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| The Peranakan |
The
recent revamped of the shopping centre beside Orchard Hotel, now
known as Claymore Connect has unveiled a new peranakan restaurant,
named The Peranakan. The Owner / Chef behind this is Executive Chef
Raymond Khoo, a peranakan and well experienced Chef whom for the
first time open a restaurant true to his root.
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| Part of the Outdoor Seating |
For him,
The Peranakan is about cooking peranakan food according to Chef Khoo
family recipe.
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| Mini Peranakan Shop |
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| Peranakan Tea Set |
Located
in the 2nd floor of Claymore Connect, the restaurant is
easy to spot from far away. It is bright, glamorous and proudly
displaying a true heritage of Peranakan culture. The furnitures, the
batik table covers, wallpapers, cutleries and the overall
presentation just showcase the Peranakan heritage. I actually think,
The Peranakan looks more like a Peranakan Museum than a restaurant.
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| Part of Dining Area |
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| Part of Dining Area |
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| Prawn Roll and Sambal |
Nasi Ulam
Istimewa ($17). This is a traditional dish of rice mixed with raw
herbs, vegetables, minced fish and salted fish. According to the Chef
Khoo, the preparation of this dish is just tedious as the julienne
herbs will only remain fresh within 30 minutes before its oxidise.
The Nasi Ulam here is aromatic and bursting with the freshness of
herbs flavour, especially the lemongrass. The rice is al-dente
texture that you normally found in Chinese fried rice, however the
fish and salted fish dissipate in the background. Overall, it remain
a good dish, can be eaten on its own though I prefer a more even
spread of fish and salted fish.
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| Nasi Ulam Istimewa |
Sotong
Masak Asam ($19). A tender and springy squid cooked in tamarind and
palm sugar and starfruit. The original recipe uses Buah Belimbing
Bulih, however it is difficult to find in Singapore. A well balanced
between sweet and sour dish that will wake up your appetite.
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| Sotong Masak Asam |
Kaki Babi
Pong Teh ($19). Pork leg slow cooked for six hours with sautéed
onions and fermented beans. This is the first time I tried this dish
using pork knuckle. The meat is succulent, packed with collagen from
the skin of the pork leg. Although it was cooked over a long period,
there was still some springiness in the meat instead of mushy and
soft. The gravy is slightly sweet, with a touch of fermented beans.
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| Kaki Babi Pong Teh |
Ayam Buah
Keluak ($22 – including 4 pcs of buah keluak). The signature of
peranakan dish, the thick pieces of chicken is tender and absorbs the
gravy well. It might look unappetizing, however it is pretty
delicious.
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| Ayam Buah Keluak |
Buah
Keluak, known as the truffle of the East can be considered an
acquired taste. At The Peranakan, the team took additional steps in
the preparation of Buah Keluak. They took out the fillings, blend it,
and put it back into the shell before cooking it with the chicken.
Resulting a smooth and creamy texture buah keluak, instead of the
traditional coarse texture. After this process, each buah keluak will
contain two times the amount of normal fillings. If you order this
dish, the service staff will provide you with a special spoon to dig
into the buah keluak. LD loves this dish, especially the buah keluak
as she described as creamy truffle with a chocolatey taste.
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| Buah Keluak Spoon |
Nonya
Chap Chye ($15). One of the most recognised and favourite peranakan
dish, a must order when you are in peranakan restaurant version. The
version here has a lighter flavours with crunchy cabbage, accompanied
with sliced shiitake mushroom and tang hoon. Although it is good, I
prefer mine to be cooked a bit longer and with more robust flavour.
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| Nonya Chap Chye |
Bendeh /
ladies finger with chinchalok ($12). One of LD's favourite dish of
the night. She loves the crunchy bite of the lady finger together
with the chinchalok plus the sambal that they served (a familiar
home-cooked dish in her grandma's & mom's cooking). Watch out for
the spiciness from the sambal, as she finished her Soursop with biji
selaseh drink ($8) quite fast after having this dish.
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| Bendeh / ladies finger with chinchalok |
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| Soursop with biji selaseh drink |
Satay
Babi Sum Chan ($19). Well this is not your typical satay because
there is no peanuts in the sauce. Instead it contain pork belly
cooked with different type of herbs over 3.5 hours and the gravy
looks like peanut sauce. The meat is tender, succulent and my
favourite word fatty. I always love my Sum Chan (Pork Belly), so this
dish definitely sits well with me as my 'rice thief'.
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| Satay Babi Sum Chan |
Ngoh
Hiang Prawn ($15). The version here is well fried with crispy
exterior texture, while moist and juicy inside. There were prawns,
mince pork and diced water chestnuts; which goes well with their
chilli and thick sweet sauce. There is a traditional liver version,
but we did not get to try it this time around, we will go and try the
next round as LD says it is the version that her family are used to.
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| Ngoh Hiang Prawn |
We also
tried the soup Itek Tim ($9) and Sup Bakwan Kepiting ($9). Like the
Chap Chye, the duck soup is on the light sight. Very subtle, like
missing the OMPH from the salted vegetables. Meanwhile the crab soup
is a must try here. The broth is clear, yet robust. While the crab
ball is springy, with a slight chewiness and you can taste the crab
flavour in it. You can add additional ingredients such as sea
cucumber or other item to the soup, I just don't think that it is
necessary.
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| Itek Tim |
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| Sup Bakwan Kepiting |
Just when
we are almost full, the desserts served looks so tempting that we
cannot stop tasting. Pandan Gula Melaka Cake ($6.50) and Pandan
Gula Melaka Cake with durian ($8). The Peranakan version of Pandan
Chiffon cake, drizzle with aromatic Gula Melaka, topped with roasted
coconut shavings. The chiffon cake is soft and moist, provided a good
base for gula melaka and roasted coconut shavings.
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| Pandan Gula Melaka Cake |
The durian version is topped with homemade Malaysian durian blend.
The texture of the durian blend is smooth, creamy, almost like thick
syrup type without any fibre which commonly found in durian pengat. A
good topping for the Pandan Cake as it works in unison with the
fragrant gula melaka.
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| Pandan Gula Melaka Cake with durian |
Pulot Enti Kelapa ($5) and Pulot Enti Hae Bee ($6.50). This is
de-constructed version of one of my favourite snack made from
glutinous rice, cooked with blue pea flower. The Pulot Enti Kelapa is
the sweet version of the dish, where the topping uses mixed of gula
melaka with coconut shavings. Meanwhile the Pulot Enti Hae Bee is the
savoury version, with the same topping uses for the prawn rolls. Both
are equally good, it just depends on which version you prefer. I like
the sweet one, while LD like the savoury one.
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| Pulot Enti Hae Bee |
There is also Pulot Enti Durian ($6.50). First time I tried this
version and my taste buds just can't adjust to the combination of
durian and glutinous rice. A little bit too much for me.
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| Pulot Enti Durian |
Pineapple
Tart. It looks like the one that I used to have in Indonesia during
the Chinese New Year. The fillings is fully covered by the pasty and
some slits are made to the pastry to create the pineapple effect. The
fillings slightly subtle and I prefer more buttery punch in the
pastry.
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| Pineapple Tart |
A must
try here is The Peranakan Pot of Malacca Milk Tea ($6.50). It is
thick, solid and silky smooth. Reminds me of the Traditional Hong
Kong Milk Tea. A good ending to the meal.
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| The Peranakan Pot of Malacca Milk Tea |
Overall,
within the short period since its opening, I can say that The
Peranakan is one of the better Peranakan Restaurant in Singapore. The
price is slightly on the high side, but it is relative to the
location and ingredients used. So if you are a fans of peranakan food
or looking to try it for the first time, The Peranakan should come
into consideration. Cheers!!
Thank you
very much to Chef Raymond Khoo and The Peranakan Team for the tasting
invitation.
Food
& Drink: 8/10
Value:
8/10
Service:
N/A (Tasting Invitation)
Ambiance:
9/10
Budget per Person: $26 - $50
The
Peranakan
57 Lengkok Bahru
#01-477
Singapore 151057
T: +65 8023 4345 (+WhatsApp)
IG: @theperanakansg
OH: Daily 11.30 – 21.00
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