Nyonya Palazzo Café in Penang: A fusion of modern and traditional Peranakan culture
This charming Nyonya-themed café serves a fusion of modern and traditional cuisine near Georgetown’s famous Pinang Peranakan Mansion.
By Home & Decor Team -
Visiting the museum known as Pinang Peranakan Mansion is a must-do when you’re in Penang — but how about adding another stop to your itinerary? The next time you’re in Georgetown, drop by Nyonya Palazzo, a charming Nyonya-themed café that serves up a fusion of traditional Peranakan and modern cuisine.
As the name suggests, it’s a veritable palace of antique Peranakan treasures. The café was first conceptualised by the husband-and-wife owners of the Pinang Peranakan Mansion, who wanted to showcase more of the culture and also have a place for museum visitors to relax and enjoy a taste of local fare. They approached the team at the famed Li Er Nyonya café in the nearby suburb of Pulau Tikus, and together they designed and built Nyonya Palazzo, which opened in March 2021.
What you see upon entering the brightly-coloured café is all down to the team’s hard work. Although the café is in a separate building from the museum itself, the two are on the same grounds, so visitors can drop by after a museum tour. The museum owners helped with design input for the façade of the café, and lent them plenty of furniture and homeware from their own stores.
“It was important that we had a seamless transition between the museum and café,” says Tan Kei Vin, the owner of Nyonya Palazzo. “So what you see is a result of the collaboration from both teams.” Although it was a challenge to move the heavy antique furniture up to the café, which is on the second floor, and renovation plans had to be halted temporarily due to lockdown, the two teams managed to overcome the hurdles.
Not all the furniture and décor are from the museum, though. The café team wanted to inject some modernity into the mix, so they decided to include contemporary furniture with sleek profiles. Set against the backdrop of ornate rugs and framed kebayas, the resulting look is very much representative of Penang itself — a powerhouse of progress and modernisation, but also strongly rooted in traditional culture.
Like the décor, the food is a fusion of modern and Nyonya cuisine. Crowd favourites include the Baba Nyonya High Tea set, a platter of assorted kueh (traditional dessert) varieties, and their fragrant curry chicken, which takes more than six hours to make and is served with traditional dishes like roti jala (thin crepes) and nasi kunyit (turmeric glutinous rice). You’ll also find unusual dishes like their cold laksa spaghetti, which is made with traditional Penang laksa ingredients. “We wanted to make it both tasty and Instagrammable,” shares Kei Vin with a laugh.
The food isn’t the only Instagrammable opportunity at Nyonya Palazzo. They also have traditional outfits for rent, so visitors can wear them as they tour the museum and take photographs. “Penang is rich in Peranakan culture, and we want to promote both the food and this culture to the world,” says Kei Vin. “Our services have been very welcome so far, and we look forward to sharing them with more people when the borders open up and travel returns to normal.”
Photography: Nyonya Palazzo
For more information, please visit www.facebook.com/nyonyapalazzo.