A gourmand's heaven<\/p>\n
Dewi Anggraeni, The Jakarta Post, Malacca<\/p>\n
One of the pleasures experienced by visitors to Malacca is the
\nrichness of its local cuisine, linked with its cultural heritage.<\/p>\n
Most of the sidewalk cafes serve delicious and good value
\nmeals with fresh air and the world outside as their ambience.
\nRestaurants with inside dining also abound, some emphasizing the
\ncuisine itself, others a special atmosphere.<\/p>\n
In Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock, also known by its Dutch name,
\nHeeren Street, and its English nickname, the Millionaires' Row, a
\nrestaurant popular to international visitors, Restoran Peranakan,
\nnestles among homes of the Straits Chinese.<\/p>\n
Peranakan and Baba-Nyonya are alternative names for Straits
\nChinese in Malacca.<\/p>\n
Owned by Charlie Cam, himself a peranakan, the restaurant
\noffers Nyonya cuisine -- a blend of Malay and Chinese culinary
\ntraditions -- as well as some Western dishes. However there is a
\nclear focus on culture and a special ambience for the diners.<\/p>\n
From outside it is surprisingly unassuming. If you did not
\nlook up and see the signposts while walking past the place, you
\nwould not know that it was a restaurant. Unlike most restaurants
\nwhere diners are immediately visible when you look in, Restoran
\nPeranakan looks like the home of a wealthy Straits Chinese
\nfamily, who happen to keep their front door open.<\/p>\n
The front room is furnished with traditional Chinese furniture
\nwith rich intricate lace carvings. Photographs of ancestors adorn
\nthe walls, interspersed with beautifully gilded mirrors. Inside
\nthe spacious house, the tables are not crowded together. They are
\ninterspersed in such a way that you feel you have been invited to
\neat in a family home.<\/p>\n
This strategy has paid off, because every day up to 50
\nvisitors from Japan, Australia and various European countries
\narrive and discreetly step in, showing respect as if they were
\nentering a private home. The background music is subdued and the
\nchattering of the diners among the clattering of dishes and
\ncutlery far from overwhelming.<\/p>\n
It is open seven days a week, but only for lunches, between 11
\na.m. to 3:30 p.m. 'This is basically a residential street, so
\nthere is no business operating in the evening,' explained the
\nmanager.<\/p>\n
If you are not too concerned about the romance of dining and
\nprefer a Nyonya cuisine with more bite and definite flavor, you
\nmay want to try Restoran Nyonya Suan in Jalan PM3, Plaza Mahkota.
\nHere the chef does not bother to adjust his cooking to the tastes
\nof his diners; every dish is genuinely Nyonya, spicy and tangy.<\/p>\n
In Jalan Laksamana, one of the streets in the township's
\nhistoric belt where the road is paved, a pleasantly quaint
\nrestaurant, Kafe Loony Planet, is right at the entrance from the
\nnorth. It is a watering hole, eating place and Internet cafe all
\nat once.<\/p>\n
The name itself makes visitors, especially seasoned travelers,
\nassociate the place with the well-known publication Lonely
\nPlanet, which has become a primary reference for most of them.<\/p>\n
According to Anthony Vaz, one of the present owners, his
\npredecessor had chosen the name to establish that association.
\nThe Internet facilities are part of the plan.<\/p>\n
The clientele can be roughly divided into two streams in terms
\nof the different times of the year. 'We get visitors from Europe,
\nAmerica and Canada during the first half of the year, and from
\nAustralia during the second half. I think people want to escape
\nfrom cooler weather at home.'<\/p>\n
Throughout the year, however, visitors from other Southeast
\nAsian countries as well as locals also hang out there almost
\nevery night. The restaurant does open its doors to people who
\nonly want to have a drink and socialize. Apart from the Internet
\nfacilities, there are racks of old magazines, such as Time and
\nNewsweek as far back as the 1970s. On the walls are framed
\nclippings of news that in some way changed the world in the last
\n50 years.<\/p>\n
All that does not mean that the management of Kafe Looney
\nPlanet pay scant attention to their food. They offer authentic
\nlocal Portuguese cuisine as well as Western, Malaysian, and
\nJapanese dishes. Its Portuguese baked fish may remind diners of
\nIndonesia's pepes ikan, only hotter and spicier.<\/p>\n
Anthony, who also lectures in business administration, is
\nthere most of the time. The Indian-Chinese-descent owner
\nbelieves, the fact that the place retains the original ambience
\nof a pharmacy downstairs and living quarters upstairs has added
\nattraction to his restaurant. With up to 200 visitors darkening
\nits doorstep throughout the day, every day, he is probably right.<\/p>",
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