Peranakan Inn

Peranakan Inn is a family-run Peranakan restaurant in a pre-war shophouse on East Coast Road in Katong. Bob Seah bought the old shophouse and opened the restaurant in 1985, wanting to share his family's recipes and his mother's cooking. His group describes it as one of the oldest Peranakan restaurants in Singapore.

Peranakan food, also called Nonya food, mixes Chinese and Malay cooking from the old Straits settlements. The restaurant keeps to home-style dishes, and many still arrive at the table in claypots. The group says it was among the first to serve home-cooked Nonya food in claypots, about 30 years ago. Peranakan Inn is now part of the House of Peranakan group, which the same family has run for three generations.

What to order

The menu sticks to the Nonya classics. The group names these among its signature dishes:

• Chilli pomfret: pomfret, a flat sea fish, cooked with chilli.
• Curry fish head: a fish head simmered in spicy curry, best shared with a group.
• Itek sioh: duck cooked with tamarind and coriander.
• Long beans sambal: green beans fried in a spicy chilli paste.
• Nonya ngoh hiang: meat rolls flavoured with five-spice and wrapped in beancurd skin.

Recent visitors have also ordered ayam buah keluak. This is chicken braised in a tamarind gravy with the black keluak nut, a classic Peranakan dish. Beef rendang, slow-cooked in coconut milk and spices, is another common pick. For starters, try kueh pie tee, crisp little cups filled with jicama and topped with prawn. Nonya chap chye, mixed vegetables stewed with bean paste, makes a mild side for spicier dishes.

To finish, there is pulot hitam, a warm black glutinous rice pudding with coconut milk. Chendol, an iced dessert with pandan jelly, red beans and coconut milk, is the cold choice. A durian version is offered too.

The setting

The old facade hides a bright dining room with a traditional look. Diners sit at marble-topped tables on wooden chairs, and an old-style dressing table stands in one corner. The group calls the mood unpretentious and old-school, with the food as the main draw.

Katong was a centre of Peranakan life, and the streets around it still have rows of colourful shophouses. Our guide to Peranakan food explains the main dishes if you are new to them.

Good to know before you go

• Booking: call the restaurant directly, or use the group's general enquiries line. Both numbers are on the House of Peranakan website.
• Takeaway: the group's website links to an online ordering page.
• Hours and charges: it opens for lunch and dinner daily, and the group says there is no service charge or GST.
• Sharing: dishes are meant for the middle of the table, so come with friends or family and order several.
• Dietary needs: shrimp paste and seafood appear in many Nonya dishes. Ask staff if you have allergies.
• Sister restaurant: the family also runs House of Peranakan Petit in Tiong Bahru.

Nearby

After your meal, head to the pastel Koon Seng Road shophouses for photos. For more Peranakan cooking in the area, compare it with Nyonyas & Gentlemen. Coffee lovers can stop at Kings Cart Coffee Factory. If you want to stay nearby, see Hotel Indigo Singapore Katong.

Browse more Peranakan restaurants in Singapore or all restaurants in Katong and Joo Chiat. Our Katong and Joo Chiat guide helps you plan the rest of the day.