SIN: O'nya Sayang {CLOSED}

Mouth-watering spicy prawns on a hotplate that could be fresher...

UPDATE (13/07/2020): The restaurant has closed down.

I can't believe that my last review on Peranakan cuisine is dated all the way back to 2014. That was when I visited Melaka, Malaysia. To break this hiatus, I'm going to write about O'nya Sayang (lit. love of a Peranakan mother) that I chanced upon when I was at Tampines.

The restaurant carries the slogan "Rediscover Peranakan", priding itself in authentic recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation.

Otah Otah S$5.90

Taste: 7/10

I'm not a big fan of the grilled spiced fish cake wrapped in banana leaves, but since my BFF loves it, certainly it wouldn't harm ordering one. It turned out to be quite aromatic and mildly spicy, and it didn't disintegrate easily. Not exceptional in terms of taste, but it was decent for sure.

Bakwan Goreng S$10.90

Taste: 7.5/10

I was looking forward to the deep-fried pork and crab balls, which apparently were pretty small in terms of size. Each of it didn't seem to have lots of crab meat, but it was pretty sweet and moist. I didn't really like the accompanying sauce as it was too sweet for my liking.

Chap Chye S$10.90

Taste: 7/10

To my disappointment, the stewed mix vegetables came to the table at room temperature. Having said that, the dish used an adequate amount of Chinese five spices to make it fragrant. I'd love to have more of the black ear mushrooms in place of the excess cabbages. 

Udang Chili Garam S$16.90

Taste: 7.5/10

Served on a hotplate, the spicy prawns looked promising. Each of the big-sized crustaceans was bathed in a mouth-watering mix of chilis and caramelised sweet onions. Despite the colours displayed, the dish wasn't prohibitively spicy, which was good. However, the prawns could be fresher and sweeter.

Chendol Ice Cream S$4.90

Taste: 6/10

The dinner didn't end on a high note, for the signature dessert didn't live up to my expectations. There weren't many of the green jelly worms, and the texture wasn't memorable either. Thankfully, the gula melaka (Malay brown sugar) was fragrant enough. 

Melon's Rating

Taste: 7/10

Ambience: 6.5/10

Service: 7/10

Overall: 7/10

As the food served wasn't exceptional, I don't think I'll specially go down to the restaurant again. Pika's advice: Coming in groups of three or five? You may want to consider the respective set meals that allow you to choose dishes from various categories.

O'nya Sayang

4 Tampines Central 5

#B1-K3 Tampines Mall

Singapore

(Daily: 11.00am - 9.30pm)

*Prices quoted are subject to 10% service charge and 7% GST.

Have a nice meal,

Cliff(y)