Being a fan of Peranakan dishes, I had high expectations when my ex-colleague suggested this place for our bonding and catch-up session.
As we made a reservation at the earliest timing just right on the time they were open on a weekday, we were the only diners for at least the first 30 minutes. Beyond that, streams of diners came in batches, but no queues.
We ordered 4 dishes for sharing, the usual Peranakan dishes; Ayam Buah Keluak, Babi Pongteh, Ngoh Hiang and Sambal Petai with Ilan Bilis. Together go along with the dishes, we ordered two different types of steamed rice - the blue pea and turmeric rice. It did not take long when the dishes were served since we were the only diners.
Among the dishes, the Babi Pongteh was the best followed by the Sambai Petai. The Babi Pongteh was soft, tender and with a lot of flavours. For the Ayam Buah Keluak, it was just normal but with the additional buah Keluak served on a small plate, it was definitely a bonus. Similarly, Ngoh Hiang was normal but with a nice sauce plating.
The carbs to go along the dishes was great, something different from the usual plan rice.
For our drinks, we ordered one each from the homemade beverages selection - blue pea lemon grass, lemonade and barley. Indeed pricey for common drinks like the barley.
The food however was just not great as I had anticipated. However, it was indeed a great bonding and dining experience - for once only for now as the food portion was small and disproportionate with the price tag.
Should deserves a 5 star rating.
"Our group chose this restaurant to celebrate our friend's return from abroad, a true Nyonya food aficionado. While some dishes shone, others sadly missed the mark.
The Rendang Beef was a clear winner: deeply flavorful with incredibly tender, melt-in-your-mouth beef. However, the Chicken Curry was a letdown, lacking spice and depth with a noticeably thin broth.
The Ayam Buah Keluak was a standout dish! The deshelled presentation made it easy to savor the intense, unique flavors, offering a truly delightful experience.
We skipped the Pie Tee due to its exorbitant price for such a common snack.
The biggest disappointment was the highly anticipated Homemade Chendol. At $8, we expected a satisfying finale, but the mushy, textureless green jelly noodles were off-putting. The stingy portion and sparse red beans added to the letdown. This poorly executed dessert significantly tarnished the overall experience.
Having read about Chef Danny Chew, we had high expectations, but unfortunately, the meal didn't quite live up to the hype. While there were some excellent dishes, the inconsistencies were hard to ignore."
Adding to that, the services can be much better especially in such a location. And the coffee can be better.
This is one of the most memorable Peranakan meals I’ve had in recent times. Every single dish was good - from the otah, , kuih pie tee, wagyu beef rendang, Babi pongteh (braised pork belly), Assam fish, chendol & curry chicken (we loved the curry potatoes!) But the one dish that really blew our mind was the pong tauhu soup - a prawn stock soup that had the most amazingly tender pork ball. It was so good, we felt it reminded us of a lobster bisque and we’ll go back just for it.
Excellent Peranakan dishes especially the Babi pongteh, chap chey, keropok and the chendol. Every dish was nicely done in both preparation and presentation. You can really tell from the taste that the kitchen crew worked super hard to produce the food in front of you. This is rare and we appreciate it very much. My son and I ate 2 bowls of blue pea rice each. The service was prompt and friendly. We were glad we didn’t skip the dessert. The chendol was seriously super good! We will definitely come back soon.
Stopped by spontaneously for lunch with my wife today. Very friendly service, great selection, excellent taste and on top, great value for money. We'll definitely be back. And try the red tonkatsu, you won't regret it. 😃
Dining at Abrui-En was, unfortunately, uneventful. Service was exactly what one would expect—efficient but not memorable. The food, however, left much to be desired.
Sashimi (5 kinds) - This was the most worthwhile dish of the evening. The cuts were thick and generous, offering good value for money. Yet, the freshness that defines good sashimi was missing, leaving the experience flat.
Tofu Salad - This felt more like rabbit food than a thoughtfully prepared dish. It was uninspired to the point that I didn’t even bother taking a photo.
Christmas Double Meat Meal - A real disappointment. The steak was barely half the size of my palm, and the two ribs looked sad and unappetizing. For a festive special, it lacked both substance and presentation.
I guess I should stick with what they are known for - their BBQ meats
The grilled pork jowl at this branch is absolutely delicious, far better than the one at the Woodland branch. It’s tender, flavorful, and perfectly grilled. The seafood set is also super fresh and bursting with flavor, highly recommended!
Despite the restaurant being busy and full of customers, the service remained attentive and friendly. The staff managed everything efficiently with a smile. Overall, a wonderful dining experience. I’ll definitely be coming back!
Really good food, great service and good value for money. Only problem was choosing what to order - everything on the menu looked so good! Ended up trying the pork and wagyu beef dons, both were delicious! Food came really quickly too. Great experience overall.
no pictures this time😓. but the mentaiko chicken teppan was very good with generous serving of mentaiko. the flank steak was a little tough but i think thats just how flank is. the striploin was really good and juicy. we spent over $65 and they give free chicken nanban if you pay with a citi card. the fried chicken was nice, crispy and fresh and the sauce was also very good. the calpis WAS so good, an all time fav for me. they even offered free ice cream if you write a google review but i planned to get other dessert later so i didnt take the ice cream but heres the google review anyway! the staff was really nice and the prices were actually quite ok. the corn was very sweet and it was very refreshing to me for some reason. carrot and zucchini were nice too but the corn was the best. haha let me praise the calpis again. the calpis was not soda but the not carbonated kind but it was still very good.