A fan of lemak dishes and looking out for a place that could satisfy your cravings without putting a hole through your wallet? Tanglin Cookhouse at Tanglin Mall serves the answer with a 90-minute Lemak & Co. à la carte buffet that is available all day from 11am onwards, on Mondays to Wednesdays at $29.90+ per pax (min. 2 pax with one drink order per person).
The buffet indulges diners in unlimited servings of 15 local lemak classics, ranging from appetisers to popular mains and desserts.
Known for its contemporary colonial cuisine with a Singaporean spin, the Tanglin Cookhouse has two outlets, with one branch at Tanglin Mall, and the other branch located at Paya Lebar Quarter.
The lemak classics buffet is exclusively available at the Tanglin Mall outlet that is tucked into a tranquil corner of the busy Orchard Road retail district. The location is a short walk from the Orchard Boulevard MRT station, and has convenient access to retail and lifestyle places in its vicinity.
The restaurant interior hint of colonial influences and a touch of Nanyang in the lush white painted walls, dark green colour themed decorations and furniture such as the rattan chairs. The space comprises indoor and outdoor areas, and the natural lighting afforded a comfortable and relaxed ambience to the space. The spacious seating area makes the place ideal for family and friend gatherings.
Tanglin Cookhouse at Tanglin Mall: Free-Flow Crowd Favourite Lemak Classics
The buffet dishes are carefully curated to provide a full course meal, starting with appetisers, to mains and desserts.
We suggest to save stomach space for each dish, rather than succumbing to your cravings once you dig into the first dish. Otherwise, you’ll risk missing out by the time dessert arrives, as portions are generous. It is very tempting to clean out the dishes and ask for refills right from the start – a trap that we fell right into, and almost had to kiss goodbye to our (rich and yummy) yam paste “orh nee” dessert.
Here are some highlights that we would recommend for your lemak adventure:
Emping Chips with Sambal Balacan are a good appetiser to tease your palate of the meal ahead. The belingo crackers can be dipped into the housemade belacan, and a dish that is liked by children and adults alike.
For starters, the Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce & Condiments and White Rojak Quinoa Salad are must-haves.
When we took up a chicken satay stick and bit into the charcoal grilled meat, the lightly charred tender flesh transported us back to the days when we ate freshly grilled satay and strolled through the pasar malam (night market) as young kids. The difference was that the satay was much less greasy than expected and the rich peanut gravy elevated the experience.
The White Rojak Quinoa Salad offered a refreshing mix of jicama, cucumber and quinoa, tossed in fragrant ginger flower dressing. It was a quiet and simple dish that would have been brushed off easily, but we welcomed the salad as it cleansed our palate to set the stage for the mains.
The Turmeric Coconut Rice was the quintessence of the core ingredients that made a nasi lemak. The fragrant coconut rice infused served with fried egg, sambal chilli, crispy ikan bilis and peanuts made every spoonful spill with fragrance and nostalgia.
The Ayam Goreng Berempah was a personal favourite, which I believe would resonate with fellow lovers of chicken meat. Bite-sized pieces of fragrant, spice-rubbed fried chicken were dressed with crispy rempah crumbs, with each bite of the juicy meat oozing with warmth and light spice.
Another not-to-be-missed dish is the Braised Beef Rendang. We were drawn in by the slow-braised beef cheek that were infused with coconut, galangal and spices. While some might find the sauce too heavy, we felt that it was the signature of the dish and would venture to say that it contained the essence of the dish, augmenting the meat’s soft textures with the warm spices.
The Sambal Barramundi with Cincalok was a surprise find amidst the treasure cove of lemak dishes. The pan-seared fish topped with fermented shrimp had soft, tender flesh that melted into each bite, highlighted by a salty, umami kick.
Desserts to Wrap Your Meal
After the hearty meal, do not forget to wrap your meal with desserts. The Warm Yam “Orh Nee” with Candied Ginkgo Nuts was rich and smooth. As someone with estranged feelings towards yam, I was glad that I made an exception for this particular dessert. It was indulgently smooth and comforting, but yet not too overwhelmingly sweet.
The Heritage Gula Melaka Sago Pudding served creamy sago pudding with fragrant palm sugar and coconut, and the “Cendol” Coconut Ice Cream featured coconut ice cream, paired with pandan jelly and gula melaka syrup.
Both were sinfully sweet and delicious, so pick wisely if you found yourself at a crossroad between the dessert choices and your remaining stomach capacity.
Where To Locate It: Tanglin Cookhouse at Tanglin Mall
Tanglin Cookhouse (Tanglin Mall outlet) is open on Mondays to Sundays, from 9am to 10pm (last order is at 9.30pm). The Lemak & Co. à la carte buffet is available from Mondays to Wednesdays at Tanglin Mall, 163 Tanglin Road, #01-106, Singapore 247933.
