A luxurious 6-course treat for Mum at Maple Palace Restaurant
Mum turned 89 this year and I was only too glad that I was able to celebrate her birthday at Maple Palace Restaurant with a scrumptious top-notch feast. Although owner Loy Tan was overseas when I contacted him, he was obliging enough to curate a luxurious 6-course menu for Mum. The individual serving of each course was beautifully presented, making it a delightful visual feast to whet the appetite.
The first course was a crispy trio of seafood (scallop, soft shell crab and prawn) platter stir-fried with dried chillies, garlic and preserved black beans. The sweetness of the succulent seafood items was a lovely contrast to the spicy finish. This dish that awakened our taste buds was a brilliant way to start the parade of delectable offerings.
The second course was a grand heart-warming fish soup with a silky-smooth and springy cuttlefish ball, tender fish stomach slices and delicious morel mushrooms. The slow-cooked doubled-boiled soup was given ample time to develop, infusing the rich flavours of the ingredients. The amount of care and time given to prepare the soup resulted in a sublime bowl of heavenly goodness.
Some chefs would refer to the black morel, also known as morchella, as the "sacred mushroom". It has a stem and a conical body that is covered with pits and ridges like a honeycomb. I had two pieces in my bowl, enriching the soup with their earthy, woodsy and nutty flavours.
The third course was a serving of a succulent cod fish fillet glazed with a honey sauce, resting on a cloud of scrambled egg whites. It was served with crispy fish skin pieces coated with salted egg. The tender fish was cooked just right and the combination of flavours and textures in this dish were masterful. Two thumbs up for this scrumptious dish!
The fourth dish was a fiery offering – Sichuan-style steamed Hokkaido scallop with vermicelli. Packed with a generous amount of bird's eye chillies and the distinct numbing effect of Sichuan peppercorns, this dish was dynamite, setting one's mouth ablaze. However, the succulent Hokkaido scallop was a sweet jewel to savour. I also appreciated the size of the large scallop served.
After the blazing fourth course, a soothing dish was served as the fifth to quell the senses. Hand-pulled ramen with a jumbo freshwater prawn half, smothered in a rich umami sauce, was gently flavoured with fresh ginger and scallion. The rich prawn roe that thickened the gravy made it a stellar dish.
Since it was Mum's birthday, the chef took the extra effort to decorate the dish with some auspicious orangey-red egg ribbons, symbolic in Chinese birthday noodles. To the Chinese, noodles symbolise long life and it was apt to have them on the menu. The "longevity" noodles were also a blessing not just for Mum but for all who partook in the celebration.
To conclude the meal, the sixth course was a warm bowl of double-boiled snow lotus with peach resin, red dates, longan and goji berries. It was lightly sweetened with honey rock sugar. Served on the side was a soft, tender pandan-flavoured mochi coated on the outside with roasted sesame seeds and toasted groundnuts.
I also ordered an additional serving of chilled osmanthus jelly encasing an almond cube jelly core. The memorable evening was truly a satisfying experience and Mum enjoyed the 6-course dinner immensely.
I truly appreciated the attentive service as well as the effort the captain took to introduce and explain each course as it was being served. With such fine-quality ingredients, sublime flavours and good service, it is no wonder that Maple Palace is extremely popular. Do call to make reservations to secure a booking especially during weekends and public holidays.
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Written and photographed by Adrian Cheah
© All rights reserved
18 April 2022
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Maple Palace Restaurant
47 Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah, 10050 Penang
T: +604 227 9690
Open: Lunch: 12:00 noon – 2:30 pm, Dinner: 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm
The above special individual set menu: RM268++ per person
Chilled osmanthus jelly: RM18++ per serving