Daisy's Dream Kitchen

Daisy's Dream Kitchen is a family-run Peranakan restaurant inside Temasek Club on Rifle Range Road, Bukit Timah. It cooks home-style Nyonya dishes from family recipes. The restaurant is open to the public, so you do not need to be a club member to eat here.

The story began in 2011. Daisy had long wanted her own eatery, and at the age of 60 she took over an empty stall at Tiong Bahru Market. That small stall later grew into a full restaurant. Today her son, chef Roy Tan, runs the kitchen. The family says the recipes passed from Roy's grandmother to Daisy, and then on to him.

What to order

Peranakan, or Nyonya, cooking comes from the Straits Chinese families of Singapore and Malaysia. It mixes Chinese ingredients with Malay spices and methods. Meals are usually shared, so order a few dishes for the table with steamed rice.

The club lists these among the restaurant's signature dishes:

• Babi buah keluak: pork braised with buah keluak, a black nut with a rich, earthy taste. It is one of the best-known Peranakan dishes.
• Ngoh hiang: minced pork and prawn rolled in beancurd skin and fried until golden.
• Otah: fish paste mixed with spices and cooked until just set.
• Chap chye: a Nyonya dish of braised mixed vegetables.
• Sayur lodeh: vegetables cooked in a mild coconut milk curry.
• Fish maw soup: a light, clear soup.
• Chendol: a cold dessert of shaved ice, coconut milk, palm sugar and green jelly.

The full menu also covers starters, seafood, rice and noodles, and fried rice. There are bentos too, plus homemade drinks and iced coffee.

The setting

Temasek Club is a social club for officers of the Singapore Armed Forces. It sits among trees and greenery in Bukit Timah. The restaurant is in the pool-side zone of the club. Its mood is homely and old-fashioned, and the club links it to the kampong, or village, spirit of early Singapore. Expect a casual family meal rather than a formal dining room.

Good to know before you go

• Who can eat here: the restaurant is open to the public, with no membership needed.
• Booking: reserve by phone or through Chope. Call ahead if you are coming as a large group.
• Takeaway and delivery: you can order online for pickup or delivery through the restaurant's ordering website.
• Parties at home: the kitchen offers family feast sets and mini buffets. Mini buffets need two days' notice.

Nearby

The club is in the same green part of Singapore as Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, so lunch here pairs well with a morning walk. The Rail Corridor trail also runs through Bukit Timah. For another Nyonya meal in the wider area, try Ivins Peranakan Restaurant at Binjai Park.

You can also browse more Peranakan restaurants, read our guides to Peranakan food, or see all restaurants in Upper Bukit Timah.