Emmanuel Peranakan Cuisine Review: Cheap Blue Pea Nyonya Nasi Lemak At Marine Parade

Homely dishes always hit the spot, and Emmanuel Peranakan Cuisine does it splendidly. Emmanuel Peranakan Cuisine is the brainchild of Annie, a jovial woman who has more than 30 years of experience at the famous Xing Long Cooked Food, which was started by her mum.

Wanting more room to explore food and to add a personal touch to her dishes, Annie decided to open Emmanuel Peranakan Cuisine. Together with her husband, Annie tirelessly serves up hearty and homely dishes, all from the heart.

Food at Emmanuel Peranakan Cuisine Nasi lemak is a traditional dish with Malay origins. Hence when I spotted the Nyonya Nasi Lemak ($5.50) on the menu, I was excited to see how Annie incorporated Peranakan elements into this popular dish. The taste of blue pea flower is usually hard to detect, but in this spoonful of rice, I could taste a slight earthy tang from the flowers.

Unlike traditional nasi lemak where rice is cooked in coconut milk, the taste of coconut milk in each spoonful of rice was rather subtle, and it didn’t possess the right amount of richness. Knowing I’m a spicy food amateur, my dining companion playfully requested for more of the bright red gravy, and I was truly worried. The wetness of the gravy made for a smooth mouthful, and though it had a spicy kick, it was pleasantly sweet.

The rendang’s intense taste made me rather jelak, hence the earthy taste of long beans was refreshing. I was delighted to hear that Annie uses chicken thigh instead of chicken breast, which is usually dry and bland. The bowl was filled with bountiful chunks of chicken thigh and plump potatoes, all in a nice warm bed of gravy.

The bite-sized pieces of chicken thigh were moist, succulent and, when eaten together with the flavourful curry and starchy potatoes, felt decadently rich and satisfying. A staple in many Peranakan households, Annie’s Ngoh Hiang ($2) is simple and comforting.

The ngoh hiang had a crispy exterior, and upon biting through it, I was met with juicy chunks of minced pork and a tinge of savouriness from the five-spice powder. There’s something so inexplicably mouthwatering about the pork belly ($2) here, as each juicy chunk of meat is connected to a wonderful layer of fat. That said, Emmanuel Peranakan Cuisine serves up unique dishes made with fresh components, and the food is nothing short of homely.

Annie’s passion for preparation and dedication to her craft really shows in her food, and that’s enough for a repeat visit. Apollo Fresh Cockle Fried Kway Teow Review: Famous Wet-Style CKT With Over 40 Years Of History For more delicious food in Marine Parade Food Centre, check out Apollo Fresh Cockle Fried Kway Teow and Tip Top Western Food .