Peninsula

Address:
2608 Nicollet Ave., Mpls., 612-871-8282, peninsulamalaysiancuisine.com

The Scene
Virtually every evening of the week, Peninsula Malaysian Cuisine is packed until the wee hours with a boisterous, melting-pot crowd hungering for their own particular favorites among the Chinese-, Thai-, and Indian-influenced Malay dishes featured at this stylish newcomer. In contrast to many of its nearby hole in the wall competitors, Peninsula serves up ambition and flair. From a spacious, open-to-view kitchen gleaming with acres of stainless steel to the large, sturdy wooden tables to the indigenous sarongs wrapped around the wait staff, it’s clear that a lot of thought has been paid not just to the food, but to the entire dining experience.

Our Take
If you enjoy the adventure of dining, Peninsula should vault right to the top of your must-try list. The food is unique and bursting with flavor. When a menu has more than 100 items, the outcome is expectedly hit and miss, but that’s part of the fun. For example, many Malaysian dishes incorporate belacan, a pungent, decidedly controversial fermented, ground-shrimp-paste seasoning. I thought it tasted great on traditional fried fish, but not everyone at the table agreed. Dishes with universal appeal included the roti canai, light pancake appetizers that can be ordered accompanied by a curried potato and dipping sauce or stuffed with an egg, onion, and green chili mixture; peanut-sauced satays marinated at length and grilled over an open fire; rendang, succulent, rich, complex, slow-cooked Malaysian curries; and Indian-style spicy chicken flavored with dried chili paste, curry leaves, and onions. The wait staff is young and eager, but they and the kitchen are stretched pretty thin due to the early crowds. Until everyone gets up to speed, pacing is likely to remain problematic. My advice: Don’t order food until your drinks arrive, and after that, order courses in stages.

Westward Ho!
The three principals involved in Peninsula first came together several years ago at Chicago’s Penang—a highly regarded, multi-unit chain. In 2004, they were lured to Eau Claire to start a place of their own called “Pinang.” It became such a hit with members of the Twin Cities’ Malaysian community that groups of diners were making the three-hour roundtrip drive weekly. Ultimately, a group of Twin Cities investors made a relocation offer that couldn’t be refused. Wisconsin’s loss is definitely Minnesota’s gain.