Explore Peranakan cuisine in Singapore
Peranakan is Malay for “born here”, which refers to the Straits-born people of Chinese and Malay/Indonesian heritage. The Straits Chinese lead vibrant lives that comprise of many Chinese and Austronesian facets. Male Peranakans are addressed as “Baba”, while females and the culture in general of this matriarchal community are referred to as “Nonya”.
Peranakan architecture is known for its ornate fixtures and adornments, and can be experienced at establishments like Candlenut, PeraMakan and National Kitchen by Violet Oon. These establishments boast Peranakan dishes adapted from Chinese, Indian, Malay and Eurasian tables.
“In the old days, young Peranakan girls had plenty of opportunities to learn the Peranakan crafts like beading and cooking from their mothers,” explains Kathryn Ho, who owns the popular restaurant chain PeraMakan. “In Peranakan households, there are always guests to feed, so matriarchs have lots of opportunities to cook, bake and create elaborate dishes that are not only delicious but colourful, artistic and creative.”
Peranakan food: A guide to one of Southeast Asia's most popular cuisines
Ayam buah keluak is arguably the most famous Peranakan dish
Food was often served at room temperature, because they ate with their hands, a Malay practice. "It's one of the first fusion cuisines," says Lloyd Matthew Tan, author of "Daily Nonya Dishes: Heritage Recipes for Everyday Meals." Being "Peranakan" means to be "locally born," a term used by the community to set themselves apart from the newer Chinese immigrants who arrived in Singapore and Malaysia in the 19th and early-20th centuries. Men were called "Babas" and women "Nonyas." There were also Peranakans not of Chinese ancestry, such as the Jawi Peranakans and Arab Peranakans, but the Chinese Peranakans were the largest group. By then, the Chinese Peranakan community had already established their own identity. Instead of speaking Mandarin, they spoke a mix of English, Malay and Hokkien. They were Anglicized and built good rapport with the colonial settlers. Many became bureaucrats or traders. Some became ultra-rich -- a stereotype that continues today, as seen in the movie "Crazy Rich Asians."
The Peranakans have been known to hold on to their family recipes tightly, especially in the past. They spent days preparing and perfecting their meals. And since Peranakan women who didn't work were in charge of the home, how a dish looked and was presented became a way to show their skills off. In Singapore, interest in Peranakan cuisine has been revived over the past two decades. You can find Peranakan food everywhere, from hawker centers to high-end restaurants. In 2016, it received international recognition when Candlenut became the first Peranakan restaurant to win a Michelin star.
Spice Peranakan
Ok, I admit it, I was one of thousands that have been mesmerized by the Little Nonya. Granted that Yue Niang is an attractive lady who is very easy on the eyes, but the scene that I remember most vividly was the one of Matriach Chen Lao Tai in ecstasy after taking a bite of the Rempah Udang. (Here’s the clip if you don’t know what I am talking about) Doesn’t it just make you want to go and eat some Rempah Udang? Speaking of which, I am on a quest to find the best Rempah Udang in Singapore, so if you have any leads, let me know.
Anyway, the Little Nonya series has really ignited a lot of interest in Peranakan culture. This is great, as I reckon the number of Nonyas still wearing Kebayas is much less than the number of Pandas in the wild. Fortunately, Nonya food culture still burns warmly in many Peranakan families. They might have given up on the clothes and the beading of slippers, but there are still many Peranakan families who laboriously pound their spices in stone crucibles and spend countless hours over a simmering pot to prepare their Nonya dishes.
I guess when it comes to Perankan food, a lot of Peranakans would probably tell you that the best Peranakan food is cooked by their Grandmothers. That is really unfortunate for the rest of us Non-Peranakans who can only rely on other people’s Grandmothers in order to get to eat really nice Peranakan food. So the next best thing is to find a small family Peranakan restaurant that serves “home cooked” Peranakan food and hope that they will serve you the stuff that is prepared to impress the Matriach.
5 Peranakan Dishes You Have to Try
Marrying the best of Malaysian, Indonesian and Chinese cuisines, Nonya cooking is a tantalising mix of aromas, tang and spice
So you’ve made your way to a Peranakan restaurant for a meal but what to order? Peranakan or Nonya cuisine comes from who we know as the Peranakans, the descendants of early Chinese migrants who settled in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. The Malay word “nonya” is a term of respect for women of prominent social standing (equal parts madame and aunty, if you will), has throughout the years, come to refer to the cuisine of the Peranakans.
Nonya cooking is an amalgamation of Chinese with Malay and Indonesian cuisines, resulting in an exhilarating combination of all things tangy, spicy, herbal and aromatic. The Nonya menu is extensive and rather daunting for the uninitiated so we’re here to help you out.
Here are five Peranakan dishes you should order for a taste of the cuisine:
- Ayam Buah Keluak
- Babi Pongteh
- Laksa
- Nonya Chap Chye
- Kueh Salat
Seven hidden Peranakan dishes
As a culture often defined as a mix of Indonesian and Chinese, the Peranakan culture is bound to have interesting-and delicious-dishes.
Bakwan Malang (meatballs served with broth, considered to have originated from the Malang region of East Java), bakso (beef meatballs), siomay (dumplings with peanut sauce) and capcay (stir-fried vegetables) are some of the popular dishes that can easily be found in restaurants as well as from street vendors.
But the renown of some Peranakan dishes is limited to the kitchens of Peranakan families. We are revealing the household secrets for you now by featuring seven that are worth a try-in sampling and cooking:
- Ayam Abing
- Hipio Soup
- Ca Rebung
- Babi Cin
- Camcoan Fish
- Pindang Bandeng
- Ayam Buah Keluak
13 Authentic Peranakan Recipes Just Like Grandma Used To Make
Peranakan or Nyonya cuisine is one of our country’s favourite foods. With influences from Chinese, Malay, Indonesian and even Thai cooking, Peranakan food adopts the best tastes and techniques from these cultures, creating dishes that are known for their powerful and rich flavours. And while you can certainly get your fix from the many incredible Peranakan restaurants around Singapore, why not try whipping up some of these classic heritage dishes at home yourself:
- Ayam Buah Keluak
- Spicy Nyonya Laksa
- Nasi Ulam
- Nonya Chap Chye
- Nonya Popiah
- Ayam Tempra
- Kueh Pie Tee
- Nonya Mee Siam
- Roasted Brinjals With Nuts, Shalllots And Shrimp Fry
- Nyonya Duck Curry
- Corn Hoon Kueh
- Bubur Cha Cha With Vanilla Ice Cream
- Pulut Tai Tai
14 Best Peranakan Food In Singapore For An Authentic Nyonya Experience
They sound like quite a rojak of cultures, but as how this Singaporean dish tastes impeccably good, so is Peranakan cuisine. Peranakan food is characterized by their strong, aromatic flavours that require long hours of preparation and a wide range of spices infused in their cooking.
It is a pity that Peranakan food is slowly losing foothold in this ever-competitive F&B industry, and that’s what led to the birth of this article – to put these places offering Peranakan food in Singapore in the spotlight and remind the young of this unique ethnicity:
- The Peranakan
- Godmama
- Guan Hoe Soon Restaurant
- The Blue Ginger
- Peramakan
- House of Peranakan
- Candlenut
- Chilli Padi Nonya Restaurant
- Straits Chinese Nyonya Restaurant
- Charlie’s Peranakan Food
- Violet Oon
- Baba Chews Bar and Eatery
- Baba’s Peranakan
- Old Bibik’s Peranakan Kitchen
Best Peranakan and Nyonya Restaurants in Singapore
The Blue Ginger's Ayam Buah Keluak is a traditional Peranakan dish. | © The Blue Ginger, Singapore
Peranakan food is a delightful heritage cuisine combining Chinese ingredients with Indonesian and Malaysian spices and cooking techniques. Here are the best restaurants to experience these delicious dishes in Singapore.
Singapore’s Peranakan heritage goes way back to the 15th century. Chinese traders settled down in the (then) Malay archipelago after marrying local Malay and Indonesian women. A Straits Chinese community slowly emerged from the children of these mixed marriages, who created a rich cuisine that is the perfect blend of Chinese, Malay and Indonesian flavours.
To best savour the most mouthwatering Peranakan food in Singapore, check out the best Peranakan and Nyonya restaurants in the Lion City:
- The Blue Ginger
- Candlenut Kitchen
- House of Peranakan Petit
- Guan Hoe Soon Restaurant
- True Blue Cuisine
- Baba Chews
- National Kitchen by Violet Oon
- Tingkat PeraMakan
- Old Bibik’s Peranakan Kitchen
Google's Best rated Peranankan Food
In Singapore’s food scene, Peranakan food is one of the most popular food choices as the dishes are presented in a vibrant mix of colours and always full of aromatic flavours due to the elaborate spices involved in the cooking process. For an exceptional dining experience, Peranakan restaurants adorned with intricate designs and fabulous wall tiles can add that special touch to your photos too!
If you are ready for some Peranakan food fare, here are the top 5 Peranakan food places rated by Google reviewers for your consideration.
- Godmama
- The Blue Ginger Tanjong Pagar
- National Kitchen by Violet Oon
- IVINS Peranakan Restaurant
- Candlenut
Nyonya Cuisine
Baba Nyonya
Never heard of ‘Baba Nyonya’? Quick history lesson: During the 15th and 16th century, brave Chinese souls found their way to Malacca and Penang (you gotta go there if you haven’t). They settled there, married the locals and the Peranakan Chinese were born!
I won’t elaborate any further..…look out for a future post about Nyonya culture. This post is about stuffing your face! Now you will usually be in Malacca for two days max (weekend getaway). The town is rather small and there is plenty to do. I will only give you the 3 best places ever that you have to try!
Peranakan food, known as Nyonya cuisine is perhaps the most varied and unique of all local cuisines in Malaysia. This is because the cooking style is a marriage of traditional Chinese and Malay techniques. That’s why it’s so tasty! I warn you!!! My mouth is watering right now.
Peranakan cuisine
Peranakan cuisine or Nyonya cuisine comes from the Peranakans, descendants of early Chinese migrants who settled in Penang, Malacca, Singapore and Indonesia, inter-marrying with local Malays. In Baba Malay, a female Peranakan is known as a nonya (also spelled nyonya), and a male Peranakan is known as a baba. The cuisine combines Chinese, Malay, Javanese, South Indian, and other influences.
Nyonya cooking is the result of blending Chinese ingredients with various distinct spices and cooking techniques used by the Malay/Indonesian community. This gives rise to Peranakan interpretations of Malay/Indonesian food that is similarly tangy, aromatic, spicy and herbal. In other instances, the Peranakans have adopted Malay cuisine as part of their taste palate,[1] such as assam fish and beef rendang. Key ingredients include coconut milk, galangal (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 lime leaf, and cincalok – a powerfully flavored, sour and salty shrimp-based condiment that is typically mixed with lime juice, chillies and shallots and eaten with rice and other side dishes. There are regional variations in Nyonya cooking. Dishes from the island of Penang in the northern part of Peninsular Malaysia possess 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.
The flavor of laksa and other Nonya recipes is determined by the rempah, which in Malay means spices. The various combinations are pounded into a paste with a mortar and pestle, with a very specific texture and density. It is said that a Nyonya can determine the culinary skill of a new daughter-in-law simply by listening to her preparing rempah with a mortar.[2] Nonya recipes are handed down from one generation to the next, and because of the time-consuming preparation of these dishes, it is a cuisine that is often at its best when served at home. Laksa is a notable exception to this rule. Examples of Nonya specialities include otak-otak, a popular blend of fish, coconut milk, chilli paste, galangal, and herbs wrapped in a banana leaf;[3] 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 (kue) and sweet, sticky delicacies.
Nasi Rawon since 1946
While we're asleep, Nyai Lasmi works hard to keep this recipe alive!
Pondok Wak Nah @ 16 Bedok S Rd, #01-11, Singapore 460016
Peranakan Buah Keluak Inspired Food
Inky Buah Keluak Fried Rice
As Peranakans who aren’t super fond of buah keluak (criminal, we know), we are presently shovelling away spoonsful of rice coated in the black nut’s inky paste at an alarming speed. We pause only to stab at meltingly soft wagyu short ribs slathered with more of that unctuous mush. That’s saying something about chef Malcolm Lee’s cooking chops, deeply rooted in his Peranakan heritage, yet given a few modern flourishes where applicable.
It’s our second visit at the soft-spoken, intense, slightly adork-able 32-year-old’s one Michelin star restaurant Candlenut, which relocated from its humbler Dorsett Residences home to its larger designer-casual Dempsey digs a month ago. It’s now housed at COMO Dempsey, owned by the stylish Christina Ong behind Club 21 and the COMO hotel chain.
Buah Keluak Fried Rice ($28) is modestly sized for the price, a small heap of blackened rice almost engulfed by a lacy-edged sunny side up with a yolk that seeps luxuriously when broken. Each grain has a whiff of smoky wok’s breath and is densely coated with creamy buah keluak paste. The nut’s polarising characteristics — part bitter olives, part earthy mushrooms — are slightly offset by sambal so more umami notes sing harmoniously alongside its inherently robust flavours. So irresistible, we tapowed a packet for dinner later
Peranakan Nyonya & Baba
A photograph of Peranakan wedding couple from a museum in Singapore
Immigrants from the southern provinces of China arrived in significant numbers in the region between the 14th and 17th centuries, taking abode in the Malay Peninsula (where their descendants in Malacca, Singapore and Penang are referred to as Baba–Nyonya); the Indonesian Archipelago (where their descendants are referred to as Kiau–Seng); and Southern Thailand, primarily in Phuket, Trang, Phang Nga, Takaupa and Ranong. Intermarriage between these Chinese settlers and their Malay, Thai, Javanese or other predecessors in the region contributed to the emergence of a distinctive hybrid culture and ostensible phenotypic differences.
The Peranakans are considered a multiracial community, with the caveat that individual family histories vary widely and likewise self-identification with multiracialism as opposed to Chineseness varies widely. The Malay/Indonesian phrase "orang Cina bukan Cina" ("a not-Chinese Chinese person") encapsulates the complex relationship between Peranakan identity and Chinese identity. The particularities of genealogy and the unique syncretic culture are the main features that distinguish the Peranakan from descendants of later waves of Chinese immigrants to the region.
Traditional Teochew Cuisine 潮 汕 菜
Oyster omelette (蚝 烙)
Chaoshan cuisine, also known as Chiuchow cuisine, Chaozhou cuisine or Teo-swa cuisine, originated from the Chaoshan region in the eastern part of China's Guangdong Province, which includes the cities of Chaozhou, Shantou and Jieyang. Chaoshan cuisine bears more similarities to that of Fujian cuisine, particularly Southern Min cuisine, due to the similarity of Chaoshan's and Fujian's culture, language, and their geographic proximity to each other. However, Chaoshan cuisine is also influenced by Cantonese cuisine in its style and technique. Chaoshan cuisine is well known for its seafood and vegetarian dishes. Its use of flavouring is much less heavy-handed than most other Chinese cuisines and depends much on the freshness and quality of the ingredients for taste and flavour. As a delicate cuisine, oil is not often used in large quantities and there is a relatively heavy emphasis on poaching, steaming and braising, as well as the common Chinese method of stir-frying.
Chaoshan cuisine is also known for serving congee (糜; mí; or mue), in addition to steamed rice or noodles with meals. The Chaoshan mue is rather different from the Cantonese counterpart, being very watery with the rice sitting loosely at the bottom of the bowl, while the Cantonese dish is more a thin gruel. Authentic Chaoshan restaurants serve very strong oolong tea called Tieguanyin in very tiny cups before and after the meal. Presented as gongfu tea, the tea has a thickly bittersweet taste, colloquially known as gam gam (甘 甘; gān gān). A condiment that is popular in Fujian and Taiwanese cuisine and commonly associated with cuisine of certain Chaoshan groups is shacha sauce (沙 茶 酱; 沙 茶 醬; shāchá jiàng). It is made from soybean oil, garlic, shallots, chilies, brill fish and dried shrimp. The paste has a savoury and slightly spicy taste. As an ingredient, it has multiple uses: as a base for soups, as a rub for barbecued meats, as a seasoning for stir-fried dishes, or as a component for dipping sauces. In addition to soy sauce (widely used in all Chinese cuisines), the Chaoshan diaspora in Southeast Asia use fish sauce in their cooking. It is used as a flavouring agent in soups and sometimes as a dipping sauce, as in Vietnamese spring rolls. Chaoshan chefs often use a special stock called superior broth (上 汤; 上 湯; shàngtāng). This stock remains on the stove and is continuously replenished. Portrayed in popular media, some Hong Kong chefs allegedly use the same superior broth that is preserved for decades. This stock can as well be seen on Chaozhou TV's cooking programmes.
There is a notable feast in Chaoshan cuisine called jiat dot (食 桌; shízhuō; 'food table'). A myriad of dishes are often served, which include shark fin soup, bird's nest soup, lobster, steamed fish, roasted suckling pig and braised goose. Chaoshan chefs take pride in their skills of vegetable carving, and carved vegetables are used as garnishes on cold dishes and on the banquet table. Chaoshan cuisine is also known for a late night meal known as meh siao (夜 宵; yèxiāo) or daa laang (打 冷; dǎléng) among the Cantonese. Chaoshan people enjoy eating out close to midnight in restaurants or at roadside food stalls. Some dai pai dong-like eateries stay open till dawn. Unlike the typical menu selections of many other Chinese cuisines, Chaoshan restaurant menus often have a dessert section. Many people of Chaoshan origin, also known as Teochiu or Chaoshan people, have settled in Hong Kong and places in Southeast Asia like Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia and Thailand. Influences they bring can be noted in Singaporean cuisine and that of other settlements. A large number of Chaoshan people have also settled in Taiwan, evident in Taiwanese cuisine. Other notable Chaoshan diaspora communities are in Vietnam, Cambodia and France. A popular noodle soup in both Vietnam and Cambodia, known as hu tieu, originated from the Chaoshan. There is also a large diaspora of Chaoshan people (most were from Southeast Asia) in the United States - particularly in California. There is a Teochew Chinese Association in Paris called L'Amicale des Teochews en France.
Peranakan Dressings
