KUALA LUMPUR, April 29 -- When it comes to Peranakan food, everyone's got an opinion.

I may not be Peranakan but my friends who are will often whisper in my ear "that's not nice as it doesn't taste like how my grandmother cooks it."

Hence I have realised it's impossible to win everyone over as the flavours of Peranakan dishes are finely tuned to individual taste memories.

Maybe that's why I tend to avoid even eating Peranakan food unless it's homecooked.

To my surprise, a random dinner with friends at Bangsar's The Peranakan revealed some really great Melaka-style Peranakan dishes. I returned recently to try out their lunch menu.

The restaurant is a collaborative effort between Mickel Tan and Rose Tan, who carry on their family legac...