Peranakan 👵🏼👴🏼

Here is real black magic.
Those posts on Instagram of @folkloresg's #trending "Sambal Buak Keluak Fried Rice"? Well, this bewitching paste in deepest shade of midnight is its ground zero.
Since young, I have always preferred a plate (or two) of plain white rice to go with the rich flavours of my grandma's Peranakan dishes. I feel that all the effort that'd gone into the making in order to achieve the distinctive taste of each dish, should be appreciated by savouring it in its full glory. And white rice is the best blank canvas.
The point of my spiel (yes, there's one) is THIS Sambal Buak Keluak ($22++) is a damn good dish to order! Don't question the price because the amount of work to push out just one bowl is unbelievable. Go ask any Peranakan bibik.
So the way I like to eat is to rotate between different dishes. Once every minute or so, I'm back to spoon on this mildly spicy, velvety pitch black paste to mix with my rice. Then I take my time to savour it because that's the way to do ambrosia justice.

Very reasonably priced and tasty nyonya food! Recommend the babi pongteh and meatball soup. Ayam buah keluak was not bad, but felt that it could have been more fragrant | ★★★★☆

Minced pork joins a melange of water chestnut and spring onion along with five spice powder for a coup of flavour explosion. The Peranakan-style typically comes with a side of kicap manis but when done well, the rolls need no companion. Ok, that's all.

The soft fried tofu made amazing dining partners for the addictive overfloweth chilli, which was nuttily spicy and intense with the essence of six bajillion shrimps. 4/5

Housed in one of the black and white colonial houses along Scotts Road, this beautifully outfitted restaurant is just the place for special occasion Peranakan family meals. The food too is perfectly executed, and should please even fussy Peranakan matrons. Start with classics like Ngoh Hiang ($16), Indocafe Signature Kueh Pie Tee ($18) and Otah Clasik ($12) — their version is a spice-kissed chawanmushi egg stirred through with generous chunks of fish. Then move on to stellar mains like their Wagyu Beef Rendang ($28), meat slow-cooked till tender and slicked with the aromatic sauce, Kari Kepala Ikan ($28), red garoupa fish head cooked in assam gravy, and Chap Chye ($14), braised vegetable stew.
Avg price: $40 per person

5 Little Monkeys Cafe is a spacious rooftop cafe situated within the Pico Creative Centre in Kallang, catering to the office crowd in the building and nearby vicinity. While sandwiches, brunch fare, cakes and coffee are available, what you should wholeheartedly concentrate on is their selection of mouth-watering Peranakan dishes that warrant repeat visits (once a week is recommended). Priced at only $6.50, their Nyonya Assam Pedas Fish is outstanding — a generous portion of fresh fish lying in an addictive gravy that goes so perfectly with rice. Also try their Sambal Prawns with Petai ($6.50), and ask for their special sambal sauce to add on if you're a real chili-lover!