Brily’s Kitchen – Delicious Homemade Nasi Ulam to Ayam Buah Keluak
Bibik Lily is a private home chef specializing in Peranakan cuisine and is well-known for hosting elaborate dinners for friends and family. She also conducts culinary classes, host shows and collaborate with restaurants as a consultant.
Origins of Brily’s Kitchen
Chef Lily grew up in a Peranakan household, where her family would often gather to enjoy a spread of Peranakan dishes. As a young girl, she developed a curiosity about the kitchen and often found herself drawn to the kitchen to assist her granny with the cooking.
Lily ended up moving abroad and spent 10 years living in Australia. While spending time away from home, she often reminisced about the food back home. To satisfy her cravings for homecooked food, she would frequently call home to ask her mum to guide her on how to cook the food she missed so dearly. Through her mum’s lessons, she started to whip up dishes and even began hosting dinner parties for her friends. It was then that her spirit of spreading love through her food was kindled.
This convivial spirit that centred around food stuck with her when she returned to Singapore. She continued cooking for her friends, which led to her setting up her own private dining business in her apartment. With her jovial personality and keen interest to share the love of food with others, she takes pride in the food she prepares and warmly welcomes her guests to enjoy her food.
During the pandemic, private dining naturally came to a halt and Chef Lily turned to having food delivered to her eager patrons. It was during this period that orders for her food skyrocketed, and her customers often came back to her for more. She gained a steady stream of regular customers which motivated her to start her home-based business, Brily’s Kitchen, which delivers homecooked Peranakan food to Singaporeans all over the island.
Taste Test
I was given the opportunity to try her signature dishes Nasi Ulam and Ayam Buah Keluak, and it was truly a showcase of the complexity and depth of Peranakan cuisine. Her Nasi Ulam is a refreshing dish made up of 14 different ingredients. Upon the first look, it is intriguing for people who are not familiar with the dish. It is visually appealing due to the vibrant colors of the herbs and vegetables while being a testament to the handcrafted labour of the dish. It was a flavourful combination of herbs, spices and aromatic rice.
Ayam Buah Keluak was my personal favourite as it was distinctive and flavourful. The rich and dark sauce was a blend of earthy and nutty flavours. The deep umami of the sauce perfectly accompanied the Buah Keluak (candlenut) and the tender chicken. With the sauce generously ladled over hot steamed rice, the flavours meld together in a delicious harmony.
Besides Ayam Buah Keluak and Nasi Ulam, Brily’s Kitchen also offers nyonya chicken curry and beef rendang
To Chef Lily, food represents a lot more than just feeding the body. She believes that knowing where the food comes from helps one develop a better appreciation for the food. Through her food, she hopes to spread the culture and education of Peranakan cuisine to others. She feels that the Peranakan culture and food are unfortunately diminishing with each new generation as people start to opt for more convenient food and fewer people are familiar with preparing Peranakan food. Even for Chef Lily, she is currently the only one in her generation of her family who knows how to cook Peranakan food.
Through Brily’s Kitchen, she hopes that she can spread the essence and the beauty of heritage food to others. To her, the best compliments are when customers say that her cooking reminded them of their grandmother’s cooking, and this really touches her heart. This gratitude and appreciation for homecooked Peranakan food inspires her to continue cooking from her home kitchen despite her busy schedule.
Try some of the best home made Peranakan food from Brily’s Kitchen today on BlockChef!
