This charming café shines a spotlight on traditional Peranakan kuih, serving a colourful array of handcrafted sweet treats that celebrate heritage flavours and time-honoured techniques.
Run by Peranakan duo Yugin Lee and Nina Yeoh, Blue Dahlia was born out of a shared desire to celebrate culinary traditions in a modern, accessible setting.
“Somehow, when I was younger, I didn’t understand my culture that well. But as I grew older, I realised it was actually an important and beloved part of my life.
“So I wanted to do something about it. I wanted to preserve traditions and share what I love about Nyonya cuisine with everyone,” Yeoh told FMT Lifestyle.
Lee chimed in saying: “I think a lot of people here have a love for Nyonya kuih because they incorporate flavours we can all relate to. Things like santan, sweet potato, and pandan are things many of us grew up with, and Nyonya kuih uses them in very interesting ways.”
With 18 to 20 varieties of kuih made fresh every day, Blue Dahlia offers everything from staples like bingka ubi and talam seri muka to more elusive traditional treats.
Crowd favourites such as ketayap, onde-onde and pulut panggang sit alongside rarer gems such as abok-abok and angku coconut. Mochi lovers will also enjoy peanut or black sesame mochi.
Lee and Yeoh both agreed that kuih-making is a labour-intensive craft, demanding careful attention to detail. One also had to follow a series of precise, intricate steps in order to achieve the right flavour and texture.
Yeoh said she’s often up at 5.30am to prepare the day’s batch. It’s a demanding routine, but one she finds deeply rewarding.
“The kuih koci is probably the most challenging to make. You have to wrap it in a banana leaf, and then steam it again so it’s infused with the leaf’s flavour. It can get quite time-consuming,” Yeoh admitted.
“I think our ancestors had too much free time on their hands, which is why their recipes are very complicated,” Lee said with a laugh.
“But that’s why their flavours are so complex. These days, there may be other ways of doing things to save time, but we don’t do that here. For us, there are no shortcuts,” he added.
Blue Dahlia is nestled in a sunny spot in PJ’s Seksyen 17, right next to banana leaf rice outlet Big Leaf, also run by Lee and Yeoh.
The café exudes a relaxed, welcoming vibe, with soft lighting that casts a gentle glow over wooden tables and comfortable seating. Photographs of the couple’s travels, taken by avid photographer Lee, adorn its walls.
In addition to its kuih, Blue Dahlia offers hot meals and classic desserts. One good way to enjoy the café’s fare is to sample several kuih, before rounding off your experience with a cool bowl of ice kacang or cendol.
Meal-wise, the Nyonya laksa is quite a treat, a medley of plump prawn, fresh vegetables and springy noodles immersed in a rich and aromatic broth.
But it is the kuih that are undeniably the main attraction here, with their evocative flavours and delicate textures.
The bingka ubi is a comforting treat with the right balance of chewiness and softness, while the kuih talam is fragrant with a creaminess that lingers on the palate.
Another highlight is the pineapple tarts, everyone’s favourite festive treat. Here, they’re baked just right, their luscious, textured filling wrapped in a buttery crust that holds together well.
Lee and Yeoh said customers have taken a liking to the café. Visiting Peranakan grandmothers often seek out Yeoh, in particular, to take photos with her and shake her hand, grateful that she is helping keep their culinary traditions alive.
The couple hope to expand their business in the near future, possibly to a location in Kuala Lumpur.
“Hopefully, more people discover and appreciate our local delicacies. We’d like to do our part in promoting these Peranakan treats to the rest of the world,” Yeoh said.
Blue Dahlia
601, Jalan 17/12
Seksyen 17
46400 Petaling Jaya
Selangor
Business hours: 10.30am-6pm daily