Great Nanyang Heritage Cafe not only serves up local fare and cuisine but also offers an inviting and homely atmosphere with neo-nostalgic vibes.
Great Nanyang has a number of outlets around Singapore. We recently paid a visit to the Great Nanyang outlet at Geneo mall, where we immersed ourselves into the old-school decor and its food.
Great Nanyang Restaurant
From the outside, the Great Nanyang outlet exudes old school charm. Besides the large signboard over the entrance, there is also a green van, similar to the kind that would have been found driving around estates selling bread out of the compartment at the rear.
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Stepping inside, it feels as if we have been plunged back in time.
An old school sewing machine sits beside the entrance. A comfortable settee that looks like it could have come out of the ’60s provides a quaint seating spot and pseudo-cart is parked at one side of the restaurant.
Menu at Great Nanyang Heritage Cafe
Taking a seat, we had a look at the menu.
You can get a selection of local fare at Great Nanyang. There is the classic Singaporean breakfast of kaya toast and soft boiled eggs, nasi lemak plates and dry mee siam.
The section on Nanyang All Time Favorites included Shredded Chicken Hor Fun ($8.90), Penang Asam Laksa ($8.90) and Penang Prawn Noodles ($8.90). Hometown Zi Char included noodles like Mee Goreng ($8.90), Hor Fun with Egg ($8.90) and more.
The Local Snacks included Curry Leaves French Fries ($4.80) and Prawn Paste Chicken Wings ($6.90 for 4 pieces). The Curry Fishball made us feel like it was a bit like a cha chaan teng crossover.
Great Nanyang Food Review
We decided to order the Signature Hainanese Chicken Cutlet ($15.90). There is a waiting time for this dish. We assume that it is because they prepare it to order.
When it arrived, the chicken was nicely battered and in a pool of gravy which tasted like chicken gravy.
The batter was not too thick but still had a crunch as we cut into it, and the chicken was nicely seasoned. There were peas and a couple of wedges which seemed slightly over-fried accompanying the chicken.
We also ordered the Claypot Mee Tai Mak ($9.90). This was served in a claypot and arrived at the table bubbling away. There was an egg cracked inside along with meat and prawns.
With the thick brown gravy, dish was both starchy and tasty. If that suits your palate, you will enjoy digging into this. We think it may be good to share this so that you don’t get too “ge lat” by its flavour.
The last main dish that we ordered was the Dry Mee Siam with Chicken Berempah Leg ($8.90). This turned out to be our favourite. The chicken was nicely flavoured, aromatic and had a nice bite to it. We hit the dry mee siam with some lime and it was sour and spicy combination that we enjoyed.
To accompany the food, we had a Salted Golden Lime 7UP (which once more gave us Hong Kong vibes) and a kopi (Nanyang-style of course)
The Iced Coconut Coffee required us to theatrically pour the coffee into the cup through the layer of coconut milk.
To finish off the meal, we decided to go nostalgic and ordered a popsicle. This is the type that comes in a long plastic bag and you have to squeeze out. There are two flavours available – Milo and Ribena – both childhood favourites. We got the Ribena and asked them to cut it in half for us so that we could have a sweet end to the meal.
Overall Thoughts about Great Nanyang Heritage Cafe
We enjoyed the food and the atmosphere at Great Nanyang. For the setting and food, we felt that the prices were reasonable. Perhaps that is why it is not unusual to find long queues at the restaurant at lunch times. There are quite a number of menu items and we would need to make a return to the restaurant to try more of them in the future!
Where:
5 Craig Road Singapore 089665
111 Somerset 01-09 Singapore 238164
1B Science Park Drive #B1-32 GENEO Singapore 119315
Website: Great Nanyang Heritage Cafe
