Saffrons opens at Wisma Geylang Serai

Saffrons has arrived at #01-04, Wisma Geylang Serai (WGS). The brand has built a reputation for flavourful, authentic Indian Muslim cuisine, served with warmth, consistency, and pride. 

Source: WGS. Saffrons at WGS.

Founded by Mdm Beevi Ayoob who started the business nearly 30 years ago to support her family and educate her children, Saffrons began as a single coffeeshop unit and is now synonymous with quality and comfort food. Its expansion into WGS signals a strategic move to embed the brand in a location that resonates with its core audience while also introducing its offerings to new visitors, tourists, and younger generations.

“Once we saw the space, it just felt right,” said Rafsanjani Noor (Jani), Director of Saffrons. 

“We’ve been looking for a location in this area for a while, and this felt like the perfect fit—not just in terms of location and foot traffic, but because of what WGS represents. It’s vibrant, full of potential, and meaningful to the community.”

The new outlet features glass-panelled windows, a reconfigured open kitchen, and a 120–140 seat layout. Popular favourites like nasi briyani, mee kawen, and signature prata varieties will be available together with exclusives such as mee goreng tulang, prata with sambal, and sup tulang. Pricing will remain consistent with other outlets.  

Visitors can also expect to be served by a multifunction service robot that greets guests, delivers food, clears tables, and returns dishes to the kitchen.

“This outlet takes our concept further,” Jani said. 

“It’s still authentic and comforting, but with a modern and fun upgrade. We wanted to show what a heritage brand can look like when it evolves. We’re even hoping to eventually go 24 hours—make every day feel like Hari Raya!”

“Saffrons is not just a household name—it is a part of Singapore’s culinary story. Having them at Wisma Geylang Serai is deeply symbolic of the cultural continuity we strive to uphold,” said Associate Professor Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, Singapore Minister of State, Ministry of Home Affairs & Ministry of National Development and Advisor to WGS. 

“The WGS vision is rooted in building a place where traditions are not only preserved, but experienced. Saffrons brings with it a flavour of community, and we are excited for visitors to experience that here.”  

Located in Geylang Serai, WGS is a symbol of Singapore’s multicultural identity and a platform for the Malay/Muslim community to thrive, express, and share.  Anchored in its role as an integrated civic and cultural hub under the People’s Association, WGS provides space not only for events and exhibitions but for daily life to unfold through food, storytelling, activities and communal connection. 

“When we think of what makes a place meaningful, it’s not just the architecture or the programming—it’s the smells, the sounds, and the memories we associate with it,” added Professor Faishal. 

“Saffrons brings that layer of everyday nostalgia and shared identity, and we are incredibly proud to have them with us.” 

Bhoomi by Milind Sovani is an homage to India's culinary heritage

Chef Milind Sovani, curator of Song of India, will be opening the doors to Bhoomi by Milind Sovani in Singapore on 26 July. 

The menu is filled with nostalgia, featuring age-old recipes from different regions of India. From the coastal delicacies of the Konkan region to the street foods of Indore, Bhoomi offers a rich tapestry of flavours that transport diners to India. 

“The concept of Bhoomi started taking root when I returned to India and revisited my childhood and the journeys I had made across India's rugged terrains and humble homes. My father, a proud employee of the Indian Railway, introduced me to the vastness of the network and the diversity of the country which I embraced,” said Culinary Director Sovani. 

“In my journey through India, I have been blessed to discover stories, traditions, and unique nutrition-preserving cooking techniques. I’ve cooked with grandmothers in village kitchens with hearts that embrace the land's spirit. With all of these experiences in the bag, I crafted dishes that were deeply personal, rustic, and true to their roots. 

"I intend to recreate the experiences I have lived and breathed for every guest at Bhoomi, where each bite is a heartfelt homage to India, its people, and the age-old traditions that make our cuisine so special.” 

Much like the passing down of stories through generations, Bhoomi’s menu features Bhoomipedia- an exploratory narrative that seeks to keep memories alive. Bhoomi also takes pride in sourcing original, authentic, sustainable and healthy food supplies that delight the palate, nourish the body and respect the planet.

Source: Bhoomi. A Bhoomipedia page on the left, and part of the menu on the right.

 

Details 

Bhoomi by Milind Sovani 

• 1 Claymore Drive, #01-05, Singapore 229594 
• +65 6225 4221 
• 12 pm to 3 pm (lunch), 6 pm to 10.30 pm (dinner) 

Reservations may be made at www.bhoomi.sg or through dine@bhoomi.sg. 

Hashtags: #bhoomisingapore, #bhoomisg, #backtotheroots

Tandoor restaurant to reopen February 14 at Holiday Inn Singapore Orchard City Centre

Source: Holiday Inn Singapore Orchard City Centre. Selected highlights from Tandoor's menu.

Indian restaurant Tandoor will be reopening after a two-year break, on 14 February 2023. Launched in 1985, the restaurant will feature contemporary interiors and authentic North-Indian cuisines.

Award-winning Chef Sunder will be helming the team at Tandoor, serving both à la carte and set meals. Tandoor’s menu pays homage to India’s rich culinary heritage. According to legend, the Malmali seekh kebab, a tender cinnamon-smoked minced mutton skewer, was created for a toothless Indian nawab; while the delicately-spiced lamb shank, nalli gosht, was an Ayurvedic recipe used to treat a severe royal cold. 

A Tandoor exclusive, mango curry, offers a unique mix of sweet, ripe mangoes in a savoury, spicy curry. Chef Sunder’s dessert recommendation includes gulkand rasmalai, dumplings made from cottage cheese soaked in sweetened milk delicately flavoured with cardamom and rose relish.

Diners will be met with clean lines and an understated palette that complement backlit alabaster wall panels featuring jaali, a latticed screen typical of Indian architecture. Full-length glass windows give diners an intimate view of the kitchen where chefs bake traditional bread and kebabs in two custom-made copper tandoors. There is a private dining room, the Maharajah Suite, that can seat up to 50 diners.

Re-opening on 14 February 2023 with a Valentine set dinner, the restaurant will operate Friday to Sunday with lunch and dinner services.

Details

Tandoor
Holiday Inn Singapore Orchard City Centre
Level B1, 11 Cavenagh Road, Singapore 229616

Every Friday to Sunday*
Lunch: 12 pm to 2:30 pm
Dinner: 6 pm to 10 pm

For reservations, email tandoor.hisinorchard@ihg.com or call +65 67338333.

*Buffet lunch every Sunday

Maziga opens at Clarke Quay, Singapore

Source: Clarke Quay website.

The new Maziga, at Clarke Quay, is an attempt by the team behind Punjab grill in Singapore to redefine the way Indian food is viewed.

Traditionally, Indian food has been identified by rich and spicy curries and succulent tandoori kebabs, the company says. With a new generation of chefs experimenting with traditional dishes using new cooking techniques and tools, and a new generation which likes to eat healthy and party hard, things have changed. 

"We present traditional Indian favourites with new twists and in all new settings. The traditional kebabs of the Indian nawabs take an all new flavour when served in burger buns. Our mushroom cappuccino shorba takes Indian soups to an all new level.  Or try our traditional bhatti murgh tikkas served in Mexican style quesadillas. Whatever you try, be prepared for flavors and presentations you have not seen before," says the company in a statement.

Housed in the revamped The Cannery (Block C) in Clarke Quay, Maziga's ground floor houses Maziga Café while the upper level is Maziga Club, where disc jockeys spin the latest in Bollywood
and bhangra music.

Interested?

Maziga Café and Club is at 3C River Valley Road, The Cannery @ Clarke Quay #01-10 and 02-03. Singapore 179022. Make reservations at the cafe at +65 6253 7307 or at the club at +65 6253 5209.

Malaysia's KUIMB to train entrepreneurs from NAAM

The Malaysian Indian Entrepreneurs Corporative (KUIMB) and New Affirmative Action Movement (NAAM) have agreed to collaborate on entrepreneurship development and training. At a signing ceremony at the TEC2020 event, NAAM agreed to provide 500 entrepreneurs to be trained, guided and developed by KUIMB for the year 2014 and another 500 for the year 2015.

Source: TEC2020. From left, Dhatchynamoorthy Ramasamy, TEC2020 Conference Committee Member; Mani Peter Xavier, NAAM Representative and TEC2020 Conference Committee Member; YB Datuk M. Saravanan, Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports; Madhu Marimuthu, KUIMB Chairman; Girish Ramachandran, TEC2020 Conference Organising Chairman; and Sharman Arumugam, TEC2020 Conference Committee Member

KUIMB is an organisation aimed at raising the socio-economic status of its members, and provides training, creates business opportunities for members and helps with capital to venture into business.

NAAM was set up to economically empower Indians and increase Indian competitiveness by developing and creating a digital community and assisting with employment, employability and assimilation of Indians effectively into the mainstream community. It also promotes economic and business understanding among Indians.