The redesigned Funan, all shiny and sleek now, opened to much fanfare at the end of June, drawing in crowds larger than before. But even if you’re not there to shop or watch a film, the dining offerings are worth a visit, especially if you’re into Peranakan grub.
Giving traditional family recipes a modern look, Godmama is the newest contemporary restaurant and bar to focus on Nonya cuisine. Think Peranakan-inspired brunch plates and cocktails in its elegant 60-seater space.
Started by a trio of Peranakans, the eatery’s menu highlights its All Star Egg Skin Popiah ($6.50), made using the recipe of co-owner Christina Keilthy’s godma, which wraps vegetables, prawns, crushed peanuts, and shallots in egg skin crepes.
Other dishes of note include ayam buah keluak ($18.90, black nut chicken stew with blue ginger and turmeric), babi assam ($16.90, tamarind pork belly with chilli and firm tofu), sambal udang ($23.90, sambal tiger prawns), and house-made otak otak ($9.90, spiced mackerel mousse steam-baked with lemongrass, lime leaves, and blue ginger).
For those working in the area, Godmama offers eight weekday set lunches priced from $13.90 to $17.90, available from 11am to 2:30pm. Each order comes with a main, which you can choose from the a la carte selection of the aforementioned, plus babi pongteh (pork belly braised in bean paste) and sambal sotong, as well as chap chye (mixed vegetable stew), butterfly pea jasmine rice, achar, and house-made belachan (shrimp paste). Throw in an extra $3 for drinks like coolers, coffee, or tea.
However, if you’re the type who prefers to make plans around weekend meals, the options here are a fusion of typical brunch plates and Peranakan flavors. Creations include the otak otak benedict ($19.90), where otak replaces salmon or ham on sourdough with hollandaise sauce and poached eggs, and the buah keluak bolognese pasta ($19.90), which tosses linguine in a tangy and spicy black nut stew with beef.
Babi assam also gets the brunch treatment with a baked eggs version of the pork belly stew ($16.90), while the banana pengat buttermilk pancakes ($17.90) tops a stack of three with coconut milk banana compote and vanilla ice cream.
For more sweets, the sticky red date pudding ($9.90) is a riff of longan red date tea, slathered with longan tea glaze and served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Plus, in collaboration with local creamery Apiary, the chefs have whipped up a ginger flower lychee sorbet ($10.90) that comes with roasted peanut crumble and kaffir lime jelly.
For a splash of booze, Peranakan flavors are also infused in classic cocktail concoctions, with tipples such as the Peranakan Blue ($22), a gin and tonic that uses local producer Brass Lion Distillery’s Butterfly Pea Gin, and The Emperor of Melaka ($22), a version of the Old Fashioned with gula melaka, bitters, and smoked cinnamon mixed into five-year aged Barbados rum.
FIND IT:
Godmama is at #04-07 Funan, 107 North Bridge Rd.
6970-0828. Sun-Thurs 10am-10pm, Fri-Sat 10am-midnight.
MRT: City Hall
