Babba – New Peranakan Cafe & Restaurant at Jalan Riang!

Tucked in the corner of a row of eateries along Jalan Riang, is Babba, a Peranakan-influenced eatery with a dual concept. The cafe opens at 8 am, while the Peranakan restaurant only starts at 6 pm.

The large windows all around the cafe let in ample natural light. I loved the rattan chairs, a nod to the Peranakan influences. The bright and tranquil cafe is a nice spot to relax in the mornings.

It isn’t every day that cafes serve fusion dishes, so I had to give their locally-inspired dishes a go. For breakfast, I had their Homemade Kaya Butter Toast and Eggs ($12); essentially a more atas version of the classic kaya toast and eggs. Admittedly, this was slightly on the pricier side, but the handmade kaya and extra details more than made up for it. I liked how the eggs were not very runny, and had that perfect molten texture. If you are those that like your toast well-toasted, you will love Babba’s. The brioche was crispy; and went well with the generous amount of salted butter and their homemade kaya. Their kaya had a thicker texture as compared to the traditional ones. I only wished that the pandan flavour was more pronounced.

Their lunch menu is available from 12pm. I had a look and was interested to try the Dry Laksa Pasta ($26). The dry laksa sauce was packed with flavour, and the fried tau pok (beancurd puffs) added a nice touch. Unlike your typical laksa, this was finished off with tiger prawns and Hokkaido scallops. Again, I really appreciated the extra effort that Babba did with the prawns — it had a smoky flavour, like it was cooked separately on a grill. The scallops were also cooked perfectly, without being too rubbery.

While the cafe can be slightly ulu, their Peranakan-inspired dishes are worth a visit. Given their name, I only wished there were more of them on the menu. Can’t wait for my next visit to try their authentic Peranakan dinner menu!

MissTamChiak.com made an anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.