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Chinese dialect dishes at the Singapore Food Festival

Noemi — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 07:28:41 +0000

There were so many dishes to choose from at the Singapore Food Festival (SFF). Here are must try dishes based on the Chinese dialects.

Cantonese ‐ Century Egg Congee

Century egg congee – or “pheitan chok”, as the Cantonese call it – is a simple rice porridge featuring slices of century egg. When I was younger, I thought that century eggs were literally 100-years old, but it turns out that they have only been preserved for several weeks in a mixture of clay, salt, ash, and lime. Pheitan chock features slices of century egg, while the porridge itself is seasoned with lots of spring onion and ginger. You can easily find century egg congee at any Chinese restaurant.

Hainan ‐ Chicken Rice

Hainense chicken rice is one of Singapore’s most famous dishes. For those who are unfamiliar with it, Hainanese chicken rice is a steamed white chicken served on top of fragrant rice with coriander leaf and sesame oil. It’s normally served with light soy sauce and garlic-chili dip that you can mix to taste. This succulent dish hails all the way from Hainan in China and was originally made with the Wengcheng chicken – a bony chicken with very little meat. Unlike the Singaporean dish, the original Hainan dish uses pork and chicken bone stock to season the rice.

Hakka ‐ Lei Cha Rice

Lei cha rice is a very interesting dish to say the least, and a pretty rare offering in Singapore; there are no more than half a dozen restaurants in the island that serve this. Lei cha rice comes in two parts. The first is a plate of rice, either brown or white, served with vegetables, peanuts, fried silverfish, and other condiments. The second part is a hot green soup that resembles pesto; instead of basil, however, it’s made up of mashed-up tea leaves, mint, and other green herbs. Basically, you pour the soup over the rice and mix it all up into a delicious stew. This is one of the healthiest things you can buy at a coffee shop and a must try when you visit Singapore.

Hokkien ‐ Fried Hokkien Noodles

Hokkien mee is a popular dish in Malaysia and Singapore, served in various ways. Sometimes it’s served with fat, stir-fried yellow noodles covered in thick soy sauce; in other parts it’s noodles with stir-friend prawns, choy sam, and thickened gravy. Hokkien mee is also easy to make at home because of its versatility and simplicity. You can use anything to season it, from cuttlefish to pork.

Teo Chew – Fried Carrot Cake

Fried carrot cake (chai tao kway) isn’t actually a dessert – it’s made up of rice flour and white daikon cut into pieces and stir-fried with spring onion, garlic, eggs, and dried shrimp. The dish comes in two variants – the white one, where the cake forms a crust when fried on top of a beaten egg, and the black one which uses soy sauce and where the egg is mixed with the carrot cake.

Carrot Cake

Here are other Chinese dialect dishes at the Singapore Food Festival 2010

Kew Garden’s Hakka Chicken with Wine Lees

Kew Garden’s Hakka Yam Soon Kueh

Chinatown Tan’s Tutu (Hokkien)

Xin Sheng’s Ngoh Hiong Prawn Crackers

The name Ngoh Hiong is a Hokkien word that refers to the Five Spice Powder that seasosn the pork filling then wrapped in thin beancurd skin and later on deep-fried. In my native hometown, we have our own “Ngo Hiong” variant as well.

Handmade noodles

Gim Tim Traditional Tapioca Roll

Four Seasons Durian Muchi and other goodies

My favorite, Durian Ice cream

Yeh Lai Siang Hainanese Salted chicken

And they also offer Hainanese Curry rice

And Hainanese Kueh

Hainanese Xi Guo

Steamed Glutinous Roll

Roast Duck

“This is the first time that the SFF will focus on specialty dishes of Singapore’s main Chinese dialect groups. Far from being a homogenous cuisine, Chinese food is very varied and can differ greatly from region to region in China. With the evolution of the Chinese diaspora in Singapore, Chinese food in Singapore has also evolved in tandem to reflect our distinct culture and heritage,” said Mr Andrew Phua, Director of Precinct Development at the STB, who elaborated that the local version of Hainanese Chicken Rice is one of the best examples of a dish that has taken on a distinctly local flavour.
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You might also want to read my personal blog at Touched by an Angel and my other blogs like Free Filipino Food Recipes, Shopping Finds, and Techie Gadgets. Hope you can drop by! Thanks for visiting…Noemi Lardizabal-Dado

Singapore Food Festival 2010

Noemi — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 15:28:21 +0000

Singapore Food Festival (SFF) 2010 celebrates its 17th year from 16 to 25 July and focuses on speciality dishes of the main Chinese dialect groups in Singapore. Some of these dialect groups include the Cantonese, Hainanese, Hakka, Hokkien and Teochew communities.

The entire stretch of scenic Singapore River will bustle with events and activities during SFF 2010. Today was the Opening ceremonies of the 10‐day SFF 2010 at the Clarke Quay Food Street at Read Bridge, where the entire length of the bridge was transformed into a food haven offering sumptuous Chinese delicacies from more than 30 food stalls from various famous restaurants.

What to expect from this year’s food festival?

Other not‐to‐be‐missed SFF 2010 core events include the Singapore Chinese Dialect Tingkat Cruise, Singapore Chinese Dialect Street Snacks, Singapore Chinese Dialect Heritage Feast (五福临门宴), Makansutra SFF Culinary Master Classes (check the schedule of classes here) and the Singapore River Market. Be it savouring Singapore Chinese dialect delights while cruising along the Singapore River; relishing nostalgic Chinese dialect street snacks, such as Malt Candy, Red Bean Cake, Ting Ting Candy and Mua Chee, or enjoying a gastronomic adventure of (not one but) five buffet lines of sumptuous delights featuring the best of Singapore Chinese Dialects food at the festival’s finale, there is something for everyone’s liking and taste!

I got to meet Mr KF Seetoh , renowned food personality and founder of Makansutra and also this year’s festival food consultant at a cooking demo at the Singapore Tourism Board. He elaborates, “The original Chinese flavours that had pervaded Singapore for over a century was coloured largely by the early south Chinese immigrants. They came, mingled with, and adapted the multi culinary concepts of other migrants from India, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and even from the West. They naturally gave to this land their comfort food culture from home and it also gave rise to a third flavour, that distinct and iconic Singapore taste which came from a sophisticated melding of that heady range of flavours found here. ” Let me share their recipe on Traditional Braised Duck.

One can also shop for fashionable knick‐knacks and food at the Singapore River Market which is along the Clarke Quay stretch of the Singapore River; for an even more fulfilling and enriching experience for foodies, they can choose to attend a series of Makansutra SFF Culinary Master Classes where they can learn the best‐kept secrets to well‐known Singaporean Chinese Dialects dishes and how to prepare and cook them!

For the first time, SFF goes digital with a fun Cooking Game, entitled “Grandma’s Kitchen”, to educate food lovers. Hosted on the official SFF 2010 website and downloadable as an iPhone application, the cooking game will allow players to choose and whip up their own Chinese dialect dishes, such as Bak Kut Teh or Hokkien Mee. Through this process, they will learn the use of different ingredients and at the end of the game, they will receive the full recipe of the chosen dish. What’s more, upon completion of the entire game, the player will unlock a secret “diary of recipes” where they can obtain the full recipes to cook the dishes for real.

This year’s Singapore Food Festival is about celebrating not only that vibrant Chinese dialectic flavours that their forebears brought here but also what the newer generation had evolved today.

Must try Chinese Dialect dishes at the SIngapore Food Festival

Whether you are a local or a foreigner, this year’s SFF is a good opportunity to (re)discover and whet your appetite on several must‐try dishes from each Chinese dialect group! Go on a gastronomic escapade with these must‐try selections:

1. Cantonese ‐ Century Egg Congee, Har Gao, Wanton Noodle

2. Hainan ‐ Chicken Rice, Jian Dui

3. Hakka ‐ Lei Cha Rice, Niang Dou Fu, Suan Pan Zi

4. Hokkien ‐ Fried Hokkien Noodles, Lor Mee, Popiah

5. Teo Chew ‐ Bak Kut Teh, Chwee Kueh, Fried Carrot Cake

Events of Singapore Food Festival 2010

Singapore Food Festival 2010 Events

Photos

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Dining at Paragon Food Cellar in Singapore

Noemi — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 09:37:00 +0000

I am here right now in Singapore for the Singapore Food Festival which runs from July 16 till July 24. 2010. This year’s festival takes into view the message of offering different Singapore Chinese Dialects food to cater to different tastes allowing people to create their own personalized Singapore experience with food.

One of the activities that Singapore Tourism Board planned for media was the “Food Safari at the Paragon Food Cellar”. I didn’t think it was restaurant hopping and sampling of dishes. Now that I think of it, no wonder it is called the Food Safari. Here are the six restaurants we sampled at lunch today. (to be updated soon)

First stop is Shimbashi Soba

Shimbashi Soba restaurant serves freshly milled and freshly cooked Soba, authentic Japanese bucketwheat noodles.

Second stop is Tambuah Mas

Indonesian food is one of my favorites as I don’t get to savor these dishes in Manila.

Udang Petai Belado – Succulent prawns stir-fried in chili gravy with petai beans

Tahu Telor – Deep fried beancurd & eggs topped with sweet spicy dark sauce and shredded cucumbers

Satay Ayam & Satay Kambing – Skewered chicken & lamb fillet, BBQ over open flame. Served with Ketupat (rice cake) and homemade peanut dressing

From left to right: Es Cendol Kacang – Homemade green bean jelly served with Red Kidney beans, fresh coconut milk and gula melaka (palm sugar) and Es Serai – Brewed lemongrass drink

Third stop is Din Tai Fung

Fourth stop is Daikokuya Ramen Dining

This is another Japanese restaurant with ramen as its specialty. Daikokuya, which means ‘God of Wealth’ in Japanese, is a modern version of a ramen-ya that specialises in ramen dishes in a contemporary and relaxing atmosphere. Ramen devotees can now rejoice as Daikokuya serves four different styles of ramen to suit varying tastes. Each ramen style is also available in a variety of soup bases for diners to choose from such as miso (fermented soybean paste), shoyu (soy flavored), shio (salt flavored) and spicy miso:

-Sapporo ramen, a chicken broth ramen served with springy and curly noodles;
-Tokyo-style ramen, a lighter version of chicken broth ramen served with springy and curly noodles;
-Kyushu-style Tonkotsu ramen, features a thick creamy pork broth ramen (the richest amongst the broth varieties) served with thin and straight noodles; and
-Kogashi ramen, a Kyushu specialty that consists of a thick creamy pork broth seasoned with blackish aromatic oil made from charred crushed garlic, served with thin and straight noodles, in miso or shio soup base.

Fifth stop at the Kaffir & Lime Thai Express

And our last stop the Big O, Cakes on the go

Durian Cake

To be continued- attending the Singapore Food Festival————————————

Baguio’s Cafe by the Ruins

Lauren — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 06:34:42 +0000

During my weekend trip to Baguio with my parents, I insisted that we have our post-ukay dinner at Cafe by the Ruins. My dad took us to this cafe years before, and I fell in love with the place’s laid-back bohemian atmosphere.

Dining here was also a refreshing change from downtown Baguio, which was packed like an SM 3-day sale. There was hardly anyone there on a Saturday night.

For over 20 years, Cafe by the Ruins has served an extensive A to Z list of clientele. Which one are you?

There’s nothing like staying warm on a rainy evening with a cup of chocolate de agua (P120), bittersweet chocolate prepared the Mexican way and served with two slices of cinnamon toast. Cafe by the Ruins also serves civet cat coffee, supposedly the best and most expensive cup of coffee in the world. It wasn’t that expensive at P150, but I didn’t order a cup that night because I wanted to be able to fall asleep.

I don’t remember the name of the dish my mom ordered, but it was spinach and cheese served inside a flaky pastry.

It was pretty tasty and fairly filling for its size.

Cafe by the Ruins has a unique sandwich called Ole Nick’s Open Faced Tuna. Apparently, National Artist Nick Joaquin once scribbled the following recipe: “Butter the bread, spread flaked tuna evenly over the buttered surface, dip in beaten egg, and fry in MORE butter.” I was very curious but didn’t have the guts to try it out.

So instead, I got a beef steak sandwich (P155) – sliced beef tenderloin covered in beef steak sauce and sandwiched in Saigon bread.

If you’re looking for an interesting restaurant in Baguio, I suggest you drop by Cafe by the Ruins. The food is reasonably priced, plus it’s a great respite from all the crowded restaurants in downtown Baguio. Cafe by the Ruins can be found at 23 Chuntug Street Baguio City, near City Hall. ————————————

Singapore Food Festival 2010 on July 16 to July 25

Noemi — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 10:23:04 +0000

The Singapore Food Festival is early this year. Remember last year’s Singapore Food Festival 2009? It was only 10 days. I was there during the opening ceremonies and I enjoyed every minute of it. This year’s food festival is of much longer duration from July 16 to July 25, 2010. Check the highlights here.

One of the major driving forces in Singapore tourism is their food. Singaporean cuisine ranks number 3 next to shopping and accommodations. Such Multi-Cultural Gastronomic Experience in Singapore. I got a sampling of mind-boggling array of dishes from various ethnic groups like the Indian, Arab, Peranakan, and Chinese. Just like last year, the Clarke Quay Food Street will be one of the focal points of this year’s festival, featuring Chinese cuisine from more than 30 different restaurants.

Last year,the focus was on Peranakan cuisine. This year’s theme is on “Discover the treasures of Singapore Chinese Dialect food”. So , what is cooking with Singapore Food Festival 2010?:

Kicking off the 10-day SFF 2010 on 16th July will be Clarke Quay Food Street at Read Bridge, where the entire length of the bridge will be transformed into a food haven offering sumptuous Chinese delicacies from various famous restaurants.

Other not-to-be-missed core events include the Singapore Chinese Dialect Tingkat Cruise, Singapore Chinese Street Snacks and Singapore Chinese Dialect Heritage Feast. Festival-goers can shop for fashionable knick-knacks and food at the Singapore River Market, along the Clarke Quay stretch of the Singapore River. A series of Cooking Classes will also be held where foodies can learn some of the best kept secrets to well-known Singapore Chinese Dialects food.

Click the image below to download the event listings of the Singapore Food Festival 2010

And check out what my Singapore food trip last year.

Clarke Quay Food Street, Singapore Food Festival 2009

Lunch at Lau Pa Sat, Singapore

Multi-Cultural Gastronomic Experience in Singapore

True Blue Cuisine: Authentic Peranakan Food and Boutique Restaurant

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Suan Lum Night Bazaar Food Court

Lauren — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 04:21:03 +0000

Besides food courts, the best Thai food in Bangkok can be found on the streets. There were so many vendors near our hostel that offered a wide variety of street food, from noodles to fruit. I wasn’t able to buy from any of them (mostly because I’d be very full by the time I returned) but I did experience a variation of Thai street food at the Suan Lum Night Bazaar’s food court.

The Suan Lum Night Bazaar reminds me of our own Tiendesitas, the only difference being the former is only open from 6 pm until 2 am. Near the entrance, they have a huge outdoor food court and beer garden with a wide selection of local dishes, desserts, and European beer.

The food is extremely cheap – for just a 100 baht, you can get yourself a meal and a drink.

Like the food courts we’ve tried, the Suan Lum Night Bazaar only accepts coupons. However, you can have your unused coupons refunded on the same day (that is, before the clock strikes 12).

My boyfriend and I were pretty full from the lunch we had, so we shared a plate of pad thai between us. I think this only cost 50 baht.

The cheapest plate of tempura/buttered prawns I ever had in my life cost only 100 baht for about 8 or 9 pieces. Instead of the usual ginger soy sauce dip, we were given a citrusy butter dip to go with our shrimp, which was delightfully refreshing.

It’s a shame we weren’t able to make the most out of this food court, but I highly recommend you go there! It’s a great place for casual drinking too. For about 200 baht, you can get a Chang beer tower.

The Suan Lum Night Bazaar is at the corner of Wireless and Rama. It’s far from the BTS, so just take a cab from your hotel to get there.————————————

Bangkok Food Courts: The Best Place for Thai Food

Lauren — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 03:10:52 +0000

“Where is the best place to eat Thai food in Bangkok?” If you’re traveling to this wonderful city anytime soon, that’s probably one of the first questions you’ll ask locals and fellow tourists. It’s difficult to come up with a straight answer, especially if you consider the wide variety of restaurants in Bangkok. They probably have twice the number of restaurants of Manila! According to my boyfriend’s aunt, a Thai local, it will be years before you can eat at the same restaurant twice – there are that many excellent establishments to try. I didn’t stay in Bangkok long enough to recommend the best Thai restaurant, but I will tell you a great place to start – the food court. Specifically, the Foodhall of Bangkok’s high-end malls Siam Paragon and The Emporium.

I wish I weren’t too hungry to take decent photos of the place because one picture cannot capture the size and variety in a Foodhall food court. But trust me when I say that you will get dizzy once you’re smack dab in the middle of the stalls, eyeing the delicious displays and inhaling the spicy aroma of noodles and meat sizzling on a wok. There is so much restaurant-quality food at extremely affordable prices! Even if you stay at Bangkok for a week, it will be impossible to buy something from every single stall in a food court.

My first plate of pad thai was from Siam Paragon Foodhall (located at the basement). It only cost around 70 baht and is just as tasty as any pad thai I’ve had at a restaurant.

The best thing I ever ate in Bangkok came from The Emporium Foodhall (5th floor, the level below the cinemas). It’s a bowl of northern-style beef noodles that cost only 60 baht. Imagine a bundle of crispy noodles soaked in a tasty, coconut-based curry soup with chewy beef slices. Words cannot describe how delicious this is – it’s something you have to experience for yourself. It’s a good thing I had the foresight to photograph this bowl before I devoured it completely.

My boyfriend was actually the one who ordered the northern-style beef noodles for lunch, but it was so tasty that I ordered one of my own (even though I already polished a bowl of not-as-delicious noodles). This is why I gained weight in Thailand.

So what was the best thing you ate at Bangkok? And where did you eat it? Do share!
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The Siam Niramit Buffet: A Must-Eat in Bangkok

Lauren — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 04:16:46 +0000

My boyfriend and I just came from a wonderful vacation in Bangkok, and if there’s one bit of advice I’d like to give anyone visiting this colorful city, it’s “Do not leave Bangkok without seeing the Siam Niramit show.” Siam Niramit is a cultural dance show that depicts scenes from ancient Thailand. I actually thought I’d fall asleep halfway through it, but Siam Niramit is nothing like the half-baked cultural performances we have here – I was literally on the edge of my seat the entire time. It was one of the most beautiful productions I have ever seen – it had 3-dimensional sets, intricate costumes, fun choreography, and audience interaction. Oh, and did I mention that there are elephants on stage? Tickets cost 1,500 baht but if you ask me, the show itself was worth way more than that.

You might be wondering, why am I pimping a Bangkok tourist destination at a food blog? Well, when we made our reservations through phone, we were asked if we wanted to avail of the buffet for another 300 baht. My boyfriend said yes – the show starts at 8 and we may not have enough time to catch dinner somewhere else. I’m so glad he did because the Siam Niramit buffet was easily the best 300 baht I spent in Bangkok!

We thought that a 300-baht buffet would have a very limited selection of food, but our jaws dropped when we saw the loooong buffet table in the center of the dining room. You can’t even see the other half of the table from this angle!

The main buffet table contained a wide selection of European and Asian food. There was so much to eat that I no longer remember everything that was served at this table. My boyfriend recalls the beef in red curry sauce, grilled fish with apple slices, fried chicken, sweet and sour chicken, plain rice, and fried rice. This part of the buffet alone was easily worth more than 300 baht.

As if that weren’t enough, there were four smaller buffet tables on the other side of the room. This is the salad bar, which carried lettuce, an assortment of toppings, and vinaigrette dressing.

My favorite kiosk contained Indian food. There was chicken tikka masala!

The furthest kiosk had Asian food – tiny sushi, pad thai, and spring rolls (behind).

The dessert table only carried fruit, but at this point I was too full to care. Behind it was the tea and coffee kiosk.

Can you tell how happy I was to have all this food in front of me?

I suggest dining with someone who has a bottomless pit of a stomach. It’s a shame to let all those leftovers go to waste.

For more information on the show, visit www.siamniramit.com. Tickets cost 1,500 baht without the amazing buffet and 1,800 with the buffet. To get tickets, you can call (662) 649-9222 and make reservations on the day itself. Most major hotels offer rides to the show venue, so just inquire at the front desk.————————————

True Blue Cuisine: Authentic Peranakan Food and Boutique Restaurant

Noemi — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 07:22:15 +0000

Wee Toon Hee ,my tour guide in Singapore told me that True Blue Cuisine is part of the list of must-try restaurants. The place is not only beautiful but I felt like being transported in time. Let me give you a brief background of the Peranakans. I first got introduced to the Peranakan culture when I visited the Peranakan museum during my last visit in Singapore on June 16. I was so amazed at the unique cultural heritage of Singapore, something that I only discovered recently through this museum visit.

Peranakan is the term used for the descendants of Chinese immigrants who settled in Singapore, Malaysia, and Penang. Like all societies that migrated and settled in a place far from their homeland, Perenakan cuisine is a rich combination of the spices used by native Malaysians and Indonesians, Chinese cooking techniques, and Chinese ingredients. The result is a tangy, spicy, and aromatic gastronomic experience characterized by key ingredients like coconut milk, tamarind juice, pandan leaves, and egg noodles.

If you’re ever in Singapore, do not leave the country unless you’ve tried out authentic Peranakan food at True Blue Cuisine. Established in 2003 in a pre-war shophouse, True Blue Cuisine aims to serve nothing but authentic Peranakan cuisine to locals and tourists alike. However, True Blue Cuisine is more than just a venue where you can sample Peranakan delights; it’s an entire feast for the senses that allows you to experience Peranakan culture for yourself. Diners can see how Peranakans live, as shown by the chim chae area photographed above. The chim chae area is actually an airwell used to collect rain water and to sun foods like belachan achar for preservation. True Blue Cuisine also has a private collection of antiques, photographs, and old-fashioned jewelry that can be admired and purchased. As if that’s not enough, you can hear the way Peranakans speak and inhale the aromatic fragrance of bunga rampay, a sweet smelling potpourri of shredded pandan leaves that grace most Peranakan homes.

Our authentic Peranakan meal began with a clear soup with bakwan kepiting (crab and chicken meat rolls) and egg noodles.

Chap chye (mixed vegetables) was served along with the soup. Excuse the blurry photo; I was too hungry and too much in a hurry to take a better one.

What is Peranakan cuisine without dumplings? I enjoyed eating the ngoh hiang (minced chicken and prawn meat rolls).

Ayam buah keluak, or chicken stewed in black nuts, was a very interesting dish to eat. Buah keluak is actually a fruit from the Kepayang tree that grows wild in Malaysia and Indonesia. Before it is used in dishes, the buah keluak is thoroughly washed and boiled, then buried in many layers of banana leaves, ash, and earth for 40 days to remove toxins. The kernels are dug out after being soaked overnight, pounded with spices, and reinserted into seeds. The black nuts can be opened and its meat can be eaten.

It’s too bad I don’t eat beef or pork, because the coconut sauce of this beef rendang was absolutely delicious. I just took a little sample.

True Blue Cuisine can be found in Armenian Street. If the experience of eating genuine Peranakan food makes you want to learn more about the Peranakan and their culture, there is a Peranakan museum you can visit right next door.————————————

Longest Peranakan Buffet on July 26 by the Swissotel Merchant Court, Singapore

Noemi — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 04:32:21 +0000

I won’t be around for the Longest Peranakan Buffet slated on July 26, 2009 but I was lucky enough to get a preview of selected dishes when Swissotel Merchant Court invited me and Chinese media from the Zhongshan Broadcast and TV station. The Peranakan dishes served to us were Bakwan Kepiting (Minced Pork & Crab Meat Balls Soup), Kankong Lemak with Sweet Potato (Water Convolvulus in Coconut Gravy), Kueh Pie Tee, Sambal Udang (Sambal Prawns) and Kueh Dadar.

To give you an idea of the event, here is the press release given to me by Swissotel Merchant Court. The list of Peranakan dishes is listed below too. You won’t want to miss this.
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The 16th annual Singapore Food Festival returns with a Peranakan theme this year, highlighting the rich Straits Chinese heritage and its unique Nonya cuisine. Swissôtel Merchant Court, Singapore participating as the Official Hotel, will be hosting the Longest Peranakan Buffet at the closing ceremony on Read Bridge at Clarke Quay.

Swissôtel Merchant Court will be presenting the ultimate Peranakan indulgence of the Singapore Food Festival 2009 – the Longest Peranakan Buffet, a gastronomic Nonya affair. A finale to the ten day-long Festival, the Longest Peranakan Buffet will be held only on July 26th – the last day of the Festival – on Read Bridge at Clarke Quay from 5pm to 10pm.

Seeking inspiration from the Tok Panjang (long-table dining style of the Peranakans) the buffet line will feature 100 dishes laid out into an extended buffet spread. Food connoisseurs can expect to be treated to a bountiful variety of popular Nonya dishes like Udang Nanas (Prawns in Pineapple Gravy), Itek Tim (Salted Mustard Duck Soup), Tauhu Masak Titek (Spicy Bean Curds with Salted Fish), Ayam Buah Keluak (Chicken in Black Nut Stew), Ikan Masam Manis (Nonya Sweet & Sour Fish) and sumptuous Nonya Kueh desserts.

Rainer Tenius, General Manager of Swissôtel Merchant Court, Singapore comments, “We are privileged to be the Official Hotel of this year’s Singapore Food Festival and to present the Longest Peranakan Buffet, which will no doubt be a festival highlight. Our famed Ellenborough Market Café has been serving superior Nonya cuisine for over a decade and has since become synonymous with Nonya cuisine in Singapore. This event is an excellent platform for us to introduce even more people to the delights of Nonya cuisine while reinforcing Singapore’s position as a food paradise.”

Nonya Chef Shirley Tay

Swissôtel Merchant Court’s specialty Nonya Chef Shirley Tay adds, “As a Peranakan, I am so excited at this opportunity to prepare and share my heritage and cuisine. Preparing Peranakan food involves a lot of passion and hard work; every dish is prepared from scratch, starting with the rempah, spices that form the soul of the dish. I believe Nonya food is quite impossible to resist!”

Since its inauguration in 1994 by Singapore Tourism Board, the Singapore Food Festival has established itself as a key national event, offering a host of local cuisines as well as insights into Singapore’s food culture and heritage. This year, the focus of the Festival is on Nonya cuisine, delicacies from the minority ethnic group of the Straits Chinese, the Peranakans. The usual month-long event will only be held for ten days this year, starting from 17 July 2009.

Executive Chef Andy Yeo

Amidst the various festivities of the Festival held throughout the island, Swissôtel Merchant Court will have two stalls along the Food Street. The Food Street will operate daily from 17 to 25 July on Read Bridge at Clarke Quay, serving a range of exquisite Nonya delicacies.

Swissôtel Merchant Court’s Nonya Chef Shirley Tay, will also be giving an exclusive culinary display on Tuesday, 21 July at the STB Auditorium, from 2.30 pm to 4.30 pm. At S$88.00 per person, Swissôtel Merchant Court signature dishes such as Ikan Chilli Garam, Nonya Mee and Deep Fried Cempedak will be demonstrated. For reservations, please call 6255 1037 or email .rsvp@singaporefoodfestival.com

Feast under the stars at the Longest Peranakan Buffet for $35 nett per adult and $22 nett per child (aged 4 – 11 years old). Tickets are available for sale at Ellenborough Market Café, Swissôtel Merchant Court, 20 Merchant Road from 1 to 23 July, between 12pm and 8pm daily. For enquiries, please call 6239 1848 or email emc.reservations@swissotel.com.

And to tempt you some more, here are a few photos of the Peranakan dishes (click to enlarge image)

Assorted Nonya Kuehs

Ayam Buah Keluak

Babi Pongteh

Durian Pengat – I love Durian. This is just divine!

Ikan Masam Manis

Itek Tim

Kueh Pie Tee- I love this too. Everything is just so delicious.

Nonya Chap Chye

Sambal Udang

Note that the photos above are copyright to Swissotel Merchant Court.

Here is the menu of the Peranakan buffet

Longest Peranakan Buffet Menu by Swissôtel Merchant Court

LONGEST PERANAKAN BUFFET MENU

Appetisers

Archar (Pickles)

Egg, Tomato & Cucumber Salad

Jantung Pisang (Banana Bud in Sambal with Prawns & Coconut Cream)

Nasi Ulam (Rice with Herbs & Spices)

Ngoh Hiang (Five Spices Meat Roll)

Nonya Style Mixed Vegetables

Papaya Pickles

Salted Fish Archar (Salted Fish Pickles)

Sambal Kacang Botol (Spicy Wing Beans)

Sambal Nanas & Timun (Sambal Pineapple & Cucumber)

Sayor Gado Gado (Mixed Vegetables Salad in Spicy Peanut Sauce)

Sayor Ulam (Pickled Mixed Vegetables)

Sambal Timun (Sambal Cucumbers)

Shrimp Fritters

Tang Hoon (Mung Bean Vermicelli)

Soups

Bakwan Kepiting (Minced Pork & Crab Meat Balls Soup)

Buah Paya Masak Titek (Green Papaya Soup)

Hee Peow Soup (Fish Maw & Chicken Soup)

Itek Tim (Salted Mustard Duck Soup)

Tauhu Masak Titek (Spicy Bean Curds with Salted Fish)

Stations

Durian Pengat

Kueh Pie Tee

Mee Siam

Nonya Laksa

Main Dishes

Ayam Buah Keluak (Chicken in Black Nut Stew)

Babi Assam (Tamarind Braised Pork)

Babi Assam Goreng (Pan-fried Pork Belly with Assam)

Babi Chin (Braised Pork Shoulder with Mushrooms & Bamboo Shoots)

Babi Pongteh (Braised Pork with Salted Bean Paste)

Egg Sambal (Hard Boiled Eggs in Sambal Chilli Sauce)

Ikan Chilli Garam (Fried Fish with Garlic & Chilli)

Ikan Masak Assam Pekat (Fish in Tamarind Juice)

Ikan Masam Manis (Nonya Sweet & Sour Fish)

Ikan Tempra (Spicy Fish in Thick Soy Sauce)

Itek Sioh (Braised Duck Marinated in Coriander & Tamarind Sauce)

Kangkong Lemak with Sweet Potato (Water Convolvulus in Coconut Gravy)

Nasi Kunyit (Glutinous Rice)

Nasi Lemak (Steamed Coconut Rice)

Nasi Putih (Steamed White Rice)

Nonya Chap Chye (Stewed Cabbage with Dried Bean Curds)

Nonya Mee (Stir-fried Yellow Noodles)

Otak-otak Pangang (BBQ Spicy Fish Paste in Banana Leaf)

Sambal Ikan Billis (Sambal Dried Anchovies)

Sambal Udang (Sambal Prawns)

Sambal Sotong (Spicy Squid)

Satay Ayam (Chicken Skewers with Spicy Sauce)

Sayor Lemak (Stewed Cabbage in Coconut Milk)

Spicy Fried Brinjal (Spicy Eggplants)

Udang Nanas (Prawns in Pineapple Gravy)

Udang Sambal Petai (Fried Prawns with Stink Beans)

Tulang Babi Nangka Lemak (Pork Ribs with Bamboo Shoots)

Condiments

Chinchalok, Cucumbers, Fried Shallots, Sambal, Sambal Belacan,

Sliced Green Chilli, Sliced Red Chilli, Sliced Spring Onion, Small Limes

Desserts

Bubor Cha Cha

Bubor Kacang (Green Bean Dessert)

Bubor Terigu (Soft White Wheat Beans)

Deep-fried Chempedak

Kueh Dadar (Gula Melaka with Grated Coconut Wrapped in Pandan Crepe)

Kueh Lapis (Thousand Layered Cake)

Pandan Kaya Cake

Pengat Pisang (Banana in Coconut Milk)

Pulut Hitam (Black Glutinous Rice with Coconut Milk)

Longan Drink

Fruits

Banana

Dragon Fruit

Grape

Green Apple

Honeydew

Jambu

Orange

Papaya

Pear

Pineapple

Red Apple

Red Plum

Rock Melon

Watermelon

Nonya Kuehs

Bingka Ubi Kayu (Baked Tapioca Cake)

Getuk Getuk (Steamed Grated Tapioca)

Getuk Ubi (Mashed Tapioca with Palm Sugar)

Kueh Ambon (Steamed Sponge Cake)

Kueh Dadar (Gula Melaka with Grated Coconut Wrapped in Pandan Crepe)

Kueh Genggang (Three Layered Glutinous Rice Cake)

Kueh Ko Sui (Gula Melaka Cake with Grated Coconut)

Kueh Lapis (Nine Layered Glutinous Rice Cake)

Kueh Lompang (Steamed Rice Cake with Grated Coconut)

Kueh Sarlat (Kaya Paste with Glutinous Rice)

Kueh Ubi Kayu (Tapioca Cake)

Kueh Talam (Tapioca with Coconut Milk)

Mini Ang Ku Kueh (Glutinous Rice Flour Cake with Sweet/Salted Bean Paste)

Mini Ang Ku Kueh (Glutinous Rice Flour Cake with Peanut Paste)

Nagasturi (Steamed Tapioca topped with Grated Coconut)

Onde Onde (Grated Coconut & Palm Sugar in Glutinous Rice Ball)

Ongol Ubi (Steamed Tapioca Cake with Grated Coconut)

Pulut Durian (Glutinous Rice with Durian)

Pulut Inti (Glutinous Rice topped with Fried Grated Coconut in Gula Melaka)

Puteri Sarlat (Pandan Kaya with Glutinous Rice)

Pulut Seri Kaya (Yellow Kaya & Glutinous Rice Cake with Butterfly Pea Flower Colouring)

Rempah Udang (Glutinous Rice with Spicy Dried Shrimps)

Sago Pudding

Talam Hijau (Pandan & Coconut Layered Cake)
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