Tok Panjang literally means long table — Tok is a Hokkein Word for table, Panjang a malay word for long. With eight children in the Chan family, it was indeed necessary to have such a long table!

Dinner was held promptly at 7pm sharp, remember to join the dinner on time.

Older family members would have eaten with their hands like the Malays, while some would have adopted the more English style of eating with utensils. The Peranakans did not use chopsticks as this was seen a “chinaman” way of eating.