Recently, I have some friends visiting from the United States. I took them to the Jawi House Cafe Gallery in Armenian Street / Lebuh Armenian (within the Penang UNESCO World Heritage Site) to try the Jawi Peranakan Malay Cuisine. I have never been there before, so, my friends’ visit provides a good opportunity to try out the restaurant.
The Jawi House Cafe Gallery is filled with decorations depicting the Jawi Peranakan culture. It has a cozy environment, and the art pieces on display create a special ambiance.
One of the specialties in the Jawi House Cafe Gallery is the Nasi Lemuni (Lemuni Rice). It is basmati rice cooked with lemuni leaves (Vitex Trifolia), which is believed to have medicinal value. We also ordered a number of dishes, including kuih serabai, cucur udang, roti jala with chicken curry, kerabu mangga (mango salad), beef rendang, stewed lamb, grilled prawns, fish curry and lamb biryani. Here are some pictures of the dishes:
For desserts, we were offered a few types of cakes, which we skipped, because we were too full already. All of us wrapped up our meal with a cup of Malaysian Kopi-O.
Overall, the Jawi House Cafe Gallery serves up some nice Jawi Peranakan Malay dishes in a very comfortable environment. My friends from the US were very happy with the experience.
Here is the location of Jawi House Cafe Gallery in Google Maps:
