PeraMakan @ Keppel Bay

I was tasked with looking around for good Peranakan places and somehow stumbled upon Peramakan from various singapore foodie blogs. So I decided to give it a try in spite of the "ulu-ness" of the place.

For the benefit of those that do not know, Peranakans' ancestry can be traced back to the Chinese that settled here even before the British came (some put it around 700 years ago). Generations after generations, these local chinese soon became localized and formed the core group of the indigenous people in Singapura. Their culture has elements of both Malay and Chinese, making it an unique blend in Southeast Asia.

Getting into this Peramakan is a chore on its own - my advice: just take cab! Located within the Keppel Club (Note: NOT keppel BAY), it was a drive in from the main road and it was pretty quiet when I stepped in at 6.30 p.m

There were only 2 of us, so we could only give at most (as recommended by the waitress) 4 dishes a try. So first up is the Nonya Chap Chye ($10). Note that the portions here are fixed (3 - 4 people to a dish), so don't expect different prices if you have only 1 - 2 people. I have to admit, I am not a fan of the Chap Chye. The dried beancurd skin taste is a little too overwhelming but for those that love that, the dish is actually quite tasty. 

Nyonya Chap Chye

Next up is the Babi Pongteh ($14). This Nyonya dish (which is more common in Singapore & Malacca) consist of braised pork cooked with "taucheo" (salted soy beans), sugar and cinnamon beans. This mixture of ingredients gives it an unique sweet and savory taste and is one of my favorite Peranakan dish. The usual Babi Pongteh usually comes with the fatty meat but the dish here is served with a healthier chunk of meat. The taste actually borders the blend side but is still acceptable, especially for the health-conscious ones.

Babi Pongteh

Awhile later, our last main dish came - Sotong Goreng Assam ($14). The stir-fried squid was drenched in Tamarind sauce and has a very sweet taste to it. Compared to the Babi Pongteh, this dish was almost too sweet. However, on its own, the rich flavor and the nicely cooked squid makes this dish really tasty and a good break away from the typical savory food. My favorite dish for the night!

Sotong Goreng Assam

After all the mains came the desserts. We ordered the Sago dessert with the usual Gula Melaka. Pretty decent desserts and a good end to our meal. Though I would prefer a little more Gula Melaka.

Sago Gula Melaka

All in all, this place is one of the better places I have been for Peranakan food. Despite its "ulu" location, I would still recommend anyone interested in Peranakan food to give this place a shot. I would recommend the Chap Chye and Sotong Goreng Assam, but there are so many other choices that I'm sure I'll need to visit it again to make a better judgement.

Peramakan

Level 3, Keppel Club
10 Bukit Chermin Road S109918
(5 minutes drive from Vivo City)

Tel: +65 63772829
http://www.peramakan.com/

Monday - Sunday
Lunch 11:30 am - 3.00 pm
Dinner 6.00 pm - 10.00 pm

Price Range: $$$ (out of 6 $$$)

For more photos: http://on.fb.me/JoJ4N4

Foodie Tour of Malaysia (Day 1)

After a month of non-stop activities, from celebrations to my reservist duties, I finally managed to find time to continue with this blog and share my foodie journey for the last few weeks of 2011.

The first highlight of December (which proved to be the best) was my Malaysian trip with my girlfriend's family. It was my one and only chance to go "overseas" this holidays and I was determined to make full use of it. So it was off to Malacca first, then to Genting and last stop was the capital city - Kuala Lumpur.

Our first stop was our usual breakfast haunt - Simpang Renggang Bah Kut Teh. The Bah Kut Teh here is very different from the peppery kind we find Singapore and it offers a lot more in a clay pot than most of what the Singapore ones have.

Simpang Reggang BKT

The soup itself is herb-based and you have the options of adding other food items, ranging from straw mushrooms and tau pok to intestines and liver. The entire mix makes the soup really tasty and irresistible. The meat itself is cut up into bite sizes and its tender and easy to eat. The portions are pretty generous so there is plenty to go around. The salted vegetables here is one of my favorite salted vegetables around. It is neither too salty or blend and has that extra special ingredient added that you can't find in Singapore. Bravo!

My Favorite "Giam Cai"

Leftovers Pig Trotters

After our hearty breakfast, we headed up to Malacca for our next meal. Some of our must-try Malacca favorites included Chicken Rice Balls and Gula Melaka Ice Kachang. We took advantage of our large group and managed to share, not just these two dishes, but also Asam Laksa (from the same stall as the Ice Kachang) and Kueh Pie Tee. All these can be found in Jonker Street.

The chicken rice itself is nothing special (besides the fact that it comes in a shape of a ball). The chicken was at most average but the rice balls were quite tasty. Its worth a try just for the novelty effect but not good enough for me to frequent this place. The Gula Melaka Ice Kachang was the real deal - the perfect dessert for the sweet-tooths. The Asam Laksa and Kueh Pie Tee was pretty good as well, making that shop the perfect place for a lunch time stop (and a revisit) in Jonker street.

Start of Jonker Street

Chicken Rice Balls

The Famous Balls

Jonker 88

Vintage Exhibitions 

Gula Melaka Ice Kachang

Asam Laksa

Kueh Pie Tee

We were obviously completely stuffed after this awesome meal, so we decided to walk it off by shopping at Mahkota Shopping Center. After nearly 3 - 4 hours of non stop walking, it was time to head for dinner. We decided to stick to our usual dinner plans - Peranakan Cuisine. We went down to the Restoran Ole Sayang near the Mahkota Shopping Center and ordered a grand total of 8 dishes, each with its own unique flavor (though most of them are actually quite spicy). My favorite amongst all the dishes was the Ayam Ponteh. This is one of the rare few non-spicy dish that has a well balance salted tinge to the sauce. 

Ole Sayang 

Entering the Restaurant 

My Favorite - Ayam Pongteh

Fried Fish

A Grand Total of 8 Dishes

Of course, a perfect ending to this day would be the all-time favorite A&W Rootbeer Float. After all these, we dragged our full bellies and headed back the Jonker Street Boutique Hotel for a good night's rest.

The Perfect Ending 

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