MALACCA may be awash with glossy cafes and tourist-facing food joints, but tucked among the heritage shophouses are family-owned establishments quietly carrying the torch for Peranakan cuisine. These are not the kind of places with choreographed social media backdrops or neon signs screaming for your attention, instead, they are defined by personal touches, intimate spaces and recipes guarded like family heirlooms.theSun visited three of them: Wild Coriander, Peranakan Place Signature and Cottage Spices, each with its own personality, quirks and flavour footprint.Wild Coriander: Colour, spice, storyStep into Wild Coriander and you will immediately notice how lived-in the space feels. Not messy, mind you, it is immaculate, but the decor, painted murals and little details have the unmistakable stamp of owners Raymond and Mani Sarah Cheah. Mani painted many of the walls herself, adding a warmth that you do not get from outsourced interior design.The restaurant’s story began almost by accident. The couple, who previously ran a guesthouse on the same street, decided to fill the vacuum left when a nearby eatery closed. Fast forward nine years and Wild Coriander is now a must-visit for travellers looking to try Malaysian favourites under one roof.The menu draws on the couple’s Baba and Chindian heritage, blending Chinese, Malay and Indian flavours. Signature dishes include Beef Rendang, Brinjal Pajeri from Mani’s mother’s recipe and Ayam Buah Keluak, a Peranakan speciality made with black nuts that taste somewhere between earthy truffles and “what happens if blue cheese went on a gap year”. It is an acquired taste, one that inspires love at first bite for some, polite nods for others.On our visit, the food was rich, fragrant and unapologetically spiced, a proper Malaccan welcome. While most dishes were spot-on, a couple wavered in consistency. Still, the vibe more than makes up for it: service is genuinely friendly and the heritage building setting adds a sense of occasion.Pro tip: Pair your meal with their Mango Lassi or seasonal Avocado Gula Melaka smoothie. And if you can, linger a bit, the space, with its leafy courtyard and historical touches, makes you want to slow down and stay awhile.Peranakan Place Signature: Cool refuge with flawless flavourIf Wild Coriander is the vibrant, colourful artist, then Peranakan Place Signature @ Heeren Street is the elegant, well-composed classicist. Housed in a beautifully preserved heritage building, the restaurant is a cool escape from Malacca’s sweltering streets.Owners Ng Kock Seong and Kwan Pui See took over the brand 18 years ago, inspired by Ng’s mother’s cooking. The menu has not changed much over the years, deliberately so. They believe returning customers should not be disappointed when their favourite dish suddenly disappears. And thank goodness for that, because everything we tried was cooked with remarkable precision.The Assam Fish was bright and tangy without tipping into mouth-puckering sourness. The Chicken Sambal Petai struck that perfect balance between fiery sambal and the unmistakable aroma of stink beans. Honey Sotong, a house favourite, managed to be both sweet and savoury without feeling cloying. Even the blanched okra with sambal, a humble dish, was done with the kind of care usually reserved for centrepieces.There was no fault to be found in the cooking. Every dish tasted as though it had been tested and retested until the flavours were locked in. It is not just a meal here, it is an education in how Peranakan dishes are supposed to taste when made with heart and skill.The atmosphere is serene, with ornate carvings, patterned tiles and a long dining table under a chandelier, perfect for a slow, lingering meal. Staff are warm and unhurried, encouraging you to enjoy the food at your own pace. After all, escaping the heat outside should be more than just about the air-conditioning, it is about stepping into another tempo entirely.Cottage Spices: Familiar favouriteCottage Spices is one of those places locals talk about with a mix of fondness and knowing nods. Tucked into a modest shophouse, it is family-run and operates with the quiet confidence of a kitchen that has been doing this for decades.The chef-owner has over 20 years of experience and it shows in the menu staples. The Asam Pedas Nyonya, whether with fish head or fillet, is the kind of dish that makes you involuntarily close your eyes after the first spoonful of gravy. The Ayam Kapitan is bold and fragrant, while the Sotong Sambal Petai packs both heat and depth. And if you are after a gentler bite, the Ayam Pongteh, a soy-braised chicken, offers a comforting counterpoint.But the star here might just be the Nyonya Cendol. Served with thick, fragrant gula Melaka syrup, fresh coconut milk and bouncy green jelly noodles, it is the kind of dessert you could justify having as both a starter and a closer. Locals often pop in just for the cendol and a drink, a practice we fully endorse.Be warned: seating is limited and waits can be long during peak times. But that is part of the charm, like visiting an auntie’s house, you wait your turn and when it is finally your table’s turn to be served, the kitchen is cooking just for you.More than just recipesAcross these three establishments, a pattern emerges: the food is excellent, yes, but what lingers is the intimacy. These are not faceless operations, they are extensions of the owners’ personalities and family histories.Raymond and Mani at Wild Coriander are warm hosts who treat their decor like a personal gallery. Ng and Kwan at Peranakan Place uphold tradition with quiet confidence, letting the food speak for itself. The chef at Cottage Spices embodies the home-cooked Peranakan experience, where recipes are inherited, not improvised.Eating here is about entering a living room disguised as a restaurant. You are not only tasting flavours passed down through generations, you are seeing the pride of keeping them alive in a city where trends often overpower tradition.So if you find yourself in Malacca, skip the queues at the overly Instagrammed spots and make your way to one of these kitchens. Bring an appetite, a little patience and maybe a couple of extra friends, because like all good Peranakan meals, these are meant to be shared.