Pennapra Private Dining is More Than Fine

Post by Chiefeater Peter Yeoh

Very good Modern-Thai dinner at Pennapra Private Dining (upstairs of Caffeine Cartel) on Campbell Street yesterday evening.

Amuse bouche: snowpeas 𝘱𝘢𝘥 𝘬𝘢𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘸

Norwegian salmon on 𝘬𝘩𝘢𝘰 𝘯𝘪𝘢𝘰 (glutinous rice), lumpfish caviar and red curry sauce – absolutely delicious. The taste/textural combination somehow reminded me of the classic Japanese saba-zushi from Kyoto. The lumpfish caviar lent a smoky-fishy saltiness, whilst the red curry sauce, a bit on the gentle side, provided a rich-sweetness to the overall dish.

𝘚𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘢𝘮 ceviche, with Thai green papaya, Golden Lily mango and Norwegian salmon sashimi – best-tasting salad dish I’d had in a long time. It was a masterful palette of complementary flavours and textures: crunchy, green papayas and purple cabbage, plump sour-sweet mango cubes, and fat nuggets of salmon sashimi. The sweet-sour-salty-(slightly) spicy dressing infused and integrated the whole salad mix together harmoniously.

House signature 𝘵𝘰𝘮 𝘺𝘶𝘮 seafood bouillabaisse, with flower crab, mussels and prawns.

The bisque-like soup was in an absolute masterclass of its own here. The subtlety of flavours here was astounding – one can detect the familiar taste and scent of tom yum – and yet, it was as if the ghosts of chilis, galangal, kafir lime leaves and lemongrass had gently floated through the broth, leaving behind the merest, haunting hints of their presence.

Grilled baby squid with home-made 𝘵𝘰𝘮 𝘺𝘶𝘮 mayo – each diner was served braced of cephalopods, so precisely cooked, their flesh yielded to the faintest nibble, yet retained the delightful toothsome quality expected of this dish. The tom yum mayo was light, with the chilis and lemongrass barely discernible.

Green curry sauce poured on the organic chicken breast, aubergine, mushrooms and red peppers. The juicy chicken breast, the petals of red peppers, the chunks of mushrooms, and the lavish aubergine divan – all were cooked separately for their ideal doneness, and brought together to form this 21st-century Thai green “curry” chicken. The green curry sauce itself was served tableside – our host, Ben Lo, poured it using a 50-year-old family heirloom Chinese teapot which used to belong to his mother.

Green curry sauce poured on the organic chicken breast, aubergine, mushrooms and red peppers.

Palate cleanser: nutmeg sorbet. The use of nutmeg is Ben and Pennapra’s homage to Penang’s heritage. In Malaysia, only Penang has nutmeg plantations, and where the nutmeg is widely available as preserves and cordials, as well as served in cafes or traditional coffeeshops in the form of juices. Nutmeg was introduced to Penang in the early 1800s by the British East India Company, breaking the age-old monopoly on the spice in the Dutch-controlled Moluccas Islands, part of the fabled Spice Islands of the Far East.
Pennapra used the nutmeg sparingly here – resulting in a refreshing sorbet that whispers, never screams, of the nectar of a fresh nutmeg.

Host, Ben Lo, with the main course: grilled fresh Thai river prawns with 𝘯𝘢𝘮 𝘫𝘪𝘮 dip. These giant crustaceans were procured from Hat Yai, the Southern Thai city most accessible to Penang – a mere 3 hours’ drive or 200 km (130 miles) away.

Gently barbecued to impart an intoxicating smoky fragrance, these sweet-fleshed and orange roe-filled shellfish tasted simply heavenly.

𝘊𝘩𝘢 𝘺𝘦𝘯 (Thai milk tea) panna cotta. I’d always loved Thai-style iced milk tea, and to have one which one can eat instead of drink was just as pleasurable.

Fronted by the very talented 28-year-old Pennapra “Mei” Yathai who hails from Kamphaeng Phet in Central Thailand, the freshest, best quality local ingredients were used to produce some really flavoursome dishes.

Business Hours
Not Stated
WhatsApp to make reservation. Book early to avoid disappointment.

Pennapra Private Dining