Eat & Drink

Friday February 22, 2008

You can get all of Penang’s delights at one place in KL

By DEBBIE CHAN

YOU are some 400km away from home (that is how far Penang is from KL) and you are craving for that hearty soupy Hokkien Mee with the big juicy prawns and fat taugeh (bean sprouts). What do you do?

Head to Gurney Drive, of course. Not Gurney Drive in Penang, but Gurney Drive right in the heart of Kuala Lumpur – in Gardens, Mid Valley City.

Finishing touch: Teow putting some garnishing on the Penang Laksa.

Designed to represent the oval of the original Gurney Drive, the gallery plays host to 16 hawker stalls that were all brought in from Penang. They are not just any hawker stalls but those that brought fame to various Penang fare, from cendol to chee cheong fun.

"We tasted their food and handpicked each stall to be here to showcase the best of Penang food. It was a big task trying to convince the hawkers to relocate because it is a big step for them to start operating out of their comfort area," said the gallery's manager, Adrian Teow.

But the team did their best and all 16 selected hawker stalls agreed to open a new branch in KL in the Gurney Drive gallery.

"There are many stalls in KL that offer Penang food but we want to bring the authentic flavour by doing something no one has done before – bringing the original hawkers together at one place. We set up the infrastructure and provide support for the hawkers to start up at the new location. We even bring ingredients from Penang three times a week to make sure we get the real deal," Teow explained.

Comfortable: The gallery is very well designed for the comfort of guests.

The 16 stalls showcase a wide array of Penang fare, including BBQ Rice from the Farlim stall that has been in operation since the 1980s, Curry Fish Head and Curry Prawn from Gurney Drive (in operation since the 1980s), Lobak from Swatow Lane (since the 1970s), Hokkien Mee (commonly known as Prawn Mee in KL) from CY Choy Road (since the 1970s), Sar Hor Fun from Kimberly Street (since the 1970s), Lam Mee from Green Lane (since the 1980s), Oh Chien from Kelawei Road (since the 1980s), and Penang Chee Cheong Fun from Pulau Tikus (since the 1980s).

"Customers who eat here at Gurney Drive Gardens will find the same deal at the respective locations back in Penang because they are run by the same hawkers. That's the unique part of it," Teow said.

The authenticity of food is definitely there but that is not all customers can expect: even the décor has been included to provide a complete experience for diners. The entrance of the gallery is hand-made by a famous artist from Xiamen, China, who was also responsible for crafting the restoration works of famous temples in Penang, including the Khoo Kongsi.

Variety: The Lobak platter comes with tofu, century egg, cucumber, and some deep-fried meat pieces.

"The usage of wood and gold leaf is very common in temples in Penang. The unique part of it is that the original colour of the wood is red," Teow said.

Among the signature must-try fare at the gallery are Lobak, Hokkien Mee, Penang Chee Cheong Fun, Cendol, Char Keow Teoy, Penang Laksa and Oh Chien (Fried Oysters).

The Hokkien Mee is definitely unique as it has all the ingredients unique to the Penang style of making the dish, including pork skin and pork ribs. The Oh Chien omelette is fried with a special chilli sauce while the Penang Laksa is cooked using a recipe that has been passed down three generations.

"All the dishes are made with the freshest and best ingredients. The chefs do not stinge on the ingredients and make sure only the best are used," he said.

The gallery is also very well designed to provide comfort for guests, unlike most places with open kitchens where the aroma of the food would be overwhelming.