The Place I didn’t expect a dining concept like South & East to be nestled with National University of Singapore (NUS). South & East is a full-service restaurant located at the Shaw Foundation Alumni House at NUS by husband-and-wife chefs Shane Gan and Evelyna Wibawa, which is a continuation of the duo’s private dining venture and pop-up series, SouthEast from October 2024 to June 2025.

Both husband and wife were previously trained at Michelin-starred kitchens and acclaimed restaurants to craft charcoal-grilled and smoked creations infused with bold Southeast Asian flavours. The eatery’s name reflects both their first venture and their partnership — “S” for Shane and “E” for Eve, and the interior of the restaurant is a warm and cosy ambience, think rattan accents, terracotta tiles, earthy tones. 

The Food The cuisine here is a take on Southeast Asian flavours and one of the signatures is the Five Spice Smoked Beef Short Ribs (S$67/regular). The short ribs are first rubbed with a house made blend of five spices then smoked for up to 10 hours and is paired with a BBQ sauce made with ‘kecap manis’, as well as some pickles. While it is one of the pricier items on the menu, the regular portion is good to share for 3-4 pax assuming you are going to order other dishes to share. Flavour wise, I think it could be smokier and more intense. 

The series of starters and vegetables fared well for me, where I particularly enjoyed the Grilled Cabbage with Kaffir Lime Sauce (S$15) which is so moreish, especially that kaffir lime sauce which the cabbage is soaked in. 

To add on, the Smoked Cauliflower with Roasted Corn Sauce (S$18) is a huge portion with a nice smokiness.

This is probably one of the dishes I enjoyed the most, the Grilled Fish Fillet with Spiced Coconut Sauce (S$28). This dish is inspired by the Indonesian dish Nasi Liwet, and it features a sauce cooked with numerous herbs and spices found in Southeast Asia which are slowly simmered with coconut milk and dried fish. Sounds spicy but not at all, and I think the sauce is rich in flavour and complements the fish well. 

For carbs, there is the BBQ Claypot Laksa Rice with Seafood (S$28) where you have laska infused rice along with charcoal-grilled tiger prawns and clams.

I think the laska oomph could be stepped up further to impart even more flavour to the rice. 

For dessert, I had the Pulut Hitam Cake with Coconut Jackfruit Dip (S$7) which sounds quite rich but turned out to be lighter than I expected. Have the cake with the accompanying dip which enhances the taste well. 

Rants The location of the restaurant is quite inconvenient to get to without a car. 

Will I Return Again? If you are into hidden dining spots in Singapore, South & East is one to check out especially if smoky and grilled flavours are up your alley. 

TheRantingPanda says:
Taste bud: 4/5
Hole in the pocket: 3.5/5
Ambience: 3.5/5
Overall Experience: 4/5  

South & East 
NUS, 11 Kent Ridge Drive 
#01-03, Shaw Foundation Alumni House 
Singapore 119244 
Tel: +65 8980 3428 

Opening Hours 
Monday to Friday: 11:30am to 3pm, 6pm to10pm   
Saturday & Sunday: 6pm to 10pm 

Ranted by The Ranter