Proud Potato Peeler Singapore: Greek Mediterranean private dining now has a restaurant

From a minimalist but well-equipped kitchen in a HDB flat to a new home fitted with sleek high tech cooking appliances. And from a walk-up apartment with modern Peranakan touches, to a charming setting inspired by a homey Mediterranean kitchen.

Chef-owner of Proud Potato Peeler, Alberto Simillides, started his private dining journey in Singapore around 2021 in his own abode along Perak Road. Now, Proud Potato Peeler has a restaurant and bakery at KADA, 5 Kadayanallur Street (the building opposite Maxwell Hawker Centre). Here, we revisit Proud Potato Peeler’s charming private-dining home restaurant that they started with.

Proud Potato Peeler

Address: KADA, 5 Kadayanallur St, Singapore 069183
Contact: 8380 8139
Cuisine: Greek and Mediterranean private dining restaurant
Price: $178 per pax, corkage $25 to $40
Reservations: $44.50 per pax deposit upon reservation required, book online (hyperlinked)

Trained in Cyprus, Naples, Athens

As a Turkish-Greek from Cyprus, he was constantly surrounded by traditional home cooked flavours by his late grandmother – who inspired him to be a chef.

After graduating from culinary school, Alberto trained in hotels and restaurants in Cyprus. He later worked in cities like Naples, Athens and Berlin. The latter was where he hosted his first private dining session.

The one thing that the chef enjoyed the most was seeing groups of people enjoying delicious food with one another.

Moved to Singapore

Subsequently he moved across the oceans to Singapore to work as head chef of Alati Divine Greek Cuisine.

On his days off, he hosted small gatherings at home with friends, and these sessions started to become popular through word of mouth. Eventually Alberto and his partner decided to launch a private dining concept called Proud Potato Peeler.

Open-Concept Cooking & Dining

When the 34-year-old chef first planned his kitchen design, a few things came to mind. He wanted the rented shophouse unit to be homey and cosy, as well as have an open concept space to encourage guests’ interaction with him. It should also remind him of home back in the Mediterranean.

U-Shaped Kitchen Countertop

His kitchen design is a long rectangular U-shape in which kitchen appliances are arranged on one side. “On the parallel side is a work counter top where I plate the food. It’s a back to back design that makes it easy to work in two areas at the same time,” he shares.

The colour theme he chose is clay, apricot pink and orange. “They are the traditional colours of a Mediterranean kitchen, which reminds me very much of home in Greece,” he adds.

Story of the Streets

For the narrow pantry, he added a huge poster of a painting by American artist Roy Lichtenstein who’s famous for his pop art.

“We wanted to have some sort of grittiness in this area – reminiscent of the streets in Naples or Athens – where I lived and worked before. I wanted to showcase the story of places I’ve lived in.”

Stainless Steel Kitchen

Alberto kept the materials for the countertops, flooring, cabinets and tiles very functional and affordable – as you would in a home kitchen.

“Stainless steel is used for the kitchen sink, and the countertops are laminated wood panels. Laminate is quite hardy and easy to maintain in good condition. For the kitchen tiles, I wanted to keep a certain Mediterranean theme, hence white classic square shape tiles with orange/apricot grouts were chosen. They match the same colour scheme with the main kitchen theme colour,” he says.

Neapolitan Pizza Oven

As for kitchen appliances that he can’t live without, Alberto says, “I love to cook with open fire – any form of gas, wood chips or charcoal. The main gadget item that we mostly use in the kitchen is the Neapolitan pizza oven which we imported from the UK a few months ago.” When fired up, it reaches up to 450 deg C. Back in Naples, Alberto worked in a pizzeria and specialised in making authentic Italian pizzas for over a year.

Thermomix

“I reckon my second favourite appliance is the Thermomix. It’s like having a spare sous chef in the kitchen,” he quips, adding that it’s easy to use for his homemade pistachio praline, five pepper spiced sauce, burnt tomato aioli and other recipes. He adds, “Although it’s on the pricey side, I’d say it’s a good investment to get a Thermomix if you cook on a daily basis.”

As for the ventilation in the kitchen, the chef installed a duct exhaust to help absorb steam, smoke and smells. “Clean air in a house or commercial kitchen is pretty important for health and hygiene,” he points out.

Earthy Tableware

For the table setting, Alberto prefers to use earthy colours. Linen towels and table cloths are in white or brown, which complement well with his food and porcelain.

“We also use kraft paper (to line the table) which is commonly used in many eateries in Middle East and Greece – as it is easier to clean and also less stressful,” he adds.

One of Alberto’s fondest food memories was learning to cook from his grandmother. Her signature recipe was her tomato sauce which was simmered for almost six hours till the texture was caramelised and similar to a tomato jam. It had natural sweetness without any added sugar.

Cast Iron Pots and Pans

In the kitchen, his grandmother used cast iron pots and pans to prepare food - which is something that Alberto uses a lot too these days. He says that the cast iron helps especially when they are used on a stove or open fire like in a pizza oven. He believes that when cooked in a heavy duty cast iron pot, the food appears to have more depth and flavour.

Grandmother-Inspired Menu

Alberto continues, “My grandmother’s pies are something that I remember having as a kid.”

As a tribute to his grandmother, one of Proud Potato Peeler’s creations is potato pies with sriracha and Greek yoghurt sauce topped with Italian truffle and prosciutto. His menu also includes creative items with a local touch, such as charred beef short ribs with laksa inspired sauce.

Proud Potato Peeler’s home dining location was located at 10A Perak Road, Singapore 208131. Phone 8380 8139