Bonding Kitchen - Modern Peranakan Restaurant at Orchard Gateway

We had lunch at Bonding Kitchen restaurant recently. The writing on the wall says “Modern Peranakan Cuisine”. It does look more modern than the typical nyonya restaurant but still has the familiar geometric floor tiles and some traditional accents such as the bright red ceremonial banner at the entrance to show its intentions.

Modern Peranakan Cuisine at Orchard Road

The restaurant is helmed by Chef Danny Chew who has more than 25 years of culinary experience. According to the restaurant website, he started as a kitchen helper in a Chinese restaurant and subsequently graduated from Singapore’s At-Sunrice Global Chef Academy. He worked at various restaurants, including a popular Chinese restaurant in Liverpool (UK). Bonding Kitchen is Chef Danny’s very first restaurant in Singapore to showcase his unique brand of Peranakan cuisine.

Bonding Kitchen is on level 2 of Orchard Gateway, a few doors away from popular Italian restaurant – Demand & Supply. These restaurants enjoy the benefits of a full glass wall which brings a bright modern feel to the place as well as an attractive view.

Bonding Kitchen Peranakan Restaurant at Orchard Gateway

Bonding Kitchen Menu

Diners at the restaurant can choose from a range of set menus (with or without wine pairing options) as well as a wide range of nyonya food from the a la carte menu.

Here are pictures of some pages from the Bonding Kitchen wine list and food menus. We selected ngoh hiang, nyonya chap chye, ayam panggang and steamed rice for the main part of lunch. We ended lunch with a chendol for dessert.

Bonding Kitchen menu Peranakan Restaurant at Orchard Gateway

Ngoh Hiang and Ayam Panggang

Both these items turned out very well. The ngoh hiang ($16) were deep-fried rolls of chopped pork meat & shrimp, mushroom, water chestnut wrapped with beancurd skin rolls. Very good as a side dish or as a snack that goes well with drinks.

The ayam panggan ($17) was a more unusual dish. Seasoned with lemongrass and spices, this chargrilled chicken had wonderful flavours and was our favourite dish of the day.

Bonding Kitchen Nyonya Chap Chye and Dessert

Prepared with a lot of ingredients such as braised cabbage, mushroom, black fungus, dried lily buds, beancurd skin, pork belly with prawn broth & soybean paste, the chap chye ($24) was a complex dish. However, we thought it was too salty and that distracted us from all the other flavours.

Our final dish was a homemade chendol made with shaved ice topped with handmade pandan jelly, coconut milk, palm sugar syrup & red beans. A simple and sweet way to end our Peranakan lunch at Orchard Gateway.