Restaurants

Nyonya (which means ‘Straits Chinese lady’) sits on a corner plot, its prime location close to Portobello Market ensuring a bustling trade from locals and visitors. It is reminiscent of the kopi tiams (coffee shops) of the Straits; dining takes place in small rooms spread over two floors, with Formica benches on the ground and tables upstairs. On our latest visit, the complacent service seemed to be in ‘out-of-office’ mode, seldom moving above first gear. Peranakan cooking should be flavoursome, but our chicken satay was tame, and golden deep-fried belacan chicken could have done with more shrimp paste. The chefs (the Khoo family) used to run a respected Peranakan restaurant in Singapore, and their best dishes set the benchmark for this cuisine. Penang-style char kway teow is the real deal, pungent and garlicky. Sour and spicy flavours, a common thread with this cuisine, show up best in a curry tumis of sea bream and okra, laced with tamarind. Daughter Purdey is an expert on kueh (vividly coloured cakes, usually made with coconut and rice flour), so the tasting plate is worth exploring, particularly kueh tai tai (purple glutinous rice with coconut jam).

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2009