New eats at 4 foodie enclaves: Mandai Wildlife Reserve, Jumboree, Lentor Modern and Holland Village

SINGAPORE – Four enclaves are shaping up as the next foodie clusters. 

Recent additions to the Mandai Wildlife Reserve area – home to the Singapore Zoo, Bird Paradise, River Wonders and other new wildlife attractions – are drawing visitors to more than just the parks. 

These include a growing number of eateries in the Mandai Wildlife East and West sections, such as Song Fa Bak Kut Teh, halal-certified Indian restaurant Copper Chimney and Western chain Collin’s. 

The latest entrant is a 600-seat Food Republic foodcourt, which launched on March 20. 

Over at Holland Village, new eateries are continuing to bolster its foodie reputation, despite a number of tenant changes in the past year. 

The second half of 2025 saw the entrance of Japanese restaurant Gyukatsu Kyoto Katsugyu, fusion eatery 49 Seats and Chinese eatery Dong Fang Mei Shi. Nearby at Chip Bee Gardens are Latin American-inspired restaurant MyX and modern Australian restaurant Chip Bee Bistro. 

Following these, Italian restaurant Tutto launched its second outlet in February at One Holland Village, offering pizza and pasta made fresh on-site. 

Then there are new areas to explore – mixed-use development Lentor Modern and massive 17,997 sq ft food hall Jumboree in Tai Seng, opened by home-grown Jumbo Group.

These enclaves offer a smorgasbord of affordable eats from casual, mid-priced restaurants to quick bites from food kiosks for dining on-the-go. 

Here is where to go for your next feast. 

Mandai Wildlife Reserve 

Where: 80 Mandai Lake Road 
Info: www.mandai.com 

Instead of just visiting the animal attractions at Mandai Wildlife Reserve, embark on a food safari instead. 

In recent years, in line with the precinct’s new attractions, Mandai Wildlife Group has been beefing up food offerings across several public areas.

These include Mandai Wildlife West – near Bird Paradise and Rainforest Wild Asia – and Mandai Wildlife East, gateway to the Singapore Zoo, River Wonders, Night Safari and recently launched Curiosity Cove and multimedia attraction Exploria. 

Each area offers a mix of well-loved local and international brands, says Mr Teo Joo Leng, Mandai Wildlife Group’s chief product officer. 

The decor of some eateries takes inspiration from their surroundings. The storefront of Brooklyn restaurant Roberta’s Pizza features the orang utan and Malayan tiger, while Little Chimi’s – sister kiosk concept of home-grown Mexican restaurant brand Chimichanga – has illustrations of capybaras, toucans and otters. 

Little Chimi’s, which sells Mexican street food like tacos, nachos, burritos and quesadillas, sits alongside other recently launched kiosks in the Food Village at Mandai Wildlife East. These include Munchi Pancakes, known for its min jiang kueh; and Muslim-owned Churros Republic, for churros and ice cream. 

Drink options include Boost smoothies and bubble tea from Taiwan’s Chicha San Chen. 

The latest entrant on March 20 was Food Republic’s mega 600-seat foodcourt showcasing local cuisine. 

Styled as a 1970s food street, the space features three-storey shophouse facades, complete with movie posters and durian cart photo spots. 

This marks the first foodcourt foray for brands such as Boon Tat BBQ Seafood, Tanjong Rhu Pau, Old Amoy Chendol and Mr Coconut. 

Other highlights include Nya Nya Nonya Laksa, Huat Huat BBQ Chicken Wings, Uncle Lee’s Confectionery and Bagus Kitchen Nasi Padang. 

Food Republic’s general manager Andy Kiu says: “We worked closely with tenants to ensure that the menu is attractive to tourists and locals.” 

More dining concepts across the public spaces and inside the wildlife parks are in the pipeline, adds Mr Teo. 

And if you want a more unusual dining experience in the area, head to Cavern Restaurant at Rainforest Wild Asia for its Insta-worthy cave setting or Forage at Mandai Rainforest Resort by Banyan Tree helmed by local chef Marcus Tan. Forage offers a two-course set lunch at $48 and dinner tasting menu from $148 for five courses.

Jumboree 

Where: 01-02, 26 Tai Seng Street; open: 7am to midnight (Mondays to Saturdays), 7am to 10.30pm (Sundays), various stalls may have different opening hours
Info: www.jumboree.com.sg 

A five-minute walk from Tai Seng MRT station is Jumboree, Jumbo Group’s first food hall launched in February. 

At a whopping 17,997 sq ft, the space seats 234 people indoors and 148 in its pet-friendly outdoor area.

Jumboree brings together more than 10 food concepts owned by the home-grown company, including its mini restaurants Tsui Wah Eatery and Ng Ah Sio Bak Kut Teh. 

Other hawker concepts include Kok Kee Wonton Noodle, Chao Ting Teochew Pao Fan and Tai Seng Satay. 

Of course, a food hall by the group has to showcase its signature seafood dishes. Jumbo 1987 – a nod to Jumbo Seafood’s founding year – features its chilli crab (from $10.80 for 100g of mud crab), 1987 Signature Curry Fish Head with Jumbo You Tiao ($58, for four to six people) and 1987 Signature Live Lobster Mapo Tofu ($88 a portion). 

Other dishes include Fragrant Maotai Sanbei Chicken (from $22) and Crispy Fried Frog Leg with Sliced Ginger (from $24).

There is no need to queue for your food at these outlets. Just scan the QR code at your table or at the stalls to place your order and look out for your order number on the display screens at the respective stalls and in the middle of the food hall. 

At two other stalls, you can help yourself to dishes and drinks. 

Jumboree Premium Quick Meal puts a fresh spin on the traditional cai fan concept – you can take colour-coded dishes priced from $1.90 to $4.90 a serving. Pay $1 for a free flow of white rice. 

The other is alcohol station Brew Master, which offers up to 18 options, including red wine, white wine, sparkling wine, beer and craft beer on tap, priced from 36 cents for 10ml. 

Wind down with drinks and live band sets that run from 8 to 11.30pm, Mondays to Saturdays. 

Jumboree adds to other food options in the vicinity, including at BreadTalk IHQ mall, mixed-use development 18 Tai Seng and Grantral Mall @ MacPherson across the road. 

Lentor Modern 

Where: 1 Lentor Central 
Info: www.lentormodern.com.sg 

Head to mixed-use development Lentor Modern, launched in January in the heart of peaceful Lentor estate. 

The 90,000 sq ft mall – with 605 apartments across three 25-storey residential towers – is connected directly to Lentor MRT station, which also opened in January. 

Almost 50 per cent of the mall’s tenants are food and beverage concepts, says Ms Valerie Wong, managing director for asset management of real estate company GuocoLand. 

These include familiar local names such as Jew Kit Hainanese Chicken Rice and A Hot Hideout, known for its Singapore-style of mala. 

Other favourites include Ssada Gimbab for Korean comfort food and Nan Yang Dao for Malaysian cuisine. 

What stands out are the new-to-market concepts, including pet-friendly, plant-based cafe Merle & Co; Nolita, which combines Italian culinary techniques with Japanese produce and flavours; and Bunny’s, a burger concept serving Tokyo-style patties in soft brioche buns. 

The latter two brands are by home-grown Omote Asia Group, which also runs a third concept, the modern Japanese fusion restaurant Omote: Special Edition, at the same mall. 

On opening three outlets under one roof, the group’s brand manager Tricia Tan says: “The shared location among all three concepts means the teams know the neighbourhood, the regulars and the rhythm of the area.” 

Six Hands, the group’s Japanese-Australian salad bowl concept at Far East Square, is also running a pop-up at Bunny’s till mid-April, adds Ms Tan, and it may extend its run depending on the demand. 

Compared with the Omote flagship, established at Thomson Plaza in 2015, this Lentor branch offers a more premium and refined menu with outlet exclusives.  

These include the Signature Edition Roll with Roasted Unagi & Creamy Sea Urchin ($28.80) and Black Truffle Japanese Wagyu Don ($48.80), among others.

Its iconic chirashi selections, as well as Omote favourites like the Classic Strip Steak ($35.80) and Crispy Chilli Crab ($28.80), are available too. 

Also banking on two F&B concepts at the mall is Ms Yang Li, co-founder of fusion restaurant Daily and Chinese restaurant Chef Wen. 

Doing so allows the neighbouring outlets to share the workload for kitchen preparation as well as ingredients, manpower and marketing efforts, she says. 

Current favourites on Chef Wen’s menu include Fujian Sha Cha Hotpot with Seasonal Vegetables ($24.80), Chilled Sweet & Sour Pork with Fruits ($18.80), Typhoon Shelter Style Fried Pork Ribs ($17.80) and Garlic Butter Sea Bass ($29.80).

Daily, a more modern concept serving fusion dishes, offers Black Truffle & Poached Egg Pizza ($22), Sha-cha Prawn Pasta ($22) and Teriyaki Beef, Mushroom & Egg Yolk Rice Bowl ($21). 

New seasonal dishes are in the works and will be launched soon, adds Ms Yang. 

Holland Village

Holland Village may not be a new foodie enclave, but it is one that has seen several changes in recent years. 

Some reports in the latter half of 2025 questioned whether the area was still thriving, following the closure of establishments such as Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao restaurant and furniture store Lim’s. 

The 17th outlet of Japanese chain Sushiro has since taken over Lim’s space at Holland Road Shopping Centre, while Plain Vanilla bakery ran a five-month pop-up that ended in February in the space that housed Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao.  

Across the road at Chip Bee Gardens, two restaurants have breathed new life into Jalan Merah Saga. 

The first is casual restaurant Chip Bee Bistro, created by the original team behind PS.Cafe, which launched in July 2025. 

It has gained a steady following for its The CB Bistro Burger ($26), Steak & Frites (from $65) and Duck Leg Confit ($34).

The Curry Salt Fries ($15) with a Lankan curry dip and CBB curry ketchup, and Dicky State ($15) date and carrot pudding with molasses and vanilla ice cream are not to be missed either.

Following this, MyX launched in November 2025, offering comfort food with Latin American and Southern soul food-inspired roots.

Highlights include Salmon Tiradito ($25), a reimagined Latin classic with cured and torched salmon slivers dressed in a Guajillo chilli and agave-infused white shoyu and topped with pickled daikon and fried capers; and Crab Gratin ($18), lump crab, cheese sauce, Creole spice and ikura. 

For mains, the Seabass Veracruz ($36) pairs a fresh local catch with a sauce of tomatoes, olives and capers, while the Dirrrty Chicken Rice ($32) puts a spin on a Southern favourite – roast chicken marinated with black pepper, cumin, oregano and citrus served with “dirty” rice infused with chorizo, bell peppers and Southern spices.

The $26 two-course set lunch (Tuesdays to Fridays) offers the best value, while weekends (11am to 3pm) offer big brunch feasts.

Happy Hour runs from 3 to 7pm (Tuesdays to Sundays), with alcohol deals including $8 beers and one-for-one cocktails. 

MyX also offers a book-lending library and vinyl-listening lounge that loans out records and offers a space for workshops and events.

And, more recently, the second outlet of Italian restaurant Tutto opened at One Holland Village in February. It is owned by the family-run Da Paolo Group, which also runs a branch of its Da Paolo Gastronomia at Raffles Holland V Mall.

The home-grown group is no stranger to Holland Village, as the district holds a special place for her family, says Ms Francesca Scarpa, its head of marketing and product management. 

Her parents opened a restaurant there almost 30 years ago, followed by Da Paolo Gastronomia in 2000. 

She notes that the area’s demographics – of both businesses and diners – have evolved over the years.

“In the earlier days, there was a stronger expatriate crowd and many of the restaurants were independent neighbourhood businesses,” she says.

“Today, the mix of diners feels broader, with more locals, families and younger diners. The newer developments in the area have also brought more residents into the neighbourhood.

“What has remained the same is the social energy of Holland Village. People still go there to meet friends, share a meal and spend time together, and that atmosphere has always made it a natural place for restaurants.”