You might have heard the whispers: the iconic House of Tan Yeok Nee has opened to the public, and you can even dine here at their new in-house restaurant. For the first time in 140 years of the heritage house’s history, you’ll be able to actually enter the building and dine at Loca Niru, a stunning contemporary French-Japanese restaurant offering seasonal Kappo-style course menus.
Loca Niru is helmed by young Chef Shu, who used to front the renowned Omakase@Stevens. The space is simply beautiful, a testament to the beauty of Japanese minimalism and elegance, with the use of light wood furnishings, neutral tones and touches of nature. At the centre: a theatre-esque Chef’s Table where guests are invited to watch the magic happen up close.
Hokkaido Sweet Prawn Tartare
Frog Roll
The restaurant serves an 8-Course Tasting Menu ($298++ per person) with dishes that are artfully crafted with both French and Japanese sensibilities, while infusing familiar local flavours and ingredients like buah keluak, Nyonya curry, frog meat, kedondong, gula melaka and more. The meal starts with Hassun, a trio of bite-sized starters: Hokkaido Sweet Prawn Tartare, Sturgeon Pie Tee and Frog Roll. Each bite offered something different: refreshing zestiness, pops of savoury umami and hints of spice. Our favourite might just have to be the Frog Roll—don’t knock it till you try it—which was warm and coated in crispy kadaif pastry. If we weren’t told it had fried frog meat, we probably wouldn’t even know.
Awabi
Take a pause with a raw dish next: the Maguro uses slices of Chutoro that were some of the most clean-tasting tuna we’ve had. The dish balances both creaminess and refreshing lightness with the use of smoked tofu cream and calamansi vinegar, making each bite truly a delight for the palate. Our favourite part of Japanese meals have always been the chawanmushi course, and it’s no different here at Loca Niru. Their Awabi course easily slides into probably one of our top chawanmushi dishes, with their skillful use of only vegetables instead of seafood to create an incredibly flavourful and rich consommé. Each bite gives you silky egg custard, chunks of seasonal mushrooms, Wando abalone and umami goodness; we only wished it came in a bigger bowl.
Awabi
Take a pause with a raw dish next: the Maguro uses slices of Chutoro that were some of the most clean-tasting tuna we’ve had. The dish balances both creaminess and refreshing lightness with the use of smoked tofu cream and calamansi vinegar, making each bite truly a delight for the palate. Our favourite part of Japanese meals have always been the chawanmushi course, and it’s no different here at Loca Niru. Their Awabi course easily slides into probably one of our top chawanmushi dishes, with their skillful use of only vegetables instead of seafood to create an incredibly flavourful and rich consommé. Each bite gives you silky egg custard, chunks of seasonal mushrooms, Wando abalone and umami goodness; we only wished it came in a bigger bowl.
Isaki
Their signature Oyasai and Isaki courses are 2 of the mainstays from the seasonal menu. The Oyasai is a stuffed vegetable dumpling swimming in a milky kombu-infused warm broth and fermented cabbage. To us, this was reminiscent of a local favourite dish—fish soup, and tasted homey and comforting in the best way, but with an unexpected tangy twist. The dish was also topped with an intricate floral tuile, which you’re meant to break into the dish for an added textural crunch. The Isaki came as a set with the restaurant’s signature buah keluak bread course; and the earthy, almost nutty aroma of the buah keluak-infused bread was perfect for mopping up the spicy Nyonya beurre blanc sauce of the fish. The bread was definitely a highlight and the infusion was very well executed—there was no hint of bitterness from the buah keluak.
Muscat Kedondong
Our final main dish is a Wagyu dish: the pan-seared beef itself is glazed with sugar cane juice to give it a stick-sweet, almost caramel-like crust. On the side, the most artful and delicate caramelised baby onion topped with an onion-shaped tuile made from the skins of the onion—so nothing goes to waste. After all the savoury dishes, refresh your palate with the Muscat Kedondong—probably our favourite dessert of the night—which was a refreshing and uplifting cold treat topped with juicy Yamanashi shine muscat grape slices.
Ochagashi
Then comes the Chocolate Nutmeg, a chocolate dessert dessert that’s not heavy or overly sweet in the slightest, with subtle hints or nutmeg, a creamy gula melaka sabayon and cookie crumbles. Just when we thought we couldn’t be wowed any further: the Ochagashi was served, petit fours that resembled a miniature marshmallow version of a nostalgic childhood dessert, the Swiss roll; and a Lapsang Souchong cream puff.
We were blown away by the attention to detail at Loca Niru: from the moment you’re seated at the table, you’ll feel right at home. The hospitality here is also impeccable—staff members will address you by name, and were constantly attentive to our needs, even before we asked. We highly recommend sitting at the Chef’s Table if you can snag a seat, as you really get the best views of how each dish is lovingly crafted and how each member of the crew works in concert to create the best dining experience for you. The 8-Course Tasting Menu ($298++ per person) left us feeling satisfied but not overly-stuffed or hungry for more. You can also add on 6 glasses or sake or wine pairings ($188++ per person) or order alcohol by the glass ($32++ each). Guests at Loca Niru also get exclusive access to explore the heritage house’s gallery spaces, where you get to learn about the building’s rich history and the restoration process.
Loca Niru
Address: 101 Penang Rd, #02-01 House of Tan Yeok Nee, Singapore 238466
Opening Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 6pm-11pm
Website
Dining and Cooking