Restoran Anak Nyonya (小娘惹) - Traditional Peranakan Cuisine@ Jonker Street, Malacca [Malaysia]

Many Singaporeans, including the Gang of Four, are familiar with the term "The Little Nyonya" (小娘惹), which was an immensely popular television serial in Singapore.

That was actually the main reason why we decided to have lunch at Restoran Anak Nyonya (which is translated as the little nyonya restaurant). I know. =_=||| right? Haha.

It could have been a bad decision but the sight of media articles about this place did help to reassure us that our worries could be unfounded.

Before i start with my review, i would like to notify all my readers that even though i love Peranakan desserts and their kuehs, i am not a fan of their main dishes. Why? Hm... let's just said it is a matter of personal preference. 

Pineapple Juice

A refreshing respite from the bloody hot weather! Doubt it was freshly blended as the flavour was exactly the same as those that came from canned pineapples.

Cincaluk Egg

I had this a few times in Singapore and never like it. This was the worst of the lot so far; in addition to failing for the lack in cincaluk (fermented shrimps) taste, it was also overloaded with salt!

Assam Fish

Chilli lovers would fall for the sour spiciness in the gravy yet i thought the consistency of the gravy could be a tad thicker which would have enabled the flavour to stay a bit longer in the mouth.

Chap Chye

When i first tried this a few years back, i could not help comparing it to the marvelicious stir fried cabbage with luncheon meat that my mom is renowned for. There is no doubt i still prefer her version. 

Fried Chicken Wings

Thinking that the marination would be uniquely different, we requested for two sets (the restaurant's minimum order). By the way, one set is equivalent to one whole wing. Why they use set instead of wing is a question that is beyond my rational comprehension. 

First thought; normal. Second thought: at least it is crispy. The third thought was something like "Eeeeee, the bone was black" which would have been an exaggeration on my part since i don't really care. 

Chicken Pong Teh

In its original form, it should be Babi Pong Teh and uses pork instead of chicken. 

Peculiarly, i prefer this chicken version; a sweet aftertaste kind of sealed its fate and it has that magical touch of a home-cooked stew. The Great Kon thought otherwise and opined (gosh, work related words) that his mom can cook a much better one!

I would have to wait for that chance to try Auntie Kon's Ayam Pong Teh! 

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Location

88 Jalan Tokong 

[near the end of Jonker Street]

Map

As above. 

Website

http://anaknyonya.blogspot.sg

Price

Pineapple Juice - RM 12 a jug

Cincaluk Egg - RM 7 (Small)

Assam Fish - RM 18 (Small)

Chap Chye - RM 9 (Small)

Fried Chicken Wings - RM 5 (a set)

Chicken Pong Teh - RM 10 (Small)

Menu

As above. 

Flaming Baked Alaska - A Different Dessert for Chinese Weddings @ Fairmont Singapore (费尔蒙特酒店)

People of my age are usually married and i have been through so many Chinese weddings; i can give a pretty good guess what auspicious dishes would be served on the round table. 

It is a 'fattening' affair loaded with food and drinks and i often avoid taking my weight after the banquet! To give non-Chinese a general idea, the number of courses in a typical Chinese wedding commonly hovers between 8 and 10 with 8 symbolising prosperity, 9 representing forever and 10 signifying perfectness.

The fact that they are frequently held at night speaks of even greater unease for a person who tries to cut down on heavy meals after 7pm! Whatever the case, my topic today is on a dessert i had in a Chinese wedding held at Fairmont hotel recently. 

Instead of all time favourites like yam paste, honeydew sago and red bean soup, guests were bewildered to find a cake placed on their tables. 

This was no normal cake; known as baked alaska, it is "a dessert made of ice cream placed in a pie dish lined with slices of sponge cake or Christmas pudding and topped with meringue" [taken from wikipedia].

We had one with a slight variance - it was first drenched with rum and then lit with fire! The blue jumping flames were delightful to watch even though at the same time, my table mates were worried to see the meringue getting more and more burnt! 

There's actually a term for this variant; Bombe Alaska. 

*does sound like i am committing an act of terrorism*

The Dutch Graveyard - Old but So Tiny! @ Malacca [Malaysia]

The original intention was to explore what was said to be the largest Chinese cemetery outside of China but as expected, the Gang of Four spent too much time on food!!! 

I had to make do with the Dutch graveyard located in the epicentre of Melaka's main area of attractions, where Jonker Street and the historical Stadthuys are located. 

Excitement kind of died down when i saw this; it might have a history spanning over three centuries yet the graveyard was only as big as four five-room flats in Singapore! 

Yes yes yes, there was generally no conformity in design and shape for the graves and tombs; usually an attractive reason for me to visit the cemeteries. However, having everything painted in white was a visual boredom. 

Just to show you a few tombs to prove my point. 

Now's the time to give you some dry history of this graveyard. It was first started in 1670 and the last burial was in 1838 when Singapore was merely founded by Sir Stamford Raffles for less than two decades. 

As many Southeast Asia history students are aware, Malacca was first colonised by the Portuguese in 1511 followed by the Dutch in 1624 and finally by the British in 1795 (cessation from the Dutch was officially confirmed at the signing of the Anglo Dutch treaty in 1824). The 38 occupants of the cemetery were therefore a mix of both Dutch and British nationalities.

Despite the emphasis of Dutch in the name of this graveyard, the majority of the deceased (33 in total) were British and they were buried between 1818 and 1838. 

The oldest grave obviously had to be Dutch and belonged to a Ms Anna Raynierse Van Schoon-Hoven who passed away in 28 November 1670 at the tender age of only 27 years old. 

There was a hole in between two graves and i was so tempted to check it out! The presence of the others meant i had to rein in my curiousity which was not a bad option in a foreign country. 

With apartments in such close proximity, i doubt there would be much paranormal activity. 

Nonetheless, this half dead tree might evoke some imagination at night - imagine hearing someone crying pitifully in the middle of the night and seeing a shadow half hidden by the tree trunk....

Anyway, you can read some of the information off this display panel erected by the British Association for Cemeteries in South Asia.

What's more enlightening was this map that clearly showed the number of graves and names of the corresponding 'residents', if available.

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Location

As above [near to the famous Stadthuys]

Additional Information

Worth the walk? Only if you are a history or cemetery freak. 

Melaka Chicken Rice Balls - The Really Famous One @ Kedai Kopi Chung Wah (中華茶室海南雞飯粒)

The above photograph was so misleading. Just the day before (on a typical Sunday), i can count a queue that was easily over twenty persons long! 

Whatever, this was listed in this website as one of the top 3 favourite chicken rice balls in Malacca and given the emphasis that the Gang of Food places on food, it's a definite for us to try this out. 

Chilli sauce - often touted as indispensable by many chicken rice lovers, you should be able to gauge its obvious potency by the outlook. I am not that particular, so no further comment on the chilli. 

I am repeating this; no, chicken rice balls ARE NOT TO MY LIKING and i totally detest the concept of having unfulfilling lumps of mushy rice that tasted too salty. 

The steamed chicken was comparatively better although i have to add that in spite of the smooth tenderness of the meat, it had yet to reach the standard of, just to quote an example, Tian Tian chicken rice in Singapore. 

What put us off eventually was once again the high level of sodium! It surprised me that the Malaysian palate has such a high threshold for salt in their diet.

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Location

Jalan Hang Jebat 

[Start of Jonker Street]

Price

RM40 for everything

Barley drink was RM 1.10 per cup

Additional Information

Chung Wah coffee shop is located directly opposite the famous specialty shop; 

San Shu Gong.

PC Show 2013 - Another Techie Pasar Malam!

Over the years, it's becoming obvious that the quarterly tech fair in its various naming abbreviated formats (PC Show, IT Show, Comex and Sitex) has become a magnet for bargain hunters. 

I am no exception when it comes to getting the best deal and to be totally honest, i would hold back from buying any IT product until the tech fair season.

The above should sufficiently explain why i was at PC Show 2013 yesterday. 

Although it was held at Singapore Expo this time, a farfetched location compared to the usual Suntec City in downtown Singapore, the crowd continued to be strong! Wait, wait, wait; the above picture was taken before i even entered the humongous Singapore Expo. 

This (as in above) was the actual scene within the PC Show itself. 

Researching the products you want is key to securing the best deal and i would strongly suggest hardwarezone.com as a starting point. It has a dedicated section for the tech shows and would include brochures from majority of the vendors! 

Having said that, there could be additional promotions at the tech show, especially on the last day. That's when you would see many handmade placards branded with more freebies or further reduction in prices! 

More often than not, you would get really attractive rates for laptops, desktops, digital cameras and printers. Unlike professional IT shows in other countries, it's rare to hear announcement of new launches, inventions or innovative products here in Singapore.

You would, however, see booth selling magazines subscriptions and many banks mobilising their roadshow teams to market credit cards and credit facilities. 

Even household products can be found here! How epic is that!? And i remember seeing these products for sale in the marketplace near my house! 

Did i also mention that the mobile and internet operators would offer unbeatable bundles during this time?! At this moment, people are signing up for fibre broadband which would offer unmatched online speed! 

To be fair, this booth caught my attention with its sale of spy cameras and even mini spy camera detector! The latter would be most helpful for those promiscuous individuals or couples who could not do "it" at home because "family members are around". 

One thing that tech shows always generate; litter!

After typing for so long, i have not gotten into the topic of what i want to buy for myself in PC Show 2013. Purchasing a laptop would be out of the question since i have always been a "desktop" person. 

A spanking new DSLR to replace my Nikon D5000 would be desirable but surprise surprise, the tech fair organised by Audio House the week before was selling it at a better price with an extra 70-300mm lens thrown in! Bloody!

Hint: the above.

Yes, i needed a new hard disk for my photographs and i figured it would be a good time to have some sort of back-up for my precious data! Western Digital is strongly preferred! 

As for my new DSLR (aiming for a Nikon D7100), guess i have to wait for the next show; Comex 2013 from 05 to 08 September at Singapore Expo Hall 5 and 6.

Until then, adios!