The Smokehouse Hotel in Cameron Highlands opened its doors in 1937. (Alex Lee pic)
CAMERON HIGHLANDS: A magnificent roast turkey, hot sherry consommé, delectable puddings and crumbling mince pies are the Christmas staples Alex Lee, 44, remembers gracing the elaborate dinner table in The Smokehouse Hotel when he was growing up.
Lee, whose father bought over the hotel in 1977, said up to 80% of the guests back then were expatriates. And Christmas Eve was arguably the highlight of the season in the 1980’s.
Manager Alex Lee took over the hotel from his father in 2018. (Alex Lee pic)
Speaking to FMT, he said he remembers vividly how guests would lounge around the fireplace on Christmas Eve night, enjoying dinner and drinks, then attend evening service at the local church, just 400 metres down the road.
“It is called Old Souls’ Church Cameron Highlands. After the service, you would see everyone the next morning for the Christmas service before they came back to the hotel for lunch.”
The hotel manager of Cameron Highlands’s oldest hotel said this was a contrast to how Christmas was a more “social affair” today as opposed to decades before when it was more family-oriented.
(L) Alex Lee (centre) and his siblings outside The Smokehouse Hotel in Cameron Highlands. (R) Alex’s father, Peter Lee, bought the hotel in 1977. (Alex Lee pic)
“I can imagine it was the same back then up until the late ‘70s,” he said, adding that the hotel was first opened during the Christmas season of 1937.
Another tradition Lee remembered was hiding a 50-cent coin in the Christmas pudding every single year until the ‘90s. The tradition of finding a Christmas coin in a slice of a pudding was believed to bring good luck and wealth in the coming year.
One tradition was hiding a 50-cent coin in the Christmas pudding every year. (Alex Lee pic)
He said serving eggnog and mulled wine to family and friends was another Christmas tradition once upon a time. “However, we don’t do that anymore as there is 0% interest.”
Everyone also made it a point to wear their Christmas best. “Up until the late ‘80s, everyone would dress up in a jacket and tie. It felt like you were transported to another country. But it’s a little different now.”
While certain traditions have faded with time, Lee has made it a point to introduce other customs at The Smokehouse Hotel, one of which is offering a specially-curated Christmas menu to guests.
The showpiece on the Christmas dinner table was always a glorious roast turkey. (Alex Lee pic)
He also goes to great lengths to create a picture-perfect Christmas setting inside. “We bring in pine branches from our garden, there are party packs and candles. You will get a proper traditional Christmas meal as well,” he said, adding that guests these days are a mixed-race bunch unlike before.
“The hotel was not a private club but it would have felt that way. That has changed and we are very happy. We are all Malaysians after all.”
