Candlenut - 2nd Mar 2018
Located less than 100 metres from Huber’s Butchery is
1-michelin star Peranakan restaurant, Candlenut. Peranakan or Nyonya cuisine
comes from Peranakans, descendants of early Chinese migrants who settled in
Penang, Malacca, Indonesia and Singapore, who have inter-married their food with
local Malays and combines Chinese, Malay and other influences. This is very
unique to this part of the world and hence Candlenut has become one of my go to
restaurants when I am bringing a visitor from out of town to experience
something different.
Block 17 of Dempsey now features 3 different dining concepts
in one, with the other two being a Japanese tempura restaurant and the French
cookhouse brasserie. My Australian friends and I started our meal with
appetisers of homemade kueh pie tee, ngoh hiang and satay. It is interesting
for them that they had to assemble their own pie tee by combining braised
turnip, prawns, chilli and egg. I then ask them to finish the whole pie tee in
one mouthful. A much cleaner and easier way to eat this especially with Chef
Malcolm’s shell which is the thinnest pie tee shell I have ever tried. The
turnip braised with pork belly braised
in prawn stock had a good depth of umami flavour. The ngoh hiang here is also
the best I have tried with a crispy beancurd skin encasing a coarse mince
mixture of pork, prawns and water chestnuts. What is the thing inside that is
crunchy, is the typical question I get when eating this dish. I really
appreciate that the ingredients are coarsely minced with a better texture and I
feel like I’m eating good ingredients and not some finely minced commercial one
with flour substitute. The last appetiser is a charcoal grilled Kurobuta pork
neck satay that has been seasoned with kicap manis glaze. There is no peanut
sauce for this satay as the glaze has sufficient flavour and sweetness. The
satay is not the usual tenderised meat ones you find at hawkers but one that
uses a good pork to get a tender meaty bite.
Kueh Pie Tee and Ngoh Hiang
Kurobuta Pork Satay
For the mains, I usually order each person a plate of white
rice and order a bunch of dishes for sharing. I recommend the plain rice which
pairs better when you are consuming curries or food with strong tasting sauces.
The blue swimmer crab curry is one shining example of a great curry especially
for foreigners. It is not very spicy and has an addictive coconut curry that is
spiced with turmeric, galangal and kaffir lime leaf. The star for me though is
the wagyu rendang. I used to think rendangs are good but more or less created
equal until I tried this one. The chef has managed to up it by one notch with
melt in mouth wagyu beef cooked in coconut with spices that is well balanced
and super shiok. The vegetable dishes here are not to be outdone especially the
chap chye. This mixed vegetable stew contains braised cabbage, black mushroom,
lily buds, black fungus and vermicelli. Again the fermented soya bean and prawn
stock base brings this dish to new heights. The sambal lady’s finger is cooked
with potato leaves and eggplant with a nice flavour coming from the dried
shrimp.
Swimmer Crab Curry and Wagyu Rendang
Chap Chye and Sambal Lady's Finger
Singapore is home to the world’s cheapest Michelin star
dish. For me Candlenut has to one of the cheapest one Michelin star restaurants
that you can experience good service, sit in a nice ambience while enjoying a
hearty and delicious meal.
~Andre Huber
Executive Director
