March 2013
Over the past few months, a trio of new restaurants have set up shop in the once low key strip deep within Section 17, PJ to give established names Decanter, Bistro à Table and Verona Trattoria a run for their money. The Gastro Project, a modern bar-restaurant decked with movie-themed portraits, has received the most hype, while Yokotaya should prove popular in a cosy neighbourhood bereft of Japanese cuisine. The third and final new eatery in the area is Little Heritage House, which serves traditional halal Nyonya fare along the same row as The Gastro Project, Yokotaya and Decanter.
While its cooler neighbours prefer sophisticated artwork and chic furnishings, Little Heritage House goes down a more unpretentious route. With architecture reminiscent of classic Melaka Nyonya shophouses, the brightly lit two-floor restaurant features an old school interior primarily decked with the owner’s impressive private collection of antiques. The homey feel of Little Heritage House was further enhanced by our friendly and attentive server, who patiently guided us through the menu, though the staff could do with lowering the volume of the distracting festive Chinese background music.
All our dishes arrived simultaneously, with most of them served in metallic silver tiffin carriers, a nice touch that added to our rustic dining experience. The Kiam Chye Arc (sour vegetable and duck soup), came in two small personal servings as per our server’s advice and was hearty without being truly memorable, a sentiment that could be said about the stir-fried mixed vegetables as well. While we’re on the subject of greens, the vegetable selection here is rather limited, unless you’re a huge fan of okra, aubergine and vegetarian options like mushroom omelette.
Our meat dishes fared better in that respect. Lightly grilled with a satisfying crunch, the mackerel was delectable enough to savour on its own without the mild acar on the side. Our hugely comforting meal was completed by the herb-heavy curry kapitan chicken, an off-menu specialty that is sporadically made available here, and the refreshing soda-like nutmeg cooler. As a result of the restaurant’s generous food portions, our only regret was not having enough room to sample the affordably priced desserts, which include crowd pleasers like pulut hitam with mata kuching (from RM5) and sago gula Melaka (RM8).
There’s certainly stiff competition when it comes to dining around these parts, especially when new eateries seem to be opening every other month to join the already formidable legion of less pricey Chinese hawker offerings in Section 17. However, boasting top notch service, well-executed Nyonya favourites and a cosy ambience, Little Heritage House is a place we can see ourselves visiting over and over again. Wong Boon Ken