Seng House – Chic Cafe With Retro Interior and Asian-Inspired Spread at Tanjong Katong

Brioche with kaya. Pancakes served alongside chicken rice. At Seng House, you’ll find an Asian flair suffused within the menu – not surprising, considering that the cafe is opened by the family behind Gu Zao Ren Taiwan Porridge at Changi Road. They also started Seng Coffee Bar, a casual diner that serves coffee and tipples.

Expect to find the same heritage charm at their latest concept. Emerald green dominates the spacious location along Tanjong Katong Road; the pet-friendly alfresco area is lined with green chairs and potted plants, while the homey interior is dressed in retro floor tiles and patterned glass screens.

You’ll find an oriental-inspired menu at Seng House. The usual brunch plates can come spiced up with Hainanese flavours, or classic Asian dishes might be presented in modern ways. Seng Breakfast Club ($20.80), for example, swaps the usual sourdough for char-grilled toasts and homemade kaya. And besides the common additions of sausage and mushroom, this version also comes with cubes of luncheon meat. It is an interesting East-meets-West combination, though we wished the portions were heartier (we counted just nine cubes of bread and three thinly-sliced champagne ham). The kaya’s coconut fragrance was also on the mild side.

Another unusual feature of the breakfast selection: the yellow curry chicken bowl ($16.80). This dish comes served in a sourdough bread bowl, crammed with boneless chicken (great for easy eating), potato, and tau pok. It is deeply aromatic and fragrant in spice, but you’d have to dig in fast before all the gravy gets soaked up by the bread bowl.

Come lunchtime, the menu at Seng House changes to spotlight even more exciting creations, including claypot chicken rice ($18.80) made with spring onion and chicken consommé, and Hainanese pork chop ($22.50) where Iberico meat is fried in a cream cracker crust. Save room for desserts, where you can expect sweet surprises like the Donut Kiap ($10.80). Stuffed between deep-fried doughnut buns (like mantou but sturdier) is a scoop of yam ice cream.

While you might not be able to get your usual kopi or teh here, you could still find reliable cups of espresso-based drinks (from $3.50) and hojicha latte ($6.50). Do give the matcha azuki ($8) a try, this creamy, layered concoction comes with sweet red bean jam, milk, and a frothy layer of matcha cream. 

And to further complement the vintage vibes of the place, the speakers were dishing out nostalgic tunes of Billy Joel, The Monkees, and more.

MissTamChiak.com made an anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the cafe featured here.