Dine in an elaborate home-style setting and feast on the grand ‘Tok Panjang’
Photos: The Peranakan/Weekender
Just like a grand Peranakan mansion.
When at The Peranakan, you’ll be forgiven for thinking you’ve stumbled onto the set of local TV drama, Little Nonya.
Nestled on the second floor of The Orchard Hotel, the Straits Chinese restaurant resembles a grand Peranakan mansion with no-holds-barred decor, accented by bright peony blooms.
A stroll around the restaurant could easily be a comprehensive education on Straits Chinese culture.
Sparkly chandeliers line the ceiling, tiffin carriers fill the glass cabinets, while beaded slippers and laced kebayas dangle from corners.
Over-the-top, no doubt, but also fitting of a Peranakan matriarch’s home. In fact, a stroll around the restaurant could easily be a comprehensive education on Straits Chinese culture!
The Tok Panjang features an elaborate platter of quintessential Straits Chinese dishes.
A grand celebratory feast
If you’re dining in a group, we recommend going for the Tok Panjang (from $45 per person).
The unique dining experience features an elaborate platter of quintessential Straits Chinese dishes, including favourites like Beef Rendang and Chili Chuka.
Once served by wealthy Straits families to mark special occasions like weddings, anniversaries and important birthdays, the feast is now a delightful way to sample the best of what Perankan cuisine has to offer.
Standouts from the platter include the Bakwan Kepiting Soup and Ayam Buah Kelauk.
The former is a flavourful broth served with juicy and tender meatballs made from pork and crab. The light sweetness of the broth left us wanting more.
The pungent and robust Ayam Buah Keluak.
A close second is the Ayam Buah Keluak, a classic Straits Chinese dish where minced chicken is stuffed within the nuts from Pangium edule or the “Kepayang” tree (a mangrove tree that grows in Malaysia and Indonesia), then cooked.
Taste-wise, it was as pungent and robust as I’d liked it. For the uninitiated, many have likened its earthly taste to the likes of truffles and black olives.
The Ngoh Hiang, a five-spice meat and prawn roll, was palatable, though not the best I’ve tried.
For a lighter but equally comprehensive feast, go for the High Tea Set.
For a lighter but equally substantial feast, go for the High Tea Set (from $24 per person).
Here’s where you’ll find traditional Peranakan snacks including Kueh Pie Tee, Kueh Ko Swee (Steam Palm Sugar Cake smothered in coconut) and more.
As a diehard fan of the durian fruit, I was inevitably drawn to the Pulot Enti Durian, an indulgent treat of glutinous rice served with durian paste.
The sweet and fibrous chunks of fruit paired beautifully with the soft glutinous rice.
Overall, The Peranakan scores on its unique dining experience. Like a boisterous Peranakan matriarch, everything here is larger than life — from cuisine to decor.
Certainly worth a visit if you’re hankering after some Straits Chinese food!
Level 2 Claymore Connect, Orchard Hotel, 422 Orchard Road
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