Folks behind Gu Zao Ren and Seng Coffee Bar open eatery, Seng House at Tanjong Katong

Amidst the quaint surroundings of the Tanjong Katong and Joo Chiat area, Seng House finds a home among the row of picturesque shophouses.  

Located along the same stretch as old-school stalls such as Punggol Nasi Lemak and new-age coffee shops the likes of Flock Cafe, it’s an apt locale for Seng House. Its space combines old and new elements, placing a modern spin on a 1970s coffee house.

Seng House opened its doors to the public on Dec 15, 2022.

Its owner, Hong Liya, is also the brains behind Seng Coffee Bar, a cafe and bar concept by herself and her father along Changi Road. The duo also owns the popular Gu Zao Ren Taiwan Porridge that’s located beside Seng Coffee Bar. 

Seng House’s menu is divided into six sections: Breakfast (available until 5pm), lunch (available from 11am to closing) and dinner (available from 6pm to closing), bakery, desserts and sides. 

You may find it strange that the lunch and dinner menu is staggered in such a way, since dishes in both sections are available until closing. 

The answer lies in the fact that many of the ingredients used in its dishes are handmade from scratch, resulting in long preparation hours. The staggered availability of dishes allows the team ample time to get ready.

For example, the spaghetti and linguine used in its pasta dishes are made fresh in-house. 

Its desserts also get the same attention. The mille crepe cake (from S$9) requires the baker to layer each crepe above one another, piece by piece.

Hong said that the goal for her and the team was to bring comforting, nostalgic foods to cafes in Singapore. She drew heavy inspiration from her childhood experience in creating the menu. 

The claypot chicken rice (S$18.80) is a dish similar to one she often had as a child. The dish is made even more homely with the addition of Seng House’s homemade chili. 

One of its most popular dishes, the Hainanese pork chop (S$22.50) was inspired by Hong’s father who used to run a Hainanese western F&B place. According to Hong, the dish uses Iberico pork which grants the pork chop a juicer texture. Instead of normal breadcrumbs, Seng House uses old-school biscuit crumbs.

Coffee lovers can also look forward to a range of coffee-based drinks, including cold brews and filter coffee using beans from Ethiopia, Kenya and Costa Rica. 

At night, choose from its selection of craft beers (from S$9), cocktails (from S$16.50) or wines.

With its thoughtful curated menus and wide selection of drinks available, Seng House is a wonderful spot for meals or deep conversations among friends.