KEN HUNTS FOOD: Private Dining- Burmah 108 @ Burmah Road, Georgetown, Penang.

Sunday, August 3, 2014

Private Dining- Burmah 108 @ Burmah Road, Georgetown, Penang.

Who would have guessed that there was a private-dining nestled within an unassuming and unpretentious house in the heartland of Georgetown? It took me a while to find the place since there was not any sign board. Burmah 108 is the brainchild of three primary schoolmates- Sharon, Hooi Chin and Chui Lim; the trio invites guest Chefs from other states/ countries to host a private dining events and private cooking classes. Food enthusiasts can also rent the kitchen for cooking demonstrations or dining hall to host any private functions or exhibitions. For more information, kindly inquire within or visit their website at Burmah 108..

As for the month of July (2014), they were pleased to have guest Chef- Chef Ming Siew on board. The event "A Taste of Nyonya by Ming Siew" gives diners an opportunity to savor all the authentic Nyonya dishes and flavors of the yesteryears. Read more information about Chef Ming Siew here.

The upcoming private dining event will be held in August (23rd and 24th of August 2014) and a Penang-born guest Chef- Chef Anderson Ho, who is currently residing in Singapore, will make his appearance. Diners can expect an array mouth-watering home-style food.

Many Thanks to Burmah 108 for extending the invitation.

Chef Ming Siew ignited our taste buds with a hearty bowl of Sea Cucumber and Duck Soup. It consists of a gigantic-sized Shitake Mushroom, a cooked till fork-tender Duck Drumstick and a hefty Sea Cucumber. The soup was boiled for hours, together with plenty of Pork and Duck Bones to fully accentuate and extract the flavors. Albeit on the oily side, this is the soup that I can drink on a regular basis.

Chef Ming Siew's Spring Rolls were impressive. Chef uses Caul Fats (猪网油) to wrap the Spring Rolls, as expected, the Spring Rolls carried a pleasingly delightful aroma uniquely to the Lard. Chef takes a step further by offering her home-made Signature sauce. We were expecting the usual Worcestershire-sauce but Chef surprises us with a touch of Sour Plum while the fiery hot chopped Chili gives another boost to the dish.

I was quite taken back when I was told that the next dish was Fried Pork Liver Rolls with Pickles (never a fan of innards). I had a small bite nevertheless, I was quite amazed with the meaty texture, and it exhibited very little "pork liver" notes beneath it. The real draw of the dish was the home-made Pickles. Chef did a very good job in maintaining the crispiness of the julienned Vegetables; the sweet and sour notes were perfectly balanced either. Tho I was not willing to take another bite, but I glad that I had a taste of that.

Spicy Assam Fish in Claypot is a dish perfectly spooned over rice. The addictive sauce commingles the sweet, savory, sour and spicy notes, heightened with the generous amount of Herbs and Spices used. The freshness of the pristine white Cat Fish spoke for itself. We love the firm and meaty texture of the Fish, and amazed by the thick and richly flavored sauce that clung well onto it (not watery and at the right consistency). One can simply wipe a few plates of Rice with the dish!

While Egg Omelette was not a scene-stealer, it did not disappoint us with its multi-dimensional flavors. The sleek and slightly greasy Egg Omelette possesses a very strong Ginger flavor while you may find some Dried Shrimps layered in the middle of the Egg Omelette. Decent, but not mind-blowing.

Nasi Ulam receives the unanimous votes as the best dish of the evening. Every spoonful of the Rice was jam-packed with the fragrance of the Herbs and Spices. The Rice may be a little under-seasoned on its own but it goes perfectly well with their home-made lip-numbingly hot Sambal Belacan; so hot that I had to sip some water after every mouth. But we glad that Chef did not compromise on the spiciness and was able to replicate the dish passed down from previous generations perfectly. It could be one of the best Nasi Ulams that I have ever had.

And we thought Nasi Ulam and Chef's Sambal Belacan were impressive enough; wait till we had her Pulut Tai Tai and home-made Kaya. We were visually attracted to the Blue Nyonya Kuih and the thickened unevenly Kaya. Chef Ming Siew uses real Pea Flower to grant the Glutinous Rice Kuih the deep blue color and was freshly made in the morning. We enjoyed the chewy and firm texture, further complemented by their Coconut Jam/ Kaya which was eggy-sweet. Seriously, you could not find such quality elsewhere.