Some Peranakan Food

Peranakan food were synonymous with Melaka. At the hotel we were staying, they had a restaurant called Seri Nyonya preparing just that. And for the first day, we had both lunch and dinner there. At my mother-in-law request no less.

We had the usual asam pedas and cencaluk, a local pickle-like condiment to be taken with rice made from shrimps. A local delicacy.

The food was fine, although being a hotel, it was on the pricey side. The ambience however was something else. The attention to detail at the outlet was commendable, from mugs to the flooring.

The front entrance

For lunch, we had a set menu of steamboat. We ordered a la carte for dinner. As usual, we overdid the ordering and was left with plenty to finishing in the end.

I was sure there were plenty of nearby restaurants who also did Peranakan food. But being located inside the hospital clearly made it more convenient. We didn't really feel like venturing out after the long afternoon and the possible rain outside.

More on this Melaka trip here.

Nyonya Sayang?

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 .....