Indocafe, The White House, at 35 Scotts Road, made me pause. I wondered how this little black-and-white bungalow had managed to survive in today’s Singapore. Surrounded by high-rise buildings, busy roads, luxury hotels and shopping malls, the house seems to belong to another Singapore altogether.
Black-and-white bungalows are an important part of Singapore’s architectural heritage. Most were built between 1903 and 1941 and reflect a fascinating blend of architectural influences. Their deep verandahs, high ceilings, generous eaves and raised structures were not merely decorative; they were well suited to Singapore’s tropical climate. Some elements also drew inspiration from Malay kampong houses.
I have always felt that old buildings are much more than just structures, they are witnesses. Their walls and windows have watched generations come and go. Their staircases have carried countless conversations that nobody even remembers anymore. This contrast is particularly striking in Singapore, a city known for its futuristic skyline, efficiency and relentless modernity. Buildings like this remind us that Singapore was not always a city of glass towers. There was a time when houses breathed, verandahs mattered, gardens were part of everyday life, and architecture was closely connected to the climate.
Inside the Indo Cafe building, that sense of another era continues through dark wood, antiques, parquet flooring and details inspired by Straits-Asian and Peranakan traditions. The cuisine carries the same spirit forward, bringing Peranakan flavours into a contemporary dining experience. Perhaps the best way to preserve a heritage building is not to turn it into something untouchable, but to give it a new life. Let people walk through its doors, sit inside, talk, eat, celebrate and create new memories. The White House does exactly that. There is something comforting about sitting in an old bungalow while the modern city rushes past outside. We often think of heritage as something grand: palaces, monuments, forts and museums. But heritage can also be a house that has quietly survived while everything around it has changed. Singapore’s black-and-white houses are remnants of its colonial past, and many have found new lives as restaurants, bars, residences and other spaces. That transformation, to me, is what makes them particularly meaningful: they preserve history without being imprisoned by it.
The White House makes no attempt to compete with the skyscrapers around it. With its white walls, dark timber, greenery and verandahs, it simply stands its ground, quietly holding on to a piece of Singapore that could easily have disappeared. For me, it is less a restaurant and more a storyteller.
