Our Story
Little Yellow Rice Co. is a Peranakan supper club experience, exploring Nyonya culture through the flavours of Hainan & Malaysia. It was founded in 2020 to share my cultural heritage with others and showcase authentic, regional dishes.
Our story begins around 1920 when my great-grandfather left our ancestral home, the Ooi Klan house in Hainan, China and travelled to Malaysia. There, he set up a kopi (coffee) house in one of the suburbs, which was successful and exists to this day.
When visiting it as a child to meet with my cousins, I remember feeling proud of how well known our family was. Even at 4 years old, hearing mention of my grandfather made me think of our heritage and what we’d achieved.
Many of my family members still live in and around Penang, Malaysia. And, like me, have set up businesses of their own.
Peranakan cuisine is diverse and rich, but with each generation, it fades. My aim for Little Yellow Rice Co. is to shine a light on its melting pot of flavours and culture. It’s my way of celebrating Peranakan food, tradition and heritage — with a growing community of those who want to eat together and tell its stories.
