Family & Life Magazine Issue 10 | Page 29

Your Nestled in the suburbs of Scotts Road within a whitewashed colonial bungalow is one of Singapore’s wellhidden Peranakan cuisine standouts, INDOCAFE the white house. The restaurant is a throwback to an earlier time, an era of waiters in carefullystarched uniforms and languid lunches eaten on solid wood furniture. INDOCAFE The head nyonya chef Heng Eng Ho hails from Penang and has been tasting every dish coming out of the INDOCAFE kitchen for close to three years now. He must be doing a good job; the restaurant has won multiple awards, some of which you can find inscribed on a plate at the front of the house, ostensibly (or at least I would like to think so) to reassure the diners who care about this sort of validation. We really enjoyed the Penang Otah, a concoction of fresh sea bass and delectable spices in a bowl and presented just like chawanmushi. When I asked the chef where he got the idea from, he said that otah in Penang is prepared exactly like that but wrapped in pandan leaves instead of being carefully plopped into a bowl. Another signature dish is the polarising Ayam Buah Keluak. There were two ways you could go around to sampling this dish. The more adventurous method involves cracking open the Indonesian nut with a small metal rod you can find on your table before digging in. The second more sedate way is to just scoop out the chicken from the bowl. While my dining companion loved this dish, I was left undecided. It was interesting, perhaps a tad too interesting. Perhaps you’ll fare better. Your children will love the Kueh Pie Tee, a deconstructed fun pack of radish, crab meat and pastry that has to be put together by hand and absolutely delicious. So, if you’re looking for some family fun with your Peranakan, we highly recommend INDOCAFE. Jul 2014 • Family & Life 29