5 Best Peranakan restaurants in Kuala Lumpur

Traditional Tastes: 5 Best Peranakan restaurants in Kuala Lumpur

Sarah Khan

03 Nov 2016

updated the 17 November 2016 à 14:47

1/5
Limapulo: Baba Can Cook
This pork-free restaurant dishes up award-winning, affordable Nyonya Baba cuisine in a slightly nostalgically kampung interior.
The restaurant serves dishes from authentic, generations-passed Nyonya recipes - this ensures a truly a delectable Peranakan cuisine experience for diners. Among their menu selection are must-try dishes like the hearty bowl of creamy Nonya Laksa (RM9.90) and Ayam Berempah. The Ayam Berempah (RM9.90), in particular, is a delicious, creamy chicken curry dish with a perfect balance of spice and rich flavour, and comes with a side of greens, rice, and egg. We fully understand why this place has customers returning and raving about its food.
50 Jalan Doraisamy, 50300 Kuala Lumpur
Photo: Limapulo: Baba Can Cook (Facebook)
2/5
Little Heritage House
If you want to feel like you've stepped into a real nyonya baba home, Little Heritage House is the place for you. Distinctly standing out from its neighbours with their more contemporary designs, Little Heritage House is decked out like the opulent homes of the Babas and Nyonyas, with an aesthetic reminsicent of the classic Melaka Nyonya shophouses.

True to Peranakan style, this halal eatery is generous with its portions. You can start with the fried popiah as an appetizer and opt for the Assam Tumis (you can choose the fish you'd like to go along with it) or Nasi Ulam for the mains. You can't go to a Peranakan restaurant and not have desserts, so definitely give the Pulut Hitam (RM5) and sago gula Melaka (RM8) a go!

No. 23, Jalan 17/56
Petaling Jaya, Malaysia

Photo: Little Heritage House
3/5
The Tranquerah
This restaurant maintains a legacy of great Nyonya recipes passed through generations (from an actual Malaccan Peranakan family) and does the cuisine utmost justice.
Give the Ayam Buah Keluak a try - the skills of a Peranakan cook are measured using this formidable dish as a yardstick, and not many Peranakan eateries serve this dish. The restaurant also has a great ambience and is filled with striking antique paraphernalia in a modern space.
This pork-free eatery definitely succeeds in bringing the zesty flavours of Malaccan Peranakan food to Kuala Lumpur and is a definite must-try for those seeking authentic Baba Nyonya fare.
LG 09, Lower Ground Floor GLO, 699, Jalan Damansara, No 699, Jalan Damansara, 60000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Photo: The Tranquerah
4/5
Straits Food Company
This casual, unpretentious eatery serves up great Nyonya food without the high food prices characteristic of the Bangsar area.
Its side dishes and main dishes do not disappoint; its Nyonya Laksa (RM7) is a delicious dish consisting of a light, well-flavoured coconut milk gravy tossed with shrimp, fishballs and cockles. Another must-try is the Curry Chicken, an unassuming bowl of hearty chicken, potato and gravy that is incredibly savoury. The eatery only dishes up one dessert - Cendol (RM5) - but boy, is it a good one. Chilled, smooth and milky, it is the perfect end to your Peranakan meal.
2 Jalan Abdullah, Off Jalan Bangsar, Bangsar Utama
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Photo: Straits Food Company (Facebook)
5/5
Old China Cafe
Once a cultural guild hall, this restaurant is now a popular stopover for tourists seeking a taste of Straits Chinese and Malay food. The restaurant has a vibrant gallery illustrating the lives of Peranakan settlers all the way back in 1857, and makes for an interesting lesson into a slice of Malaysian history.
While most Peranakan eateries serve either Northern or Southern cuisines, the Old China Cafe includes a comprehensive menu of both. Some of its must-try dishes include the Kari Kapitan Chicken, Beef Rendang and Fish Head Curry.
11 Jalan Balai Polis, Kuala Lumpur
Photo: Old China Cafe (Facebook)

Craving a spot of Peranakan cuisine? Check out our top 5 picks of Baba Nyonya food right here in Kuala Lumpur!

Peranakan, or Nyonya, food is arguably Malaysia’s and the region’s original fusion food. The intermarrying of Chinese traders and local Malays during the colonial period has produced a vibrant, unique culture distinctive from either of its derivative cultures. The resultant Peranakan cuisine is a harmony of the best of both Malay and Chinese cuisine, and includes much-loved dishes like Nyonya Laksa and Ayam Buah Keluak, a dish deemed formidable even by the most esteemed of Peranakan cooks.

Much like Indian cuisine, there are distinct regional differences between Nyonya food in the north compared to the south. The strong Thai influences in the north lends more tangy and sour accents to its food, resulting in dishes like the Penang assam laksa. Southern Nyonya cuisine, on the other hand, bears stronger Indonesian influences and is sweeter and richer in taste due to the use of coconut milk and Malay spices. Think of the popular Ayam Buah Keluak dish in Malacca, for one.

While some people fervently believe that the best Nyonya food can only be found in a Peranakan home, we beg to differ. You don’t have to head to Malacca to get a spot of great, authentic Baba Nyonya food; we have found some great spots right here in Kuala Lumpur that does this cuisine justice! Head up to our gallery above to check out our 5 favourite spots in KL for you to get a taste of this one-of-a-kind cuisine.

Sarah Khan

Serious Wanderlust: 10 Things to do in Malacca

Top 5 Middle Eastern restaurants in Kuala Lumpur you must try

Our pick of exciting events from November 3

Horoscope Predictions: From 5 to 11 November

Traditional Tastes: 5 Best Peranakan restaurants in Kuala Lumpur

Read More:

React to this post Cancel reply