[CLOSED] StraitsBon

Their Hay Cho ($10) is prepared from scratch, all the way from minced prawns to wrapping it with beancurd skin.
The amount of prawn bits was generous, and the texture was so bouncy and ingredients were fresh!Thank you @straitsbon and @cassakating for the invitation.
Find out more from the link in my profile!

StraitsBon, started by 3 founders who believe in serving traditional dishes (using recipes from olden days) found in Straits Settlements. Located within Science Park Drive, they also cater to lunch crowd and has set lunch/menu to choose from.

Hay Cho aka Prawn Rolls, is alway a dish I will love to try. Maybe it's because my grandma used to make them whenever we visit her, it's one dish which we had fond memories of. StraitsBon's own made Hah Cho has fillings made of minced prawns, minced pork and chestnuts, it is then wrapped in beancurd skin before fried. Simple dish but it WOWED us as you'll taste chunks of juicy meat along with crunchy chestnuts, it's hard to stop at two pieces only.

I N V I T E D T A S T I N G
I brought along the harshest critic to this tasting - my mother. She is the best Peranakan cook I know, so if the dishes at Straitsbon were going to be "passed" by her, then clearly, they've got things right. Well, she was pretty happy with the meal overall, so that's a positive sign! 😄
The dish that had us raving non-stop was the "Beef Shin Rendang Tok" ($20++). Besides having a deeply aromatic "rempah", the huge chunks of meat were terrifically tender. As this choice cut of beef has a lot of connective tissue which gets broken down during cooking, what you get is a truly melt-in-the-mouth experience.
Another that we liked a lot was the "StraitsBon Kelinga Gulai Fish Head" ($28++). It's the Head Chef's specialty and is based on a recipe from the olden days of Penang. Big enough to be shared among three to four diners, this had a thick curry that's a little sweet and a little sour. I love that they cut the brinjal and tomatoes in big pieces here, so they weren't too mushy. At some places, you can hardly make out the vegetables 🙄
The "Sambal Petai" ($16++) was the one dish we felt could be slightly improved. Although the "sambal belado" and prawns were tasty, the petai, which we guessed had been parboiled, lacked crunch and intensity of its natural flavour. When we shared our feedback with one of the owners Joey who was hosting us, he promptly tried it for himself and couldn't help but agree. He then assured us he'd inform his head chef to change the cooking method so as to ensure the petai retains its essence. I am sure we'll be enjoying the improved version on our next visit.
The majority of Straitbon's menu comprises of Peranakan dishes using traditional recipes from a true-blue Peranakan lady but they also have a few local dishes like "Har Jiong Gai" ($8++). This item is understandably popular given how the fragrant battered coating of the chicken wings stayed crunchy until the end of our meal. I highly recommend savouring them with a few ice-cold beers! 🍻
Although the ambience is very casual because of the eatery's location in the main lobby of the Oasis building, they do table service. During lunch, it tends to be packed with the office crowd so a good time to check it out is on weekday evenings and Sundays. They are open Sundays to Fridays from 10.30am to 9pm (closed on Saturdays).
Feel free to find out more at www.straitsbon.com
Thanks Jason, Joey and @straitsbon for hosting my parents and I.

The mysterious allure of the famous black nut takes on a new form at StraitsBon with al dente "mee pok" served in an inky and lusciously earthy "chicken buah keluak" gravy.
Sure, the big chunks of chicken were tender and well-saturated in the gravy but what I liked best in this dish were the "buah keluak balls". Formed by hand, they're made by pressing together a mixture of minced pork and the buttery flesh of the nut. Shiok.
You can check out this casual restaurant's full menu and contact details at: www.straitsbon.com