Baba Chews - Interesting Combination of Peranakan Cuisine and Bar Concept

If not for vouchers my companion got as a member of Gourmet Collection, I never know what I had missed out in Katong! It is a place that is full of character, dotted with heritage buildings and shophouses, whose neon lights add bright colours to the night there. I really enjoy the sights there while on the way to Baba Chews. Though Katong Square, which is right beside Hotel Indigo, is pretty quiet in a Thursday night, it is bustling with life on Friday night. And as a result, lots of people patronize this restaurant during this time.

This restaurant fits exactly right in place in the heart of Katong due to its bar concept that is the perfect accompaniment to the busy night life of its surroundings. And serving Straits cuisine, unique to this region, feels so right in this place of nostalgia. The interior is pretty dark, illuminated by yellow lights, atypical of restaurant bar. Actually, this is a pretty romantic place since it is dim and is yet not noisy. The blood-red chairs add a splash of modernity and boldness to the whole place. The paper table mat with florid designs is like the cherry on top to add an extra touch of Peranakan influence.

The nicely presented Five Spice Ngoh Hiang is a good starter to start the meal with. The beancurd skin is incredibly thin, to the point that I hardly feel it breaking apart when I sink my teeth into it. The meat filling is bursting with lots of very subtle flavours that complement each other perfectly, making it hard to pinpoint on any particular flavour that stands out more. Actually, this is part of the charm of Peranakan cuisine. One can tell from the taste that lots of work and spices are put into the food. And what’s more, this is not oily.

As for the Otah, while the main star of this dish, the spicy fish mousse, is packed with flavours of tumeric, blue ginger, candlenut, shallot, etc and is of the right spiciness—slightly spicy for the kick but not overwhelming so numbing the senses, the accompanying prawn and otah siew mai steals the show. The tasty whole prawn stuffed into the dumpling skin is succulent and is coated with a light sauce that renders smooth texture and adds extra moisture to the filling. This is most dainty and one of the best siew mai I have.

Iberico Pork Ribs Pongteh is amazingly tender. Just use the fork or spoon to gently pull the meat away from the bone to yield a huge chuck of tasty meat! Despite its less than appealing appearance, the fermented soy sauce actually goes very well with the meat. It achieves the delicate balance between saltiness and sweetness.

Crabmeat X.O. Fried Rice is fantastic! Stir-fried with real crabmeat, it has the light taste of the sea. But it will be better if there are big chucks of crabmeat added. Yes, I am being greedy!

Chap Chye is mixed vegetable stew. Like other dishes of Straits cuisine, it features a myriad of flavours, but I find this dish more of ordering for the sake of getting vegetables into the diet rather than being exceptional on its own.

Ondeh Ondeh Cake is a nice choice to end the meal with since it is not like one can find such cake everywhere. In fact, I have been wanting to try Ondeh Ondeh cake since hearing about the one at Malayan Council. So I do not hesitate to order this dessert. The caramel goodness of palm sugar goes so well with the soft, fluffy, moist pandan sponge and coconut shavings, which is smoother in texture than shredded coconut, on top of the light cream. If only the aroma of pandan is stronger, but I am still loving this cake.

Service is pretty good. The service crew is very friendly.

While I have not tried Peranakan food in many different establishments, for now, this restaurant is definitely my top choice to satisfy cravings for Straits cuisine. Not to mention I like its ambience a lot.

My Thoughts: Yummy!

Nearest car park: Katong Square’s car park
Nearest MRT: Eunos

86E East Coast Road
Katong Square
Singapore: 6723 2025