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On a hot summer day in 1998, my friend Alex Long took me to Penang in Chinatown, the city’s first Malaysian restaurant. I had never tasted this cuisine and was happy Alex, who is well-versed in Asian fare, asked me to go.
The restaurant was overwhelming, with more than 300 dishes on the menu, and it was so noisy Alex and I could barely hear each other. I recall, however, the food being tasty with Indian and Thai influences.
When I heard the new Malaysian eatery, Aqua, opened five months ago, I wanted to try it. Owner Jimmy Tran hired Malaysian-born chef Lon Poon, who helped open Penang. I hoped Aqua’s menu would be smaller and Mom, Edward and I would be able to carry on a conversation.
Tran took a former jewelry store and fashioned it into a pretty, bi-level BYOB. Roomy banquettes line the front of a long dining room, which ends in a waterfall and leads to a private area.
To my delightful surprise, the menu was divided into easy-to-read sections and each dish was described. It was large but manageable. Since spice gives Malaysian food its pep, we brought a bottle of Prosecco, Italy’s famous sparkling wine. I enjoy Champagne with spicy food, but beer or any dry white wine goes well, too.
Colder weather had finally arrived so we began with wonton soup ($7.95) for three. It arrived in a large, white oval tureen so we could serve ourselves. My wonton-soup barometer is the version served at Sang Kee on Ninth Street and Poon’s was just as fine. The wontons were thin sheets of egg-noodle dough fashioned into begger’s purses. Tucked inside each of the eight dumplings was a small ball of spiced-just-right pork. The broth was rich and not a bit salty. We liked the Asian green convolus, which are akin to broccoli rabe, in place of the usual sliced scallions.
Next up were rice net spring rolls ($6.75). Wrappers made from glass noodles were filled with shrimp and crab, then rolled in taro root before being quickly fried. They were crunchy and we had fun showing Mom how to dip them into the sweet plum sauce.
When dining in an Asian restaurant, we order as we go. The pace is perfect because we can enjoy one or two dishes at a time. I recommend this practice to savor each selection.
Since we enjoyed the greens in our soup, we wanted to sample another vegetable dish and ordered Malaysian eggplant in a shrimp paste sauce ($9.95). I have never tasted anything like this in an Asian restaurant. Poon achieved the right balance of sweet and spicy by cutting slender, lavender Japanese eggplant into thick matchsticks and tossing them with tender green beans and thinly sliced red and green peppers. The shrimp paste, which is used extensively in Asian cuisines, was made by grinding up salted, fermented shrimp and had a strong fishy flavor. Poon added a dash of soy, some lemongrass and spices and stir-fried the dish to perfection. The vegetables retained a bit of crunch, which we all liked.
If you love shrimp, go for the coconut jumbo prawns ($20.95). Remember how this dish was all the rage at catered affairs and cocktail parties during the ’80s and ’90s? These were totally different — and addictive. Good-sized shrimp were coated in a batter of melted butter and tapioca, fried and placed atop a large iceberg lettuce leaf filled with strands of coconut and basil leaves. Although we found them a little greasy, they were superb and I liked the fried coconut. Its natural sweetness married beautifully with the hint of salt and spice. The basil offered a fine contrast in taste.
The dessert list was limited, but I craved something sweet. Fried bananas with coconut ice cream ($4.95) was a treat. The fruit was dipped into a sesame batter and fried to a pretty orange-yellow. Mom and Edward don’t like coconut ice cream so I got to savor the entire scoop.
Aqua was doing fine business and Tran visited each table. There are a few changes he could make: The flimsy, white paper napkins should be replaced with linen ones and placemats and pretty china chopstick rests would make the dining experience better. Also, each dish should arrive with a serving spoon. In fact, four men who were enjoying their dinner next to us made the same request.
Two-and-a-half tips of the toque to Aqua.
Aqua
705 Chestnut St.
215-928-2838
Visa and MasterCard accepted
Open for lunch and dinner
Closed Sundays
