The Tamarra @ Penang

It’s tough to entertain guests from all around the world. But a failsafe activity has always been bring them to a delicious local meal with an environment to match.

The Tamarra is a Modern Malay restaurant housed in a mansion built in the colonial style. The mansion was previously seafront bungalow of top Penang millionaire Loh Boon Siew 駱文秀, sold to private developers in 2022 and gazetted for conservation. subsequently. Wenxiu Villa has been redecorated with a luxurious furnishing, adding elegance to the dining experience.

The Tamarra is located along the Millionaire’s Row in Penang at Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah (formerly Northam Road, aka 紅毛路), beside the Menara KWPS building. The house is characterised by its 360-degree sea view and a view of the Pulau Tikus Island. Diners can enjoy the beautiful sunset and refreshing sea breeze. And it doesn’t suck to be next to our office.

Kerabu Ulam Raja & Mangga | Ulam Raja & Mango Salad

Ulam Raja are large bushy plants with edible leaves that are eaten raw and are a key ingredient in Nasi Ulam, a rice salad signature of the Nyonas. Here they are added to shredded unripe mango for that tangy, herby salad.

Crab Sanggul Tamarra | Stuffed Crab “Tamarra” Style

Crab Sanggul Tamarra is like a crab mornay featuring cheesy stuffed crab shells topped with micro greens and sesame seed breadsticks, served on the side with oriental dipping sauce. A great starter, but not authentic Malay though. Guess this is what they meant by Modern Malay.

Beef Skewers

Beef satays (skewers) with ketupat (rice cake) accompanied by a beautiful peanut satay sauce. Very atas (“classy”) as the beef used was Australian beef with great marbling. Too little sauce though.

Sotong Jumbo Kantan Merah | Giant Squid in Red Torch Ginger Sauce

The giant squid (“sotong“) is stuffed and grilled on charcoal fire before being smooched with the red sauce made with torch ginger flower (“bunga kantan“).

Ikan Bakar Signature Tamarra | Signature Grilled Fish Fillet

Ikan bakar is a delicious fried fish that is first smothered with a spicy sambal and then wrapped in banana leaf to cook. Here they used the seabass fillet instead of the whole fish, although you can request for the whole fish. Cooking ikan bakar in this way makes the fish deliciously moist. The flavour and aroma are to die for. Served with cicup manis (sweet black sauce), sambal and a milder tartar sauce.

Itik Salai Lemak Cili Kampung | Smoked Duck Cooked in a Turmeric Gravy

This is an adaptation of a Negri Sembilan recipe. The duck (“itik“) is smoked before incorporated into the turmeric (“salai“) infused coconut milk (“lemak“) curry gravy. The overall curry is slightly sweeter than the usual curry, and the heat is provided by the fresh chillis. I love the curry as it reminded me of the Padang style gulai curry.

Lamb Chop Korma Traditional

This is not a Malay dish per se, but a traditional Persian cuisine. Lamb korma is a delicious dish where mutton is slow cooked with yogurt, spices and ghee until all of the flavours are infused, a technique similar to the rendang but without the coconut. Usually very dry, a separate bowl of sauce is provided for good measure.

Udang Gulai Nenas Turun Temurun | Traditional Pineapple Prawn Curry

This is a recipe passed down from generation to generation (“turun temurun“). The gulai (“curry”) rempah provided the backdrop for the tiger prawns (“udang“) to be cooked with the sweet and sour Sarawakan pineapple (“nenas“) for a tangy, sweet, delicious result.

Sup Ekor Kepayang | Oxtail Soup with Black Nut

 Known as buah keluak in Malaysian, the hard-shell seeds of the kepayang tree needed some serious processing to rid of its cyanide. The nutty, tangy, chocolatey pulp is added to the sup ekor (oxtail soup). The result is a very complex but delicious soup that is unforgettable from the first sip.

Sambal Bilis Terung Pipit Kulat Sisir | Anchovies Chilli with Pea Eggplant and Split Gill Mushroom

Sambal is a staple in Malaysian cooking. It is a chili-based condiment made from a blend of fresh chilies, garlic, shallots, and sometimes shrimp paste (belacan). The result is a spicy, aromatic paste that enhances the flavour of any dish it accompanies. Terung Pipit, also known as “pea eggplant”, is a small, green, berry-like vegetable that packs a punch with its slightly bitter taste. Combined these with ikan bilis (anchovies) and kulat sisir (split gill mushroom) which provided the umami, you have a really interesting condiment to spice up the meal.

Nasi Kunyit | Tumeric Rice

Nasi Kunyit is a celebratory rice dish served during weddings and special occasions. It is usually made with glutinous rice cooked in coconut milk and turmeric. Here, the chef changed the recipe by using the healthier basmati rice.

We also ordered the Nasi Pandan, which tasted like nasi lemak perhaps because pandan leaves are also used. These were especially scrumptious especially with some curry dishes above. 

Pengat Pisang with Sago | Warm Coconut Banana Soup with Sago

Lightly sweetened with palm sugar, pengat pisang is a delightful Malaysian dessert with pleasantly chewy sago pearls, bananas, and rich coconut milk. Pengat is a category of Malaysian dessert soups made with coconut milk starring a starchy fruit like banana or tuber like cassava. Cooked bananas do taste a little sourish afterwards, so the dessert is never served cold. Great flavours but my foreign friends were not to familiar to hot desserts.

Bubur Pulut Hitam | Black Glutinous Rice Pudding

Bubur pulut hitam is a rustic pudding made with black glutinous rice, coconut milk and pandan leaves. A soul warming dessert that was never served cold. The only concession was the lemony ball of vanilla ice cream.

Serawa Durian & Pek Nga | Coconut and Durian Dessert with Pancakes

The durian is regarded as the “King of Fruits” in Southeast Asia. And you either love it or hate it. Serawa Durian is made from fresh durian puree, coconut milk and palm sugar. Pek nga is a traditional Malaysian pancake popular in Kedah. Served together for dipping in the durian “soup”. I had to say, I like the fruit, but warm, cooked durian has the same pungency as steamed stinky tofu.

Churros Keria | Sweet Potato Churros

Kuih keria are a classic Malaysian sweet potato doughnut served as a popular street snack. Here it is turned into churros dipped in a syrup made with gula melaka (palm sugar). Served with the ice cream.

The food for the evening was delicious, but needs some refining in terms of presentation. I loved the fact you can do your own kuah campur but everything has gravy, and very soon there’s gravy all over the place. Service was great, but I don’t know why they keep speaking to me in Bahasa even though I replied in English. They must be thinking I was trying to be difficult. Recommended and reservation required.

The Tamarra by Irama Dining
36A, Jln Sultan Ahmad Shah, 10050 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
Tel : +60 (011) 1248 7582

Visited Jun 2024