Bonding Kitchen – From Private Dining in JB to a local Modern Peranakan Restaurant at Orchard Gateway

7 February 2021 Gwendolyn

Bonding Kitchen, which used to be a popular private home dining experience in JB, is now opened as a restaurant in Singapore.

Opened on 17 October 2020 at Orchard Gateway, Bonding Kitchen is helmed by chef-owner Danny Chew and team, and serves comforting, modern Peranakan dishes.

We began with their in-house thirst-quenching Bunga Telang Lemongrass Pandan $6.50. It comes with a shot of blue pea and blue pea flower petal hand-pluck from Chef Danny’s own garden.

Moving on, we had the Kueh Pie Tee ($12 for four) where we could DIY our own pastry shell with accompanying condiments like shredded braised turnips, quail eggs, prawns, crispy lard bits as well as Chef’s Specialty Chilli Cuka sauce. The pastry shell also boasts a unique looking shape to hold the ingredients in place.

The Wagyu Beef Rendang $32 comes highly recommended. Chef Danny uses Australian beef ribs which undergo a laborious process of simmering (over five hours), cooking and seasoning to achieve the tender texture and rich flavours.

Similarly so for the Hokkein Lor Ark $22, the braised duck is simmered and well-marinated in a blend of spices and soy sauce that it becomes wondrously fork-tender and tasty.

Another highlight is Chef Danny’s Signature Pong Tauhu $10. Boiled for over ten hours in prawn stock and superior stock, the comforting bowl of soup reminds me of a lobster bisque, umami and rich in taste.

Some other items on the menu include the Sotong Masak Hitam $20 in squid ink sauce, Barramundi Assam Fish $26 and Udang Sambal Petai $22.

One of my favourites, the Nasi Goreng Buah Keluak $15, is surprisingly tasty due to its earthy, robust flavours. The dish is further elevated with strips of stir fried eggs and crispy fried shallots.

The Kacang Botol Kerabu $16, on the other hand, features a refreshing plate of crunchy young winged beans tossed with ikan bilis and cashew in an ultra zesty and minty calamansi dressing. Brace yourself for the acerbity which would either make you clench your jaws or reach out for more. To me, that’s definitely a great palate cleanser after a rich meal.