Peranakan food is one of those myth that been floating around when you visit either Penang or Melaka. This is especially so among our Singaporean visitors whose eyes begin to lit with the mention of Peranakan food. It is supposed to be a fusion of old Chinese and local Malay cuisine, creating a eclectic mix of the exotic. Or so we thought.
Peranakan is an endearing term of the Baba and Nyonyas, assimilated Chinese who came and settled in Tanah Melayu during the Sultanate times. A romantic era, and they live by their adopted custom. Some of them can't even speak a word of Mandarin and could be seen in sarong and kebaya. They also often speak pristine Malay. Our original "Malaysia as the Second Home" initiative I supposed.
So one to expect something magical when it comes to their food. But unfortunately, over the years, the Peranakan cuisine had been exploited. We were dined at one such restaurant in Bandar Melaka last weekend, Nyonya Sayang. It was so bad that one of our Singaporean colleague actually stood up and proclaimed, "this is not food". Rather hatch but I must say that I agree with him. The food was poor. We should have suspected it upon seeing how deserted the restaurant was when our bus arrived.
One of these days, I should really look around for a real Peranakan meal. Maybe then, I might appreciate what the fuss is all about .....
In the meantime, avoid Nyonya Sayang at all cost .....
