Kebaya Fine Dining Restaurant, Seven Terraces

The various dishes at Kebaya Seven Terraces (19 January 2015)




Kebaya is a fine-dining restaurant in George Town, Penang. It occupies one side of the Seven Terraces boutique hotel off Stewart Lane. Kebaya calls itself "a new approach to Classic Straits and Indo-Chinese cuisine".

On 19 January, 2015, my wife and I were invited to dinner by hotelier Christopher Ong and his business associate Daphne Choy. We were greeted by the friendly waiter and escorted to our table, where we were joined by our old friend Magdeline.

The restaurant is gorgeously furnished with antiques pieces. I visited the restaurant a few days before returning for dinner, and was shown by Chris Ong some of the furnitures he used in his restaurant, and how he managed to obtain them. Even the Nyonya covered pots, or kham1ceng2, on display in the glass showcases are all real and of museum quality.

While Kebaya can be regarded as a Nyonya restaurant, in actuality what Chris is doing, is to take Nyonya cuisine to a new and creative level. He informed us in advance not to expect the quintessential Nyonya dishes as I would have expected from any Nyonya restaurant, but to open my mind to the creative interpretation and expect the unexpected.

Zach and Ken, the two young chefs at Kebaya (19 January 2015)


Before we settled down to dinner, Chris introduced me to his two young chefs, Zach and Ken. Both of them had trained abroad in French cuisine, and that training was soon apparent in the dished served to us.

In order for us to enjoy as wide a variety as possible, Chris ordered for us a little bit of this and a little bit of that. To begin, there were the appetizers. When I saw the Joo Hoo Char (I follow the spelling of food from Kebaya menu), I was so surprised. It didn't look like Joo Hoo Char at all. It looked more like Popiah Chnee. Checking the menu, I realised it is called "Crispy Joo Hoo Char Roll". Aaah, now I am beginning to get the picture.

The Crispy Joo Hoo Char Roll at Kebaya (19 January 2015)


You would dip a piece of that Joo Hoo Char roll to the chilli sauce, wrap it with the lettuce, and bite. And what you feel is the combination from the crispiness of the lettuce, the crunchiness of the roll and the vegetables inside. Actually it is quite tasty, if you are willing to park your idea of how Nyonya cuisine should be.

If that's Joo Hoo Char, wait till I see the Otak Otak! I wouldn't have thought that is Otak Otak, until I bite into it. And then, woooh, that is Otak Otak! Not the entire thing, but rather, it is crispy pastry filled with an otak otak made with the meat of red snapper. For this dish, I would prefer a little bit more of the otak otak, and a little less pastry.

The Otak Otak at Kebaya (19 January 2015)


The next appetizer that I was given to try surprised me too. It's Miang Kham. But that's Thai, isn't it, I thought. Then I remember that Kebaya's menu did state "and Indo-Chinese cuisine".

Here's the difference between Miang Kham at Kebaya, and the same thing in a run-of-the-mill Thai restaurant. The one here Norwegian salmon roe as one of the ingredients. So when you pop that leaf-wrap into your mouth, you can feel them bursting as you chew, an experience a bit like eating a piece of "ikura gunkan maki sushi".

The Miang Kham at Kebaya (19 January 2015)


All the main dishes at Kebaya are made from the finest ingredients. You have a choice of Thai soft shell crab salad, Organic Sio3 Bak3 (roast pork), Grilled Chicken Kapitan (curry chicken with garlic, shallots and candlenuts), Prawn Geng (prawn curry with tumeric and lemongrass), Hong3 Bak3 Lamb (Prime New Zealand lamb shank cooked using the sous vide for 48 hours and served in jus), Kebaya Tamarind Beef (Australian beef shoulder glazed with tamarind and gula Melaka, and cooked for 72 hours in sous vide), Lor1 Ark3 (duck confit with caramelised spiced plums and oranges in cinnamon, star anise, cloves and nutmeg), and Grilled Snapper (fresh fillets of snapper marinated in a spice paste, wrapped in banana leaf, and grilled over a charcoal flame).

The Hong Bak Lamb at Kebaya (19 January 2015)
The sous vide method of cooking makes for meat that is extremely tender. The flesh seems to fall off easily from the bone, yet still was able to hold to itself.

Oh, by the way, did I mention that the food was served on "period tableware". Not yet antique but close. Chris showed me a bowl which was so precious that he decided not to discard even though one corner was chipped. So he had the sharp edge filed until smooth, so that we could continue to enjoy the beautiful design of that bowl.

Kebaya offers a 4-course menu that goes for RM128+ per person (as of July 2018). It includes one appetizer, one main course, one vegetables, and one dessert. To be honest, I am not sure that is sufficiently filling for me, but on second thought, the size of that main course is quite big. Hello Tim, this is fine dining, you know. If you are going as a couple, that means you get to share your dishes, and thus you have twice the number of dishes to select.

If you are a group, you don't actually have to order per set per person, perhaps just a set or two, and additional dishes à la carte. Additionals are priced at RM25++ for appetisers, RM45++ for main course, RM20++ for greens and RM20++ for desserts. The price is subject to 6% Government Tax and 10% Service Charge.

Kebaya is a fine dining restaurant. It is for people who can afford and demand the pleasure of a fine dining experience. At the moment, I have to admit not having reached such a station. Still a long way off. Maybe on very special occasions, my wife and I may save enough for us to enjoy the privilege of a meal here, but certainly not on a regular basis. At least, it's the dolce vita to aspire to.

Tim at Kebaya (19 January 2015)


Chooi Yoke at Kebaya (19 January 2015)


Kebaya Seven Terraces (19 January 2015)

Getting there

Kebaya is housed within the Seven Terraces boutique hotel. Its entrance faces Stewart Lane. The restaurant opens daily for dinner, from 6:00 pm until 10:00 pm. It is preferable to make reservations. Call 04 264 2333.

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