Nyonya Lunch @ Lin Neo Delight, Taman Kota Laksamana Jaya

 

When someone talks about Malaccan food culture, chances are Nyonya cuisine will pop into mind. Or at the very least, right after chicken rice. So I found it unusual, almost criminal in fact that I have never written about this amazing cuisine for so many years. Which is totally ironic since I am Malaccan. Well today, this will change as I will finally have a classic sit-down meal feasting on Malacca's finest. 

Welcome, dear customer

Lin Neo Delight is located on the newer side of the historic city. Nowadays, urban development has stretched outside the main hot spots, more to avoid gentrification of the traditional and historic architecture. Despite that, this side of town is still quite easy to get to. And since it is far away from a lot of the major attractions, parking is a non-factor. 

Assemble!

When it comes to what to order, it was relatively pretty obvious. Lots of spicy stuff. As such, my party of 3 ordered the spiciest dish the restaurant has to offer, which is the ayam masak lada, or pepper chicken, if its directly translated. On another side of the spectrum, we ordered a serving of coconut and pineapple prawns. To round things out we also chose a plate of stir fried bitter gourd, and lastly, no Nyonya meal is complete without a chinchalok omelette. Chinchalok is a pungent and salty shrimp paste that can be very powerful. However, if used properly it can be incredibly tasty. My late grandma used to make a side dish out of that stuff with shredded onions and chillies during certain special meals. But that would be a story for another day. Soon enough a very homecooked style meal slowly unravels itself. It was very inviting and appetizing looking, with a lot of aromas that remind me of my childhood coming from each dish. Naturally, this has to be eaten with a serving of rice. 

Edible napalm

The pepper chicken was an absolute explosion, in a literal sense. The gravy was nuclear hot and can be tricky to eat. But it has an aromatic kick that invites you to have more, despite the intensity. The chicken was also pretty tender and had a great mouthfeel to it. This is a dish that really needs to be eaten with rice, to cut out the fire that is the gravy. Despite that, this was really satisfying. Deep nutty after tones were present, most likely from the grounded pepper that was used. 

Delectable

On the opposite side of the spectrum, the coconut and pineapple prawns were zesty, vibrant, and has a whole lot of personality. It is relatively spicy, but compared to the aforementioned chicken, it was much milder. The gravy is much smoother and has a lighter tinge to it. The pineapple added great zestiness and sweetness that brightens up the overall meal. Also, great to eat with rice as the grains would be able to clutch on the gravy like a jealous lover. 

Very busy looking omelette

The chinchalok omelette was another spectacular specimen. Personally, this was my favourite among all the dishes. It has a salty pungency, similar to fish sauce. But the minced shrimp in the eggs gave it a souffle-like quality to it. It was pretty savoury, but the eggs definitely made the fermented crustaceans more palatable. A great egg dish overall and would strongly recommend it. 

This was actually not bad!

Lastly the bitter gourd stir fry. It was relatively tasty and I know it is not for everyone's palate. But perhaps I have gotten used to eating goya back in Japan, which is another type of bitter gourd, that I acquired a taste for it. It was not bad. not as explosive in terms of flavour compared to the other dishes. However, it gave the meal a more holistic feel to it. My mom would be happy I am eating my greens. 

More green!

But speaking of green, there is no meal that should end without dessert. And there is nothing more iconic than the classic cendol. This was a total stunner. The cendol noodles were fragrant and spot on, the sugar syrup was thick and sinful, the ice was cleanly shaven, and the coconut soup was just on point. A great finish to an amazing meal. 

Overall, this is a place I think is worth the visit. It may be a little troublesome to get here. But I think the journey would be worth it. Great home-cooked food at a decent price, what is not to love? Most dishes came around the RM8 -12 mark, while the prawns were a little steep as it stands at RM35. But that is to be expected. And the cendol was for RM 3 a serving. A better price than some dessert spots, to be honest. So if you fancy a go, then the address is as follows:

40, Jln KLJ 4, 75200 Malacca