A recent collaboration between Gen Penang and newly yet to be opened Reka:bar sees some of the best Malaysian flavours offered up as a pairing. Gen specialises in Malaysian quality produce while Reka focuses on culinary cocktails, making this pairing one of the more interesting ones this year.
Gen Penang
gēn 根 is translated into ‘ground roots’, valuing the idea of keeping true to our roots using local ingredients. The birth of gēn 根 represents a fresh start to Chef Johnson Wong, a place where Malaysia’s quality local produce is fused with passion, culture and childhood memories, delivered with the best hospitality for your dining pleasure.
“Gen is very much produce driven. We focus more on Malaysian produce, more from our neighbourhood, where we try to get things as close as possible, which dishes are my personal interpretations as a Malaysian.” — Johnson Wong, Chef Patron of Gen Penang.
Reka:bar
Reka:bar is a creative cocktail bar that has yet to open, but will specialise in modern techniques and culinary cocktails. The bar is led by Joel Poon, Giovanni Magliaro, and Rusho Hassan.
“Reka:bar is brought to life by a team of passionate individuals pushing the boundaries of innovation and deliciousness in drinks. Our name is derived from the words “Reka” for “creation” in Malay and “Eureka” for “the joy of discovery” in Greek. The team behind Reka:bar comprises of accomplished industry professionals whose experience includes senior roles or ownership in internationally acclaimed establishments such as Mr Foggs (London), the Other Room (Singapore) and Native (Singapore). We’ve combined all our experiences and talents with one singular goal – to create a standout, world class cocktail bar with constant innovation at our core and provide an amazing experience for every one of our guests.” — Joel Poon, Head Bartender of Reka:bar.
Gen Penang x Reka:bar
The collaboration hosted by Kitchen Inc. sees the pairing of Malaysian flavours as expressed by both Gen Penang and Reka:bar, from the use of local ingredients to the marrying of flavours in both cocktail and cuisine. The menu sees 7 plates and 7 glasses, each bringing memories of flavours which seem familiar in interpretations not commonly seen.
“This collaboration came about through Joe, the owner of the studio and also founder of the renown Kitchen Inc. who knew the founder of Reka:bar, Nick. This was planned during the very quiet period when the MCO was just lifted, which was how this cocktail pairing dinner came about. For me it was a chance to produce something different from our comfort zone.” — Johnson Wong, Chef Patron of Gen Penang.
“Chef Johnson was introduced to us by our bar and kitchen consultant Joe Tan of Kitchen Inc while he was in KL for work. It was a very instant connection as the Reka and Gen teams share similar ideals on innovation, attention to detail, and promoting local terroir, although expressed through our own individual styles. The idea on collaborating on a boundary pushing food and cocktail pairing happened very organically soon after.” — Joel Poon, Head Bartender of Reka:bar.
A Fresh Start
Dragon chives and roasted pork; Bengali roti and white corn; Chicken wing and belacan; Beetroot, sardine and rendang
Strawberry Feels
Bacardi Cuatro, Campari, pineapple-coco, 3D strawberry, cacao & strawberry mist
The first course saw a pairing of 4 amuse bouche, which all carried flavours that are familiar to Malaysians. The small bites were 4 common street food flavours interpreted in a refined manner, with the dishes being the Chinese favourite dragon chives and roast pork, flavours commonly found as a stir-fried roast pork with leek dish, the Bengali roti and white corn, sweetness balances from the bread and the corn itself, the chicken wing belacan sushi, and Gen’s interpretation of a sardine / rendang bun. These amuse began a journey of flavour for the meal, with the Strawberry Feels being one of our favourite cocktails on the menu, with its multi-expressions of the many ways you can enjoy strawberry, through strawberry tea, strawberry kombucha, and strawberry mint. A perfect cocktail.
Seafood And Sauvignon
Flower crab, heirloom tomato, salted cabbage
Wine? Not…
Tried & True vodka, parsley distillate, lillet blanc, tropical kefir, Celtic salt, mango parmesan
The second course saw the pairing of seafood and sauvignon, with the flower crab dish paying homage to almost Teochew flavours of tomato and salted cabbage, balanced with the sweetness of the flower crab, the sweetest of crabs, with the tomato seeds adding a layer of texture. The wine cocktail was not really a wine cocktail, but made to mimic one. With the greenness of taste coming from the parsley distillate, as well as the addition of coconut and passionfruit kefir, added a flavour that was reminiscent of New Zealand style sauvignon blanc. Another very creative pairing.
Chicken, Rice
Black chicken, banana heart, herbal
Naughty Congee
Spiced Bacardi 8, amaro Montenegro, floral amazake, ginger, matcha, toasted coconut & ginger grain
The third course saw the meeting of chicken and rice, with the black chicken morsel in the form of a dumpling, was swimming in herbal chicken essence, but what really elevated this umami and flavour driven dish was the small florets of fennel flowers adding an aniseed bittersweetness. The cocktail paired with this dish is a floral amazake made with chrysanthemum, honeysuckle and calrose koji. At first tasting, this savoury cocktail was one of the most interesting flavours, and had quite a grainy texture, which paid homage to its quippy name, the Naughty Congee, but this cocktail is one of an acquired taste. Interesting to say the least.
A Spiky Surprise
Threadfin tempoyak, ginger flower, sambal kicap
Dusun
Arquitecto tequila, sarawakian tuak, tempoyak, jackfruit, soy milk, passionfruit, garden mist, Sri Lankan lime leaf
The fourth course is definitely one of the most interesting on of the courses, with the profound use of durian. The dish came in a claypot served with a generous serving of threadfin with a tempoyak (fermented durian) sauce which was mixed up with a generous serving of Gen’s sambal kicap (spicy soy sambal) adding quite the punch of umami sweetness and heat. The cocktail paired with it was made with Sarawakian tuak, with a profound note of passionfruit, jackfruit, and lime evoking a walkthrough across the orchards of Malaysia with its tropical flavours. What was great was that the tempoyak flavour in the cocktail only being subtle, which worked with less is more.
Mango²
Dry-aged duck, harumanis, ulam raja
Mango…going…gone!
Widges gin, mancino rosso ambrato, artichoke aperitif, bay Campari, cacao husk, mango yoghurt, banana skin gel
The fifth course was a play on one of Malaysia’s most iconic fruit, the mango. The dish was reminiscent of a duck à l’orange but with a mango twist, with the dry age duck having one of the crispiest skin, with the centre pink and succulent. The mango worked perefectly with the duck. The cocktail was a twist on a negroni, with higher bitter notes and less sweet than expected the banana skin gel added a playful touch to the drink. A nice combination.
Intermezzo: A Time For Lime
Wintermelon, goji berry, calamansi kombucha
Calaman-Squeeze
Fermented calamansi, honey, seltzer
The sixth course was the palate cleansers, with the wintermelon treated how you would expect of a Chinese banquet dinner dessert, with the calamansi throughout both dish and drink. The fermented calamansi with its acidity both in the helped break up the meal right before the final dessert course.
Nightcap
Pineapple, soy sauce, red chilli padi
(C)loud & Clear
Wild Turkey 101 bourbon, diplomatic planas, Gonzalez pedro ximénez, salted caramel, oolong milk tea, citrus, matcha cloud
The seventh and final course of the night was Gen Penang’s take on a McDonald’s apple pie, but with a Malaysian twist. The dessert was a pineapple pie served with soy sauce and chilli padi, with the pineapple and soy being a Malaysian Chinese favourite for dessert. The course was paired with a cocktail that was both spirit forward, but umami forward at the same time. The meringue cloud added a nice texture that complemented the dessert well.
The Gen Penang x Reka:bar Experience
For those looking for experimental flavours, Gen Penang and Reka:bar both offer an experience that is quite rare, with an homage to local cultures and flavours without compromise on ingredients. One thing that this collaboration does is make you think… to think about our culture and how it can be honoured both on a plate and in a glass.
| PHOTOGRAPHY: NICHOLAS NG | WEBSITE: GEN PENANG & REKA:BAR |