海螺湾宾馆

This casual, relaxing place sports an open kitchen, a long counter table and floor-to-ceiling windows. At dinner, it serves a small à la carte menu of modern dishes made with local ingredients, melding Peranakan and Malaysian cuisines. The signature aged duck breast in a steamed bun appeals to the palate with its crispy skin and a secret sauce. Homemade gelato sees some interesting local twists, with flavours like nutmeg harumanis; and hor ka sai.

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.

Come here for the famous prawn mee: choose between yellow and rice noodles, then pick the soup – the spicy prawn broth is loaded with deep flavours. Finally, consider ordering add-ons such as braised pork spareribs or fish balls.

With over 15 years of culinary experience under his belt, the Thai chef excels in authentic cooking from his home country, with the freshest seafood being his strong suit. In the lofty room decorated in soothing shades of green, try his array of tom yum soup variations with different seafood. The miang kam is a must – fresh betel leaves and sweet miang kam sauce make it a great appetiser. Friendly prices and generous portions are also reasons to visit.

The kitchen is helmed by a lady in her 70s, who has been cooking for decades. The menu boasts some 40 à la carte items, covering the greatest hits of traditional Peranakan cuisine. One of the culinary highlights is bouncy asam prawn drizzled in a dark brown sauce loaded with tamarind sweet and sour notes. Mang kuang char, or sautéed shredded yam bean with dried squid and mushrooms, is sweet in taste and crisp in texture.

Open for half days, this small store draws long queues – mostly tourists and young customers. They serve just one dish: stir-fried koay teow. The wok-fried flat rice noodles emit a charcoal aroma, are well seasoned and come with quality ingredients that can be spiced to taste.

This famous laksa shop serves lai fun noodles in a sardine broth with exceptional depth and flavours alongside an array of condiments. For those with bigger appetites, order char koay teow with duck egg to go with the laksa.