Touted as having one of the coolest walls in Adelaide (more of that later), Singapore House is a testament of the journey of a family owned, migrant fledgling business that has expanded into an Adelaide dining destination.
On the cusp of celebrating a decade, Singapore House owners and couple, Montie and Hailey Waraich, are working into their ninth year with the same enthusiasm and innovation that has set the restaurant apart in today’s dining scene.
The restaurant features an outdoor courtyard (enclosed to protect punters from the elements), overlooked by the main restaurant. The Green Room is separated from the main dining area by a cabinet of tropical plants, and finally, there’s the piece de resistence, the Butterfly Room.
The Butterfly room is perfect for smaller groups. With its private bar and unique wall of butterflies, it’s best used for functions but is tentatively available during weeknights for diners.
A five minute drive out of the CBD and a large venue with four different dining and function spaces would normally raise feelings of trepidation. After all, it’s difficult enough to fill seats in the CBD, let alone a suburban restaurant.
Despite the number of available spaces, visitors trickle in slowly at first and then very quickly fill the spaces, greeted warmly by the staff, as if they are long distance family who visit regularly.
The decor is a fantastic mix of oriental features with nautical embellishments thrown in. It’s the embodiment of eclecticism, from the light fixtures to the china, everything contrasts yet complements.
So, how does Singapore House differ, and why have they spent the past nine years steadily growing? Perhaps it’s their menu, recently updated, which serves authentic cultural dishes as well as quite a few new and innovative South-East Asian dishes. Perhaps it’s seeing Hailey jump from table to table, talking wine like a seasoned pro, giving recommendations and advice. Perhaps it’s simply that the spicy food is actually spicy.
Ultimately though, it’s the importance placed on serving food fit for family.
As you would expect at a big family gathering, the dishes are a mish-mash of cuisines. Hailey’s Sri Lankan heritage and Montie’s North Indian upbringing have helped immensely with that.
This year, a range of new recipes have been added, one of which includes the Egg Hopper, a coconut pancake served with an egg, chilli jam and a coconut sambal.
Stir-fried cabbage with turmeric, curry leaves and served with fish (or without for vegetarians) alongside Cambodian street food style fish cakes and a Thai inspired Jungle Fish Bowl are other examples of new offerings at Singapore House.
Singapore House is only a few minutes out of the CBD. Don’t be fooled by the lack of visible parking, the street behind the restaurant offers more than enough space for wayward drivers.
Singapore House can be found at 203 Glen Osmond Rd, Frewville SA 5063.
More News
