SHAO 燒 @ Holland Village is the newest chapter for SHAO Restaurant, a Singapore-born Teochew kitchen that reimagines the flavours of Chaoshan in a modern, tapas-style format made for sharing. The name comes from the Chinese character 「烧」 — formed from 「火」 (fire) and 「尧」 (a meeting place) — and it shapes both the menu, which centres on roast and barbecue, and the spirit of the room: a place where people gather over good food.
The kitchen draws on the full Teochew repertoire. There is da lang, the tradition of cold dishes such as chilled yellow croaker fish rice; raw-marinated seafood from roe crab and Australian lobster to drunken cockles; claypot soups with fish maw; braised specialties; wok-fried rice and noodles; and Teochew desserts like homemade orh nee. Signatures carried over from the flagship at Frankel Avenue include the BBQ roe crab finished with pepper salt and unagi sauce, the marinated raw roe crab, the black ink sotong sausage and a comforting poached seafood crispy rice pao fan.
What sets this branch apart is its bar counter, where diners can wind down with cocktails curated to complement the kitchen's bold flavours, and a private room that can be reserved for family gatherings, birthdays and business occasions. Founder Jack Ding's belief that a good dining experience should encompass artistry, service and quality — so that dining becomes more than just food — runs through it all. Open daily from 11.30am to 11pm.
Along Lor Mambong, in the middle of Holland Village's dining stretch, SHAO 燒 @ Holland Village serves modern Teochew cuisine in a tapas-style format built for sharing. It is the latest branch of SHAO Restaurant — the homegrown name behind the flagship at Frankel Avenue in Siglap — and it arrives with a personality of its own: all the Teochew tradition of the original, plus a bar counter where the evening can stretch a little longer. Doors are open every day from 11.30am to 11pm.
The character behind the name says a lot about the place. SHAO comes from 「烧」, formed from 「火」 (fire) and 「尧」 (a meeting place). Fire, because the menu centres on roast and barbecue. A meeting place, because the founders' vision is precisely that: a table where people share and enjoy good food together. The restaurant sums up its philosophy as 'Faith, Life and Art' — the belief that it is at the table over food and drinks where lives, culture and stories are shared, and that a good dining experience should encompass artistry, service and quality, so that eating becomes more than just food.
Behind SHAO is Jack Ding, the 'Towkay', whose path to restaurant-keeping began during his university days in Essex, UK. He banded with friends to start a small takeaway, delivering food to students' dormitories; that grew into a food trailer on the streets of London and, in 2008, his first restaurant. In 2013 he moved his operations to Singapore, carrying the lesson he had learned along the way — that there is no failure, only lessons to help us do better. SHAO was created to sit at the intersection of his passion for food and the friendships forged over the dishes he painstakingly prepared. Today the family spans Frankel Avenue, Rangoon Road and this Holland Village branch.
The menu is anchored by eight signature dishes. The Shao Signature BBQ Roe Crab, grilled and finished with pepper salt and unagi sauce, is the dish many regulars followed over from Frankel Avenue — succulent, juicy and worth every bit of the mess. Its chilled counterpart is the marinated raw roe crab, fresh crab steeped in fragrant spices and served with a light dipping sauce. The pan-seared Hokkaido cuttlefish with squid ink — better known as the black ink sotong sausage — is a taste experience unlike any other.
Equally central is da lang, the Teochew tradition of cold dishes. The term originated in Hong Kong, describing Teochew night stalls where braised duck, cuttlefish and pork jelly were displayed for choosing; at SHAO it means chilled yellow croaker fish rice served with soy and garlic, Teochew cold crab, and a raw-marinated section running from oysters and drunken cockles to marinated roe crab and Australian lobster.
Beyond the cold cabinet, the wok and the claypot take over: pig stomach soup with fish maw, a triple treasure claypot, poached seafood crispy rice pao fan, charcoal-grilled pork jowl, pan-seared wagyu beef with Teochew satay sauce, steamed coral trout with preserved radish, and claypot congee with red grouper or oysters and aged preserved radish. Desserts stay faithful to Teochew roots with homemade orh nee and mixed fruit.
Two things distinguish the Holland Village branch from its siblings. First, the bar counter: diners can wind down after a long day with signature drinks curated to complement the bold flavours of the cuisine, which makes SHAO as fitting for a nightcap as for a family dinner. Second, the private room — an exclusive space for family gatherings, birthdays and business occasions, reservable in advance through the restaurant's WhatsApp booking line.
A little planning unlocks more. Some showpiece dishes are pre-order only, two days ahead — among them the Teochew-style chilled lobster platter, vermicelli and pickled vegetable lobster, and lamb brisket claypot. For gatherings at home, a Mini Party Menu of buffet-style sets is available for delivery. And a small note for the bill: menu prices are subject to GST and a 10% service charge.
However you approach it, the idea stays the same: order generously, share widely, and let the fire do the talking. That, after all, is what 「烧」 promises — a meeting place, fuelled by good food.