Chilli Padi Nonya Restaurant

I had dinner at Chili Padi Nonya Restaurant on a Sunday night with my partner and her family.

Chili Padi has been a household name for Nonya cuisine and has long been a staple in Joo Chiat, the epicenter of Singapore’s Peranakan scene. The restaurant recently completed renovations, which explains their contemporary Nonya décor, furniture, and fittings. The ambience is modern and clean, yet retains its authentic Peranakan personality.

We ordered the chef-recommended Ngoh Hiang, Laksa Goreng, and Nonya Chap Chye, all of which were excellent. However, three dishes stood out as particularly special.

First was the Sotong Hitam. The portion was generous, and the squid ink blended with spices paired perfectly with the firm and springy squid. Secondly, the Bak Wan Kepeting stood out with its clean yet flavor-packed soup and soft, delicious meatball.

The highlight for me was the Buah Keluak gravy, a Nonya staple and their specialty. We chose the pork ribs option (they have chicken as well), and the ribs were cooked to perfection—soft and tender. The Buah Keluak sauce tasted authentic and had a unique flavor profile that is unparalleled in other cuisines.

I highly recommend Chili Padi if you are looking for an exceptional Nonya dining experience with friends and family.

icy traditional dessert served with rice flour jelly, coconut milk, palm sugar syrup topped with durian puree

fried vermicelli noodles with sambal, taucheo and assam gravy

handmade egg skin popiah rolled with turnips, prawns, lettuce, beansprouts, shredded cucumber & garlic sweet sauce and chilli sauce

Of course, I could not just walk away from Chili Padi without a screaming hot claypot of their signature Ikan Assam Pedas. Translated as ‘sour spicy’ from Malay, this fish stew was all that and more. We wanted to order the fish head portion, but alas, they were out of that so we settled for a fillet instead ($16.80++).⠀
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The fish used in the Ikan Assam Pedas is barramundi, which tends to be drier than most other fish. That works out perfectly, as you automatically spoon on more of that irresistible sour & spicy broth onto the fresh fish flesh. While the barramundi was commendably fresh, the only reason this is worth of being a signature dish is that bubbling broth.⠀
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The tartness of the tamarind juice is the first thing to invade your palate, followed by the spicy heat of the chilies & spices in the broth. It’s almost like tom yum, but better, as there is a deeper and more fulfilling depth of flavour to this assam pedas. Salty, spicy, sour and utterly scintillating, the assam pedas compels you to keep going back for sips of that sapid broth amidst bites of fish. Plus, brinjal, ladyfingers and tomatoes are cooked in the brilliant broth as well, so it really is a complete, nutritious meal in a pot.⠀
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While I’m sure that the assam pedas would be utterly world-beating with a fish head, the fish fillet portion was already undeniably sublime in its own right. While the assam pedas bubbles, get down to Chili Padi on the double and you’ll be handsomely rewarded for your troubles.

Sotong (aka squid) is a Peranakan staple, but instead of ordering something traditionally Peranakan like Sotong Hitam, I couldn’t resist the allure of the BBQ Sambal Sotong ($13.80++ for a small serving). Barbecue sambal sotong is a dime a dozen in Singapore, but Chili Paid have absolutely knocked this one outta the park.⠀
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Squid that’s been slathered in Chili Padi’s sambal chili is grilled and ready to wow any tastebuds. The squid is so unbelievably fresh that you’d need to harpoon the squid yourself if you wanted it any fresher. The firm, perfectly textured squid adopts the feisty, fiery flavours of the sambal effortlessly. Chili Padi’s sambal skews toward the salty side, so there is a huge hit of savouriness and spiciness that is supported by undertones of sourness & sweetness from the sambal.⠀
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What makes Chili Padi’s squid exquisite is the smokiness from the grilling. The char acquired from the grilling deepens the sapidity of the sambal, and injects a sensual smokiness that heightens all of the flavour attributes there. All you need is a heaping big plate of rice with a full dish of this sambal sotong, and you’re good to go. Absolutely scintillating sambal sotong, and if you like it, put these sotong rings on it.