Penang fare flourishes in the scenic and secluded town of Katoomba, writes Alan Teh Leam Seng
IT’S the beginning of my fourth day in the Blue Mountains, a rugged region west of Sydney, Australia. And I’m suffering from what most travellers would know as “home food cravings”.
The rows and rows of restaurants that I pass along my route on the scenic main street of Katoomba, a historic town in the Blue Mountains, seem to meld into each other, eliciting little excitement in me. But then I stopped. “Penang”, reads the word pasted on the window pane of a shop with a yellow sign hanging directly above the walkway, and it is promoting cakes, desserts and other sweet temptations.
My heart skips a beat when I reach the shopfront. Indeed, the place serves Penang-style Malaysian cuisine.
A Chinese woman greets me as I enter and assuming that she’s from Penang, I ask her a question in Hokkien, “Chit peng ha mik ho chiak?”
The woman gives me a puzzled look. The seconds seem like minutes during that awkward moment. Then, without uttering a word, she walks to the back, leaving me standing sheepishly by the counter.
Not long later, a petite woman complete with hair sock appears with the woman I spoke to earlier. “Malaysian? From Penang?” she asks.
I simply nod, not daring to open my mouth this time. “Come. Come, you must sit down. I’m sorry. My Hong Kong friend did not understand what you had said earlier,” she says in Penang Hokkien.
Unique Patisserie, as the cafe is called, is managed by Yong Hiang Hwa and her pastry chef husband Thomas Khoo Khay Chin. Her husband, explains Yong, came to Australia more than 25 years ago. Back then, Khay Chin, as she calls him, pursued his interest in making pastries at several renowned establishments in New South Wales. His big break came when he won the Most Outstanding Pastry Chef award back in 1995.
“We were so tense while waiting for the judges to come up with the results. My husband worked so hard and prepared well for the 26th International Salon Culinaire Competition. I’m glad he won the award,” confides Yong, as she points to her personal favourites in the menu.
The menu is extensive and boasts all the delicious food one can find in a typical Penang kopitiam. The long list includes all-time favourites such as asam laksa, nasi lemak, satay, beef rendang, loh bak and Hainanese chicken rice.
As my eyes take in the expansive menu, I had to constantly remind myself that I am in Australia and not Penang. Finally, I settle for the laksa and chicken satay.
The asam laksa looks and tastes just like the one I had at the Ayer Itam market several months back. Spicy and tangy, there’s even a dollop of the all-important prawn paste. The portion is generous and I can’t complain. This is the ultimate comfort food for me.
The chicken satay arrives just as I’m halfway through the deliciously rich laksa broth.
Unlike the earlier dish, the satay looks very different. It’s lightly grilled without a single hint of charring. Despite its appearance, the satay tastes just like the ones I always enjoy at Penang’s Padang Brown. I guess satay will taste good as long as you get the peanut dipping sauce right.
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PENANG ROOTS
When Yong joins me during her break, I ask her why the shop name does not reflect the wonderful Penang cuisine that’s offered here. “My husband was the one who initially started this business. Back then, we were only selling pastries, cakes and desserts. My role at that time was to care for our growing children and only help out at the shop occasionally. We chose Katoomba because Sydney is a bit too busy for my liking. Katoomba is more laid back, just like Penang,” she tells me, while encouraging me to coat my satay with more peanut sauce.
As the shop developed, it became apparent to the couple that there was a sizeable number of Malaysians as well as Singaporeans who come to visit the Blue Mountains. Those whom she spoke to had expressed their desire to sample Malaysian food in Katoomba. And that was the defining moment for the shop.
“We started off small. Although Penang fare was our obvious choice, my husband and I decided to stick to the original name Unique Patisserie. Every once in a while we still hear guests describe us as a Malaysian restaurant hiding in a cake shop! That makes us truly unique,” quips Yong.
The other reason for offering Penang fare, she confides, was simply to maintain a link with her roots. “I left Penang a long time ago and due to our busy schedule, we rarely get a chance to visit our relatives in the Pearl of the Orient. My children are Australians and they know very little about my birth place. I still remember the first time when my children came to the shop to help out. I had to explain all the ingredients to them and what the names meant in English. It was quite educational and hilarious at the same time.”
It’s almost noon and most of the tables are already occupied. Despite the fact that Unique Patisserie also serves western meals, many of the customers here prefer to tuck into the eatery’s Malaysian creations.
Before leaving, the affable Yong insists I try some of her husband’s desserts. Not wanting to depend on the menu this time, I decided to choose from the display counter. The choices are mind-boggling, not to mention a real feast for the eyes. After going through the selection twice, I finally narrowed down my preference to either the caramel salted tarts or the white chocolate and macadamia ones. The latter won the toss thanks to my weakness for macadamia.
Unique Patisserie has grown to become a place where locals as well as Sydney residents come to order their cakes. Eyes lighting up with pride, Yong says: “We try to cater to all sorts of requests when it comes to cake design. If the request is different from what we make then my husband will go on the Internet and do his research. He puts his heart and soul into making the best cakes for our customers.”