Located on the second floor of Destination hotel Singapore, which is a pretty new mid-scale hotel under Park Hotel Group and so new until taxi drivers never heard of, stands Folklore restaurant helmed by chef Damian D’Silva. With a vision to bring heritage cuisine to the table, the restaurant serves a variety of Peranakan dishes. We noticed there were not many service staffs, which makes it difficult during peak hours. And at times it felt like the staffs may be a little overwhelmed. We were glad we ordered earlier to avoid the rush and at the very least had some food to satisfy our hunger pangs

Ngoh Hiang $14

Classic ngoh hiang with water chestnuts, minced pork and prawns marinated in five spice

Honestly, the ngoh hiang was pretty underwhelming. The flavours felt muted as compared to the rest of the dishes

Sambal Buah Keluak Fried Rice $22

I was initially skeptical of the fried rice, more so since the other rice option was not available. I have never appreciated buah keluak fried rice cos not many places do it right. And we were all taken in by surprise by how flavourful and fragrant this plate of fried rice is. It’s definitely one of the crowd’s favourite, with that sweet, earthy and wok hei aftertaste

Beef Cheek Rendang $32

Served with gravy made with 15 different herbs and spices, this chunk of meat look anything but delicious. So the friend said, we should cut it open and take a photo of it

And ooh, look at juicy bits of meat, each so tender and cooked evenly. It deserved a second helping

Ayam Pelencheng $15

Grilled boneless chicken leg marinated in 7 different spices

I honestly expected a little more from this dish. Even though the chicken was really tender, but I felt like the spices didn’t do the dish justice

Peranakan Chap Chye $16

Classic Nonya chap chye made with pork and prawn stock

A dish not to be missed, this plate of vegetables is well cooked and infused with the sweetness of the broth. Love the abundance of vermicelli noodles that you can eat along as well. The chap chye here tasted different, perhaps a little bitter, denser and thicker

Sago Gula Melaka $8

It’s probably not a dessert I would eat often, drenched in sweetness of the gula melaka. I like the fragrance of the coconut that goes well with the bites of sago but point to note, if you eat the sago on its own, it’s completely tasteless

Kueh Bengkah with Icecream $10

We love Folklore’s version of tapioca cake. Served warm and soft, it was delicious to eat it on its own without the gula melaka or icecream at the side

There’s definitely potential in this place. Serving heritage food that is back to basics, the rich and nostalgic flavours would win you back. With some opening hiccups to iron up, I think it’s worth a visit back to try their other dishes

Folklore

Destination Hotel Singapore

700 Beach Road, S(199598)