BABA CHEWS BAR & EATERY

#01-01 Katong Square 86 East Coast Road babachews.com.sg

Setting: Housed within the former Joo Chiat Police Station in the culturally rich Katong neighbourhood, Baba Chews is serving up a festive kind of tok panjang (Peranakan for “feast”) this holiday season. Spread: The restaurant’s all-you-can-eat Christmas Eve dinner ($60 per person; first seating from 6 to 8pm, second seating from 8.15 to 10.15pm) will feature everything from seafood on ice, cheese and charcuterie to Peranakan picks like buah keluak chicken tart and do-it-yourself kueh pie tee (pastry cups filled with braised, sweet turnip, egg strips, chilli chukka and crushed peanuts). Local delights include assam curry turkey breast (stewed in homemade rempah with pineapple glaze), crackling pork belly panggang (barbecued satay-marinated pork belly served with pickled mustard vegetables), beef short ribs rendang, chilli crab pasta, Thai-style live black mussels in lemongrass broth and Baba Chews-style Nonya laksa (rice vermicelli in a prawn broth and coconut cream with fish cake, bean sprouts, cucumbers, boiled egg and laksa leaves). Secure a spot: Call 6723 2025 or email babachews@ihg.com. Don't miss: Takeaway items like the assam curry turkey (2-2.2kg, $84), crackling pork belly panggang (2kg, $84) and Iberico pork ribs with Indonesian sweet sauce and spiced potato wedges ($98 for a rack of 10 ribs), plus sweet treats such as gingerbread houses ($38-$58), Christmas cookies ($7.80/100g), fruit cake ($28) and local-inspired Yule logs ($59-$62), among other goodies.