Sedap $10 Peranakan Set Meals At Tingkat PeraMakan

Restaurant PeraMakan, a well-established brand which opened at Keppel Club in 2013, hopes to keep the Peranakan culinary tradition alive for a new generation of diners with this hip café at Owen Road. It offers a more casual and wallet-friendly makan experience.

THE LOOK: Bright, spacious and decked out in an electric mix of turquoise and pink hues and raw concrete flooring. It feels much hipper here than at the Keppel branch, even with the traditional kopitiam tables and chairs.

THE FOOD

The pork belly is braised in a salty fermented bean sauce with shiitake mushrooms and bamboo shoots till soft, gelatinous and fragrant. You can order this a la carte ($7; feeds two), but the fab value set meal for one comes with a side of Sayur Masak Lemak, water spinach and sweet chunks of papaya drenched in a salty dried shrimp and coconut gravy, and Nyonya Tauhu with two small blocks of fried custardy tofu soaked in tau cheo gravy. There’s even an excellent Sago Gula Melaka for dessert, gooey pearls of sago bathed in caramelly palm sugar syrup.

A good measure of any Peranakan joint can be made by the quality of its rendang. And this one rocks. After all, it uses the same rempah (spice blend), prepared in the central kitchen as the main outlet’s. The thick coconut sauce scented with turmeric leaves is mouth-wateringly rich and not too spicy. And the chunks of beef shin dusted with spiced grated coconut are deliciously fork-tender.

Unfortunately, we weren’t impressed with this rice noodle dish, which is only available here and not at the flagship eatery. We found the spicy and tangy fish broth, garnished with sliced onions, pineapples, lettuce, cucumbers, red chillies and prawn paste, too light and lacking punch.

Rich and creamy kaya custard infused with the delicate aroma of coconut and pandan is wedged between soft, fluffy layers of sponge. Let this sit for a while at your table so that it’s nice and thawed by the time you dig into it. So good.

BOTTOM LINE: Tingkat is a more affordable way to taste sister eatery PeraMakan at Keppel’s shiok dishes in a relaxed, casual setting. Do note that portions here are smaller to match the lower prices, and that its location is slightly inaccessible if you don't drive. $

119 Owen Rd, S218924. Tel: 8504-9057. Open daily, except Mon 11am–3pm; 6pm–10pm. Last orders 9pm. www.facebook.com/tingkatpm