The moment Baba Raymond Wong stepped onto the stage in his exquisite kebaya, you could feel the room shift. Then The Peranakan Voices began their first notes, and suddenly we weren’t just at a buffet launch: we were witnessing heritage come alive by the Singapore River.
The evening drew an impressive crowd: His Excellency Dato’ Indera Dr. Azfar Mohamad Mustafar, High Commissioner of Malaysia to Singapore, alongside distinguished delegates from the Embassy of Japan and The Peranakan Association Singapore. This wasn’t just about food: it was about celebrating shared cultural heritage that transcends borders.
When The Peranakan Voices performed, they didn’t just sing: they transported everyone back through generations. Their harmonies carried stories of Straits-born communities, of grandmothers in kebayas cooking in chatty kitchens, of traditions lovingly passed from hand to hand. Guests swayed, smiled, and some quietly sang along to melodies they didn’t know they remembered.
Then came the evening’s surprise: Chef Shirley Tay, the iconic Nyonya “Singing Chef,” took the stage. She charmed everyone with both performance and the promise that her celebrated recipes would grace the buffet tables. The audience erupted in applause: this was no ordinary launch.
When Executive Chef David Toh and his team unveiled their oven-roasted Whole Baby Lamb, cameras flashed like paparazzi at a premiere. This wasn’t just impressive in scale: the golden, perfectly roasted lamb represented hours of preparation honouring traditional Peranakan techniques where patience, precision, and passion create unforgettable results.
Exclusive pop-up stalls transformed the venue into a vibrant Peranakan marketplace. Guests browsed intricate beadwork, traditional kasut manek, and curated merchandise whilst sampling delicate kueh. The dessert display alone was stunning: miniature Peranakan shophouses filled with colourful sweets, traditional cakes arranged like precious jewels, each piece a work of edible art.
This wasn’t passive observation. People picked up beaded slippers, asked about embroidery techniques, and traded stories about grandmothers’ recipes. Heritage became tangible, shareable, delicious.
The collaboration between Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel Singapore and The Peranakan Association Singapore proves that the best way to honour heritage is to make it irresistible. Not preserved behind glass, but alive in voices singing, dancers swaying, chefs cooking, and guests discovering that Straits-born culture tastes even better than it looks.
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