Baba and Nyonya Peranakan Cuisine

Baba and Nyonya Peranakan Cuisine – 19 Cheong Chin Nam Road

Finally, I can have a Peranakan fix whenever I want with Baba and Nyonya Peranakan Cuisine – formerly of River Valley – opening an outlet a short drive from my place. Prices are reasonable and the menu is extensive, including some dishes I haven’t tried before. A feast for 3 amounted to $111.90.

The Achar ($1.50) and Keropok ($1) were served immediately but proved not to be complimentary. The pickles were good if not groundbreaking with crunchy vegetables in a tangy sauce that was at once pungent and fragrant. I would – however – decline the prawn crackers next time around as they were a little stale and lacked crunch.

The Bakwan Kepeting ($16) was exceptionally light with a delicately flavoured broth. The softy, meaty balls had an interesting textural twist as they were studded with bamboo shoot slivers.

I could only describe the Babi Pongteh ($10) as excellent with rich, thick gravy full of robust coriander flavour. The chunks of pork were bite-sized and meltingly tender despite their leanness.

The Beef Rendang ($12) won me over with its robust and flavourful rempah that had a layered amalgam of fragrant spices. The meat had good bite and was a perfect medium-well though the flavours could have been given more time to seep into it.

As always, I had to have an order of Ayam Buah Keluah ($12) which tragically fell short of the mark. The chicken was so bony that I have a clearer memory of picking scraps of meat from bone than actually eating it. That said, the nuts never fail to please with their earthy flavour woven into the notes of tamarind and anise, excellent with my rare indulgence of rice.

The Sambal Pomfret ($28) was wonderfully crisp and moist but it was the gravy that stole the show. Its flavours mature on the tongue with the initial burst of tart sweetness of tomato giving way to the smoky sugar of caramelised shallots followed by candlenut richness and finally the fading warmth of chilli like a setting sun.

The Sambal Kangkong ($8) was delightfully crunchy and had a good spicy kick as well as resonating character from a generous amount of belacan.

While waiting for dessert, we snacked on a small order of terrific Ngoh Hiang ($8) which was light, crisp and not at all oily; perfect if you have just a little space left. The five-spice-powder-laced parcels were stuffed with a moist, meaty filling of pork mince, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots and a generous amount of diced shrimp that accorded a subtle sweetness even without the sugary sauce accompaniment.

With a touch of salt accentuating the smoky caramel of palm sugar, the Chendol ($3.50) proved itself as the genuine article. Mildly rich from a dash of coconut milk, chock full of red beans, grass jelly and green mung bean gelatine bits; this dessert was extremely satisfying.

Gula Melaka Sago ($3) is one of my favourite desserts but this rendition proved most disappointing. I believe it was the coarsely-shaved ice that did it in by hardening the pearls of sago and thinning everything as it melted. Perhaps they’d consider drawing inspiration from the best gula melaka sago I had in Penang about a decade ago; it comprised a soft, round cake of lightly-chilled sago doused liberally with liquid palm sugar, ginger juice, the barest touch of coconut cream and garnished with a sprig of mint. Nothing I’ve had in all the years since then has come close.

The Puloh Hitam ($3) fared much better with a rich sweetness and thick, sticky consistency reminiscent of hot fudge sauce. The bits of glutinous rice giving this dessert its name were also soft and chewy, not hard as I have often experienced.

The Kueh Pisang ($2) piqued my interest and I was delighted by the unusually coarse, slightly mealy texture of the mung bean custard studded with chunks of tart banana.