What would you cook for someone you love?
That was the question on chef Joel Ong’s mind as he worked on his newest dining concept — Home by Enjoy — in partnership with local film director Jack Neo.
Now open at Bukit Merah Enterprise Centre, the restaurant serves a variety of local comfort dishes meant to nourish and care.
Developed together with Come Here Traditional Chinese Medicine Clinic, the menu focuses on balance, warmth and long-term well-being.
As part of the collaboration, the menu also features dishes made with Chu Collagen Soup, a soup brand founded by Jack Neo’s daughter.
“This is not about putting a name on a menu,” said chef Joel. “It’s about shared beliefs, about family, about responsibility, and about doing things with intention.”
As someone with a soft spot for a good home-cooked meal, I visited the restaurant on its opening day (Dec 29) to see if the food truly delivers on its promise.
Stepping into the restaurant, I was greeted by a homely space decked out with antique marble tables and round stools. The walls were plastered with vintage posters, and there was even an old-school, kampung-style kitchen corner for taking photographs.
The tables were also set with retro Chinese tableware — something you might see at a grandparent’s house.
Overall, it was a nice and spacious place to dine, with ample nostalgic details without seeming too cluttered.
Comforting local feast
Among the restaurant’s offerings is the Yang Sheng (nourishing) dishes prepared with Chinese medicinal herbs. I gravitated towards the Grandpa’s Braised Pork Trotter ($16) — a dish that felt familiar, and one I wanted to try because it is something my grandmother often cooks at home.
Cooked with ingredients such as astragalus root, Chinese rice wine and Solomon’s seal root, the dish is said to promote blood circulation, relieve fatigue and reduce throat dryness.
The pork trotter struck a good balance between lean and fatty meat. The lean parts retained a satisfying bite while the skin remained soft, melty and full of flavour.
I could easily imagine having this dish with rice as a comforting, no-frills meal.
Other Yang Sheng items on the menu include Claypot Liver and Kidney ($17), 5-Ginseng Baked Kampung Chicken (from $21) and Tau Cheo Steamed Local Barramundi (from $29).
From the Cold section of the menu, the Classic Yusheng ($18) is described as a modern reinterpretation of the traditional Cantonese dish.
Served chilled, it was crisp and refreshing, with a tangy hit of lime that elevated the dish’s flavour without overpowering the ingredients. The sashimi also tasted fresh and not too fishy.
As someone who has not tried traditional yusheng, it came across as a well-balanced sashimi salad — light and easy to enjoy.
I kept going back to the yusheng throughout the meal as it was a nice palate cleanser from the richer flavours of the other dishes.
If you’re not a fan of raw fish, the Cold section of the menu also consists of other dishes such as the Winged Bean Salad with Dried Cuttlefish ($9) and Black Dog Quail Egg ($8).
Next up was the Sliced Chicken with Bentong Ginger and Salted Fish ($12) from the Steam section of the menu, which includes a variety of dishes such as the Minced Pork with Mushrooms and Water Chestnut ($10) and Live Lala with Garlic and Ginger ($22).
I found the chicken to be on the saltier side and it felt quite one-dimensional, but pairing it with the ginger helped lift the overall flavour.
The dish would be better enjoyed with rice, which could help balance the seasoning.
Out of the eight menu items I’ve tried at the restaurant, I’d say that this was the least memorable.
I also tried the Enjoy x Chu Collagen Mini Hotpot ($38.80), one of the menu’s highlights.
The hotpot is available in three soup bases — Rich Collagen, Umami Prawn and Lemak Laksa — and can be paired with a choice of Kurobuta pork, wagyu beef or a seafood set.
I opted for the Rich Collagen soup base and wagyu beef. I’m usually not a fan of collagen soups as I find them too thick and cloying.
This version, however, was flavourful yet relatively light, making it easy to drink. The wagyu beef also absorbed the broth well, and was good enough to eat on its own — I didn’t even have to use the dipping sauces provided.
According to Jack Neo, the soup was prepared without MSG or preservatives, which was a pleasant surprise because it was quite a savoury broth.
The standout dish of the meal was Chef Joel’s signature Home Crab Beehoon ($98).
While it’s pricier than the other dishes, the portion was also much bigger and the crab was of a substantial size.
As a seafood lover, this dish was the star of the show. The crab meat was fresh and sweet, but what really anchored the dish was the broth. It was deeply umami after absorbing the essence of the crab, and the white beehoon soaked up the flavours really well.
That said, the broth did get a little cloying by the second bowl due to its richness, so it’s definitely better as a dish shared with others.
For side dishes, the Enjoy Oyster Omelette ($20) is said to be a modern reinterpretation of the familiar hawker dish.
Unlike the hawker version, it was neatly cut and portioned, with each slice of omelette paired with a plump oyster.
The omelette was crisp on the outside and fluffy within, without being too greasy. However, it did lean slightly on the salty side for my liking.
The oysters, on the other hand, were juicy and full of flavour, and I found myself wishing the omelette had been a little lighter to better complement them.
If this isn’t your cup of tea, there are also other side dishes such as the Har Jeong Squid ($16), Smoked Cod Otah ($22) and Filial Pie Tee ($16).
I also had high hopes for the Black Chicken Soup ($13) from the menu’s Roots and Remedies section, something that has always been close to my heart.
Growing up, my grandmother would rotate different soups for dinner each day, and black chicken soup was my favourite out of the lot.
According to the restaurant, the soup is meant to nourish blood, improve circulation, complexion and eye health.
However, it fell a little flat for me. While the broth was light and adequately seasoned, it tasted quite one-dimensional, with the herbal notes coming through less distinctly than I had expected.
The chicken itself was tender and fall-off-the-bone, but overall, it was less memorable compared to the other offerings on the table.
I ended the meal with dessert — the MSW Durian Pengat ($12.80).
Even as a durian lover, I often find it difficult to finish such desserts as the flavours can often be overwhelming.
This version, however, struck a good balance. Thick and creamy with a pronounced durian flavour, it wasn’t overly sweet, making it very palatable.
Despite already being full by this point, I polished off the bowl.
It also didn’t leave a strong aftertaste in my mouth, so you won’t have to worry about durian breath.
Lighter dessert options include the Chendol Panna Cotta ($9), Ginger Milk Curd with Osmanthus Honey ($8) and Teochew Orh Ni ($6.80).
While it’s meant to accompany the main dishes, a special mention also goes to the Fragrant Yam Rice ($3), cooked with mushrooms and dried shrimp.
It was flavourful and held a fragrance true to its name.
In fact, I think it might be better enjoyed on its own rather than paired with the other dishes, as most of them leaned heavily into bold flavours.
The verdict
By the end of the meal, it was clear that Home by Enjoy doesn’t shy away from bold flavours. Almost every dish I tried leaned towards the richer end, which made it satisfying, though it could feel a little overwhelming for some.
While I didn’t try any vegetables, the menu also seems to be skewed hearty rather than light, with items such as the Heavenly King Grilled Eggplant ($16) served with sambal petai and Sayur Lodeh ($15) with coconut curry.
But honestly, this felt aligned with the restaurant’s home-style approach. In a sense, dining here felt familiar, much like eating at home where grandparents or parents aren’t always shy with seasoning and dishes are meant to be shared.
For diners who gravitate towards robust flavours and communal meals rooted in comfort and familiarity, I would say Home by Enjoy largely delivers on its promise.
As my family loves indulgent, local fare, I’d definitely consider bringing them here for family gatherings on special occasions like Mother’s Day.
Address: 10 Jalan Kilang, #02-01, Singapore 159410
Opening hours: 11.30am to 10pm daily
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