Finally paid a visit to Candlenut after a longg time, the world’s 1st Michelin star restaurant serving Peranakan cuisine. The restaurant has moved to Como Dempsey, joining its swanky neighbours, The Dempsey Cookhouse & Bar and Ippoh Tempura Bar by Ginza Ippoh. Helmed by chef Malcolm Lee, I’m excited to see what this place does to traditional Peranakan with a refined elevation

Housed in a beautiful white building, the place probably isn’t the most accessible. But since it’s my birthday dinner, the friends gladly oblige. Hee #perksofabirthdaygirl

Prawn crackers to start, served with a sweet sauce. The prawn crackers were a good snack to munch on, especially when you are hungry and waiting for your party to arrive

Homemade Kueh Pie Tee, Crab Meat, Yeye Curry, Pickled Shallot, Laksa Leaf $16

Love the thin crisp crust with the packed fillings with a touch of spice. You definitely taste the light sweetness and crunchy texture bursting in your mouth

Wing Bean Salad, Baby Red Radish, Lemongrass, Cashew Nuts, Calamansi Lime Dressing $16

The salad makes a good appetizer with a good mix of flavours of lime and mint complemented with the crunchy ikan billis and sweet radish

Bakwan Kepiting Soup, Crab Meat, Bamboo Shoot $14

Packed with an intense sweetness of pork and crab, the soup was a delight. The meat balls were soft yet taut with a nice texture that were memorable

Buah Keluak Rice $28

A very fragrant bowl of fried rice with a nice aroma of buah keluak, made flavorful with a runny yolk. It was a dish that gave a nice surprise and the table gladly finish it

Wild Caught Baby Squid, Sambal Belachan, Cherry Tomatoes, Red Onions $20

Chap Chye, Braised Cabbage, Black Mushroom, Lily Buds, Black Fungus, Vermicelli $18

The broth of the chap chye was rich with a deep prawn aroma. It’s a comfort dish that your grandma will make, with a taste of home

Ocean Barramundi Assam Pedas, Baby Lady’s Fingers, Eggplant, Pineapple $24

Assam fish, atas version. Really love the punch of the sauce that was sweet and sourish

Tiger Prawns, Petai Beans, Tamarind, Fried Shallots $24

Big, sweet crunchy prawns with an equally sweet yet spicy tamarind sauce

Grilled Local Chicken Leg, Lemongrass, Cherry Tomato, Yellow Turmeric Candlenut Broth $22

The grilled taste was evident in the chicken. The dish is somewhat unique in taste with a strong flavour of lemongrass. I wouldn’t say this dish is delicious. I felt like it was missing something

Red Lion Snapper, Fresh Chilli Sambal, Charred Garlic Chives $30

Probably my favourite dish of the night. I was so stuffed but I couldn’t say no to this. The snapper was executed nicely and the sauce was just sedap

Mao Shan Wang Icecream, Feuilletine, D24 Durian Purée, Kueh Rose $14

The friends really like their durian icecream. I thought it was not too bad

Buah Keluak Icecream, Valrhona Chocolate, Chilli, Warm Chocolate Espuma $15

A different combination of spice and dessert, you can taste the light aftertaste of the buah keluak and the heat of the chilli. The friend likes this a lot. I think this requires an acquired taste

Candlenut Classic Chendol Cream, Pandan Jelly, Gula Melaka $10

I felt that the gula melaka was exceedingly overpowering, to the point we can’t taste anything else

Homemade Kueh Salat, Bangkit Crumble, Young Coconut Sorbet $14

And my favourite dessert of the night. The kueh salat was smooth, soft and delicious. Paired with a light coconut sorbet to bring out the flavours of both, it was a nice touch to end the meal

Candlenut serves some delicious Peranakan dishes, and I appreciate the use of different spices in all their dishes so you don’t taste the same chilli in every dish. Though there were hits and misses with the desserts but overall it was a pretty pleasant experience. You can find the traditional Peranakan flavours but yet with a modern touch to it. I definitely won’t mind heading back again

Candlenut

COMO Dempsey

17A Dempsey Road, Singapore 249676