PangiNut was one of those places that we have come across on social media a while ago — a coffeeshop stall that serves up Peranakan-inspired Western cuisine, PangiNut isn’t located in a place that is most easy to find. Taking up a stall in a coffeeshop named Thye Guan Eating House at Blk 215 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1, we would consider its location to be deep within the heartlands — possibly a spot that is more well-patronised by those whom are staying within its vicinity. PangiNut is named after the Pangi Nut / Black Nut; most would probably find the “Buah Keluak” being a name that is more familiar to this ingredient — an element that is typically used inPeranakan cooking. The “About Us” page on their website mentions the chef having worked in a establishments ranging from restaurants, hotels and fine dining restaurants upon his graduation from SHATEC, and being an individual whom has passion for cooking, and had learnt the traditional style of Peranakan cooking from his mother and grandmother. One can only mention the Peranakan influence in the western fare at PangiNut to be rather obvious — the menu does carry several items that feature Peranakan elements such as Rendang, Buah Keluak, Sambal Tumis and Assam Nanas in some of its creations. The menu is split off into several sections, including that of Mains / Pizza, Sides / Burgers / Pasta, as well as Mains — Combo; most of its items being rather similar to what one would find at a Western cuisine stall situated in a coffee shop / food court setting if they do not carry any Peranakan influences.

It would be a little silly to come to PangiNut without ordering the dishes that comes with a touch of Peranakan influence. Having skimmed through what PangiNut has to offer, we eventually found ourselves settling for the Assam Nanas Salmon that is listed in the Mains / Pizza section of the menu. As one would expect, dishes here only cooked-upon-order; a electronic buzzer would be distributed once the order has been placed and that the payment has been made, and patrons will be paged to collect their order from the counter once they are ready. It isn’t stated in the menu the sides that the Assam Nanas Salmon (or in fact, every dish on the Mains / Pizza section of the menu) would come with; that being said, our order of the Assam Nanas Salmon comes accompanied with sliced roasted baby potatoes, Aglio Olio pasta, and some greens. Digging in to the Assam Nanas Salmon, the Assam Nanas Salmon comes in the same way as what one would expect for sambal bbq stingray in a way — the Assam Nanas being smothered atop the surface of the salmon fillet. The salmon fillet is actually pretty fresh and flaky; reasonably moist as well — the Assam Nanas being all tangy and with a slight sweetness from the pineapple infusion as well. There is a tinge of smokiness that helped introduce a umami note to the salmon as well. All the sides were also done pretty well; our favourite without a doubt would be the sliced roasted baby potatoes; not only did that provided a soft bite, these were also drizzled in a lime-infused sauce that was absolutely flavourful and addictive on its own. The Aglio Olio Pasta was also absolutely on-point; not too oily whilst hinted strongly of the fragrance of herbs and olive oil. Meanwhile, the broccoli and the cherry tomatoes helps to provide a wholesome feel to the dish; the broccoli being lightly charred and had a soft bite to it, while the cherries tomato provides a refreshing burst of tanginess as one chews onto it.

Peranakan cuisine is one that is celebrated for its finesse and its heritage; it is also one form of cuisine that is not easy to get right. This does make PangiNut an especially rare sort of establishment to come by — whilst there are many other stalls that are serving up western cuisine around coffeeshops, food courts and hawker centres across the island, PangiNut does feel like a rare breed. The items offered at PangiNut can also be said as adventurous as well — this is especially the case for items that features elements such as the Buah Keluak and Assam Nanas which require the understanding of the ingredients and some level of skill to execute well. Having tried not only the Assam Nanas Salmon but also the Black Nut Chicken Chop which consists of a Buah Keluak sauce that is smothered atop the grilled chicken, we do feel that the Peranakan-infusion had been executed really well here — the Buah Keluak sauce coming with a mellow hint of deep nuttiness that was quite umami on its own. One thing we felt about our visit to PangiNut was how they seem to be good with their sauces; this is not restricted to the Buah Keluak and Assam Nanas that comes atop the fish and meats — we were also in love with the lime-infused sauce that came with the potatoes as well. Given how PangiNut throws in a little bit of their own touch to the dishes that they serve up, it is needless to say that the prices of the dishes at PangiNut may be a little higher than that of other usual western cuisine stalls at other coffeeshops, food courts and hawker centres. The staring price of the lowest-priced main, pasta, burger and pizza at PangiNut is at $6.50; that would be for the Aglio Olio Pasta alone; most dishes to come priced below $10, though the highest priced item costs $15, being the Braise Marble Steak and the Rendang Beef Steak — our Assam Nanas Salmon is also priced at $14.80. Still, PangiNut is probably that spot meant for those whom are adventurous to give Peranakan-inspired western cuisine a go; not the most friendly of locations, though one that might still be worthy of a try.