The Peranakans are, perhaps, the most enigmatic of all communities in this kaleidoscopic multi-cultural cauldron that is Penang.
Unique to the former British Straits Settlements of Malacca, Penang, and Singapore, the Peranakan community descended from predominantly Hokkien settlers who had been journeying to Southeast Asia for centuries. Back in the 9th century, Quanzhou in Fujian was China’s main trading port and gateway to the world, with Arab and Persian merchants residing there. Consequently, the Hokkiens became seafaring traders themselves, sailing to places that will one day become modern-day Indochina, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
Their inter-marriages with local natives resulted to a hybrid community called “Peranakans”, loosely translated as “local-born”. By the 19th century, the British colonialists in Malaya found the Peranakans to be ideal business partners — they are a multi-lingual, cosmopolitan community that could act as intermediaries with the local natives, yet retaining the industriousness and business acumen of their Chinese forefathers.
The Peranakans are among the first settlers in Penang after its founding by Captain Francis Light in 1786. Today, vestiges of their grandeur from a bygone era can be seen everywhere in George Town, Penang’s compact, atmospheric state capital.
Here's where to go in Penang for a quick weekend immersion in Peranakan culture!
Any walk along a Peranakan heritage trail has to start at the opulent, well-stocked Pinang Peranakan Mansion. The Peranakans’ Golden Age was between the 1820s to the 1920s, a period when they were an elite class that maintained close working relationships with the British colonials. Consequently, the Peranakans built their grand mansions to emulate the stately manors of English aristocracy, stocking them with beautiful European artworks, sculptures, Ming porcelain, and fine china.
Another must-visit is the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, also known as The Blue Mansion — beautifully restored, with its striking blue walls. It’s been used as a setting in quite a few movies: amongst them, Catherine Deneuve’s “Indochine” and most recently, “Crazy Rich Asians”.
The traditional wear of the Nyonyas are the resplendent, beautifully-embroidered kebayas with matching sarongs and beaded shoes. For short-term visitors, one can buy these off the rack at boutiques like Anya Kebaya in Island Glades or Country Fair Boutique in Prangin Mall.
The food of the Peranakans is known as Nyonya cuisine, as their womenfolk are known as Nyonyas, and the kitchen is regarded as a woman’s domain. Penang’s Nyonya cuisine is complex and labour-intensive, harking back to the days when the womenfolk spent an inordinate amount of their time crafting beautiful dishes to impress their menfolk. Penang-Nyonya cuisine is a delicious fusion of Chinese, Malay, and Thai culinary influences — not to be missed on any visit to Penang!
One MICHELIN Star: High quality cooking, worth a stop!
Auntie Gaik Lean’s Old School Eatery
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The country’s first MICHELIN-Starred Nyonya restaurant is run by the larger-than-life Auntie Gaik Lean, a self-professed, die-hard Elvis Presley fan. The restaurant regularly hosts Malaysian sultans, industry leaders, and many a media celebrity. Her offerings run the gamut from delicate kueh pie tee pastry cups filled with shredded jicama, to her famous nasi ulam, a floral-herbal rice salad that looks as beautiful as it is delicious.
Bib Gourmand • Inspectors’ favourites for good value
Bibik’s Kitchen
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Bibik’s Kitchen is run by another iron lady-chef, sexagenarian Girlie Chua, who crafts tasty dishes like the refreshing rose apple kerabu salad, jiu hu char (braised shredded jicama with dried cuttlefish), and probably the tastiest chicken rendang in town.
Bib Gourmand • Inspectors’ favourites for good value
Moh Teng Pheow
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Perhaps the best Nyonya kueh (dessert) spot in Penang, if not the country. Here, a dazzling collection of multi-coloured Nyonya kuehs entice the diner: from blue-hued pulut taitai glutinous rice cakes topped with rich eggy kaya custard, to the delicate multi-layered kueh lapis. Everything looks too beautiful to eat.
Ceki
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Stepping into Ceki is like entering a Peranakan home of yore, replete with beautiful Nyonya-ware. Owner-chef, Francis Tee, carefully cooks all the dishes using heirloom recipes passed down by his wife Esther Tan’s grandmother. He produces some of the best gulai tumis (spicy-sour fish curry), tau yu bak (soy-braised pork belly), and sambal goreng (prawns and cashews in coconut cream) in town.
Kebaya
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Kebaya, the brainchild of Chris Ong, owner of George Town Heritage Hotels, shows the possibilities of an ever-evolving Penang-Nyonya cuisine. Head chef, Zachary Choong, incorporates Indo-Chinese and other culinary influences to produce luscious dishes like smoked beef rendang, 48-hour sous vide Hong Bak lamb-shank, and Madeira vine leaves masak lemak.
Seven Terraces, the boutique hotel which houses Kebaya, has 18 beautiful Peranakan-themed suites, exquisitely furnished with genuine Peranakan antiques and Nyonya-ware.
The Peranakans possess a certain joie de vivre in their approach to life — an ode to a bon vivant culture that encapsulates Penang’s irresistible charm throughout its existence. You will leave with rejuvenated senses, and the feeling that, as Roberto Benigni postulates, life is beautiful.
All images are from Shutterstock
