Monday, May 05, 2008

Peranakan Culture - WW 22


A few foreign friends were in town and they stayed with me. Besides the usual shopping and food hunting, I brought them to a few interesting places near my house.

One place that left a deep impression on them was Kim Choo Kueh Chang which is famous for its Nonya meat dumplings. It has since included a Peranakan restaurant and a gallery.

Literally translated, the term Peranakan in Malay means ”descendants”, and was used to describe the offspring of local Malay women and Chinese businessmen who had settled in the Straits Settlement and Malay Archipelagos during the 19th century.

Male descendants are called Babas and female descendants Nonyas while senior females are called Bibiks.

Yummy cakes and snacks

Beautiful porcelain of the Peranakans

These nonya porcelain is a great item to be used for decorating the walls or to be used to serve food when special guests arrive.

Learn to sew beaded shoes

Nonyas of yesteryears were taught how to sew, bead and embroider in order to create their own tapestries like bed runners, bridal hangings, shoes....... etc in order to form part of their wedding trousseau. At Kim Choo, you can even see artist demonstrating the making of the beaded shoes from time to time. There are courses are conducted to teach people how to make beaded shoes.

Staff showing how meat dumplings are wrapped

Peranakans in their traditional attire

Kim Choo Kueh Chang
109/111, East Coast Road
Singapore 428800
Tel: +65 6741 2125

41 comments:

  1. The bak-zhang making me drool. I can't wait for the festival to start :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. napaboaniya,
    The weather is too hot for bak changs. Don't eat too much or else you are going to fall sick.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hey ECL,this is a wonderful post once again.Thanks for posting the address too...this will go on my list of places to see;) I would love to take make my very own peranakan shoe!

    off topic; the jail is located in Cebu...forgot to mention it on my post.

    ReplyDelete
  4. i think i've seen some of those beaded shoes and i really like them!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I just know peranakan food is good! LOL! :D

    ReplyDelete
  6. Jade,
    You must visit this place if not for the food. :)

    You will be happy to see many beautiful things. Prepare to spend! hehehe....

    ReplyDelete
  7. WOW! Looks like a fun weekend,ECL! I'm drooling for those foods! lol

    Posted my WS! :D

    ReplyDelete
  8. hai i see you in mybloglog... nice to meet you... and also your blog....

    blogku

    ReplyDelete
  9. I have not had zhang for some time. Bak zhang or nyonya zhang, all I like!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Can't wait for Peranakan food this July already..

    ReplyDelete
  11. Wah.. interesting, ECL, I love those pics.. so melayu.. just like indonesia ya?

    ReplyDelete
  12. I love those cakes and I want that tea sets. haha!

    ReplyDelete
  13. meat dumplings are my favorite. i haven't tried dumplings of malaysia yet but it sounds that it taste really good.

    ReplyDelete
  14. such a place existed ah..i don't know..

    you're really very resourceful, ECL!

    ReplyDelete
  15. wow! I love to collect porcelain, hope I can visit your place....

    ReplyDelete
  16. Oh, what beautiful artwork there! Thanks for so many gorgeous, colorful photos. It's interesting to see the artisans at work, too.

    God bless.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Beautiful cultures, beautiful porcelain, beautiful beaded shoes, and the iresistable food!

    ReplyDelete
  18. I've always wanted to learn how to sew beads into shoes.

    Did you get the book from This Book For Free?

    ReplyDelete
  19. I said it before in your site and I shall say it again: I love Peranakan food too!

    Very traditional stuffs ya?

    So, when are you going to give me a private tour of your neighborhood ah? I will bring you to see reservoirs in return (we have 4 around my area counting and upper and lower ones).

    ReplyDelete
  20. Interesting - it's really naive of me to think that Singapore are mainly Chinese people and only a few India... I guess I need to go and explore Singapore properly one day.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Sounds like a great weekend. I'm sure your friends enjoyed it. I enjoyed the photographs of where you went.

    ReplyDelete
  22. ecl,
    There's always new knowledge in your blog!:)

    Eh, anak in Malay means baby. I thought peranakan means making baby. HAHAHAHA!:p

    ReplyDelete
  23. wow! how creative they are.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Thank you for this lovely post. I have heard of Kim Choo Kueh Chang, and I think I have passed by it when I was at East Coast Rd a year ago, but I didn't realise that it carried such beautiful porcelain wares and more. :)

    I think you deserve the honour to be Singapore's ambassador in the blogland, for sharing the lovely sights of Singapore on your blog!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Hi ECL, the cakes and snacks do look yummy, so colorful too! :)

    ReplyDelete
  26. This is a very nice celebration that we really don't have here. Celebrating descendants! :D

    It is against the law here to paint graffiti on walls but you have to be caught! :D

    ReplyDelete
  27. I love the glimpses I get of another world with your posts.

    ReplyDelete
  28. This is one of our favourite restaurants :) Haven't been there for quite some time, must go there one of these days.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Thanks for sharing the beautiful photos and information! Enjoy your celebration!

    ReplyDelete
  30. i love the beaded shoes. it's hard to find one nowadays.

    ReplyDelete
  31. love the colourful porcelain spread......must get some of these one day....

    ReplyDelete