Panda Panda

This is a comment on Panda Panda on the Weekend when it is helmed by KMT Kitchen and there are servings of Baba's Wife Nyonya treats. If you have been to Singapore and its food court and markets, undoubtable you will be familiar with the dishes offered by KMT Cuisines. Bak Chor Mee - mince pork, fish ball, stewed mushroom, noodles in a mild broth. Orh Luak - fresh, small oyster in a flour/egg-based omelette, with crispy edges. Char Kueh Kak - stir fry, steamed rice flour and white radish "cake" with a good amount of preserved radish and eggs, but a little too sweet for me as they used the Indonesian kecap manis (sweet dark sauce) and not the Malaysian dark sauce. If you wondering at the strange sounding names, it is a romanization of the names of the dishes in Hokkien, one of many dialects from China. I am more excited by the Nyonya treats from Baba's Wife - a fusion of Malay and Chinese cooking style. There are already quite a number of places that you can buy Nyonya treats in Melbourne - but the vibrant, appetite-inducing form and colours, the aromatic flavours, and the variety offered here is above average. These are the usual sweet suspects - Kuih Lapis (layered cake), Kuih Talam (distinct coconut and pandan layered cake), Kuih Bangka (baked cassava cake), Angku (moulded glutinous rice flour with different sweet fillings), Seri Muka (pressed glutinous rice flavoured by blue pea flower, and topped with pandan/coconut layer) - all wonderfully and clearly labelled. A more unusual savoury find is the Chee Kueh - moulded, steamed rice flour, which is quite plain, but given flavour by the sweet, textured preserved turnip and very good sambal (chilli sauce). Pulut panggang and udang rempah are treasured finds. My favourite is the pulut (glutinous rice ) panggang (grilled) - it is glutinous rice steamed in coconut milk, with a spicy dried prawn paste, rolled in (banana) leaf, and grilled. It can last a few days in the fridge, and reheat well in the air fryer in 6-7 minutes. The udang (prawn) rempah (paste) is similar to pulut panggang but less spicy, more coconutty. Whether you are a gourmet Nyonya expert or an enthused newbie, this is a good place to sate your cravings or start your adventure. Happy eating and exploring!

On weekends, Panda Panda becomes a Singapore food outlet selling nyonya cakes and hawker dishes. ☀️The sunny bits: The display of nyonya cakes was impressive. My favourite was the ang ku kueh with peanut filling. The skin was thin and the filling generous. The bak chor mee was unique. The vinegar sauce went well with the noodles and the accompanying sambal was a winner. ☁️The cloudy bits: They are only open on weekends which is a bit of a bummer. ⭐️The forecast: Beautiful cakes, delicious hawker food and friendly service makes this place a foodie trifecta.