Chinatown Heritage Centre – Singapore Heritage Restaurant

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Whether you are a Singaporean or foreigner, you would find a very unique and traditional Singapore dining experience at the Singapore Heritage Restaurant. I am a sucker for all things vintage, so on the restaurant’s kind invitation, I brought Mommy dearest down for a food-tasting session.

The Singapore Heritage Restaurant

My first visit to the restaurant was actually two years ago, when it was still named “The Porridge King”. Given its location in the ethnic shophouses of Chinatown, situated right beside the Chinatown Heritage Centre, it’s no wonder that the Singapore Tourism Board and National Heritage Board soon stepped in. That is why today, it is known as “The Singapore Heritage Restaurant”.

The restaurant certainly goes to great lengths in providing diners with a richly cultural and nostalgic dining experience. In keeping with the theme of Singapore in the 1930s, you hear Chinese oldies playing in the background rather than the usual jazz and classical music. Although I didn’t recognise any of the songs, the older generation would certainly be pleasantly surprised at the familiarity.

The Singapore Heritage Restaurant decor

Various artifacts of Singapore from decades ago can be seen as wall hangings and ornaments around the restaurant. From the old grandfather’s clock to the traditional coffee cups, the eclectic design and decor of this restaurant simply screams nostalgia!

Being born in the 80s, I wasn’t around at a time when these things were part of everyday life. It’s really intriguing to see them now and imagine what life was like back then. That is exactly why I love museums so much!

Old dining chairs and table at The Singapore Heritage Restaurant

The tables and chairs used in the restaurant are decades old. How do I know this? Well, we saw the exact same tables and chairs as exhibits in the Chinatown Heritage Centre later that afternoon. Vintage stuff!

With a customer base that is mostly tourists, the Singapore heritage restaurant works hard in providing an authentic Singapore cuisine. Besides the 56 items on the menu, the team of four chefs also regularly churn out new Asian fusion dishes.

Vegetable Spring Rolls

Vegetable Spring Rolls
SGD5.40+

We opened the meal with a round of vegetable spring rolls. The rolls were presented in a bowl that had a delicate flower as centerpiece. It was carved from a tomato! How creative! Fried until they turned a golden brown, the rolls were served warm and crisp. It was the perfect start to what was to be a very colorful and tasty meal.

Pearl Harbor Oyster Congee

Pearl Harbor Oyster Congee
SGD7.20+

I am not usually a fan of congee (porridge) but with a name like Pearl Harbor oyster congee, it intrigued me enough to want to try it. The porridge was cooked with oyster along with squid and peeled prawns. There was a very rich seafood taste and I had to reach for the pepper.

Overall, it was rather tasty for what might otherwise be a dull and flat dish, as porridge dishes have a tendency to be. Plus points for the very smooth and creamy texture.

Mango Chicken Rice

Mango Chicken Rice
SGD10+

Have you ever had rice served with mango? The only variety I had before this was in Thailand. Mango sticky rice is a very common food over there. Normally, I would prefer fruit to be a palate cleanser or dessert kind of thing, rather than be used as an ingredient in my meal. But for mango rice, I make an exception because it’s so darn yummy!

The mango chicken rice over here is awesome! Adorned with cucumber and tomato slices by the side, I had thought that this humble-looking dish might be good, but nothing spectacular. But I was hooked from the moment I took my first bite! It was simply mouthful after mouthful of flavor and pure delight!

Chicken Curry Rice with Bamboo Shoots

Chicken Curry Rice with Bamboo Shoots
SGD9.90+

The chicken curry rice on the other hand let me down a little. It was lacking in flavor as well as spice. Mandy explained that for the many tourists who are not too used to the spiciness of Asian food, they find this dish too spicy. That is why the chefs have to make it milder. To cater to us Singaporeans who like our food spicy, this dish is served with an additional bowl of curry by the side.

In addition, the restaurant places much emphasis on health. Rather than the usual coconut milk used to make curry, yogurt is used as a substitute.

Chili Crab Sauce Spaghetti

Chili Crab Sauce Spaghetti
SGD9.80+

My favorite dish of the day was the chili crab sauce spaghetti. You won’t find any crab in this spaghetti though. What you will get instead are four large and juicy prawns. The thing that truly makes this dish is the chili crab sauce. It was so rich in flavor I wanted to slurp it all down!

The beautiful presentation of this dish is also worth mentioning. Come to think of it, all the dishes had practically been art on plates!

The Singapore heritage restaurant is run by the multi-talented Alvin “jack of all trades” Koh. Not only is he a chef, he’s also a model, a motivational speaker, as well as an able designer. The restaurant menus and business cards have all been beautifully designed by him!

Don’t be shocked if you opened the menu to find his photographs (some half-clothed) on the second page. As evident from the numerous news clippings displayed proudly on one wall, Alvin has been endorsed heavily by the media.

Numerous news clippings at The Singapore Heritage Restaurant

After a hearty meal in this heritage restaurant, it would be a good idea to pop over next door to the Chinatown Heritage Centre.

Singapore Heritage Restaurant
The Chinatown Heritage Centre
46 Pagoda Street
Singapore 059205
(65) 6225 4024
Service:

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About the Author

Veron Ang is the founder and chief editor of Sparklette. She lives in Singapore and has dined and traveled across the world. She also runs Sparklette Studio, a web design and development firm. If you'd like to connect with her, head on over to the contact page or follow her personal updates on Twitter: @VeronSG.

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9 responses

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jkaiser
March 16

mandy zhang sounds familiar, the organiser of nus best blog?
Reply
Veron
March 16

NUS Blogfest 2006 to be accurate. She’d be glad to know that someone noticed.
Reply
Daniel
March 16

Porridge King used to be located in Katong along East Coast Road… the menu looks quite similar but the prices seemed somewhat lower then.
My only real gripe is that calling the place the Singapore Heritage Restaurant and having a fusion menu can confuse tourists who are not familiar with local cuisine. There’s nothing remotely Singaporean or heritage-y about spaghetti.
The cooking’s good enough without the funny dish names and wacky fusion creations IMO.
Reply
Mandy Zhang
March 17

It’s Mandy from NUS Blogfest, jkaiser got that right. It was a surprise jkaiser remembered! Thanks, jkaiser^^
Currently, I’m in Marketing of Singapore Heritage Restaurant. (Good food, with restaurant chefs at my disposal!)
Thanks Daniel for being a patron when the restaurant was located at Katong back then. You are right about the menu being similiar, and the prices being lower back then.
The rise in prices has been due to the economic trends these few years. Our Katong outlet opened 6 years ago. With a new change in location to Pagoda Street and to cope with rising prices(as seen in bus fares, and many others) in the last 6 years, the Singapore Heritage Restaurant has to follow suit to keep up with the costs. Hope you understand.
With regards to the Fusion Menu at SHR—– As we have realised, in this time and age, only the unique and creative stands out and leaves a lasting impression. A sensual memorable dining experience is what Singapore Heritage Restaurant(SHR) aims to bring to every patron, local or tourist. Hence, from the moment one steps in(the decor), opens the menu(fusion food names), starts ordering (the service), tucks into the food (the presentation and taste of our fusion cuisines), are all meant to let each and every patron enjoy their stay at Singapore Heritage Restaurant(SHR).
Nothing remotely Singaporean? Well, Singapore is embracing the “cosmopolitan” look, yet keeping its own cultural roots, as Singapore’s one and only National Restaurant, the dishes with its wacky names, traditional dishes and fusion cuisine reflects the above via the dining experience to tourists, which sometimes enhances the “Singapore experience” they have during their stay here.
Besides tourists, we also cater the menu to locals(fellow people who suffer/slog/live in this same land!). No one remembers much about the usual names in most eating places(nothing special, you see). We all look for the strange, different, funky and wacky, thus the fusion dishes at Singapore Heritage Restaurant! More new dishes are being created, explored and tried out at the restaurant on a monthly basis, to satisfy as many varied a tastebud out there in Singapore and the global entity.
Looking for the sensual dining experience with wacky fusion cuisines? SHR is the answer.
Reply
singapore girl
March 17

hey u HAVE got to try this place if you like French food. My sister and I tried it and it will definitely make u wanna return.And it is not expensive,less than $20 for main dishes, and only a few dollars for cakes and dessert. I think they close at 8pm daily as they mainly cater for tea, lunches and breakfast. Mondays are their off days i believe. THe place is choupinette , located at 607 bukit timah road. Try their egg benedict…Fabulous!
Reply
Daniel
March 18

Hi Mandy,
Thanks for the explanation, although the part about rising prices is not quite necessary since we understand the need for increasing costs of business etc.
I have to disagree about the need for fusion food in SHR… we are more cosmopolitan, yes, but there needs to be a clear distinction. An Italian joint called Mam Mia in Singapore serving spaghetti makes us cosmopolitan in outlook but is still essentially Italian. Serving spaghetti in a restaurant in a joint called Singapore Heritage Restaurant is utter misleading.
You don’t expect go to a restaurant in Japan called Japanese Heritage Restaurant and see it sell tom yam nabe (Japanese hotpot), do you?
If you want fusion food in your outlet, fine. But can I recommend that the menu states what is a truly heritage Singaporean food, and what is “fusion”? A distinction, perhaps, but a clearly important one.
Reply
Walter
March 18

Hey Veron, thanks for the plug and its interesting to also read from Mandy Zhang who is now doing marketing for the Singapore Heritage Restaurant. And of course Daniel!
Being very much in the heritage business, I must admit woefully that I haven’t eaten here yet. I could remember though that the restaurant does have a very high profile owner who has abs and pecs that can kill!
Mandy, do drop me a note or a comment if you have any ideas on blogging for F&B. I just did a post recently on this here. And of course, if you wish to do anything marketing related that has a heritage element, you can approach me.
Reply
Mandy Zhang
March 18

Hi Walter,
You will be surprised, but I have been following your blog for some time. Started reading it when you posted on the Ferris Wheel in Singapore.
Maybe we can meet up for a meal?
Reply
Walter
March 19

Sure, would be cool to meet. Do you blog too by the way? You can either drop a note to my email address or leave a comment on my blog. ;)
Reply