Fancy some Christmas shopping in Singapore? We recently chatted to a long-term expat there about her one-stop lifestyle concept, House of AnLi, which comprises retail spaces and restaurants in Tanglin Mall.
Tanglin Mall is located just beyond the western end of Singapore’s retail mecca Orchard Road. House of AnLi is one place in the mall – actually, four places under the same umbrella – that will give you a great coffee, a delicious lunch, and heaps of options for gifts, tableware, home décor and even cool stuff for kids. All of this is conjured up and curated by a lady named ANNE-JEAN LIÉTAER.
Belgium to Singapore
A very long time ago, Anne-Jean was my neighbour. After moving out, she invited me to her new colonial style black-and-white house on leafy Mount Pleasant Drive – and I saw a glimpse of the origins of her home decorating dynasty!
Her family, and her grandmother especially, loved entertaining. Growing up, they would have huge, sumptuous dinner parties at the family home in the Belgian countryside. And they still do! There would be one long table to fit about 40 people; it was always decked out with beautiful tableware and decorations. Food was obviously important, but the whole setting for entertaining was key.
After basing herself in Singapore, Anne-Jean came to realise there was nothing like these Belgian brands here. So, back in 2011, she set up a shed in her Mount Pleasant garden – and the House of AnLi story began.
She also wanted to provide classical furniture that was more traditional and better quality, so she started importing the Flamant style of Belgian furniture. This was furniture that Anne-Jean had grown up with, that would last forever, and that you could take to wherever you lived next.
The visual aspect of the merchandising came naturally, both at Mount Pleasant and then in the two shops in Tanglin Mall. “We have a lot of people who just want to buy the whole table setup as it’s displayed. It’s so important to get the table setting looking how you want it when you’re entertaining,” she adds.
Sourcing stock
Anne-Jean loves the sourcing side of the business – going to different places in Europe to see what might work in Asia. Many of her brands are from Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal and France, for example. “I also have a store in Greece, and I test things out there – if they’re a hit, I buy for Singapore too!” she says.
This applies not only to homeware but to other items you’ll find in House of AnLi, such as the Frank and Lucie reading glasses and sunglasses from Holland. They were so popular in her Greek store, she just had to bring them here.
She also shows me the gorgeous coffee cups that they use in La Veranda, the upstairs café in Tanglin Mall, and also sell in-store. They’ve been a hot favourite for over six years.
Elsewhere in the two retail spaces, you’ll find all kinds of homeware and gifts, lifestyle products, cooking books, tableware – including beautiful cutlery from France – and much more. In the upstairs space, Anne-Jean has incorporated The Little Showcase, which means there’s also an overlap of products into children’s gifts and party supplies for birthdays, including from brands like Meri Meri.
As for goodies for the festive season, there are great gifts like wine openers and accessories, and gifts for men, and there will also be a Christmas wonderland market upstairs.
Branching out
So how did she evolve into F&B? It started at the shed turned-boutique at her house; Anne-Jean began making cake and coffee for people while they shopped. Some would ask for her recipes – especially “Mimi’s Waffles”, one of her mother’s signature dishes. And she also served the “best coffee in Singapore”, which helped her reputation grow.
She still uses the same Allpress coffee from New Zealand in the two Tanglin Mall restaurants today. On Level 1 is Pano Kato Grill, Pizza & Deli, whose menu has a Greek-Mediterranean influence, while La Veranda on Level 3 serves Belgian- and French-inspired dishes.
The two Singapore restaurants are beautifully designed – and they offer something very different, both from a décor and food perspective. La Veranda is focused on European food, and the people who travel regularly appreciate it. The quality and costs of sourcing are high; this isn’t run-of-the-mill cuisine!
What are some of Anne-Jean’s favourites from the menus? At La Veranda, she loves the crispy kale chips and the Uova (poached eggs in a spicy tomato sauce). At Pano Kato, meanwhile, she can’t go past the sea bass or the Mediterranean and Greek dips. Another pick is the sugar-free and guilt-free chocolate mousse – and, of course, her mum’s waffles!
The feedback she gets from those who dine in her Singapore restaurants is that the quality is the same as they’ve experienced in Europe. She had a couple just the other day who commented that the dish they had in La Veranda was exactly like one they’d enjoyed from a European restaurant.
Take a look online to find out more about House of AnLi’s retail and culinary offerings – and be sure to drop by on your next Singapore visit!
This article first appeared in the Winter 2025/26 edition of Expat Living. You can purchase the latest issue or subscribe so you never miss a copy!
