![Chef Andre Chiang stands against a red and green-patterned wall, tightening his white apron straps while looking to camera.](https://img.belmond.com/f_auto/t_320x399/photos/eoe/eoe-stf-chef-andre-chiang03.jpg)
Breaking Bread with Chef André Chiang
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READ THE STORY Breaking Bread with Chef André ChiangIn our second Belmond and Apartamento book, ‘Penang: Recipes & Wanderings Around an Island in Malaysia’, we disembark in Georgetown along with acclaimed chef André Chiang. Among his storied anecdotes and rich lessons on local cultures, the Taiwan-born culinary curator of the Eastern & Oriental Express tells us all about a staple of Malaysian cuisine – the duck curry dish.
“Taking its name from Penang, it is arguably one of the most famous curries in the world, featured on menus across the globe. The island’s diverse cultural history is reflected in this dish as it combines Thai culinary techniques and aromatics and spices from Malaysia with Chinese roast duck. The sweet fruit marries with the rich, roasted duck, creating a curry that is quick and easy to make but that tastes like it took hours to create.” — André Chiang, culinary curator of Eastern & Oriental Express, A Belmond Train, Southeast Asia
Step 1 / 6
Make the Penang curry paste in a blender or mortar and pestle, combining all the curry paste ingredients. Blend or pound until a smooth paste has formed.
Step 2 / 6
For the curry, heat the vegetable oil in a wok or in a deep pan over medium heat. Add 1–2 tbsp of the Penang curry paste (depending on how strong you like it) and sauté for about 2–3 minutes until fragrant.
Step 3 / 6
Slowly pour in the coconut milk, stirring constantly, and bring to a simmer. Cook the curry until it’s reduced slightly, for about 10 minutes, before adding the roast duck to the pan.
Step 4 / 6
Add the fruit and vegetables according to their cooking time (e.g. baby corn first and peppers later). Add the fish sauce and palm sugar, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Toss in the torn kaffir lime leaves for a burst of citrus flavour.
Step 5 / 6
Taste the curry and adjust seasoning as needed—add more fish sauce for saltiness, and more sugar for sweetness.
Step 6 / 6
Serve the Penang duck curry hot, garnished with Thai basil leaves and red chilli.
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READ THE STORY Breaking Bread with Chef André ChiangDISCOVER THE TRAIN
DISCOVER THE TRAIN EXPLORE THE EASTERN & ORIENTAL EXPRESS - Opens in a new windowFrom April to October 2025, our iconic train reunites with star chefs Theo Randall, Atul Kochhar, Phil Howard and Andrew Wong for the relaunch of the Celebrity Chef Dinners series. Today, join our special guests to find out what modern British food means to them and how together, we celebrate the diversity of Britain’s culinary scene.
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Chef André Chiang has opened nine restaurants around the world, including the two Michelin star restaurant RAW in Taipei. Here he steps out from the kitchen and into the vibrant hawker markets of Penang with his version of an oyster omelette, from ‘Penang: Recipes & Wanderings Around an Island in Malaysia’, Belmond’s new cookbook with Apartamento.