“Mother knows best,” as the saying goes. So trust Ambon Boenda to live up to its name, literally translated to mean “Mother’s Cake”.

 

Standing apart on a quaint street which whispers stories of centuries-past-delicacy is Ambon Boenda – a cake house unlike any other from which the faint scent of spices and coconut milk lingering in the air, beckons visitors to enter a world where an exquisite blend of flavors tell faacinating stories of heritage, of the Nusantara, and of generations preserving the artistry of traditional cakes.

 

Founded by Ibu Linda Lo, a spirited Indonesian-born matriarch who resides in Malaysia, the cake house was born out of a promise to her mother.

 

“Never let the stories fade,” her Mother reminded her as they sat one evening folding banana leaves to wrap an assortment of  kuih lemper, ambon and kueh lapis for as long as Ibu Linda could remember.

 

In Malaysia, the Nusantara spirit remains alive through its food — treasures brought by the waves of migration, trade and tradition from the Malay Archipelago: Indonesia, Brunei, and the surrounding lands. 

 

Each kuih, each cake, carries a piece of home – blending local ingredients into masterpieces that mirror the region’s lush jungles, golden coasts and rich cultural tapestries.

 

 

Ambon Boenda  was founded with Linda Ho’s dream of wanting to revivr the fading legacy of traditional cakes – kuih-muih, as the elders fondly call them. 

 

No ordinary cake house would do. Here, every bite needs to tell a tale: of Malay, Javanese, Minangkabau and Bugis roots; of spices traded in ancient ports; and of flavours shared across family tables.

 

The first cakes on the menu is an ode to her childhood.