The Peranakan Restaurant Tasting Session 2017
442 Orchard Road
#02-01 Claymore Connect
Opening Hours:
Daily: 11am - 10pm
https://www.facebook.com/ThePeranakanSG/
This was an invited media review. I did not pay for the meal during the free hosted tasting session.
Attended with representatives from Chubby Botak Koala, Purple Taste, Justin Teo Living Loving You, and The Arctic Star.
Subsequent session with representatives from HungryGoWhere, Chubby Botak Koala, Purple Taste, The Arctic Star, Jelly Love Fats, msginginly, and Epicurious Caniggia.
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| Peranakan High Tea Set (SGD $28 Per Person) |
Delicious Peranakan Cuisine, Gorgeous Setting
(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 9
Ambience & Setting: 10
Food & Beverage: 9
Service: 8
Value for Money: 9
Spent about SGD $28 per person.
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When I last visited The Peranakan Restaurant, I was impressed by the awe-inspiring ambience, professional service, and tasty traditional Peranakan / Baba-Nyonya food. This winning combination made for a memorable dining experience. For Chinese New Year 2017, Chef Raymond Khoo invited us back to The Peranakan Restaurant to sample his CNY goodies and High Tea Set.
The star of The Peranakan Restaurant Chinese New Year 2017 is their Peranakan Ulam Salmon Yee Sang Istimewa (SGD $68), a giant festive platter featuring over 25 different ingredients, styled with a rooster to commemorate the Chinese zodiac year. This is one of the most refreshing version of yusheng I've eaten, because Chef has added in a generous portion of fresh herbs. Flavour is lively and clean, very light, without the usual cloying sweetness. Love it! Portion size is good for 6 - 10 persons.
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| Peranakan Ulam Salmon Yee Sang Istimewa (SGD $68) |
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| Peranakan Ulam Salmon Yee Sang Istimewa |
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| Peranakan Ulam Salmon Yee Sang Istimewa |
The Wine Aves Del Sur Merlot Reserva (SGD $?) is a red wine, made with 100% Merlot grapes, produced by Aves Del Sur winery in Maule Valley, in the Maule Region of Chile. It has a deep, ruby red and purple colour, with aromas of black cherry, oak, raspberry, and plums. It has a gentle, smooth, rounded body, with soft tannins, and a sweet fruity flavour. Tastes of blackcurrant, strawberry, blueberry, and smoke. Finish is short but structured. Great beginner's wine. Chef has only brought in several cases of this, partly because the image, and name, of this wine is a Gallo / rooster, which represents the Chinese zodiac year of 2017.
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| Wine Aves Del Sur Merlot Reserva (SGD $?) |
The Kueh Pie Ti Set (SGD $20 for 10 Pieces) allows you to create your own kueh pie ti. The handmade stewed turnip stuffing is earthy and sweet savoury, tender and juicy in texture. Along with the crisp pastry shells, fresh sweet prawns / shrimp, and dollop of fiery sambal belacan, these went down a treat. Wish for some minced eggs, but this is still pretty good as is.
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| Kueh Pie Ti Set (SGD $20 for 10 Pieces) |
The Peranakan High Tea Set (SGD $28 Per Person) features a mix of savoury and sweet dishes, with a total of 12 different items per person. Available daily from 11am - 5pm, this is a fantastic value for money meal, as it offers a sampler insight into the various handmade items here. As the 12 items change daily, each experience and combination is different, allowing for multiple repeat visits. Despite the large portion, Chef says that even ladies are able to finish everything over the course of a normal high tea duration (about 2 hours). Here are some of my personal favourites from the Peranakan High Tea Set which I'm trying for the first time.
The Mee Siam is completely delicious, among the better versions I've eaten. What makes this stand out is the thick, savoury sweet sour gravy, that is more bold and intense in flavour than other versions, yet doesn't feel heavy. Really addictive, I would come back just for this. Highly recommended!
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| Mee Siam |
The Hae Bee Hiam Toast / Spicy Dried Shrimp Toast is well executed, with a crisp, thick slab of toasted white bread, with the edges sliced off. Smoky in aroma, the robust and intense prawn / shrimp flavour goes so well with the bread. Taste is deeply savoury, with a slight lingering spicy burn. Good!
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| Hae Bee Hiam Toast / Spicy Dried Shrimp Toast |
The Satay Babi Sum Chan Pau features tender strips of pork belly, marinated in a savoury sweet nutty gravy of ground roasted peanuts. The fatty slabs of pork takes on the earthy nutty aroma of the gravy, and the soft pau / bao / bun is fluffy with a soft chew. More mild when compared to the other items in the Peranakan High Tea Set, but still tasty enough. Best eaten when served and still piping hot, as it cools off quicky.
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| Satay Babi Sum Chan Pau |
The handmade Kueh Ko Swee / Kuih Kosui has a sticky, chewy texture, while the gula melaka / palm sugar lends a floral sweet flavour to this dessert cake. The shreds of dessicated coconut lend a nice chew to texture, and the dryness offsets the moist cake. I notice this version happens to be more dense and heavy than others elsewhere. Pretty good.
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| Kueh Ko Swee / Kuih Kosui |
Loved the Peanut Cookies (SGD $20), which are handmade by Chef and team. These are outstanding for its soft, crumbly, buttery texture, which just falls apart in the mouth. Lovely light nutty sweet flavour, and a slight crunch from the peanut half on top. Highly recommended!
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| Peanut Cookies (SGD $20) |
Overall, The Peranakan Restaurant retains that same great ambience, professional service, and delicious food. Due to the overwhelming popularity of their Chinese New Year goodies, Chef Raymond Khoo has considered making more next year. Looking forward to it!
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Update May-2017: Family plays a large role in the Peranakan culture, so it's no surprise that occasions such as Father's Day or Mother's Day are important. Thus, The Peranakan Restaurant has launched a special menu, only available on 13 - 14 May 2017, to commemorate Mother's Day 2017. Titled 'The Peranakan Set Menu Of Yesteryears' (SGD $200 for 4 pax), this traditional feast is fit for the whole family.
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| Private Dining Area |
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| Private Dining Area |
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| Peranakan Bound Feet Shoes |
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| Peranakan Bound Feet Shoes |
With The Peranakan Set Menu Of Yesteryears (SGD $200 for 4 pax), this features a mix of dishes from the regular menu, which I've reviewed before, as well as several off-menu dishes specially created for the occasion. This includes the choice of 1 soup, either Sup Bakwan Kepiting or Itek Tim; the Nasi Ulam Istimewa, though this time it's shaped in a heart; the rich and indulgent Satay Babi Sum Chan, with its thick peanut gravy; and the Ayam Buah Keluak, a staple dish of any Baba-Nyonya meal.
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| The Peranakan Set Menu Of Yesteryears (SGD $200 for 4 pax) |
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| Sup Bakwan Kepiting |
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| Itek Tim |
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| Nasi Ulam Istimewa |
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| Nasi Ulam Istimewa |
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| Satay Babi Sum Chan |
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| Ayam Buah Keluak |
The seasonal, off-menu dish of Sambal Pisang Jantung, also known as Banana Heart Salad, is a traditional Peranakan classic. It features a bed of emping crackers made from gnetum gnemon nuts / belinjo nuts, surrounding a mound of chilled shredded pork loin, white onions, parsley, deshelled prawns / shrimp, cucumber, banana flowers, and chili. Pile all the ingredients on top of a cracker, add a dollop of sambal belachan, and enjoy. Texture is crispy, creamy, and chewy, while flavours of sweet savoury spicy burst in the mouth, yet it's all so refreshing and clean-tasting. Good!
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| Sambal Pisang Jantung |
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| Sambal Pisang Jantung |
The seasonal, off-menu dish of Udang Masak Nenas features large, shell-on prawns / shrimp, and sliced pineapples, in a sweet and mildly spicy curry of thick coconut milk, garlic, candlenuts, turmeric, galangal, bay leaf, belachan / dried shrimp paste, shallots, and chili. Light, beautiful flavours, so tasty. Good!
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| Udang Masak Nenas |
The seasonal, off-menu dish of Telur Goreng Chinchalok is a simple, straightforward, flat egg omelette, fried with white onions and parsley. Served with a robust, intense, house made chinchalok, a traditional Peranakan sauce of fermented shrimp, onions, lime juice, and chili. Incredibly zesty tangy sour sharp all at once, very refreshing.
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| Telur Goreng Chinchalok |
The seasonal, off-menu dish of Bitter Gourd Asam Busok was the highlight for me this visit. A rare Peranakan dish, revived from the recipes of Chef Raymond Khoo, painstakingly recreated just for this occasion. A hearty, comforting vegetable curry stew, served with crisp fried dough fritter / you tiao on the side, which is torn off and dipped in the curry before eating. The vegetable curry stew itself features a base of coconut milk, turmeric, garlic, ginger, along with bitter gourd, string beans, and mackerel fish. Stewed till tender, the bitter gourd loses much of its signature bitter flavour, instead taking on a sweet fish meat flavour from the gravy. Overall flavour is zesty tangy sweet savoury sour, with only mild bitter and spicy notes. Very good. Highly recommended!
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| Bitter Gourd Asam Busok |
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| Bitter Gourd Asam Busok |
Not part of the set menu, this seasonal, off-menu dish of Mock Fish Curry features a secret cooking technique that Chef Raymond Khoo learnt from a Master Chinese Chef. Even though it's made of soy bean, the mock fish has a flaky, tender texture that feels exactly like cod fish or batang / Spanish mackeral fish. Served in a sour spicy curry with string beans, brinjal / eggplant / aubergine, and lady's finger / okra. Chef says if advance orders are placed at least 24 hours or more in advance, any of his dishes can be converted to a vegetarian version!
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| Mock Fish Curry |
The seasonal, off-menu dessert of Kueh Dadar features a soft, chewy, rolled crepe, made from all-purpose flour, eggs, water, salt, and coconut milk, then infused with pandan / screwpine leaf juice. It's stuffed with a filling of dessicated coconut infused with rich gula melaka / palm sugar. Very nice, especially when eaten warm. Good!
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| Kueh Dadar |
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| Kueh Dadar |
Chef Raymong Khoo also showcased his Gila Durian Feast (SGD $38++ per pax), an 8 course dessert feast, where every dish features a type of durian - either D24, Mao Shan Wang, or Ang Bak. This dessert feast is served course by course, one at a time, though during our visit, Chef served it all in a platter. This includes Pulot Enti Kelapa With Durian, Pandan Gula Melaka Cake With Durian, Chendol With Durian, and more.
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| Gila Durian Feast (SGD $38++ per pax |
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| Gila Durian Feast |
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| Pulot Enti Kelapa With Durian |
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| Pandan Gula Melaka Cake With Durian |
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| Chendol With Durian |
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| Us |
Always glad to dine at The Peranakan Restaurant, the experience is fantastic. Consistently top-notch, it will definitely appeal to all-ages, and I personally feel it's a must-visit!
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 Reserve a table now @ The Peranakan Restaurant |
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