House of Peranakan Petit

House of Peranakan Petit is a small Peranakan restaurant at 42 Eng Hoon Street, in the Tiong Bahru estate. It serves Nonya home cooking, the food of Singapore's Peranakan (Straits Chinese) community, in a room of about 30 seats.

It belongs to the House of Peranakan group, which Bob Seah started in Katong in the 1980s. The group says the same Peranakan family has run it for three generations. The Tiong Bahru branch opened in 2015, and many of its recipes come from the family's own kitchen.

What to order

The menu sticks to classic Nonya dishes, made to share. Good ones to try:

• Nonya ngoh hiang: five-spice meat rolls wrapped in beancurd skin and fried until crisp.
• Bakwan kepiting: a soup with balls of crab meat and minced pork.
• Ayam buah keluak: chicken cooked with the black keluak nut, a classic Peranakan dish.
• Itek sioh and ayam sioh: duck or chicken braised in a sweet tamarind and coriander sauce.
• Assam prawns: prawns cooked with sour tamarind.
• Long beans sambal: a simple, spicy vegetable side that goes well with rice.
• Scallop lemak: scallops in a rich coconut gravy.

For dessert, try pulot hitam, a warm black glutinous rice pudding. The group's other restaurants are known for their curry fish head and chilli pomfret, so ask if they are on the menu during your visit.

The setting

The dining room is bright and modern, with Peranakan touches such as traditional wooden furniture and warm lighting. With only about 30 seats, it feels personal and quiet, more like a family dining room than a large restaurant. The whole space can also be booked for private events.

The location adds to the visit. Tiong Bahru was once home to many Peranakan families, and the estate's low-rise Art Deco flats make for an easy stroll after lunch.

Good to know before you go

• Opening days: lunch and dinner every day except Tuesday, when it is closed.
• Booking: the room is small, so book ahead for dinner and weekends. You can call the restaurant, use the group's reservations line or send an email.
• Sharing: order several dishes for the table and eat them with rice, as a Nonya family would.
• Spice: dishes made with sambal or chilli can be hot, so ask the staff if you prefer milder food.
• Other branches: the group also runs Peranakan Inn on East Coast Road in Katong.

Nearby

Tiong Bahru Bakery is on the same street, good for coffee and pastries. Follow our Tiong Bahru heritage walk through the Tiong Bahru Estate, or stop at Tiong Bahru Market for hawker food. For more Nonya cooking, see all Peranakan restaurants in Singapore and our Peranakan food guides. You can also browse all restaurants in Tiong Bahru and Alexandra, or visit the House of Peranakan website.