PUTERI HANG LI POH: BABA CUISINE AT KENNY'S

Hello, Selamat Datang . . . . We went to the above restaurant for dinner just now, serving the traditional Straits-born (Baba-Nyonya) cuisine. Such a happy place, well lighted and cheerful with a pleasant environment.

I simply had to pose with this 'Bibik Nyonya' at the door!

We were greeted and entertained by a very pleasant person, Mr. Kenny Chan, the co-owner as well as the Master Chef. Kenny is very popular amongst the Malaccans especially when he appears as 'Bibik Nyonya Kim Neo' like the photo above. You know he has been on TV and acted in many plays about the 'Baba and Nyonya'. So naturally, I felt like I've known him for years! Furthermore he is a true blue Malaccan like me and we discovered we were born in the same maternity clinic in Heeren Street (the hub of the Straits-born) albeit me a few years before him. And we got talking in the Baba Melaka lingo interlaced with a lot of laughter, that is, until the food we ordered arrived.

Here's Kenny sans his Bibik Nyonya costume with me and sis.

The food was delicious. We had fish in chilli, chicken poh teh, prawns in sambal petai, bean-curd with manggo strips, omellette, and fried ladies finger. All prepared in Baba Nyonya style. But my favourite was dessert - yes, dessert is my weekness. I had 'Bubur Tai-bak' - it's a traditional Nyonya dessert, strips of red and white rice noodles (like cendol), with lychees and red beans in clear syrup. The rest of the clan had cendol in thick coconut syrup.

The fish was cut into small pieces by the waitress before I could snap a picture.