MANILA, Philippines – For Malaysians, nothing beats the tempting aroma and taste of curry-based über-spicy dishes. Whether its curry laksa or Nyonya fish head curry, one can savor the explosion of herbs and spices that come together in every dish they concoct.
So when Malaysian national Philip Ng came to the Philippines in 1974 to study, he had no idea that the one thing he’d been passionate about would take a backseat momentarily.
“I’m a Green Archer,” he says. “Food is my passion. Sadly, I couldn’t find a restaurant that serves authentic Malay cuisine so I just contented myself with the bland-tasting fare served in most Asian restos.”
One day, Philip got a dinner invitation from a Pinoy friend who was celebrating his birthday. The buffet table was filled with unfamiliar dishes except for one that caught Philip’s eye.
“It looked exactly like my favorite spicy beef curry. The beef chunks were soaked in an orange, creamy soup with veggies. It definitely tickled my palate. From the name itself, kare-kare, I expected it to be as spicy as Malaysian curry. I just couldn’t wait to set my taste buds on fire. After a spoonful, I was so disappointed. It tasted sweet,” Philip says with a grin.
Philip would occasionally return to his homeland if only to get reacquainted with the unique taste of native Malaysian cooking. Tired of this practice, he met up with his Malaysian buddies, who have settled in the Philippines for quite some time now, and discussed his plans of putting up his own Malaysian restaurant.
“I wanted a diner that would finally cater, not only to our own palate, but also to those who are willing to give authentic Malaysian cuisine a try,” he explains.
And so in 2008, Malacca restaurant was born. Philip and his partners had fun toying with the appropriate name for the resto.
The Malaysian state, which offers the best Malay fare is Penang but that name has already been registered.
“If we call it Kuala Lumpur, our diners might not take us seriously. Besides it’s so corny. One of my partners suggested the name Straits of Malacca but it’s too long. Finally, we agreed on Malacca,” says Philip.
A Glimpse Of Malacca
Malacca, as its name suggests, is the old name for the city of Melaka, capital of the State of Melaka in Malaysia. Malacca became one of the most visited trading ports in Southeast Asia.
Remains of the once-mighty Formosa can still be seen in Malacca and a depiction of its ancient gate is now the logo of Malacca restaurant on Jupiter St., Makati City.
Unlike traditional Malaysian restos, which burst with color, Malacca opts for neutral hues that spell elegance.
Three antique Malacca marble tables, imported from Malaysia, serve as conversation pieces. On the bar sits a rotary dial telephone (it still works) dating back to 1950. Centuries-old wooden windows from the Qing Dynasty, which have been handcrafted and fitted together sans the use of glue or nails, adorn the glass panels of the resto.
“Everything in this restaurant has a story. But the most interesting are the ones you’ll find on our menu,” adds Philip.
Flavors Of Malaysia
“It all started with interracial marriages among Chinese traders who frequented the Malaccan port and the female Malay natives. These couplings gave rise to a new group called the Peranakans, where the males were called baba and the females were called nyonya,” explains Philip.
The Peranakans are Chinese men who married Muslim or Malay women. Their union gave birth to the Peranakan race. The Peranakans are Chinese-looking. They wear traditional Chinese garb, follow Chinese customs and traditions. However, they don’t speak Chinese.
“The nyonyas love Malay food but their husbands prefer Chinese dishes. Due to varied tastes and food preparations brought about by the union, the nyonya had to make some modifications in the recipes they were accustomed to doing. This particular style of cooking is still popular among Malays. Nyonya cooking has become a favorite, not only among Malaysians, but also among Singaporeans,” he adds.
Nyonya cooking is a strong attribute that goes into the yummy cuisine that we savored recently at Malacca.
For starters, we were served kropek (shrimp crackers) specially made with Malaysian shrimp paste dip (a spicier version of our bagoong), and the soft, chewy yet flaky roti chenai rojak.
At Malacca, diners have the option to adjust the spiciness level of their food: mild, medium and spicy. Don’t be shy about informing the wait staff if you have low tolerance for spicy food.
The chicken satay tastes good even without the peanut sauce. The meat is tender, flavorful and juicy.
The beef rendang tastes divine. Rendang is a kind of dish you cook until dry. This dish is normally served in Malaysia during festive occasions. “There are a lot of herbs and spices that go into that dish. It takes us about three to four hours just to prepare the paste. We do it from scratch using the freshest ingredients such as galangal, ginger, etc. This dish is a labor of love. No short cuts,” enthuses Philip.
For first-time diners at Malacca, it’s best to start your culinary journey with a plate of nasi lemak. You’ll never go wrong with this Malaysian staple, which is similar to our tapsilog minus the beef tapa. Nasi lemak (rice cooked in coconut milk with pandan leaves) is a complete meal in itself. The rice comes with sambal (chili paste with onions and anchovies), eggs (fried or hard-boiled) and cucumber slices.
Philip formed a food committee tasked to evaluate and check the consistency of the dishes twice a month.
“Our food committee is composed of five Malaysians (three housewives and two men who love to eat and cook). They are passionate about their own cuisine and know how a particular dish should taste like. That’s the only way to assure our diners that the food we serve here are authentic,” notes Philip.
Aside from the food committee, Malacca also boasts a Malaysian food consultant by the name of Muhammad Said.
“He was introduced to me by a close friend. Said works at Fullerton Hotel, a six-star hotel in Malaysia and Singapore. He has been here twice and is scheduled to come back this month,” relates Philip.
Said is the personal chef of the Sultan of Brunei and the sultan’s delegation every time they go on state visits.
Malacca’s curry paste and sambal sauce are Said’s formula, which explains the refined and consistent flavor of the dishes.
“They don’t have that hawker kick (strong flavor),” Philip notes.
The curry laksa is not to be missed. The coco-based soup (with shrimp, tofu, veggies and pasta) gets its flavor and aroma from the curry, galangal, ginger and other spices imported from Malaysia.
Philip also raves about the Peking chicken, which is one of his favorite Chinese dishes.
“It’s something I personally learned to cook during my trips to China,” he relates.
The dish is prepared the way a Peking duck is done. The chicken is marinated in 37 different herbs and spices for four hours.
“After the marinating, we dip the chicken in a special solution then air-dried for six hours to make the skin crispy,” Philip explains.
Malacca’s beverage list features tea-based drinks. A must-try is the teh tarik, the famous foamy Indian-style pulled tea with sweetened milk.
“Teh means tea, while tarik is the process of cooling hot liquid. To make a good tea, the water must be boiling hot. Well, you simply can’t drink that so you have to cool it the Malaysian way. Don’t forget to add equal portions of condensed and evaporated milk to the tea,” notes Philip.
You, too, can do it at home. Just get two coffee mugs and repeatedly pour the drink from one mug to another to cool and froth the liquid.
Malacca’s dessert selection is also impressive. Aside from ice kaccang (crushed ice with kaong, black gulaman and red beans), I will surely go back for the sagu gula Melaka, a coconut-based dessert with red caviar-like sago and vanilla ice cream.
While enjoying our meal, Philip had to excuse himself to personally greet diners (in Malay) who came over for lunch.
Well, if the Malaysian diners are coming, that’s an indication that Malacca has indeed captured the authentic Malay taste.
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Malacca restaurant is at the ground floor, Jupiter Place, 136 Jupiter St., Makati City. For reservations, call 899-3587, 895-4282.