It's a rare day in a travel writer's career when he enjoys a cuisine he's never even heard of. Peranakan cuisine (aka Nonya) was developed in the 15th century by Peranakans, a people whose heritage stems from the intermarriage between Chinese settlers of Singapore and the local Malaysians. It's a complex and sophisticated style of cooking, involving exotic ingredients and a layering of flavors, and there are only a few chefs in the Western world -- including Nonya's executive chef Tony Pat, a Hong Kong native -- who know the authentic techniques to make it. Pungent roots such as ginger, turmeric, and galangal are used liberally along with aromatic and often spicy seasonings to an eclectic and wondrous effect. Case in point: It's a sure bet you haven't had a mangga ikan salad -- a light yet flavorful dish made with fresh mango, tender halibut, thinly sliced red onions and a lemongrass-lime vinaigrette. Nor are you familiar with khaj panggang, thin slices of chicken breast marinated in chili and grilled in banana leaves. The seafood dishes are equally enticing: red snapper spiced with turmeric and tamarind, cooked in banana leaves and served with house-pickled vegetables; whole Dungeness crab sautéed with curry leaves and black pepper. Owner Simon Tong, who owned Asian restaurants in London for 25 years until recently settling in Pasadena, hired designer Dodd Mitchell to create a gorgeous dining room, replete with glimmering hardwoods, metals, and lush foliage that surround a tranquil elevated pond (it's both sexy and soothing, the perfect date place).