Gen Z opens neighbourhood eatery to preserve grandma’s Peranakan recipes
Many of us grew up cherishing the meals our beloved grandmothers made. Now that my ah ma has dementia, I’m thankful I learned to cook a few of her dishes while her memory was still strong. So when I learned that 23-year-old Ernest Ang opened Kokoyo Nyonya Delights to preserve his 72-year-old grandma’s Peranakan recipes, it made me smile.
Located at the corner of 263 Serangoon Central Drive, the small neighbourhood eatery recently took over the original outlet of Lau Wang Claypot Delights, which previously occupied the space for over a decade.
The adorable logo of Kokoyo Nyonya Delights is illustrated after Ernest’s grandmother, who comes down to the stall after 9pm daily to hand-make the various Nyonya kueh in the kitchen, in preparation for the next day’s batch. The rest of the team joins her at 10pm.
The kuehs are priced at S$1.50 each, S$8 for half a dozen, and S$12 for 10 pieces. Varieties include Kueh Bingka Ubi Kayu, Kueh Salat and Ondeh Ondeh in 3 flavours (Green Coconut, White Peanut and Purple Yam).
After browsing the menu, we ended up getting the Nyonya Chap Chye (S$8.90), Babi Pongteh (S$10.90) and Nasi Lemak Inchi Kabin (S$10.90). We also decided to order a non-Peranakan dish, the Teo Chew Fish Soup (S$8.90).
The Nasi Lemak Inchi Kabin arrived with a mound of coconut rice topped with crispy crumbs, accompanied by an inchi kabin (Nyonya-spiced fried chicken) drumstick, egg sambal, ikan bilis and peanuts.
Ernest mentioned that the rice undergoes a time-consuming 14-step cooking process, requiring them to start early in the kitchen. Indeed, it was worth the effort. It was aromatic and cooked to perfection, with every grain of rice infused with a robust coconut flavour.
The chicken was crispy and tasty, while the sambal egg packed a spicy punch with juicy onion slices in each bite.
The Babi Pongteh arrived with chunks of pork belly, potatoes, mushrooms, and tau kee. While the pork was decently tender, the dish could benefit from a longer braise to enhance its flavour.
The Nyonya Chap Chye consisted of black fungus, tau kee, cabbage pieces, carrot slices, mushrooms, pork belly and tang hoon.
While the flavours were heading in the right direction, my only gripe was the lack of sauce. A pool of gravy beneath the dish would add more oomph and enhance the experience.
And finally it was time to try the unorthodox Teo Chew Fish Soup. First impressions, it looked like a thick collagen-ish broth. However, the first sip of soup caught me off guard.
Although the menu stated that it contains peanuts, I wasn’t expecting the broth to taste like a mixture of peanut soup and a watered-down version of a peanut paste dessert. It left me intrigued as it was something I’ve never had before.
Ernest commented that he doesn’t like the taste of regular fish soup. Obsessed with his grandma’s peanut soup, he decided to blend both flavours together— a daring but smart move, I’d say.
The soup contained a mix of fried and normal fish slices with pieces of bittergourd. Overall, I enjoyed this interesting dish.
Swing by Kokoyo Nyonya Delights with ah gong and ah ma, and get a 20% off (promo ends 15 Oct 2024).
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