Irama Dining, the rhythm of a fresh and modern dining experience
Penang is truly a food paradise that has an extensive culinary scene, offering diverse delights from various cuisines, including delicious Malay fare. Irama Dining stands out as a culinary revelation for me. It brilliantly blends the bold, aromatic Malay cooking style with the vibrant flavours of local herbs and spices. The presentation of dishes is impeccable, complemented by the understated elegance of the dining space.
Before delving into the menu to place our orders for dinner, we first selected some drinks. My daughter opted for the Pandan Gula Melaka, a delightful cendol-in-a-glass creation. It had shaved ice, coconut milk and green rice flour jelly, sweetened with palm sugar syrup. A friend had the refreshing Lemongrass Pandan Mint, infused with lemongrass, biji selasih (basil seeds) and crushed mint leaves. Meanwhile, the Chocolate Hazelnut Ice, topped with whipped cream and drizzled with a chocolate sauce, provided an equally satisfying treat as well.
As starters, we ventured into a unique rendition of otak-otak. Cubes of mackerel and prawns were prepared with the traditional otak-otak flavours. Diverging from the typical custard-like texture, this iteration offered a lighter finish, served with crispy keropok (tapioca crackers). The dish delivered a savoury and innovative twist on the classic.
For our mains, we decided to go with some curries that would go well with rice. We had the kerabu platter comprising three types of Asian salads – Kerabu Pucuk Paku Kerang, (fiddlehead fern salad with cockles), Kerabu Kacang Botol Sotong (four-angled beans salad with squids) and Kerabu Mangga (green mango salad). All the salads were scrumptious, accentuating the fresh flavours of local herbs and shoots.
My favourite dish on the table was the succulent Kurma Lamb Shank. The shank and potatoes were slow-braised in a creamy curry spiced mainly with cumin and fennel. It was really kurma-licious!
I also relished the Smoked Duck Massaman Curry. Massaman curry is a rich yet relatively mild Thai curry. Adding cured smoked duck breast to it was brilliant.
Sotong Sumbat, translating to "stuffed squid," presented a novel culinary experience. Each squid was filled with glutinous rice and cooked in a mild coconut-based curry, served with a dark fenugreek seed sauce on the side. This innovative creation marked my first encounter with the dish and I must commend the chefs for this creative invention.
We ordered two types of rice to enjoy with the curries – Nasi Ulam and Nasi Bunga Telang. The Nasi Ulam had strong flavours of local herbs while Nasi Bunga Telang had a beautiful royal blue hue from the butterfly pea flower. Both the rice options were good. However, the flavours of the curries stood out better with just plain steamed white rice.
Pucuk Ubi Masak Lemak Udang was another delectable offering. Fresh tiger prawns and pucuk ubi (cassava leaves) were cooked in a turmeric-based curry, thickened with coconut cream.
The Pais Barramundi – a fish fillet marinated with turmeric, shredded coconut and chilli paste – was wrapped in banana leaf and grilled. It was perfectly paired with a spicy sambal sauce that was served on the side.
A unique rendition of the Kelantanese Ayam Percik sans the peanut sauce was an unusual surprise. Sample this dish when you are at Irama. Throughout dinner, my family, friends and I exchanged few words as our mouths were just too busy savouring all the lip-smacking curries which were gone in record-breaking time. This was a testament not only to our growling tummies but also the skilful creations of the ingenious chef.
We concluded our meal with some desserts including churros. They were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The fried dough sticks were served with a duo of dips – chocolate and coconut pandan. Add this to your list of must-try items at Irama.
Serawa Pisang was a banana and pearl sago porridge creamed with the goodness of coconut milk and sweetened with gula Melaka. Bubur Sumsum was another sinfully delicious dessert. Smooth, soft rice flour custard was doused with brown sugar. Having a sweet tooth, we also had to order the chocolate lava cake! If you are afraid that the amount of sugar in the dessert could send you into a coma, talk to the staff and ask the chef to serve the gula Melaka on the side. You could then decide on the amount that goes into your dessert.
Irama is located on the second floor of the beautifully restored Chinese Chamber of Commerce building opposite of the Esplanade. Stepping into the elegantly adorned dining area, you will be greeted by a captivating floor-to-ceiling mural depicting a lady in a stunning blue kebaya. The service is excellent and you do not even have to pay an arm and a leg dining here. What more can I say except: go ahead, give this restaurant a try! Treat yourself and revel in the joy it brings!
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Written and photographed by Adrian Cheah
© All rights reserved
2 February 2020
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Irama Dining
2nd Floor, No. 2, Penang Street, George Town, 10200 Penang
Opens 11:00 am – 11:00 pm
T: +604 261 2292