Up down left right, what makes the perfect Friday night? Just a short walk from Tanjong Pagar MRT, you’ll find Cherki, hidden within Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre. Yes I know— there are already so many restaurants within the CBD, so what makes this special? Well, brace yourselves for stunning craft cocktails unlike any other. Oh, and modern Peranakan cuisine too.

The space seats close to 50 and has one of the most beautifully-lit bars I’ve seen. There’s nothing quite like watching the magic happen right in front of you, with the stellar backdrop of spirits and tipples.

Knowing we were in good hands of the hosts Theodore and Joan, my dining companions and I were ecstatic to savour some of their bestsellers and exotic concoctions.

What I tried

To start, we had the Homemade Crab Cakes (S$17). I’ll be honest and admit I’m not the biggest fan of crab (I know, what a crime!) but fry them into crisp and golden gems like these? I simply cannot resist.

Each golden sphere was filled with juicy crabmeat which was surprisingly not as fishy as I expected it to be. Don’t get me wrong, I loved how the stuffing stayed away from being too surfeiting and had just the right amount of flavour.

I just wish I could have a side serving of the sambal mayonnaise to dip these gems in. The tanginess from the dip would certainly aid in balancing out the seafood flavour with a burst of heat and creaminess.

Overall, a good small plate to start with.

On to sharing plates, we had the Truffle Itek Popiah (S$14). Now this piqued my interest. Truffle and duck in a popiah roll? Odd but very intriguing.

Truffle lovers will love this because the team definitely did not hold back on their generosity. Each bite will take you on a truffle-filled journey.

My main gripe was the turnip filling which I felt was a tad too undercooked. Each bite warranted a crunch which was unusual from the authentic rolls I’ve had before, which are usually moist and slow-braised.  It could use a longer simmer to really pack in the rustic, homemade Peranakan essence. 

One of their most popular dishes here that we couldn’t skip on was the Rendang Beef Cheeks (S$24). The tender beef is slow-cooked for hours and served with blue pea rice, achar, keropok, and homemade sambal. You’ll probably find this on every table at Cherki.