Tanglin Cookhouse offers new all-day all-you-can-eat local buffet for under S$30

Tanglin Cookhouse has always been known for British fare done with Singaporean flair — think fish & chips, Hainanese Kurobuta pork cutlet, and halibut fish masala curry. Its latest buffet, however, dials that philosophy up a notch.

And it’s an all-you-can-eat, value-for-money one, too!

The Lemak & Co. menu is available all day from 11am on Monday to Wednesday, and priced at S$29.90 per person — with a minimum of two diners and at least one drink order per person — and only at its Tanglin Mall outlet.

Really, though, you’re really paying for a sheer abundance: Unlimited snacks, hearty mains, and desserts, spanning 15 dishes in total. It’s a generous and varied spread put together.

The menu leans heavily into familiar, comforting flavours that are approachable and easy to enjoy. We’d imagine this works well for family meals, or a satisfying lunch, when you’re craving something hearty and local.

Plus, more of the buffet line-up are new additions, with six of them from its usual slate of dishes.

And since it’s an a la carte buffet, you simply have to choose from the menu and order what dishes you’d like, with a 90-minute dining limit.

Snacks and appetisers

To start, there are classic nibbles such as emping chips with sambal belacan as well as the menu staple papadum with tomato chutney — light, crunchy, and eases you into the meal.

Among the appetisers, we enjoyed the chicken satay with peanut sauce & condiments. The charcoal-grilled chicken comes with the usual peanut gravy, cucumber, and onion. It’s familiar, but well-executed.

It especially stood out because of how surprisingly fatty the satay was, and this added richness and juiciness — something we really appreciated.

Other appetisers include a lamb curry roti john with ranch dressing — spiced lamb curry with toasted egg bread and creamy ranch, and the menu staple white rojak quinoa salad with jicama, cucumber, and quinoa in ginger flower dressing.

Hearty mains

The hearty mains are where things get serious.

It’s hard not to appreciate a good braised beef rendang — a painstaking, high-effort dish that justifies a good price.

This version uses slow-braised beef cheek, infused with coconut, galangal, and spices. The meat is exceptionally tender, with a sweetness and depth from the spice blend, and results in a well-rounded richness overall.

We also loved the ayam goreng berempah, a spiced fried chicken coated in crispy rempah crumbs — a dish that’s also available on Tanglin Cookhouse’s set lunch menu.

It was put together well, with the skin crunchy while the meat stayed really juicy and tender. There’s a steady but present kick of spice. It’s a crispy and satisfying plate to have on the table.

Another standout was the sambal barramundi with cincalok (fermented shrimp). The pan-seared barramundi is glazed with sambal and paired with a punchy cincalok relish that adds a fermented edge.

The fish was pull-apart soft, and the sambal leaned sweet — it’s balanced and enjoyable, even across multiple bites.

There’s also the Indian butter chicken, a permanent staple on its menu. The chicken simmered in a thick, smooth tomato-butter gravy that is creamy, rich, and savoury, making it a comforting dish for the table. 

Other mains on the menu include Nyonya assam prawn, and ulam kerabu (vegetable salad) with ikan billis — enough variety to keep your meal interesting (and to go multiple rounds, too)

You’ll want a solid rice base to go with all that — like we did — and the turmeric coconut rice does the job. It’s built on Tanglin Cookhouse’s signature nasi lemak base, served with the typical fried egg, sambal chilli, crispy ikan billis and peanuts.

The coconut rice is full of flavour, and good enough to enjoy it on its own. You can really taste that the rice has been carefully developed and perfected over time, though the accompanying accoutrements fall a little flat in comparison.

Even so, it works as a reliable base that pairs easily with just about any main on the menu.

Desserts

After working your way through the savoury dishes, you get to indulge in these satisfying dessert options for a sweet end to a heavy meal.

As an orh nee lover myself, I particularly enjoyed the warm yam “orh nee” with candied gingko nuts. It’s lightly sweet, silky, chewy, and addictive — a familiar, homely dessert.

There’s also the heritage gula melaka sago pudding, a comforting dessert that leans into familiar local flavours. 

The pudding is creamy and sweet, with bouncy sago lending a pleasing contrast to the gula melaka and the fragrant coconut.

While the warm yam “orh”nee and heritage gula melaka sago pudding are classics from its usual menu, here’s something new: The cendol coconut ice cream is another familiar crowd-pleaser — chilled and refreshing.

It comes with pandan jelly and a drizzle of melaka syrup, alongside a coconut ice cream that ties everything together with its milky richness. It’s hard to find fault with it if you’re craving a classic.

Lemak & Co. is a safe menu that works for multiple occasions — approachable, comforting, and easy to enjoy for just about anyone. And sometimes, when you’re hungry, all you really want is a whole lot of familiar local flavours done well!

This was a hosted tasting.

For more ideas on what to eat, read on the adorable Japanese couple behind izakaya spot Al Solito, and the new botanical bar Studio Frond at Joo Chiat.