One Kind House is not your typical restaurant. I wouldn’t even call it a restaurant for it is housed in an old 3000-square-foot double-storey terrace house in Telok Kurau. It is an organic farm, cooking school, 21st century kampong” and art gallery all rolled into one. 76-year-old former primary school teacher, Madam Ng Swee Hiah, runs One Kind House with help from her son Calvin Soh.
When you arrive outside One Kind House, you will be greeted with pots of edible plants on the both sides of the driveway. A red signage on the front door says “One Kind House”.
The hallway is lined with little knick knacks and potted plants in recycled plastic bottles. The landscape oil painting are done by Madam Ng Swee Hiah’s brother, Mr. Ng Yak Whee. The wooden stairs leads up to the family’s living space on the second floor.
The “restaurant” is housed in the extended kitchen at the back of the house. The food are simple home-cooked dishes, most of which comes from the organic garden at the back of the house. We were served nasi kerabu – blue rice made with blue pea flower and scented with ginger and lemongrass, stir-fried greens, omelette, chicken curry, grilled fish and ends with a plate of freshly-cut fruits paired with a dip of chocolate mint, yuzu and chilies.
The organic garden behind them dining area houses papaya trees, pennywort and chocolate mint among other vegetables and herbs. Madam Ng will give you a tour of her garden if you ask nicely.
Madam Ng Swee Hiah cooks the dishes with the help of the family helper. She moves nimbly around the kitchen and dining area, sharing jokes and enjoying conversations with her diners.
Madam Ng Swee Hiah regularly holds cooking classes to teach how to make simple home-cooked dishes using ingredients from her own organic garden. She will show you how to cook a 3-course meal for S$99. You can book the cooking classes on Airbnb Experiences.
Madam Ng’s son, Calvin Soh, helps with the running of the establishment and the development of urban farming technologies. In fact, the Grow-It-Yourself (GIY) Sticks sold on their website was designed by his son Dylan when he was 13 years old. Dylan illustrated and co-authored the book “The Big Red Dot” and he even gave a Ted talk which you can watch on YouTube.
One Kind House is really “one-of-a-kind” place for “one-of-a-kind” people who likes growing, cooking and eating their own vegetables. You will fall in love with the family, or rather kampung vibe of the place, just like I did.
One Kind House
Address: 136B Lorong J Telok Kurau, Singapore 425966
Opening Hours: Tuesday – Sunday 10.30am – 5pm (closed on Mondays)
Website: https://onekindhouse.com”
