Martina's Kitchen Aperia Mall Review: A Modern Peranakan Restaurant That Passed The Bibik Test

When it comes to reviewing Peranakan food, I have a secret weapon.

My Bibik.

Well… technically she’s my mum, but if anyone knows how authentic Peranakan dishes should taste, it’s her. Having grown up cooking and eating Peranakan food, she’s not easily impressed. So when we were invited to try Martina’s Kitchen’s second outlet at Aperia Mall, I knew exactly who I wanted to bring along.

Would this modern take on Peranakan cuisine earn The Bibik’s approval?

First impressions

Located on the ground floor of Aperia Mall, Martina’s Kitchen is easy to miss if you’re walking through the mall. That’s because the entrance actually faces Lavender Street, right next to Hot Hideout.

Inside, the restaurant feels bright and welcoming with colourful Peranakan-inspired décor that pays tribute to the culture without feeling overly traditional. The new outlet has also been designed to immerse diners in Peranakan heritage through its décor, tableware and regular live music performances on Friday and Saturday evenings.

Udang Sambal Petai was the undisputed winner

If we had to order just one dish again, this would be it.

The Udang Sambal Petai immediately became our favourite dish of the meal.

The sambal packed a proper spicy punch without relying on excessive sweetness. It reminded me of the sambal that used to accompany barbecue stingray years ago before sweeter versions became far more common.

Despite reaching for our drinks after almost every mouthful, we simply couldn’t stop eating it.

Our rating: 10/10.

The Babi Pongteh came remarkably close to my mum’s recipe

That’s probably one of the biggest compliments my mum could give.

Unlike many versions that balance garlic and shallots quite evenly, Martina’s Kitchen leans more heavily on garlic, making it taste surprisingly similar to the version I grew up eating at home.

The pork was beautifully tender while the mushrooms had absorbed plenty of flavour. The addition of potatoes was an interesting touch. Although not common in our family, we’ve heard of other Peranakan households preparing it this way, and they worked well with the rich gravy.

The only thing we’d tweak would be the chestnuts, which could have been cooked a little longer to soften further and soak up even more of the delicious sauce.

Our rating: 8/10.

Familiar flavours with the Sengguang Goreng

When the Sengguang Goreng arrived, both of us looked at each other.

“We call this Bangkuang,” my mum laughed.

Essentially, it’s very similar to the filling you’d find inside a popiah, although much drier.

The restaurant serves it with lettuce for wrapping, but we actually preferred eating it alongside the blue pea rice instead. The rice allowed the savoury flavours to shine much better.

Our rating: 7/10.

The other dishes

The Fried Century Egg was an interesting surprise.

On its own, it was enjoyable, but pairing it with the leftover sambal from the Udang Sambal Petai completely transformed it. The creamy richness of the egg balanced the spicy sambal beautifully.

The Ngoh Hiang divided our opinions slightly.

It certainly wasn’t bad, and I found myself happily reaching for another piece. However, we wished there had been more water chestnut for added crunch and a stronger prawn flavour. The filling was also processed much finer than we’re used to, giving it an almost tofu-like texture.

Meanwhile, the Chendol was unfortunately our least favourite dish.

We ended up asking for extra gula melaka as there wasn’t quite enough sweetness to balance the dessert, while the coconut milk tasted slightly saltier than we would have preferred.

Drinks worth ordering… with one suggestion

Both the Bird of Paradise mocktail and the Yakult Auntie (exclusive to the Aperia Mall outlet) were refreshing and complemented the meal nicely.

However, there was one tiny issue.

The Yakult Auntie contains aloe vera pieces but is served with a standard drinking straw. This made it difficult to enjoy the drink without the aloe vera getting stuck at the bottom.

Our simple suggestion?

Give it a bubble tea straw instead.

Problem solved.

Final verdict

Martina’s Kitchen succeeds where it matters most — creating comforting Peranakan food that still respects traditional flavours while making them approachable for modern diners.

The Udang Sambal Petai alone is worth returning for, while the Babi Pongteh earned one of the highest compliments possible from my mum.

It passed…

The Bibik Test.