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Tiffin Club
address
16 Jiak Chuan Road
Singapore 089267
telephone
+65 6323 3189
opening hours
Mon - Fri
12pm - 10pm
Closed on Weekends
Owners Ajai Zecha and Michelle Saram have carved out an oasis of quietude in busy Chinatown. Taking the form of a charming and well-conserved shophouse, Tiffin Club’s new chef, Iskander Latiff, offers patrons a taste of contemporary Southeast Asian flavours in innovative ways – the Gulai braised lamb shank, slowcooked in a West Sumatran curry, lingers on in our minds.
Tiffin Club unveils new contemporary Southeast Asian menu
Known for its use of traditional tiffin carriers to deliver home-style lunches to nearby offices, Tiffin Club’s previous menu of family favourites from co-owner Ajai Zecha’s family has been revamped with an entirely new menu focusing on contemporary Southeast Asian flavours. Dishes from its previous menu, such as the Escabeche pork tenderloin, open-faced Reuben and the tamarind duck salad have been replaced with original creations such as Jakarta beef soup with oxtail wontons and beef tenderloin with black pepper sauce, corn fritters and tempeh goreng. While each dish on the new menu is unique to Tiffin Club, all of them feature familiar and comforting flavours present in almost every Southeast Asian kitchen.
For example, the chargrilled tamarind pork tossed in a fresh bean, asparagus and vermicelli salad is a refreshing combination of mouthwateringly sweet, tangy and savory flavours; a textural delight with moist, smoky pieces of pork against the bright crunch of vegetables and cool slippery noodles. Some may recognize the Jakarta beef soup with oxtail wontons as an interpretation of the classic Indonesian favourite, Soto Betawi. Instead of a rich, thick beef soup, Tiffin Club’s version features braised oxtail-filled wontons floating in a clean-tasting, strained beef consommé.
The Gulai braised lamb shank looks to be another winner. Slow cooked in a West Sumatran curry, a sizeable serving of the deliciously spiced shank is accompanied with Tiffin Club’s house-made achar and an aromatic nasi ulam, fragrant with herbs and shredded coconut. Other dishes not to miss out on is the water chestnut and buah keluak filled ravioli, tossed in a light butter sauce, and the vegetarian tofu and grilled vegetable salad with spicy kecap manis.
Both Zecha and co-owner Michelle Saram are confident that the revised menu will garner the attention that it deserves. “These new dishes will surprise customers. Once they taste it, they’ll have one of those ‘Ah-hah!’ moments when they recognize the flavours,” Zecha reveals.
What we’d recommend to end off your meal at this chic hidden bistro is the molten chocolate cake with vanilla ice-cream and coffee sauce. Java addicts shouldn’t miss out on having a cup of Graffeo coffee, an artisan coffee brand from San Francisco, and reportedly a favourite of ex-Gourmet editor-in-chief Ruth Reichl. Equally gratifying is the Graffeo coffee sundae topped with crushed peanut brittle, a luscious spin on the well-loved affogato.
With a variety of ice and warm coffee beverages on the menu, a good array of wines by the glass and delicious fresh fruit cocktails, we’re convinced that Tiffin Club’s new culinary direction is certainly spot on.