PORT DICKSON, Oct 28 — Designed like a traditional Malay village house with a classic touch, Warong Nora in Kampung Permatang Pasir, Linggi, here, offers more than just traditional Negeri Sembilan cuisine, inviting visitors to step back in time and experience the charm of rural life in days gone by.
Located about 40 kilometres from Seremban, the family-run eatery is adorned with various antiques that seem to transport visitors to a bygone era. However, beyond the old furniture and household items decorating the premises, one attraction stands out — a collection of vintage telephones spanning different eras, shapes and designs.
From home telephones that once connected families and friends to public payphones that have become increasingly rare, each item has its own story to tell, earning Warong Nora a reputation among visitors as a ‘mini telephone museum’.
Among the most eye-catching exhibits is a public telephone more than 70 years old, which not only sparks curiosity but also serves as a popular backdrop for visitors to take photographs and record videos.
The unique collection reflects the deep interest of its owner, Hamdzan Ali, 69, who began collecting old telephones in the 1990s. Over the years, his hobby grew into a personal collection that not only filled his home in Taman Tuanku Jaafar, Senawang, but also became a distinctive feature of Warong Nora.
Hamdzan said some visitors had dubbed the eatery a mini telephone museum because, among the many antiques on display, were telephones of various types, including mobile phones.
“Many visitors are attracted to the designs of the telephones here, some dating back to the 1960s to the 1980s, in addition to the food we serve.
“They say our eatery is different from the cafes and restaurants with antique decorations they have visited before. Since I used to work at Telekom Malaysia, it was not too difficult for me to obtain old telephones that were no longer in use,” he told Bernama.
Hamdzan said his collection comprised telephones of various types and designs, including those once used in homes and public payphones, which were an essential facility in people’s daily lives in the past.
When met by Bernama at Warong Nora recently, the father of six said his passion for collecting antiques stemmed from a longing for the old household items at his family home in Seliau, Rantau, which was destroyed after his elder brother set fire to it while clearing the house.
The TM retiree travelled to various parts of the state in search of old treasures, building a personal collection estimated to number nearly 1,000 items, with total expenditure amounting to hundreds of thousands of ringgit.
All the items are carefully stored and maintained at his home. However, when almost every corner of the house had been filled with antiques, the idea emerged to open Warong Nora on a plot of land belonging to his wife, Che Tom Md Dom, 66, in Linggi.
Together with his son-in-law, Safuan Mohd Pikri, 40, and his second child, Norashimah Hamdzan, Hamdzan established the eatery as a space to share his passion for antiques with the public.
At the same time, the family introduced traditional Negeri Sembilan cuisine, with smoked baung fish cooked in masak lemak cili api — a rich, spicy coconut milk gravy — among its signature dishes.
Prepared by Norashimah and her mother, Che Tom, the generations-old recipe is cooked only upon receiving customers’ orders to preserve the freshness and authentic flavour of the dish.
Safuan said although customers sometimes had to wait longer for their meals, particularly during peak hours, this had not deterred regular patrons from returning to enjoy dishes prepared personally by his wife and mother-in-law.
“People who visit Linggi will certainly look for smoked baung fish cooked in masak lemak cili api. What makes Warong Nora special is that we use wild baung fish caught from rivers rather than farmed fish.
“We continue to preserve Linggi’s traditional cooking methods, using fresh turmeric, bird’s eye chillies and fresh coconut milk.
“What makes Linggi’s smoked fish masak lemak cili api special is the use of Vietnamese coriander leaves, which enhance its aroma, and calamansi lime, which adds a tangy flavour. Some districts use bilimbi, but we opt for calamansi lime to preserve our traditional taste,” he said, adding that the eatery also offered other traditional village dishes.
Safuan said Warong Nora, which began operations three years ago, continued to enjoy encouraging patronage despite opening only three days a week — Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
“We are not focused on profit. What matters to us is allowing visitors to experience the authentic taste of Linggi’s traditional cuisine, particularly smoked baung fish in masak lemak cili api, as well as other traditional Negeri Sembilan dishes.
“Besides that, our eatery also offers a place for customers to relive fond memories of village life and their mothers’ home cooking,” he said. — Bernama
