Tropical Spice Garden hosted us at the recent Meet the Chef event during Penang International Food Fest 2017.
We sampled a beautiful Nyonya course dinner with a detailed narration of the culture and cuisine.
This privilege gave us a peek into the schooling of the Peranakan or Straits Chinese Nyonya daughter-in-law by the Matriarch.
Who is Nyonya Su Pei?
Nyonya Su Pei is the wife of the eldest son, Baba Jerry.
Su Pei, who was not born a Peranakan, had to endure the demanding and exacting principles that a Peranakan mother (the family’s Matriarch) would teach her daughter.
The common traits of a Nyonya are her fastidiousness about certain cultural practices and her pride in cooking and meticulous sewing.
When a Nyonya sews, she embroiders elaborate kebaya tops and intricately beaded slippers!
What is Nyonya Su Pei’s artisanal cuisine?
I find pride in the Peranakan culture in the kitchen.
The cuisine’s distinct complexity of taste is achieved by finding the perfect balance of flavor.
Nyonya food’s five tastes have notes of salty, sweet, sour, spicy, and fragrance and are beautifully layered.
Good flavoring is defined by good color, fresh ingredients, and bold flavors of crushed toasted spices.
Each process is traditionally made by hand and requires hours of laborious preparation.
The life of a Nyonya revolves around mastering these skill sets, where everything is homemade and handmade.
They spend hours using a mortar and pestle to pound, crush, and grind chillis, shallots, and spices for daily cooking.
Nyonya Su Pei prepares some ulam (herbs) for fine slicing. Photo: Jerry Kong
Let’s try the taste test!
Have you seen an old Nyonya eat?
She tastes a tiny morsel and rolls it around in her mouth, tasting the flavor with her tongue.
All Nyonyas are trained similarly; however, the cooking secrets lie with the Matriarch.
Only the favored Nyonya is taught the nuances and finer points of seasoning.
They can replicate traditional recipes accurately.
The dishes prepared by Nyonya Su Pei are comfort foods.
The dishes are simple staples that are eaten daily in a Peranakan family.
Unique dishes cooked for festivities and prayers are more complex and require days of preparation.
What is Kerabu Ong Lai?
Pineapple | Citrus | Chili | Pounded Spices | Herbs
The bright, colorful, and fragrant Nyonya pineapple salad has a fine balance of taste.
The Kerabu Ong Lai has the best mouth-watering color combo. Photo: Doris Lim
What is Huan Choo Heok Masak Lemak?
Sweet Potato | Potato Leaves | Coconut Milk | Spices
They cook the sweet potato cubes and leaves in a peppery, spicy rich, creamy Santan-based soup.
Sweet potato with leaves is cooked in a delicious soup with prawns and coconut milk. Photo: Jerry Kong
Assam Pelai is not Laksa Soup
Fish Stew | Sour | Spicy | Fruity
This hot, spicy soup is made with whole fish and has a spicy, sour, and peppery taste.
The aromatics in the Assam Pelai make a beautiful green garnish against the red sour tamarind-based fish soup. Photo: Jerry Kong
How does Nyonya Su Pei cook Gulai Kay?
Chicken | Potatoes | Coconut Milk | Spices
The mark of a great Gulai Kay is the layer of oil on top, which is achieved by slowly frying wet ground spices until the oil breaks.
A beautiful gulai has a thin layer of oil that usually separates in curries after the spices are fried. Photo: Doris Lim
Can we use glutinous rice to make Bee Koh Moy?
Black Glutinous Rice | Sugar | Coconut Milk
A sweet porridge dessert made with black glutinous rice, water, and sugar and topped with slightly salted thick coconut crème.
We cook the best glutinous porridge until the glutinous rice grains open like a flower. It is best served hot or cold, garnished with thick coconut milk. Photo: Jerry Kong
The Review of Nyonya Su Pei Private Dining
Nyonya Su Pei can replicate the authentic balance of taste honed from sheer hard work, patience, and fortitude.
We now celebrate her years in the kitchen with her diners’ big smiles and empty plates.
Alayws focuses on team effort; Nyonya Su Pei Private Dining, under the group Heritage Artisans, is the pride of Penang.
[Update 26 October 2022]
Travelers’ Choice 2022
Baba Jerry was the happiest when The Heritage Artisans were accorded Tripadvisor’s Travelers’ Choice 2022, putting Nyonya cuisine on the list of Penang’s must-visit restaurants.
Nyonya Su Pei Private Dining was ranked the #1 Restaurant in Penang and the #1 Fine Dining Restaurant in Penang.
Every year, Tripadvisor awards travelers’ favorite destinations, hotels, restaurants, and things to do worldwide based on reviews and ratings collected over the past 12 months.
Tripadvisor’s Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best winners are decided by real travelers who share honest opinions and stories.
[Update 25 February 2023]
Baba Jerry Kong inspired everyone who has had the privilege of knowing or working with him, and we are all devastated by his passing.
In a nutshell, Baba Jerry loved his heritage and wanted to share Nyonya cuisine with the world.
The uniquely superb cuisine was born from the marriage of Chinese ingredients and cooking techniques with species and native ingredients used by the indigenous Malay people.
Nyonya cuisine is typically aromatic and spicy and has ingredients reflecting its hybridized roots.
Indeed, Baba Jerry was a faithful guardian of the Nyonya cuisine.
He lived his best life passionately with the love of food he shared with many of us who met and loved him like a brother.
He was a friend to all.
Rest well, Baba Jerry.
Nyonya Su Pei Private Dining / Heritage Artisans
53 Jalan Padang Victoria, Penang, Malaysia.
Business hours: Reservation required.
Editorial discretion: The photos do not show all items in the Tasting Menu.
Blog Disclosure: This is a sponsored blog post, but all opinions are mine. Thank you, Nyonya Su Pei Private Dining, for the dinner invitation.
