117 East Coast Road
Tel: 6440 0449
Operating Hours: Lunch: Noon – 2.30pm Dinner: 6pm – 9.30pm
Set in a well-appointed shophouse in Katong, True Blue Cuisine looks and feels very much like an old world Peranakan home. The 40-seat dining area is decorated with Straits-Chinese style porcelain and antique furniture, and the walls are lined with old photographs – all of which belong to owner Benjamin Seck: who also cooks the food. I skipped over the delicious looking ikan goreng assam, sotong assam, ngoh hiang, and okra cha titek (in coconut gravy) and went for his famous ayam buah keluak. Seck’s judicious use of spices makes this one of the best versions around, with the distinct taste of the unusual buah keluak (black nuts) coming through sublimely: an acquired, earthy taste – but definitely one worth acquiring. The ikan goreng sambal is also a winner: The sliced red snapper is doused in a piquant lime and be/acan sauce, and sprinkled with pieces of bitter banana flower. Not as spicy as it sounds, it presents a lovely balance of sweet, sour and bitter tastes that complements the freshness of the fish beautifully: South East Asia’s answer to sashimi and ceviche. If all this good food gives you a sudden urge to adopt the Peranakan culture, the first level is where you can purchase hand-embroidered kebayas, traditional Nonya cookies and even frozen rempah.