Honoring Singapore’s early immigrant settlers and Teochew heritage, a historic home has reopened as a lifestyle destination for cultural discovery, gastronomy, and contemporary engagement.

Ornate stuccowork conceals a rainwater drainpipe in one of the mansion’s courtyards; crab carvings symbolizing success in the imperial examinations. (Photos: Darren Soh)

The weekend downpour does little to thin the crowd at Singapore’s last surviving Teochew mansion. Curious visitors stream into the granite-paved courtyard—some with walking sticks, others shepherding restless children—as urban sketchers perch with pads and history buffs angle for shots. A few clutch cups of herbal ice cream or milk tea from pop-up food stalls. People on a docent-led tour pause to take in the details, their faces alight with wonder.

A short stroll from the eastern end of Orchard Road, the House of Tan Yeok Nee is stepping back into the spotlight after decades of obscurity. Its November reopening marked the first time the gazetted monument has welcomed the public since it took shape in the 1880s as one of the “Four Grand Mansions” built by Teochew tycoons in colonial Singapore. Arriving as a teenager from the southern Chinese port of Chaozhou, Tan Yeok Nee later made his fortune trading pepper, gambier, and spirits. Following his return to China in the early 1900s, the property was sold and converted into various uses: a girls’ orphanage, Salvation Army headquarters, and a university campus.

Its latest metamorphosis is the brainchild of the Karim Family Foundation, created by an Indonesian-Chinese family that has expanded from the palm oil business into hospitality and real estate. After acquiring the property in 2022, the new owners enlisted DP Architects and conservation expert Yeo Kang Shua to lead a thorough restoration, bringing in more than 30 skilled craftsmen—mostly specialists in Teochew architecture—from Chaozhou for the project.

The result is astonishing. Sunlight catches the roof’s intricate appliqués of ceramic shards, crafted using a traditional inlaying technique. Restored murals depict scenes from Chinese folklore and key moments from Tan’s life. Newly commissioned wood carvings of peonies and phoenixes symbolize prosperity and auspiciousness, while original details like the carp-shaped rain spouts in the main courtyard have been refurbished in exquisite detail.

Visitors can delve into the mansion’s architecture, craftsmanship, and conservation journey at its heritage gallery, where a wall-spanning projection by architect and illustrator Jerome Ng Xin Hao reimagines the elaborate roofscape with animated scenes of past occupants and mythic motifs. This is accompanied by artifacts that allow a close-up look at glazed ceramics, stone lions, and timber beams finished with a rare patination technique known as “concealed gold.”

The gallery also showcases works by artists-in-residence, beginning with Tan Ngiap Heng—the great-great-grandson of Tan Yeok Nee—who explores themes of migration, lineage, and belonging by layering family photographs onto his body and using chlorophyll to imprint portraits onto leaves. Elsewhere in the compound, a mix of event spaces are set to host cultural programs.

Adding a dash of contemporary appeal is Loca Niru, a fine-dining establishment helmed by chef Shusuke Kubota. His eight-course menu blends Japanese sensibilities, French techniques, and regional produce like Malaysian cacao and kedondong fruit. Another restaurant is due to open in 2026, with both venues quietly complementing the vivid architecture that makes the house a genuine must-see in its own right.

Chef Shusuke Kubota of Loca Niru restaurant; a fish course of Wakayama grunt with zucchini flower and scallop features a spiced beurre blanc inspired by Peranakan cooking.

The House of Tan Yeok Nee is a masterpiece of Teochew architecture. (Photo: Darren Soh)

This article originally appeared in the December 2025/February 2026 print issue of DestinAsian magazine (“Open House”). Buy a single issue or subscribe here.

Here’s Why You Should Visit the House of Tan Yeok Nee

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