Belachan Tapas Lab Grilled Barramundi

Post by Chiefeater VK

Belachan Tapas Lab Penang was an accidental find. I was walking along Chulia Street when I came across this little tapas bar. I am very glad I walked in.

It turns out Belachan is the sister restaurant of Sambal, another Penang restaurant that has received Michelin recognition. Belachan was created by Jenelle Tan and Esther Lim, the same team behind Sambal, but takes a different approach: Malaysian ingredients and familiar flavours reworked into inventive small plates.

And inventive is certainly the word.

I loved all the dishes I tried.

Jen had a Bunga Kantan Mocktail which looked very pretty.

We started with the Coconut Noodles.

The clever bit is that these aren’t conventional noodles flavoured with coconut. The “noodles” themselves are made from strips of coconut flesh.

They have the appearance of noodles but a completely different texture, accompanied by a lovely prawn. It was playful without becoming gimmicky. Someone had taken an ingredient we know very well and made me look at it differently.

Then came the Pâté Sliders.

Pork liver pâté was sandwiched between pieces of fried bread. What I particularly enjoyed was the contrast in texture. The fried bread had an almost biscuit-like crispness, which played beautifully against the soft pâté inside.

Crunch, then softness.

Simple idea. Very satisfying.

Next was the chicken skewer, covered with loads of fried ginger.

Again, it was a familiar Malaysian flavour presented differently. The fried ginger wasn’t merely garnish; there was enough of it to become part of the experience of eating the chicken.

But the dish that really got me was the Barramundi.

This needs some context.

I don’t particularly like fish.

So when a fish dish makes me sit up and pay attention, something has gone very right.

And this one did.

Of everything I ate at Belachan, the Barramundi was the dish that surprised me most. Enough that, for the duration of that plate at least, it made a fish convert out of me.

We capped the night with a Roti Khawin Pudding with Pandan Rum.

There is a consistent idea running through what Belachan does. Coconut flesh becomes noodles. Pâté gets paired with biscuit-like fried bread. Fried ginger becomes a major component of a chicken skewer. Local ingredients and flavours are recognisable, but their form or context changes.

That’s the sort of creativity I enjoy because it isn’t creativity for its own sake.

The food still has to taste good.

Here, it did.

Belachan was an accidental discovery.

It definitely made a fan out of me.

Special shout out to Calvin who made our night special.

Pricing

Coconut Noodles – RM42
The Drunk Chick Skewers – RM28
Pate Sliders – RM32
Parcel Fish – RM68
Roti Khawin Pudding with Pandan Rum – RM38
Stunning Bunga Kantan Mocktail – RM21

Sub Total – RM229.00
Service Charge (10%) – RM22.90
F&B SST (6%) – RM13.75

Total – RM265.65
Average per pax – RM132.83

MVX Summary

MVX Score: 8.8/10

M – Meal Value
There is a premium to be paid for the the quality and creativity across the dishes, and there wasn’t one I didn’t enjoy.
Score: 8.5/10

V – Venue
Belachan is small, intimate and built around a tapas-bar experience. The counter seating and relaxed Chulia Street setting suit the food particularly well.
Score: 8.5/10

X – X-Factor
This is where Belachan shines. Coconut flesh turned into noodles, pâté contrasted against crisp fried bread and, most importantly for me, a Barramundi good enough to make someone who doesn’t particularly like fish reconsider his position.
Score: 9.5/10

Events

While dining at the bar is pleasant, if you are planning an event they have an adjacent space for functions where you want to have your guests seated.

Business Hours

Tuesday to Sunday
04:00 pm to 11:00 pm

Editor’s Note

Chiefeater VK paid for this meal himself