July 2006

Malaysian Adventure

by Peter Lau

O Malaysian food.   Beef rending and roti canai make my mouth water every time. One step inside the Peninsula and the smells make me swoon. Coming back to reality, a quick glance around the dining room tells you that a Malaysian look was not the design goal.   Large in size for a Nicollet location with higher ceilings than most there is a decided attempt at décor with the dark wood, trees and lots of light. But this simplicity is overshadowed by the authenticity of the overwhelmingly cold air conditioning and was enough to bring me back to my memories of Asia.   The only thing missing was a polite hostess offering me a Pashmina.

Now properly in the mood for some good Malay cooking, I went right for some of my favorites with mixed results.  The beef rending ($6.95) was tender and it tasted good, but it lacked that orchestra of flavors. What I have always liked about good rendang is that the complex herb and spice arrangement is up front and powerful. A medley of garlic, blue ginger, chilies, coriander and fennel, spicy or not, but definitely upfront, married beautifully with the rich coconut foundation, the long, slow cooked meat, and a touch of sweetness.  It should be a balance, but a balance that registers with many decibels.  At Peninsula, the meat was tender and the gravy was rich, but the flavors were muted.  "This is Minnesota" is how I shrugged it off.  Good, but slightly disappointing for me. Still, I think it will be a crowd pleaser in the basics category.

The roti canai ($3.25) is tossed around on display just like in Asia, and it was good but not the same flaky, wispy, dense, mildly sweet roti canai I love. Roti canai is served all around the world in different forms but once you find the one you love it's hard to match. It was served with a little chicken curry to dip into, which was savory and flavorful. 

Always in search of the perfect noodle soup I next chose a bowl of udang mee. This one was billed as penang style noodles in shrimp broth with shrimp, pork, and bean sprouts ($6.95). The noodles, somewhere between a traditional egg noodle and udon, were great to slurp and had a delightful chew.  The pork tasted freshly roasted and the broth was like a country bisque, rich with shellfish and well balanced. This is great value and nearly enough for two.   

The laksa, a light, red hot and sour broth, was fantastically spicy and served with slivered raw onion, herbs and pork. The noodles were thick, short and clear with perfect texture.  At $6.00, it was a suitable lunch for a hot summer day, especially if one were to have a house-made fruit smoothie along with it. The addictiveness of the bright pink, refreshing, watermelon deliciousness with tapioca pearls had me running the perpetual risk of brain freeze. 

The nasi lemak was also a bargain at around the same price, but it failed to deliver. The coconut rice was steamed, which was somewhat disappointing for a dish highlighting the rice. The curried chicken was tasty but the fish was a little too rustic to be enjoyable.

Peninsula is definitely a place where you can eat well for a very decent price as long as you choose carefully. Any of the noodle soups are a good deal and with a fruit smoothie or other beverage, the entire meal is in the $10.00 category.  Add an appetizer to share between two and you are still under $15.00 each.  In general, this is a menu, as is typical of most Asian menus, built for sharing, which in my opinion, is the only way to eat.

Everything is prepared honestly and is delivered by a friendly, informative and well meaning wait staff. The picture menu is expansive and is sure to have something for every type of palate. All in all, an experience well worth returning for again and again.

Peninsula | 2608 Nicollet Avenue | Minneapolis

...Now That's Theskini!::permalink


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