Dec
30
2015

Authentic Cendol @ Chanap Cafe, Persatuan Peranakan Cina Malaysia

While we were in Melaka over the weekend, my parents brought us to Wisma Peranakan, Tengkera Melaka. My parents are active members there with my Dad being one of the AJK member in their Koperasi. I’ve blogged about how my mom’s (and even my Dad’s) social life changed to the better after she got involved here. You may want to read the post again here -> Being Socially Active

My mom wanted me to see it myself. This place plays a very important role in her life currently.

Wisma Peranakan, Tengkera Melaka.

My mom brought me around and I can’t help but noticed the many newspaper cuttings being framed up and hung on the wall. They make a very interesting read. I took some time to read all of them.

The above are just some of the cuttings that can be found here at Wisma Peranakan.

While we were here, my Dad also wanted us to try their cendol at Chanap Cafe that is situated right inside the Wisma itself. Chanap Cafe is well-known among the locals as the place serving authentic peranakan food.

The boys waiting for their cendol while my Mom took me for a quick tour around Wisma.

Our cendol were served so I quickly dashed back downstairs.

I love how the cendol is served in beautiful peranakan bowl. These are not antiques but they are still very precious.

My parents with their bowl of cendol.

We also ordered a bowl of Tai Bak. Tai Bak is a delicious cooling Peranakan dessert comprising colourful type of rice flour. Based on the folklore story, each time a mother made Tai Bak, she hopes that one day her children will remember and crave for it so they will go back to visit.

Tai Bak is also sometimes referred to as Nyonya cendol. Curiosity got the best of us that we decided to try mixing tai bak with our cendol.

The result is simply delightful! The kids love eating it this way. I personally find it much more interesting to eat tai bak this way. The chewy tai bak combined with fragrant gula melaka in coconut milk is AMAZING!

LoL! I think they should make this Tai Bak Cendol fusion available in their menu. Seriously, it is very SEDAP!

Update: Chanap Cafe has moved. They are now known as Kapitan Kongsi Restaurant at this new place:

Kapitan Kongsi Restaurant (located inside Kapitan Kongsi Hotel)
Add : 53, Jalan KLJ 10 Jaya, Taman Kota Laksamana, 75200 Melaka, Malaysia
Contact No : 017-9076723

Tags: Baba Nyonya dishes, cendol, Peranakan Nyonya

About the Author: Merryn Tan

17 Comments + Add Comment

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Rose December 29, 2015 at 4:47 pm

Tai bak reminded me of tang yuan. Chewy. Should be similar texture. Hmm. I bet it is good with those cendol.

Yes. Good to preserve our heritage and culture. Baba Nyonya is indeed an unique culture and I am glad to know you and your family. :)

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suituapui December 29, 2015 at 8:01 pm

You fail lah! Tak pandai masak, tak padai makan pedas…not true peranaklan liao lor, not like me. :D :D :D

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  Merryn December 30, 2015 at 1:07 am
  
  Eh I can makan pedas, very pedas. Just tak pandei masak only :P
  
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[SK] December 29, 2015 at 9:35 pm

ooh, i surely love those cendol too!!! served in enamel or porcelain bowl leh, more sedap than plastic bowl this way.. and look at the portion, really scary, probably because your dad is the AJK hence the boss gave him bigger portion??

BTW, i noticed the cendols are green, the Tai Bak are purple and red, but your fusion Tai Bak Cendol has got something white like “lo shu fun” in there?? where did those come from?? the cendol or tai bak faded in color inside the gulak melaka water?? muahahaha~~

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  Merryn December 30, 2015 at 1:18 am
  
  Haha. That’s the usual portion lah. Maybe coz I took close-up pic so it looked larger than it should be?
  
  The white comes from Tai Bak. Tai Bak has 3 colors in it – red, white and blue. The blue comes from bunga telang. I took only the blue and red for the pic in the spoon as the white doesnt have any contrast to the also white spoon :D
  
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Irvine Chin December 30, 2015 at 1:14 am

melacca always amazed me. so much culture. so much delicious food =D

never tried tai bak before

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  Merryn December 30, 2015 at 3:44 pm
  
  Ahh then you should really put that in your list should you decide to pay Malacca a visit one of these days when you are in Malaysia :)
  
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Huai Bin December 30, 2015 at 8:48 am

I’ve never been here before!

However, if you say it’s good and authentic, I certainly trust your judgement in Peranakan food. I must go and find Chapnap Cafe sometime.

I’ve never had Tai Bak before too, how interesting to have it in blue and red colors instead of the usual green hue. I thought it was artificial until you mentioned bunga telang in the comments. Such a vivid blue too! :)

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  Merryn December 30, 2015 at 3:43 pm
  
  It’s Chanap, not Chapnap. LoL. You should try Tai Bak. It’s something unique. Peranakans use bunga telang for almost every food that is blue :)
  
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Christopher December 30, 2015 at 10:53 am

Can I go there and check out some young Peranakan gorgeous ladies like you? muahahahha..
wah.. the cendol looks so so good!

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  Merryn December 30, 2015 at 3:42 pm
  
  @[email protected]
  
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CL (RealGunners) December 30, 2015 at 11:27 am

I’m looking at your two boys who smiled so brightly in the picture with cendol, but I think they were smiling for different reasons. Kor kor smiling for the camera, di di smiling because got mum mum hahaha!

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  Merryn December 30, 2015 at 3:42 pm
  
  After that pic was taken, they both smiled for the cendol pulak :P
  
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Yee Ling December 30, 2015 at 12:37 pm

I so so love Nyonya food especially Nyonya laksa and cendol. So this place only member can go in?

When you happen to cook any Nyonya food, can ring me kah? I want to eat la..no need to go Melaka so far. Haha

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  Merryn December 30, 2015 at 3:41 pm
  
  Yee Ling, the cafe is open to public :)
  
  I.. I… I can’t cook wan lah. LoL! One of the rare Nyonyas that doesn’t cook :P
  
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Sally December 30, 2015 at 2:07 pm

Can I have the Tai Bak receipe?

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mun December 30, 2015 at 6:25 pm

The blue and red colour of the Tai Bak makes me scared to eat them but I have eaten Tai Bak in Ipoh before not in these colours.

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About Me

Home is where MY heart is.
I am a mother to two boys; Ethan and Ayden and a wife to Darling William. I'm a stay at home mum who blogs to break the monotony of life and to avoid feeling jaded. Would love to get to know all the Super Mommies and Daddies and Babies or Singles out there with the hope that we can learn more from each other. Most of all, I am a happy person, and I hope YOU are too.