Reviews
In 2013, Project Peranakan visited a few Peranakan shops and did some reviews on them. Here are the reviews of the places. Note: The reviews are written by all of us but may not necessarily represent the feelings of the entire group.
The Blue Ginger
97 Tanjong Pagar Rd, Singapore 088518
6222 3928
Ivins Peranakan Restaurant
21 Binjai Park, Singapore 589827
6468 3060
Ivins Peranakan Restaurant is a dining place for people who enjoy cheap Peranakan fare. We highly recommend the Ayam Buah Keluak here. It was crowded when we came over and we had to wait for twenty minutes to get a table with four seats. The interior was simplistic; wooden tables and chairs, beige pillars and a mirror on one of the walls. In contrast to the simple interior, the food was exquisite. We ordered Rendang, Ayam Buah Keluak, Chap Chye and the Itek Tim. Their yellow rice had run out so we had to order plain rice. Nothing that we ordered was disappointing. The Rendang was spicy with a hint of lime in it, the Babi Pongteh was thick, sweet and creamy. Our overall experience here was great; the service was excellent and the atmosphere fantastic. Some of their regular customers include Peranakans, and it is no wonder why people make special trips to Ivins.
The Blue Ginger is a fantastic place to have your Peranakan meal. The restaurant aims to capture the true essence of Straits-Chinese cuisine and culture. We highly recommend the beef Rendang and Nyonya fish head curry here. It was crowded when we came over but the staff were very efficient and friendly and we managed to get a table within half an hour. The room was stylish; plush backrests (but hard seats though, ouch) and large tables. The doors, which were carved with an intricate design of a Peranakan fashion were beautifully made. In lieu with the designs on the place, the food was exquisite. We ordered Kueh Pie Tee, Otak Otak, Gula Melaka and the Ayam Panggang “Blue Ginger”. Everything that we ordered was excellent. We all had our fill and we felt we could spend the whole day there! Most of their customers are Peranakans but outsider are also welcome.
Chinta Manis is a Peranakan Patisserie which specialises in handmade Nyonya Kuehs. We ordered Kueh Jagung, which was Hoon Kueh with sweet corn. All the snacks are relatively cheap, costing around one dollar for a snack. The Patisserie was doing brisk business and their bestseller, Ondeh-ondeh, was selling out. We managed to buy two, but they were quite small and after we split them into half, we barely had enough to eat. However, they quality of the food (and the price) makes up for the quantity. I loved the mango sago agar agar because it was refreshing after a hot day. The sour taste was complimented by the sweet taste of the mango. However, I would have liked it better if it was sold in a larger portion instead of just a small bite of it. The overall experience at Chinta Manis was very pleasing, it was the cheapest place that we had eaten at so far. For a person who is a cash-strapped as I am, that's really important.
Baba Inn is owned by Peranakan Bob Seah. It is a Peranakan seafood place that has a warm house feeling; marble table tops, motifs around the walls and people (mannequins) in Peranakan costumes. It had a wide variety of food items available, and we tried the Ayam Buah Keluak among many other Peranakan favourites. We had a bowl full of meat, but we were disappointed that there was far too little sauce in the bowl of chicken. The assam sotong was less disappointing. We thoroughly enjoyed the Assam Sotong. The squid rings were perfectly done, swimming in a spicy sauce of Assam. The saltiness of the squid was balanced by the hint of sourness in the Assam. However, the service was a bit disappointing (might be because we are students). Overall, it was a satisfying experience but there was much room for improvement.
Chinta Manis
11 King Albert Park, Singapore 598292
6465 0383
Baba Inn
103 Frankel Ave, Singapore 458225
6445 2404