Indocafe The White House, Singapore

Top Restaurant in Singapore

In a colonial black and white house along Scotts Road, just a stone’s throw away from the busy shopping paradise of Orchard Road, is a true gem of a restaurant. Step through the doors and you are transported back to a time when the wait staff are dressed immaculately in black and white, when elegance still matters.

Within the quietly luxurious confines of this colonial house, pristine white napkins sit beautifully atop ceramic plates. Peranankan art and outfits adorn the walls, adding to the ambience of tasteful elegance.

 

I first tried 3 starters.

 

Classic Penang Otah
Steamed Spiced Egg Custard with Fish

Delicately steamed egg custard with fish, generously seasoned with freshly squeezed coconut milk and our special blend of herbs and spices.

Imagine silky smooth egg custard caressing the firm white flesh of Southeast Asian fish, bathed in a mildly spicy gravy. Heaven!

 

Ngoh Hiang
Five-spice Seasoned Meat Roll
Crispy homemade five-spice meat roll wrapped in soy bean curd and deep fried

As the morsel approaches your mouth, The sweet fragrance of the spiced meat fills your nose, followed by the thin crisp of the fried soy skin. They have marinated the meat well, so that the sweetness of the spices have thoroughly permeated the meat. The soy skin was very crispy without being overly oily. In other words, they applied the right amount of heat when frying.

 

Kueh Pie Tee
Top Hat Pastry Cups
Crispy ‘Top Hat’ pastry cups filled with shredded sweet turnip served with crab meat and accompanied with homemade chili dip.

The main courses are just as impressive. When you order any main course, they automatically serve you rice.

 

Ikan Masak Merah
Cod Fillet in Red Chili Sauce
Pan-roasted cod fillet in red chili sauce

The thin crisp of the fish contrasts well with the sticky viscosity of the sweet sauce. The killer move is that they have added raw shallots on the fish. The firmness of the fish and the viscosity of the sauce contrast with the crunchiness of the shallots to give the dish a multi-dimensional texture-scape. The sweetness of the sauce also takes away the heat of the shallots. Once again, the thin crispiness of the skin attests to how well it was fried.

 

Rendang Sapi
Beef Rendang
Slow cooked Wagyu beef sending in our special blend of spices

Oh so soft and tender! Heavenly! The beef was fantastic. I have tried better, more fragrant rendang in Malacca but the beef used here is definitely better than what I have tasted in Malacca.

 

Ayam Buah Keluak
Braised Chicken Scented with Black Nut
All-time Peranankan favourite braised chicken with black nut and exotic spices

Don’t be put off by its mud-black appearance; the black nut is an exotic, one-of-a-kind taste. The chicken is very tender.

 

Babi PongTeh
Old Style Braised Pork in Bean Paste
Pork belly braised in fragrant soya bean paste and aromatic spices

This has quite a bit of fat—— comfort food at its best!

 

Chap Chye
Stir-fried Mixed Vegetables
Penang-style mixed vegetables with pork skin and shrimps in fermented bean curd sauce

 

Home Recipe Bubur Cha Cha
Traditional Nyonya dessert soup of yam, sweet potatoes, sago and banana in a mixture of rich coconut milk and palm sugar.

The coconut milk is very thick and they have provided copious chunks of sweet potato and taro.

 

The prices here are uniformly reasonable. For example, the chicken (Ayam Buah Keluak) costs only $24, the cod fish (Ikan Masak Merah) costs only $33 and the beef rending (Rendang Sapi) is only $32. The Bubur Cha Cha is only $8.

The staff here understands the experience of dining. They tread softly and provide service that works. They know enough to ask if you would like the main courses served. Diners don’t need to be bootlicked nor ass-kissed. They just want a seamless dining experience. The staff here delivers just that. Nothing fancy about the service. No small talk, no fake smiles. It’s just service that works, and that in itself is golden.

This restaurant is just a 5 minute walk from Newton subway station. Also, right outside the restaurant is a bus stop. Bus numbers 5, 54, 124, 128, 143, 162 serve this bus stop. These buses pass through Clarke Quay, Chinatown and Shenton Way. In other words, it is possible to travel from these places and arrive right on the doorstep of Indocafe The White House.

With its great food, great service, off-the-chart value for money, this is not just the best Peranankan restaurant in Singapore, this is one of the best restaurants in Singapore.