A slice of history: 5 legacy restaurants to know in Singapore

Today, Spring Court is a four five-storey shophouse restaurant that can fit 650 guests in the heart of Chinatown. Those seeking to experience Singapore’s old-school Chinese cuisine can visit Spring Court, where many of the chefs have been with the restaurant for over 20 years, ensuring that the food remains true to its taste and authenticity. The restaurant remains dedicated to maintaining the food’s original taste and authenticity while also looking towards the future. Mike is more than eager to introduce the culinary history of Singaporean-Chinese cuisine to the younger generation.

The 95-year-old Singaporean-Chinese restaurant stands as a valuable testament to the development of Chinese cuisine in Singapore. Its dishes are distinct from classical Cantonese cuisine, with a slight touch of piquancy that caters to the tastes of Singaporeans who are familiar with Indian and Malay flavors, as well as the diverse Chinese dialect groups such as the Hokkiens and Teochews. The restaurant celebrates its long heritage by combining time-tested recipes with contemporary culinary trends in their signature dishes, such as crispy roasted chicken stuffed with minced prawn, deep-fried yam rings served on nests of crisp vermicelli, and plump rolls of popiah filled with stewed jicama and prawns.

Spring Court’s cuisine is a perfect example of Singaporean-Chinese fusion cuisine that celebrates the country’s rich heritage of multi-ethnic integration. The restaurant offers a glimpse into the culinary evolution of Chinese food in Singapore, reflecting the country’s diverse cultural and ethnic influences. 

Spring Court, 52-56 Upper Cross Street, S(058348), +65 6449 5030

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There aren’t many places that can claim to be a Russian restaurant with a Hainanese flair. “Our Russo-Hainanese heritage was born from the legendary Troika Restaurant in 1963, where Hainanese chefs first interpreted the timeless recipes of Russian chef, Mamochka Liber,” says Alan Tan, co-owner at Shashlik Restaurant.

Troika was founded by the late Tang Ching Yung, a Shanghainese, who brought the popular Chinese-Russian dining concept from Shanghai to Singapore. The first Troika Restaurant was located in the building that is now the Raffles Hotel Singapore, and was probably among the first fusion restaurants in the country. When Troika shuttered in 1986, nine of its former Hainanese staff members pooled their life savings together and opened Shashlik Restaurant, as a nod to their Russo-Hainanese culinary heritage. Their passion and commitment quickly earned them the title of Shashlik Ah Kors (ah kor being the endearing Chinese word for both older brother and waiter).

The team at Shashlik prides themselves in preparing food from scratch just like Troika used to in the 60s, and continues to create memories for its newer and younger customers. Every dining experience at Shashlik starts with their famous savoury and sweet butter rolls, and is not complete without their signature flambé desserts prepared tableside, such as baked alaska, Cherry Jubilee, banana flambé and crêpes suzette. They still serve classic Russian dishes such as borshch, blinis, chicken à la Kiev, and the namesake beef shashlik, among many others, amid its same vintage décor of yesteryears. The time-tested menu also includes popular dishes such as oxtail stew, blue fire ribs and beef stroganoff. For drinks, make sure you try their speciality Russian Coffee.

Shashlik Restaurant, 545 Orchard Road, #06-19 Far East Shopping Centre, S(238882), +65 6732 6401

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One of Singapore’s oldest Indian restaurants, Tiffin Room was established in May 1892 by the Armenian Sarkies brothers, who also founded Raffles Hotel Singapore. What makes Tiffin Room an iconic heritage restaurant is its background, with roots steeped in rich Indian history, and where generations gather to celebrate special occasions with their loved ones.

“Tiffin Room is named after the traditional ‘tiffin’ lunch boxes that Indian mothers and wives would prepare for their loved ones to enjoy at work. Tiffin Room brings heritage and authentic rich flavours of North Indian specialities,” shares Kuldeep Negi, Tiffin Room's chef de cuisine. “Each dish is prepared with a customised blend of freshly-ground spices and traditional cooking methods, such as the tandoor, the customary wood-fired clay oven that sets North Indian cuisine apart from other regions.” Following the hotel’s restoration in 2019, Tiffin Room offers an elevated dining experience, refreshed with an earthy colour scheme to mirror the quintessential cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger used in North Indian cuisine.

The group considers these key factors in creating new menus and concepts in a move to continuously adapt to Singapore’s dynamic dining scene. “For example, we regularly collaborate with renowned chefs and restaurants such as Meatsmith Little India, Samy’s Curry, and Thevar. We have also done a four-hands menu showcasing cocktail pairings from The Elephant Room,” Negi cites. “These efforts are aimed at bringing an enhanced and refreshing dining experience, giving our diners a new perspective to the flavours and ingredients of traditional North Indian cuisine.”

The new menu features an expanded selection of authentic North Indian delicacies alongside well-loved classics. Tiffin Room also curates festive menus for popular occasions, including the Diwali Experience menu and The Flavours of Holi menu. Popular favourites include gucchi methi mattar malai, a morel and white mushroom curry, with fenugreek leaves, green peas, and spices. For non-vegetarians, murgh makhani is a must-try popular dish that features corn-fed boneless chicken leg in a rich tomato and cashew nut gravy.

Tiffin Room, Raffles Hotel, 1 Beach Rd, S(189673), +65 6412 1816

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Think of chilli crab, and Roland Restaurant immediately springs to mind. The popular eatery started out as a simple seafood shack along the Kallang River in the mid 1950s with just a couple of kerosene lamps, wooden tables and stools, run by Lim Choon Ngee & Cher Yam Tian.

“There wasn’t any electricity supply in the area then, so we cooked over an open charcoal fire,” reminisces their son Roland Lim, now managing director at the eponymous restaurant. Being Teochew, his mum would simply steam the crabs his father used to catch after working as a policeman during the day, and they would eat the steamed crabs plain. One day, his dad asked for them to be prepared differently. And that’s how the legacy of Roland Restaurant started. Cher stir-fried the crabs in tomato sauce, and several trial-and-error sessions later with some chilli sauce, her iconic chilli crabs were born. 

Today, Roland, together with his wife Lilian and younger brother Richard, still operate the 1,100-seater Roland Restaurant. They have kept the same four ‘heroes of the menu’ dishes that his mother made popular: chilli crab, black sauce prawns, baby squid and chilli cockles. To date, his mother’s chilli crab secret recipe is known only to him and his long-time head chef. It hasn’t been tweaked since day one. Besides the four famed dishes, other popular menu items include Teochew-style pomfret, crispy crullers (youtiao) and homemade tofu with ginkgo nut. Roland shares, “We have fourth generation customers dining with us now, all family members of the many customers that have been with us since my parents started the business.”

Roland Restaurant, 89 Marine Parade Central, #06-750, S(440089), +65 6440 8205

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Known for being PM Lee Kuan Yew’s favorite Peranakan restaurant, Guan Hoe Soon actually had humble beginnings. Despite being a Peranakan restaurant, the Yap family that runs it is actually Hainanese. Yap Chee Quee, who migrated from Hainan to Singapore, struggled to make a living until he was employed by a Peranakan family and learned the craft of Peranakan cooking. In 1953, he used his savings to open a small eatery on Joo Chiat Road, offering authentic Peranakan cuisine and named it Guan Hoe Soon after his three sons - Kow Guan, Kaw Hoe, and Kow Soon.

As the oldest Nyonya restaurant in Singapore, the third-generation owner Jenny Yap and brother Kevin Yap express the weight of responsibility to ensure the continuity of the business, preserve its brand, and uphold its cultural heritage. They strive to maintain the quality and authenticity of the food they serve, while incorporating new techniques and technology to keep up with Singapore’s ever-evolving food scene. For example, the new combi ovens and big blenders simplify the cooking process such as having to pound all the ingredients by hand.

Some of their must-try dishes include their ayam buah keluak which is mixed with pork and prawns for the extra hit of umaminess. One of PM Lee’s favorites was their otah, which they have refined over the years to be made with only fish meat, coconut milk and spices. Apart from the traditional dishes, the young owners of the restaurant are also willing to innovate. They have introduced a new dish, Impossible Ngoh Hiang with spicy brinjal and minced “pork,” to capture the vegetarian market. With their determination to blend nostalgic flavors with innovative techniques, Guan Hoe Soon is undoubtedly poised to stand the test of time.

Guan Hoe Soon Restaurant, 200 Joo Chiat Rd, #01-01, S(427471), +65 6344 2761

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