Nyonya cooking is peculiar only to the Chinese of Penang, Malacca and Singapore. In a nutshell, the Peranakan culture is itself a melding of two distinct groups, namely the Chinese who settled in Southeast Asia in the 19th century and the local Malays. Out of this intermixture came forth interesting customs and traditions hitherto non-existent. Much of Nyonya cooking is inspired by the rich spices of Malay cooking featuring local herbs and ingredients. However, in Penang, Nyonya cooking also has a very strong Thai influence, borrowing soury and fiery flare from their neighbouring country.
Their distinct curries and spiced salads like acar and kerabu are simply delicious. Typical Nyonya savoury dishes include otak-otak, ayam pongteh, devil's curry, tauyu bak, pai tee, assam pedas, kari kapitan, inche kabin, roti babi, babi chin, kangkung belacan, assam laksa, laksa lemak, ayam buah keluak masak assam, geram asam and itik tim. Nyonya desserts and cakes are also hot favourites.
Cendol/Chendul
Cendol is a favourite dessert among locals. It is easily identified: green pandan-flavoured noodles, kidney beans in white coconut milk with palm sugar. Sweet heavenly stuff – super cheap and ultra good.
For good cendol (in no particular order): Teochew Chendul off Penang Road, Gurney Drive Hawker Centre, Taman Free School food court and Lorong Selamat coffee shop.
Laksa
Penang laksa is extremely popular, especially among locals for its wonderful balance of spicy, sweet and sour flavours. This is strictly a hawker treat, as one is unlikely to find great laksa in a fancy restaurant. It is basically made out of coarse rice noodles in a sour fish in assam-base gravy, plus a robust combo of onions, sliced chilli, cucumber, pineapple and bunga kantan (ginger buds); topped with a swirl of thick, black shrimp paste sauce. There is also an alternative variant called Siam laksa, which has a coconut milk-based soup instead of assam (tamarind).
Available at most hawker centres in Penang. For delicious laksa (in no particular order), try:
Loh bak
Loh bak is a pork roll wrapped with bean curd skin and deep-fried until crispy. The filling includes strips of pork marinated in five-spice powder and various ingredients such as water chestnuts, jicama, carrot and onions. Loh bak is available at most hawker centres throughout Penang. Alongside loh bak, you would be happy to find other companions on offer too such as prawn fritters, spring rolls, fish fritters, fried bean curd, baby octopus as well as century eggs with pickled ginger. Select what you fancy and a plate of these scrumptious delights would be served with sides of freshly cut cucumber and starchy soy-flavoured and chilli dipping sauces.
For the best loh bak in town (in no particular order):
Nyonya kuih
Nyonya kuih include a wide selection of colourful, dainty bites such as angku, bee koh, kuih talam, kow chan kuih, seri muka, pulau tai tai, abuk abuk, onde onde, kuih kosui, pulut inti, rempah udang, kuih tayap, kuih koci and kuih bengka.
For the best Nyonya kuih in town (in no particular order):
Nyonya dishes
Must try Nyonya dishes are kiam chye boay, joo hoo char, otak-otak, sambal boreng, acar awak, perut ikan, asam prawn, asam pedas, nasi ulam, kerabu beehoon, kerabu kacang botol and curry kapitan.
To sample some of the best Nyonya dishes in town, try these restaurants:
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Written and photographed by Adrian Cheah © All rights reserved
Updated: 23 December 2022
Sifu Nyonya Cuisine, located at Jalan Pintal Tali, offers an authentic Nyonya dining experience. At the culinary helm of the restaurant is 71-year-old Madam Beh Geok Wah, whose culinary prowess is showcased through a menu featuring over 40 dishes. Some recipes are cherished heirlooms passed down through generations, ensuring that the essence of Nyonya cooking is preserved with every flavourful bite.
"Perhaps imagination is only intelligence having fun" – George Scialabba
The "love letter", more commonly known as kuih kapit (a paper-thin crispy, fan-shaped biscuit), is an essential feature during Chinese New Year. However, when a classic item like kuih kapit becomes deeply entrenched in tradition, introducing a daring innovation to reinvent it can evoke mixed reactions – either embraced with enthusiasm for its novelty or met with scepticism and disapproval.
A rendezvous with friends should always set the stage for a fun-filled outing. However, as true-blue Penangites, our palates demand nothing less than something seriously ho-chiak (delicious in Hokkien), the kind that commands attention above all else. This must be closely followed by the thrifty wisdom of value for money. Moreover, if an attractive ambience is coupled with warm friendly service, the escapade would indeed be a memorable one. Lotuss Nyonya Kitchen, located in the heart of George Town, seems to have it all.
Born into a Chinese Peranakan family, I often find my culinary cravings leaning towards other cuisines – whether it is Chinese, Thai, Italian, Japanese, Vietnamese, Continental, Mexican, Indian or Malay – when dining out, unless I am hosting guests from abroad who crave for Nyonya cuisine. Sometimes when time allows, I will gladly roll up my sleeves and prepare a Nyonya feast to ensure that they depart Penang with a lasting impression of the vibrant and unique flavours that define Nyonya cuisine.
In Malay, “bubur” means “porridge”. As "cha cha" is a homophonic with the Hokkien "che che" (meaning "abundance"), it is a dish synonymous with unity and happiness in abundance. Although there are various theories, there is no one definitive consensus on its origin or what the name of the dish actually means.
I truly believe that if one desires to live a purpose driven life, one has to wear one's heart on one's sleeve and allow passion to fuel the journey. One such brave man I know is Richard Rivalee, always smiling and bubbling with gaiety.
Penang is synonymous with Nyonya cuisine and many locals would have Chinese Peranakan parentage. This means they would have tasted exquisite Nyonya cooking prepared by their grandmothers, mothers and aunties, and for some, even uncles. With this in mind, it would be quite impossible to please their palate simply because they would always compare similar dishes served elsewhere to those prepared at home. Any Nyonya restaurants that intends to out-gun grandma's recipes would be engaged in a challenging endeavour.
When it comes to good food, the only one you have to really satisfy is yourself. When it comes to cooking (without deviating too far from the recipe), you can add whatever you like to your dish and omit all the ingredients that do not tickle your taste buds.
Seri Muka (literally means "radiant face" in Malay) or Kuih Salat is a dainty sweet cake that consists of two layers. The base is made from glutinous rice which is topped with a green custard layer, scented and coloured with pandan juice. Santan (coconut milk) is a key ingredient as it imparts the “lemak” (rich) taste to the glutinous rice as well as the custard layer.
Kuih Talam, a classic Nyonya cake, is still popular in Penang today. Its two signature colours are green and white. The sweetened green base layer is perfumed with pandan (screw pine) juice while the top white layer has a "lemak" (rich) indulgence of santan (coconut milk) that is mildly salty. It is dangerously addictive and a slice is never enough. Maybe that is why nowadays, Kuih Talam is cut and packed in two or three pieces. I also notice that the pieces are much smaller than what they used to be when I was growing up.
In Penang, Bee Koh Moy (Hokkien for black glutinous rice porridge, Bubur Pulut Hitam in Malay) is often served topped with fresh coconut milk. The yin-yang-looking combination of mildly sweetened black rice porridge drizzled with a slightly salty creamy white coconut milk sauce is a scrumptious treat. The rich and creamy dish, perfumed with aromatic pandan (screw pine) leaves, can be served warm or chilled. This offering is usually enjoyed for breakfast, at tea time or as a dessert after a meal; it is best savoured in small portions as it is hearty and filling.
“Jiu hu” is Hokkien for “cuttlefish” and “char” means “fry”. Thus, Jiu Hu Char means “fried cuttlefish”. Although the shredded cuttlefish is the star ingredient (providing a potent umami flavour), there is more in that dish than just cuttlefish. The ingredients for this popular Nyonya offering consist of jiu hu si (dried shredded cuttlefish), yambean, carrots, cabbage, pork belly, mushrooms, onions and garlic.