A former banker, her grandmother’s recipes and a Malaysia Day Nyonya feast at Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 20 — Former banker Sharon De Souza is now the chef behind Kuala Lumpur's exclusive Nyonya Supper Club. Her culinary journey began later in life, driven by a desire to preserve and share the recipes she grew up eating with her mother and grandmother. These recipes, rooted in her family's Melaka heritage, will be showcased during a week-long Malaysia Day collaboration at Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur from September 14 to 20.

Titled "A Baba Nyonya Story: Recipes of a Living Heritage," the project highlights dishes that continue to be prepared and shared within families, bridging the past and present. De Souza, who is of Kristang and Baba Nyonya heritage, still hand-grinds spices for her recipes and sources specific ingredients required for traditional Nyonya cuisine.

For the Park Hyatt menu, she has chosen dishes that embody Kerala Nyonya cooking. Among the dishes are Daging Tulang Rusuk Kapitan, a slow-braised beef short rib cooked with ground spices, coconut cream, and lime; Nasi Ulam, made with aromatic herbs, toasted coconut, dried shrimp, salted fish, and sambal belacan; and Kuah Lada, a dish traditionally enjoyed in Nyonya homes, featuring golden snapper simmered with tamarind, turmeric, and black peppercorns.

The collaboration comes as Malaysia celebrates Malaysia Day, emphasizing the relevance of these inherited recipes in Malaysian culture. The project aims to showcase dishes that are still in use today, carried forward from one generation to the next, while maintaining the family memories and cooking traditions that have shaped De Souza's cuisine.