oh{FISH}iee: Humble, Home-Cooked Nyonya Flavours in Malacca

30 August, 2016

Humble, Home-Cooked Nyonya Flavours in Malacca

My recent road trip to Malacca had brought my adventurous soul to explore the Nyonya flavours in town. Unfortunately many shops were closed on Wednesday, but luck was our side, and we managed to discover a homey place that serves real authentic Peranakan dishes.

Nyonya Taste Cuisine in Taman Kota Laksamana

The shopfront might look ordinary, but once we stepped into the restaurant, we were totally blown by the beautiful, time-forgotten paraphernalia that literally transported us back to the glorious Peranakan years.

Kueh Pai Tee

I was excited to begin my gastronomical experience here as the humble chef had prepared many interesting home-cooked Peranakan dishes for us. Everything from the sauce to the pastry here was handmade from scratch using traditional recipes passed down from one generation to another.

For instance, the Kuih Pai Tee featured a very crisp top hat shell that did not turn soggy despite of being generously filled with moist savoury turnip. The shallot crisps garnishing with a dollop of fiery red chilli sauce added a delicious kick to the spicy-sweet combination. So addictive!

Chicken - Garlic Fried Chicken

My personal favourite dish which kept me hooked is the marinated chicken tenders deep-fried with garlic cloves. Although I don't usually like the pungent garlicky stench, I was surprised that the garlic fried chicken actually exuded strong aroma of spice and savoury goodness. No hints of pungent smell at all! The overall dish was delicious and I loved it.

Pajelis Terung

If you love something milder, the blanched brinjal drenched in sweet curry gravy is great to go with a hot bowl of white rice. For the more adventurous palates, I'd recommend the Asam Fish dish laden with very rich, tangy tamarind-based sauce which was well-absorbed into the tender and moist fish.

Fish - Asam Empat Rasa

Pork - Hati Babi Bungkus

Next up was another "forgotten" Peranakan dish, as we seldom see it served in most restaurants nowadays because of the painstaking process of making the meatballs. The pork meat and liver were minced thoroughly, then wrapped in very thin layer of pig's caul (Pork membrane).

The texture reminded me of Chinese waxed sausage, but it was a softer and moist version. The flavour was very unique, and best paired with homemade fresh chilli sauce and steamed turnip slices. If you'd like to try this dish, advanced booking is required.

Omelette

Homemade Pineapple Tart

Ending our sumptuous feast, we also tried the homemade pineapple tart, a festive favourite pastry of mine. I enjoyed the light, crumbly and melt-in-your-mouth texture without being overly buttery for my liking. Plus, the pineapple paste was nicely done at the right level of sweetness.