Peranakan, Nonya
| Chilli Padi Peranakan Restaurant & Catering 29 Heng Mui Keng Terrace #06-21 (Ground Level) Singapore 119620 Tel: 6872 2982 Wkday Lunch: 11:15am to 3pm Hi-Tea : Sat, Sun & PH: 3pm to 5:15pm Dinner: Fri - Sun & PH: 6pm to 9:30pm Visit Website | Lunch: Below $20 Dinner: Below $20 Hi Tea: Below $20 | Cuisine: Peranakan |
| Asian Market Café Swissotel The Stamford 80 Bras Basah Road Singapore 189560 Tel: 6431 6156 Daily Lunch: 12 noon - 2.30pm Mon to Fri Dinner: 6 pm - 10 pm Sat, Sun & PH Dinner: 6.30pm - 10.30pm Sat, Sun & PH High Tea: 12 pm - 4.30pm Visit website | Lunch: $30 - $40 Dinner: $40 - $50 Hi Tea: $20 - $30 | Cuisine: Asian, Peranakan |
| Penang Place Restaurant Fusionopolis No. 1 Fusionopolis Way #B1-20/24 Tel: 6899 9446 Mon – Sat Lunch: 11.30am – 2pm Mon - Sat Dinner: 6.30pm – 9.30pm Closed on Sun Visit Website | Lunch: $20 - $30 Dinner: $20 - $30 | Cuisine: Asian, Peranakan |
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| Nonya Buffet Restaurant in Singapore (Chilli Padi) |
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| Chilli Padi Nonya Buffet @ Heng Mui Keng Terrace |
Peranakan or Nonya cuisine combines Chenese, Malay and other influences into a unique blend. Peranakans are descendants of early Chinese migrants who settled in Penang, Malacca, Indonesia and Singapore inter-marrying with local Malays.
In Singapore, there are a couple of buffet restaurants that serve peranakan or nonya buffet. The most value for money peranakan buffet is of course Chilli Padi Buffet at Heng Mui Keng Terrace. (details above) For the uninitiated, Nonya cooking is the result of blending Chinese ingredients and wok cooking techniques with spices used by the Malay/Indonesian community. The food is tangy, aromatic, spicy and herbal. Key ingredients include coconut, milk, glangal (a subtle, mustard-scented rhizome similar to ginger ), candlenuts as both a flavoring and thickening agent, laksa leaf, pandan leaves (Pandanus amaryllifolius), belachan, tamarind, juice, lemongrass, torch ginger bud, jicama, fragrant kaffir limeleaf, rice or egg noodles and cincaluk - a powerfully flavored, sour and salty shrimp-based condiment that is typically mixed with lime juice, chillies and shallots and eaten with rice, fried fish and other side dishes.
In Singapore, there are a couple of buffet restaurants that serve peranakan or nonya buffet. The most value for money peranakan buffet is of course Chilli Padi Buffet at Heng Mui Keng Terrace. (details above) For the uninitiated, Nonya cooking is the result of blending Chinese ingredients and wok cooking techniques with spices used by the Malay/Indonesian community. The food is tangy, aromatic, spicy and herbal. Key ingredients include coconut, milk, glangal (a subtle, mustard-scented rhizome similar to ginger ), candlenuts as both a flavoring and thickening agent, laksa leaf, pandan leaves (Pandanus amaryllifolius), belachan, tamarind, juice, lemongrass, torch ginger bud, jicama, fragrant kaffir limeleaf, rice or egg noodles and cincaluk - a powerfully flavored, sour and salty shrimp-based condiment that is typically mixed with lime juice, chillies and shallots and eaten with rice, fried fish and other side dishes.
There are regional variations in Nonya cooking. Dishes from the island of Penang in the northern part of Peninsular Malaysia show Thai influences, such as more liberal use of tamarind and other sour ingredients. Dishes from Singapore and Malacca show a greater Indonesian influence, such as the use of coconut milk. A classic example is laksa (a spicy noodle soup), which comes in two variants: the sour asam laksa from Penang and the coconut milk-based laksa lemak from Singapore and the southern regions of Peninsular Malaysia. Laksa is one of the most popular items served in peranakan buffets in singapore.
Examples of Nonya specialities include otak otak a popular blend of fish, coconut milk, chilli paste, galangal and herbs wrapped in a banana leaf; Ayam Buah Keluak, a distinctive dish combining chicken pieces with nuts from the Pangium edule or kepayang tree to produce a rich sauce; and Itek Tim, a classic soup containing duck, tomatoes, green peppers, salted vegetables, and preserved sour plums simmered gently together.
Nonya desserts include colourful cakes (kuih) and sweet, sticky delicacies. Chilli Padi offers lunch buffet, high tea buffet and dinner buffet. Check out details at the above listing.
