LITTLE MERLION Cafe & Bar

Spent Chinese New Year eating here. Mark and Mel and their staff were very warm and welcoming! Great authentic Singaporean food place! Awesome place for Singaporeans who miss home food and educational for foreigners who haven't tried Singapore food before. Definitely taste like home! Mark makes the atmosphere causal, cozy and comfortable. If I weren't staying so far, I'd probably visit more often! You should check out their story of how their little restaurant was born. An inspirational and moving story. Got some CNY goodies too and they taste so good! My Japanese husband is hooked. It was a great experience for both me and my husband.

Quite definitely the most authentic tasting Singaporean cuisine I've had the pleasure of enjoying in Tokyo. Comfy decor, gregarious staffers, food that reminds one of home, it doesn't get any better than that.

* Making this review cos I promised Mark I'd do so and I'm scared he will come after me if I didn't 😂

Was worried that I might not be able to find authentic delicious Singaporean food in Tokyo but my worries were put to rest after trying the food here. Definitely would recommend to Singaporeans or anybody looking to try Singaporean food. The owner (Mark) is Singaporean and it was nice to finally speak Singlish in a while. Will visit again!

This magical little cafe was recommended to us on Google just by being in the area, and we are so lucky that it was! The food is fantastic, the highest quality Singaporean food that I’ve had in Japan so far. The staff were all insanely kind and hospitable, including the owner Mark. We were even given a small heater for our feet since the weather is so cold! The cafe design has a cool, modern design and the atmosphere was very relaxing. I give this place 5/5 stars, recommend to everyone, and my wife and I will definitely be back!

It was almost like taking a short trip back to Southeast Asia. For us, it was almost over an hour commute, but so worth it! 🤤

We had their laksa, curry puffs, and Milo dinosaur. Laksa and milo were both really good, but they really went above and beyond with their homemade curry puffs! I wish I could have gotten more, but man I was stuffed.
They were also kind enough to let us sample some of their onde-onde pastries 🥺

Staff were really kind too, the kind of warm and familiar hospitality you get in Malaysia/Singapore.
I would say that their dishes are not very spicy, (maybe it’s to accommodate to Japanese tastebuds) but very easy on the stomach!
Definitely recommend giving it a try if you’re in the vicinity. ❤

Definitely one of the best Singaporean restaurants in Japan. The food here tastes really good and authentic, especially the nasi lemak. Never thought I could have anything like that in Japan. The owner is also really friendly and easy to talk to. We were also given free onde onde at the end which was really kind of them. Will definitely come back for more!

One of the best Singapore food with a nice restaurant interior design and most importantly, friendly and sociable staffs that regularly engages with you to ensure the dining experience is comfortable. Even the part time staffs have some international experience and can speak English well.
The restaurant is highly accessible and is located only 5 mins walk away from Tobu nishiarai station.
I had the nasi lemak and it reminded me of back home. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone who wants to try or crave Singapore food.

This place was recommended to me by a friend. I’ve heard so many good things and read reviews about this place and even though it’s an hour away from my place, I knew I had to go.
I ordered the nasi lemak, carrot cake (dark) and Bandung dinosaur. Everything tasted great and made me homesick for Malaysia. The portion was just right but I got greedy and ordered a curry puff which was perfectly deep fried.

They didn’t have pandan cake when I went but they informed me that they have a free delivery service on Wednesdays so I went ahead and ordered two whole
Pandan cakes, curry puffs and kaya jams. I had to share my new find with my Malaysian cousins that live in Tokyo so I asked for two separate deliveries. One for me and one for my cousins.

The owner and staff were very accommodating and engaging. I think I spent almost two hours there enjoying their food and company.

Amazing food and wonderful service. Can’t wait to go back there to try other foods on their menu.

(I spent over ¥10,000 because I paid for two pandan cakes, kaya jams and curry puffs to be delivered to 2 places.)

Super glad I found this place, it was recommended on the SG/MY Facebook group! I am a Singaporean and I haven’t been able to go back home for almost 2 years because of COVID-19. Dining here has given me a little taste of home; Everything was super good and authentic. Very impressed that everything is freshly cooked/made! Ordered 2 mains & drinks + 2 sides + 1 dessert for lunch and the total bill was not even 4,000 JPY! Super worth it.
I will definitely come back again whenever I miss having food from SG 🥰

This place does really dope Singaporean street-food!

The interior is really fresh, modern and brightly lit. And the staff are all super friendly and welcoming! There are English-speaking staff too!

But most importantly, the food is delicious!! I've tried their:

Nasi Lemak: Highly recommend this dish! The fried crispy anchovies and peanuts are coated in a sweet, crispy sugar coating which I found addictive. The coconut rice served here is so good!
Laksa: Comes with lots toppings, they are not stingy here, and the flavour is not overpowering. Great for a cold or rainy day.
Singaporean Black Carrot Cake: This is really good savoury comfort food right here.
Chilli Crab Puffs: sweet, mildly spicy insides, covered in a very crispy, crunchy layer of deep fried goodness!

And I've also tried both their protein shakes; both of which are bangin', but I recommend the PB Banana! So it's a good option for post-workout brunch etc

A hidden gem in an unexpected part of Tokyo!
A definite dine in must! Friendly atmosphere and lots of yummy dishes!
Definitely give the laksa a go because it was 💯.
Even if you’re far from here, definitely worth the travel!

My friends and I had curry puffs, Nasi Lemak, Sambal Nasi Goreng,pandan cakes,Bandung and Milo Dinosaur. We enjoyed all the food and drinks. Tastes are authentic.

I really loved the curry puff for its rich and savoury filling. I absolutely loved the pandan cake for its moist texture and right amount of sweetness. We could smell its fragrance the moment it was served. 😋

Staff are warm and friendly. Service is great. I'll definitely be introducing more friends to this awesome place!

Went yesterday since I started getting home sick. Was puzzled either to get the Laksa or Nasi Lemak. Ended up choosing the Laksa, and really love it very much. The similarity to the one in Singapore was so close which I can’t really find fault with it haha. Don’t forget to try out their panda chiffon cake too! They have many other tasty items on the menu which our tummies can’t carry this time. Will definitely patronise them again.

Everything was super legit! Fragrant Nasi Lemak with Sayur Lodeh, Peanuts Ikan Bilis, down to the fried fish cake ‘fillet’ and paired with their housemade sweet-ish mild sambal. Curry puff is also top, piping hot and moist inside (definitely beats Old Chang Kee please). However, my favourite has to be the Fried White Carrot Cake! That really hit the spot for me. Come for an authentic taste of Singapore. Thank you very much, Mark & Melissa! Will be back again to try the Laksa.

I’m Singaporean and I would recommend the food here! The black carrot cake is especially done to my liking! Prata is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside!
Also ordered a whole Pandan Chiffon Cake.(made to order upon reservation)

Thanks to a recommendation on Facebook from someone who had tried Little Merlion, I was able to have dinner here with some friends. Melissa and Mark were very warm and set the scene for a comfortable and relaxed dining experience.

We tried the carrot cakes, fried mantou with chilli crab sauce, Nasi Lemak, laksa, Nasi Goreng and Pisang Goreng for dessert. Everything tasted great and authentic. Will definitely need to return and try everything else on the menu

As a Singaporean, I would say the taste is legit ! If you are missing Singapore food, I would say please give this place a try!

Please also try the bundung dinosaur. Unlike the usual ready made rose syrup taste, the rose syrup is hand made in the shop. It has a sweet and gentle taste, akin to lychee though there is no lychee inside.

As a Singaporean residing in Osaka, theres no legit local food here in Kansai or none that I have known of. I placed an order with Little Merlion for the Chinese New year goodies bundle and was so glad to know that they are able to send Laksa and Nasi Lemak to us too. Too grateful for words. Everything was so nicely packed and delicious. Totally cured my homesick. My husband whos a Japanese loved and enjoyed the food very much too. We will definitely visit when we go to Tokyo. And Shall place order again after I finished my sambal chili , achar and ikan billis. 😋😋 Thank you for the great food and service Little Merlion Team. 👍

One of the best place to have Singapore food in Japan. The food is nice and the staff is very friendly with great services. The cafe is just few mins walk from station. Highly recommend!

Very yummy and legitimate Singaporean food! Staff were super friendly. All in all a very satisfying gastronomic experience.

Would recommend calling to make a reservation if you're going in a big group!