Hello again! It’s been a while since I typed something here on keropokman.com.
It is mostly on Instagram as it is faster and more convenient as the phone is easier to reach than a computer.
If you love Peranakan food, and have missed the previous Shermay Lee collaborations with other dining establishments, don’t miss this one. Sheraton Towers Singapore with Shermay Lee (a sixth generation Nyonya, whose grandmother published her very famous Mrs Lee’s Cookbook at the age of 70 in 1979) will collaborate and have a Peranakan buffet spread.
I went to sample part of the dishes before it opens to everyone on the weekends in April (except on Sunday, 1 April). OK… I went to sample because the author of the cookbook Shermay will be there and she will be there to supervise the cooking. Yes, she knows a lot about Keropok and selling Keropok.
I think I can give up my dream of selling keropok now lah, she knows more and she does it very well, and her keropoks and packaging are improving! I will just direct anyone who wants to buy keropok to buy them from Redmart.com or Tangs.com! Both retail her keropok and other merchandise. In fact, I just ordered my refills of keropok and Cilicuka!
She also speaks like my Peranakan in-laws, their lingo is unique, but I can understand it more than my wife. The wife ‘liak bo giu’ the Malay / Hokkien infused English. The wife totally don’t understand what her father speaks with her grandmother. Their vocab is even ‘cheem’!
Anyway, back to the Peranakan buffet. You’ll get to taste recipes that’s by Mrs Lee Chin Koon, Shermay’s Mama. (Peranakans call their Grandmas Mama, why so confusing? You can read more about how they call people here and here.)
These Sambal Hijau, Cilicuka are made using Mrs Lee’s recipes.
If you are going to buy them, 1 chilli (the orange one) is made from normal chilli. The 2 chillis one is made from 20% cili padi. The 3 chillis one is for some whose tongue has malfunction, they can only taste anything ‘pedas’ if they are made from 100% cili padi.
I can vouch that it is nice, because I just bought more to top up a bottle we are almost finishing at home. We have all sorts of chillis and sambals in our fridge!
First time I heard of the name, Keropok Fries! Those sticks are known as Keropok Fries! Belinjau (Bitternut crackers), Prawn Keropok, free flow lah if you makan the buffet. Belinjau goes with Sambal Hijau. I like the Cilicuka (the 1 chilli one) with calamansi and Prawn Keropok!
If you are going to dine there on the real day, they will also be serving the Popiah that has been very popular in previous collaborations. Both Kueh Pie Tee and Popiah have the same fillings. Kueh Pie Tee is easier to serve to us that night. Someone will wrap the popiah for you on buffet nights.
There will also be Nyonya Rojak. It will be a DIY station where you will mix the Nanas (Pineapple), Bangkuang (Jicama), Timun (Cucumber) with the very addictive Rojak Sauce.
The way it should be! The ‘isi’ (filling) is made from belly pork!
All in chunks too, not shredded like most places.
If you have seen the bottled sauce called “Shermay’s Meat Marinade”, that’s sold in Tangs, it’s the marinade used to make this char siu. Looks good right?
The photo above shows the favourite for many people, the Ayam Buah Keluak! It’s the only thing after so many years of eating, I still cannot appreciate it. I always eat the the meat but not the Buah Keluak. For our family, we order this dish, so that the wife and my FIL can dig into the buah keluak.
About the Ayam Buak Keluak here, they use chicken thighs and also pork ribs!
“That is why so nice lah!” (like how some Peranakan families, their Itik Tim has both duck and pork ribs!
After eating this Nyonya Chap Chai, I wanted to text the wife, hey, Shermay’s (or her Mama’s) version is like your family. It’s the stock preparation, it’s cooked in a good robust stock, and it has cabbage, Chinese mushrooms, tang hoon, pork belly, dried tofu skin.
Why I say it’s like the wife’s family version is because the veggies are still crunchy! They don’t like those cabbage that’s cooked till super mushy. The cabbage is cooked till the point that it still has a bite. A little difference from my MIL’s version is that my MIL version has that fermented tofu cubes.
Udang Nanas Pedas. Shermay said that normally at home, the prawns are not peeled. Just because it’s a hotel buffet, they are serving peeled prawns here. I also asked if her version uses the sweet pineapple or sour pineapple, hers is the sweet pineapple. Yes it’s a nice slightly spicy, sweet dish. (Some other Peranakans use sour not so ripe pineapple so their version have the spicy-sour taste, so ‘susah’ right, all the peranakan tongues).
This version, I think my 3 year old will have it! She has a liking for prawns and sweetish gravy and it’s not that spicy.
For the buffet, it would be a Oven-baked Whole Snapper with Sambal Hijau.
For the preview, we had a smaller fish. It is baked using the Sambal Hijau sauce.
I was telling the wife, I should bring her and in-laws there to eat. She said what about the kid? The kid can eat the fish! This is not spicy! There are also other International Buffet dinner items for other guests in the hotel that might not take to Peranakan Food.
I wonder how many jars would be gone.
Sedaplah!
For desserts, you have all the Nyonya Kueh Kueh, Bandung Rose Jelly.
This is the Chendol Coconut Ice Cream! (a modern twist to the usual chendol)
If you are interested, go have a try.
There will be 20 over different “Heritage Dishes” as they call it on the buffet menu.
This is in addiction to some of the usual Dining Room favourites like Seafood on Ice and also Bak Kut Teh and Chicken Rice.
Peranakan Dinner Buffet
Saturday and Sunday, 7pm to 10pm (on 7, 8, 14, 15, 21, 22, 28 & 29 April 2018)
Price: $68++ per adult, $34++ per child (6-12 years old)
Exclusive 15% discount for Citibank cardholders.
For reservations and enquiries, please call:
The Dining Room at +65 6839 5621
All prices are subject to 10% service charge and prevailing government tax unless otherwise stated.