Restaurants

We cant help comparing this tiny family-run restaurant to the culinary juggernaut Wagamama. Theres a minimalist interior; diners share communal tables; a shortish menu offers no appetisers, just side dishes; and everything leaves the kitchen at a rapid pace. The food, however, is very different. Nyonya means lady, but also refers to a unique cuisine that originated with Straits-born Peranakan families; it marries Chinese and Malaysian cooking. Traditionally the food is spicy with robust flavours, but at Nyonya we found some of the dishes had been toned down. Laksa, a speciality of the Peranakan people, had nice, firm ramen noodles but was dominated by coconut and lacked chilli heat. Crisp, deep-fried blachan chicken needed a little more of the fearsome shrimp paste. On the plus side, a chefs special of mixed vegetable achar (crisp cucumber, carrot, mooli and cauliflower dressed in peanut sauce) emphasised the kitchens commitment to fresh ingredients. The tiny multicoloured, coconut-rich steamed cakes (kueh) were also enjoyable. Fast, home-style cooking at a fair price.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2008