Food review: Yummy Nasi Lemak at kokoyo Peranakan restaurant

Kopitiam Kokoyo (Nyonya Delight) is a traditional Peranakan restaurant which has opened in Serangoon as a heartfelt tribute to Chef Ernest Ang’s grandmother.

Growing up in a Peranakan household, Ang’s grandmother poured her heart and soul into the dishes she cooked every day for her family and by opening Kokoyo, Ang’s hopes are to share his grandmother’s recipes with his fellow Singaporeans.

Sense of homecoming yet being different

Kokoyo aims to balance the four major flavours of Peranakan cuisine – sweet, savoury, spice and savoury, that makes it so special.

Says Ang, “As more Singaporeans dine out, I wanted to set up Kokoyo to create a sense of homecoming, yet with something different for each time diners visit.”

He continues, “The complexity of Peranakan cuisine and its familiar Asian flavours makes Kokoyo the perfect place to rediscover the joy of dining out, for even the most jaded diners.”

Invited for media tasting

We were invited to a media tasting at Kokoyo with other publications, bloggers and influencers.

We each had an individual portion of Nasi Lemak Inchi Kanin (S$9.80). This is Kokoyo’s signature dish and is no ordinary Nasi Lemak. For the price, the portion size was extremely generous. If you’re a small eater, it’s possible to share this dish with a friend.

It was definitely one of the more delicious iterations of Nasi Lemak I have tried and I highly recommend it. The chicken was moist, juicy and full of flavour. The rice was fluffy and had a hint of coconut. The ikan bilis were crunchy and had a hint of spices, which balanced out the crispness perfectly. The sambal-coated hard boiled egg was delicious, with just the right combination of spiciness and sweetness in the sambal to balance out the flavours perfectly.

As well, Kokoyo also has another version of Nasi Lemak with beef rendang instead of chicken. We had the chance to test the beef rendang and try for ourselves what it was like. I have to say it was one of the better versions of beef rendang I have tried. The beef was juicy and moist and the spices gave the meat just the right amount of kick, balancing out the flavours very well.

The Teo Chew Fish Soup (S$8.90) was delicious as well. The soup was creamy and the myriad of flavours used blended in perfectly. It was very addictive to drink. The fried fish slices and bittergourd were moist and soaked up the flavours of the soup nicely too.

The Custard Seafood Otak (S$8.90) is a refreshing take on the classic otak. One piece of this is significantly larger than the typical otak. It tastes familiar yet different. The fish is fluffy and fragrant and the spices are flavourful yet not overwhelming to the senses.

The Sambal Bendi (okra) (S$4.90) is a vegetable dish, essentially steamed lady’s finger topped with chinchalok sauce. I’m usually not a fan of lady’s finger, but this was actually good. The addition of the chinchalok sauce gave the vegetable a good kick, enhancing the flavour profile significantly. I have to admit that I quite enjoyed this.

The Pig Stomach Soup (S$8.80) was peppery and full of flavour notes and subtle spicy hints, without overpowering the senses. The combination of flavours was amazing. The pig stomach pieces inside the soup was soft and juicy and the pork balls inside the soup was tender and moist.

For dessert, we tried the Kuih Kosui (S$4.80). An iconic steamed Nyonya dessert known for its wobbly texture and pandan essence, this is often found at local markets and food stalls.

Kokoyo’s version is simple yet delicious. The coconut fragrance is there but it doesn’t overpower the kuih, and the texture is soft and squishy. If I weren’t feeling so full, I could have easily polished off a plate of this.

We also tried the Ang Ku Kuih (yam), ondeh ondeh and the rainbow layer kuih too. The Kuih was all well-made, with the glutinous rice coating of the kuih having just the right amount of adhesion and stickiness.

The yam flavoured Ang Ku Kuih is subtle, with the yam notes blending in with the glutinous rice when eaten together.

The different colourful layers of the rainbow kuih were apparent and I tried peeling off a few for fun. They came off on my plate and this reminded me of my childhood days when I always used to enjoy eating this kuih.

It must be noted that Kokoyo’s ondeh ondeh is not your typical one. The kueh is bigger in size than what I’m used to. The coconut filling inside is more of a grated form of gula melaka coconut that does not ooze out. It’s more solid in texture, and there’s plenty of grated coconut that the coconut flavours are strong enough, yet I can still taste the sweetness from the gula melaka flavour. It’s an interesting take on ondeh ondeh, definitely.

Conclusion

Overall I’d say that Kokoyo is a great choice if you are looking for authentic Peranakan cuisine in Singapore. Their food definitely reminds me of home-cooked meals, the flavour profiles of the food are yummy and delight the taste buds, yet there is a sense of homeliness to the meals at the same time. I definitely enjoyed their food.

Explained Ang, “In a fast-paced, competitive country like Singapore, I hope to be able to help more families realise the love and support that family can provide, and that Kokoyo will be this place for many to be rejuvenated after a good meal with family.”