Singapore's Peranakan cuisine is experiencing newfound popularity in the country, with culinary experts opening up their own kitchens to share the traditional art of cooking. 

Peranakan food originated from early Chinese migrants who married Malays from Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. The woman, or nyonyas, mixed Chinese ingredients with Malay spices such as galangal and tamarind, resulting in tangy and spicy flavors that make Peranakan food so popular in this part of the world.

Most Singaporeans know of Lynnette Seah as an acclaimed violinist and a recipient of Singapore's most prestigious arts award, the Cultural Medallion. But her friends also know Lynette as an amazing cook for Peranakan cuisine, who is founder of Lynette's Kitchen, a restaurant serving delicious Peranakan food. "I think Peranakan cuisine is the most complex and most interesting flavors of any cuisine in my opinion. Because in each dish there is at least 12 to 15 different ingredients that goes into the rempah, which is the spice mix. It’s the base of building up the flavor of each dish," Lynette said. 

Lynnette started her home-based private dining service in 2015. Like a true Peranakan matriarch, she enjoys feeding people and providing a special dining experience. "What I’m trying to do is to keep the culture alive and the cuisine alive by doing the home cooking style, which in my opinion is the way the Peranakan culture is built upon," she said.

Traditional or not, what matters most is taste and experience. Judging from the satisfying looks on diners’ faces and a long waiting list for a table at these supper clubs, Peranakan home cooking is here to stay in Singapore.