LILY•S Gourmet Bistro (Tanglin Mall)

Lily’s isn’t an entirely new name in the local F&B scene — having an outlet already at KAP Mall at King Albert Park which we had also visited previously when they had first opened their doors, we were pretty surprised to have found Lily’s to have opened at yet another location in end-2022. Situated at Tanglin Mall, their new location is pretty accessible with the opening of the new Thomson-East Coast Line — the mall is situated within walking distance from Orchard Boulevard MRT Station. Occupying a shop unit that is located right across from JEN Singapore Tanglin by Shangri-la, the establishment is one that seemingly focuses of Franco-Asian cuisine; one that focuses on modern French Vietnamese dining. The interior of the restaurant can be said to evoke some sense of colonial flavours amidst Vietnamese elements; a brightly-lit and cosy space to sit around with food use of wooden elements to provide a rustic appearance that compliments the modern environment. Having visited their original space at KAP Mall previously, we did notice that the menu served at their new location in Tanglin Mall does seem to carry a wider selection of items — the menu now being segmented into sections comprising of appetisers, salad, Banh Mi, Pho & Noodles, mains and desserts — they also do serve up prix-fixe set meals such as the Banh Mi Set and Pho Set during lunch hours which includes a fixed selection of appetiser, salad, main and beverages for patrons to choose from. Beverages available at Lily’s include house specials like their Hot Chocolate and Viet Cooler, as well as Vietnamese Coffee, Gourmet Coffee, tea, organic sparkling juices and soft drinks; those looking for alcoholic beverages can opt for beer, as well as a good selection of sparkling, white and red wines.

One of those dishes that we had tried at Lily’s way back in the day when they had first opened their space at KAP Mall would be their Duck Leg Noodle; the item is being described to come with elements such as that of a slow-braised duck leg, herb-infused broth and egg and noodles on the menu. Coming in a form of a soup noodle, the Duck Leg Noodle comes with a dark-coloured broth that somehow replicates that somewhat resembles that of the broth that comes with Kway Chap in both aesthetic and flavour — that light note of braised flavour coming together with that slight herbal touch that is especially uplifting without sign daunting for those who typically dislike herbal notes in their food. The accompanying duck leg came pretty well-executed; the braising actually helping to take most of its gaminess away; lightly savoury whilst the flesh comes off from the bones especially easily — one could definitely use the chopsticks to get around enjoying the duck leg without much difficulty even. The egg noodles came a little softer than what we had expected — perhaps due to the fact that it was being submerged in all of that herb-infused broth down there; that being said it also still retained a bit of that springiness at the same time, perhaps to tune towards how us locals typically prefer our egg noodles to be. Other greens are also included in the Duck Leg Noodle for a refreshing crunch — takes away that different dimensions of savouriness going on in here to reset the tastebuds.

Having been to Lily’s at KAP Mall previously, we were pretty glad to have found some of Lily’s classics being made available at their outlet at Tanglin Mall — this would include most of their Banh Mi and Pho & Noodles dishes, as well as that of some of the appetisers which they have to offer. We were also glad that the items that were previously being offered at KAP Mall were pretty consistent in quality and execution at Tanglin Mall — the Duck Leg Noodle being one item which we felt so. We also gave some of their other items a go for the first time at Tanglin Mall; this would include their Fried Vegetarian Spring Rolls as well as the Chili Crab Banh Mi — both being items that carry a heavier Vietnamese touch with the latter seeing a fusion with a local element here. Another item that we had decided to have a go on would be their Akaroa Salmon; an item that has a stronger emphasis on French execution with elements that provides a Vietnamese fusion — the lemongrass butter sauce being rich yet refreshing with prominent notes of lemongrass and what seems to be lime(?) that provide a fragrant yet zingy note that not only matched well with the fish, but also with the potato purée and the roasted vegetables that came along with it. One significant improvement that Lily’s at Tanglin Mall had done was the quality of its service — whilst there have been comments about their service at KAP Mall, we did feel that the staff at Tanglin Mall were pretty attentive and helpful; definitely helped the entire experience considering how the price point of the food at Lily’s is a little steep (the Banh Mi and Pho & Noodles ranging from $12 to $28, while the French-inspired Mains costs $38 to $42 per item). It still remains pretty unknown whether the local clientele would take the idea of Franco-Asian fare with a Vietnamese twist well; that being said, Tanglin Mall has always been a spot more associated with foreign expats however — possibly a spot where one can drop by to give them a go should they be curious about what they have to serve up if one doesn’t mind splurging a little.