Verandah @ Rael's : New Peranakan Restaurant at 111 Somerset Singapore

Verandah @ Rael’s, a new Peranakan Restaurant at 111 Somerset, looks like a picture from a children’s book. With cotton wool lamps hanging from the ceiling and Peranakan traditional house facades printed on the walls, this is a new restaurant at the Orchard Road area that we had to check out.

Verandah @ Rael’s brings a breath of fresh air to the dining options at TripleOne Somerset. It joins hip cafes Hvala and Glyph on the ground floor. Other interesting restaurants which caught our eye are Wine & Kitchen (#01-03) and PU3 Restaurant (Malay food eg Nasi Ambeng at #02-20).

Verandah @ Rael's review: New Peranakan Restaurant at 111 Somerset Singapore

As you can see, the decor of the new Peranakan restaurant at 111 Somerset is very interesting. Sketches of old houses like those along Joo Chiat are printed on wallpaper. We like how the pop art walls contrast with the traditional tiles on the floor.

Verandah @ Rael’s Menu

Here is a picture of the Verandah @ Rael’s menu. It is a short menu that includes the usual top hits at Peranakan restaurants such as chicken buah keluak and babi ponteh. We decided to try the chicken satay ($9.80), Nonya chap chai ($12.90) and honey pork ($16.90) and steamed rice ($2 each).

The Drinks list contains a good variety of beverages ranging from ice water (80 cents) to Cristal champagne.

Our Nyonya Lunch at TripleOne Somerset

Our lunch started with a complimentary plate of crispy gnetum crackers served with homemade sambal and kicap mani. It has been a while since we last ate these slightly bitter crackers. You will also notice that the tabletops are also printed with whimsical table settings.

This is a composite picture of our lunch. The crockery and utensils combined well to give a harmonious look. A good looking table setting is a great way to start a meal.

We thought that the weakest dish of the day was the chap chai. To call it bland might be too harsh but it was very lightly flavoured. It was our only dish with gravy that day and so the rice did not get much support in that respect.

Thank goodness the other two dishes were much better. The honey pork was excellent. Thin slices of fried lean pork coated with a rich honey sauce. The meat was tender and the honey sauce was pleasantly sweet enough but not too much.

We were also very happy with the chicken satay. The pieces of meat had a good balance of lean and fat. Cooked just right and dipped into the rather light but tasty satay sauce, this was the best satay we have had in a while. Those suffering from travelling on SIA withdrawal symptoms can ease their suffering somewhat with the satay at Verandah @ Rael’s. They also have some fancy wines and champagne on the menu to go with the food.