Foliage

Foliage is one of those restaurants that's been quietly challenging how we see define modern Singaporean food without making a huge fuss about it. This initimate 12-seater restaurant has been consistently pushing boundaries, changing its menu with every season, creating dishes that are influenced by Japanese cooking but still proudly local. 

The restaurant traces its roots back to 2019, when chef-owners Dillon Ng and Lusiana Hendrika first opened Allium in Jalan Lokam near Upper Paya Lebar Road. It was an unusual location – tucked inside a random suburban mall – but the couple seemed perfectly comfortable building something special slightly off the radar. Today, they’re doing the same at Foliage, currently operating from a compact space in Onze while preparing for a renovation in April that should see the restaurant reopen in May with a slightly larger dining room.

The vibe

For now, the experience is intentionally intimate. With just a handful of tables and an open kitchen, the dining room feels less like a restaurant and more like someone’s living room dinner party. White lighting and minimalist Japanese-style interiors keep things simple, while shelves of sake and open wine bottles line the counter. Conversations drift easily between tables, and on most nights it’s just Dillon and Lulu running the show, welcoming guests with a warmth that's just as comforting as the generous extra bowls of soup they often dole out.

The food

Dillon is largely self-taught, but his cooking has a sharp point of view. His menus, which change with the seasons, weave together nostalgic Singaporean flavours with Japanese ingredients and techniques inspired by the couple’s frequent trips to Japan. The current spring menu (running from February 25 to April 10 before the renovation break) follows a gentle progression: a refreshing appetiser, a soup, seafood and meat courses, then a comforting carb before dessert.

The dishes themselves are playful without feeling forced. They include hotaru ika (firefly squid) with a thunder tea–inspired kabu surinagashi, a reimagining the Japanese turnip soup with flavours reminiscent of the Hakka classic. Another dish riffs on Teochew cuisine, serving steamed tai with nama sansho and kinome – fragrant herbs from Japanese pepper trees that lend a subtle citrusy bite. And then there’s a sakura ebi vadai kakiage, which cleverly merges the beloved Indian street snack with Japanese tempura techniques.

The same menu is available for both lunch and dinner and is priced at $188 per person.

The drinks

The drinks list reflects the couple’s travels as well. Rather than relying on mainstream distributors, they often bring back small-batch sake and Japanese wines that you’re unlikely to see elsewhere in Singapore. Many are one-off bottles, so what you drink on one visit may never appear again. Sake pairings work particularly well here, especially bottles with unusual profiles. During my latest visit, I tried a Miyoi Umasugite Gokanben ($118), a craft sake brewed by incorporating kaiseiki-quality dashi, which was gentle on the palate but also layered with sweetness and umami.

Time Out Tip

If you can gather enough friends, book the whole restaurant for a group. With just a dozen seats, it turns dinner into something closer to a private chef’s table, which makes the experience a whole lot more fun.