KUALA LUMPUR, April 29 — When it comes to Peranakan food, everyone's got an opinion.

I may not be Peranakan but my friends who are will often whisper in my ear "that's not nice as it doesn't taste like how my grandmother cooks it."

Hence I have realised it's impossible to win everyone over as the flavours of Peranakan dishes are finely tuned to individual taste memories.

Maybe that's why I tend to avoid even eating Peranakan food unless it's homecooked.

To my surprise, a random dinner with friends at Bangsar's The Peranakan revealed some really great Melaka-style Peranakan dishes. I returned recently to try out their lunch menu.

The restaurant is a collaborative effort between Mickel Tan and Rose Tan, who carry on their family legacy.

Mickel sources the freshest ingredients to recreate the dishes, while Rose who heads the kitchen makes use of her many years of cooking with her mother and grandmother.

Located on the first floor, as you walk up the stairs, you will be greeted by the voices of diners. The place has quite a following as it was quite packed for a weekday lunch.

It was a mix of diners; some looked like office colleagues and were ordering everything on the menu while there were also a few ladies tucking into Chef Rose's Nyonya Laksa.

I was told the laksa is cooked individually, hence patience is needed to get your freshly made bowl. In the kitchen, it's only Chef Rose holding the fort.

My bowl of Chef Rose's Nyonya Laksa (RM25) looked amazing with its bright orange hue. One sip of the laksa broth and I could taste prawns with the fragrant curry made from their own spice paste.

This was definitely the real deal for me. The garnishes of fish cake, prawns, fish balls, beancurd puffs, hard boiled egg, cucumber and the sprinkle of fresh daun kesum were on point too.

The sambal was not overly spicy, which was fine for me.

Now I understood why the ladies next to me were slowly relishing this laksa. I reckon this will be my new cheat lunch whenever I am in Bangsar.

The menu is an extensive one, hence there's something for everyone. Ask your friendly server for recommendations as there are some off menu delights like otak-otak too.

Kick off your meal with their appetisers.

The Peranakan Premium Pai Tee (six pieces for RM30) should logically be shared but if you're a hungry diner, it also makes a great side dish.

Here wafer thin, crunchy shells are generously stuffed with shredded yam bean and lettuce. Purists may dismiss the usage of tobiko with fresh crab meat, but that combination works, giving a balanced sweetness to the whole bite.

Moreover, that pop of orange in that brown hued bite, lifts up your mood. You're served with a bright red chilli sauce on the side, so dollop a little to give it a mild spicy flavour.

Chilli Sumbat (RM22) isn't on the appetiser list but I couldn't resist ordering the rarely-seen pickled chillies. Inside the chillies, you will find shredded stir fried papaya. All of this is pickled in a mixture of vinegar, rock sugar and turmeric. There's also a topping of pickled cucumber and carrots too.

The pickled green chillies aren't as sharp tasting as I expected, making them more palatable. It also helps perk up your appetite so pair it with rice and the dishes.

From the appetiser list, there's Roti Udang (eight pieces for RM26). It's an old fashioned prawn toast executed very well here.

Each piece of bread is fried to perfection with crispy golden crusts with minced prawns and marinated chicken in the middle. One piece of this is never enough. And what I really appreciated as I ate it with my fingers was it didn't leave any oily residue.

You can get to try more items if you dine there in a bigger group, so order dishes with their Nasi Pandan Kukus Bunga Telang (RM4 per bowl). The blue and white flecked grains look pretty and have a hint of pandan fragrance.

Since it's Melaka-style Peranakan food, there's Ayam Pongteh but my friends preferred Ayam Buah Keluak (RM48). There's ample pieces of buah keluak so everybody gets to dig into for their black, earthy filling. Mix it with the curry cooked from a spice paste with a hint of tamarind, and relish with lots of rice. I often find the meat for this dish plays second fiddle as it's just that rich keluak paste that I want to eat.

For dinner, since we didn't order the pai tee, we selected the Jiu Hu Char (RM28). The yam bean is evenly sliced and cooked; the texture is tender yet not mushy. Flavour is driven in this vegetable dish with the use of baby squid and shredded cuttlefish.

Telur Cincaluk (RM28) is always a must-eat for Melaka style Peranakan meals since Melaka is famous for those fermented baby shrimps. This omelette wasn't as fragrant as I would have preferred though, but it was a decent enough dish to accompany our other dishes.

On the side menu, there's Nyonya Mutton Rendang (RM69) that was flavourful with spices and wonderfully tender from the slow cooking.

And for vegetables, we selected the Goreng Terung, Kacang Panjang Hei Bee (RM28). The stir fried vegetables have a hint of spiciness from the chilli paste, while pounded dried prawns drove flavour into every bite.

Of course, desserts are a must after a meal here. A crowd favourite is their Sago Gula Melaka (RM12) with a wobbly texture and whole, clear sago pearls. Eat it with the gula Melaka syrup and the fresh coconut milk, for a sweet treat.

For those who want something colder, there's The Peranakan Chendol (RM12). There's also a decadent durian version of this shaved ice dessert. I didn't get to try this since we all had our individual desserts but my friends who tried it said it somehow didn't quite hit the spot for them. Maybe it's a personal preference as I could see that It seems to be a popular choice during lunch time; I saw the woman at the next table order one cendol to relish by herself, after tucking into her laksa.

If not, you can order their pulut hitam tong sui, served with santan or vanilla ice cream too.

The dining room is divided into two sections.The front section is perfect for large groups, as they can dine at the communal round tables. An inner section, nearer to the kitchen has smaller tables bathed in natural sunlight that offers a more intimate dining experience.

The whole space also offers a peek into the rich Peranakan heritage with antique chairs, the traditional Bakul Siah with its red and black colours and even a treasured family heirloom of the owner's wife's wedding kebaya.

The Peranakan, First Floor, 17, Jalan Telawi 3, Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur. Open: 12pm to 3pm, 6pm to 10pm. Tel:011-25139396. Facebook: @ThePeranakanBangsarTelawi3

* This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.

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