Chilli Padi Nonya Cafe Review: Peranakan Buffet For $19.80++ Hidden Within NUS

This drama got me falling in love with Peranakan culture and cuisine, and I remember asking my mum to prepare the same dishes that Jeanette Aw and Joanne Peh whipped up in the show. She replied with a laugh and stated we could have a short family getaway to Malacca if I really wanted to eat Peranakan food.

The family trip to Malacca did not happen, and I found myself constantly on the lookout for the best Peranakan restaurants in Singapore . Located in NUS, they serve a Peranakan buffet at affordable rates, and we headed down for their weekday buffet lunch ($19.80++) , which is available from 11:15am to 3pm . They also offer buffet dinners on Fridays ($19.80++) and weekends ($23.80++) from 6pm to 9:30pm.

Chilli Padi Nonya Cafe - Peranakan Buffet Hidden In NUS Food at Chilli Padi Nonya Cafe I can be quite the fussy eater, so I like customisable dishes. Was elated to find out that they offer four DIY stations for savoury dishes. There were laksa , rojak , mee siam and kueh pie tee stations, with the last two being my favourite. The soup was the star of this dish; it was a robust tamarind broth with notes of mellow sweetness from sliced onions.

I fumbled at the beginning, unsure about the sequence of the components that I had to add to the kueh pie tee shell. After a few rounds of trial and error and soggy kueh pie tee cups, I figured lettuce goes into the cups first, to fully line the base to prevent soggy bottoms, followed by braised jicama and finally, sweet sauce and a touch of chilli. The stewed jicama was kept piping hot in an electric cooker, and was exceptionally soft and savoury – I could even taste the flavour of the prawn stock!

If you’re like me and always feel that hawker aunties and uncles selling chwee kueh are damn kiam with the chai poh (preserved radish), you’ll be glad to know that at this buffet, chai poh and chilli paste are placed at the side for you to help yourself to. These steamed rice cakes were different from the usual plain ones, and contained an array of diced components such as yam, black fungus and meat. The chai poh was studded with a generous amount of white sesame seeds, and was not overly salty.

Even so, it was too oily for my liking, and I had to constantly blot my lips after each mouthful. Desserts at Chilli Padi Nonya Cafe There was an array of snacks and desserts as well. I say go straight for the kueh, with my favourite being Kueh Koswee and Kueh Lopez .

There were instructions at the side of this station on how to operate the ice shaver and as well as the sequence of layering the chendol. Ambience at Chilli Padi Nonya Cafe The interior of the cafe was extensively covered in Peranakan decorations, and could likely pass off as a filming set for The Little Nyonya .

The verdict Although they are not situated in the most convenient of places, I highly recommend this cafe for their wide variety of delicious Peranakan dishes at a reasonable quotation. On a day my dad is willing to drive, i will definitely go back in the future with my family.