Nyonya Dishes
Peranakan or Nyonya food is quite possibly the original fusion food of this country, if not the region. The intermarriage of Chinese traders and local Malays in the colonial days has produced a vibrant, unique culture and cuisine, where both Chinese and Malay cooking techniques, flavours and ingredients are intermixed, thus creating a cuisine that is complex in execution and robust in flavours. When you need to get your fix of pai tee, inchi kabin (Nyonya fried chicken) or ayam buah keluak, head to these top Nyonya restaurants in Petaling Jaya and Kuala Lumpur.
The Nyonya food that you can find in Kuala Lumpur comes from Malacca's rich Peranakan culture. The Nyonya style of cooking is the result of a fusion between Chinese and Malay ingredients and recipes, the result of Chinese traders in the past settling in Malacca and adopting the Malay way of living.
Malaccan Nyonya food is also distinct from Penang Nyonya food, where it can also be found. Favouring more spices and coconut milk, the result is a sweeter blend of cooking with a fiery tinge. In comparison, Penang Nyonya food favours a more practical style of cooking, employing simpler ingredients with a helping of 'Belacan' (Black prawn paste). Malaccan dishes are definitely cooked up with more time in the kitchen, the women taking great pride in their wok.