The White Tiffin takes you back to the 1960s with traditional comfort delicacies with a modern twist and a tinge of Peranakan influence.
*not a sponsored article*
Peranakan cuisine, also known as Nonya cuisine, is a cuisine that uses a mixture of Chinese ingredients and Malaysian/Indonesian spices. Common ingredients used include coconut milk, laksa leaves, lemongrass etc. It originated from descendants of early Chinese migrants who settled in Penang, Malacca, Singapore and Indonesia and intermarried the indigenous people.
The White Tiffin restaurant offers a variety of food ranging from Curry Chicken, Babi Pongteh, Lu Rou Fan and the multicoloured kuehs to choose from. This week, we tried 2 kuehs and the main dish which has a fusion of Western and Peranakan cuisine.
Pandan Coconut Cake Kueh
White sweet coconut flakes sit above the thin green layer. Each layer of pandan is stacked on top of a layer of yellow sponge cake. As you push your fork down, it cuts through the soft cake smoothly and perfectly. Sweetness and crunchiness from the flakes overwhelm our taste buds as we let the moist cake melt in the mouth. At the same time, a slight creamy coconut flavour from the layer of pandan can be tasted with a subtle aroma of grassiness.
Mini Kueh Dadar (Rolled coconut crepe)
The mini green crepe is nicely folded and wrapped in a plastic sheet. The green colouring of it comes from the pandan leaves which gives off an aromatic scent similar to that of coconut and a hint of grassy vanilla. The crepe is filled with grated coconut that is steeped in “gula meleka” or sweetened palm sugar. It is worth a try for those who love to have a sugar rush!
Nasi Lemak with Battered Fish
And for the main dish, Nasi Lemak with Battered Fish. A cone-shaped blue butterfly pea flower rice sits in the middle of the plate. This is South Indian style rice, known as Nasi Kerabu in Malaysia. A whole fish sliced into half is placed at one corner of the plate while the other corners are filled with the various mini side dishes including an egg, “achar” (Nonya Spicy Mixed Vegetables), sambal chilli, ikan billis and papadum. The rice has a strong and rich coconut flavour similar to the coconut rice in nasi lemak but in this case, the rice is blue instead of white. Next, the nicely fried golden-brown fish has a crispy and oily outer layer but is tender on the inside. “Crunch!” was the sound the fried battered fish made. Extra flavour is provided with the help of the spicy yet a kick of sweetness of the sambal chilli. The achar had a refreshing sourness and spiciness to it, acting as a great side dish to pair with the rice. “Crack, Crack” can be heard with every bite of the deep-fried ikan billis crumbling into small bits in the mouth.
Verdict
If you like to experience modernised Peranakan food and try out the wide range of traditional treats, do head down to The White Tiffin! Overall, the plating, menu and taste of food reminds us of grandma’s cooking! There is a current offer whereby for every main dish ordered, you can add on $1.90 for a drink and a kueh/cake. Additionally, you can add on $3.90 for a drink and chendol ice cream (vanilla ice cream + green pandan jelly noodles + kidney beans) if you need something to cool down after a hot day.
PS. All the nasi lemak dishes come with peanuts but sadly, I’m allergic to them. So if you are like me, do remember to request for no nuts.
Commentaires