Woody Family Peranakan Cafe

We stopped by Woody before we read any news about it. We were on literally our way there for a 11.30am lunch when the recent interview popped up on our feed, and on television. We've been going to Woody for many years; just that we can't go often because it's damn far lah. It's a 50-minute drive out from where we are. Each time we go, we make a morning out of it. 

The food is good, but service is extremely patchy, along with long waiting times for food. It's the typical issues that plague family-run businesses with insufficient manpower. Woody has an electronic ordering system, which is great for inventory and accounting, and it saves on manpower. But with one person in the kitchen cooking and one person making drinks and serving the food, it can take a while during peak hours. 

Social media is a double-edged sword. If it helps with stimulating the business, the couple and their one staff wouldn't be able to handle the influx of customers. It's not a happy problem because people won't come back. The cafe would get solid income for three months, then what? But I suppose they aren't in the position to think very long-term for now. And just grit and carry on doing what they know best. 

The cafe welcome dogs and Choya had plenty of space to lounge around in their shaded al fresco area. The mid-day heat and humidity was comfortable because of the many fans circulating. The eclectic decor took us right back to the 1970s.

We didn't have a dinner fixed with friends or reserved. We went big at lunch, knowing the dinner could simply be a bowl of soup. (That was what happened. Hahaha. No more stomach space.)

Woody's nasi ulam is superb. I must have that along with sambal petai and ikan bilis. Surprisingly, I'm not fond of the sambal belachan here. The buah keluak ayam bakwan with geram assam was pretty good. The man needed more protein, so he demolished a lamb shank rendang. I was pleased with the buah paya masak titek — it's not often seen on restaurants' menus. This iteration is lovely. It would have benefited from adding tofu too, but that's just me. Heh. 

This is homecooked goodness still. These are flavors that many people don't replicate anymore or they do a shortened version of the dishes. And that's the magic about Peranakan cooking. It's very hard to do it in a commercial setting, and bigger restaurants don't hold the flavors I'm looking for. Their dishes end up being pedestrian. Family cafes like this can't excel in every dish. I mean by now, I know which dishes I'd order at the respective Peranakan restaurants. Ooof.