GEORGE TOWN, March 7 — The Poulet Rôti, its skin blistered and ambered, taut as parchment and faintly crackling, is a marvel.
Here, the kitchen opts for kampung chicken – a bird with more sinew and spirit. The flesh is gently firm, its flavour clean and faintly grassy.
A mound of truffle pilaf: each distinct grain light and fluffy. A spoonful of house-made peri-peri, vinegar-bright and fiery with crushed chillies.
Beton Dining’s co-founders Benny Aun (left) and Chef Jeff Ong (right). — Picture courtesy of Beton Dining
Taken together, the plate feels like the ultimate soul food – crisp skin and savoury meat, earthy rice and a sudden flare of heat – all playing delectably against one another.
Which might come as a surprise, then, that this is the signature dish at Beton Dining, a restaurant specialising in modern French cuisine and located within a boutique hotel in Penang’s George Town.
The restaurant is steered by co-founders Benny Aun and Chef Jeff Ong, whose professional trajectories intersected long before they ever shook hands.
Braised Beef Cheek. — Picture courtesy of Beton Dining
At 18, Benny left Malaysia for Singapore, where he rose through the ranks to become Operations Assistant Manager at Bistro Du Vin and Élan under Les Amis Group. He also trained at Gunther’s, where he was immersed in what he describes as traditional, old-school French hospitality standards.
Across town, Jeff was honing his craft under Chef Allen of Saveur and later with Chef Tyler Lai of Claudine in Singapore. His cooking today reflects that approach – methodical, restrained, focused on flavour developed patiently rather than rushed.
Benny recalls, “Ironically, while I was training at Gunther’s, Jeff was working at Saveur, which was just opposite us. At that time, we did not know each other and never met. Years later, our paths finally crossed in Penang.”
Egg on Toast (left). Finishing touches (right). — Picture courtesy of Beton Dining
In November 2023, Jeff opened Kool Kongsi Dining, a compact 540-square-foot restaurant with nine tightly arranged tables and an open kitchen. The concept was pared back: a one-page menu, no wine list and a straightforward service style where dishes moved directly from pass to table.
The following February, Benny came on board. He recalls their immediate synergy: “Although our cultures and experiences were different, we complemented each other. Jeff brought creativity, technical execution and focus to the kitchen. I brought operational systems, hospitality style and beverage direction to the floor.”
Soon, they decided to recalibrate. They revisited the menu, wine curation, table layout, workflow and overall hospitality style. There was no formal blueprint. “It was built from experience, instinct and shared belief,” Benny says.
Bone Marrow and Escargot. — Picture courtesy of Beton Dining
A couple of months later, on April 1, 2024, Beton was born. And what of the name?
“Béton” is the French word for concrete, Benny shares, which “represents something raw, honest and grounded.”
In French slang, béton can also suggest something solid or dependable. Benny explains, “For us, it symbolises the standard we want to maintain – the consistency in food quality, service flow and guest experience.”
Beton does not attempt to recreate a Parisian dining room wholesale. Instead, it occupies the middle ground between tradition and contemporary. Consider this a modern French table; bistro cooking that feels at ease in Penang.
For those navigating the menu for the first time, Benny suggests a few dishes that articulate the kitchen’s sensibility.
The Braised Beef Cheek remains close to his heart. Instead of mashed potatoes, the kitchen pairs the slow-cooked beef – prepared with red wine, carrot and jus – with barley.
“The barley provides a different mouthfeel and complements the slow-cooked beef,” Benny explains. It is, he adds, a reflection of Jeff’s “deep, patient, flavour-driven cooking.”
Modern French cuisine within a boutique hotel setting. — Picture courtesy of Beton Dining
The Egg On Toast, inspired by the croque Madame, is layered with béchamel, a free-range egg, red wine and caviar. Benny notes, “I prefer the outer layer of the toast to be slightly crisp while keeping the inside soft to create a contrast in texture.”
Then there is the Bone Marrow and Escargot. Benny says, “I personally like to scoop the marrow and place it on top of the bread together with the marinated escargot and tomato. The tomato adds a mild natural sweetness that balances the richness of the marrow.”
Operating within a boutique hotel setting brought its own considerations. Branding, spatial constraints and operational flow had to align. Jeff established discipline in the kitchen while Benny shaped the cadence of service and the wine programme.
Benny says, “For both Jeff and myself, the development of Beton Dining is a continuous learning process. While we maintain a consistent concept, we believe in gradual refinement and evolution as part of improving the dining experience.”
Benny shaped the wine programme. — Picture courtesy of Beton Dining
In an industry often enamoured with novelty and the latest viral food trends, Beton’s steady ambition feels both more fluid yet also structured than what one might expect.
Concrete, after all, is rarely glamorous. But when properly laid, it holds everything else in place.
Beton Dining
61, Jalan Argyll,
George Town, Penang.
Phone: 012-438 0161
