The Blue Ginger Opens Second Outlet at Great World – This Modern Space Serves Refined Peranakan Fare

Some restaurants are memory triggers — their meals send you back to long-forgotten moments in your life. The Blue Ginger is one such time machine. My first Peranakan meal was at Blue Ginger in Tanjong Pagar, when I was still an intern.

Recently, this established Peranakan restaurant brand has opened its second outlet at the newly renovated Great World. From aromatic curries to hearty plates of noodles and rice, this classy and modern space boasts a menu of excellent Peranakan creations made according to recipes passed down from one of the founding partners’ mother, Mrs Vivian Lai.

New on the menu at the Great World outlet are two starters – Kerabu Kacang Botol ($11.50) and Kerabu Timun ($8.50). The former is a refreshing plate of winged bean salad tossed with dried shrimps, shallots and toasted coconut. I love the zingy dressing and the crunchy beans. The latter pairs chicken gizzards with cucumbers in an equally refreshing chilli balachan paste. Some other bite-sized appetizers include Kueh Pie Tee and Ngo Heong.

Rempah is the foundation of many Peranakan dishes. The Blue Ginger prepares its own rempah which is then used to create many dishes. The Beef Rendang ($20) is done the old-fashioned way. The chef slowly fries the ginger, lime leaves, lemongrass and other spices before stewing the beef in the mixture for hours. Another alluring dish is the Ayam Panggang ($16) comprising succulent grilled chicken cloaked in a fragrant gravy.

The dish that stood out that night was Sotong Keluak ($22), which starred the deliciously rich and earthy buah keluak, and fresh squid. The black nut is sourced from Indonesia and by cooking it with squid, the flavours are not as pronounced as those in Ayam Buah Keluak. Complementing the meats and seafood are some delightful vegetable dishes such as Terong Goreng Cili ($13) and Chap Chye ($15) which paired impeccably with a bowl of rice.

The restaurant at Great World has also started serving one-dish meals and set lunches to suit the working crowd nearby. Some one-dish creations include Kerabu Laksa, Nonya Noodles and Buah Keluak Fried Rice ($15 each). I was rather intrigued by the Nonya Noodles which is usually served during special occasions in Peranakan families. The thin yellow noodles are cooked in a prawn and pork stock which makes it similar to our local Hokkien Mee. However, fermented beancurd is added to enhance the flavours.

Desserts are not their strengths, unfortunately. The Durian Chendol ($7) looks promising with a heaping spoonful of D24 durian purée. However, the chendol strips were lacklustre. There are a selection of kueh kuehs too.

Disclaimer: this is an invited tasting.