Alkaff Mansion

The hill was originally called Mt Washington, and was part of a sprawling land estate owned by a wealthy Arab Syed Shaikh bin Abdul Rahman Alkaff.

A European house was already constructed on the site surrounded by rubber and coconut trees[1] before the plot of land was purchased by Syed Abdul Rahman bin Abdullah Alkaff in 1916.

In 1930, a newspaper report mentions that the mansion was used by an organization called the "Young Arabs" to host a team of amateur Malay footballers who recently won the 1930 Singapore Cup.

This event was explicitly reported to be one hosted to help relieve Arab-Malay tensions and bolster Muslim solidarity following a recent misunderstanding.

The antecedents of "racial and religious harmony" which dominates race discourse in present-day Singapore, thus found expression in the mansion.

In a 1936 newspaper section called "Women's interests", an article written by a lady who expressed her deep impressions of the mansion.

[7] In a time of patriarchy, such a role could be seen as an example where women were not mere inert members of society, but active ones who made good use of their agency.

The mansion thus served as a site where women could find their voice and express themselves – notions which are often elusive in male-dominated histories.

During the war, Telok Blangah Hill was located along the same ridge that hosted the climactic Battle of Pasir Panjang.

According to the heritage description plaque found at the mansion today, the house was sold as the Alkaffs were facing severe business losses.

[8] In any case, pictorial evidence will show that the World Buddhist Society had installed their signboard onto the front façade of the building.

[14] A series of photographs stored in the National Archive of Singapore show that the building was developed in a way that maintained its façade: the distinctive turrets remained in place, and the steps of the terrace were retained and refurnished.

Despite recognition in Michelin publications,[17] skepticism in the restaurant's ability to continue business was expressed in a media report in March 2016.

The restaurant may have overestimated the commercial value of the mansion: it agreed to pay a monthly rental three times the guide amount during the auction of 2010.

The mansion was eventually awarded to Jardin Enchante Pte Ltd (operating under the name of 1-Group which owns various other concepts like Monti, Botanico, 1-Altitude, Bee's Knees, Stellar etc.)