Ex-Owner Of Popular Japanese Buffet Chain Now Hawker Selling Ayam Buah Keluak & Rendang From $6
As a fan of Peranakan food, we’re always happy to discover new places that offer the typically pricey, labour-intensive dishes at wallet-friendly prices. Our latest find? Nana Nonya, a new stall at Buangkok Hawker Centre (located within Sengkang Grand Mall) that opened last November. The joint specialises in homestyle Nonya dishes including beef rendang, ayam buah keluak and dry laksa, with mains starting from $6.
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Used to own several Japanese buffet restaurants
Nana Nonya’s owner Vera Wong, 54, is no stranger to F&B. Over the past twenty years, the serial restaurateur has founded multiple Japanese a la carte buffet concepts, including popular casual restaurant chain Hanabi (which had outlets at King’s Arcade and Odeon Towers, and counted former minister Lim Swee Say as a regular), Momoya at Simpang Bedok and Kuru Kuru at Valley Point – she has since sold or shut the businesses.
Speaking to 8days.sg, Vera explains why she decided to leave the F&B industry after closing Kuru Kuru in 2017 due to manpower issues: “At the time, my two younger kids were around eight and five years old. I felt like I didn’t see them at all. When I came back from work, they were already asleep. There were no days off for me. I felt like something’s gotta give,” she shares. Before launching Nana Nonya, the mother of three worked as a real estate agent.
Why become a hawker selling Peranakan food?
Even with a baseball cap on, Vera exudes an elegance that sets her apart from typical hawkers. We asked the former restaurateur why she decided to open the stall. “My daughter suddenly told me she wanted to open a juice stall here and asked if I wanted to take up a unit too. I’ve always had an innate love for F&B. Even when I was working in property, I had a lot of F&B clients,” she says.
She continues: “Peranakan food is getting more and more rare. Most of it is only found in restaurants, and the [better executed dishes] are usually only from high-end restaurants. So I thought, this is a gap that I can fill [by starting a Peranakan hawker stall].”
Daughter’s juice stall is next to Nana Nonya
Vera’s eldest daughter, Natasha Lim, 34, owns and manages the juice stall called Juice Lab located next to Nana Nonya. The financial advisor started her hawker venture as she wanted to do something more hands-on while juggling her day job, which has flexible hours. “Since I’m familiar with juicing, I thought I could start with a small juice stall,” she shares.
The willowy millennial, who’s married, says she has no plans to take over Nana Nonya in the future – nor has she inherited her mum’s cooking skills. “I mean, I can follow her instructions in the kitchen lah,” she quips, adding that she occasionally steps in to take customer orders at her mum’s stall during busy periods.
Recipes passed down from hawker’s grandmother
All the dishes at Nana Nonya are based on recipes from Vera’s maternal grandmother, who’s half Peranakan. “These are all dishes that I would make at home, especially during festive periods,” she shares.
The hawker takes pride in preparing all her spice blends from scratch daily. “A lot of laksa out there is made from commercial pastes that contain mostly chilli oil. You don’t really taste the spices. I want to ensure we’re making heritage food the proper way,” she explains. Vera helms the kitchen and does most of the cooking at the stall, with assistance from a part-time worker.
The hawker life ain’t easy
Vera admits that being a hawker has been more physically demanding than expected: “I cooked sometimes at my former restaurants, but not to this extent. Now that I’m cooking daily, I can really empathise with all the work that my staff had to go through!”
Does she view her current trade as a ‘downgrade’ from her restaurateur days? “Not at all. The customers have been very nice. They understand that my food takes a longer time to prepare and they’d tell me ‘it’s okay, take your time’. Some would walk back to my stall after finishing their meal to compliment the food. It’s very touching,” she says.
While Vera prefers not to disclose details about her previous salary as a real estate agent, she shares that her lifestyle has undergone a significant shift since becoming a hawker. “In real estate, I had more control over my time. I can manage my appointments, schedule holidays and make time for hobbies like hiking. Suddenly [as a hawker], planning for all these has become more challenging until everything falls into place [at my stall],” she says.
For now, Vera does not plan to open any new restaurants. Instead, she has her sights set on growing Nana Nonya. “I hope that we can expand into a franchise. I’m trying to simplify my cooking processes so that one day we can sell our sauces to [the franchisees],” she shares.
Dry Laksa, $6
Slippery rice noodles slicked in coconut-rich laksa gravy that’s fresh and fragrant without overwhelming richness. A stronger hae bee kick, however, would’ve amped up the shiok factor of the dish. Served with prawns, half a hard boiled egg, deep-fried tofu puffs and fishcake, this is a milder, comforting plate of dry laksa that won’t leave you feeling too jelak.
Ayam Buah Keluak Rice Set, $8.90 (8 DAYS Pick!)
The ayam buah keluak is much tastier. Succulent chicken chunks are cooked in a robust paste showcasing the nut’s earthy flavours, pairing well with fluffy rice tinted with butterfly pea flowers and chap chye.
Beef Rendang, $6 (8 DAYS Pick!)
Creamy, aromatic and slightly sweet. The Australian beef shank is cooked well – tender, with a good bite. We recommend ordering this as a rice set ($8.90).
Prawn Paste Wings, $5 for six pcs
Crispy wings redolent of a punchy, pleasantly pungent har cheong marinade.
Ngoh Hiang, $4 per roll
Featuring minced pork, prawn and water chestnut, the mushy texture of the filling lets down an otherwise generously-stuffed, crisp-skinned roll.
Bottom line
While most of the dishes here are comforting and fairly aromatic, don’t expect the depth of flavour that you get from restaurant-standard Peranakan cuisine at these reasonable prices. That said, for those seeking a home-style, relatively wallet-friendly meal, Nana Nonya is a delightful choice. Order the ayam buah keluak and beef rendang rice sets – especially the former for its heady and complex flavours.
The details
Nana Nonya is at #02-K31 Buangkok Hawker Centre, Sengkang Grand Mall, 70 Compassvale Bow, S544692. Open daily except Tue, 11am - 9pm. More info via Facebook & Instagram. Tel: 8081 0667.
Photos: Aik Chen
