The Suffolk Restaurant

Thursday, May 17 2012

Wednesday, 24 March 2010 14:23

WITH tales of romance, heartbreak and deceit surrounding Suffolk House, it is no wonder that when one crosses the threshold of the acclaimed building, one could feel reality slipping away and surreal images of colonial times taking over.

Also referred to as the Great House of Penang, this 200-year-old Georgian-styled mansion was built on a pepper estate once owned by Captain Francis Light. “He lived here with the woman he loved, Martina Rozells. Martina, of mixed Portuguese and Siamese descent, was reputed to be the adopted daughter of the Sultan of Kedah...”. When he died, Light bequeathed her “the pepper gardens with my Garden house plantations and all the Land by me cleared in that part of this Island called Suffolk.” (Badan Warisan Heritage Services)

Then deceit began with Light’s executors, transferring the whole estate to themselves instead of Martina. She never regained the estate and in 1805, it was sold to William Edward Phillips, one of Penang’s early governors. He is believed to have built the Suffolk House in the form we see today. It is also believed that the founding of Singapore was first discussed here, when Stamford Raffles visited the house in 1818.

According to a Wikipedia report, the mansion was used as a governor's residence and later as a government building for nearly a century before being sold to Lim Cheng Teik. “In 1928, Mr Lim sold the building and land to Reverend PL Peach of the Methodist Church of Malaya for $40,000 (Straits Settlement dollars) for the purpose of housing the Anglo-Chinese High School, later to become the local Methodist Boys' School...

“In 1956, the Methodist Church submitted plans to have Suffolk House demolished and to have new school buildings built over it. The then President of the Municipal Council, Mr John Sjovald Hoseasom Cunnyngham-Brown, persuaded the school to retain the mansion but build on the rest of the land... The building assumed various roles through its 46 years of ownership by the Methodist Church.

“World War II saw the building temporarily occupied by the Japanese administration. A dental clinic was later added into the building in 1953, and it also served as the Old Tuckshop (school canteen) until 1975. The building's rapid deterioration was noted since the 1950s, and in 1975, the building was declared unsafe and was vacated.” (Wikipedia)

Full restoration of the house was achieved in 2007, through collaboration between the Penang state government, HSBC Bank Malaysia and the Penang Heritage Trust. Read here and here for more on the restoration. In 2008, the project won the Award of Distinction from the Unesco Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards. “The official jury citation stated that ‘The restoration of Suffolk House has returned one of the most important colonial heritage landmarks in Penang to its former state of grandeur after years of neglect’.” (Star Online, 26.08.09)

On July 4 2009, the non-governmental organisation Badan Warisan Malaysia (BWM) was awarded a tender to manage Suffolk House for the next five years. “Suffolk House is not only poised to take its place as one of the most important colonial heritage landmarks in Penang and Malaysia, but will serve as a model for future restoration initiatives in the World Heritage Site of George Town,” said BWM president Tun Ahmad Sarji Abdul Hamid upon being awarded the tender. Read here

The mansion currently also houses the The Suffolk Restaurant, a fine dining area that offers a unique dining experience, set in the grandeur of the place. Read here and here for reviews of the restaurant along with the menu that is being served.

Definitely up a notch up from the Old Tuckshop.