Experience the Flavors of Peranakan Cuisine in Singapore
A unique blend of Chinese ingredients and Malay cooking styles, often with Indonesian and Indian elements, Peranakan food is Singapore’s oldest – and arguably most delicious – cuisine. Often affectionately referred to as Nonya cuisine (after an old Malay term of respect for women), this tangy and spicy food is a wonderful example of Singapore’s culinary diversity; add it to your list of foods to try while exploring the island.
Peranakans, or Straits-born Chinese, are a hybrid culture descended from Chinese men who married local women in the Straits Settlements including Penang, Melaka and Singapore. Often referred to as ‘local-born,’ Peranakan people represent a fascinating element of Singapore’s rich cultural fabric.
Delicious Flavors of Peranakan Cuisine
Peranakan dishes are commonly flavored with shallots, galangal, chilies, peanuts, preserved soya beans, and belacan (fermented prawn paste), with coconut milk commonly used in sauces. Classic dishes include otak-otak (a blend of fish, coconut milk, chili paste, galangal, and herbs wrapped and grilled in a banana leaf) and ayam buah keluak (chicken stewed with dark, earthy nuts imported from Indonesia to produce a rich sauce). However, perhaps the best-known dish is the humble laksa, a spicy coconut noodle soup cooked with either chicken, prawns, or fish.
Top Restaurants to Try Peranakan Cuisine
Hungry? Head to one of these Singapore establishments to try some of the Peranakan favorites:
National Kitchen by Violet Oon
Housed in the impressive National Gallery Singapore, this colonial-styled restaurant offers sublime dining. With attentive wait staff and a well-priced menu filled with traditional Peranakan dishes, the dining experience is highly recommended. Must-try dishes from Singapore’s original celebrity chef include melt-in-your-mouth daging chabek (slow-braised beef cheek cooked in a spicy tamarind, palm sugar, and coconut gravy) and signature dry laksa (rice noodles infused with coconut curry and served with prawns and bean sprouts).
PeraMakan
A little off the beaten track (it’s best to take a taxi), PeraMakan serves authentic home-style Nonya fare. Classics to order include fish-head curry (red snapper head cooked in Nonya curry), beef rendang (shin beef braised in spicy coconut sauce), and ayam buah keluak. Finish your meal with a serving of chendol (shaved ice with green-jelly rice flour noodles, kidney beans, palm-sugar syrup, and coconut milk) for an extra local flavor. This restaurant is a firm favorite with locals craving traditional flavors—it’s worth the trip.
Blue Ginger
Located in a gorgeous red-and-white shophouse, Blue Ginger is a stalwart on the Peranakan culinary scene. Start your food odyssey with homemade otak-otak and kueh pie ti (flour cups filled with bamboo shoots, turnips, and prawn), before heading to the main event. Make sure to try ayam panggang (chicken flavored with coconut milk and spices, then grilled) and juhu kangkong (stir-fried water spinach with dried cuttlefish and sambal). Reservations are highly recommended, especially for dinner.
Guan Hoe Soon
Singapore’s oldest Peranakan restaurant, Guan Hoe Soon has been serving top-notch Nonya food since 1953. The cooking awards hanging from the walls highlight its reputation. You won’t go wrong ordering classics like otak-otak and fish-head curry. For something different, try Nonya chap chye (mixed-vegetable stew) and ngoh hiang (five-spice pork rolls).
Candlenut
Led by acclaimed Singaporean chef Malcolm Lee, Candlenut is the world’s first Michelin-starred Peranakan restaurant. Located in former British Army barracks at Dempsey Hill, this light-filled restaurant serves traditional favorites with a contemporary twist. Customers can choose from the à la carte menu or indulge in the family-style tasting feast, featuring delicious dishes like Wagyu beef rib rendang and Kurobuta pork-neck satay.
Charlie’s Peranakan
Tucked away in the basement of the Golden Mile Food Centre, this hawker stall is a wallet-friendly Peranakan gem. Charlie’s improved his Straits Chinese cooking skills and returned after an eight-year hiatus, quickly attracting locals eager for their childhood favorites. The menu changes daily, highlighting seasonal produce, so don’t miss ayam buah keluak and assam fish if available. Charlie and his wife Amy are there to assist with recommendations.
Atrium
For high-brow Peranakan delights, enjoy afternoon tea at the Atrium lobby lounge of the Pan Pacific Hotel. Offering an ‘East to West’ menu, guests can choose the traditional English version or the sensational local Peranakan spread, presented beautifully in a tiffin box. Sample savoury delights like Nonya chicken curry and make sure to save room for the brightly colored kuehs.
Kim Choo Kueh Chang
Located in Peranakan heartland Joo Chiat (Katong), this shophouse restaurant has been a staple on the Nonya food trail since 1945. Specialising in authentic changs (glutinous rice dumplings) and rainbow-colored sweet treats, the shop attracts customers eager for traditional kuehs and pineapple tarts.
