Old Bibik's Peranakan Kitchen

Old Bibik's Peranakan Kitchen is a small, casual Peranakan restaurant at 328 Joo Chiat Road. It serves Nyonya home cooking, the food of Singapore's Straits Chinese families, with braised curries, rendang and spicy sambal dishes to share over rice.

The restaurant has been cooking for more than a decade. The kitchen says it makes its sauces and spice pastes by hand, using lemongrass, turmeric, belacan (shrimp paste) and coconut milk. It does not use MSG or artificial flavouring.

What to order

The menu covers the classics of Peranakan cooking. These are the dishes the restaurant itself points to:

• Ayam buah keluak, chicken braised with the black buah keluak nut and tamarind
• Signature beef rendang, beef slow-cooked in spices and coconut milk
• Itek chai boey, a duck dish
• Nyonya fried chicken
• Barramundi in assam pedas, a sour and spicy tamarind sauce

Reviewers have also liked the jiu hu char, shredded turnip fried with dried cuttlefish and wrapped in lettuce. Order a few dishes with rice and share them, which is how Peranakan meals are usually eaten. On weekdays there are lunch specials and rice sets, which suit solo diners. If the dishes are new to you, our guide to Peranakan food explains the basics.

The setting

The restaurant sits on the ground floor of a row of low-rise shophouse-style buildings. The room is open and airy, with round marble tables and wooden chairs. Its walls show travel photos taken by the owner. A wooden sign carries Chinese characters that mean "old Nyonya". It feels like a relaxed neighbourhood family restaurant rather than a formal dining room.

Good to know before you go

• You can book a table online through the restaurant's website.
• Takeaway and delivery are available. Delivery orders need 48 hours' notice.
• Takeaway set menus are offered, which work well for a meal at your hotel or apartment.
• The team caters for corporate groups, school tours and private events.

Nearby

Joo Chiat Road is one of the best streets in Singapore for Peranakan heritage. The colourful Koon Seng Road shophouses are a short walk away and make a good photo stop. For dessert, try Birds of Paradise Gelato Boutique. If you want to stay in the area, Hotel Indigo Singapore Katong is nearby. See more Peranakan restaurants, browse the restaurants in Katong and Joo Chiat or read our Katong and Joo Chiat guide. Menus and bookings are on the Old Bibik's website.