Post by Chiefeater Alexandra

The best meal I've had in Penang since moving back early last year is not laksa, char kuey teow, or even nasi kandar (gasp! blasphemy!) but deep-fried mutton from the CMR 3.0 China Muslim Restaurant in Bayan Baru.

Origin of the Mutton Dish

I enjoyed the dish so much I did some reading up later and discovered some interesting facts: Ningxia is a landlocked region some 2k km from Xinjiang with a large Hui Muslim population. Apparently, roasted mutton (whole or just the leg) is a traditional delicacy for nomads to entertain guests.

The unique natural conditions in the dry and warm area have made local water and grass full of minerals. A special breed of sheep called Mudflat Sheep grazes on this special grass. This results in a tender, refined and odour-free meat. The mutton is now exported in large quantity to many Islamic countries in the Middle East.

Traditionally, the sheep goes through three hours of oiling, cutting, sprinkling with the secret recipe. After that, it is cooked in an oven, tumbling over a full charcoal fire. The warm roasted whole lamb is carried on the table to be enjoyed.

Melting Mutton

We are in the city so obviously the food can't be cooked in identical conditions. 100% authentic or not, I found no fault with what we had. The mutton was expertly deep fried until the skin is golden and crispy but miraculously didn't feel oily at all. The meat was soft and fork-tender, retaining its succulent juiciness. I could literally feel the fat melting like butter on my tongue, the hallmark of damn good mutton.

DON'T expect instagrammable interiors at CMR 3.0 China Muslim Restaurant.

DO expect competently-executed food that will sear into your memory. The intense flavours and punchy spiciness characteristic of that part of China where its cuisine hails from. If you can't handle spice, go for milder-flavoured dishes like braised tofu and scrambled egg and crab. There's the flower tea to wash all that fire down.

Other Items

In subsequent visits to CMR 3.0 China Muslim Restaurant, we've discovered that the spicy fried brinjal and sweet sour fish are superb too. I can eat it on its own, no meat. However, for a full on treat that is guaranteed to wow guests, the mutton is the undisputed rock star of the menu.

The only drawback is, the portion is too large for two small eaters, so if you're a mutton kaki, ping me when you're in town!

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