HarriAnns Nonya Table at Bugis Junction

While there is no lack of Peranakan restaurants in Singapore it is still nice to find an accessible one in a downtown shopping mall. HarriAnns Nonya Table is conveniently located at Bugis Junction, It does not have ostensible Peranakan decor and about the only thing colourful in the small eatery is the food. Their Nonya kuehs in eye-catching colours and laksa and curry with intense hues are the real attraction.

Many Peranakan restaurants make sure you know that you are in one – with ornate furnishing and paraphernalia or with loud colours. HarriAnns Nonya Table, which occupies a space along a corridor of Bugis Junction, can well be mistaken for a local kopi place. It is more a food kiosk with seating than a proper restaurant. There is a small enclosed area where the ordering counter is located. The kitchen is behind and there are a few tables in the air-conditioned dining area beside the counter. The main seating area is on the outside next to the escalators going down to the Bugis MRT Station. HarriAnns at Bugis is a self-service eatery. You order and pay at the counter and collect the food and drinks from the counter.

HarriAnns Nonya Table traced its roots to Grandma Chia Nga Eng who started peddling her delicious glutinous rice and handmade Nonya kuehs in Tiong Bahru back in the 1940s. The business is still run by her family and Nonya kuehs still take pride of place.

There is a whole range of Nonya kuehs which can be enjoyed on the premises or for take away. The kuehs we have tried, like their ondeh ondeh and sago Melaka, were delicious.

There is a limited menu of hot nonya dishes on the HarriAnns Menu. In addition, they have specials from time to time. The Nonya laksa ($7.50 with a choice of hot drink or calamansi juice) was the special dish when we visited HarriAnns Nonya Table at Bugis recently. There were lots of ingredients in the Nonya laksa including slices of fish and a spoonful of hae ko (prawn paste). The rich soup had a balanced taste of sweet, sour and spicy and the thick bee hoon was smooth and would glide down the throat. We enjoyed the nonya laksa of HarriAnns.

We also had the Curry Chicken set ($8) which included a bowl of chicken curry, a plate of steamed rice with archar and a cup of hot beverage. The bowl of chicken curry was substantial – it consisted of two large pieces of chicken and one large piece of potato in thick curry sauce. The chicken was tender and flavourful and the curry was delicious. A tasty dish.

HarriAnns Nonya Table at Bugis Junction is an unpretentious Peranakan restaurant where we could get delicious nonya kuehs and simple one dish nonya meals at very reasonable prices. They have opened a new outlet in Raffles Place at the Ocean Financial Centre. Old Grandma Chia would be proud that her descendants are delighting the palates of more people with delicious nonya fare.

Ratings:
Food: 4
Service: NA (self-service)
Value: 4
Atmosphere: 3
Overall Rating: 4 TOPs