A Peranakan Peregrination: A Cultural Day Out with Kids

Posted in Awesomeness, Books, Our family and other animals, Out and about, Staying Inside, Tasty Treats, With kids by

Recently, I convinced the Aged Ps to take the kids for a Peranakan Day Out, so that they can learn more about Peranakan culture and what it means to be a Baba or a Nyonya.

Here’s how you can enjoy your own Peranakan Day Out in 10 easy steps!

Video Footnotes:

This is a really great book that not only introduces the Peranakan Museum and it’s highlights, but gives some easy to read information about Peranakan culture. In the book, Stacey visits the museum and has an adventure with a mysterious girl who takes her on a personal tour!

I really love the detailed illustrations by James Tan, and it really is such a treat to be able to read the book to the kids, and then see their reaction once they reach the museum and recognise the things that they see in the pictures.

I was very fortunate to have received a copy of this book from Armour Publishing for review, but you can get your own copy from the Peranakan Museum shop or direct from the Armour Publishing website. The book is part of the Stacey & the Museum series by Lianne Ong – here’s a review and book trailer that I made for the first book in the series, Stacey Goes to the National Museum.

The Peranakan Museum is a wonderful little museum installed in the former Tao Nan Chinese School, and has a beautiful and extensive collection of Peranakan objects, wonderfully curated in a manner that illustrates the tradition and distinctive artistic style of the Peranakan community.

There are many interactive components for children within the museum, some on large computer touch screens, and others requiring and encouraging children to touch and handle vintage objects. J and Little E enjoyed running around the museum completing a little treasure hunt – the activity sheet can be collected at the information counter.

We visited the museum with the Aged P, who is of course a true Peranakan but there are guided tours conducted daily by volunteers (most of whom are also Peranakan or are scholars of Southeast Asian culture) are more than happy to regale you with personal stories about Peranakan traditions!

The Peranakan Museum is open daily from 10am – 7pm (extended hours to 9pm on Fridays) and is located on 39 Armenian Street, Singapore 179941. Admission is free for Singaporean Citizens and PRs, as well as for children under 6 years old.

At the Peranakan Museum and Daisy's Dream Kitchen

At the Peranakan Museum and Daisy’s Dream Kitchen

  • Peranakan Food in Singapore

We ate at Daisy’s Dream Kitchen, which is a small little family-run eatery over in the West Coast serving Peranakan food as well as a selection of other local dishes.

The food is delicious and reasonably priced, with a lovely home cooked flavour and the Aged Ps deem it ‘Cheap and Good’ (which by their standards, is very good indeed). Peranakan food tends to be very rich, so I was surprised and glad to see that the dishes served were not swimming in grease, but were low in salt and oil with no loss to the fullness of flavour. We even met Daisy’s kids and grandkids, who had dropped in for lunch, the little 5 year old grandson even coming to our table to thank us for visiting! What a little charmer.

Daisy’s Dream Kitchen is open from Tues-Sun from 11am-3pm and 6pm-10pm at Block 517 West Coast Road, #01-571, S(120517), Tel: 6779 1781

If you are looking for a fancier Peranakan restaurant with a larger range of traditional dishes, prepared and displayed in a traditional manner, the Aged Ps recommend The Blue Ginger Restaurant, which is where they like to bring out-of-towners when they want to truly impress.

To get a true taste of Peranakan culture, the Aged Ps recommend that you try the Nyonya-style Ngoh Hiang, the Bakwan Kepiting soup, the Babi Ponteh stewed pork and the Ayam Buah Keluak stuffed blacknut when you are visiting a Peranakan Restaurant.

  • Peranakan music

Peranakans are known for their involvement in Dondang Sayang (Love ballad) and Keroncong (Malay-style ukelele band) forms of music.

The Aged Ps were very insistent that I chose the correct kind of music to accompany this video, and so I have gone for the Dondang Sayang style of Peranakan music. The Dondang Sayang style is exemplified by the exchange of lighthearted and cheeky malay poetry (or ‘pantun‘) between two singers.

The song that I use in this video, Rasa Sayang, is a very popular local folk song in the traditional Dondang Sayang form and the chorus goes:

Rasa sayang, hey! (Loving feelings, hey!)
Rasa sayang-sayang hey, (Lots of loving feelings, hey!)
Lihat nona dari jauh (Admiring a pretty girl from afar)
Rasa sayang-sayang, hey (Lots of loving feelings, hey!)

(Ironically, the version of Rasa Sayang  that I used is recorded by a Japanese artiste, Lisa Ono!)

  • Peranakan Fashions
Little Nyonya proudly wearing her kebaya!

Little Nyonya proudly wearing her kebaya!

We didn’t include a visit to a dressmaker to try out fancy Peranakan fashions and learn how to tie a sarong in the traditional way, but that would be a fun way to round off the day with an impromptu fashion show, especially if you have kids who love dressing up.

We love Toko Aljunied for their beautiful kebayas and batik shirts – you can find out more about this wonderful purveyor of fine Peranakan fashions for kids and adults here.

32 thoughts on “A Peranakan Peregrination: A Cultural Day Out with Kids”

  6. Never been to the peranakan museum! I should one day with the kids. We are half peranakan and it’ll be very meaningful for the children to know that.

    Food-wise, do try Violet Oon and Ivin’s too. Yums! One is high-end and one is casual dining 🙂

    Reply

  7. Being Peranakan myself, I have a special affinity for the exquisite beading on the kebaya and shoes. I may not be a great beader myself but I appreciate the very neatly sewn button holes and sometimes, extra stitching details my aunts add to the clothes they sew for us. Not forgetting, our special lingo, which unless, you are exposed to it, may not understand what is communicated.

    My FB acct name: Cyn Tenshi
    Email: cyntwy@gmail.com

    Reply

    • Oh yes, the beading is truly intricate. I’ve been told that they no longer sell those tiny beads used in the old manik-manik shoes – the beads they use now are much larger.

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    • Yes! Not all the good food is in the East of Singapore. It is time for you to Journey To The West. (Bring your own monkeys with you too – the restaurant is super family friendly.)

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    • Aiyoh, Phoebe, don’t be shy! Peranakan women generally tend towards the voluptuous side, so the sarong kebaya is flattering to all figures but especially those who have a fuller figure. Don’t take your cue from the stick-figured SIA stewardesses. I say embrace your curves in a sarong kebaya! I think you will look very elegant in one.

      Reply

  12. My in-laws love peranakan food. I must take them to Daisy when they visit next time. Since everyone offered their peranakan restaurant recommendations, I must say Peramakan at Keppel Club is pretty good too. Oh and your girl look very sweet in the pink kebaya 🙂

    Reply

  15. What a wonderful date of all things peranakan! And I didn’t know my alma mater used to be housed there! Haha.

    I’ve been meaning to complete my kebaya outfit – shall do that this holidays. Now I’m inspired to bring the boys on an all-day peranakan immersion experience too… 😉

    Reply

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