Lili Stay by the beach

This simple restaurant has been run by a husband-wife team for over 15 years; Ivy helms the kitchen while her husband waits on the tables. Following a change of venue in 2024, the room is now bigger and better, but you can rest assured - the menu hasn’t changed one bit. Check out the sharing set menus that include their best-selling Peranakan dishes, like Kapitan chicken curry and Joo Hoo Char – spicy stir-fried mixed veggies in chili paste. Reservations recommended.

For over 30 years, the regulars have been returning for its Hokkien prawn mee, loh mee, or a mix of both. The red prawn soup made with pork bones and prawn shells boasts deep umami. Twelve additional toppings are also available.

With a caricature of the owner on its sign and a mural deconstructing its signature items, Laksalicious is a cheerful little gem bubbling with character. As its name suggests, laksa is the main event here – choose between Nyonya assam laksa with sour, spicy fish broth or Nyonya laksa lemak with rich, creamy coconut milk broth. Prawn crackers add texture and flavours. Crispy prawn fritters, nasi ulam and gula melacca cendol are also popular.

This friendly family-run shop, now in the second generation, specialises in koay teow th'ng, served in soup or dry. The broth is made from chicken and pork bones. The springy tendon balls have a nice ginger flavour. A tasty option is the braised chicken with bean sprouts.

“Bibik” is an honorific used to address older Peranakan women, and the room is aptly decorated with classic Nyonya motifs. Naturally, the menu showcases the owner’s heirloom Peranakan recipes that are slightly less spicy than their counterparts elsewhere. Dishes come in three sizes – try their jiu hu char (stir-fried yam bean with shredded cuttlefish), and loh bak (deep-fried five-spice pork rolls).

White curry mee is served in a coconut milk-based broth with a bowl of curry paste on the side so that you can adjust the heat to your liking. The curry paste is available for sale by the bottle; it takes two hours to hand-stir the spices with dried shrimps and chillies. Optionally, pair your mee with deboned steamed chicken, spiced loh bak or Teochew guang jiang. The clear broth noodle soup with chicken meatballs is also worth trying.

Memorabilia in show windows and a 60s soundtrack exude the charm of a bygone era. Chef Gaik Lean has been guarding her secret recipes for decades and she makes no compromises in terms of food quality. Many items are made from scratch, including her heavenly pie tee and gulai tumis that uses over eight ingredients in the curry paste, such as fresh saffron. Also try nasi ulam, an old-time recipe.