Flavors of Malaysia: Nyonya Classics

A hands-on in-person cooking class culminating in a dinner served with wine and beer. This class is limited to 12 students. Review our registration and cancellation policies here.

Nyonya (also known as Peranakan) foods are a true Malay and Chinese fusion cuisine that dates back over 600 years. Chinese traders landed in the ports of Singapore, Penang, and Malacca, and while waiting for the season to change, wedded local Malays. These marriages and families gave birth to a new and unique cuisine that is Nyonya. Join Chef Linda as she shares her own stories and experiences, and indulge in a menu of foods that Chef Linda ate at her grandmother’s house on Sundays and during festive holidays. 

From Chef Linda: 

“I recently learned that my paternal grandmother’s mother was a Peranakan Nyonya woman from Indonesia, named Yap Moi. My great grandmother was apparently 15 years old when shipped over to Malaysia and betrothed. Until last month, I always thought that my grandmother had learned her Peranakan cooking from her mother-in-law, her husband’s adopted mother. So to know that she had both the benefit of learning from a Peranakan Nyonya matriarch while herself being of Peranakan descent now made a lot of sense why her cooking was so good. I am excited to learn that the Nyonya heritage runs in my blood.”
 

MENU

Otak-otak: Banana-Leaf Wrapped Fish in Spicy Coconut Custard

Acar - Mixed Pickled Vegetables

Ah Ma’s Curry Chicken with Homemade Curry Powder

Tau Yu Bak - Soy Braised Pork Belly

Turmeric Kunyit Rice
 

This menu contains the following common allergens: Fish, Shellfish, Egg, Soy, Tree Nuts, Peanuts. If you have allergies or dietary restrictions that concern your ability to cook along, please e-mail info@18reasons.org before purchasing a ticket.

Let’s Cook Together!

Linda Tay Esposito is a teaching chef whose food represents a tribute and a commitment to the authenticity of the cuisines of the Pacific Rim. For the last two decades, Linda has shared her passion and knowledge of East and Southeast Asian cuisines by teaching at many notable cooking schools in the Bay Area. An all around food professional, Linda works on placemaking projects by building equitable food systems through the intersectional lens of food, sustainability and equity. She led the development of La Cocina’s municipal marketplace as well as the food program at the Presidio Tunnel Tops. She currently works on ground floor activation initiatives at several affordable housing projects in San Francisco. Linda's specialties include Malaysian cuisine, Chinese cuisine, and various Southeast Asian cuisines. She teaches both public and private cooking classes and hosts pop-up dinners at 18 Reasons.

_{Photo by Linda Tay Esposito}