-Nyonya (Peranakan) in Malaysia (Malacca & Penang) and Singapore. however, i noticed that Penang’s and Malacca’s Nyonya food taste differently from each other, which might due to spices used and other influences.

Nyonya Acar-acar

i was first served the appetizer, acar-acar which basically is pickled vegetables which motley vegetables including cauliflower, cabbage, carrot and cucumber  are seasoned with some spicy & spiced paste and vinegar and served with sesame seeds and peanuts. the pickles shall remain crunchy if were done in a right way. i don’t really fancy acar but my mum is a huge fan of it!

the acar here was a little soggy and the flavour was a little subtle.

Nyonya Kerabu Ayam

compared to acar, this dish is more flavourful and it suits my appetite as it’s sourish and slightly spicy. no any girl can resist such sapidity.

Nyonya Pie Tee Cup

pie tee is also known as top hat. minced meat is used as the main filling here. i would prefer it to be filled up with some savoury veggies so that it’s more refreshing and moist. and the ‘cup’ used is a little thicker than usual. or is it the way in Penang? i remembered the cup used in this dish in Malacca is berry thin!

Itik Tim

here comes the main course, salted chinese mustard duck soup. it was too salty for my our liking. the soaking duration of the salted mustard is perhaps too short? the duck, however, is tender enough.

Nyonya Yellow Curry Chicken

the curry is somewhat thicker and overpowering than usual. but it goes well with rice! and i can foresee diners drench their rice with its broth.

Assam Prawn

deep fried prawns sautéed in tamarind juice which makes it berry appetizing. the freshness of the prawns was retained despite being deep-fried.

Zhu Hu Char (stir fried sweet turnip with dried cuttlefish)

thinly sliced turnip, carrot and french bean stirred fried with dried cuttlefish. the cuttlefish makes the whole dish flavourful. and this’s one of my favourite of the day.

Bee Koe Moy

and how can we end a scrumptious meal without dessert? we were served black glutinous rice porridge top with coconut milk. i find it a little dilute as i prefer my dessert to be full of ingredient yala i’m greedy la. the sweetness of this dessert was nicely done though.

Assorted Nyonya Kuihs

i’m totally a Nyonya kuih person! the mini angku was delectable, not too sweet to my liking! and the durian layer cake is the bomb! the flavour of the durian is heavenly. however, the cake was somewhat more moist compared to Sarawak layer cake. i am sure daddy will love this layer cake berry muchy.

 

 

Swez Brasserie
GF Eastin Hotel,
1 Solok Bayan Indah, Queensbay
11900 Bayan Lepas, Penang.
+604 6121128
website

Lunch: Monday – Friday
1200 – 1430
RM 48++ (adult), RM 24++(child)

Hi-Tea: Saturday, Sunday & Public Holidays
1200 – 1500
RM 55++ (adult), RM 28++ (child)

Hi-Tea: Festive Occasions (7th July 2012 – Georgetown World Heritage Day)
1200 – 1500
RM 68++ (adult), RM 34++ (child)

Semi Buffet Dinner: Monday – Thursday (2nd – 19th July 2012)
1830 – 2200
from RM 48++ per person

July Credit Card Promotions

MAYBANKARD, VISA, CIMB, and UOB card members, guests can enjoy 15% discount for Peranakan Cuisine Semi Dinner ( Monday – Thursday), Weekend Buffet Dinner (Friday – Sunday) and Ramadhan Buffet Dinner (Daily) from time 1830 – 2200.

besides, MAYBANKARD card members can enjoy the exclusive Buy 4 Free 1 promotion for Peranakan Cuisine Hi-Tea (Saturday & Sunday) and Weekend Buffet Dinner (Friday – Sunday).