Native is a homegrown culinary concept that occupies a three-storey shophouse on Amoy Street – a restaurant on the first floor, a cocktail bar on the second, and a fermentation lab on the third. Native’s philosophy is one that has guided them through the years: emphasizing local and regional ingredients while finding the fine balance between the familiar and unknown. A curiosity for the rich lands of the region is what challenges the limits to the possibilities an ingredient can give, and fuels the synergy between food and drink at Native.

When Native first opened in December 2016, it was the first of its kind; intelligent fermentation and flavour extraction techniques were used heavily in making the most of each ingredient, and creativity was employed liberally to maximise output; it was also adamant about only using produce that was procured locally and regionally.

The foundation of Native remains and not much has changed, except that the beloved cocktail bar has grown to include a full-service restaurant with a casual drinks programme, a cocktail bar and a fermentation lab. Applying the same principle of evoking nostalgia without pretence, the newly opened Native restaurant has a concise menu of dishes that bring back memories of comfort, from a fresh perspective.

MJ Teoh, the Head Chef of Native, says that she wants to bring the food chefs love to eat to a greater audience, in a friendly, unimposing environment, much like how a family would share a meal. The 35-year-old has trained at top restaurants like Pollen, Nouri and Appetite. With the opportunity to now run her own kitchen, MJ brings to Native a delicate, refined technique that when mixed with her intrinsic ingenuity and love for local cuisine, results in mature comfort food made for sharing.

Part of her new menu we tasted:

Starters
Really Cold Somen
Native’s Miang Kham

Mains
Petai-So Clams
Nose to Tail Chicken Pao Fan

Dessert
Choice of Street-Style Coconut or Sticky Jackfruit & Sugee Cake

52 Amoy St, Singapore 069878