Kerabu Mee Hoon

One of the most delectable snacks to have in the afternoon is a plate of Kerabu Mee Hoon to spice up one's appetite.
This is a simple to make dish which one can easily whip up at home; provided that you have the recipe to make a great-tasting kerabu, which is a type of appetizing salad served from the Peranakan origins.
One of the best I have tried so far is still from this old man operating a small stall at the Padang Brown area; and he will usually only start his business from 2pm onwards.

Lok Lok or skewers of food dipped into the boiling water is one of the main attractions at this place, the little stall selling local and traditional cakes and this mee hoon is not one to be out shadowed as its customer base would gather on time to await the goodies when the time approaches.



Kerabu Meehoon; simply rice vermicelli fried with an assortment of spices and leaves to lend it that appetizing flavor and trust me, it will make you want more after that first bite.



I think I shall learn to make kerabu and see if I can make my very own version of this kerabu meehoon?

Flavorful Nyonya Delights

Nyonya food, or also known as Peranakan food, is a unique blend originating from the mix of the local Malaysian culture and the influences of the migrating Chinese and colonization.
There are two states in Malaysia which serves authentic yet uniquely diverse variety of the Peranakan food; and they are in Penang and Malacca.

Being a local favorite, the influence of the Peranakan/Nyonya food had spread throughout the country and it is not uncommon to find restaurants, cafes or eateries serving the cuisine around.

I was introduced to this little shack of a restaurant located in the Jusco Mahkota Cheras; Nyonya Delights, which serves simple Nyonya dishes from their humble kitchen.


The menu is simple, and only offers a limited variety of rice, noodles, desserts and kueh (cakes).
At one glance, it does not look like there is much to offer, but the food were not too bad.

Glutinous Black rice with coconut milk


The glutinous black rice is a favorite among many, as there is a smooth taste to the soup and also the grainy rice which is quite enticing with its aroma.
The coconut milk enhanced the taste by adding to the exotic flavor of the dessert.

Ice Kacang (MYR4.50) (Shaved ice with red beans and assorted condiments)



Cendol (MYR3.90)

Shaved ice served with gula melaka (brown palm sugar syrup), red beans and cendol (green strips made of rice flour)
This is also another favorite, but this is not as good as the others we have tried. Penang up north is definitely famous for this bowl of refreshing iced green color dessert (will post on it another time)

Mee Rebus (MYR6.90)

Boiled yellow noodles served with sour and spicy gravy made with potatoes and finely grounded nuts, served with half a boiled egg and lime to add to the zesty flavor.


Mee Goreng (MYR6.90)

Stir-fried noodles with chilies, served with sliced chicken and vegetables.

Nasi Lemak (MYR6.90)

This is one of Malaysian's local favorite, and is enjoyed at almost every meal. One of the popular breakfasts, it is usually made of fragrant rice cooked with coconut milk and served with spicy chili gravy with deep fried anchovies, hard boiled egg, and groundnuts.
In this version, they cooked the rice with a local blue flower to give the rice that light blue color and served with curry chicken drumstick on top of a banana leaf.

Nice and peaceful environment to enjoy our lunch, and reasonably priced yet tasty food sums up a great meal, don't you think?

Flavors of Peranakan from home

Peranakan cuisine, or more fondly known as Nyonya food, is always tantalizing to taste not to mention appetizing with its unique exotic and rich flavors.
Originating from the creative blend of Chinese and Malay and possibly other ethnicity, the cuisine is famous for its strong taste and aromatic scent.
It is no wonder, as the main ingredients or secrets to perfecting this cuisine are the spices (also known as rempah in Malay)

The Peranakan cuisine is uniquely found only in Asia; specifically only three places: Penang (Malaysia), Malacca (Malaysia), and Singapore.
Despite being home to the exotic cuisine, the tastes and style of cooking in all the three places are distinctly different.

The history of Peranakan cuisine dates back to the 17th century when the Malacca Sultanate pay homage to the mighty Chinese kingdom in China during the Ming Dynasty period. To strengthen the diplomatic ties between the two kingdoms, the Emperor of China married his daughter to the Sultan.
The arrival of Chinese on peninsular coast of Malaysia introduced many more inter-marriages; between the Chinese and the local Malays.
This, gives birth to the unique ethnic group known as the Peranakans.

It is easy to understand why the Peranakans are mostly clustered in the three places; Penang, Malacca and Singapore as the trio have one thing in common: international trading port thus making them the homeland of the Peranakans.

The mixed marriages also created the fusion of both Chinese and Malay cuisines, introducing the mixture of the use of exotic spices from both ethnicity.

If you ever land in Malaysia or Singapore, don't forget to try the Peranakan Cuisine.
I can recommend if you need any guide :)

This post features some of the common Peranakan food, and also homemade dishes.
These are dishes from home, with lots of love and no, I am not responsible for preparing these dishes.

Jiu Hu Char (Stir-fried jicama with cuttlefish)

Jicama is the main vegetable in this dish; also known locally as Mengkuang and may be accompanied by shredded carrots and cuttlefish.
In some versions, you may find minced pork meat in it too.
Variants of this dish could differ in the additional pork meat/chicken, and the use of soy sauce. Some could appear darker while some would be lighter; like the one shown above.
The Hokkiens in Penang also have their version which they call "Mengkuang char"
It is a matter of preference, and this is definitely the one dish to try when you attempt Nyonya food.

Kiam Chai Boey (Salted vegetables stew)

This is pretty much a mixed vegetables dish, or in the Hokkiens' version, leftover dishes all thrown into one with added salted vegetables in a sweet and sour soup.
It is a favorite among the Chinese/Nyonya during the Lunar New Year, as there will be lots of leftovers after the reunion dinner.
The stew is infused with tamarind juice, assam and dried red chilies to give it that spicy sweet and sour taste. Sometimes, fermented bean paste (tau Cheo) may be added in as well.
The salted vegetable is actually a preserved version of the green mustard vegetable, known as Kiam Chai. It does not matter if the fresh vegetable is used either.
This is definitely a favorite dish among the families, and appear on many menus in the restaurants as well.
This is something which you cannot find out of this place.

Assam Fish

This is a homemade version and the fish is marinated with tamarind sauce and fried.
It was quite tasty and appetizing as well, with its sourish taste.

This is another homemade recipe, and is like a fusion of assam curry and masak belanda of fish fillet.

The taste was simply amazing and it is just so appetizing that one could not have enough of it :)


I love Nyonya/Peranakan food, and I guess it just runs in the blood of the family due to the ethnicity of our forefathers (and mothers).
I promise that the Peranakan/Nyonya cuisine will be one of the most mesmerizing experiences with its savoury dishes.
Make it one of your must-do in your itinerary when you visit Malaysia, for an unforgettable food experience!~

Home-style Nyonya Food @ Donald & Lily's Corner, Malacca

Malacca is not only famed for her historical roots but also their local cuisines (which made sense why most go to Malacca for food trips).

One of the local cuisines unique to Malacca is the Peranakan cuisine.
Malacca is home to a myriad of mixed cultures as a result of intercultural marriages dating since the colonization period, creating its rich historical background.

Peranakan food is a unique type of cuisine originating from the Peranakan crowd which stemmed from the mixed marriage of the locals and the Chinese traders back then.
The unique and flavorful cuisine is found only in states of Penang, Malacca and also Singapore and yet the taste and style of the cuisines differ greatly due to the local influence and also the geographical location.
As time goes by, the Peranakan food is also fondly known as 'Nyonya food', probably due to the fact that the women (or known as Nyonyas) are the ones who prepare the food.

Malacca was fondly retained in my mind for the rich taste of the local Peranakan food, and I have been to a few restaurants serving the cuisine.
This time, my brother recommended a local shack run by a family; located at Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock and is within walking distance from the famous Jonker's Walk.



Judging from the huge crowd in such a small place, I was expecting good food indefinitely! =)


I heard that this place was really famed for the food, and it seemed to be really proven with the amazing patrons who were willing to queue up outside the shack and on the road, and in patience too for their turn to taste the homecooked food.

We were fortunate enough to be able to secure a place in a short while; and my brother did his job in the ordering and recommending of the dishes or what to eat here.
Since it was after 2pm when we sat down, some of the favorite dishes had run out by then.

While waiting for our food, we ordered their Nyonya Cendol as well


The cendol was nothing to shout about, as I believe that there are much better cendol in Malacca and elsewhere.
The Cendol was rather diluted and the taste was rather uneven as well.

Rojak was definitely new to me; as Donald & Lily's version of rojak looked like a plate of Yong Tau Foo to me!

It was one of the must-orders there as every table had it and I have to say, that I was never a Rojak fan due to the shrimp paste, but this Rojak won my heart (and tummy too!)

Perhaps it was also due to the generous amount of Tau Kua (beancurd), which tasted really nice and tender by the way, and also fishballs and fish paste that were included as the ingredients of the Rojak, which was priced at RM4.
The gravy was different from the usual shrimp paste, and there was chili paste (or at least that's what I thought) in it too, creating a slight exciting spicy taste too.

Mee Siam was also another recommended dish here; and I must say the mee hoon was really unique in its sourish and slightly spicy taste.


We wanted to order Ayam Pongteh too; which, according to my brother, was one of their best dishes but it ran out.
We ordered their Assam Fish instead; which was also running out fast too!

The Assam fish comes with white rice and a serving of the vegetables of the day


The place was really bustling with people, and it was amazing how the food was served quite immediately too. Perhaps it was also due to the favorite dishes and the frequency of the repetitive dishes ordered.

However, one word of caution; be careful of the pricing and the total amount in the bill as there could be disrepancies.
After all, they are humans too, and in busy times, they may tend to overlook or confuse between one group with another.
The best is to keep the check on your own tab =)

Donald & Lily's was definitely a unique experience for me during this trip to Malacca =)