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Missing those ‘yum cha’ sessions with foodie friends and family? Let PARKROYAL on Beach Road be the venue for your much-awaited reunion.

Renowned for its authentic Sichuan and Cantonese dishes, award-winning Si Chuan Dou Hua Restaurant 四川豆花饭庄 at PARKROYAL on Beach Road presents ‘Treats from the Heart’ (点点心意), a Weekend A la Carte Dim Sum Buffet.

Catch its limited run from 3 July to 27 September 2020 on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays, 11:30am – 2:00pm.

Executive Chef Zeng Feng and his kitchen brigade have prepared classic Cantonese and Sichuan dim sum, mouth-watering appetisers, wholesome soups, desserts, and premium specialties.

The buffet offers you 9 single-serve choices of premium specialties, plus unlimited servings of 26 choices served ‘the new normal’ way.

You and loved ones get to dine with peace of mind at the restaurant, with digital menus, contactless payment, heightened cleaning and hygiene standards implemented as part of the Pan Pacific Hotels Group’s ‘Pan Pacific Cares’ programme.

‘Treats from the Heart’ Weekend A La Carte Dim Sum Buffet
Dim Sum Specialities – The 9 choices, one serving of each per person:
1. Deep-Fried Fluffy Swan Pastry with Foie Gras
2. Steamed Sea Urchin ‘Siew Mai’
3. Baked Abalone BBQ Pork Pastry
4. Steamed Crabmeat Xiao Long Bao
5. Steamed Lobster Dumpling
6. Steamed Mushroom Bun with Minced Chicken
7. Steamed Scallop Dumpling
8. Steamed Dumpling with Seafood in Clear Soup
9. Baked Mini Egg Tart with Bird’s Nest

You can safely enjoy your meal as all items will be plated and served individually to each guest.

As for the other 26 items, the spread includes all-time favourites such as Deep-Fried Beancurd Skin with Prawns, Pan-Fried Carrot Cake, Minced Meat Dumpling with Sour and Spicy Sauce, Double-Boiled Black Chicken with Ginseng Soup, and a variety of sweet treats comprising two western-style desserts by Executive Chef Vincent Aw, including Passionfruit Raspberry Chocolate and Coffee Noir Orange Mousse.

And for an added touched of nostalgia, many of these 26 handcrafted dim sum items would arrive at your table via a push-trolley dim sum cart.

Get all these for only $52++ per adult ($30++ for children 6-12 years). Don’t forget to tag a family member or friend as a minimum of 2 adults is required. (DFD readers get additional 20% OFF. More details below.)

Here are 10 of the Si Chuan Dou Hua Restaurant dim sum highlights:

Steamed Sea Urchin “Siew Mai”
Indulge in this heavenly dim sum and feel the luxury in every bite. This premium specialty minced meat dumpling is topped with steamed sea urchin.

Not only do you get a burst of umami-salty sweetness but also a buttery custardy creamy mouthfeel.

Steamed Crab Meat Xiao Long Bao
This small thin-skinned parcel of steamed crabmeat is packed with big flavours.

Savour the single-serve steamed buns aka soup dumplings, filled with a gelatinised broth that melts into a slurp-able, deep-flavoured broth.

Baked Abalone BBQ Pork Pastry
The classic barbecued pork pastry levels up by marrying the flavours of sweet roast pork, puff pastry, sesame seeds with baked abalone.

You should enjoy this rich, soft-textured and premium-priced shellfish in your pork puff.

Deep-fried Fluffy Swan Pastry with Foie Gras
First introduced this year as part of Si Chuan Dou Hua Restaurant’s Lunar New Year Reunion Imperial High Tea Set, this deep-fried pastry was an instant hit.

Enjoy it once more and taste an upgraded dim sum shaped in the form of a swan with a light buttery melts-in-your-mouth pastry.

Steamed Dumpling with Seafood in Clear Soup
Balance off your meal with this mild-flavoured dish, and take a break from the spicy ones.

This large steamed dumpling offers your seafood in a clear soup to give your taste buds a break. Despite its simplicity, the handcrafted artistry and flawless execution is evident.

Baked Mini Egg Tart with Bird’s Nest
This savoury tart is topped with bird’s nest, a nourishing delicacy and generous portion at that.

Prized in Chinese cuisine for its rarity, this delicate ingredient has a gelatinous texture that contrasts the flaky pastry shell of the tart.

Bite into the creamy mouthfeel from the egg custard as it blends with the rest.

Minced Meat Dumpling with Sour and Spicy Sauce
Satisfy your cravings for sour and spicy flavours with unlimited servings of these “Hong You Chao Shou” dumplings, made with minced meat and wrapped in a thin dough.

Get as much as you like and steep them in the flavourful sauce, a mix of Chinese black rice vinegar and ground Sichuan pepper.

Sichuan Dan Dan Noodles
A classic dish originating from the streets on Chengdu, Sichuan Dan Dan Noodles makes its way to your dim sum buffet spread.

The bowl comes complete with white noodles, a special-recipe meat mixture, greens, and a spicy-soy sauce.

Powering the noodles is a special chilli oil, made with Sichuan peppercorns, Chinese cinnamon, star anise, and red pepper flakes.

Boiled Tomato Soup with Giant Garoupa Fillet and Wolfberries
Reap tremendous health benefits from this comforting fish soup. Chunks of giant grouper fillet are boiled in a tomato-based stock and combined with wolfberries and other seasoning.

These nutrient-dense berries aka goji berries also give you that much needed boost for your immunity.

Homemade Fine Bean Curd with Hasma
Hasma is a Chinese delicacy often used in desserts. Experience how it adds texture to this dish, complementing Si Chuan Dou Hua Restaurant’s homemade fine bean curd.

Don’t leave without trying this signature dou hua (bean curd) – it is one of the silkiest and softest traditional bean curds you can find.

‘Treats from the Heart’ Weekend A La Carte Dim Sum Buffet – 3 July to 27 September 2020
Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays
11.30am to 2.00pm
Adult: $52++ per person, Child (6 – 12 years) $30++

DanielFoodDiary.com (DFD) Readers Enjoy An Exclusive 20% OFF Promo:
– Valid for dine-in only.
– Prior reservation is recommended to enjoy promo. Quote “DFD20” during reservation to enjoy discount.
– Reservation can be made at douhua.prsin@parkroyalhotels.com or at +65 6505 5722.
– Minimum of two adults to dine. Additional charges apply for Chinese tea and pickles.
– Not valid in conjunction with other offers, discounts, promotions or membership privileges.
– The hotel reserves the right to amend the menu or promotional details without prior notice.

Si Chuan Dou Hua Restaurant – PARKROYAL on Beach Road
7500 Beach Road Singapore 199591
Tel: +65 6505 5722
Email: douhua.prsin@parkroyalhotels.com
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 10:30pm (Mon – Sun)
Facebook | Instagram | Website | Delivery

* This entry is brought to you in partnership with PARKROYAL on Beach Road.

No, no, no, this is not about Fried Carrot Cake aka Chai Tow Kway, because people do get confused.

This is about the Western-style of Carrot Cakes, the wholesome bake added with shredded carrots, roasted walnuts (sometimes pecan), topped with cream cheese frosting.

And it is quite an under-rated cake in Singapore.

If you are looking for moist, nutty, creamy, spicy Carrot Cakes in Singapore, here are 10 places where you can find them:

All Things Delicious.
34 Arab Street, #01-01, Singapore 199733
Tel: +65 6291 4252
Opening Hours: 8am – 6pm (Tues – Sun), Closed Mon

All Things Delicious.’s Carrot Cake ($7.70 per slice, $55.90 for whole cake) is their best seller since they started out in 2013.

The Carrot Cake comes in a square (for whole) or rectangular shape, topped with toasted walnuts, cream cheese frosting which gives it a rich finish, and the right amount of spice and sweetness

I enjoyed that it was moist and light, not too dense or heavy. But take note there is no raisins or nuts in the batter itself, so that you can appreciate a purer Carrot Cake.

Little Farms Cafe
491 River Valley Rd, Valley Point #01-25, Singapore 248371
Tel: +65 6732 1241
Opening Hours: 7:30am – 8pm (Mon – Sun)

When you think Little Farms’ pastries, their freshly baked Carrot Cake ($10 per slice, $80 for 10 inch cake) is made daily from scratch.

The Carrot Cake is made up of several fresh ingredients from their very own Little Farms grocery store, including the PHILADELPHIA cream cheese from Australia, along with walnuts, flour, eggs, sugar, cinnamon powder, ginger powder, vanilla essence, sunflower oil, dry fruit raisins and fresh Dutch carrots.

The making of Carrot Cake process needs 24 hours, that results in a cake with velvety texture and flavour of cream cheese and added spices, blending well with the fresh carrots and crunchy walnuts.

The Bakery Chef
Blk 161 Bukit Merah Central Singapore 150161
Tel: +65 6273 9211
Opening Hours: 11pm – 7pm (Mon – Sun)

The Bakery Chef’s 6-layered towered Carrot Cake ($7.90) has every layer of sponge slowly baked, sandwiched with light and fluffy cream cheese frosting.

Their Carrot Cake uses cream cheese frost inside and out, along with fresh carrots, walnut, cinnamon and brown sugar.
For those who love tall cakes, and it still stays in shape.

If you would like a full cake, a 6 inch is at $49, while 8 inch is at $69.

LUNA
53 Amoy Street, Singapore 069879
Opening Hours: 12pm – 6:30pm (Mon – Fri), 12pm – 4pm (Sat, Sun), Closed PH

If rustic spiced Carrot Cake is your thing, then you would enjoy LUNA’s Carrot Cream Cheese ($8).

The slice came with varying textures coming from the crunchy pecans, walnuts, contrasted with the layer of rich vanilla cream cheese.

Nothing too fanciful, just wonderfully moist.

Cake Spade
1 Tras Link #01-06, Orchid Hotel, Singapore 078867
Opening Hours: 12pm – 9:30pm (Mon – Thurs), 12pm – 10:30pm (Fri – Sat), Closed Sun

Cake Spade’s Spiced Carrot Cake ($7.90 per slice, $65 for 7 inch) has a sponge that is moist and packed with grated carrots, roasted pecan nuts, cinnamon, lined with smooth maple cream cheese.

It was light and dense, yet with that addictive creamy layer. Another differentiating factor was the hints of orange zest.

It was really the texture that differentiates itself from the drier carrot cakes out there.

Cedele All Day Dining
1 Kim Seng Promenade #B1-K115/116, Great World, Singapore 237994
Tel: +65 6836 1426
Opening Hours: 10am – 8pm (Mon – Thurs), 10am – 9pm (Fri), 9am – 9pm (Sat – Sun)
Various locations in Singapore

If you do a public poll of which is the “Best Carrot Cake in Singapore”, Cedele would most likely be one of the top recommended.

Cedele’s classic best seller, the Carrot Cake ($7.50 per slice, $56 for 8 inch whole) is denser than the norm, containing generous amount of walnuts.

The recipe of this cake has not changed in the last 23 years, lightly spiced and located with carrots, walnuts, and finished with layers of cream cheese frosting.

For the health-conscious, good to know that it is sweetened with organic unrefined sugar, baked using grapeseed oil, and contains no trans-fat.

Baker & Cook
30C Loewen Rd, Singapore 248839
Tel: +65 6251 1098
Opening Hours: 8am – 10pm (Mon – Sun)

Baker & Cook’s popular Carrot Cake ($36 for 6 inch, $52 for 8 inch) will reveal varied burst of spices once you take your first bite.

They use a secret blend of aniseed-based subtle spice.

For the frosting, only real cream cheese icing is used, with a balance of sweet and citrusy lemon zest.

The cake is also sprinkled with pumpkin seeds, apricot pieces and black sesame seed. The size may be smaller than usual but sure is wholesome.

Lynn’s Cakes
11 Eng Kong Terrace Singapore 598983
Tel: +65 6314 2886
Opening Hours: 11am – 7pm (Tues – Sun), Closed Mon

This little bakery café at Bt Timah Eng Kong Terrace is most known for their Carrot and Red Velvet cakes.

Using only halal ingredients, Lynn’s Carrot Cake ($6 per slice, $82 for 8 inch) uses cream cheese frosting, with soft and quite fluffy cake, not overly dense.

There were also visible bits of carrots, walnuts and a hint of spice.

Chalk Farm
B1-K24 Paragon, 290 Orchard Road, Singapore 238859
Opening Hours: 10am – 9pm (Mon – Sun)

Chalk Farm’s Carrot Whiskey Sultana Cake ($76 for whole, 1,6kg) is one of the two cakes offered when they first started out.

The sultanas are plumped up with whiskey and not heavily spiced as most other carrot cakes.

The cream cheese frosting wasn’t too sweet either. Suitable for those who fancy light and not too rich.

Group Therapy Coffee
181 South Bridge Road #01-05 & #K1-04, Singapore 058743
Tel: +65 6222 2554
Opening Hours: 8am – 5pm (Sun – Tues), 8am – 9pm (Wed – Thurs), 8am – 10pm (Fri – Sun)

Group Therapy Coffee’s 4 Layer Carrot Cake ($8.50, $45 for 8 inch) has some online reviews claiming it is “the best in Singapore”. Though reviews have been mixed,

While it looked deceptively simple, the bar studded with raisins, walnuts and pineapple had a pleasing wet texture – in fact the wettest I had tasted, at a cold temperature which surprisingly worked.

* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

Havelock II may not be a building people would ordinary head to, but there are credible restaurants and café there such as Daejon House, Thai Kha Thai Street Cuisine, Genesis Vegan Restaurant, Haritts Donuts & Coffee, Abbie’s Coffeehouse, and BUNDT by The Backyard Bakers which went viral for their brownies.

Brew’ Kopibar is the newest kid in the block, a venture of 3 buddies who used to work in the CBD area; and are kopi-lover by day and craft beer fanatic by night themselves.

The premise of this shop is simple – coffee in the day and beer at night for those looking for their liquid solutions.

Conceptualised with the objective of “Simple. Local. Easy”, the owners kept the décor uncomplicated, a simple space for customers to enjoy the best of both worlds.

They serve up traditional beverages in the morning such as Kopi, Teh, Milo, Yuan Yang, and even a Kopi Milo combination; complemented by a menu of familiar home favorites such as paus, kaya butter toasts and soft-boiled eggs.

The signature Kopi ($1.90 for hot, $2.30 for iced) is brewed using premium coffee powder made from 100% roasted arabica.

The robusta beans is blended at a special ratio and pulled from a long-spouted pot – local style.

It was a not-bad, aromatic cup of coffee, better than what some of the chain-stores offer.

Pau varieties include Big Pork Bao ($1.80), Big Chicken Bao ($1.80), Stew Pork Bao ($1.80), Lotus Bao ($0.90), Char Siew Bao ($1.00), Red Bean Bao ($0.90), along with Glutinous Chicken Rice ($2.00) and Char Siew Fan Choy ($2.20).

While the Red Bean Bao I had was not quite a Mdm Ling, it was decent, fluffy, and not overly sweet.

On the other spectrum, they serve a range of international craft beers from local, and taps include 3 home-stays and 3 rotating ones to keep things more varied.

Currently, they are running opening promotion at $12 per pint for Brewlander – Love, Hitachino Nest – White Ale and Brewdog – Lost Lager.

To complement the beers, they also serve daily special bar bites such as Chicken Wings, Nuggets and Edamame ranging from $5 to $8.

Simple, fuss-free, and affordable place, with no additional GST or service charge.

Brew’ Kopibar
2 Havelock Road, Havelock II, #01-10 Singapore 059763 (Clarke Quay MRT station exit A)
Opening Hours: 7:30am – 10:30pm (Mon – Sat), 10:00 am – 10:30pm (Sun)

* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

Kampong Gelam (sometimes spelt as “Kampong Glam”) is where you go for diverse variety of food with rich culture.

Fun fact: Kampong means “village”, and do you know that the name “Gelam” is derived from the Gelam trees (Melaleuca cajuputi) which grew in the area?

For first time visitors, I would recommend you starting your tour with the landmark Sultan Mosque to explore the colourful streets and sights.

You would find vibrant shops, restaurants and indie cafes along Haji Lane, Arab Street, Baghdad Street and Bussorah Street, and these have become favourite places for people to take their #ootd Instagram shots.

In terms of food, you can find local delicacies such as Nasi Padang (such as the Michelin-recommended Hjh Maimunah Restaurant and Catering), Nasi Lemak (SoulFood Catering), Malay kueh and coffeeshops for a fragrant cup of teh tarik.

(Discover the Flavours of Kampong Gelam. Click video above for the wide variety of halal food in Kampong Gelam.)

There is also a wide variety of Halal international food, from Swedish cuisine (Fika Swedish Cafe and Bistro), Japanese (The Ramen Stall, Waku Waku) to Mexican fare (Afterwit Mexican Taqueria).

Here are the 10 restaurants that can be found at Kampong Gelam, as featured in the video above:

Fika Swedish Cafe and Bistro
257 Beach Road, Singapore 199539
Tel: +65 6396 9096
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm (Mon – Sun)

For Swedish Food, Pastries and Those Delicious Meatballs
Established for over 10 years in Singapore, Fika is one of the few places which offers Halal and hearty Scandinavian fare and desserts in a relaxed bright environment.

“My meatballs are the best Halal ones you will find in Singapore”, co-owner Tasneem Noor could be right.

She opened this Nordic-inspired café as an extension of her love for Scandinavian things, and it is a great place for a gathering with friends and family.

I enjoyed the all-beef Swedish Meatballs ($19) of home-made beef meatballs with baby potatoes, served with lingonberry jam drizzled with creamy homemade sauce.

If you have room for more, do try the Korvstroganoff ($15) which is a creamy tomato-based chicken sausage stew service with sautéed seasonal vegetables and rice; Pytt i Panna ($19.90) which is Swedish Hash made of potatoes with sautéed diced black angus beef cubes; and Toast Skagen ($18) – a cold salmon roe and fresh water shrimp open-faced sandwich on toasted artisan bread.

Alaturka Mediterranean & Turkish Restaurant
15 Bussorah Street, Singapore 199436
Tel: +65 6294 0304
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 10:30pm (Mon – Sun)

Authentic Turkish and Mediterranean cuisine in Kampong Gelam
Located right in the heart of historic Kampong Glam, Alaturka Mediterranean & Turkish Restaurant has been serving classic Turkish dishes along with new interpretations for 15 years.

Its quality was also met with approval, when it was once listed in the Michelin Guide Singapore with a “Bib Gourmand”.

Some of the dishes you can look forward to include the Tas Kebab ($27.80) which is an oven-baked beef stew with mashed potatoes; Makarna, a Turkish-style pasta covered with vegetable sauce, mozzarella cheese and topping of your choice.

One of the highlights is the Karisik Kebab, a feast platter of succulent beef, lamb and chicken kebabs ideal for sharing, served with butter rice and a generous portion of vegetable salad.

Don’t forget to end with sweet treats of Kunefe made of thin vermicelli pastry baked in soft cheese and sweet syrup, and of course the Baklava filled with chopped pistachios in light filo layers.

The Ramen Stall
787 North Bridge Road, Singapore 198755
Tel: +65 6655 0800
Opening Hours: 11am – 3pm, 5pm – 11pm (Mon – Thurs), 11am – 3pm, 5pm – 2am (Fri), 11am – 2am (Sat), 11am – 11pm (Sun)

Halal Japanese Spread To Satisfy Late-Night Cravings
While the outlet at North Bridge Road is called The Ramen Stall, the offerings are a lot more than just noodles, with a wide range of appetizers, sushi, sashimi, kushiyaki, gohan and desserts.

The Japanese dishes served are generally adapted to the local palate.

The chicken-based soup is prepared much lighter and milder, still cooked under high heat for 20 hours to achieve the milky-texture and flavours.

No artificial flavouring, no MSG, no salt, no sugar added. The slight saltiness comes from the meat and kombu dashi, while the sweetness is due to the addition of corn and vegetables.

You can also go for the Dry Ramen, available in spicy or non-spicy versions. This is like a cross between the Japanese Ramen, Indonesian Bakmi and local minced meat noodles.

Mix up with the shoyu marinated chicken cha shu, braised egg, and the cucumber strips and spring onions would add some crunch on every bite.

Tipo Pasta Bar
785 North Bridge Rd, Singapore 198753
Tel: +65 8768 0785
Opening Hours: 12pm – 10pm (Mon – Sun)

Handmade Italian Pasta with a Twist Of Flavours
The name Tipo came about from “Tipo 00”, a type of smooth wheat flour also known as “doppio zero” or “granero tero” which originates from Italy.

The pasta-café serves up hand-crafted pasta with various permutations such as Dill & Lemon Fettuccine and Saffron Fusilli, all at a rather affordable price of $13.90 to $15.90 for their recommended combinations.

Diners can also customise pasta dishes from $9.90 (100g) and $12.90 (150g) onwards.

If making pasta choices seem too hair-splitting for you, then go for the standard choices of Royal Ragu ($15.90), Creamy Chicken & Mushroom ($14.90), Prawn Aglio ($15.90), Seafood Slam Pomodoro ($19.90) or Full Vegan ($13.90).

The well-lived choice is the Crazy Carbonara ($15.90), toped with smoked duck and sous vide egg for a creamy finish.

Soulfood Catering
13 Pahang Street, Singapore 198614
Opening Hours: 12pm – 9pm (Tues – Thurs), 12pm – 10pm (Fri – Sat)

Aussie-Style BBQ Meets Traditional Malay Nasi Lemak
Soulfood Catering is a family-run Aussie BBQ Nasi Lemak food stall in a coffee shop, and it is located in the fringe of Kampong Gelam at Pahang Street.

From Paprika & Herbs Chicken Wing Nasi Lemak, Bangers & Hash Nasi Lemak, Eggs Benny Nasi Lemak, BBQ Prawns Nasi Lemak, to Steak Nasi Lemak, you know you can expect original combinations that cannot be found elsewhere here.

Its makcik-approved Surf & Turf Nasi Lemak ($21.90) is the most popular, a filling plate of BBQ ribeye steak, scallops and prawns, with homemade creamy garlic sauce drizzled on fragrant rice.

This is also available in a family-platter size meant for 2 to 4 pax, included with ribeye steak, BBQ chicken rillet or 1/4 chicken, BBQ prawns, scallops, lemon garlic prawn skewers with Nasi Lemak and that sauce tantalising sauce.

Afterwit Mexican Taqueria
778 North Bridge Road, Singapore 198746
Tel: +65 8816 9481
(Closed temporary till August 2020)

Hearty Mexican Dishes With Artisanal Coffee
This is not your typical Mexican food place, as you can find hearty items such as Butter Chicken Burrito, Cajun Spiced Chicken Tacos, and Tom Yum Shrimp Quesadillas on its menu.

Afterwit Mexican Taqueria offers Mexican dishes such as Pulled Beef Tacos and Muchos Nachos more, but diners also come here for something more exciting on the palate.

The Chipotle Chicken Burrito is one of the recommended items, with spiced chicken and Mexican tomato rice drizzled with spicy chipotle salsa accompanied by fresh slaw, black beans, guacamole and pico de gallo (a type of salsa fresca).

They are undergoing renovations now, and is likely to return in August with a brand-new look and interior. Stay tuned.

Rumah Makan Minang
18 & 18A Kandahar Street, Singapore 198884
Tel: +65 6977 7064
Opening Hours: 9am – 6pm (Mon – Sun)

Halal Indonesian Eatery Serving Minangkabau Cuisine
Founded way back in 1954, this Halal Indonesian restaurant specialises in reasonably priced Minangkabau cuisine, namely Nasi Padang and Beef Rendang.

Their flagship outlet is located at Kandahar Street near Sultan Mosque.

Many diners head to the restaurant for a hearty plate of Nasi Padang – steamed rice served with various choices of cooked dishes.

Most would add a dish of Beef Rendang of succulent beef cooked over slow charcoal fire; or Ayam Belado Hijau – tender chicken in signature green chilli marinate.

The Sotong Masak Hitam – fresh marinated squid in a tangy dark soy gravy; Ikan Belado Hijau – fried mackerel in signature green chilli marinate; and Sayur Lodeh of mixed vegetables boiled soft, spiced and flavoured will also add fiery kicks to your meal.

If you have space, do order the Indonesian Tahu Telur, a dish of large fried tofu mixed with eggs, grated peanuts with addictive dark sweet soy sauce. Sedap lah.

Sabar Menanti II
747 North Bridge Road, Singapore 198715
Tel: +65 6291 0109
Opening Hours: 6am – 4:30pm (Tues – Sun), Closed Mon

Well-Loved Malay Restaurant Serving Minangkabau Dishes
This restaurant at North Bridge Road is named “Sabar Menanti” which really means “wait patiently”.

That is because people do need to queue and wait to try some of its authentic Minangkabau dishes which originated from West Sumatra, Indonesia.

The family-run business has been around for more than 50 years, and now managed by the founder’s children.

For breakfast, people head for the comforting items of Nasi Lemak, Mee Siam, Mee Rebus and Lontong with sayor lodeh, tahu and signature sambal tumis.

Also popular are its Nasi Padang which you can add ingredients such as beef rendang, bagedil, ikan bilis kacang and egg omelette; and Nasi Ambeng with fluffy white rice.

M.A Deen Biasa
95/97 Jalan Sultan, Singapore 198998
Tel: +65 6392 2712
Opening Hours: 24 Hours

House of Soup Tulang
Perhaps you never had Soup Tulang (or Sup Tulung) before, and Kampong Gelam is THE place to find eateries and hawker stalls serving this dish.

Soup Tulang consists of meaty mutton bones in a spicy and vibrant red gravy, which you can soak up with slices of bread.

But the main star are those bone marrows contained within the bone, which you can suck up using straws or by ‘knocking’ them the plate to get it out.

M.A Deen Biasa is one of the popular places to get it as it is opened 24/7, with various portions priced at $10, $20, $30 and $50 for the large.

There are also hearty Muslim dishes such as Nasi Goreng Ikan Billis, Maggi Goreng Chicken, Mutton or Chicken Briyani, Murtabak, and other wok-fried items such as Butter Prawns and Cashew Chicken for sharing here.

FatPapas Burgers and Shakes
17 Bali Lane, Singapore 189853
Tel: +65 6291 8028
Opening Hours: 12pm – 10pm (Sun – Thurs), 12pm – 10:30pm (Fri – Sat)

American-style Burgers, Ribs, Shakes And More
Fatpapas is a family diner where you can find your favourite burgers, BBQ Beef Ribs, and Salmon on Greens – for those who want something healthier.

Set up by celebrity Sheikh Haikel and the creators of Fatboys’, FatPapas is that same unforgettable taste but made halal.

The Country Fried Steak ($19.90) is one of the hot favourites and it is also because of this very dish, FatPapas was born (As Sheikh Haikel was determined to make his favourite dish from Fatboys’ Halal.)

What you get is tender cube steak coated in herbed seasoning, cooking till crisp, and topped with cheesy bechamel sauce.

For burger lovers, you can go for the Wimpy ($15.00) with a choice of housemade Australian chunk tender beef (or lamb), turkey bacon, melted aged cheddar, and fried egg with BBQ sauce smothered over.

From the colourful Haji Lane to Bussorah Street, foodies and shopaholics can also check out hipster cafes (%Arabica Coffee, All Things Delicious, Julie Bakes), multi-label stores, fashionable boutiques as well as souvenir shops.

Don’t forget to hashtag #VisitKampongGelam and #KampongGelamUnited in your instagram posts.

* This post is brought to you by Fyreflyz, and supported by Visit Singapore: Passion Made Possible and One Kampong Gelam (OKG).

“Hougang” 后港 which means “the end of the river” and known to be populated by Chinese Teochew residents, is located in the North-East region of Singapore.

In terms of cafes, there are a number of coffee and dessert places including Hatter Street (212 Hougang Street 21), Ice Edge Cafe (Simon Plaza), SOD Cafe (Ci Yuan CC, 51 Hougang Ave 9), Brosis Eatery (The Midtown), Wild Blooms (The Midtown), Lickers (124 Hougang Ave 1), Ciel Patisserie (124 Hougang Ave 1) and Cottontail Creamery (01-378 Serangoon Ave 3).

For this cafe guide, we have expanded the area up to also some in the Serangoon Garden area. Here are 10 cafes you can head to:

Apollo Coffee Bar
65 Serangoon Garden Way, Singapore 555961
Opening Hours: 9am – 10pm (Tue – Sat), 9am – 7pm (Sun), Closed Mon

Mediterranean-Inspired Brunch Café at Serangoon Garden
Apollo Coffee Bar by the team behind Atlas Coffeehouse at Bukit Timah, Lunar Coffee Brewers at Downtown Gallery and Columbus Coffee Co. at Upper Thomson, has easily become the hottest café spot at Serangoon Garden.

The team have got their formula quite right with every venture, by coming up with variance of industrial chic dining environment coupled with creative food offerings to satisfy café hopper’s interest.

My favourite spot would be the air-conditioned backyard which gave the vibes of al fresco dining. This is an ideal location to chill over a cup of coffee with soft sunlight pouring in from the glass ceiling. But pick an off-peak hour if possible.

Brunch menu is available from 9am till 4pm and serves offering such as Granola, Pears & Yoghurt ($13), Lemon Curd & Hotcakes ($14.50) and Super Nutty Acai bowl ($15).

Exclusive to Apollo Coffee Bar is the Dark Chocolate and Miso Caramel Softserve ($7). I prefer the latter which has an interesting blend of salty miso and sweet caramel flavour. Apollo Coffee Bar (Serangoon Garden)

Eleven Strands
66 Yio Chu Kang Road, Singapore 545568
Tel: +65 9487 1398
Opening Hours: 12pm – 9:30pm (Tue – Thurs), 12pm – 10pm (Fri), 11am – 10pm (Sat), 11am – 9pm (Sun), Closed Mon

Undiscovered Affordable Italian & French Dining At Serangoon
From the team which founded South Union Park at Kembangan, Elevens Strands is their latest Italian and French dining concept which have found themselves a home in Serangoon.

Leveraging on their former strength, they serve up pasta offerings from garlicky Bacon Aglio Olio ($19), tomato-based Beef Bolognese ($21) to dairy-based Bacon Cream Pasta.

I had the Crab Meat Pasta ($25) that came tossed in tangy red tomato sauce and crab meat woven in between, which can be tasted with every mouthful.

The Vongole Pasta ($22) also left an impression with its plump juicy clams simmered in light aromatic white wine sauce and further scented with garlic & herb fragrance.

Sun Ray Café
79 Brighton Crescent, Serangoon Gardens Estate, Singapore 559218
Tel: +65 6283 8700
Opening Hours: 8:30am – 10pm (Tues – Sun), Closed Mon

Pets Friendly Cafe That Feels Like Home
One of Sun Ray’s biggest appeals is that it is pets-friendly. The café is divided into two main rooms – the left for pets with their owners.

While getting to its location at Brighton Crescent can pose to be quite a bit of a challenge especially for those who don’t drive (a number of bus stops away from Serangoon Central), it is where you get friendly vibes and customers become regulars.

Head there early in the morning, and get filled with breakfast items of Beef & Spinach Omelette ($10), Eggs Benny ($7), Big Brekkie ($11), Royal French Toast and Super Chia Pudding and Acai Bowl ($12).

For more filling mains, offerings include Sirloin Steak ($10, $14), Quintet Pork Ribs ($14), Beef Lasagna ($9), Fried Dory ($9), Grilled Dory ($8), Grilled Salmon ($10), and Pork Cutlet ($9).

To be really honest, I was surprised at how inexpensive the food items are, considered some cafes sell them about easily 10-20% pricier.

Amber Ember
730 Upper Serangoon Rd, #01-01, Singapore 534613
Opening Hours: 10am – 5pm (Tues – Fri), 10am – 5pm (Sat – Sun), Closed Mon

Charming Chic Café With Dusty Pink Interiors
Amber Ember is located off Serangoon Central, at a standalone building situated next to Upper Serangoon Shopping Centre.

While marble white with cement grey are the norm café colours (too many actually), I was greeted with a store dressed with dusty pink interiors.

Their brunch menu revolves around a range of jaffles options. From savoury; Truffle Shrooms ($11) and K-Pork ($10) to sweets; PB & Jelly ($8) and Chocobanana ($8).

I went for the Pablo’s Beef ($10) which came with minced beef, capsicum and loads of melted mozzarella cheese.

For sharing sides, AFC – Amber’s Fried Chicken ($10) turned out to be the crowd-pleaser. Amber Ember (Upper Serangoon)

Two Bakers – Serangoon
9 Teck Chye Terrace, Singapore 545720
Opening Hours: 12pm – 9pm (Mon – Fri), 10am – 10pm (Sat), 10am – 6pm (Sun)

For Brunch and Creative Bakes
Residents staying in Serangoon will be familiar with Teck Chye Terrace, a row of shophouses with restaurants serving a variety from Teochew Porridge, Thai seafood, Taiwanese cuisine, Korea BBQ to Laksa steamboat.

Two Bakers is located right opposite Paya Lebar Methodist Church and diagonally across Amber Ember.

They serve up mains, brunch items, bespoke French and Fusion inspired pastries, and specialty coffees.

For brunch till 3pm, You can look forward to Spicy Crab Omelette ($18), Corned Beef & Spam Hash ($16), Spicy Crab Eggs Benedict ($18), Shashuka ($16), Bak Kwa Stuffed Omelette ($16), Golden Kaya French Toast ($16), Pandan Pancakes ($14), and Earl Grey Pancakes ($14).

Some of the popular cakes include the “Spring” ($8.50) with mango mousse and passionfruit compote vanilla sponge and roasted pistachio on sable tart; and the “Goma” ($9) of black sesame mousse, salted caramel, with matcha sponge on chocolate sable tart. Two Bakers (Serangoon)

Lola’s Cafe
5 Simon Road, Singapore 545893
Tel: +65 6284 0349
Opening Hours: 10am – 10:30pm (Mon – Sun)

One Of Hougang’s Most Popular Café For Comforting Brunch And Baked Treats
Residents staying near Hougang should be familiar with Lola’s Café, which is the to-go-to brunch place in that area.

Known for its unpretentious food, it is typically packed with groups of families and friends during the weekends, especially for the brunch hours from 10am to 3pm.

For brunch, offerings include comforting plates Pulled Pork & Avocado Eggs Benedict ($16), Miso Salmon Grain Bowl ($18), Basil Pesto Mushroom Toast ($14), Ultimate Croissant ($15), Angus Beef Burger ($18), and Bacon & Mushroom Truffle Cream Linguine.

Go for the Crab Cake Benedict ($18) which consist of handmade crab cake on toasted English muffins, topped with miso hollandaise sauce and furikake.

Not forgetting the poached eggs as well. As you cut across, the combination of oozy egg yolk, moist crab cake and unique miso hollandaise may just create that mini explosion in your mouth.

The Plain Jane
Blk 211, Serangoon Ave 4, #01-10, Singapore 550211 (Serangoon MRT)
Opening Hours: 12pm – 8pm (Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri), 10am – 8pm (Sat, Sun), Closed Wed

Swiss Roll Specialty Café at Serangoon
Located within the heartlands at Blk 211, Serangoon Ave 4, the interior has a homely feel which reminds me of my growing-up years with a rattan chair in the living room.

Vintage floor tiles, sofa seats, bespoke light and retro display such briefcase and lao-kok-kok typewriter.

The menu offers an assortment of bakes such as the highly recommended Plain Jane Swiss Rolls with flavours on a rotational basis, coffee and tea.

Among the bakes, the Not So Plain Jane Swiss Rolls ($5.90) stood out the most.

The Swiss roll was light and moist, generously filled with matcha cream with non- overpowering and slight lingering matcha bitterness.

Flavour Flings
121 Hougang Avenue 1, #01-1348, Singapore 530121 (Kovan MRT)
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 4pm (Mon, Thurs – Sun), 5:30pm – 10pm (Mon, Wed – Sun), Closed Tues, Wed Lunch

Halal Café With Many Salted Egg Dishes
Competition for cafes is tough nowadays, and to stand out among the rest, Halal-certified Flavour Flings had not just 1, not 2, but 3 salted egg dishes.

Savoury options of Salted Yolk Fries ($8.90), Salted Yolk Egg Benedict ($15.90) and sweet option of Salted Yolk Croissant ($6.90).

Flavours Fling also offers a couple of “Slow Cooked Hen’s Eggs” in its menu – Benedict ($14.90), Royale ($15.90), Croissant Dirty Norwegian ($16.90) and Salted Egg Yolk Dirty Benny ($15.90).

The Dirty Benny ($15.90) came with turkey ham, buttered cereal and salted egg sauce on poached eggs.

Buttered cereal with laksa leaves with a tinge of spiciness reminded us of cereal prawns at tze char stalls.

I loved the crispiness and crunchiness even though it could overpower the salted egg in terms of quantity. Flavour Flings (Hougang Ave 1)

Two Cranes
Blk 211 Hougang Street 21 #01-291, Singapore 530211
Tel: +65 8166 0140
Opening Hours: 9am – 10pm (Mon – Sun)

Korean Inspired Café With Bibimbap, Naengmyeon And Pulut Hitam Bingsu
Inspired by Korean Café Scene, Two Cranes is a neighbourhood café found in Kovan which serves a focused selection of Korean-themed food, bingsu dessert and hand-crafted beverages.

Their signature coffee mocktail, Wonda-fu Drink ($6) was a potent mix concocted from espresso shot, coffee jelly and mint leaves served in a cocktail glass.

It was rather sweet with coffee aroma and had a lingering scent of mint. I liked this drink, but my dining companions had mixed opinions about it.

There were also some Korean-inspired brunch dishes such as Spicy Dakgalbi with Scrambled Eggs ($13.50), Poached Eggs with Flambé Champignons ($13.50) and Sweet and Spicy Chicken Wings ($12).

While Korean bingsu may be considered passé (to some), their flavours such as Tea Bingsu ($12) and Caramel Macchiato Bingsu ($13.50) are made using tea and coffee syrup concocted using their in-house blend. Two Cranes (Hougang)

Tie Fun Wan
50 Hougang Ave 1 #01-00, JForte Sportainment Centre, Singapore 538885
Tel: +65 9738 6648
Opening Hours: 11am – 9pm (Tues – Sun), Closed Mon

Taiwanese Cafe With Lu Rou Fan And Mala Minced Pork Fries
Tie Fun Wan is opened within the premises of JForte Sportainment Centre, sharing space with Sweet Thoughts by M.O.D.

They are known to serve fusion Rice Rowls and have a few notable rice dishes such as 72-Hours Slow Cooked Beef Rice Bowl ($15.50), Mala Pork Collar Rice Bowl ($11.50) and Meat Ball Pao Fan ($10.50).

All served in a “metal rice bowl” like the name suggests.

Their signature bowl goes to the Lu Rou Fan aka Braised Pork Rice Bowl ($9.90) that came with traditionally prepared key ingredients such as braised pork belly slices, peanuts and beancurd skin.

Contrary to Taiwanese-style Lu Rou Fan, Tie Fun Fan’s rendition of braised pork rice originate from Teochew Lor Bak recipe, with more distinctive flavours characterized from soy sauce gravy and usage of spices such as cinnamon, star anise and five spices powder. Tie Fun Wan (Hougang)

* Compiled by Lewis Tan @juicyfingers, Nicholas Tan @stormscape and Daniel Ang @DanielFoodDiary. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

This new café Kizuna at Potong Pasir Ave 1 may sound like the new kid on the block, but it has a long ‘history’.

The existing space was previously occupied by “Shangri-La Confectionary and Delicatessen”, which is no stranger to the residents in the area as it has been around for more than 30 years.

The current 3rd generation decides to step up and continue the “family’s legacy” revamping the entire space from a bakery to a café.

This serves as a place for people to bond and interact over a cup of coffee.

For the regulars who would miss their iconic bakes such as Tau Sar Piah ($1.60) that has been around since the days of the defunct bakery, worry not as they will be offered too.

Kizuna 絆 means “bond or connections between people” in Japanese.

It is also Japan’s “Kanji of 2011”, the year which the tsunami hits, summarising the Japanese’s spirit to unite and bond to overcome all hardships.

The interior is warm and cosy that resembles a home, with paintings hanging on the walls above sofa-like cushion seats and high table and stools on the other side of the cafe.

Their menu is mainly focused on pastries and coffee, with a small selection of Lunch Bowls available on certain days of the week.

Residents who are regular patrons for the past 34 years will be familiar with their Tau Sar Piah (1 for $1.60, 3 for $3.80), Awesome Banana Bread ($4.80), Brownie and Scones.

I happened to visit on the day when the Ceviche Lunch Bowl ($15.80) was available and decided to go for it.

The Ceviche Lunch Bowl ($15.80) is served with tuna, swordfish, nori, shoyu, black sesame seeds, tobiko and a dollop of wasabi by the side.

Unlike their Peruvian counterpart with a distinctive citrus-ness in their marination which is known as Tiger’s Milk, the version at Kizuna was more Japanese Chirashi-like using a shoyu-base sauce.

This can be a little confusing as the Ceviche Lunch Bowl is not Peruvian-style, yet the shoyu was a little overwhelming for a Japanese chirashi don.

On the other hand, I enjoyed the subtle citrusy notes from the Yuzu and the thick cuts of tuna and swordfish that is chewy with more textures.

Small bites such as Mini Croissant Sandwich ($7.80 for 2) are available with flavours such as Egg Mayo, Ham & Cheese and Slipper Lobster Mayo (additional $3).

The Slipper Lobster Mayo (additional $3) is refreshing and comes with chilled diced slipper lobster meat marinated in a mixture of mayonnaise, pepper with a tinge of lemon zest, topped with tobiko for the additional crunch.

Coffee is available in Black (Single shot $3/ Double shots $4), White (3oz $4/ 5oz $5/ 7oz $6), Cold Brew (Black $6/ White $7) with a choice of Oat Milk (additional $1).

Using coffee beans roasted by Paradise Coffee Roasters, a 2-beans-blend by the name of Mr. Brownstone (Brazil and Ethiopia) is used in their espresso-based drinks.

Their Cold Brew (Black $6, White $7) is steeped for 24 hours, and on the lighter note.

Taste0wise, it was not as milky with distinctive brighter and lighter berries notes (slightly acidic); had a lighter body with a cocoa and nutty finish.

Interestingly, the Coffee Jelly ($2.80) on the menu caught my attention.

Served in a 100ml cup with espresso jelly using the same 2-beans-blend used in their coffee, it was refreshing and complemented well with the rich, velvety milk cream.

Even though the Shangri-La Confectionary and Delicatessen is no longer around, Kizuna wants to continue the legacy to “Kizuna” with residents in the area for the past 34 years, serving both old-school bakes and hipster artisanal coffee.

Kizuna
148 Potong Pasir Ave 1, #01-37, Singapore 350148
Opening Hours: 9am – 6pm (Tue – Sun), Closed Mon
https://www.facebook.com/kizunasg

* Written by Nicholas Tan @stormscape who loves all things [NEW]. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

Truffle Ramen at $6.90+ only? Fill your day with more luck when you visit Suparakki Ramen.

That is because “Superakki” means “super lucky” in Japanese, and the popular home-grown ramen eatery is introducing its guests with two new, exciting Wagyu dons.

This promo is exclusive to the CityLink Mall outlet, available for dine-in, takeaway and island-wide delivery. More on that later.

Known for its authentic Hakata-style ramen, Suparakki Ramen offers quality food using premium ingredients, yet at inexpensive prices.

We are talking about Truffle Ramen at $6.90+ and Original Tonkotsu Ramen at $7.90+. No service charge.

One of the reasons why they are able to keep prices low is that they make those al dente noodles entirely in their own factory; and even the soup bases is produced right in their kitchens.

The cost savings is thereby ‘transferred’ to customers, so that they can have it on a more regular basis.

Hakata-style ramen is characterised by extra-thin noodles, silky-smooth pork bone broth, and cha siu toppings.

All the ramen dishes here are made with all-natural ingredients. Here are recommended Suparakki Ramen dishes to try during your visit:

Original Tonkotsu Ramen ($7.90+)
Adults and kids alike love the Original Tonkotsu Ramen, making it Suparakki’s bestseller.

Available in spicy and non-spicy versions, this ramen has a bold flavour that comes from its velvety, collagen-rich tonkotsu made from pork bone stock.

For 6 hours, pork bones (hocks and trotter) are boiled with various herbs and spices. No milk is added, yet the broth is naturally opaque white and creamy.

You get two slices of chashu, made from locally-sourced pork belly. Then meat is cooked sous vide for 24 hours at 68 degrees Celsius, resulting in tender pieces that’s cooked in a special homemade sauce. Served topped with nori, black mushrooms, chopped spring onions, and ajitama egg.

You may be wondering if something so affordable would have its quality compromised. Actually it was really not bad.

The noodles produced using high-grade Japanese flour manufactured in Suparakki’s own factory, had a pretty QQ and semi-firm bite, swimming in delectable broth.

For those who are afraid of soup bases which tend to be on the saltier end, this was slurp-worthy and not too rich (that you could even finish the entire bowl). You are also assured no MSG is added.

Dry Truffle Ramen ($6.90+)
Not in the mood to slurp hot soup? Go for the Dry Truffle Ramen packed with savoury umami flavours.

The secret of this dry-type ramen lies in its potent sauce, a mixture of aromatic Italian truffle oil, chashu sauce, and Suparakki’s homemade base sauce.

You still get the same al dente extra-thin ramen noodles, ready for tossing in the sauce, minus the broth. Be ready for the truffle oil aroma to fill the air.

Other ramen choices here include Tonkotsu Shoyu Ramen ($7.90), Tonkotu Gyokai Ramen ($8.80) – mixture of fish and pork broth, and Tonkotsu Black Garlic Ramen ($9.90).

SUPA Wagyu Don ($14.80+)
Suparakki has introduced the SUPA Wagyu Don which features an A4 grade Wagyu beef.

A beautiful marbling and three-step cooking process make this meat so tender to the bite.

After the beef is cooked sous vide-style, it is pan-seared to lock in its juices. Finally, it is glazed with a homemade marinade for more than 6 hours for maximum flavour.

Served with a sous vide egg, and do give it a good mix.

SUPA Wagyu with Foie Gras Don ($19.80+)
An upgrade of the first don is the SUPA Wagyu with Foie Gras Don.

Go beyond the premium Wagyu beef and raise the luxe bar higher with the addition of foie gras, to indulge in this rice bowl with super-sized flavours and textures.

Each order not only comes with a tender, fatty, umami-rich steak but also 50g of this rich and buttery goose liver delicacy.

Side Dishes of Karaage, Gyoza, or Ebi Fry ($4.50+ each)
Complement your choice of ramen or don with a side order of Karaage. For the price of $4.50+, you get five pieces of lightly-coated, marinated, and deep-fried chicken chunks. Crunchy on the outside, tender on the inside.

Another popular side dish that goes well with a ramen or a done is Gyoza. Bite into this thin-dough Japanese dumpling and taste the flavourful filling of ground meat and veggies.

Get five pieces for an order of these crispy gyozas with juicy interior to contrast its texture.

SUPASIZE Family Combo ($40+, U.P $50.50)
Suparakki Ramen has launched the Supasize Family Combo (which comprises upsized meat portion, Hakata-style ramen, famous Japanese appetisers as well as bubble milk.

The set meal is available for islandwide delivery at https://suparakki.oddle.me. A delivery fee of $5 applies.

SUPASIZE Family Combo includes:
– Original Tonkotsu Ramen (Upsize: 3 extra pcs of Cha Shu)
– Dry Truffle Ramen (Upsize: extra portion of pulled pork)
– Dry Truffle Ramen (Kid Size)
– Any 2 Sides (Choose from Karaage, Takoyaki or Gyoza)
– 2 Supa Boba Milk

Suparakki Boba Milk with Pearls
After slurping down your hot bowl of soup, refresh and cool down with a glass of Boba Milk with Pearls. Both an accompanying beverage and a sweet meal-ender, this has creamy milk and chewy tapioca balls seeped in brown sugar. Quite legit.

Here’s the catch: The Suparakki Boba Milk is only available for delivery or takeaways only with:
– Suparakki’s Supa Boba Milk Single Combo – Original Tonkotsu Ramen with Boba Milk ($13.90 for delivery pre-order, U.P $16.30)
– Suparakki’s Supa Boba Milk Couple Combo – 2X Original Tonkotsu Ramen with Boba Milk ($27.80 for delivery pre-order, U.P $32.80)
– Supasize Family Combo ($40+, U.P $50.50)

Suparakki Ramen
Citylink Mall #B1-65 Singapore 039393 (City Hall MRT)
North Point City (South Wing) #B2-154, Singapore 769098 (Yishun MRT)
Westgate #B2-03 Singapore 608532 (Jurong East MRT)
Opening Hours: 10.30am – 9:30pm (Mon – Sun)

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Suparakkiramen
Delivery Website: https://suparakki.oddle.me

* This post is brought to you in partnership with Suparakki Ramen.

Tanjong Pagar is home to many Korean restaurants, ranging from Korean BBQ to Korean Fried Chicken.

As one of the pioneers in the Korean food scene in Singapore, Super Star K started out in a foodcourt in 2004 and eventually opened more Korean BBQ outlets along Tanjong Pagar Road.

Super Star K has opened their first Korean noodle-specialty restaurant called Noodle Star K (We could have guessed. Chicken Star K, next?) at 58 Tanjong Pagar Road.

Tanjong Pagar can very well be Singapore’s “JjaJangMyeon Zone” with many restaurants offering the Korean black bean paste noodles here.

Some examples are O.BBa Jjajang, Hong Jjajang 홍짜장, Twins Restaurant, Hwang Sil Jjajang Jjampong specialty restaurant and Red Holic (in the form of Jjajang Tteokbokki).

I am sure there are more.

Noodle Star K does remind me of Guksu Restaurant at Suntec City and Huluruk Myeon House at Novena Square, both specialising in Korean noodles.

Butthere are clear differences in terms of their take on noodles.

Using 100% handmade noodles, Noodle Star K’s menu comprised of Naengmyeon – Cold noodles ($13.80-$14.80), Jjajangmyeon – Black bean paste noodles ($10.80), Jjampong – Spicy seafood soup noodles ($13), Kalguksu – Knife cut noodles ($12.80-$14.80), Guksu – Noodles ($12.80), Japchae – Korean glass noodles ($15.80) and Jjolmyeon – Korean chewy noodles ($13.80).

Their signature dish is their Naengmyeon with a total of 5 different variations on their menu: Mul (using potato starch), Bibim (using potato starch in spicy sauce), Sashimi (using potato starch with sashimi slices), Pyeongyang (using 70% buckwheat, 30% starch), Chik (using arrowroot).

Originated from northern Korea, the two main varieties of Naengmyeon are Mul Naengmyeon served as a cold soup with the noodles contained in broth made from beef, chicken or radish water kimchi and Bibim Naengmyeon in a spicy dressing made from gochujang (red chili paste).

I personally liked the Bibim Naengmyeon ($13.80) the most, served chilled with thin potato starch noodles that is perfect for Singapore’s hot weather.

Mix the spicy sauce with the white radish kimchi, sesame oil, sesame seeds, vinegar dressing and sugar well just like a Bibimbap before eating. Mashisoyo!

Instead of using buckwheat noodles, the potato starch noodles were more chewy in their texture.

The fragrance and aroma was distinctively pleasant and the taste of the Bibim Naengmyeon was so refreshing with a spicy kick. Daebak!

No joke, Koreans do take their spicy food seriously.

I was keen to try out their version of Jjajangmyeon ($10.80), which is a Korean-styled Chinese dish.

Served in a huge, matte, stainless-steel golden bowl which are really gorgeous, their noodles look different from the ones I usually had.

Instead of being thick and round, the noodles used in the Jjajjngmyeon here were flat like mee-pok.

The taste was balanced with savouriness from the black bean paste and slight sweet notes from the sliced onions.

Unlike most Jjajangmyeon, no shallots were used which also explained the lack of fragrance but I was pleasantly surprised to see potatoes cubes in it for the extra textures.

There is also option for free upsize and fried eggs for the Jjajangmyeon, the latter is unfortunately not available on the day of visit.

The Jjampong ($13) is another common dish found in Korean-Chinese restaurants, made from the same flat “mee pok” noodles used in the Jjajangmyeon.

Topped with prawns and cuttlefish in spicy soup with chili powder, it was indeed quite spicy,

Perhaps the lack of mussels and octopus resulted in a relatively flat taste, and also lacked in terms of freshness and sweetness from other seafood.

Small bites such as dumplings ($6.80) are available in three flavours: Gogi (pork meat), Kimchi and Mul (boiled pork meat).

Thinking that they will be as good as the ones I had at Red Holic down the same road, the dumplings turned out to be Chinese-style dumplings without the iconic glass noodles in Korean dumplings.

The Gogi dumplings (5 pieces for $6.80) has a distinctive soy and garlic taste in it, filled with minced pok and spring onions.

Noodles fanatics will love the idea of having different types of noodles in one place, especially with the wide selection of Korean-style noodles here.

Their Bibim Naengmyeon hits all the right notes and turned out to be the most memorable dish there.

Noodle Star K
58 Tanjong Pagar Road, Singapore 088479
https://www.facebook.com/Noodle-Star-K-108710004100084

* Written by Nicholas Tan @stormscape who loves all things [NEW]. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

Do you know that Strawberry Shortcakes are sold as “Christmas Cakes” in Japan?

Additional fun-fact: June 14 is “Strawberry Shortcake Day”.

The Strawberry Shortcake is one of the most popular cakes in Japan, and what we have here in Singapore is generally adapted from the Japanese style.

Tnstead of sweet business, a Strawberry Shortcake would generally include layers of sponge cake, soft cream fillings, fresh strawberry slices, and frosted with whipped cream.

Seems rather simple but it is all about the freshness. This is also one of those light cakes to have when you want a sweet dessert, but yet guilty about the richness.

Here are 10 cafes and bakeries in Singapore where you can get delicate Strawberry Shortcakes:

Chef Yamashita
Blk 1 Tanjong Pagar Plaza #02-44, Singapore 082001
Opening Hours: 11am – 5pm (Tues – Sat), 11am – 4pm (Sun), Closed Mon

Chef Yamashita Masataka trained in Tsuji Culinary Institute in Osaka Japan, was previously taking charge of the kitchen at Glace and Flor Patisserie (2 other fantastic places to get cakes).

The patisserie may be at a slightly obscure shop on the 2nd level of Tanjong Pagar Plaza, but fans of Japanese cakes know where to head to.

There are limited seats, so most customers come for takeaways.

Have a go at the soft and fluffy Ichigo ($6.50) a Japanese-style light sponge cake with sweet strawberries and fresh soft cream.

Sponge soft and fluffy like a cloud, and the winning part was the cream that had just the right delicate sweetness.

Chateraise Singapore
Various outlets around Singapore

Châteraisé is the well-known patisserie chain from the Yamanashi Prefecture Japan (a land rich in nature), which collaborates with Japanese farmers to use high quality ingredients for their cakes and desserts.

The number one best-selling Fresh Cream Cake ($5.10 per slice, $40 for 18cm, $45 for 21cm) is made with Japanese strawberries picked at the height of their freshness.

Topped with Hokkaido fresh cream, the airy and fluffy sponge cake is layered with a luscious strawberry confiture for sheer indulgence.

My OLs friends love the variety and aesthetics of the cakes, and somehow always get their Strawberry Shortcake as a choice of birthday cake.

Henri Charpentier Singapore
181 Orchard Road, Orchard Central 01-18, Singapore 238896
Tel: +65 6634 4608
Opening Hours: 11am – 10:30pm (Mon – Sat), 11am – 10pm (Sun)

Henri Charpentier’s Strawberry Short Cake was actually crowned “Best Short Cake” in Japan on a well-known Japanese television programme.

This is also its Number 1 best seller in Singapore.

Compared to other cakes, the whipped fresh cream filling has a richer milk taste, but is still melt in your mouth.

Ciel Patisserie
124 Hougang Ave 1, #01-1444, Singapore 530124
Tel: +65 6383 0803
Opening Hours: 11am – 9pm (Mon – Sun)

Ciel Patisserie is quite a hidden find, inconspicuously located at Hougang Ave 1. But it is quite popular among residents around for their cakes, bakes and tarts.

The Strawberry Shortcake ($5.80 for slice, $34 for 6” square, $45 for 8” square) is one of their top sellers, and is sold out quite early in the day.

What you get is a square cake with two layers of fluffy and soft sponge, sandwiching fresh seasonal juicy strawberries and signature lightly-sweetened vanilla Chantilly cream.

Rosettes of Chantilly cream are piped over the top to finish it off, giving it a great balance of flavour and sweetness.

This is soft and light, and shows that good desserts can also be found in our neighbourhoods.

Patisserie Glace
9 Raffles Place, #B1-09 Republic Plaza Singapore 048619
Tel: +65 6536 0169
Opening Hours: 11am – 7pm (Mon – Fri), Closed Sat, Sun, PH

Japanese cake lovers should be familiar with this shop, helmed by Chef Tomoko who makes gorgeous-looking and moderately priced Japanese pastries.

It is hard to walk past without being drawn to beautiful temptations.

Also look out for the popular Strawberry Shortcake, Rare Cheese Mango, Mont-Blanc, Fruit Crepe, Hazel Dazzle, Choco Renga, Banana Hill and Green Tea Tiramisu.

Their signature cake is the Strawberry Shortcake layered with light cheese, soft sponge and sweet strawberries in fresh cream. Rich and refreshing.

They said this would bring back fond memories of your travels in Japan.

The Providore
7 Raffles Place, Singapore 048625
Tel: +65 6533 1352
Opening Hours: 8am – 10:30pm (Mon – Fri), 9am – 6pm (Sat – Sun)

The Providore’s Strawberry Shortcake ($8.50 per slice, $48 for 14cm whole cake, $58 for 16cm whole cake) is produced fresh daily at their central pastry kitchen.

Worthy to mention is that the cream is made from Lescure whipping cream from France, which has a milky-creamy taste which complements the thin strawberry slices.

The shortcake sponge is made from Japanese flour for a fluffier texture, and I enjoyed that there was a certain pillow-like lightness to the overall texture.

Flor Patisserie
Capitol Singapore, 13 Stamford Rd, #01-11, Singapore 178905
Opening Hours: 11am – 7pm (Tues – Sun), Closed Mon

You may not know but Flor Patisserie is a locally-grown brand, and cakes are made without artificial colourings or chemical agents.

Their confections feature largely fresh fruits, and are lighter in flavour than conventional French pastries.

Flor’s signature Strawberry Shortcake ($8.60 per slice, $56.71 for 15 cm whole cake) uses Japanese Chitose strawberries.

They make the genoise sponge by hand, using local eggs and Japanese flour without any chemical raising agent or additives.

After which, they would carefully balance out the softness of the sponge and sweetness of the strawberries with Candia 35% fat fresh cream.

Also available is the Strawberry Souffle Cake (pictured above), and I enjoyed the cream that was smooth and not too heavy.

Rive Gauche Patisserie
3 Temasek Boulevard #B1-K2 Suntec City Mall Singapore 038983
Tel: +65 6238 0882
Opening Hours: 10:30am – 9:30pm (Mon – Sun)

When you walk past Rive Gauche at the basement of Suntec City, you may find their cakes hard to hard to resist, especially their signature Guanaja bitter sweet chocolate cake with a crispy bottom layer.

The name of the cake shop actually refers to the left bank of Seine River in France, and has been a hit with customers since 1992.

With a selection of French and Japanese pastries, one of the best sellers is the Strawberry shortcake, in signature Japanese light and fluffy style.

What you get is a sweet delight of sliced strawberries and freshly whipped cream sandwiched by two layers of sponge, complete with fresh strawberries on top.

Lady M
181 Orchard Road #01-27 & #02-07 Orchard Central, Singapore 238896
Tel: +65 6509 3673
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 10pm (Mon – Sun)

While New York based Lady M is better known for its Mille Crepe cake, you can also have a go at their classic Strawberry Shortcake ($10 per slice, 9” cake $104 online / $117.70 in boutique).

Lady M’s version is created with superfine flour imported from Japan, which produces a vanilla sponge cake that gives it a fluffier texture and purer taste.

Coupled with sweet strawberries (from Australia and Korea) precisely studded among clouds of whipped cream, this is a great-to-have afternoon tea dessert.

Pacific Marketplace
Level 1, Pan Pacific Singapore, 7 Raffles Boulevard Marina Square Singapore 039595
Tel: +65 6826 8240
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 9:30pm (Mon – Sun)
(No dining in yet for “Phase 2”)

If you are looking at whole cakes, Pacific Marketplace at Pan Pacific Singapore offers quite an indulgent and gorgeous looking Strawberry Pistachio Shortcake ($62, 1kg).

The classic strawberry shortcake is given a spin with fluffy pistachio sponge, complemented by smooth whipped mascarpone cream and a ring of fresh strawberries.

For the health-conscious people, a lower sugar option is also available upon special request.

Note: 1 day advance notice is required for order of this item, kindly place order before 4pm.

* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

People do not head over to Indus Road for food on an ordinary day, though it is of walking distance to Valley Point and Beo Crescent Food Centre.

Let alone for authentic Thai food. So, Thong Aik Coffee is considered a well-hidden find within this older estate near Bukit Ho Swee.

Even though I was more or less familiar with the River Valley area, it took me a while to find the place (It’s kind of nearer Lower Delta.)

As to why it is called “Thong Aik”, the family used to own a petrol kiosk in Thomson Road called “Thong Aik BP Service Station”.

While the business was eventually taken over by the corporation, they wanted to bring a piece of family history into their new business venture.

Thong Aik serves up Nanyang coffee in the morning, and Thai food from lunch (11am) to dinner as it is a collaboration with Ying Thai (not to be confused with Yhingthai Palace Restaurant).

Starting with the morning offering from 8am to 11am, there are items of Lu Rou Fan aka Braised Pork Rice Bowl ($3.90), Century Egg Porridge ($2.90), and Green Bean Soup with Gula Melaka ($2).

The hearty Lu Rou Fan cooked with a family recipe, contained generous portion of well-braised savoury pork belly slices, though I wished shorter-grain fluffier rice could have been use for better blend with the dark sauce.

The Green Bean Soup with Gula Melaka ($2) also had a good consistency and not too sweet, though at the end of the day you wonder if there could be more distinct breakfast offerings for repeat customers.

The Nanyang Coffee ($1 – $1.60) is brewed using a blend of Arabica and Robusta beans, and the roast is freshly-grounded just before brewing to bring out the fragrance with a chocolatey twist.

Moving ahead to Lunch (yes, I had to come here a few times haha), you can expect something totally different with Basil Minced Pork Rice ($6), Thai Fried Rice ($5.50), Tang Hoon with Pork or Chicken ($5.50), Green Curry Chicken with Rice ($6), Pineapple Fried Rice Chicken ($5.50), Phad Thai ($7) and Tom Yum Fried Rice ($5.50).

I was initially quite surprised at the quality of the Green Curry when I first tried – rich and deliciously creamy, not losing out on the heat factor.

The chef specialises in authentic home cooked Changi Mai cuisine, so you would find their dishes fragrant and flavourful.

Both the Thai-styled Pork Basil Rice and Phad Thai used Thai herbs and spices, and I reckon the standard is actually better than some of the established Golden Mile type restaurants.

If you are near this area, you know where to head for inexpensive Thai food.

Thong Aik Coffee
78 Indus Road #01-495 Singapore 161078 (15 min walk from Tiong Bahru MRT Station)
Tel: +65 8901 7155
Opening Hours: 8am – 8pm (Mon – Sat, Closed PH)

* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

The idea of writing this Fish and Chips guide came about during the “Circuit Breaker” period, as I had mad cravings for deep-fried food, and surprisingly some of those takeaways stayed crisp and tasty.

The Fish and Chips dish originated in England itself, and two of its main ingredients were introduced by immigrants – an example of culinary fusion.

For this listicle, I wanted to include a range from hawker stalls, cafés, seafood restaurants (of course), to Fish & Chips speciality stores. Sorry if your favourites are not in.

There were a few more I would have wanted to include, such as Captain Snapper at habitat by honestbee and Fisherios at Takashimaya, but they have unfortunately closed.

The English House by Marco Pierre White
28 Mohamed Sultan Rd, Singapore 238972
Tel: 65 6545 4055
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 3pm, 5:30pm – 10:30pm (Mon – Fri), 8:30am – 3pm, 5:30pm – 10:30pm (Sat), 8:30am – 8pm (Sun)

Inspired by colonial Singaporean heritage, The English House is an elegant house and restaurant with private dining rooms helmed by renowned Celebrity Chef, Marco Pierre White.

The place is dramatic, accentuated with glimmering candles and black and white photographs by Terry O’Neill, a British photographer renowned for documenting the style and fashion of the 1960s.

This is quite the place for a date night.

Somehow, I had the impression that their Fish & Chips was very expensive, but was pleasantly surprised that they switched the type of fish and price has become more ‘friendly’ (Previously, the Fried Fillet of English Turbot was $98 which could have made many diners hesitate to depart with that kind of money.)

The Beer Battered Haddock Fillet ($38) is served with triple cooked chips, butter mushy peas and tartare sauce.

Worthy of mention is that the haddock is flown in from Europe fresh every week, while the chips are made from British potatoes sourced from Yorkshire.

I found this plate quite a complete and all-rounded one – crispy batter, fresh tasting fish, and those flavourful mushy peas were also a highlight.

Oh yes, limited quantities, so pre-order is recommended.

Lad & Dad
7 Tanjong Pagar Plaza #01-108 Singapore 081007 (Tanjong Pagar Station)
Tel: +65 92477385
Opening Hours: 12pm – 10pm (Tues – Sat), Closed Sun, Mon

From Maxwell Food Centre to a stand-alone shop at Tanjong Pagar, Lad & Dad has come a long way.

Their best-selling Fish & Chips ($16) is included with beer-battered Atlantic haddock, mushy peas, straight cut chips and accompanied with tartar sauce.

The batter was the winning component for me, coming in that delectable golden-brown shade. When you cut across with the knife, there would be that light sound of tantalising crunch.

Fish was fresh and flaky, and almost all the components from the peas to tartar sauce worked well together.

The fries could be the weaker link – not that it was bad or anything, it was probably just above the average.

Smiths Authentic British Fish and Chips
271 Bukit Timah Road, #01-02 Balmoral Plaza, Singapore 259708
Tel: +65 6737 9313
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 10:30pm (Mon – Fri), 9am – 10:30pm (Sat), 12pm – 8pm (Sun)

This is one of the few British-style Fish & Chips shops in Singapore that has been around since 2010.

However, do note that this is a self-serve joint (order via counter and collect after buzzer sounds), so don’t expect restaurant-type service here, even though prices are slightly on the high side.

Their extensive menu offers the usual the famous British signatures, such as North Sea cod, haddock, plaice, halibut, battered sausages, mushy peas, curry sauce, pickled eggs, and chips.

Items such as fish, fishcakes, sausages and scallops are all cooked in their home-made batter which is made fresh every day with a secret recipe.

The Cod or Haddock Chips ($22 for small, $25 for large) comes with chips or salad, fried in quality refined palm oil, to give a more authentic British taste accordingly.

I personally thought that the fish could do with slightly more seasoning, but there was vinegar and salt on the side which you could add a little of.

What I liked with their thick-cut chips, made fresh in-house and not too greasy.

Molly Malone’s Irish Pub
56 Circular Rd, Singapore 049411
Tel: +65 6536 2029
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm (Mon – Fri), 12pm – 10pm (Sat), Closed Sun

Not quite right if I don’t include an Irish pub in this list. Molly Malones is a popular Irish restaurant and bar near Boat Quay, known for its Dublin Bay Fish & Chips, Bangers & Mash, Bavette Steak, Guinness Pie and light bites.

The Molly’s Famous Fish & Chips ($20) has white fish fillet coated with Mammy Molly’s batter and deep-fried until golden brown.

While slightly oily, the batter had a delightful golden-yellow crunch which I loved. Fish was also tender and juicy – one of the more memorable one I had.

This is served with chips, fresh lemon and tartare sauce.

Tip: Come during weekday lunch or Tuesday, pay just $14++ for the Fish and Chips, and this also includes bottomless soda.

The Market Grill
208 Telok Ayer St, Singapore 068642
Tel: +65 6221 3323
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 2:30pm, 6pm – 10pm (Mon – Sat), Closed Sun

While The Market Grill is inspired by traditional old-style butcheries and diners and is best known for its burgers and steak.

Celebrated dishes include its signature flown-in live Boston Lobsters and other fresh seafood offerings such as the Fish & Chips ($28).

This dish uses a locally-sourced grouper (generous 200 to 220 gm of fillet) while the batter is made with craft tap beer.

The fish is best paired with house-made tartare sauce – which they pickle with their own onions and ginger to give it a slightly different dimension, pickles, and raisin caper pesto sauce for those with a sweet tooth.

Greenwood Fish Market
34 & 38 Greenwood Ave, Singapore 289236
Opening Hours: 12pm – 10:30pm (Mon – Sun)

Established in 2003, Greenwood Fish Market has become the go-to neighbourhood destination for a seafood fix.

Expect a wide selection of the freshest catch of the day – up to 30 varieties to choose from.

Both a retailer and family-run restaurant, it also serves Western-style seafood-based starters, pastas & risotto, soups & salads, burger & rolls, pizzas, and mains.

Their House Fish & Chips served with calamansi vinaigrette salad ($19.95) uses a custom blend of three flours developed by their founder, using a top grade catfish (there are also choices of other fish fillets).

The House Fish & Chips are only $11.50++ for takeaways, while Barramundi and Snapper options are at $16.50++ each.

Fish & Chicks
Blk 531 Ang Mo Kio Ave 10, #01-2429 Happy Hawkers, Singapore 560531
Tel: +65 9828 3490
Opening Hours: 11am – 9:30pm (Mon – Sun)

Fish & Chicks made some waves on social media a few years ago with their Salted Egg Yolk and Chilli Crab Sauce Fish and Chips.

Their all-time favourite is the Best Of Both Worlds ($14.80) with both Salted Egg and Chilli Crab Sauce paired with Fish & Chips.

Some may think it is pricy for a coffeeshop stall.

All their special Fish & Chips sets come with fries and a choice of sides such as Onion Rings, Coleslaw, Mashed Potato, Cheese Pasta and BBQ Baked Beans.

All in all, I liked that the fish and chicken came in reasonably big portions, and interesting sauces made from scratch.

Perhaps with a number of branches, consistency can be a challenge which the team would need to work on.

Big Fish Small Fish
200 Victoria Street, Bugis Junction 04-05, Singapore 188021
Tel: +65 9438 7623
Opening Hours: 11am – 9:30pm (Mon – Sun)

Despite being a relatively new brand just 3 years in the market, Big Fish Small Fish expanded a far bit from being small shop at Punggol Container Park.

It currently has outlets at Northpoint City (South Wing), Bugis Junction (#04-05), Tampines Mall (#B1-K3), Tampines Mall (#B1-K3) and JCube (#03-07/08).

People come here for its variety and friendly vibes.

For their Fish & Chips, choose a main such as Dory ($10.80), Haddock ($18.80), Salmon ($17.70), Halibut ($15.60), Sea Bass ($14.40), Hoki ($13.20), included with skin-on fries or sliced potato crisps.

There are also two add-ons such as mint mushy peas, coleslaw, mashed potatoes and garlic toast.

The other highlight is also free flow sauces and dips available, though I thought that the salted egg sauce was slightly ‘faint’.

Fresh fish (I had the sea bass) had not too oily batter, though only some of the chips in the same bag were crisp.

Oriole Coffee + Bar
96, #01-01 Somerset Road, Pan Pacific Serviced Suites, Singapore 238163
Tel: +65 6238 8348
Opening Hours: 10am – 10:30pm (Mon – Sun)

The Oriole experience is about serving specialty coffee along with global fare for breakfast, lunch and dinner, making it an all-day, every day café destination at Orchard Road.

The Ginger Ale Fish & Chips ($22++) is one of its signatures, of battered snapper fish with tartare sauce, lemon and chips.

There was a good crisp on the batter, while the fish was firm and tender. However, there was once I had rather dry ones, so perhaps better consistency would have been ideal.

Rejoicings
Blk 11 Telok Blangah Crescent Food Centre #01-122, Singapore 090011
Tel: +65 9198 7477
Opening Hours: 3pm – 1am (Mon, Tues, Thurs), 3pm – 2am (Fri, Sat), 3pm – 12am (Sun), Closed Wed

There are many Western food hawker stalls in Singapore serving not-bad versions of Fish & Chips, but I thought of giving some highlight to Rejoicings – which is not all that well-known, hidden at Telok Blangah Crescent Food Centre.

There are a couple of fish dishes on its menu such as Fish & Chips ($6), Grilled Fish & Chips ($6) but what you should order should be the Crispy Battered Fish and Chips ($8).

Yes, at $8, this seems to be higher priced than the average stall.

There was something crunchy, light and airy about the batter with buttery fragrance, that made the piece crisp even after dabao.

This is quite a good find, plus the stall opens till 2am on certain nights.

* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

Lor mee 卤面 is a popular Singapore hawker noodle dish with Hokkien origins.

It is categorised by thick gravy cooked with corn starch, five-spice powder and eggs, added with ingredients such as hard-boiled eggs, fish flakes, fish cake, ngor hiang (meat rolls) or fried fish – depending on the stall.

To complement the savoury flavours, customers add a drizzle of the rice-based black vinegar (usually the Chinkiang), some minced garlic, and for spice lovers, a dollop or two of sambal chili.

For this Lor Mee listicle, I tried more than 20 famous stalls, and I personally found this hawker listicle harder to compile than the usual – because the famous stalls are located at far ends of the island, with very long queues, and operate for short hours.

And it is starchy and filling, so I cannot cover more than a stall a day. (For food centres with 2-3 famous Lor Mee stalls, I go back on separate trips to try all of them.)

To me (while some may not agree with), the most important component of Lor Mee is the ’lor’ (gravy) itself. I am always looking out for that ‘magic’. It should be flavourful, and can hold on its own even without including additional vinegar, chilli or garlic.

Popular Lor Mee stalls in Singapore include Tiong Bahru Lor Mee (Old Airport Road Food Centre), Xiang Ji Lor Mee (Old Airport Road Food Centre), Yuan Zhi Wei (Whampoa Food Centre) Hoe Heng Lor Mee (Toa Payoh Lor 8), Jue Dai Lor Mee (Ci Yuan Food Centre), Zhi Xiang Lor Mee (Toa Payoh Lor 4), Ang Mo Kio Lor Mee (Chong Boon Market), Ah Mah Lor Mee (328 Clementi Ave 2), Heng Kee Lor Mee (Bendemeer Food Centre), Yuan Chun Famous Lor Mee (Amoy Street Food Centre), Soon Heng (Beo Crescent), Soon Heng Food Delights (Tanjong Pagar) and Ma Bao Lor Mee (216 Bedok Food Centre).

Just to name a couple. Here are 10 more luscious Lor Mee you can find in Singapore:

Xin Mei Xiang Zheng Zong Lor Mee 新美香卤面
51 Old Airport Road, #01-116 Old Airport Road Food Centre, Singapore 390051
Opening Hours: 6am – 2pm (Fri – Wed), Closed Thurs

I remember Xin Mei Xiang Zheng Zong Lor Mee at Old Airport Road Food Centre winning (back in those days) the “Best Lor Mee” in “Just Noodles 面对面” on television hosted by Kym Ng.

The line does get very long during peak hours, with estimated wait of at least 20 to 30 minutes, and bowls can be sold out before closing hour.

Some customers may not find this worth the very long wait in the heat though.

What’s noteworthy in their Xin Mei Xiang’s Lor Mee ($4, $5, $6) is its generous serving of ingredients – you get your money’s worth.

The sauce, a key element in a good Lor Mee, was quite unlike any others I had before – thick and flavourful as it was prepared with five-spice and other seasonings.

The balance of being vinegary and spicy was done just right. Quite a complete bowl in terms of getting the different elements right from ingredients to the lor.

I never intended to finish that sauce but I did anyway. While some customers may feel it is on the plain side, it was not as starchy and didn’t give me that uncomfortable-filling feeling.

Ah yes, there is another similar-sounding Xiang Ji Lor Mee (#01-81) and Tiong Bahru Lor Mee (#01-124) in the same food centre, if you happen to crave for Lor Mee and Xin Mei Xiang is closed. Xin Mei Xiang Lor Mee (Old Airport Road Food Centre)

Feng Zhen Lor Mee 鳳珍鹵麵
Taman Jurong Food Centre, #03-146, 3 Yung Seng Road, S 618499, Singapore
Opening Hours: 5am – 3pm (Tues – Sat), Closed Sun, Mon

People do travel all the way far-west to Taman Jurong Food Centre for this one stall – Feng Zhen Lor Mee.

With amazing flavours hitting all the right notes, it is no wonder this stall has all the great elements to attract Lor Mee fans to the stall.

Long queues are a common sight, but the efficient service is commendable. Try to avoid peak lunch time though.

There is both the basic Lor Mee ($3) and Fish Lor Mee ($4, $5) included with fish flakes. There were so many toppings such as scrumptious deep-fried meatballs that the noodles weren’t even visible.

Here’s what I like about the Lor Mee: the gravy had good consistency, moreish with well-balanced flavours that went amazingly well with the tender meatballs.

If there was one thing I needed to nit-pick, some parts of the ’lor’ was not well stirred, so could be clumpy at parts.

Besides Lor Mee, they also serve fried prawn rolls which make for tasty appetizers to go with your meal.

Feng Zhen has another outlet at 787B Choa Chu Kang Dr; while they have relatives sell Ah Ma Lor Mee at 328 Clementi Ave 2.

Keng Heng Whampoa Teo Chew Lor Mee 慶興黃埔潮州鹵麵
#01-63 Golden Mile Food Centre, 505 Beach Road Singapore 199583
Tel: +65 9844 4853
Opening Hours: 7:30am – 2pm (Mon – Sat), Closed Sun

It is hard to miss with the large flashy signboard compelling you to get a steamy bowl of Lor Mee, and no matter what time of the day you visit the stall, you will always be met with snaking long queues.

You may have to wait a good half an hour for your order even on weekdays.

The classic Teochew style Lor Mee is priced at $3 – $5 which I found reasonable. The large portion size was quite huge and shareable if you are not too hungry.

The bowl was loaded with tender pork belly balanced with the crisp and crunch of the fish skin (which is not commonly found in other Lor Mee stalls), fishcakes, fried wantons and chunks of crispy fish.

The gravy had a distinct sweetish taste of its own with the same starchy thickness its loyal fans all know and love. But not everyone would enjoy the gooeyness.

Oh yah, may want to go easy on the chilli as it can get overwhelmingly spicy.

Lorong Ah Soo Lor Mee 羅弄阿蘇卤面
105 Hougang Ave 1, Hainanese Village #02-51, Singapore 530105
Opening Hours: 12pm – 3:30pm (Tues – Sun), Closd Mon

This Lor Mee hawker stall is said to be in the business for more than 50 years, with old-school flavours that are a favourite with Hougang residents.

Make sure that you get to the stall during the early opening hours at noon, or prepare to wait at least 30 – 45 minutes for your order. They may also sell out earlier.

A bowl is reasonably priced at $3.50 or $4, and includes ngor hiang, fish cake, and braised duck meat.

This stall does not include fish flakes as it is labour intensives and the owner is worried there may be bones which affect many of their regulars who are more elderly.

As it is difficult to prepare the gravy (can get burnt or too watery if left there for long), the hawkers make just two big pots, cooked and seasoned till it is well-balanced with the right consistency.

The gravy may come across not as rich or robust as the usually stalls, but there was something delightful in terms of its lightness – you don’t feel so jelak. A nostalgic taste which is harder to find nowadays.

Soon Lee Lor Mee 顺利滷麵攡
Circuit Road Food Centre, Blk 79 Circuit Road, #01-07, Singapore 370079
Tel: +65 9298 0115
Opening Hours: 12pm – 8pm (Wed – Sun), Closed Mon, Tues

While Lor Mee is typically a morning breakfast affair, Soon Lee starts operating from noon onwards till early dinner time. (They used to serve from dinner till 2-3am but changed their operational hours.)

Soon Lee Lor Mee Stall has been around for more than 40 years.

Their ingredients comprise of their specialty fried fritters, fried fish, braised pork belly and hard-boiled egg (instead of braised).

All these ingredients are prepared fresh daily before business, and even the eggs are freshly cooked.

A bowl is sold at $3, $4, $5, though I would recommend getting the bigger bowls as the small may be too little in portion for the hungry customer.

I think why people like this stall is due to its old-school tasting gravy, which has a sweetish aftertaste. The crispy fried fritters also help to add crunch and textural contrast.

Zhi Xiang Special Lor Mee 智翔特制滷麵
93 Lor 4 Toa Payoh #01-49, Singapore 310093
Tel: +65 8233 0721
Opening Hours: 5am – 2pm (Tues – Sun), Closed Mon

This stall is called “special” for a reason. The one thing that differentiates this from the other places it the addition of fried yam fritters.

Only the $4 version comes with the yam.

It is served in a separate bowl, with some bite-size pieces that you can dip into the dark gravy. It is more towards the crunchy size, somewhat like Mamee noodles.

While it added more textural layer, this is carb in carb on carb, and so can be rather filling.

The other components were more or less standard fare, though ngor hiang given also came in the entire long piece, and not cut into smaller slices. A not bad bowl.

Lor Mee 178 鹵麵178
30 Seng Poh Road, Tiong Bahru Market & Food Centre #02-23, Singapore 168898
Opening Hours: 7am – 2:30pm (Mon – Sun)

Lor Mee 178 has been listed in the Singapore’s Michelin Guide with a “Michelin Plate” (not “star”) for quite a number of years, previously also frequently featured in local television food programmes.

On a side note, there are two famous Lor Mee stalls at Tiong Bahru Food Centre, the other being Tiong Bahru Lor Mee (#02-80). Both have equally long queues.

Lor Mee 178’s signature Lor Mee ($3.00) is a bowl of thick, flat yellow noodles in viscous gravy (the lor).

Unlike the ones in other Lor Mees, its flavourful gravy is not too starchy and has a good consistency to it. You could finish slurping a bowl without feeling too full.

I personally think that the lor was slightly on the ‘safe’ side, and may be seen by some as bland or not-soimpressionable.

Would suggest going for the upgraded version with additional topping of crispy fried shark fritter ($4.00), evidently the winning element in this dish.

71 Lor Mee
115 Bukit Merah View, #01-71 Bukit Merah View Food Centre, Singapore 151115
Opening Hours: 6am – 1pm (Wed – Sun), Closed Mon, Tues

Slightly long queue here, though people not staying around Bukit Merah won’t have heard of this Lor Mee.

To me, there are two things that are appealing – the crispy bits and the consistency of the gravy.

At $3, the Lor Mee is very reasonably priced, as the portion size is quite filling, with crunchy pork bits, fish cake and ngor hiang.

The lor was not too starchy, and had a semi-sticky gooey consistency that was neither thick nor watery. Comforting for the tummy. Lor Mee 178 (Tiong Bahru Food Centre)

Best Lu Mian In Town
91 Whampoa Drive, Whampoa Food Centre #01-19, Singapore 320091
Opening Hours: 8am – 2pm (Sat – Thurs), 8am – 3pm (Fri)

This is testament that a good stall name can keep people curious and customers coming.

So, is this REALLY the “BEST Lu Mian In Town”?

While I don’t really think so (opps) – perhaps the gravy could be less thick-starchy and more flavourful, this is indeed a way that definitely catches every passerby’s attention. The other thing to beware of at this stall is the snaking long queues.

The stall only serves Lu Mian in $3 and $4 serving bowls. You will find the serving size quite generous with ample amounts of pork, fried fish, and even some crisp chicken pieces.

The braised pork slices were quite tender and delicious.

You can customize your bowl with the noodles of your choice, and addition of garlic, chili and vinegar to your taste.

With that said, there is another popular Lu Mian stall in the same food centre, called “Yuan Zi Wei”.

Hui Wei Lor Mee
159 Mei Chin Road, #02-14, Mei Ling Market & Food Centre, Singapore 140159
Opening Hours: 8am – 2pm (Wed – Mon)

Okay, the famous Hai Tang Lor Mee may not be around anymore at Mei Ling Food Centre, the newer Hui Wei Lor Mee though an unknown name (for now) serves up quite a noteworthy version.

Starting at only $3 (or $4), the Lor Mee is affordable and plentiful.

Plenty of ingredients were buried under a dark looking and thick gravy which may not look quite appetizing, but is a treat once you dig into it.

While the gooey gravy could do with more robust flavours, the other components such as the pork slices lor bak, half a braised egg, and those large pieces of deep-fried battered fish made this a very decent bowl to have.

The fish when soaked in the gravy, retained that slight crispiness and was quite a thick fleshy piece.

* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

Named after English architect Hugh Holland, Holland Village is known for its restaurants, pubs, and charming cafes with a laid-back feel.

Take a train to Holland Village MRT and you can start with the Lorong Liput area for Kota Zheng Zong Bak Kut Teh Singapore, Yaowarat Thai Kway Chap, and the hip places such as Two Men Bagel House, Project Acai and 2am:dessertbar by Janice Wong.

Right in the middle is Holland Village Market and Food Centre, which leads on to a stretch of watering holes.

Take a short stroll to Chip Bee Garden, which is lined with fancy restaurants, dessert houses and specialty coffee cafes. (Note: Our Second Home which is well-loved is undergoing renovations, which is why it is not included here.)

Here are 10 Holland Village cafes you can explore:

Two Men Bagel House
17D Lorong Liput Singapore 277731
Tel: +65 6235 5159
Opening Hours: 8am – 4pm or sold out (Mon – Fri), 9am – 4pm (Sat – Sun)

Popular Bagel Cafe At Lor Liput With Hearty Bites
After outlets at Icon Village and Novena, Two Men Bagel House has opened its 3rd outlet at Holland Village at Lor Liput.

For early risers (it opens at 8am during weekdays), there is a “Morning Gems” menu including delicious-sounding Lean Jean ($12) included with scrambled egg whites, smashed avo, turkey sausage and more; and Mademoiselle Chantal ($14) with corned beef, honey baked ham, swiss bechamel and Carolina mustard sauce ($14).

The K-Town Gim ($15) from the “Trail Blazers” menu caught my attention, filled with braised short ribs, Asian pickles, Swiss gochugara (Korean hot peppers) sauerkraut, and mojo sauce. Two Men Bagel House (Holland Village)

For bagels, you can choose from their plain, or more fanciful ones from seeded, cheddar, olive, garlic, choco chip and gluten free.

Even if some are feeling that price can be on the higher side, the portion that came along was substantial.

Tai Cheong Bakery Café
31 Lorong Liput Singapore 277742
Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm (Mon – Fri), 9am – 10pm (Sat – Sun)

Famed HK Egg Tart Shop With Cha Chaan Teng Concept
The outlet at Holland Village a 60-seater sit-down eatery, also the brand’s FIRST dine-in concept ever.

To me, the special must-get is the Singapore-exclusive flavour of Pandan Egg Tarts ($2)

The creation features aromatic pandan-infused egg custard in the buttery pastry shell. The fillings reminded me of the Nonya Kueh Kueh with its kaya-ish fillings.

There are other typical Hong Kong cha chaan teng dishes such as Scrambled Egg Toast Stack with Chicken Chop ($9.50), French Toast ($6.50) and Macaroni Soup ($8.50) available too.

One of the eatery’s signature dine-in items is the Three-Egg Macaroni Soup with Luncheon Meat ($8.50), a bowl of elbow macaroni in a rich tomato and chicken broth topped with a three sunny-side up eggs and strips of crispy fried luncheon meat, and six-hour braised Beef Brisket Curry Rice ($10.90).

Craftsmen Specialty Coffee
275 Holland Avenue, Singapore 278993
Tel: +65 6463 1715
Opening Hours: 9am – 10pm (Mon – Thurs), 8:30am – 10:30pm (Fri – Sat), 8:30am – 9pm (Sun)

For Specialty Coffee And Brunch
Craftsmen Specialty Coffee is local-brand of 3rd wave coffee shop serving brunch items, specialty coffee and cakes.

If you are thinking of having brunch items, then go for the Craftsmen’s Savoury Waffles with scrambled egg and salsa; or the Fried Chicken Waffles of cornfed chicken thigh, sriracha maple dressing on buttermilk waffles.

Also recommended are their “Craftmen Specials” pasta, such as Tom Yum Seafood Cremoso, White Wine Prawn, and Seafood Laksa Cremoso.

d’Good Cafe
273 Holland Avenue, #02-01/02, Singapore 278992
Tel: +65 6219 9807
Opening Hours: 10am – 10:30pm (Mon – Sun)

Double Storey Whimsical Café
Founded by Mike Chin and established in 2012, d’Good Café takes on a whimsical and cosy feel.

There are also three different settings within, which they term the Lawn, Attic and Balcony.

Food wise, you can expect Seafood Risotto, Croque Madame, Bacon Carbonara, Portobello Eggs Benedict, Forest Mushroom & Ribeye, Truffle Woodland Mushroom Pasta, and Little Nyonya Cake.

I liked the Poached Fresh Lobster Pasta, cooked al dente with chunky lobster meat, except a tad oily. The Cod Fish and Chips were lightly battered, moist on the inside, best paired with some of those malt vinegar on the side.

If you love Cold Brews, you can possibly get the D’Unknown ($7.50) where you get dutch ice drip with coffee, Hokkaido milk with a SECRET flavour. Seasonally changed, and you can put the taste buds to the test.

Haakon Superfoods and Juice
118 Holland Ave, #01-03, Raffles @Holland Village, Singapore 278997
Opening Hours: 10am – 9pm (Mon – Sun)

For Superfoods, Acai Bowls and Juices
Haakon is for the health conscious looking for some nourishing food with a fusion of Scandinavian and tropical flavours.

The Haakon Classic Acai Bowl ($7.90, $12.90) contains an organic acai blend, topped with granola, coconut flakes, chia seed parfait, blueberries, banana and seasonal fruits.

Other varieties include Pink Pitaya and Chia Bowl, Lean & Green Bowl, Coco Loco Acai Bowl, and Acai Chocolate Therapy.

Other than the these Acai Bowls, you can look forward to salads and all-day breakfast.

Specialty Bowls for those who intend to pile up on healthy proteins are Ginger Ponzu Steak & Soba ($14.90), Asian Spice Soba ($12.90), and Salmon Mentaiko & Soba ($14.90).

The Daily Scoop – Chip Bee Garden
44 Jalan Merah Saga #01-78, Singapore 278116
Tel: +65 6475 3128
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm (Mon – Thurs), 11am – 10:30pm (Fri, Sat), 2pm – 10pm (Sun)

Ice Cream Café That Has Been Around For More Than A Decade
The Daily Scoop has come a long way. It first started at Sunset Way, and its 2nd outlet at Holland Village has been around since 2009. More than 10 years!

They are known for ice cream with varied flavours (including local ones) made in-store daily, using quality natural ingredients and local produce.

Cha Earl Grey, Kookie Monster, Nutty Macadamia, Simply Chocolate, Lychee Martini, Maple Crisp, Salted Mr Brown, Surprising Coconut, Strawberry Shortcake and Mao Shan Wang are some of their top flavours.

Tiong Bahru Bakery – Chip Bee Gardens
43 Jalan Merah Saga #01-74, Singapore 278115
Tel: +65 6877 4868
Opening Hours: 8am – 7pm (Mon – Sun)

Known For Croissants and Kouign Amann
This is Tiong Bahru Bakery’s 4th outlet. Other than their Kouign Amann, their Croissant is generally well loved, with choices of classic Croissant, Almond Chocolate, Almond, Green Tea Almond, and Pain Au Chocolat (my personal favourite is the Green Tea Almond.)

The Croissants are handmade, never frozen, and baked fresh every two hours with French flour and French butter – the butter itself is made from Normandy cow milk which gives the pastry more layered richness.

The new place has a 1930s local sweet shop-inspired décor, a grab-and-go takeaway express lane, with a striking Three Wise Monkeys Mural by local artist/X.

I thought it was quite appropriate… especially ”speak no evil”. Just enjoy the coffee, Kougin Amann and leave the gossips at the door.

Baker & Cook – Chip Bee Gardens
44 Jalan Merah Saga #01-56, Singapore 278116
Tel: +65 6472 0998
Opening Hours: 7:30am – 8pm (Mon – Sun)

Hearty Brunch, Croissants and Carrot Cake
Delve into hearty European breakfast and colourful pastries at Baker & Cook.

The best-selling pastry is the Butter Croissant, and founder Dean Brettschneider insists on using Anchor butter from New Zealand.

The butter is said to be made from cows that are raised on lush green pastures and left to wander free-range, which gives the golden churn a richer taste.

Therefore, the Croissants feature delicate layers, and is typically crisp and flaky with light and soft centre.

%Arabica Singapore – Chip Bee Gardens
44 Jalan Merah Saga #01-58, Singapore 278116
Opening hours: 8am – 6pm (Mon – Fri), 8am – 8pm (Sat – Sun)

Famous Cafe Chain Opens At Chip Bee Gardens
%Arabica is known to be originally from Kyoto Japan, currently expanding globally under the coffee leadership of Global Head Baristas Junichi Yamaguchi and Shu Konishi.

Caffe Latte is priced at $7 for short, $8 for tall, while the iced version is priced at $8.

If you like a little sweetness to your coffee, you can try the Spanish Latte ($9 for iced) which was first created by % Arabica Kuwait, and includes sweetened condensed milk.

There are nuances that reminded me of the local kopi peng, so for a more unadulterated taste, go for the Caffe Latte or Americano.

Sunday Folks – Chip Bee Gardens
44 Jalan Merah Saga #01-52, Singapore 278116
Opening Hours: 1pm – 10pm (Tues – Sun), Closed Mon

Soft Serve Specialty Café With Desserts And Cakes
From the originators of Creamier at Toa Payoh, Sunday Folk’s soft serve ice creams are freshly churned and served in a delicious handmade charcoal cone.

Their flavours are distinct, from the popular favourites of Earl Grey Lavender and Sea Salt Gula Melaka, to the tried-and-tested Roasted Pistachio and Summer Strawberries.

* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

Bad Badtz-Maru is like one of my favourite childhood toy (am I revealing my age?) due to his weird facial expressions. Before the term “RBF” became famous, there was already Bad Badtz-Maru.

Singapore will be having its first Gudetama X Bad Badz Maru pop-up café, at where else, Kumoya Café from 30 July 2020 (Thurs).

For those who are of a different generation, Bad Badtz-Maru (バッドばつ丸) is a male penguin with spiky hair.

In Japanese, “badtz” (batsu) is a term for “X”, the cross signifying a wrong answer. “Maru” means circle or “O”, and signifies a correct answer. Thus, his name figuratively means “wrong-correct”.

This is the first-ever cross-over pop-up café between 2 beloved Sanrio characters in Singapore and South East Asia.

This new double-team pop-up cafe will showcase new kawaii graphics never seen before for the pop-up café.

Since National Day is coming, the theme of “SingapoLAH!” is quite apt, in which dishes feature Gudetama and Bad Badtz-Maru will spout our very own brand of Singlish phrases.

Kumoya is a Japanese-French café which offers food with no pork and lard, and no alcohol. It is no stranger to character cafes, also behind Miffy Café, Cinnamoroll Café, Tokidoki, to Pusheen Cafe pop-up concepts.

The menu will features themed 5 mains, 4 desserts and 6 beverages, specially designed by @LittleMissBento (Shirley Wong) together with the Kumoya kitchen team.

Shirley is also behind the menu design of several character cafes in Singapore, including the Gudetama Café and My Melody Café Singapore at Suntec City – both closed last year. So this is a revival of sorts.

Take note that the café is not Halal-certified, though it has no pork, no lard and no alcohol served.

Bad Badtz-Maru and Gudetama Pop-Up Café
Kumoya @ 8 Jalan Klapa Singapore 199320
Opening Hours: 12.00pm – 9.30pm, Last Order 30 minutes before closing (Tues – Sun) Closed Mon
Duration: 30 July 2020 (Thurs) to 1 Nov 2020 (Sun)

* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook and Instagram for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. Photos provided by Kumoya Cafe.

Being honest here, perhaps many of us have never heard of Vision Exchange.

This commercial building near Jurong East actually contains a number of eateries such as Spaceout 闊 , Shi Ding Xuan Hotpot, A Kitchen, Oh My, AHTII Korean Restaurant, 川小喵, and Anjana Kitchen.

Just 5 minutes’ walk from Jurong East MRT station, Venture Drive Coffee is located on the 2nd floor of Vision Exchange along Venture Drive (and thus its name).

Even though this building is quite “ulu” (off the beaten track), there is a certain charm to this place that draws me and reminds me of %Arabica, Glyph Supply Co. and Alchemist in terms of its colour scheme.

The spanking white cafe is spacious (good for social distancing), with minimalist white approach from the walls, bar top, long communal table, stools to the chairs.

Focusing on single origin coffee beans that are roasted in-house, their menu offers only beverages such as Black ($4.50- $10), White ($5- $6.50), Mocha ($6- $7), Chocolate ($6- $7) and Tea ($6).

Extra espresso shot and Vegan Milk (I guessed they are referring to oat milk and almond milk) are available at an additional $1.

Serving single origin Brazil coffee beans with a natural process for their espresso-based drinks, it has a nutty and chocolatey taste.

I decided to go with their single origin Ethiopia coffee beans at an additional $0.50 for my cup of Iced White ($6.50) that comes with 2 espresso shots.

The cup of Flat White has a medium body packed with floral, citrusy with berries notes, refreshing for the hot weather these days.

I was told that they will be introducing Black and White Cold Brews in 480ml bottles in the near future, so it’s a sign to venture there again when I’m in the West part of Singapore.

Venture Drive Coffee
2 Venture Drive, Vision Exchange, #02-41, Singapore 608526
Opening Hours: 9am – 4pm (Mon – Sat), Closed Sun
https://www.facebook.com/venturedrivecoffee

* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

This is actually my 3rd edition of “Korean Cafes in Singapore” café guide.

A big reason why is that many of the cafes previously listed, has unfortunately closed. Remember days when bingsu and churros were in trend?

If you have this question, “What makes a Korean cafe?” Those indicated here are a mixture of made-in-Korea brands, owned by Koreans in Singapore, or sell Korean food items such as bingsu.

Here’s a list of 12 Korean cafes in Singapore. The listicle is non-exhaustive, as there are other players such Paris Baguette, Han Bing Café, One Thing Coffee and Tom N Toms Coffee. (For websites who intend to do some copying, go do some actual trying and take your own photos lah. Have some pride in your work.)

Walking On Sunshine Cafe
181 Orchard Rd, #03-07 Orchard Central, Singapore 238896 Tel: +65 8877 0088
Opening Hours: 10am – 8pm (Mon – Sun)

Korean Dining and Beauty Hub At Orchard Central
Walking On Sunshine or WOS is located at the 3rd floor of Orchard Central. It is one of the biggest Korean café you can find in Singapore, juxtaposing a salon and a café in one location.

The beauty salon is powered by top-notch professional hairstylists, barbers, make-up artists, and nail artists from all around the world.

As for the garden-themed café, it offers lots of food choices for its diners.

If you could just pick one item from the food menu, make it the Instagram-popular Soufflé Pancake ($20.50).

Imagine a stack of three light and fluffy pancakes topped with a special cream, nuts, and fresh fruits like berries, grapes and strawberries. Good for sharing (or save all for yourself), this dish is loved by kids and adults alike.

Or have a savoury pancake for a change. The Crab and Kimchi Pancake ($20.50) is definitely on the other side of the flavour spectrum, but its spicy-sour taste is just as inviting.

Kreams Krafthouse
32 Maxwell Road, #01-07 Maxwell Chambers, Singapore 069115
Tel: +65 9620 7739
Opening Hours: 8:30am – 10:30pm (Mon – Sat), 10am – 5pm (Sun)

Autumn-Themed Korean Café At Maxwell Chambers
When I visited this undiscovered café called Kreams Krafthouse at Maxwell Chambers (near Tanjong Pagar MRT station), I couldn’t help feeling how spacious, how well-decorated this space was. And the attention to details.

Beautiful space. The cafe just focuses on two items for now – coffee and scones.

Other than the usual Latte and Long Black, there are more Korean-café oriented drinks such as Dalgona Coffee (don’t have to whip yourself), Creamy Choco, Sweet Potato Latte, Vanilla Latte, and Cloud Latte.

The Dalgona Coffee was not quite like the typical ones circulating on the net or made at home, and was included with house-made toffee crisps. Because this is how “dalgona” is supposed to be.

Give it 5 minutes to melt before enjoying the sweet Korean candy taste and mild bitter finish. Kreams (Maxwell Chambers)

MAISON de PB by Paris Baguette
#02-200 Jewel Changi Airport, 80 Airport Boulevard, Singapore 819642
Tel: +65 6743 7900
Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm (Mon – Sun)

Brunch And Pretty Desserts At JEWEL Changi Airport
This “House of PB” is an enhanced and more upscale version of the Paris Baguette people know and love.

The Seoul-based SPC Group designs it as a jewelled version of Paris Baguette, something more unique and far less of them.

This is a double-storey space at Jewel Changi Airport.

On the lower level is a more casual bakery-café concept, where you can get your selection of salads, soups, savoury, and mains, pasta, and European-style breads and pastries.

Get the Pain Coeur ($5.50). It is a heart-shaped bread added ingredients like lemon peel, white chocolate chips and diced strawberry to add nuances in flavours.

Or you can try the Les Cinq Diamants literally, “the five diamonds” ($4.50 for half, $9.00 for full), a crusty type of bread baked with bits of orange peel, figs, raisin, currant and walnut.

Another iconic French pastry is the Kouign Amann ($4.50), which originated from the Brittany region of France. It is a laminated type pastry, similar to what’s used in croissants and other viennoiseries.

Kong Cafe
896 Dunearn Road, Sime Darby Centre #01-11 Singapore 589742 (King Albert Park MRT Exit B)
Opening Hours: 9am – 6pm (Mon), 9am – 8:45pm (Tues, Thurs, Fri, Sat, Sun), 9am – 8pm (Wed)

Korean Lifestyle Cafe With Honey Butter Waffles & Wing
There is a minimalist style Korean lifestyle café at Bukit Timah. The café is owned partially by a Korean artist and avid yogini, who felt that the Bukit Timah area needed a quiet and chill place where people could relax and enjoy themselves.

Due to her background, there are a number of Korean-infusions and treats for the health-conscious.

Some eye-catching items on the menu include the Honey Butter Waffles ($18), Bulgogi Sandwich ($17), Ban Ban Wings ($20 for 10), Korean Chicken Rice ($16), Bulgogi Pesto Pizza ($18), Ramyun ($14), and Tteokbokki ($14).

The Ban Ban Wings ($10 for 4) in choice of spicy & sticky or honey butter sauce, tasted quite authentically Korean.

It vaguely reminded me of Kyochon’s with its sticky-honeyed-sweetness, and the meat was deliciously moist.

+82 PlusEightTwo
9 Bras Basah Road, Rendezvous Gallery #01-02, Singapore 189559
Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm (Mon – Sun)
https://www.facebook.com/Pluseighttwosg-361342644328262/

Korean Bingsu Cafe In Singapore By BTOB’s EunKwang
Fans of BTOB has rejoiced as their idol EunKwang, who is the leader of the popular K-pop boyband, has opened his first Korean Dessert Cafe in Singapore.

Omo! Jinjja? Daebak!

+82 PlusEightTwo which represents the country code for South Korea, is located at Level 1 of Rendezvous Hotel at Bras Basah.

I was intrigued when some of the girls can be seen taking wefie with the male Korean service staff members even when their Oppa was not around.

The menu offers a selection of Siltarae Bingsu ($17.90) in 3 flavours: Matcha, Choco, Banana; Oreo/ Injeolmi/ Berry/ Mango/ Melon Snow Flake Bingsu in 2 sizes: Cup ($6.80-7.80) and Regular ($15.90 – 18.90); Grapefruit, Green Grape, Peach Ice Cube Soda ($7.50) and Sunrise/ Palette/ Injeolmi Toast ($8.50). +82 PlusEightTwo (Rendezvous Gallery)

Paik’s Bibim and Paik’s Coffee
Tiong Bahru Plaza #02-111, 302 Tiong Bahru Road, Singapore 168732
Tel: +65 6255 0870
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 10pm (Mon – Sun)

Combination Of Both Paik’s Bibim and Paik’s Coffee
The brainchild of Korea’s celebrity chef Paik Jong Won, Paik’s Bibim has modernized the way traditional bibimbap is presented – all at wallet-friendly prices.

The mixed rice bowls are all below $10, and you can have your fill from the Spicy Pork Bibimbap ($9.00), Beef Bulgogi Bibimbap ($9.00) or Teriyaki Chicken Bibimbap ($9.00). Best to go with a side of Fried Chicken in Sweet & Spicy Sauce ($6.00).

The Spicy Pork Bibimbap is the latest addition to Paik’s Bibim menu, consisting of stir-fried pork slices seasoned in a special spicy marinate and served with a variety of fresh vegetables.

Before mixing all up, drizzle some of Chef Paik’s specially formulated gochujang sauce for that extra kick.

Can I also recommend the Iced Paik’s Original Coffee? This comes at a very reasonable price of $3.50 for a large cup, great for you to dabao back to office.

Dal.komm COFFEE
6 Raffles Blvd, Marina Square, #02-272/273 & 278, Singapore 039594
Opening Hours: 9:30am – 10pm (Mon – Sun)

Coffee Chain Featured In Goblin
The café chain which originated from Korea is known to be featured in a number of memorable scenes in hit Korean TV dramas Descendants of the Sun and Goblin: The Lonely and Great God.

It specialises in quality Arabica bean brews made with a proprietary selection of three blends K1 to K3; each with its own characteristic aroma and flavour.

One of the most popular drinks is the Espresso Cube with Milk ($8.50), in which milk is poured into a cup of iced espresso cube which provides varying range of flavours the cubes melt.

Pair your coffee with Croque Monsieur ($9), a Turkey ham and cheesy sandwich further topped with melted mozzarella. For the cheese lovers.

Two Cranes
Blk 211 Hougang Street 21 #01-291, Singapore 530211
Tel: +65 8166 0140
Opening Hours: 9am – 10pm (Mon – Sun)

Their signature coffee mocktail, Wonda-fu Drink ($6) was a potent mix concocted from espresso shot, coffee jelly and mint leaves served in a cocktail glass.

It was rather sweet with coffee aroma and had a lingering scent of mint. I liked this drink, but my dining companions had mixed opinions about it.

There were also some Korean-inspired brunch dishes such as Spicy Dakgalbi with Scrambled Eggs ($13.50), Poached Eggs with Flambé Champignons ($13.50) and Sweet and Spicy Chicken Wings ($12).

What caught my attention was the locally inspired Pulut Hitam Bingsu ($12) which came with snow-like ice shavings topped with black glutinous rice, condensed milk, oreo and crushed almond bits.Two Cranes (Hougang)

coffeesmith Singapore
277, Orchard Road #01-09A, Orchard Gateway, Singapore 238858
Tel: +65 8399 7900
Opening Hours: 24/7

Korean coffee chain Coffeesmith has followed the same formula of advertising aggressively in Korean dramas, from “It’s OK. That’s Love”, “Punch”, “Sweet Stranger and Me”, “Mrs Cop” and “Ruby Ring”, and has gained some popularity.

Its flagship outlet Gangnam-gu, Seoul has a beautiful, comforting setting and interior with natural lighting.

Other than the flagship at Orchard Gateway, it has other outlets at Suntec City (Tower 5 #02-413), Northpoint City (South Wing #01-112) and Westgate (#02-24).

The name coffeesmith is derived from the English suffix “-smith”, and their drinks are “crafted” carefully by blending 5 kinds of quality Arabica coffeebean.

On its menu include Café Americano, Latte, Cappuccino, Caramel Macchiato, Vienna, Mocha, Vanilla Latte, priced from $5.00 to $7.00 for a regular cup, $5.50 to $7.50 for a large. On the slightly expensive side.

Cafe de Muse
350 Orchard Road Isetan Scotts, Shaw House, #01-00 & #02-00 Singapore 228208
Opening Hours: 24/7

Korean Coffee and Dessert Place at Shaw House
It seems like Cafe de Muse is a “Korean” cafe, looking at the servers, customers (who are primary Koreans) and they serve up Bingsu as well.

The cafe serves up the typical brunch items such as Avocado on Toast ($22), Egg Benedict ($26), a couple of sandwiches such as Beef & Chimichurri ($20), and Pasta dishes ($20 – $24).

The seats by the window make it a place to people-watch, and a friend quipped there is a “hunky cute Korean server with a soft voice”. Otherwise, I thought that the menu could have more differentiating factor to match its higher than average price point.

Well, the good thing is, it is opened for 24/7 and has two stories (enough space for social distancing). For those who crave for bingsu.

Café de Paris
313 Orchard Road #B1-37 313@Somerset, Singapore 238895
Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm (Sun – Thurs), 11am – 11pm (Fri – Sat)

Korean Cafe With Fruits BonBon At 313@Somerset
Café de Paris is best known for its Instagram-worthy Sweet BonBon, a dessert drink combination in a large cup, piled with fruit fruits, cream and slushie.

However, the price screamed at me. $17.80 to $19.80 for a cup. WAH.

To be fair, the Mango and Strawberry cups are priced at 16,000 Korean Won over in Seoul, equivalent to SGD19.40. But still.

The Sweet BonBon comes in flavours of Mango, Grape, Blueberry, Strawberry, Cherry, and Raspberry.

Loved the fruits, didn’t like the cream. Café de Paris (313@somerset)

O’ma Spoon Korean Dessert Café
313 @ Somerset, 313 Orchard Road #04-20/32 Singapore 238895 (Somerset MRT)
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 11pm (Mon – Thurs, Sun), 11:30am – 11:30pm (Fri – Sat)

Bingsu & Honey Toast at 313@Somerset
O’ma Spoon Korean Dessert Café is one of the first Korean bingsu shops in Singapore. And while many has unfortunately closed as the trend came down, this is still standing strong.

Its signature Mango Berry Cheesecake Bingsu was pretty spot-on. Loved that there were both light cheese cake and ice cream (oh, the calories), with scattering of cranberries for that touch of sourness.

Plus the ice is quite smooth compared to the generic brands.

* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

Other than the well-known Westgate, JEM and JCube, you may not know of this 25-storey office tower at Jurong Gateway called Vision Exchange.

It houses up to 40 F&B such as Spaceout 闊 and Venture Drive Coffee, and is a short 5 minutes’ walk from Jurong East MRT staion.

And there is also Ahtti 아띠식당, a 60-seater Korean casual restaurant specialising in Korean Fried Chicken.

The KFC come available in 2 sizes: Half ($18 – $20) or Full ($33 – $35).

There are 5 different flavours to choose from, namely Original ($18/ $33), Yangnyeom – sweet and spicy ($19/ $34), Ganjang – soy ($19/ $34), Chilli Padi ($19/ $34) and Honey Butter ($20/ $35).

Any fans of boneless chicken here?

With options such as wings, drumlets and boneless chicken, you can enjoy eating your favourite parts of the chicken and not compete with your friends over the parts.

And wait, Chilli Padi Fried Chicken?!

This is probably the first time I had come across such a flavour as chilli padi – more commonly found in South East Asian cuisine instead of Korean food.

The (Half portion $19/ Full portion $34) came in a crispy, golden-brown batter, that retained its crisp (even after some time of photo-taking).

To be honest, this is the crispiest Korean Fried Chickens I had in Singapore for a long time.The pieces came wrapped with a light and crunchy batter, yet not as oily as it seemed.

Take a big bite into the tender yet juicy chicken meat, and you may produce ASMR-worthy crunching sound that is addictive and therapeutic to the ears.

Surprisingly, the batter managed to retain the moisture and tenderness of the meat even after deep frying, giving the piece a nice contrast to the crispy batter on the outside.

I enjoyed the level of spiciness of the Chilli Padi Fried Chicken though it was as heart-pounding spicy as I imagined.

The sauce was akin to Thai Sweet Chilli sauce with bits of chopped chilli and seeds that retained a lingering spiciness.

Pretty manageable in terms of spiciness, at least for me.

Speaking about Honey Butter (which became viral due to the various chips such as Calbee Chips), this flavour is now commonly seen in various Korean deep-fried dishes.

The Honey Butter Boneless Fried Chicken ($20/ $35) came with so much seasoning powder, that the fried chicken appeared to be too fair.

No doubt the crispy and crunchy batter is worth a mention, my dining partner commented that the seasoning tasted similar to the Butter Pork Ribs at Two Chefs Eating Place.

Taste-wise, it was similar to milk powder in terms of its mild sweetness and powdery texture. You may taste the resemblance.

Unlike most Korean restaurants that usually serve big portions for sharing purposes, solo diners are welcome here as they do offer meals for a single pax.

Apart from Korean fried chicken, soups such as Kimchi Soup ($11), Soybean Paste Soup ($10), Seafood Tofu Soup ($12), Bibimbap ($12), Spicy Stir-Fry Chicken ($11) and Beef Bulgogi ($12) are available.

While it is not possible to fly to Korea at the moment, Ahtti does provide some comfort in terms of their food offerings.

I appreciate the fact that they provide banchan (Korean side dishes) such as kimchi, seaweed, pickled white radish and Korean fish cake before the meal, as what all restaurants do in Korea to make their guests feel comfortable while waiting for the dishes.

Ahtti 아띠식당
2 Venture Drive, Vision Exchange, #02-43, Singapore 608526
Opening Hours: 12pm – 10.30pm (Mon – Sat), Closed Sun

* Written by Nicholas Tan @stormscape who loves all things [NEW]. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

My love for K-ki started way back in 2009, when I was still a young food blogger who flet “touched” upon discovering this humble cake at Ann Siang Hill.

Husband and wife pair Kenneth and Delphine gave up their daily jobs to set up this modest and characteristic café, and people became fans of their cakes such as Kinabaru, Mont Blanc and Antoinette.

They moved from Ann Siang Hill to SOTA, closed that, then moved on to ad-hoc projects such as working with The Providore.

It has been a long wait, but Kki Sweets is FINALLY back again.

So almost quite immediately, I made a booking with anticipation.

This time it takes on a different form and style, located at Seah Street, the ground level of Raffles Hotel.

What remains is their persistence to the quality of cakes, and their Japanese style in curating and decorating the place – cream coloured walls, wooden furniture, in minimalist approach.

Be ready for a brand-new dessert experience, but I would tell that reservations are highly recommended.

Limited spaces are available on an hourly basis.

What’s available include delicate cakes and plated desserts.

The cakes have cute names, and you can make a guess of its components – Marronnier ($9.50), “J” ($13.50), Koide ($10.50), Arata ($10.50), Teh ($9.50), and Fromage ($13.50), all on a rotational basis.

My favourite was easily “J” ($13.50) coming like a dainty pot of plant.

Be careful about touching the ‘pot’ directly because it is actually a base of black sesame made of kantan jelly, filled with matcha, yuzu and chocolate soil.

The matcha and goma combination has always expectedly delectable, but what really worked was that excitement of various textures from the rich creamy layer (almost reminding me of cheesecake), crunchy soil, along with smooth covering.

I have had many delicate desserts from simple cake cafes to fine dining restaurant, but this “J” still brought that moment of surprise when I took the first spoonful.

The other cake I took pleasure in was the “Teh” ($9.50) coming with earl grey mousse with a core of pear, because there was a level of unexpectedness as well.

However, my dining partners did not fancy this as much due to the unlikely pairing. I could understand why, as the heavier-acidic pear fillings could distract from the delicate earl grey.

Moving on to the plated desserts, there were two choices of Japanese Tomato, Strawberry and Red Pepper ($24) – tomato strawberry sorbet, basil sugar tuile, red pepper and blood orange coulis; and Carrot, Orange & Ginger ($24), carrot mousse, orange sorbet, ginger panna cotta, confit carrots, orange meringue.

While both were considered experimental in Singapore’s context and had rather sweet-fruity takes (I would have wished for a more chocolate slanted dessert), I preferred the Carrot, Orange & Ginger better due to the better blend of textures.

For beverage pairings, available are Pourover Specialty Coffee ($6) with beans by Tiong Hoe or Hot Tea ($6) such as sencha with tea leaves by Lupicia.

Kki Sweets
3 Seah Street, #01-01, Singapore 188379
Tel: +65 9799 2668
Opening Hours: 11am – 6pm (Wed – Sat), 11am – 4pm (Sun), Closed Mon, Tues

* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

If Shrimp Broth Hotpot, Mala Zha Jiang Noodles with Wagyu Beef, Black Truffle Char Siew Bun, and Crispy Original Xiao Long Bao already sound enticing to you, the better news is you can now get 20% OFF these tantalising dishes.

With the “Phase 2” reopening and safe-distancing measures in place, Paradise Group has introduced seasonal dishes available till the end of August to welcome back diners with 20% OFF their bills.

If you prefer to enjoy the food right at home, takeaway orders get 30% OFF (Valid till 31 Aug 2020 for Citibank and Maybank Credit or Debit Cardmembers and PGR members.)

The promotions are available at the following restaurants:
• Paradise Teochew
• Beauty in The Pot
• Canton Paradise
• Paradise Dynasty
• Paradise Classic
• Paradise Hotpot
• Le Shrimp Ramen
• LeNu
• Canton Paradise Noodle & Congee House

Each participating restaurant will be holding a special theme for its line-up of seasonal items. Here’s what you can expect:

Beauty in The Pot
JEWEL Changi Airport #B2-224, KINEX #03-38, Serangoon NEX #02-01 (Coming Soon), The Centrepoint #05-16, The Star Vista #02-24, VivoCity #03-08A, Westgate #03-10

If you are thinking how great it would be to have robust Shrimp Broth in hotpot, then your wish has come true.

Beauty in The Pot’s seasonal Shrimp Broth has made its return, with pricing as follows – $28.80 for single pot, $15.80 for twin pot, $9.50 for quad pot.

The broth is the key, created by a long process of first baking fresh big prawns at 180°C for 45 minutes, hand-grinded to a fine texture, added with premium conpoy to be simmered for more than eight hours.

Also added to the stock are fresh clams which gives a natural sweetness, and a blend of spices such as star anise, cinnamon, clove and white peppercorn.

I think they managed to strike a good balance with this one – you get the seafood umami flavours, but it doesn’t go overly rich so that you can still savour the natural taste of the ingredients.

If you are thinking what to add to your Shrimp Broth hotpot, recommended items include the Homemade Fish Tofu – made with yellowtail fish, soya bean and egg white, Fried Beancurd Skin, Soft Bone Pork Meatballs, and Assorted Dumpling Platter with Pork Roll, Pork and Chives, Prawn Roll and Prawn Dumpling.

I found that the Ebiko Prawn Paste shaped out of 100% prawn meat went very well with the Shrimp Broth, to savour the bouncy prawny crunch in luscious shrimp stock.

LeNu
Bedok Mall #B2-10, Bugis Junction #B1-22, CompassOne Mall #03-05, Funan #B1-22, JEM #B1-11, JEWEL Changi Airport #B4-244, VivoCity #02-91, Northpoint #B1-101, Resorts World Sentosa #B1-201

LeNu serves up Lamian noodles in secret recipes broth that involves many hours of preparation from boiling to being served on the table, all at affordable pricing.

There are two seasonal items under LeNu’s “Mala Overload” offerings.

The first is called the “Parasite” Wagyu Beef with Soy Bean Paste Dry Noodle in Korean Style ($14.90), inspired by last year’s Oscar’s Best Picture “Parasite”.

In the award-winning Korean movie, featured is Ram-Don (aka Jjapaguri) – a combination of two noodles added with cubes of beef.

LeNu’s take is a combination of Mala and Zha Jiang minced meat noodles, then enhanced with wagyu beef cubes that are braised for several hours.

The other noodles that I personally enjoy because it reminds me of Hong Kong (in a way), is the Nagano Pork Belly with Mala Tomato Broth Noodle ($13.80).

What you get is a soupy bowl of refreshing tangy tomato soup base with the tingling mala kick, with slices of tender pork belly.

There was also a spoonful of tomato puree included, which enhanced the thickness and sweetness as you mix it in.

Paradise Teochew
VivoCity #01-53, Scotts Square #03-04

Satisfy your dim sum cravings with Paradise Teochew’s “Innovative Dim Sum” (dim sum is only available during lunch time).

These include Steamed Black Truffle Char Siew Bun ($6.80), Steamed Cheong-fun with Sesame Sauce ($4.80), Deep-fried Prawn with Toast ($7.50), Pan-fried “Siew Mai” with Foie Gras Sauce ($6.80), and Steamed “Siew Mai” with Braised Quail’s Egg ($6.80).

The highlight would be the Truffle Bun. As you tear the soft and fluffy skin apart, you would get the delicate truffle aroma, embedded with the moist char siew fillings.

While the foie-gras-ness was not that obvious in the Siew Mai, the method of preparation lent a nice contrast of slight crisp of the skin wrapping around meaty fillings.

Paradise Dynasty
Changi Airport Terminal 3 #03-32, Funan #B1-01, Wisma #01-18, Paya Lebar Quarter #03-08, Suntec City Mall, #B1-110, Westgate #02-13

Paradise Dynasty’s “Shanghai Night” line-up pays tribute to the best dishes of the city.

The highlight is the the Crispy Original Xiao Long Bao, a unique take on the classic soup dumplings with a pan-fried base and soupy fillings.

Other seasonal dishes to expect are Deep-fried and Braised Yellow Croaker with Preserved Vegetable in Brown Sauce ($29.80), Pork Ribs in Sweet Plum Sauce ($16.80), and Sweet and Sour Crispy Fish in Shanghai Style ($11.80).

Le Shrimp Ramen
Changi Airport Terminal 3 #B2-49, Paragon #B1-42, VivoCity #B2-25, The Star Vista #02-024

Le Shrimp’s Trio Tossed Ramen ($19.90) is back by popular demand.

The al dente la mian is tossed with specially concocted sauce with a mildly spicy kick, then topped with peeled fresh prawns, ebiko prawn paste, prawn dumplings, cucumber strips and cabbage with wok hei.

There is this light tinge of mala, and the slight numbing spiciness makes these noodles rather addictive.

On another note, the prawn dumplings are freshly handmade by the chefs daily, with a huge prawn wrapped in soft pastry skin.

Canton Paradise
Alexander Retail Centre #02-30, Bedok Mall #B2-10, CompassOne Mall #03-14, JEM #B1-11, Marina Bay Sands L1-02 Bay Level, Junction 8 #1-51, The Star Vista Mall #B1-45, Serangoon NEX #02-04 (Opening Soon)

Canton Paradise’s A medley of Hong Kong Classics includes dishes such as Stir-fried La-la with Ginger and Scallion in Claypot ($15.80), Stewed Vermicelli with Prawn in Black Pepper Sauce ($18.80), Braised Pork Rib Mala Noodle ($11.50), Sliced Fish with Dried Oyster and Salted Egg Congee ($11.50), and Crispy Traditional Dumpling ($4.80 for 3 pieces).

Paradise Classic
Resorts World Sentosa #B1-201, JEWEL Changi Airport #04-244, Marina Bay Link Mall #B2-20

Paradise Classic is offering the best of Singapore and Malaysian zi char mainstays, including Seafood Paradise Signature Creamy Butter Crab ($88), Stewed Roasted Pork with Diced Chilli in Claypot ($16.80), Pan-fried Vermicelli with Assorted Seafood ($16.80), and Stir-fried La-la in Curry Sauce ($16.80).

Canton Paradise Noodle & Congee House
Changi Airport Terminal 3 #B2-49, The Seletar Mall #03-10, Westgate #02-13

Canton Paradise Noodle & Congee House has introduced “Be Enchanted by the Magic of Char Siew” offerings, with the key ingredient in their Magical Char Siew Rice ($10.90) and Magical Char Siew and Jumbo Prawn Wanton Noodle ($12.90).

Paradise Hotpot
CompassOne Mall #03-05

Paradise Hotpot offer Le Shrimp Ramen’s Hearty Shrimp Broth ($13.80), which pairs impeccably with the restaurant’s array of homemade paste and premium meats.

The broth is rich, flavourful and characterised with a distinctive smoky aroma.

Terms and Conditions:
• Valid daily from 6 July till 31 Aug 2020 for Citibank and Maybank Credit or Debit Cardmembers and PGR members.
• Takeaway bills enjoy 30% discount; dine-in bills enjoy 20% discount.
• Discount is given on à la carte food bill before service charge (dine-in only) and 7% GST, excluding beverage, appetiser, soup base and condiments charge.
• Not valid in conjunction with other discounts, promotions, vouchers or membership privileges.
• Management reserves the right to amend terms and conditions of the promotion without prior notice.

* This post is brought to you in partnership with Paradise Group.

Bara Chirashi ばらちらし means “scattered seafood, vegetables and ingredients on top of a bowl of rice”.

The sashimi is usually diced and marinated with soy sauce and mirin, compared to the Chirashi Don which has sashimi in the more unadulterated, sliced form.

Its price is generally a lot more affordable than the usual Chirashi, making it a favourite among Singaporeans looking for a quick, oishii and filling one-bowl Japanese meal.

For the purpose of this guide, I tried to find those that fall below $20. Here are 10 places in Singapore to get your inexpensive Bara Chirashi and Kaisendon fix:

Kuro Maguro
Guoco Tower, 7 Wallich Street #01-04 Singapore 078884 (Tanjong Pagar MRT)
Tel: +65 6386 8561
Opening Hours: 11.30am – 2:00pm, 5.30pm – 10:00pm (Mon – Sun)
Last Order 10:00pm (Mon – Sat) Last order 9:00pm (Sun)

Kuro Maguro is able to ship the freshest maguro from the trawler directly, and can keep its prices competitive and affordable.

The restaurant imports the fish directly from Misaki Port to Singapore via ANA air freight. It uses meat culled from blue fins that weigh a minimum of 280kg, as these fishes have a good amount of fat as well as lean meat.

The brand uses the technique called ‘super frozen’ to freeze its maguro at minus 60 degrees Celsius, so as to achieve absolute freshness.

The classic Barachirashi ($18.80 for lunch, $19.80 for dinner) came with an assortment of cubed sashimi.

Compared to the other brands in Singapore, I find that this bowl had a cleaner, somewhat more delicate taste without going too heavy on the marinate.

Ingredients wise, the bowl had proportionally more maguro pieces, complemented with fluffy Japanese rice which was tasty on its own.

Omote
301 Upper Thomson Road, Thomson Plaza #03-24A, Singapore 574408
Tel: +65 9450 1020
Opening Hours: 11:45am – 2pm, 5:45pm – 9pm (Mon, Wed – Sun), Closed Tues

$12.80 for a bowl of bara chirashi don in a restaurant would be a steal. Especially when it comes with so much “liao” (sashimi toppings) that the rice almost takes on a lesser proportion.

Omote which was previously known as Sushiro, has become quite popular for its inexpensive donburi.

The Bara-Chirashi Don ($12.80) is definitely the highlight with salmon, tuna, octopus, prawn and salmon roe in a palm-sized sushi rice bowl.

Fresh sashimi cut into small bite- sized cubes for easy consumption, fragrant sesame oil, umami-ness, and tinge of sweetness, made this a comforting bowl.

If you are up to it, go for the Mount Omote Chirashi Don ($28.80) which comes with a mini hill of assorted marinated diced seafood on sushi rice.

The Sushi Bar (Ngee Ann City)
391B Orchard Rd, #05-34/35 Ngee Ann City, Singapore 238874
Tel: +65 8818 3535
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 9:45pm (Mon – Sun)

The Sushi Bar calls itself the “best affordable sushi place in Singapore”. While “best” is always debatable, it is no doubt very popular among office workers and youths.

Its Bara Chirashi Don ($19.90) of assorted cube sized sashimi over sushi rice includes salmon, tune, yellowtail, swordfish, ikura, and tamago.

It was a colourful variety of fresh cuts in a single bowl, good for those who likes a bit of everything.

All in all, I liked this bowl – thick cubes pieces, some melted in the mouth, and tasty sushi rice. There is a particular freshness about the sashimi here.

Teppei Syukudo
2 Orchard Turn, #B4 -57, Singapore 238801
Tel: +65 6509 9882
Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm (Mon – Sun)

Teppei Syokudo needs little introduction, created by Chef Teppei Yamashita, known for its signature Kaisendon.

Their Kaisendon is a hit among office workers, for sashimi rice bowls included with colourful cubes of fleshy raw seafood mixed with a secret-recipe sauce, fresh vegetables, on a bed of fragrant sushi rice.

Do you know: Teppei’s Kaisendon was originally meant to be a meal for his employees. Cutting up fish into cubes from fish that was not used up during dinner, Chef Teppei would serve it with a home-made sauce at the side.

The off-the-menu special item became popular among regular diners, and has now even found fame beyond our shores with a store in Hong Kong.

Teppei Syokudo’s Kaisendon ($16 Nett) includes 6 different types of raw seafood (Salmon, Tuna, Swordfish, Whelk, Scallop and Ikura), Teppei’s special secret sauce, on top of a bowl of fluffy Japanese rice complemented with freshly grated wasabi.

Kogane Yama
Bugis Junction #02-50, 200 Victoria Street, Singapore 188021
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm Last Order 9pm (Sun – Thurs), 11am – 11pm Last Order 10pm (Fri, Sat)
Another outlet at JEM #01-15

The Kogane Yama Bara Chirashi don ($16.90) comes with diced raw salmon, tuna, swordfish, surf clam, steamed prawn, ikura (salmon roe), tobiko (flying fish roe), cucumber and tamago (Japanese omelette) on a bed of sushi rice.

The base used is of premium Koshihikari short-grain rice, fluffy and has a natural sweet taste.

Compared to some of the other brands which are more heavily seasoned, Kogane Yama’s version allows the natural-taste of the sashimi and other ingredients to come through. Depends on what you prefer.

If you like all things truffle, choose to add on truffle oil (+$2) for that added aroma as you mix the cubed fish throughout. Kogane Yama (Bugis Junction)

Sora Boru
313@somerset #B3-19/20, 313 Orchard Road, Singapore 238895
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm (Mon – Fri), 11am – 11pm (Sat – Sun)

Sora Boru is a casual Japanese dining concept serving a variety of wholesome one-bowl meals to hungry diners at 313@somerset.

It is also Halal-certified.

Operating as a quick-service restaurant, it allows you to order and quick pay for your meal over the counter fast-food style, or via its self-service ordering kiosk.

The Bara Chirashi Ebimayo Aburi Don ($9.50 for mini, $13.50 for regular, $16.50 for large) is a rice bowl topped with assorted fish and seafood cubes of salmon, tuna and baby scallops; tamagoyaki and cucumber blanketed in blow-torched shrimp roe mayonnaise.

And it comes in 3 sizes, good for those who just want a light meal in between shopping. Sora Boru (313@somerset)

Kei Kaisendon
Paya Lebar Square #01-84, Paya Lebar Road, Singapore 409051
Tel: +65 68449915
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 10pm (Mon – Sun)

Kei Kaisendon is a Kaisendon specialty restaurant serving rice bowls topped with fresh sashimi imported straight from the seas of Japan. You may see more outlets peppered across the island, so quality may not be that consistent from outlet to outlet.

Each bowl of Japanese white rice is brimming with a wide variety of sashimi, and a mixture of toppings and seasonings.

Recommended is the Kei Signature Kaisendon ($12.90, $16.90, $19.90) which comes with salad or rice or a mixture of both.

Maximise your Kei Kaisendon dining experience by exploring the 4 different ways of eating the Kei Kaisendon Signature Bowl.

First, savour the taste of signature Kaisendon with fresh sashimi and a little bit of shoyu and wasabi. Next, you can combine a dollop of mayonnaise and chili powder on a sauce and blend the mixture into the rice bowl. Enjoy the spicy creamy rice.

Once you finish your Kaisendon halfway, pour the special Sakura chicken soup into the remaining ingredients and enjoy the mixture as a porridge – this is the 3rd way.

Finally, the fourth way is to take some nori seaweed to wrap a spoonful of rice and sashimi into hand rolls. Four ways to Kaisendon bliss.

Yuzutei
100G Pasir Panjang Road #01-01, Singapore 118523
Tel: +65 9689 4092
Opening Hours: Opening hours: 11.30am – 3pm, 4pm – 10pm (Mon – Fri), 12.30pm – 10pm (Sat), Closed Sun

Yuzutei, 柚子亭 which means Yuzu Pavilion in Japanese, offers a yuzu-centric menu which would attract yuzu fans.

It is located at level 1 of the Interlocal Centre – a development in the heart of the rejuvenated Alexandra Pasir Panjang region, and of approximately 8 minutes’ walk from the nearest Pasir Panjang MRT station.

If you are thinking of head during lunch, more casual Japanese food items of Classic Donburi such as Salmon Mentai Don ($14), Chirashi Kaisen Don ($14.90), Unagi Don ($16), Teriyaki Chicken Don ($10); and Yuzu & Mentai Pasta are available.

The Chirashi Kaisen Don ($14.90) comes with an assortment of diced sashimi such as salmon, tuna and swordfish belly marinated with homemade vinaigrette dressing.

Something unique is the addition of tomatoes, corns, edamame, pumpkin slices, spring onions on top of fluffy, white Japanese rice with a light, citrusy and refreshing dressing, adding texture and flavours as a whole. Yuzutei (Pasir Panjang)

Niigata Bento
Our Tampines Hub #01-86, 1 Tampines Walk, #01-86, Singapore 528523
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm, last order 9.30pm (Mon – Sun)

Niigata Bento derives its name from Niigata Prefecture which is considered the rice capital of Japan. It also marks the origin of Koshihikari, which is the world famous Japanese short grain rice with a rich sweet and nutty taste and a firm bite.

Featuring a wide-ranging variety of bento, donburi, chirashi and udon, this is where you can find Japanese meals at affordable pricing.

All of their Bento Boxes served with 2 sides are priced below $10 nett, with offerings of Teriyaki Chicken ($7.50), Tempura ($8.00), Tonkatsu ($8.00), Gyu ($8.50), Salmon Katsu ($7.00), and Chicken Katsu ($7.50) boxes.

The Bara Chirashi ($15.50) is an enjoyable concoction of assorted salmon and tuna sashimi along flavourful Japanese sweet egg roll cubes served atop the soft and fluffy Koshihikari Rice.

Umi Nami
8 Lorong Mambong, Holland Village, Singapore 277674
Opening Hours: 12pm – 3pm, 6pm – 12am (Mon – Sun)

What foodies are loving at Umi Nami is its affordability. This no-frills Jap place is located at the Holland Village area, a place convenient for after-work dinners.

If you want affordable donburis that doesn’t hurt the wallet priced between $10 – $25.

First up, it offers the popular Bara Chirashi Don ($10) with fresh chunks of tuna, salmon, tamago and squid atop traditional sushi rice.

Those who prefer their sashimi torched should get the Aburi Salmon Don, offering the same Japanese rice laden with chunks of aburi salmon.

* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights.

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