No. of episodes: 12
Genre: Crime, Investigation, History, Murder

Original network: Toggle
Mediacorp’s first M18 drama.

I guess it was long ago since I’ve completed a toggle original series. The drama came to light as the promotions was ongoing and it is the first drama that Joanne Peh went all out.

The drama is set in the 1930s of Singapore, a brothel house run by Madame Fung Lan (Joanne Peh). Before the world war two hits Singapore back in the days, females are not highly regarded and no power in society. Madame Fung Lan creates her own brothel after a terrible incident happened to her when she was a teenager. She teaches her girls how to use their power and not to be bullied by men.

Shophouse in Chinatown

Time passed back to modern-day Singapore, Chi Ling (Fiona Fussi) flew back to Singapore from Hong Kong to sell the old shophouse in Chinatown owned by her family. Her mission back home is to sell the shophouse and fly back to Hong Kong and get married. However, she met a historian Guo Wen (Ky Tan) who was excited when he received the news of the sale of the shophouse. Guo Wen wants to know more about the mysterious shophouse that froze in time, the news of the lease means the owner is back and opens the door for an opportunity to enter.

Through much effort, Guo Wen convinced Chi Ling to stay and discover more about the shophouse that froze in time, to find out more about her ancestor history that was left untold. They start searching for more artifact which prove that the property was once a brothel back in the 1930s.

House of Phoenix

House of Phoenix is a brothel run by Madame Fung Lan, the house is filled with girls she bought and her loyal majie Ah Yoke (Lina Ng). Believe that the girls will have a better life if they were sold to the House of Phoenix compared to other towgey (bosses).

Chi Ling found a handwritten journal while going through the property. The journal belongs to a man, Inspector Mak (Jeff Chow) and through his journal, they starts to know more about the struggles like living as a woman back in the 1930s and that her great-grandmother, Fung Lan, is not as cheap as she thinks.

The spy

The entire story begins with the murder of Ah Yat, nephew of Lou Seh (Brandon Wong) who treated women badly and ends up causing his life. Lou Seh is the biggest and most powerful leader that owns the area at the time, no one dares to offend him and go against him.

Since the series depicts the time before the war, there are planted spy in the House of Phoenix which it was devastating for Fung Lan when she know who the spy was.

Bittersweet family reunion

Mak came back to visit the House of Phoenix after the war is over. Only to find that Fung Lan has a daughter and intuitively knew that was her daughter.

What will happen to the shophouse in the modern time?

Ratings: 🥔🥔🥔🥔