Great Nanyang, founded by the same people who brought us Yang Ming Seafood, has opened a second location at 111 Somerset, Orchard. This new branch features more photogenic retro decor inspired by old Singapore and Malaysia, as well as a new store-exclusive menu that includes nostalgic treats like popsicles.
The interior of Great Nanyang emits a vibe from the olden eras.
Adding to its coffeeshop favorites like nasi lemak kukus, mee siam, egg fried rice eggs, and more, Yang Ming Seafood’s founder Keith Kang has expanded its offerings with a new store-exclusive menu that captures the essence of olden day Malaysia and Singapore.
For an authentic touch, Keith diligently selected vintage décor from various sources to serve them against, making for more Instagrammable backdrops.
Featuring a Menu Inspired by Childhood Memories
The dishes at Great Nanyang are inspired by Keith’s cherished recollections of his childhood in Penang, Malaysia, as well as his successful career in Singapore’s coffeeshop and seafood markets, culminating in Yang Ming Seafood. Blending his beloved flavors from the traditional kopitiams of both places—so similar yet unique with their own unique touches—in Great Nanyang, he aspires to preserve this cultural legacy that is vanishing in today’s modern world and pass it on to the next generation.
Nostalgic photographs are also displayed inside.
A portion of half-boiled eggs and hand-made toasts will transport diners back to the glory days of the fledgling nations of Malaysia and Singapore, when both were hopeful for a prosperous future.
The Curry Chicken Chee Cheong Fun is among the new additions to the menu.
Keith has a passion for food and has opened a number of kopitiam-style eateries with great success. He is no stranger to the notion of coffeeshops. His most notable achievement is Yang Ming Seafood, a world-famous live seafood restaurant popular among all Singaporeans for its signature dishes like Pig’s Stomach Chicken Soup, Andrew Lobster Chee Cheong Fun, and Salt Baked Crab. His latest endeavor, Great Nanyang, is a departure from Yang Ming’s heavy zi char influences; instead, it is devoted to the leisurely pleasures of tea delights and morning pick-me-ups.
Great Nanyang @ 111 Somerset
With furnishings reminiscent of a vintage telephone booth, Great Nanyang’s second location is yet another portal to bygone eras. In the 1990s, before the rise of mobile phones and the internet on-the-go, Singtel booths were ubiquitous across Singapore. This booth is an attempt to recreate those booths. The wall is adorned with vintage Khong Guan Biscuit tins, which were once a popular tea snack, and repurposed metal cans of Knife frying oil, which were essential cooking ingredients in kopitiams.
This Curry Chicken Toast looks so inviting.
There are other throwbacks, including the Mamashop popsicle stand, which brings back fond memories of the best popsicles from the 1980s for kids like Milo, Ribena, Hor Ka Sai, Sour Plum Kopi-O, and Mango. To top it all off, there’s a vintage Milo tin hanging over it, which you can adjust to your liking using a pulley system—a feature that anyone from that era will recognize as the “cash register” that used to deposit payments under the old honor system.
The focal point of the restaurant is the historic home facade that frames the kitchen’s roof. It resembles the house that Keith’s wife’s grandpa lived in; it was from there that he had to court her and woo her, as he could see her bedroom window from the grounds of the house.
Vintage advertising flyers and posters, vintage publications from the corresponding decades, and an antique clock all contribute to the overall vintage scene. Fortunately, Keith has also located his grandfather’s old bicycle, which he plans to put in a corner and let it relive its glory days as the years go by.
New Additions to the Menu
New additions to Great Nanyang’s kopitiam menu include dishes like Curry Chicken Toast ($7.90), which combines toasted baguette slices with a rich curry chicken; and Curry Chicken Chee Cheo ng Fun ($9.90), which uses the same fragrant curry chicken to coat silky steamed rice rolls.
A kopi uncle.
The spicy black sauce, eggs, and mee tai mak are served sizzling hot in a pot, and the Claypot Mee Tai Mak ($9.90) is another new hot main dish that doesn’t hold back on the heat. You may relive your childhood with the classic Milo Toast ($3.50) or the thick ($4.00) version, which generously dusts a slice of toast with Milo powder and tops it with condensed milk for a malty, chocolatey delight that will make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
There are lots of new beverages here to provide a little bit of nostalgia to your tea break. Its moniker, “Fighting Fish,” originates from the fact that the Loong Tea ($3.80) is packaged in mason jars similar to those used to nurture Siamese Betta fish. The Sai Ka Hor, a variation on the Hor Ka Sai with Milo and coffee, is a mix of Milo and tea that comes in two temperatures: hot ($3.00) and cold ($5.00). For a lighter and creamier finish, try Soymilk Coffee ($5.90), another coffee enhancement.
