Ceki
19th Dec 2018
Ceki is the latest of a trio of nyonya restaurants on the “Sri Bahari row”. It is probably named after a “quiet” card game, essentially played by nyonyas while the babas played the noisier version of mahjong! In the bygone eras, nyonya women folks should not be seen but also not heard!
We decided to trust Esther, the proprietress as to our orders on Ceki’s specialties. After all, her husband is the head chef and their nyonya dishes are her grandma’s recipes. Worry not, they have been in the cooking business (in particular fish head curry) for quite some time.
We decided on the nyonya fish curry which was fragrant with bunga kantan (torch ginger flower), po ho mint leaves and other spices. The staple ju hu char and the otak-otak were tasty.
Their tau eu bak (braised pork in black soya sauce) was probably the best of all the nyonya restaurants that we have visited – the meat was well caramelized; just right and juicy with tofu cubes. The perut ikan (fish maw with a concoction of various vegetables and a dose of coconut milk) was flavourful.
We tried the pengat for dessert. The bananas, taro, sweet potatoes and pink jelly cooked with thick coconut milk is a must-have on the final day of Chinese New Year.
A delightful lunch in a delightful setting!
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