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In Singapore’s increasingly vibrant and crowded lifestyle scene, hotelier and restaurateur Loh Lik Peng continues to stand tall after over a decade in the business. His company, Unlisted Collection, has over a dozen properties spread across London, Singapore and Shanghai.
My favourite city abroad is London. It’s one of those large cosmopolitan cities with a vibrant dining and cultural scene. I love that there are a million things going on. I have to eat at (Spanish Tapas bar) Barrafina when I’m there, and also Jason Atherton’s Pollen Street Social. There’s also the familiarity of eating comfort food like steak and chips or a big fry-up. It’s like eating char kway teow when you’re home.
The city I most want to visit is Sao Paulo because I’m fascinated by South American culture. I was in Chile and Argentina for my honeymoon in 2010, and I regretted not visiting Brazil.
My last memorable meal was at Marque Restaurant in Sydney during the food festival (Crave Sydney). It was a massive meal with around 15 courses. The highlight was an eel dish called Swimming up the River Po. Momofuku Seiobo in Sydney was also very good; it’s nothing like what he (chef and founder David Chang) does in New York. Chang himself was there, so it was another huge meal. The deep-fried short rib was very good.
After work I like to unwind with a beer in my hand. I like the craft beers from Japan and Australia, like Little Creatures. I will try the beers of the country that I’m in.
The designer I most admire is Danish master Hans Wegner. The anthropomorphic designs of his chairs are quintessentially Danish. I have several pieces in my collection.
The music on my playlist is not classical, although my wife is a classical musician. I like listening to Björk and other types of music that others may find difficult to appreciate.
The reading material that always travels with me is a copy of The Economist and Wallpaper*. I don’t have a lot of time to read books, but the last good one I read was The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga.
The car I fantasise about is a vintage Mercedes-Benz 300SL with the big, long hood. These cars were a statement of their time, with the whole melding of design and motoring. It was unadulterated technology for that age. Unfortunately, I don’t think you can get one in Singapore.
My go-to fashion brand is Giorgio Armani. I’m usually quite casual, but if I had to don formal wear it would be an Armani suit. I also like Savile Row bespoke tailor Spencer Hart, who did two suits for my wedding.
The people I would most like to meet are (the late) Ray and Charles Eames. It would be cool to sit down with them and talk about the era that they worked in.
And if the person had to be alive, it would be Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer. Which is another reason why I want to visit Brazil. I’d love to speak to the old-time legends.
My favourite works of architecture are by modernists like Jean Nouvel. In London, Lloyd’s building is a stunning example of modernist architecture. I also like The Shard – it’s changed the city’s skyline. Although it’s been controversial, I think if you’re going to make a statement, make it a big one. The architecture of my properties is very different from my own taste, however, because I only work with conservation buildings – old buildings with original character.
