For the keen viewers of Little Nyonya or those knowledgeable with Peranakan culture, you would immediately identify what Tok Panjang means (It means 'feast'!). It is now also the name of the latest Peranakan café that has entered the Singapore dining scene! But the folks behind Tok Panjang are no newbies. They are the very same experienced 'family power' team that brought you House of Peranakan, racking up 30 years of culinary prowess. Tok Panjang at East Coast Road will bring you new surprises and old-time classics that their regulars love. Eagle-eyed East-siders have already gotten wind and heading right there. One fantastic tip: their menu is available all-day, which means you can have your assam laksa in the morning if that rocks your boat!
Kueh Pie Tee (SGD6.50 for 4pcs)
The classic bites here include some of the perennial favourites that have tempted tastebuds. Everyone knows and loves Kueh Pie Tee. These adorable table pleasers are crispy pastry cups stuffed to the brim with moist fillings of shredded turnips, bamboo shoots, prawns, topped with a sprig of coriander leaf. They are extremely refreshing and delicious pops to start off with.
Bob's Pork Buns ($8 for 2pcs)
Bob's Pork Buns are essentially kong bak paus, whose name is inspired by Tok Panjang's 75-year old owner and head chef! It is perfectly done, with the caramelised braised pork belly slow cooked for hours to achieve an incredible touch of cozy home made taste. It is not the 'fatty' in texture, but tender and deeply flavoured. For the best way to enjoy it, drizzle some of the sauce over the pork belly to increase the moistness.
Nonya Ngoh Hiang (SGD5.50)
The Nonya Ngoh Hiang surprised me; I didn't think it would be anything special - well just ngoh hiang right? What really stood out for me was not just its creative mix of water chestnuts with the usual suspects of minced meat, prawns, carrots, turnips and onions.. but how thin the crisp wafer around the ngoh hiang was.
Tauhu Goreng (SGD7.90)
The last side dish that I'll be recommending is the Tauhu Goreng which is done with their a drizzle of signature roasted peanut sambal sauce made in house in a succulent heap with crunchy beansprouts and cucumber atop fried beancurd. I can foresee the older generations really liking this as it gave a very multi-dimensional twist to the usual beancurd dishes.
Cleanse your palate with the Pandan lemongrass drink that comes either hot and iced! It is very lightly-flavoured and completely sugarless. Sugar syrup is served on the side for you to add as you like. I like the health-conscious option though I emptied the tiny jug of syrup in.
Assam Laksa (SGD8.90)
After a round of these yummy Peranakan classic bites (those are only appetisers, really. This isn't a 'tok panjang' for nothing!) we moved onto the highly anticipated mains!!! Without a doubt, my favourite goes to the Assam Laksa. Why? It has the succulent taste of kembong fish that I'm so familiar with - it's the one fish variety that I grew up eating. This assam broth is extremely rich, other than the kembong fish stock, there were also an impressive assortment of other ingredients: tamarind, shallots, galangal, belachan, lemongrass, red chilies, rojak flower, mint leaves, pineapples, cucumber, onions, and prawn paste. The result? I must say this is one of the laksa renditions that I will not forget! It is slightly spicy that pique the senses nicely.
Nonya Mee Siam (SGD7.90)
Another scumptiously flavoured creation by Tok Panjang, the Mee Siam here packs a lot of punch! The aromatic broth is made from a rich medley of ingredients that is no stranger to Peranakan cuisine: rempah, candlenut, galangal, lemongrass, belachan and dried shrimp, bean paste and prawns. It scores high on the spicy-o-meter!
Nasi Lemak Set (SGD10.90) / Peranakan Rice Set (SGD11.90)
These rice sets are pretty elaborate with a generous selection of side dishes. For the nasi lemak set, there are five: babi assam, long beans sambal, assam baby squid, chicken wings, and sambal telur! For the peranakan rice set, you can choose between three mains: babi pongteh, beef rendang, ikan garam assam. These are served with the nonya chap chye and a bowl of signature itik tim soup!
Gula Melaka Sago Pudding (SGD4)
Let's start with my favourite dessert! It's certainly not the nicest looking one. In fact it looks quite ugly but honestly it is as delicious as it is ugly. There wasn't a lot of gula melaka so it wasn't particularly overpowering nor too sweet, which does not distract you from the sago pudding which has this chewy qq texture that I like so much!
Durian Chendol (SGD6.50)
This is a traditional Nonya dessert topped with fresh durian puree, red beans, atap chee, and Chendol strips made in-house. Gula melaka is served separately for you to drench your chendol with, depending on the amount you like.
Pulut Hitam (SGD3)
The gorgeous coconut pattern on this traditionally, slow-cooked black glutinous rice got all of us excited! Ultimately, this is the one that really got our hearts as we ordered another one to share. It is not the sort that is too sweet, but very fragrant with the coconut milk!
Bubur Terigu (SGD3)
This is one interesting Nonya dessert that I have never tried before, and I liked the down-to-earth taste it has. It is actually made of big wheat slow-cooked with gula melaka and coconut milk, similar to pulut hitam, just with a different base.
Tok Panjang
392 E Coast Road
Singapore 428992
Opening hours
Daily: 0900 - 2000
Closed on Mon
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