Fabulous Five by Chef Amy Beh

Chef Amy definitely brings a touch of home cooking to Makan Kitchen through this menu. First on the table is clay pot teo chew crab porridge. The silky plain porridge is topped with a generous helping of Nyonya-style spicy crab. Makan Kitchen uses mud crab for extra sweetness for this dish. Another highlight is the lamb-kut-teh, an excellent version made with baby back ribs, the meat of which falls apart at the slightest nudge of the fork. Bak Kut Teh purists might be converted with this dish.

The menu also includes crowd-favourites Nyonya fish head curry and curry kapitan chicken, the former of which is made with a mix of yoghurt, coriander and pure coconut milk to achieve a creamy texture. Chef Amy eschews the use of curry powder for the curry kapitan chicken, instead opting for spices such as mustard, lemongrass, tamarind and fresh turmeric for more nuanced flavours. It feels like you’re having dinner at your grandmother’s dinner table.

For dessert, there’s ‘ma lai koe’ topped with flakes of specially sourced gula Melaka. Served in delicate blue and white porcelain cups in a dim sum tray, the unassuming ‘ma lai koe’ is a highlight on its own. According to Chef Siew, they spent months hunting for good quality gula Melaka, finally to source it not from a gula Melaka maker, but instead from a kuih seller. The effort is definitely not in vain. Also known as Malay Kuih, the Malay-style sponge cake is steamed to a soft and light texture, with the gula Melaka dissolving gently on the tongue.