Nyonya Food & Peranakan Cuisine: Singapore’s Hottest Food Trend in 2025
There is a culinary movement stirring in Singapore, one that is both a loving homage to the past and a bold leap into the future. Modern Peranakan cuisine, with its unique blend of Chinese and Malay influences, is at the forefront of Singapore’s food evolution. This distinctive fare is not just heritage—it’s now a headline act in the best Peranakan restaurants in Singapore, redefining what “authentic Peranakan food” means in 2025.
For decades, the secrets of Peranakan and Nyonya food were tightly held within family homes, with recipes for ayam buah keluak, babi pongteh, and nyonya laksa handed from Bibik to Bibik. Today, innovative chefs are bringing Peranakan cuisine to the world, moving beyond traditional Peranakan inn kitchens to sleek, modern Peranakan restaurants. They are deconstructing, reinventing, and refining traditional Peranakan dishes, blending Chinese ingredients, Malay cuisine traditions, and even influences from international styles. The result is a contemporary yet authentic approach to Peranakan food that honors its roots and excites today’s taste buds with every bite.
Sidebar: A Peranakan Glossary
- Peranakan: Descendants of early Chinese migrants who settled in Southeast Asia and married local Malays, giving birth to a unique Straits Chinese culture.
- Nyonya/Nyonya food: A term for a Peranakan woman and the beloved cuisine she crafts.
- Bibik: Matriarch and keeper of Peranakan family recipes passed down generations.
- Rempah: The blended spice mix foundational to classic Peranakan dishes, often featuring various distinct spices, candlenuts, and aromatic roots.
- Buah Keluak: Iconic black nut in a classic Peranakan dish, known for its deep, earthy flavor and use in ayam buah keluak.
The Rich History of Peranakan Food: Traditional Roots and Revival
The history of Peranakan cuisine and Nyonya dishes dates back centuries to the blending of Chinese ingredients and Malay cooking techniques—a true fusion of Straits Chinese cuisine and Malay cuisine. Hallmark ingredients like fermented shrimp paste, coconut milk, candlenuts, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, and various chillies create depth in signature dishes like babi pongteh (braised pork belly), chap chye (mixed vegetables), garam assam fish, and ayam sioh. Remarkable for its complexity, authentic Peranakan food relies on painstaking preparation, exemplified by pounding rempah spice pastes and slow-cooking spicy stews and tangy gravies.
Peranakan food in Singapore was once in danger of disappearing, as the elder Bibiks aged and younger generations sought more convenience. Yet a new appreciation for authentic Nyonya cuisine has sparked a modern revival, with passionate chefs and food lovers rescuing classic Peranakan dishes from the brink and turning them into must-try local food experiences.
Modern Peranakan Restaurant Renaissance: The Chefs Leading the Way
A new generation of chefs has transformed the Peranakan food scene, balancing bold innovation with respect for Peranakan heritage. At the forefront is Chef Malcolm Lee of Candlenut—a Michelin-starred Peranakan restaurant known globally as a trailblazer for modern Peranakan cuisine. Drawing inspiration from his grandmother’s recipes, Chef Lee reimagines dishes like wagyu beef rendang and buah keluak ice cream, showcasing both authentic and modern interpretations. “You can innovate but must always respect the essence of authentic Peranakan food,” Lee often states.
Chef Damian D'Silva, executive chef of Rempapa, is another key figure, bringing together Malay cuisine, Peranakan food, and Eurasian heritage on his a la carte menu. His innovative Peranakan food creations such as dry laksa and beef cheek assam gravy spotlight recipes on the verge of extinction, yet presented with a contemporary flair. Meanwhile, modern Peranakan restaurants like Godmama invite new audiences to experience family recipes passed lovingly through the generations—sometimes over a weekend brunch menu that meshes Nyonya staples and Western classics.
Their cuisines are not just food—they’re edible heritage, delivered in contemporary yet authentic approaches that appeal to everyone searching for the best Peranakan food in Singapore.
Signature Modern Peranakan Dishes: Blending Tradition and Trend
What sets the modern Peranakan movement apart are signature dishes that surprise and delight with fresh perspectives on Nyonya cuisine:
- Deconstructed Laksa and Modern Interpretations: Classic nyonya laksa is reborn with playful textures, such as laksa-infused risotto, deep fried soft-shell crab, or a laksa espuma foam, yet retains the essence of coconut milk, lemongrass, and spicy gravy.
- Innovative Uses of Buah Keluak: Once limited to ayam buah keluak, chefs now blend the iconic nut into Wagyu beef rendang, decadent dark chocolate desserts, or umami sauces for western-style premium cuts.
- Reinvented Kueh and Desserts: Ondeh ondeh bonbons, durian pengat pancakes, and modern renditions of kueh salat are plated as exquisite interior showpieces—both visually stunning and rich in authentic Peranakan flavors.
- Fusion & New Ingredient Pairings: Peranakan chefs aren’t afraid to deep fry chicken pieces, marinate pork belly overnight with garam assam, or even pair grains with grated coconut cream for innovative textures.
- Contemporary Western Techniques Meet Tradition: Expect Nyonya chap chye terrines, dry laksa pasta, and even French-inspired kueh pie tee with foie gras for a true blend of traditional Straits Chinese cuisine with global influences.
Where to Taste Modern Peranakan Food in Singapore: From Affordable Bites to Luxe Indulgence
Best Peranakan Food in Singapore: High-End Modern Peranakan Restaurants
- Candlenut (Dempsey Hill): The only Michelin-starred Peranakan restaurant, renowned for elegant peranakan food like Wagyu beef rendang, ayam buah keluak, and innovative buah keluak ice cream. Price: $$-$$$. Reserve weeks ahead for its signature tasting menu.
- Pangium: Also helmed by Chef Malcolm Lee, the multi-course menus here feature rare la carte menu items and plant-based modern Peranakan fare, celebrating family recipes passed through generations. Price: $$.
Mid-Range Innovators
- Rempapa (Paya Lebar): Executive chef Damian D'Silva crafts a menu blending Nyonya food with wider local flavors. Try chap chye, ayam buah keluak, and unique dry laksa. Price: $-$$.
- Godmama (Funan Mall): Vibrant, casual Peranakan restaurant with an innovative brunch menu and cocktails. Fans rave about the babi assam burger and sambal udang. Price: $-$$.
Affordable Peranakan Food & Casual Spots
- Peranakan Inn (East Coast Road): Beloved for authentic Peranakan food at value prices. Don’t miss the garam assam fish and classic beef rendang.
- Simply Peranakan Cuisine: Offering traditional Peranakan cuisine at approachable prices, with crowd favourites like nonya chap chye, ayam buah keluak, and kueh pie tee.
Pop-Ups & Events
Keep an eye on social media for guest chef events in Katong, home-style durian pengat pancake pop-ups, and chilli padi nonya restaurant collaborations where innovative Peranakan food creations debut.
The Global Rise of Modern Peranakan Food
This movement is earning international acclaim. Candlenut’s Michelin star placed Singapore’s Peranakan restaurants on the world map, with praise from global food personalities who celebrate the cuisine’s unique blending of Chinese and Malay tastes. Modern Peranakan restaurant chefs are landing guest spots on culinary shows, and Peranakan food features heavily at global food festivals, where blue ginger, sambal udang, and beef rendang demonstrate why Singapore is a capital of Straits Chinese cuisine.
Why Nyonya Cuisine Resonates with Today’s Food Lovers
There’s a deep nostalgia and authenticity in Nyonya food and Peranakan fare. The complexity of rempah, tangy flavors of tamarind, and spicy gravies speak to modern diners craving food with a story. Plated beautifully, these dishes—such as udang masak lemak nenas or minced pork-stuffed kueh—are as Instagram-worthy as they are delicious, especially when paired with bold colours, artistic garnishes, and traditional Peranakan ceramics.
Embracing sustainability, many chefs craft authentic nyonya cuisine using local produce, grated coconut, and seasonally inspired spice mix blends, embodying the farm-to-table ethos within this classic cuisine.
Conclusion & Looking Ahead: Peranakan Heritage in a New Era
-
Modern Peranakan food is Singapore’s hottest trend because it connects us to tradition while delighting with innovative peranakan food creations. As chefs continue to experiment with fermentation, heirloom vegetables, and plant-based takes on ayam buah keluak and chap chye, Peranakan cuisine will only grow more dynamic and global. If you haven’t yet, make a weekend date for the best Peranakan food—be it a modern Peranakan restaurant, Peranakan inn, or casual eatery—and taste the evolution of Singapore’s beloved food heritage for yourself. In every spicy stew, you’ll find a bridge between past and future, tradition and trend.
For more on Singapore’s evolving food scene, check out Celebrity Chefs: Spotting Where Famous Culinary Artists Are Opening in Singapore, showcasing the talents shaping the city’s dining landscape. You may also enjoy Singapore’s Fusion Pioneers: Culinary Innovation Defined, which explores the creative techniques transforming traditional flavors into contemporary masterpieces.
