[DINE!] PERANAKAN DELIGHTS@ NATIONAL KITCHEN BY VIOLET OON SINGAPORE

by - Monday, June 06, 2016

Peranakan House Reborn
Stepping into National Kitchen is akin to stepping into another mini museum of its own. Or rather the realms of a Peranakan house.

Over 200 peranakan tiles cover some of the wall of the 3000 sq ft restaurant located in the heart of National Gallery, while other corners spot old photos. The titles came form old houses that have been torn down, but still very much worthy as part of historic restorations. Ms Violet Oon 66, has been a strong advocate of  'The Singapore Taste' through her cooking and writings and has set up National Kitchen to advocate just that. 

 There is another outlet going by the name of Violet Oon Singapore located in Bukit Timah Road and we were there to celebrate the birthday for my bestie!

My ladies~

The Interior
The design of the restaurant came about with the help of a Design Innovation Assistance grant from the Design Singapore Council. With the grant they brought the best designs in this restaurant, driven by local design house Black. To create a homey feeling, spot the little touches around. You will be able to see spice pots near the entrance. From documentary, the restaurant's bar and takeaway boxes is green in tone, to reflect Ms Oon’s Chinese name- Swee Gek meaning Jade.



Snap Snap
Of course, we could not missed out the opportunity to take dozens and dozens  ample photos.
Don't judge us. We were not the only ones as every guests was busy snapping away. Who wouldn't in this lovely setting? 



Fine Dining. Local Style.
 If you want to impress your date or his/her family, note National Kitchen on your list. Not only is the ambiance romantically soothing among the unique settings of local Peranakan flavor, the menu boosts exquisite selections that not only looks great on presentations but big on taste too. 
In addition, be charmed by the attentive waiters/waitress droning uniforms designed by Priscilla Shunmugam of renowned local womenswear brand Ong Shunmugam and flip through the menu produced and designed exclusively by  local bookbinding company Bynd Artisan.
Phew... big names we have there.


With my darlings~~

The Real Deal...
let's start!

Pineapple Patchere 
Start off with an appetiser to set things rolling.
This achar-lookalike is a starter consisting of a mix of pineapples, raisins, chillies and yoghurt (!) As decided in the menu " A sweet sour sauce spiced gravy of turmeric, ginger, garlic and shallots infused with the perfume of curry leaves"
Mouth watering already? Indeed it's one hearty flavor of spices and stimulating senses on your taste buds.


Coronation Chix in Wanton Leaf Cup
The word Coronation sets us thinking and upon searching, it's actually a play in relating to the  'coronation ceremony' and the placement of a crown. This petite dish basically portrays the state of a 'crown' topped with sauteed savory chicken bites in curry sauce with golden raisin sauce. The crown crust was crispy and flaky and married happily with the toppings. We wished it was larger though- too good. 








Cod fish in creamy laksa sauce
Snowy, smooth cod fish pan-fry on the side till crisp. The highlighting touch comes from the creamy laksa sauce for an all inclusive spicy, asam-sourness. 
More please!



Hakka Abacus Beads
Taro dumplings, a traditional dish in the Hakka food history, as always flavourful and savory stir fried with the other condiments such as dried shrimps, cuttlefish, chicken and mushroom.
算盘子 suan pang zi signifies wealth and resembles the likes of a yuan bao ( a form of money in ancient china)
Preparing these abacus beads by hand is time consuming and though I have not done it before personally, I do know that kneading the dough, made from smashing taro and tapioca flour mix, is an uphill task. 
What's more, in addition to all the other ingredients that one has to prepare to stir fry the abacus together and the amount of effort is tremendous. Thus this dish is getting harder to find outside. 
Do you know of any other places serving delicious Hakka Abacus Beads ? 
Let me know! 


Satay
Ever a common local dish, our favourite bbq satay sticks wow-ed us with a change in presentation at the National Kitchen.
Quality overrides quantity, turning to a very much well adored tender fire flamed chicken stick with the specially concocted spicy peanut sauce on the side. 
Pineapple Upside Down
Desserts came on a sweet note with the mini cake laid on top of fragrant butterscotch sauce. Yums!

 Ayam buah keluak
You can't miss this traditional dish in the Peranakan menu. The friendly staff mentioned that Buah Keluak has a poisonous nature before fermentation. The whole fruit is poisonous however the seeds are "detoxified" before it goes into our stomach via boiling in which the poison leaches out. Regardless of the number of times I have had Buah Keluak, I still cannot get accustomed to the taste of this fruit- acquired and in a realm of its own. Mostly commonly seen cooked with curry chicken, the experience comes from digging the flesh from the nut. The taste of course is awesome- curry and all, but the nut was not to easy to get accustomed to. Nevertheless it's an awesome piece and the taste, flavor is right on point. 

Savour
Take your time, savor and let time pass by- slowly. Chat, laugh wine, dine. Don't rush into things. This is the experience National Kitchen wants guests to leave with. It's a wonderful dining experience- both visual and sensory
Prior reservations are needed so book to avoid disappointments. 2 seating are available: 12-3pm and 6-11pm. 

With the bd ger~~
Mon- Sun: 12-3pm and 6-11pm. 
9834 9935

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