The Dead Cockroach: Babas Peranakan - Peranakan Chap Chye Png @ Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre

singapore,food review,chinatown complex market & food centre,economical rice,mixed rice,335 smith street,babas peranakan,chap chye peng,娘惹小吃,hawker centre,

Update: Babas Peranakan has permanently closed.

Economical rice, or more commonly known as chap chye png (mixed rice) is no stranger to most of us here. But have you heard of one that specializes in Peranakan dishes?

Today, I am going to introduce Babas Peranakan - a Peranakan food stall located in Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre.

Peranakan cuisine are usually found in restaurants but to have one in a food centre is hard to come by.

Some of the dishes I saw on display included vegetable curry, chicken curry, assam fish, fried mackerel steak, otah and fried long beans among others.

The variety of dishes is quite limited compared to a regular chap chye png stall but that is only because one person is cooking in this space constrained kitchen. However, you can be assured of the consistency and quality of the food delivered.

I ordered a plate of rice and picked chicken curry, bitter gourd yong tau fu and chap chye. I also asked for curry sauce to be splashed over the rice. The bill came up to $5.

I got quite the surprise when I saw a whole chicken leg on my plate. I had expected chopped chicken chunks like the usual chap chye png practice. The chicken is tenderly fresh while the curry very lemak although I find the taste quite mild for me. I wished there is more savoriness and a little spicier for more kick.

Next, I opt for bitter gourd yong tau foo which is filled with fish paste. I was given two pieces. The bitter gourd is of quite a decent size while the fish paste feels bouncy and fresh. Smeared on the bitter gourd is the fiery hot sambal belacan which provided the kick that the chicken curry lacked.

Chap chye is my favorite vegetable to order at the chap chye png stall. I love how the cabbage is chopped in large chunks instead of thin strips so there is more bite. It is stewed soft enough to please without being mushy.

All in all, this feels like a homely meal especially with the floral plate. I wanted to try their fried chicken leg next time as it was finished and I am not prepared to wait for the next batch. The stall cook in small batches at a time so the food is always served hot and fresh.

The stall is located at a quieter part of the food centre but come during lunch hour and you will see a very long line of office workers queuing for a plate of delicious Peranakan food.