Geneo is a new lifestyle hub in Singapore Science Park that combines offices, tons of food options, and even a workout area for those who want to break a sweat during lunchtime.
One of the first things I noticed about this place was the stunning cathedral-style wooden pillars that adorn the open-air space called The Canopy. They gave the building a refreshing look, which wasn’t what I’d expected to see in Singapore’s science and innovation district. Not only that, but the lush foliage that lines the walkways made everything look even more pleasant and gave the impression that sustainability is at the forefront of the complex.
Whether you’re dropping by for a quick work lunch or putting on your explorer’s hat, this guide will take you through what you can expect to find in Geneo.
01 • Yang Guo Fu Mala Tang
If you’re a huge fan of the tongue-numbing Sichuan dish, you’re going to love Yang Guo Fu Mala Tang’s unique take on mala. They feature a wide range of ingredients to cook up a masterpiece. Take your pick from options like pork collar slice, shiitake mushroom, prawns, and chicken cheese sausage.
The real deal, however, is their Spicy Mala Beef Broth. It’s steeped in a rich umami taste and a tingling spicy sensation that lingers on your tongue long after — characteristic of a good mala dish. Every ingredient you pick for this dish will taste extra shiok when it comes soaked in this special broth.
But if you’re a chilli-phobe, try their non-spicy Tomato Broth instead, which is slightly sweet and has a silky smooth consistency. It pairs no less perfectly with the savoury ingredients in your bowl.
📍 Address: 1B Science Park Drive, B2-33, Geneo, Singapore 119315
⏰ Opening hours: 11am – 9:30pm daily
🍴 Halal status: Not halal
02 • Great Nanyang Heritage Cafe
Once you step into the doors of the Great Nanyang Heritage Cafe, you’ll be hit by a wave of classic Singaporean dishes and a retro design. Look around and you’ll see fancy umbrella awnings, vintage wooden tables and chairs, and even a seat fashioned out of a vintage car model.
Kick off your meal with their Traditional Hand Made Kaya Toast ($2.70). This quintessential kopitiam breakfast consists of crispy toasts sandwiching slabs of creamy butter and fragrant kaya. What’s a kaya toast without some kopi O gao? So go ahead and grab yourself a cup.
Once your tummy is all warmed up, treat it to a main like the Chicken Berempah Leg ($8.90). One bite into the chicken and your taste buds are instantly introduced to the myriad of spices and herbs. The basmati rice is also cooked to the perfect level of chewiness, and when paired with the sweet sambal sauce, this one’s a dish that will make you almost lick the plate clean. 🤤
📍 Address: 1B Science Park Drive, B1-32, Geneo, Singapore 119315
⏰ Opening hours: 8am – 8:30pm daily
🍴 Halal status: Not halal
03 • Swensen’s Unlimited
Hey big eater, I see you. 😉 Come dine at Swensen’s Unlimited, Geneo’s resident buffet restaurant. Heap your plate with some of Swensen’s classic dishes, like the Fish & Chips. Each piece of dory fish is coated with a crunchy, flaky exterior, which then reveals the soft and savoury meat underneath. It pairs deliciously with the tanginess of tartar sauce (or chilli sauce, like how I controversially prefer it).
There are also live stations serving up meat selections like the Roast Striploin Beef. Dip each tender slab into their range of sauces, such as the Forest Mushroom Cream or Black Pepper Sauce, and let them all melt in your mouth. The meat’s slightly charred and smoky taste is so irresistible, I won’t be surprised if you spam it.
It’s illegal to walk into a Swensen’s buffet and skip dessert, so before I report you to the food police, check out their ocean of ice cream — I’m talking 48 flavours! Call me basic, but my favourite is the Cookies & Cream. There’s a simplicity in the sweetness of the vanilla ice cream, while the right amount of cookies lets you appreciate the treat without getting cloying.
However, if you are more adventurous, try their quirkier flavours like Hokkaido Snow and Milo Dinosaur. The latter tastes exactly like how it sounds, with a distinct chocolatey flavour that you’ll love if you’re a Milo gao fanatic.
📍 Address: 1 Science Park Drive, #01-06, Geneo, Singapore 118221
⏰ Opening hours: 11am – 11pm daily
🍴 Halal status: Halal
🌐 Website: unlimited.swensens.com.sg/reservations-geneo
04 • PUTIEN
PUTIEN is the go-to place for Henghwa cuisine, a unique style of Fujianese cooking known for its full-bodied seafood flavours and minimal sauces. If you work in one-north, good news — there’s now an outlet in Geneo!
If you’re new to the PUTIEN cult, I really recommend their signature dishes like the Buddha Jumps Over The Wall ($39.80). It’s a luxurious broth comprising an array of seafood delicacies like scallops, sea cucumbers, abalone, and more. The ingredients seep their natural flavours into the soup, creating an experience full of complex flavours that mesh together beautifully. It’s no wonder that the Buddha jumped over the wall (okay, that’s just a hyperbole)!
Other special dishes include the “100-Second” Stewed Yellow Croaker, which gets its name from the fact that the yellow croaker fish is boiled for precisely 100 seconds. This method, when paired with the light seasonings of onion and ginger, creates a subtle peppery zing that brings out the full taste of the fish. 😋
📍 Address: 1B Science Park Drive, B1-33, Geneo, Singapore 119315
📞 Phone: 6420 2328
⏰ Opening hours: 11am – 9pm daily
🍴 Halal status: Not halal
🌐 Website: putien.com
05 • Xi Men Jie
Step into Xi Men Jie to get your fill of delectable dishes that will transport your taste buds straight to Taiwan. Their signature Braised Pork Rice ($6.50) features a generous serving of melt-in-your-mouth pork, a hard-boiled braised egg, and preserved veggies. The rice is doused in a sweet-salty dark sauce to give the dish a satisfyingly sticky texture.
If you’re more of a noodle person, go for their Mee Sua ($6.50). This bowl comes with chewy noodles and a protein of your choice. I chose the crab meat, which had a delicate brine typical of only the highest-quality seafood. But the true standout star of the Mee Sua was the soup. You’d get these noticeable hints of vinegar, parsley, and chilli, but no flavour outshone the other.
Just like at any Taiwanese restaurant, you must try their milk tea. I can’t stop raving about the Brown Sugar Boba Fresh Milk ($4). It had an unmissable caramel flavour, perfect for thirst-quenching on sweltering days.
📍 Address: 1B Science Park Drive, #01-35, Geneo, Singapore 119315
📞 Phone: 6320 0076
⏰ Opening hours: 10am – 8:45pm daily
🍴 Halal status: Not halal
🌐 Website: ximenjie.sg
06 • Grains & Co.
Grains & Co. puts healthy and delicious in one bowl without compromising one or the other. For a guilt-free meal, try one of their many signature bowls, including the Tofu Tango Bowl ($10.90). This meat-free option comes with a generous serving of Garlic Quinoa Korean Spicy Tofu. The tofu is crunchy on the outside yet soft on the inside, and packs enough garlicky punch to spice up the otherwise mellow flavour of an unseasoned tofu.
Want to meet your protein goals for #bulkingszn? You can’t go wrong with the Power Boost Bowl ($12.90), a hearty party loaded with heavy hitters like paprika chicken, rosemary chicken, hard-boiled egg, and more. This bowl is topped with spicy mango vinaigrette for a citrussy sweet kick and is packed with a staggering 89.04 grams of protein! 😮
There’s also the option to make your own bowl based on customised ingredients if you’re not nervous about holding up a line behind you while you place your order (sadly, I am).
📍 Address: 1B Science Park Drive, B2-41, Geneo, Singapore 119315
📞 Phone: 8065 5277
⏰ Opening hours: 7:30am – 8:30pm daily
🍴 Halal status: Halal
🌐 Website: grainsandco.sg
07 • Ha-Jun
If there’s a cuisine I can have every day without feeling bored, it’s Korean. Thankfully, Ha-Jun brings just that to Geneo. This snug restaurant serves many iconic dishes, but I’d like to draw special attention to their Bibimbap ($6.80).
What makes it so good is its Gochujang paste, which is all the right degrees of sweet and tangy. I’ve had some that were downright unpleasantly spicy or were a tad too sweet — but Ha-Jun’s hit all the right spots. When stirred well with the other ingredients and the soft, sticky rice, the result is a harmonious mix of tastes and textures.
Other must-tries include the Kimchi Chicken Ramen. It’s a simple dish that douses ramen noodles in a bowl of piping hot kimchi soup. The gochugaru chilli flakes and fermented kimchi come together to lend a sour, umami profile that stays true to its roots. And the best part is that every ingredient, from the noodles to the chicken, is infused with this delightful essence.
📍 Address: 1 Science Park Drive, B2-32, Geneo, Singapore 118221
📞 Phone: 9004 6286
⏰ Opening hours: 9am – 9pm daily
🍴 Halal status: Halal
08 • Luckin Coffee
My colleagues and I can’t stop drinking Luckin Coffee. Our incessant purchases are half a reflection of our caffeine addiction, and half a testament to the quality the coffee chain puts in their drinks.
From classic picks to more inventive flavours and even non-caffeinated drinks made by their meticulous baristas, there’s something for everyone. Their bestselling Creamy Dreamy Latte ($6.40) is brewed to a silky smooth consistency. The genius of this drink lies in its subtle coffee taste that marries fabulously with the rich use of milk.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking Luckin Coffee only sells coffee. They have a host of other drinks as well, such as the Matcha Jasmine Exfreezo ($6.80). Topped with thick whipped cream, it has a decadent blend of the floral notes of jasmine and the strong notes of Matcha.
📍 Address: 1B Science Park Drive, #01-32, Geneo, Singapore 199315
⏰ Opening hours: Mon to Fri, 7:30am – 6pm | Sat and Sun, 8am – 5pm
🍴 Halal status: Not halal
🌐 Website: luckincoffee.com
09 • The Canopy
While Geneo is a bustling food hub, that’s not all it has to offer. Take a stroll around and you’ll spot many Instagrammable places to chillax at. The Canopy is one of them. This wide-open space spanning Level 1 and above is the nucleus of Geneo.
The open design and the humongous fans mounted on the high ceiling facilitate air circulation to keep the space cool without the need for air conditioning. It’s a feat you rarely see in Singapore malls. Trees line the ground floor to spruce up the venue, and the gigantic windows allow natural light to flood in, blurring the lines between indoor and outdoor.
The steps that lead from Level 1 to Level 2 are also decked with beautiful wooden platforms that make the perfect place for a nice afternoon respite. Bring your friends and family, sit down, and soak in the extravagant beauty of Geneo. You can also dabao some food from the restaurants nearby and have a meal with a view.
10 • The Seed
If you want to bring yourself even closer to nature, take a trip down to the Seed. This space is Geneo’s very own in-house garden. Not only is it a sight to behold, but it’s also a beacon of ingenuity and scientific achievement. There are 22 plant species that are being genomically sequenced. Apart from those, you’ll also find ornamental plants like the White Ginger Lily, a delicate flower with a gentle perfume-like smell, and the Parakeet Flower, draped in brilliant red and orange hues.
Whether you’re heading down for food or looking for a spot to catch a breather, the Seed definitely deserves a visit. Don’t forget to snap some photos, too.
(Featured photo adapted from: Parametric Architecture, Swensen’s Unlimited. SETHLUI, and Daniel Food Diary)
