The family (darling wife, godson, daughter-in-law and I) have just returned from a 3-day makan adventure in Melaka which we all know, is famous for its rich Peranakan heritage and nyonya food. However, on this trip our gastronomic discovery went beyond the nyonya tradition. We tried 2 local Chinese restaurants which came highly recommended by various foodies who had posted in VirtualTourist, TripAdvisor as well as in their own personal food blogs.
The first of these is a Teochew restaurant located in the vicinity of Jonker Street which goes by the name of Teo Soon Loong Chan Teochew Restoran. It is owned by the proud patriarch of 9 children - 3 daughters and 6 sons - who is even more proud of his culinary creations. Old towkay single-handedly steered his restaurant to fame and success. When he first founded his restaurant more than 40 years ago, believe it or not, he didn't know how to cook.
It may be useful at this stage to forewarn readers that Old Towkay adopts quite a dictatorial approach. Do not attempt to challenge his recommendations. When I asked for a noodle dish (celebrating godson's birthday), he immediately suggested oyster noodle which he claimed to be an original recipe that is famous all over Melaka. Innocently, I asked how it was prepared and he delivered a tirade which made me realised, in humility, that I shouldn't have tested him. At the end of it, however, he assured me that he wouldn't charge me for any of the dishes that I was not satisfied with. Also, do not decline his offer of dessert (orh ni), something which he is exceedingly proud of and which he claims to be the best in the world. Accept the dessert or face his wrath!
Since the restaurant has no printed menu, Old Towkay will personally attend to you. You just have to point out to him what you like from a display of vegetables and meat that are available for the day. Old Towkay will decide how it should be prepared with the guarantee that you will like and enjoy the food. My advice is not to question his suggestion!
True to Old Towkay's assurance, we were not disappointed with his recommendations. In fact, we highly enjoyed our meal.
The oyster noodle didn't look very appetising at first glance. We ate it without any garnishing and it tasted bland and ordinary. Old Towkay came along and (well practically) instructed us to eat it with a generous helping of chopped garlic and vinegar. These garnishings transformed the otherwise ordinary tasting dish into something quite out of this world.
The next dish that arrived on the table was the duck which was braised to tender perfection. Although the pieces of meat looked intact, it was far from chewy or tough. The skin was soft and had a 'jelly-like' smoothness. And what I really liked about the dish was that the bones were not removed (as I am never a fan of boneless duck). One of the joys of eating fowl is chewing the meat off the bone. Also, the twa-kua that accompanied the dish was of the old-fashion type with little 'bubble holes' in them.
The next dish is one that should not be missed when dining at a Teochew restaurant - the veritable prawn roll. Old Towkay has made his quite different from the usual which uses ngoh hiang skin. Instead, his version resembles more of the popular Cantonese meat roll with a crispier skin and contains more ingredients like egg yolk and crab roll.
The final dish, and my favourite, is the stewed bitter gourd with spare-ribs in taucheo sauce. The bitter gourd is so well cooked, it melts in your mouth. Equally tender are the little morsels of spare ribs, buried under the heap of bitter gourd. Old Towkay came around and again instructed us to finish the gravy and not waste it as it was a special recipe known only to him and his family members. So, savour it while we can!
For dessert, Old Towkay suggested fresh mango followed by his famous Orh Ni or yam paste with pumpkin and gingko nuts. Once you have tasted Old Towkay's orh ni, you wouldn't dispute his claim to be the best in all of Malaysia and Singapore. The yam paste does not look or even taste greasy even though he had followed strictly the orginal method of preparation which requires frying the yam paste with oil or lard. The trick is in turning and folding the paste repeatedly during the frying process to ensure that it fully absorbs all of the lard or oil. Also, less sugar has been added to cater to the taste of his new breed of health-conscious customers.
A meal at Old Towkay's restaurant is an experience. Besides the good food, it was for me a journey back in time. The decor is reminiscent of restaurants in Singapore way back in the 50s and 60s. And then there is Old Towkay himself who is aggresive in defending his place as the best Teochew restaurant in Melaka town (and all of Malaysia as he claims). But, at the same time, he can be quite hospitable in his own unique fatherly but domineering manner.
Teo Soon Loong Chan Teochew Restoran
55 Jalan Hang Kasturi (off Jonker Street)
Melaka
Ambiance: 7/10 (if you like reminiscence or retro)
Service: 7/10 (as Old Towkay was extremely hospitable towards us)
Food: 8/10
Pricing: $-$$
The first of these is a Teochew restaurant located in the vicinity of Jonker Street which goes by the name of Teo Soon Loong Chan Teochew Restoran. It is owned by the proud patriarch of 9 children - 3 daughters and 6 sons - who is even more proud of his culinary creations. Old towkay single-handedly steered his restaurant to fame and success. When he first founded his restaurant more than 40 years ago, believe it or not, he didn't know how to cook.
 |
| A family portrait with the patriarch of Teo Soon Loong Chan |
It may be useful at this stage to forewarn readers that Old Towkay adopts quite a dictatorial approach. Do not attempt to challenge his recommendations. When I asked for a noodle dish (celebrating godson's birthday), he immediately suggested oyster noodle which he claimed to be an original recipe that is famous all over Melaka. Innocently, I asked how it was prepared and he delivered a tirade which made me realised, in humility, that I shouldn't have tested him. At the end of it, however, he assured me that he wouldn't charge me for any of the dishes that I was not satisfied with. Also, do not decline his offer of dessert (orh ni), something which he is exceedingly proud of and which he claims to be the best in the world. Accept the dessert or face his wrath!
Since the restaurant has no printed menu, Old Towkay will personally attend to you. You just have to point out to him what you like from a display of vegetables and meat that are available for the day. Old Towkay will decide how it should be prepared with the guarantee that you will like and enjoy the food. My advice is not to question his suggestion!
 |
| Select what you want from the buffet |
True to Old Towkay's assurance, we were not disappointed with his recommendations. In fact, we highly enjoyed our meal.
The oyster noodle didn't look very appetising at first glance. We ate it without any garnishing and it tasted bland and ordinary. Old Towkay came along and (well practically) instructed us to eat it with a generous helping of chopped garlic and vinegar. These garnishings transformed the otherwise ordinary tasting dish into something quite out of this world.
 |
| Oyster noodle - best eaten with lots of garlic and vinegar |
The next dish that arrived on the table was the duck which was braised to tender perfection. Although the pieces of meat looked intact, it was far from chewy or tough. The skin was soft and had a 'jelly-like' smoothness. And what I really liked about the dish was that the bones were not removed (as I am never a fan of boneless duck). One of the joys of eating fowl is chewing the meat off the bone. Also, the twa-kua that accompanied the dish was of the old-fashion type with little 'bubble holes' in them.
 |
| Braised duck Teochew style |
The next dish is one that should not be missed when dining at a Teochew restaurant - the veritable prawn roll. Old Towkay has made his quite different from the usual which uses ngoh hiang skin. Instead, his version resembles more of the popular Cantonese meat roll with a crispier skin and contains more ingredients like egg yolk and crab roll.
 |
| Prawn roll in crispy skin |
The final dish, and my favourite, is the stewed bitter gourd with spare-ribs in taucheo sauce. The bitter gourd is so well cooked, it melts in your mouth. Equally tender are the little morsels of spare ribs, buried under the heap of bitter gourd. Old Towkay came around and again instructed us to finish the gravy and not waste it as it was a special recipe known only to him and his family members. So, savour it while we can!
 |
| Stewed bitter gourd with spare ribs |
For dessert, Old Towkay suggested fresh mango followed by his famous Orh Ni or yam paste with pumpkin and gingko nuts. Once you have tasted Old Towkay's orh ni, you wouldn't dispute his claim to be the best in all of Malaysia and Singapore. The yam paste does not look or even taste greasy even though he had followed strictly the orginal method of preparation which requires frying the yam paste with oil or lard. The trick is in turning and folding the paste repeatedly during the frying process to ensure that it fully absorbs all of the lard or oil. Also, less sugar has been added to cater to the taste of his new breed of health-conscious customers.
 |
| Yam paste with pumpkin and gingko nuts |
 |
| Fresh mangoes |
A meal at Old Towkay's restaurant is an experience. Besides the good food, it was for me a journey back in time. The decor is reminiscent of restaurants in Singapore way back in the 50s and 60s. And then there is Old Towkay himself who is aggresive in defending his place as the best Teochew restaurant in Melaka town (and all of Malaysia as he claims). But, at the same time, he can be quite hospitable in his own unique fatherly but domineering manner.
Teo Soon Loong Chan Teochew Restoran
55 Jalan Hang Kasturi (off Jonker Street)
Melaka
Ambiance: 7/10 (if you like reminiscence or retro)
Service: 7/10 (as Old Towkay was extremely hospitable towards us)
Food: 8/10
Pricing: $-$$
Recommended dishes: Stewed bitter gourd with spare ribs; braised duck; prawn roll, yam paste with pumpkin & gingko nuts
1 comment:
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING TEO SOON LOONG RESTAURANT，WE ARE MOVING TO THE NEW PREMISES FOR EXPANSION，CURRENTLY RENOVATION WORKS ON PROGRESS，ESTIMATE SHOP OPEN FOR BUSINESS MARCH 2015，ANY INQUIRY PLS CALL KIM 012 6035454
NEW ADDRESS ：NO 42＆44，JALAN KPKS １，KOMPLEKS PERNIAGAAN KOTA SYAHBANDAR，75200 MELAKA。（FACING MAIN ROAD，NEARBY NEW LAGOON RESTAURANT）
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