Great Nanyang Heritage Cafe 大南洋传统咖啡馆 (111 Somerset)

One of those places that had launched to much fanfare in the previous year was Great Nanyang 大南洋 — this is yet another one of those ventures that attempts to replicate the likes of Nanyang-style coffeeshops that have been pretty trendy across the border in recent times. Great Nanyang is a concept by the same folks behind Yang Ming Seafood — the very first location of Great Nanyang being situated at Craig Road; the folks behind Yang Ming Seafood has also introduced another concept named Hey Kee HK Seafood that had recently opened their doors at the old Singapore Badminton Hall building situated at Guillemard Road. The brand hasn’t be resting on their laurels — they had since launched their second outlet of Great Nanyang; this time being situated within the shopping gallery of 111 Somerset taking over the former premises of the now-defunct GLAZE as well as the now-defunct outlet of Maison Kaiser with the mall at the entrance nearest to the outlet of Hvala there. Whilst occupying a smaller space than their first location at Craig Road, Great Nanyang at 111 Somerset is still decked out in a retro and nostalgic decor theme that reminds one of the old-school coffeeshops of the past; there is even a corner decked out much like an old-school provision shop around the queueing area that one can take photos at. The dine-in area spans across both the main unit as well as the other space across the shopping aisle; the dining furniture comprising of wooden chairs and tables with marble-esque table tops that further exudes the old-school vibes that they intend to portray though can be claustrophobic for some. The food menu at Great Nanyang at 111 Somerset is segmented into sections dedicated to toasts, Nasi Lemak Kukus, Dry Mee Siam, Nanyang All-Time Favourite, Hometown Zi Char and Local Snack. Beverages available at Great Nanyang at 111 Somerset includes Nanyang-style Kopi & Teh, Specialty Ice Drink and Homemade Drinks.

We had previously visited Great Nanyang at their Craig Road location and had given some of the same items a go during our visit to their new 111 Somerset space made on a weekend afternoon; that being said, one item that had caught our attention during our visit to their 111 Somerset location that we had not tried during our visit to the original Craig Road location previously was the Curry Chicken Chee Cheong Fun. The Curry Chicken Chee Cheong Fun can be found in the Hometown Zi Char section of the menu; Great Nanyang does not describe of the elements that are being featured in their dishes on the menu — that being said, it can be observed that the Curry Chicken Chee Cheong Fun does come with some chunks of chicken that is bone-in, deep-fried beancurd skin, long beans and rice vermicelli rolls almost similar to the type that is served up as the local rendition that often comes with sweet sauce. Digging into the Curry Chicken Chee Cheong Fun, we actually found ourselves liking the curry gravy here; there was good balance of the flavours of the curry spices and the coconut milk that provided a good hint of flavours without being too rich and thick. The chunks of chicken meat also seemed to have absorbed the flavours of the curry gravy; the meat coming off the bones rather easily and is pretty tender to say the least. The rice vermicelli rolls comes a little springy but is otherwise soft and silky; there is also a subtle hint of the fragrance of the rice slurry used in the making of the rice vermicelli rolls going around as well — all that without being soggy and losing integrity having soaked in the curry gravy. The other elements like the long beans helped to add an element of crunch, while the deep fried beancurd skin provided a crisp texture.

We also went for the Dry Mee Siam Chicken Berempah Leg; consistent with our experience of the Dry Mee Siam Chicken Berempah Leg that we have had during our first visit to Great Nanyang at their Craig Road outlet, the Dry Mee Siam felt like it was missing of a bit of spices and a slight tang of the tamarind; definitely could do with a more noticeable hint of flavours, while the Chicken Berempah Leg comes with chicken chunks that although was crisp on the exterior and tender within, was somehow also missing of a note of lemongrass and turmeric and also the crumbs that typically come atop with curry leaves. The Traditional Kaya Butter Toast at Great Nanyang comes with three different types of bread choices; Traditional Toast, Thick Toast and Wholemeal — our order was for the Traditional Toast, and it is noted that the Traditional Kaya Butter Toast comes with Hainanese-style Kaya that comes in a brown hue; the Traditional Toast itself was crisp, and while there are noticeably thick slabs of butter that came with the Traditional Kaya Butter Toast, there was a balance of saltish notes and sweetness stemming from the kaya and butter. Another item that we are also trying out the very first time at Great Nanyang during this visit to their 111 Somerset outlet was also the Kopi (Iced); whilst providing quite a caffeinated kick and also being quite a strong-handed cup of Nanyang-style Kopi, it lacked the smooth creaminess that the ones served at Malaysian establishments come with — though still a satisfying rendition nonetheless that also comes with the overflow aesthetic for a visual factor. Great Nanyang has presented themselves as yet another alternative spot to enjoy Malaysian Kopitiam-style fare around the island — the 111 Somerset location being a more convenient location than their Craig Road spot; somewhere to give a try for those whom are curious on what they have to offer!