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| Thursday, May 17, 2012, 04.08 AM | |||||
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Home » ShoppingGourmetTrail
The life of Amy Koh, a well-known Baba Nyonya cook, has taken a turn for the better. Not that she didn’t enjoy her previous day-job as a dental nurse for 33 years but what she is doing now has brought her immense satisfaction and happiness, for cooking and watching people enjoy her food has been her greatest pleasure. Koh, who inherited the cooking skills of her mother and grandmother, has always enjoyed feeding people, from relatives to work colleagues. So, it was no surprise when she finally settled down to running a restaurant. Called Amy Heritage Nyonya Cuisine, the restaurant in Malacca serves Baba Nyonya dishes, all prepared from the recipes Koh collected from her late mother, grandmother and some aunts. On many days, customers will find Koh donning an apron and whipping up dishes, including nasi kemuli. This is only prepared for bigger groups and orders must be placed in advance. “There are days when I leave my cooks to prepare the dishes and I would only supervise. There are also days I would do the cooking for my customers. “Make no mistake, the food has to be good. Otherwise, my customers would complain.” Koh is happy she has received more bouquets than brickbats for her food. Right Balance For Koh, everything that goes into the pot is important. There are no shortcuts. If chilli paste has to be grinded a certain way, then it is done that way. Koh makes sure all the ingredients are used in correct portions to balance the “yin and yang” of the dishes. According to her, Baba Nyonya dishes are popular with many because they invoke the diners’ senses. The dishes must have the right balance of saltiness, sweetness, sourness and other flavours to make them palatable. “If one ingredient is missing, those who are familiar with our food will know the difference. “Baba Nyonya food in Malacca is a combination of Malay, Chinese and Chitty. So, there must be the right blend of ingredients.” All In The Family Koh says the restaurant is actually the brainchild of her only son. He had wanted her to start her own business years ago but she kept putting it off because of work commitments. Once she retired, she decided to give it a try and for more than a year now, the restaurant’s popularity has grown by word of mouth. Koh’s passion for cooking has seen her globetrotting with her famous cousin, chef Florence Tan, preparing many Baba Nyonya dishes for celebrities, diplomats, foreigners and Malaysians living abroad. Two Cities, Different Tastes While it is often assumed, wrongly of course, that the Baba Nyonya dishes served in the Straits Settlements of Penang and Malacca are the same, Koh says there is actually a marked difference. The Baba Nyonya food in Penang tastes slightly more like Thai food and their signature dishes are ayam ponteh, chap chye, udang nenas lemak and itik tim. The Thai influence is apparent with Penang being nearer to our northern neighbour. The Malacca variety offered at her restaurant has the influence of the Malays, Chinese and Chittys. Specialties include sambal jantung pisang (RM12), which is prepared using banana bud, starfruit, shallots, lemon grass, sambal belacan, dried prawns and other ingredients. Then, there is the famous Malacca nasi kemuli (RM40 per person) which is served with sambal timun, fish bladder soup, chicken curry, fried prawns, brinjal paceri and other dishes. For ayam keluak, Koh gets the Indonesian nut, soaks it a few days before she prepares the dish which costs RM22. The ikan asam kukus (RM27) is a healthy dish of ikan jenahak, tenggiri, terubuk or kembong prepared with fresh chillies, shallots, garlic, lemon grass and other ingredients. Similar ingredients also go into the making of udang lemak nenas (RM26) but for this dish, thick coconut milk is added. Instead of serving the usual cendol (RM2.70) for dessert, which some customers think is a little too heavy after a sumptuous meal, Koh also offers the lighter variety called tai bak (RM2.50) which is very refreshing. The restaurant also has Nyonya mee with rojak (RM5) which comes with a pineapple and cucumber salad. Top-hat is a must-try at this restaurant. Served as a starter, it comes in both the vegetarian and non-vegetarian varieties. Each piece costs RM1.50. Location Amy Heritage Nyonya Cuisine (halal) is located at 75, Jalan Melaka Raya 24, Taman Melaka Raya. For enquiries and reservations, call 06-286 8819. • Pictures by Nashairi Mohd Nawi
 
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