Ivins Peranakan Restaurant (Binjai Park)

Ivins Peranakan Restaurant (Binjai Park) is a casual, family-run restaurant for Nyonya home cooking in the Bukit Timah area. It sits on the ground floor of a low-rise apartment block in a quiet residential estate.

The business began in 1985, when a couple started out at Far East Plaza with their family recipes. They opened this flagship at Binjai Park in 1988, and a second branch now runs at Heartland Mall in Kovan. The family keeps to a rule it credits to its grandmother: the spice paste, or rempah, must be made fresh.

What to order

Peranakan cooking grew out of Chinese and Malay food traditions. Here it comes as dishes to share with rice, and some are offered in more than one size. Order several for the table.

• Ayam buah keluak: chicken stewed with the black keluak nut, a staple of Peranakan restaurants.
• Beef rendang: beef cooked down in spices and coconut.
• Ikan assam pedas: snapper fillet in a sour, spicy tamarind gravy.
• Hee peow soup: fish maw soup. One reviewer found a single order enough for four people.
• Nyonya chap chye: braised mixed vegetables, a comforting side.
• Honey pork and sotong chilli, a squid dish, round out the table.

Yellow rice, called nasi kuning, goes well with the gravies. If you are eating alone, nasi lemak with chicken rendang works as a one-plate meal. New to this food? Read our guide to Peranakan food before you go.

The setting

Do not expect a smart dining room. This is a plain neighbourhood place, and one reviewer who came back after eight years found it looked the same. The mood is relaxed, and the food suits family meals and small groups more than a formal night out.

Good to know before you go

• Booking: the Chope booking site has a page for this branch, so try there if you are coming with a group.
• Parking: a 2024 review mentions free roadside parking in front and in the nearby lanes, though you may have to parallel park.
• Delivery: a 2024 review links to a Foodpanda listing for this branch, so check the app if you would rather eat elsewhere.
• Food notes: the menu includes pork, seafood and chilli dishes, so tell staff about any allergies or limits.

Getting there

Binjai Park is a residential estate, well away from the main shopping streets. Check the route on a map app before you set out, or take a taxi to the door. Check the opening hours on this page too.

Nearby

This part of Singapore is good for time outdoors. Walk a stretch of the Rail Corridor, or hike in Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. The Former Ford Factory covers the war years. You can also browse more restaurants in Upper Bukit Timah or our full list of Peranakan restaurants in Singapore.