Otak otak ($10)
Bakwan Kepiting ($10/ portion)
Ayam buah keluak ($26)
Rendang Sapi ($18)
Itek sio ($20)
Overall ⭐️ 4/5 ⭐️
This was Peranakan food at the highest standard! All the dishes we ordered were extremely flavourful yet distinct in their own ways. Our family’s favourites were the ayam buah keluak which had tender chicken thighs and huge buah keluaks swimming in a luscious, complex sauce that went perfectly with rice; the itek sio (duck braised in sweet coriander sauce) that was thick with a medley of umami, sweet, and spicy notes; and the otak otak (spicy fish paste wrapped in banana leaf) which went beyond the usual rendition of otahs with strong notes of lemongrass as well as a distinct, pleasant sweetness. We enjoyed the beef rendang as well - the gravy was again amazing - though the meat could be slightly more fork tender and the sauce was on the oilier side. Our least favourite dish was the bakwan kepiting - a soup served with two crab and chicken meatball that we found a tad too chewy and bouncy. The soup was light and flavourful, but nothing to shout about.

There’s also something to be said about the ambience - set in an old shophouse, the restaurant was adorned with trinkets and items reflecting peranakan culture. We can imagine how this would be excellent for business lunches or for an atas high tea experience 😁

Overall, while we found the food here to be some of the best peranakan food we’ve had in a restaurant (even better than places in Malaysia, according to our parents!), the portions were quite meagre and therefore pricey. If not for the price, we could see ourselves returning regularly😌

📍@truebluecuisine, 47/49 Armenian St, Singapore

Insta: cafehoppingkids