For those craving for a nostalgic Singapore breakfast of Kaya Toast and Kopi, there are the local chains of Yakun, Killiney Kopitiam, and Toast Box. But sometimes, we like to find something different that brings us through the passage of time.

Places such as Heap Seng Leong, Chin Mee Chin, and YY Ka Fei Dian offer a bit more character as they are stand-alone shops.

There is also Keng Wah Sung Café 琼华昌 at 783 Geylang Road, which has been around for more than 70 years, serving customers from the wee hours of 5:30am in the morning.

When I visited early Saturday morning, there was a steady queue of customers but the line cleared quick.

The items are reasonably priced, offering Breakfast Set with kopi or teh ($3.60), Kaya Toast ($0.80), Soft Boiled Eggs ($0.70), and local beverages of coffee, Milo, and Horlicks ($1.20 – $1.80).

The Kaya Toast came in a thin layer with an agreeable crisp (though won’t say it would be as crispy as Yakun’s), with delightful slab of butter and kaya layer. Of the price of 80 cents, I am not complaining.

The proportion was managed just right, and this would please those who liked their bread soft enough with a touch of charcoal-grilled crisp.

While the eggs were pretty much average, the local kopi had a pleasurable fragrance and light lingering bitterness (but not over).

So overall, I enjoyed the coffee best, followed by the toast, then the eggs.

What’s the real draw to me was the old-school charm, while watching the hustle and bustle.

Then, I noticed many people also buying the local-style economic bee hoon, and I got tempted to order a plate with luncheon meat and fish fillet.

Oh… there was that feelin’ of nostalgia that hit me. It reminded me of those ‘swimming pool bee hoon’ I had during my childhood days. While the bee hoon wasn’t anything spectacular and could do with more seasoning, it was a taste that captured (say 70%) of the 80s and 90s.

The kopitiam is also relatively popular for its old-school style of wanton mee at Leong Hua Wan Ton Noodles, and Nasi Lemak. Leave your tummy empty behind you come.

Keng Wah Sung Café 琼华昌
783 Geylang Road, Singapore 389672
Opening Hours: 5:30am – 11pm (Mon – Sat), Closed Sun

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

Roti Prata is a well-loved hawker food in Singapore. Also known as “roti canai” in other parts of Southeast Asia, the Indian-influenced flatbread dish is usually served with curry or dal.

You do find more creative savoury and sweet variations, filled with cheese, bananas, chocolate, strawberries, to more fanciful creations included with raclette cheese and truffle oil,

The prata is typically crispy outside and doughy inside, making it a flexible choice for breakfast, lunch, snack, or supper.

Here are 12 famous Roti Prata places in Singapore for you to satisfy those cravings:

Sin Ming Roti Prata
24 Sin Ming Road, Gim Huat Coffeeshop #01-51, Singapore 570024,
Tel: +65 6453 3893
Opening Hours: 7am – 4am (Mon – Thurs, Sat – Sun), Closed Fri
Another outlet at 2 Jalan Leban, Singapore 577547

Although Sin Ming Roti Prata has an unassuming presence with a small corner area of a Jin Fa kopitiam, it still holds its own when it comes to popularity and a dedicated customer base. (Actually, there are many other good stalls here such as the Chicken Rice and Popiah.)

Sin Ming Roti Prata happens to get both its prata and curries done well, so I would be happy to name this one of my favourite Prata stalls in Singapore.

For a more comfortable seating environment, they have another outlet at 2 Jalan Leban, which is near Sembawang Hills Food Centre.

Be ready to stand in tediously long queues for the most part during peak hours, but it is quite worth the wait.

Run by father and son team Aziz and Faisal, their signature Coin Prata set ($4 for 6 pieces) shaped like mini-crispy pancakes has a bit of a complicated preparation and they make it fresh on order.

Both the plain and egg prata had different merits, but were crispy, slightly chewy and fluffy at the same time.

They use the traditional methods of making the dough with no ghee or milk. Give it a dip on the absolutely-delicious fish curry with a tinge of sourness.

Mr and Mrs Mohgan’s Super Crispy Roti Prata
300 Joo Chiat Road (Tin Yeang Restaurant, beside Dunman Food Centre), Singapore 427551
Tel: +65 9794 3124
Opening Hours: 6:30am – 1pm (Mon – Tues, Thurs – Sun), Closed Wed

Mr and Mrs Mohgan’s Super Crispy Roti Prata has widely been recognised to serve up one of the best crispy Prata in Singapore. Yes, they moved 500 metres from their old stall at Crane Road.

However, the stall is super popular and is often sold out by noon time. During peak weekend morning hours, be prepared to wait up to an hour for your food.

The Plain Prata is still sold affordably at $1, with choices of Egg ($1.50), Onion ($15.0), Plaster ($1.50), Mushroom ($2), Cheese ($2), Egg Onion ($2), Cheese Egg Mushroom ($3.50) and more.

Mr Mohgan is the guy flipping the prata (his assistants will sometimes do the frying), while Mrs Mohgan is the poker-faced one taking the orders. You don’t want her to say, ”No more already…. Sold out.”

Moral of the story: go very early in the morning.

The Plain Prata had a delightful crispy exterior (won’t say it was earth-shattering crispy), but good enough) with a tinge of tasty saltiness, contrasted with fluffy and light interior. I liked it, though won’t exactly say I was blown away.

The curries tasted lacklustre and lukewarm though, while the sambal chilli was the ‘power’ accompaniment to have.

Chindamani Indian Food Stall
151A Serangoon North Ave 2, Zhi Yuan Coffee Shop, Singapore 551151
Opening Hours: 6am – 9pm (Mon – Sun)
Outlets at Blk 846 Yishun Ring Rd, Blk 284 Bishan St 22, Blk 121 Hougang Ave 1, Blk 108 Hougang Ave 1

Chindamani is well-loved for its ultra-crispy, thin and flat roti prata.

Their main outlet is at Serangoon North, but have also opened other outlets at Hougang, Yishun and Bishan. Why all at the North and Northeast?

Most people would go for their Plain Prata ($1.20) because there is where you can experience that thin almost-biscuit like crunchiness especially along the edges; but if you want more chewiness than go for the Egg Prata ($18).

On the flipside, this would be slightly greasier than your usual prata, and would likely leave that oil in the lips feeling. The accompany fish curry was rich and tasty though – I could have seconds.

There are other prata choices including Egg Onion ($2.30), Cheese ($2.20), Egg Cheese ($2.80), Banana ($2.20), Mushroom ($2.50), Mushroom Cheese ($3.30) and Tissue ($3). One of those stalls I would recommend in a heartbeat for crispy prata.

Springleaf Prata Place
1 Thong Soon Avenue, Singapore 787431
Tel: +65 6459 5670, 8119 2297
Opening Hours: 8am – 11pm (Mon – Sun), Closed every first Mon of the month
Other outlets at 57B Jalan Tua Kong, The Rail Mall, Junction 10, NEWest, Sunset Way, SAFRA Jurong, SAFRA Tampines, and SAFRA Yishun

Springleaf Prata Place at Thong Soon Avenue is a one-stop air-conditioned family restaurant that is popular with families, with a number of branches all over Singapore.

A highlight would be their “Ultimate Hawkerfest” category. They first created the “Ultimate Murtabak” ($8.90, $13.90) in 2012 in conjunction with the special Hawkerfest event, but became so well-received they launched one new creative item every year.

A best-seller would be 2013’s “Murtaburger” ($8.50) which is a combination between the lamb-filled murtabak and Ramly burger. 2017’s Prata Alfredo ($10.90) of chunky rosemary smoked chicken tossed in a prata filled with creamy Alfredo sauce, sprinkled with fresh button mushrooms and mozzarella cheese also piqued my curiosity.

Their 2021’s Ultimate Series is the Praclette ($9.90), included with Raclette cheee, truffle oil, sauteed onions, shiitake, olives, turkey ham and sriracha.

I much enjoyed the Umami-50 ($9.90) which was included with a number of ‘comfort’ ingredients such as luncheon meat, egg, chicken floss, mozzarella cheese and MAYO within. Springleaf Prata Place (Thong Soon Avenue)

Casuarina Curry
136-138 Casuarina Road, Singapore 579526
Tel: +65 6455 9093
Opening Hours: 7am – 11 (Sun – Thurs), 7am – 11:30pm (Fri – Sat)

I guess one the most famous restaurants at Casuarina Road is Casuarina Curry Restaurant itself (do drop by Biscuit King if you are there early enough). It has branches at 20 Sixth Avenue and 187 MacPherson Road (beside UOB Bank).

They serve a variety of Indian cuisines, roti prata being the most famous. I loved the general vibe and atmosphere of the place (though slightly dark), which seemed ideal for family and friends meetups over Indian food and drinks.

The service is swift, and menu is quite expansive, serving anything from Double Egg Prata ($3.40), Plaster Cheese Prata ($4.40), Sausage Roll ($4.20), Mushroom Onion Prata ($4.40), Garlic Cheese Prata ($4.50), to Double Egg Sausage Prata ($5.40).

Price is slightly on the steep side though.

The Prata is moderately crisp, slightly more to the doughy side. Quality is consistent, matched with tasty curries.

R.K. Eating House
1 Kensington Park Road (Serangoon Garden), Singapore 557253
Opening Hours: 24/7

R.K. Eating House at Serangoon Garden was popular among supper goers who go for their super tall Tissue Prata. There are opened 24 hours daily by the way.

What’s on the menu include Coin Prata, Cheese Prata, Banana Honey Prata, Mushroom Prata, and there are other more fanciful items of Pizza Prata, Italian Prata, Ice Cream Prata and Strawberry Prata.

I had the Plain Prata and while the crispiness was not out-of-this-world, it was still better than the average. Though it lacked of that beautiful light saltiness some of the delicious prata would have.

Made viral by local celebrity Chef Bob, they are also known for their off-menu item of R.K Special ($6.50) – prata in mutton curry with soft boiled eggs.

Master Prata
321 Alexandra Rd, Mall, #01-02 Alexandra Central, Singapore 159971
Tel: +65 8268 8210
Opening Hours: 10am – 12am (Mon – Sun)
Another outlet at Sembawang Shopping Centre

Would I call this a hidden gem? Maybe. Perhaps you have yet to hear about this Prata place, and Alexandra Central is not a mall people frequent, but this little shop has a fanbase.

This is one of the few Prata places that stay open through the day till 12am and within a mall, which means that you can enjoy hot and delicious Prata almost at any time of the day.

Maybe you wouldn’t expect much from Prata served in a mall, but you can tell how crispy and appetising they are just by looking at the exterior, with golden spots and buttery filling.

Slightly on the sweet side, and a tad oily. But all’s good.

Tanglin Halt Roti Prata
#01-365 141049, 49 Tanglin Halt Rd, Block 49, Singapore 142049
Tel: +65 9794 3124
Opening Hours: 5am – 3pm (Mon, Wed – Sun), Closed Tues

There are two queues here – one to dine-in, the other to dabao. The takeaway line which is along the roadside can be quite long.

If you want to get your hands on their delectable Roti Prata, make sure that you get to the stall early in the morning as they run out quite fast.

The family business has their own homemade recipe passed down from generations to bring you authentic and traditional taste.

I found the Prata a bit thinner than the others I have tried, with a noticeable fragrance from being fried in ghee. More to the doughy side, I wished it was crispier. Not the best, but not too bad.

Their chicken curry and curry rice are also quite famous.

Rahmath Cheese Prata
Toa Payoh Vista Market, #01-08, 74 Lor 4 Toa Payoh, Singapore 310074
Tel: +65 8712 9115
Opening Hours: 6am – 2:30pm (Wed – Sun), Closed Mon, Tues

Rahmath Cheese Prata is a famous stall at Tao Payoh Vista Market Lor 4. It attracts a line of customers every morning with delicious roti prata variety that makes for a wholesome and filling breakfast.

The hidden gem of the food centre serves fresh prata with every order, and you can see the chef rolling and frying away like a busy bee without a break.

Choices here include Plain Prata, Egg Prata, Cheese Prata with Egg, Prata with Mushroom to more fanciful ones like Prata with Banana & Cheese and Strawberry Prata.

The signature Prata to get include the Cheese Prata ($2) and Cheese Prata with Egg ($3) to be dipped in mutton curry.

What I really liked about the Cheese Prata ($2) was that it remain crisp around the edges, while the inside was doughy. While I may have preferred this to be fluffier, the cheese added a light salty contrast that didn’t overwhelm.

The Roti Prata House
246 Upper Thomson Road, Singapore 574370
Tel: +65 6459 5260
Opening Hours: 7am – 2am (Mon – Thurs, Sun) 7am – 4am (Fri – Sat)

You won’t miss the signboard that says “The Best Crispy Prata. Recommended by The New Paper.”

Residents around Upper Thomson area should be familiar with this shop, a quaint coffeeshop with an overwhelmingly expansive menu.

There are two long columns for Prata itself, serving anything from Chocolate Cheese ($4), Honey Prata ($3), Milo Butter ($4), Milk Paper ($2.50), Blueberry Bomb Kaya ($2.50), Pineapple Cheese ($4), to Tomato Cheese ($4).

They also have other Indian dishes like Biryani and various curries, along with cold and hot beverages.

There is a good variety, though the Prata I had was not as hot as I wished it would be, and on the doughy side and rather plain. Maybe they used to be better in the past, or are better with the fancier choices.

Enaq The Prata Shop
Block 303 Jurong East Street 32, Singapore 600303
Tel: +65 6899 0842
Opening Hours: 7am – 10:30pm (Mon) 7am – 11pm (Wed – Sun), Closed Tues

Enaq located at Jurong East Street 32, has been popular with supper-goers for its crispy-style Roti Prata.

There are some fanciful fillings for the Prata such as Kaya, Hotdog Cheese, Honey Banana, Chocolate, Kaya, Peanut Butter, to Milky Gem (?).

Each is priced from $1.90 for the egg to $3.00 for the Hot Dog Egg.

The star was the Plain Kosong Prata ($1.20, min 2). Eat the piece fresh and hot, before it gets soggy.

Somehow the exterior was just thinly crisp contrasted with fluffy interior. Tasty on its own, with faint sweetness. The sensation was almost like having puff pastry.

Not overly oily too.

Interestingly, they also included sambal chilli along with curry as dips. Mixing both added another dimension.

Y.R.A Rasool Fatimah
ABC Brickworks Food Centre #01-10, 6 Jalan Bukit Merah, Singapore 150006
Opening Hours: 10am – 7pm (Mon – Wed, Fri – Sun), Closed Thurs

Few customers would have known this “YR Ahmad” stall is actually listed in the Michelin Guide with a “Michelin Plate” for a consecutive number of years.

The stall serves up a wide variety of Indian-Muslim food from Mee Goreng ($3.50), Nasi Goreng Merah ($3.50), Mee Hoon Goreng Puteh Ikan Billis ($4.00), Tulang Merah ($6 onwards), Mutton Chop ($5.50) and Mutton Soup ($5.00).

Y.R.A Rasool Fatimah also sells Prata without too many fanciful options, such as plain ($1.00), onion ($1.20), egg ($1.50), egg and onion ($1.70), cheese ($2), cheese with egg ($2.50) and chocolate.

Similarly, the egg prata I had did not have that distinct crispiness with much layered fluffiness, but was towards the chewier side. Y.R.A Rasool Fatimah (ABC Food Centre)

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

Wait, wait, wait… this Dim Sum eatery is opened for only two days a week during the weekends, from 7am to 4pm.

Can someone enlighten me, what do they do from Mondays to Fridays then? Rest, supply other places, prepare ingredients?

Shi Wei Xian Hong Kong Dim Sum 食为先香港点心 is known among the Aljunied foodie community for its “cheap and good” dim sum items served in a coffeeshop. (Also read: 10 Affordable Dim Sum Supper Places In Singapore)

However, do not head over to their old venue at Aljunied Avenue 2, as they have moved to Geylang East Avenue 3.

Dim Sum items still remain affordable, costing between $1.20 for a Char Siew Pau to $4 for a Chicken Feet Steamed Rice.

Some of the steamed selection includes Steamed Dumpling ($3.50), Lotus Leaf Rice ($3.50), Prawn Dumpling ($3.50), Bean Sauce Pork Ribs ($3.50), and Crystal Pau ($3.50).

Also available are Fried Dim Sum of Fried Yam Puff ($3.60 for 3pcs), Salad Prawn Dumplings ($3.60), Fried Yam Puff ($3.60), Fried Sesame Ball ($3.60), Fried Ngoh Hiang Chicken Roll ($3.60) and Mango Banana Fritters ($4.50).

I was curious about its Crab Meat Siew Mai ($3.50). While I couldn’t really find distinguishable pieces of crab within, the dumpling was surprisingly succulent, packed with meat and not too starchy – some places you take more flour than actual meat.

My favourite item happened to be the Yuan Yang Chee Cheong Fun ($4) with char siew and prawn fillings covered with the smooth and warm rice noodle roll.

It was poured over with a tasty soy sauce mixture, slightly on the salty side, but would work for those who are ”zhong kou wei (prefer a rich taste).

The Century Egg Pork Porridge ($2) was pleasantly thick and smooth, though slightly on the blander side contrastingly and could be more fragrant.

While I have read positive reviews of the Fried Spring Roll ($3.60 for 3 pcs), these arrived slightly on the colder side and ‘pale-looking’, would have been much better if they were served freshly deep-fried and golden in colour.

The Carrot Cake ($3.60) was unfortunately too starchy and on the oilier side, and it also took the longest to arrive when I was about to finish all the other food.

Overall, there were some hits and one or two misses. But I could imagine why customers would come here to eat to their fill, as it is tastier than some of the others selling “cheap dim sum” in Singapore.

Shi Wei Xian Hong Kong Dim Sum
1015 Geylang East Ave 3, #01-109, Singapore 389730
Opening Hours: 7am – 4pm (Sat – Sun), Closed Mon – Fri

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

Missing some of the iconic Hong Kong Cafes aka cha chaan teng?

Cha chaan teng 茶餐廳 (which literally means “tea restaurant”) are a type of Hong Kong restaurant-cafe known for eclectic wide-ranging menu, made of different kinds of Canto-Western cuisine.

This is where you can expect huge variety food, from Cheese Baked Rice, Wonton Noodles, Curry Rice, Sandwiches, Hong Kong-style French Toast, Bolo Bun and Egg Tarts.

If you are craving of some of those cha chaan teng food, here are 12 Hong Kong Cafes in Singapore to check out:

Legendary Hong Kong
63 Jurong West Central 3, #03-80 Jurong Point 2 Shopping Center, Singapore 648331
Tel: +65 6794 1335
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm (Mon – Fri), 10am – 10pm

One of a kind 4-in-1 themed Hong Kong restaurant and café in Singapore, Legendary Hong Kong is run by 8 professional chefs hailing from Hong Kong, and they have raised the bar for other Hong Kong cafes in Singapore.

The interior is modelled like an old-school HK cha chaan teng, serving a spread of roast meats, pastry, toasts, noodles, congee and dim sum.

For dim sum, there are items from Steamed BBQ Pork Bun ($4.80), Steamed Beef Ball with Beancurd Skin ($5.20), Steamed Pork Dumplings ($5.80), Piggy Bun with Egg Custard ($5), to Steamed Sponge Cake ($5).

Their house specialty is the London Roast Duck, sometimes known as the ‘best duck in the world’ for its succulent meal and tasty flavours.

Legendary Hong Kong gets the premium duck supply exclusively from Silver Hill Farms, where each duck sold is de-feathered by hand so as to ensure integrity of the quality of meat and no bruising.

Do you know that roasted pork is to be eaten with mustard, roast duck with plum sauce and the roasted chicken with a garlic sauce blend for the best complement?

This was told to me by a waitress here. Looks like Legendary Hong Kong is keeping things authentic here.

Also, don’t miss the oozing Custard Crust Bolo Bun ($6) with a crispy bolo bun exterior.

So Good Char Chan Tang
Capitol Singapore #01-17/18, 13 Stamford Road, Singapore 178884Opening Hours: 8am – 9pm (Mon – Fri), 9am – 9pm (Sat – Sun)

Travel to Hong Kong instantly with a bite at So Good Char Chan Tang, an upbeat casual dining café. This cha chaan teng or Hong Kong-style café genuinely reflects the streets of modern-day Hong Kong and has been quite popular with local Singaporeans as well.

Its long operating hours allow you to grab any meal from breakfast to dinner.

For brekkie or a tea-time snack, try the aromatic Crispy Bun with Condensed Milk ($2.00). Pair it with Hong Kong-Style Milk Tea ($2.20 for hot, $2.50 for cold) for a classic rendezvous of flavours.

Make it more filling with an order of roasted barbecue meats. Smoky and flavourful, the meats are served with either noodles or rice.

Other chef-recommended mains include Curry Beef Brisket Rice ($8.00), Baked Cheese Spaghetti Bolognese ($8.50), Fried Rice with Pork Chop & Fried Eggs ($9.50), and Fried Hor Fun with Beef ($9.80). Note that there are only 30 portions of the Beef Hor Fun every day, and they are usually sold out.

The Baked Egg Tart ($3.60 for 2 pcs) perhaps the most popular Hong Kong pastry, has delicately flaky tart filled with a silky-smooth egg custard. Relish it as part of a high tea, or just snack a piece or two with Iced Red Bean ($3.00). So Good Char Chan Tang (Capitol Singapore)

Pi Food
9 Penang Road, #01-18, Singapore 238459 (UBS Singapore Business Hub)
Tel: +65 8932 0632
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm (Mon – Sun)

When you walk into this new restaurant at UBS Business Hub (formerly known as Park Mall) with its sleek stainless steel walls and ceilings. Looking quite futuristic, you may not have imagined this is a Hong Kong style cha chaan teng.

Helmed by Chef Tsang Tak Ching, a former Sous Chef at Lei Garden Hong Kong, Pi Food takes its name from the number pi (π), a math constant with digits that never end.

The modern cha chaan teng items range from classic Hong Kong-style noodles, rice, congee, sandwiches and roast meats, to Canto-Western dishes.

Recommended is the Stir Fried Beef Noodles ($13.80) with slices of beef are wok-fried over high heat, enough for them to sear-til-they-char and feel that “breath of the wok” aka wok hei.

The Lotus Leaf Rice with Roasted Duck Meat ($16.80) uses the woodsy aromatic lotus leaf to wrap HK-style roasted duck,steamed in between sticky rice. For best experience, enjoy this fragrant dish while still hot. Pi Food (Penang Road)

Tai Cheong Bakery Cafe
Holland Village 31 Lorong Liput Singapore 277742 (Holland Village MRT)
Opening Hours: 10am – 8pm (Mon – Sun)

Tai Cheong Bakery is known for its signature Egg Tart, famed for its crumbly cookie-like shell, buttery fragrance, and smooth wobbly egg custard.

This café at Holland Village is the brand’s FIRST dine-in concept ever.

In terms of Tai Cheong signature pastries, there are the Singapore-exclusive flavour of Pandan Egg Tarts ($2), Durian & Cheese Tart ($3.90), Coconut Tart ($2.80), and Chicken Pie ($3).

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 the other more typical Hong Kong cha chaan teng dishes such as Scrambled Egg Toast Stack with Chicken Chop ($11.90), French Toast ($7.90), Hk Dry Noodles ($11.90) with sausage, Swiss chicken wing, curry fishball and braised cuttlefish, to Cheese Baked Rice with Pork Chop and Tomato Gravy ($17.60). Tai Cheong Bakery Singapore (Holland Village)

Tsui Wah Singapore
3A River Valley Road, Clarke Quay, #01-03, Singapore 179020.
Opening Hours: 10:30am – 10pm (Mon – Sun)

Tsui Wah’s first outlet in Singapore is located at Clarke Quay (facing the riverside) – a good choice of location especially when it intends to extending opening hours into the night.

There are also outlets at Jem, Jewel Changi Airport, and Heeren.

The contemporary-styled restaurant has a seating capacity of over 140, with an al fresco dining area which faces the riverfront.

Some of the signature dishes over in the Singapore outlet include Beef Brisket Curry with Prata ($17), Chicken Wings in Supreme Sauce ($10.50), Wontons with Shrimp Roe in Fish Soup ($9.50), Kagoshima-Style Braised Pork Cartilage with Tossed Instant Noodles ($10.50), Crispy Bun with Condense Milk ($4), and Tsui Wah Signature Pork Chop Bun ($8.50)

The popular choice would be the Crispy Bun with Condensed Milk ($4) – freshly baked bun coated with butter and condensed milk.

You can also go for the Kagoshima-Style Braised Pork Cartilage with Tossed Instant Noodles ($10.50), which is a homage dish to a Japanese chef who shared this recipe with Tsui Wah. Tsui Wah Singapore (Clarke Quay)

 
Social Place 唐宫小聚
583 Orchard Road, Forum the Shopping Mall #01-22, Singapore 238884
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 2:30pm, 6pm – 9pm (Sun – Thurs), 11:30am – 2:30pm, 6pm – 9:30pm (Fri – Sat)

Social Place is known for its contemporary Chinese cuisine and modern dim sum items that pushed the envelope.

Many of their Chinese dishes do bring in some surprises (do get your cameras ready) such as the Flamin-ple’ ($28) in which a whole pineapple is set aflame at the table before you dig into the beef brisket with curry gravy within; Sweet & Sour Pork on Ice ($24.80) served with crushed and cubed ice that keep the battered pork crisp.

Newer items to look forward in Singapore’s menu include the Shanghai Steamed Buns ($6.80), and the Chilli Crab Xiao Long Bao ($7.80) filled with sweet-spicy crab fillings and topped with tobiko.

For fans of “Liu Sha Bao”, do not miss out the Charcoal Custard Bun ($8.80) with ebony-black exterior and gold brush strokes. Break it apart to reveal velvety custard fillings within.

Joy Luck Teahouse – Plaza Singapura
#B2-26 Plaza Singapura, 68 Orchard Road, Singapore 238839
Opening Hours: 10am – 8:30pm (Sun – Thurs), 10am – 9pm (Fri – Sat, PH)

Perhaps having some authentic HK cha chaan teng food of Egg Tarts, Pineapple Buns, Hong Kong-style Milk Tea and Curry Fishballs can help bring back those joys.

Joy Luck Teahouse currently has outlets at ION Orchard, Bugis Junction, Causeway Point, Parkway Parade (Food Republic), Chinatown, Sun Plaza, Bishan Junction 8, and Plaza Singapura.

However, most are kiosks concepts, but the outlet at Plaza Singapura has a sit-down area.

There are two styles of Egg Tarts offered here, one with a puff pastry shell and the other with sweet shortbread crust almost like butter cookie.

Newly introduced is the HK Twin Sausage Bun 双肠热狗包 inspired by a well-loved local offering from a popular restaurant at Central, Hong Kong. You can get a taste of it here without flying over to Hong Kong.

The newly introduced item comprises of two steamed chicken sausages (made locally, only chilled and not frozen), both housed within a lightly steamed bun.

To me, the real draw is the accompanying sweet mustard-like sauce that is specially made in-house using a secret recipe which includes butter, mustard, pickles, egg, vinegar and more. Joy Luck Teahouse (ION Orchard)

Xin Wang Hong Kong Cafe
68 Orchard Road, #06-08/09/10, Plaza Singapura, Singapore 238839
Tel: +65 6884 8698
Opening Hours: 11am – 11pm (Mon – Sun)
Branches at Anchorpoint, AMK Hub, Bugis+, Compass One, NUH Medical Centre, Northpoint City, Plaza Singapura, White Sands, West Coast Plaza

Xin Wang should be the most visible cha chaan teng in Singapore, as it is one of the earliest to reach out to the youths, and has many branches around Singapore.

I remember days where friends would gather at (now-defunct) Xin Wang Cineleisure after a late night KTV or movie session, seated at booths to chit chat over Thick Toast and Snow Ice.

There are a total of 186 items and 24 categories in XW entire menu. Their Top 10 items include XO Fried Carrot Cake, Cheese Baked Mix Grill Spaghetti, Olive Fried Rice with Pork Chop, Claypot Nissin Soup Noodle, Homemade Papaya Soup Bee Hoon, Honey Butter French Toast, XW Chicken Wing Rice, HK-style Curry Chicken and Braised Beef Brisket Cheong Fun.

A recommendation is the Signature Stir Fried Rice ($10.90) which uses Japanese rice grains is they would absorb sauces

The dish also reminded me of Malaysian-style zi char with a sweet-soy taste. Turned out that the Executive Chef did want to emulate the rustic taste and flavours of some of the famous fried rice dishes he tried up north. Xin Wang Hong Kong Café (Kovan)

Friends Cafe HK 朋友冰室
60 Springside Walk, The Brooks I #01-18 Singapore 786020
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 2:30pm, 5:30pm – 8:30pm (Mon, Wed – Sun), Closed Tues

Friends Cafe HK 朋友冰室 situated within a mixed development The Brooks I at Springside Walk, comes quite close in terms of the old-school Hong Kong café décor.

There are the tiled walls, mosaic floor, booth seating, mirrors and random menu pasted all around and within the table’s glass covering. Got the feels.

Signature set meals here include Charsiew Spaghetti or Macaroni ($6.50), Luncheon Meat Noodles with Egg ($6.50), Spiced Pork Cube Noodles ($6.50), Ham Macaroni ($6.50), Preserved Vegetable Beehoon with Pork ($7.50), Chicken Chop Noodles or Rice ($7.60), and Pork Chop Rice ($7.50).

There are also snacks of Curry Fish Balls ($4), Deep Fried Chicken Thigh ($5), Fried Chicken Mid Wings ($5), Sandwich ($2, $3), Fried Veg Roll ($3), Peanut Butter Milk Toast ($1.80) to Fried Wedges ($3).

As they are relatively new, do give them some time to iron out some of the dishes. One of the most popular items offered should be the French Toast ($3.50). Friends Cafe HK 朋友冰室 (Springside)

Honolulu Cafe
Centrepoint #01-33 F/G, 176 Orchard Rd, Singapore 238843
Tel: +65 6734 6609
Opening Hours: 11am – 9pm (Sun – Thurs), 11am – 10pm (Fri, Sat)
Other outlet at Westgate #02-06

The signature Honolulu Egg Tart ($1.70) is known for its 192 layers of flaky pastry, crumbly, with wobbly eggy fillings.

Frankly, the Egg Tart was not too bad, and I liked the crumbly crust which reminded us of cereal.

Offering include Pineapple Bun with Butter ($2), Deep Fried Egg Puff ($2) and BBQ Pork Pastry ($1.70), French Toast ($3.00), Sandwiches ($3.00 – $7.00), Instant Noodle ($5), Beef Brisket Noodle in soup or with noodles ($6.00) and Main courses of Baked Pork Chop Spaghetti or Rice ($7.80), Baked Fish Fillet Cream Sauce Spaghetti or Rice ($7.80).

Most of the other dishes were really quite average-tasting, but good for a fuss-free meal in town. Honolulu Café Singapore (Centrepoint)

Streats Hong Kong Café
26 Sentosa Gateway, Resorts World Sentosa #01-205, 098138
Opening Hours: 10am – 3pm, 5pm – 10pm (Mon – Fri), 11am – 10pm (Sat – Sun)
Outlets at Bukit Panjang Plaza, City Square Mall, IMM Building, West Mall, Tampines 1

Streats Hong Kong Cafe is known for halal Cantonese cuisine and dim sum, and has casual and modern tea house vibes.

Some outlets such as the Asian concept at RWS presents a wide variety of popular Hong Kong, Macau, Indonesian and Asian street food, with traditional dim sum, noodles, pastas and other local favourites.

Recommended dishes include Salted Egg Yolk Pumpkin Fries, HK Fried XO Seafood Noodles, Fried chicken & Beef Rendang set.

Order the signature Macau Chicken Chop Fried Rice or Hong Kong Fried XO Seafood Noodle to satisfy your cravings.

Central Hong Kong Café
Wheelock Place 501 Orchard Rd, B2-01, Singapore 238880
Tel: +65 6262 4056
Opening Hours: 10:30am – 10pm (Mon – Fri), 10am – 10pm (Sat – Sun)

Lead by Hong Kong Group Executive Chef Chiu Ka Wai, who has been the master chef at Regent Hotel Summer Palace for more than 20 years, you get a wide range of Hong Kong staples and street food.

This includes Fried Lamian with Seafood ($8.90), Hong Kong Wanton Noodle ($6.00 for soup, $6.50 for dry), Beef Brisket Noodle ($6.50 for soup, $7.00 for dry), Hong Kong Curry Beef Brisket On Rice ($7.90), Hong Kong Style Fried Beef Hor Fun ($8.90) along with toasts, stocking milk tea, ginger coca cola and more.

The ‘problem’ with Hong Kong cafes are that there are too many dishes to choose from. I quite liked the saucy Braised Beef with Black Bean Hor Fun, with tender braised beef slices, rice noodles smothering with wok-hei.

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* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. Daniel’s Food Diary paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

Foodies staying near Paya Lebar will probably be familiar with Knots Cafe & Living at Macpherson within an industrial building.

Opened by florist company, Xpressflower who had combined flowers, furnitures and food, Knots Cafe & Living first opened in 2016, a showroom and a cafe under the same roof where diners can purchase everything and anything in the shop.

Their new outlet at Pasir Panjang has the same vibe within a warehouse premise, created using sustainable, hand-crafted pieces to provide a warm and comforting ambience for patrons to feel at home.

From the tall ceilings to being surrounded by living plants and pots in every corner, there is an enchanting and mesmerising charm to it.

Check out the stacked glasshouse frameworks indoors, exclusive to this outlet to create an immersive experience of dining with plants and florals, with a “roof” over our heads.

Their menu has expanded and became more comprehensive since my last visit in 2016 at their previous outlet.

There is a variety of selection from Breakfast ($16.90 – $24.90) to Mains ($18.90 – $31.90), Pasta ($17.90 – $23.90), Pizza ($18.90 – $28.90), Salad ($17.90 – $18.90), Bites ($10.50 – $13.50), Cakes ($8.10) and Waffles ($8.90 – $13.90).

The Breakfast Menu is available from 9am till 6pm daily, with options of their signature Knots Waffle Brekkie ($24.90), Smoked Salmon Benedict ($20.90), Prosciutto Ham Benedict ($20.90), Truffle Eggs & Bacon Croissant ($16.90) and Avocado Toast ($16.90).

The Knots Waffle Brekkie ($24.90) comes with a generous amount of toppings: Smoked Beef Sausage, Streaky Bacon, Scrambled Eggs, Mushrooms and Baked Tomato on top of a thick buttermilk waffle.

The Buttermilk Waffles is crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, with a sweet and aromatic vanilla fragrance that complements with the savoury toppings.

The portion is quite big and recommended for sharing, with the highlight being the smooth and creamy scrambled eggs in contrast to the moist tomato pulp.

Both the Mains and Pastas are available from 11am onwards, with signature Rib Eye Steak ($31.90), Lamb Cutlet ($27.90) and Duck Ragu Rigatoni ($23.90).

For parents, kids meals such as Mini Fish & Chips ($13.50) and Mini Mushroom Tomato Pasta ($13.50) are options to consider.

Sweet treats are more limited on the menu, currently only serving Cakes ($8.10) and Waffles ($8.90 – $13.90).

Waffles are available in 2 different flavours: Buttermilk ($8.90) and Matcha ($9.90) with add-ons such as Mixed Fruits (+$4) and Ice Cream (Single $4.90, Double $8.90).

I had the Matcha Waffle with Mixed Fruits ($13.90) and a scoop of Chendol Ice Cream ($4.90) with whipped cream and matcha powder sprinkled on it.

The matcha waffle is crispy on the outside with a more chewy and moist texture inside.

Leaning towards the sweeter side, the matcha taste is distinctive with only a slight bitterness, yet it’s pretty aromatic.

I enjoyed the scoop of Chendol Ice Cream with pandan cake embedded within it for an additional texture in contrast to the firm strawberries, blueberries and bananas toppings and chewy matcha waffles.

Just a suggestion to finish the desserts quickly as the sweets tend to attract lots of ants due to the sheer number of plants indoors.

Their drinks menu is also extensive, ranging from Coffee ($4 – $7.50) to Fresh Juices ($6.50), Blended Drinks ($9.90), Artisanal Tea ($7.20) and Cold Brew Fruit Tea ($7.90).

Their Iced Matcha Latte with a scoop of vanilla ice cream ($10.50) leaned towards a sweeter side and I wished that the matcha taste can be a little stronger.

Being Instagram-worthy, cosy and homely, Knots Cafe And Living will probably be a popular brunch spot for cafe hoppers and those staying in the South-west.

Knots Cafe And Living
Citilink Warehouse Complex, 102E Pasir Panjang Road, #01-08, Singapore 118529
Opening Hours: 9am – 9pm (Wed – Mon), Closed Tues

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

It was a random visit to the favourite Old Airport Road Food Centre that I spotted a relatively new Nasi Lemak stall (or should I say stalls) facing the main road.

97 Nasi Lemak looked impeccably neat, bright and modern in contrast, with the hawkers in matching bright yellow tees dishing out the food.

Ah, then I recalled reading about them in 8 Days about hawker Ellis Phua who was supposed to look like Vivian Lai.

Actually, I do not quite see the resemblance since I guest-appeared in Vivian’s food programmes a number of times, but could tell that Ellis was quite pretty in her own ways with a certain calming, polite air about her.

The stall is found right next to the famous Whitley Road Prawn Noodles, so named because it is Unit 97. It has also taken over Unit 96 for expansion and dish out more items.

Opening from 7am every day except Mondays, the Nasi Lemak stall also offered fried bee hoon (the white style) and noodle options.

There is no pork or lard used in their dishes as they plan to be Halal-certified.

This is accompanied with items of Chicken Wing, Chicken Luncheon Meat, Chicken Katsudon, Fish Cake, Kuning Fish, Hashbrown, Nonya Oyah, Fishabll on Stick, Vegetables, Long Bean, Sotong Fillet, Breaded Fish Fillet to Chicken Katsudon.

Each item is priced from $0.50 to $1.30.

I had a set with fried chicken wing, fried egg, fresh Japanese cucumber, piquant sambal, ikan bilis and peanuts, topped up with a couple of items.

When I took that first mouthful, I found there was light coconut and pandan fragrance in the fluffy rice grains, but won’t say it was as strong and rich as some of the famous brands out there.

That was what I liked about it – you could eat the rice on its own and appreciate the delicate flavours, without having an overly greasy feeling. But can imagine some customers would prefer the rice to be “tastier”.

The sambal was more towards the sweet side but was a delicious accompaniment, so I wished there was slightly more of it.

The deep-fried chicken wing was well-marinated and juicy, with a thin crisp on the outer layer. There was a bit of home-cooked feel to this which I didn’t quite mind.

97 Nasi Lemak
Old Airport Road Food Centre #01-07, 51 Old Airport Road, Singapore 390051
Opening Hours: 7am – 3pm (Tues – Sun), Closed Mon

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

Life’s too short to say “No” to cakes.

And of course if you are going to say “Yes”, here are 20 best patisserie cafes you can head to satisfy your sweet tooth cravings.

As a note, most of the cafes listed here are the more newly opened names within the last 1-3 years or so. If your favourites are missing, perhaps you can find them here in one of the listicles here: (There is also a bakery cake food guide coming out soon, so look out for it.)

10 Best Cake Shops In Singapore With Islandwide Delivery
10 Luscious Chocolate Cakes In Singapore
10 Outstanding ONDEH ONDEH Cakes In Singapore
10 Best Western-Style CARROT CAKES IN Singapore
10 Best Strawberry Shortcakes In Singapore
10 Mouth-Watering MATCHA Cakes In Singapore

20 Best Patisserie And Cake Cafes In Singapore

Kki Sweets
3 Seah Street, #01-01, Singapore 188379
Tel: +65 9799 2668
Opening Hours: 11am – 7pm (Wed – Sat), 11am – 5pm (Sun), Closed Mon, Tues

Husband and wife pair Kenneth and Delphine gave up their daily jobs to set up this characteristic desserts patisserie café, which has moved several times (also a few years’ break before).

This time Kki Sweets takes on a different form and style, located at Seah Street on 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.

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. Kki Sweets (Seah Street)

Le Matin Patisserie
10, Block B Raeburn Park, #01-25, Singapore 088702
Opening Hours: 8am – 5pm (Wed, Fri – Sun), Closed Mon, Tues, Thurs

Singaporean Chef Mohamed Al-Matin trained at Le Cordon Bleu Sydney, and worked at some of the renowed patisseries there including Adriano Zumbo Patisserie and Black Star Pastry.

He was also previously the Head Pastry Chef of Restaurant Andre, and was also Pastry Sous Chef at one of the best restaurants in the world – Noma. An impressive resume.

To try his croissants, you can either head to the test kitchen on specific days, or get a Matin Pastry Box which comes with 5 or 6 pastries baked fresh daily.

For example, the The Le Matin Basics ($32 per box): Grand Matin contains 5 pastries of Croissant, Almond Croissant, Kouign Amann, Pain Au Choc, and Pistachio Escargot.

The classic Croissant is the traditional plain croissant laminated with French AOP butter. Though the more impressionable one would be the Pain Au Chocolat stuffed with luscious Valrhona dark chocolate and finished with a shiny Dark chocolate belt.

Baker’s Brew Café
Orchard Paragon, 290 Orchard Road #05-46 Singapore 238859 (Orchard MRT)
Tel: +65 6909 0669
Opening Hours: 10:30am – 8pm (Mon – Sun)

The Ondeh Ondeh Cake has become one of Singapore’s most popular trending cake that we can proudly say has local origins.

And Baker’s Brew offers one of the best versions around, plus it is not that sweet. Ah, that moist pandan sponge along with fragrant gula melaka and desiccated coconut.

The flavours of coconut are extended to its pastel green and white buttercream icing, and toasted coconut and coconut cookie toppings.

The special Ondeh Ondeh balls complete the look of Baker’s Brew’s best-selling signature cake.

Other than the Ondeh Ondeh Cake, there are many noteworthy “Classic Cakes” offered including Roasted Pistachio and Rose Cake, Matcha Azuki Cake, Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake, Classic Basque Cheesecake, and Dual Fromage. Bakers’ Brew

Pantler
474 River Valley Road Singapore 248359
Tel: +65 6221 6223
Opening Hours: 10:30am – 6:30pm (Tues – Sun), Closed Mon

“Pantler” is word used to define “a servant or officer in charge of the bread and the pantry in a great family”.

The new River Valley space is actually made up of two units, combined into one.

Half is the kitchen where all their products are made from scratch, and the other half is the retail and dining space.

The bigger kitchen is to accommodate producing over 20 varieties of cakes and pastries, and other baked and packaged items such as cookies, sweets, jams, and chocolate.

Pantler’s Head Chef is Tomoharu Morita, who was part of the award-winning pastry team at Grand Hyatt Tokyo for close to a decade. Chef Tomoharu was also part of the opening team for Joël Robuchon Singapore.

Signature products include the Yatsura ($9.50) featuring hazelnut praline and dark chocolate ganache, Chou a la Creme ($5.50), Pantler Cheesecake ($7.80), Dark Chocolate Delice ($8.80), and the Strawberry Shortcake ($9.50).

If you are looking out for the new stuff, they are the Raspberry Pistachio ($9.50), Russa ($9.50), Gianduja ($9.50) and Ivory ($9.50). Pantler (River Valley)

LUNA
53 Amoy Street, Singapore 069879
Opening Hours: 12pm – 6:30pm (Sun – Thurs), 12pm – 7pm (Fri – Sat)

LUNA patisserie at Amoy Street known mouth-watering cakes and pastries, has also launched a number of new buttery tarts in their menu.

Not to be confused with Lunar Coffee Brewers (OUE Downtown Gallery) and Luna Cafe (One North), LUNA is a patisserie located near Amoy Street Food Centre.

While its menu changes periodically according to the seasons, best-sellers still available continue to be the popular Orh Nee Cake ($8 per slice, $80 per whole cake) with velvety yam ginko paste and yam cubes; LUNA 2.0 ($9 for entremet, $90 for cake) made of Valrhona Guanaja 70% chocolate mousse; and Matcha Opera ($8 for slice, $80 for whole cake).

The Orh Nee was my favourite of the selection, made of pumpkin sponge layered with a mixture of yam and ginkgo paste.

The surprise came from the textural contrast in the yam and ginkgo paste, a mixture of smooth and velvety puree and bite-sized chunks of yam.

The Orh Nee is then topped with whipped cream frosting and dollops of yam cream with a touch of desiccated coconut that enhanced its sweetness. LUNA Singapore (Amoy Street)

Tigerlily Patisserie
350 Joo Chiat Rd, Singapore 427598
Opening Hours: 9am – 6pm (Tues – Sun), Closed Mon

Tigerlily Patisserie has finally shifted from an online bakery to a brick-and-mortar dine-in shop at Joo Chiat.

It was created to offer baked goods with unconventional flavours, using fine European techniques injected with an Asian spirit.

A wide selection of pastries was on display, ranging from interesting and unique savoury options such as Tomato & Artichoke Tart ($7), Asparagus & Leek Tart, Mushroom Bacon Quiche and Garlic Herb & Cream Cheese Babka ($8).

Their uniqueness is the various herbs infused within their pastries such as Chitose Strawberry & Elderflower Tart ($11), Lemon Thai Basil Tart ($8), The Beehive ($11) infused with lemon thyme and Pink Guava & pear ($10) made of elderflower mousse.

The most eye-catching dessert would probably be The Beehive ($11), made from lemon thyme and litchi honey jelly and light lemon sponge encased in a globe-shaped honey parfait, further topped with swirls of yuzu mousse in honeycomb pattern.

This is an intricate piece of art, beautifully crafted visually with a well-balanced sweetness and citrus-ness, light and refreshing without being overwhelming on the palate. Tigerlily Patisserie (Joo Chiat)

Patisserie CLÉ
79 Lucky Heights, Singapore 467627
Opening Hours: 9:30am – 6:30pm (Mon, Wed – Sat), 9:30am – 5pm (Sun), Closed Tues

Patisserie CLÉ (means ‘key’ in French) is inviting patrons to unlock and uncover new experiences, with an expanded menu here at Siglap.

The duo owners Joy Chiam and Germaine Li first met while learning pastry-making at Ferrandi Paris.

Upon graduation, Joy subsequently worked at the former Joël Robuchon Restaurant whereas Germaine Li joined Tarte by Cheryl Koh (and thus some resemblance in the creations) before opening their first brick-and-mortar shop in 2020 at the historic Paya Lebar Office (formerly Paya Lebar Fire Station).

Here at Lucky Heights with a bigger kitchen, the shop is able offer artisanal coffee and a wider variety of bakes such as outlet-exclusive pastries which is a look back at their French culinary roots.

Depending on the seasonal ingredients available, their selection of tarts and cakes rotates on a regular basis.

There were Blood Orange Tart ($10), Orh Blanc Tart ($8), Chocolate Banana Tart ($8), Strawberry Vanilla Tart ($8), Cognac Caramel Chocolate Tart ($8), Blueberry Rose Tart ($8), Passion Sesame Tart ($8), Bourdaloue Tart ($8), and Mixed Berry Tart ($9) during my visit. Patisserie CLÉ (Siglap)

The Fabulous Baker Boy
Aliwal Arts Center, 28 Aliwal Street, #01-01, Singapore 199918
Opening Hours: 9:30am – 6pm (Tues – Sun), Closed Mon

For fans of Chef Juwanda Hashim’s bakes, yes, he is back fabulous again at Aliwal Arts Centre – a short walk from Arab Street.

The bakery cafe used to be located at Fort Canning.

His cake style is classic layered, known to be moist, with some interesting experimentations in terms of frosting.

Signatures include Valrhona Chocolate Cake ($9.50), Nutty Monkey ($9.50) which is a banana coconut cake, Raspberry Lemon ($9), and Green Tea Praline ($9.50).

Some of the cakes are cheekily named, such as a 10-layered butter torte hazelnut praline cake called “The Hossan Leong” ($11). The Fabulous Baker Boy (Aliwal Street)

Sinpopo Brand
458 Joo Chiat Road, Singapore 427671
Tel: +65 6345 5034
Opening Hours: 11pm – 9pm (Mon – Sun)

By the team behind Awfully Chocolate, Sinpopo Brand manages to spruce up traditional kueh recipes with modern presentations.

Think Pandan Kaya Cake, Gula Melaka Cake, Pulut Hitam Cake, Dar Dar Mille Crepe and Putu Piring Cake – familiar nostalgic treats of well-loved local flavours made into cake forms.

Newer items include Basque Burnt Cheesecake, mouth-watering Tres Leche Cake, Sticky Date Pudding, delectable Lemon Yoghurt Cake, and Matcha Crème Brulee Cake.

The Pandan Kaya Cake is a hybrid of pandan chiffon cake and kaya toast, this handmade gluten-free cake is made of glutinous rice flour.

Inspired by the tiered dessert kueh salat, the cake is tinged with a beautiful natural blue from Blue Pea flowers, often used in Peranakan cuisine.

In between the cake layers is the luscious slow-cooked slow-stirred pandan kaya spread and fresh coconut cream.

What I really like about this cake is that you get a bit of that fluffy chiffon and creamy nostalgic kaya coming together – a blend of two favourite cakes coming together. Best to go with a cup of teh-o kosong. Sinpopo Brand (Katong)

FLOR Patisserie East Coast
53 Upper East Coast Road, Singapore 455214
Opening Hours: 11am – 7pm (Tues – Sun), Closed Mon

Fans of Japanese-style cakes and pastries will be familiar with FLOR Patisserie with 2 other outlets at Duxton Hill and Capitol Singapore. Their Siglap outlet works as their central kitchen.

Using mainly fresh fruits which are lighter in flavour than conventional French pastries, locally-grown brand FLOR Patisserie doesn’t use artificial colourings or chemical agents in their cakes.

Customers can choose from a wide selection of Tofu Chiffon ($15), Tea Capsules ($17 – $21), Cheese Tart (1 for $5, 10 for $45) and baking equipment.

Signature pastries include the Sophie ($9.50), Passion Donut ($9), Matcha sponge Paris Vert ($8.90), Tarts ($12.50) and Swiss roll ($7.48).

The Paris Vert ($8.90) comes with matcha cream and Azuki cream, encased within a match meringue and matcha sponge.

I enjoyed the soft, light and airy texture whereas the matcha taste was on the fainter side. Flor Parisserie (Upper East Coast Road)

Nuage Patisserie & Boulangerie
47 Kampong Bahru Road, Singapore 169361
Opening Hours: 11am – 6pm (Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri), 8:30am – 5pm (Sat – Sun), Closed Wed

Nuage, pronounced as “nu-age”, means “cloud” in French and is a representation of the owners ideology in being carefree without restrictions in their bakes and pastries.

It is opened by three friends, two of them were home-bakers whereas the other has experiences as a Head Pastry Chef at a local Five-stars hotel.

Their cakes menu is on a rotating basis and there were Pistachio Strawberry ($9.20), Strawberry Popcorn ($9.80), Brown Sugar Boba ($9.60), Blueberry Cheesecake ($8.50) and Elmo/ Cookie Monster Cupcake ($6.50).

My favourite was the Brown Sugar Boba ($9.60) with a brown sugar Swiss roll sandwiched between 2 butter cookies.

Remove the butter cookies to reveal the soft and fluffy brown sugar sponge, generously piped with brown sugar Chantilly and brown sugar boba that gives it a nice contrast in textures. Nuage Patisserie & Boulangerie (Kampong Bahru)

Dolc Patisserie
67 Kampong Bahru Road, #01-00, Singapore 169371
Opening Hours: 9am – 6pm (Mon, Wed – Sat), 10:30am – 5pm (Sun), Closed Tues

Specialising in French techniques with modern flavours and incorporating influences from Spain, Dolc Patisserie wants to introduce a piece of Barcelona in their pastries to the locals.

It also hopes to provide a familiar taste of hometown to the Spanish expats residing in Singapore.

The desserts display features their current selection of the day, ranging from Fruit Tart ($8+) to Bananier ($8+) made from chocolate and banana, Elsie ($8.50+), Passionfruit Meringue ($7.50+), Charlotte ($8.50+), chocolate with coffee Royale ($8.50+) and Mango Shortcake ($8+).

It was indeed rewarding and therapeutic to look at these pretty and dainty desserts that are beautifully crafted.

I ended up with the velvety red Charlotte ($8.50+) made of Strawberry, Basil and Mascarpone.

Appearance-wise, the Charlotte reminded me of the Mango Mousse Spring cake from Two Bakers, except that the latter is yellow in colour. Dolc Patisserie (Kampong Bahru)

QUEIC
41 Kreta Ayer, Singapore 089003
Opening Hours: 11am – 7pm (Mon – Sat), Closed Sun

After 2 years, the team behind Olivia Restaurant & Lounge has finally opened a standalone cake shop for their signature cheesecake, QUIEC, just one street away from their sister outlet at Keong Saik.

Their signature Olivia Burnt Cheesecake can be found here at QUEIC in various sizes: 4” ($15), 6” ($48) and 9” ($78).

I remembered vividly how distinctive and remarkable Olivia’s version is, using Valdeon cheese (a Spanish blue cheese made from a blend of goat and cow milk) that give it a savoury note, on top of an almond sable base that is firm and crisp, before scorching the top layer to add a caramelised touch.

More like a pie instead of the cake due to the almond sable base, the result is a semi-molten cheesecake at room temperature, creating a myriad of textures from the oozy cheese to the crazy caramelised layer and the crunchy almond sable base.

There is a nice balance of sweet and savoury notes due to the Valdeon cheese used, intense but not overpowering, slightly salty and pungent, with a complex combination of flavours. QUEIC (Kreta Ayer)

GLAZE
TripleOne Somerset, 111 Somerset Road #01-K1, Singapore 238164
Opening Hours: 8am – 6pm (Mon – Sat), Closed Sun

There are not many indie cafes along Orchard Road and it is always welcoming to see a new cake cafe appearing in town.

Diners can look forward to their signature Jardin ($8.50 per piece, $65 for whole 6 inches cake), a strawberry shortcake which was the very first cake created on the menu.

Named after a vibrant and beautiful town in the mountains of Colombia, the word “Jardin” means “Garden” in Spanish, reflected in the slices of strawberries neatly layered in between the sponge and cream.

Probably one of the most memorable strawberry shortcake I had eaten of late, the sponge layer was memorably soft and moist, with a milky taste light and refreshing.

The layered strawberry slices added a citrus punch to the overall taste, a pleasant contrast in textures to the fluffy cake. GLAZE (313@somerset)

Edith Patisserie Cake Bar
UBS at 9 Penang Road, #01-06, Singapore 238459
Opening Hours: 12pm – 8pm (Mon, Wed, Thurs), 12:30pm – 9pm (Fri – Sun), Closed Tues

Edith Patisserie is named in memory of the owner Ethel’s mother, who passed away when Ethel was 18 years old.

Being a home-grown bakery established in 2013, they specialise in layered cakes, brownies and tarts for birthdays, weddings and other celebratory events.

Their aim is to create something new and original according to local palate and I remembered buying their Original, Matcha and Thai Milk Tea Boba Tarts when they first launched it few years ago.

Their cake shelf features a wide selection of their bestsellers: Cookie Dough Speculoos Chocolate ($8), Mango Pomelo ($8), Lychee Rose ($8) and Earl Grey Lavender ($8).

Other cakes on display include Pandan Coconut Gula Melaka ($8), Classic Chocolate ($8), Thai Milk Tea ($8), Raspberry Passionfruit ($8), Chocolate Praline Passionfruit ($8), Mini Yuzu Strawberry Loaves ($5), Mini Lemon Loaves ($4.30) and Brownies ($1.70).

My favourite was the Lychee Rose Cake ($8) made using alternating layers of vanilla Swiss sponge and rose-scented buttercream – very floral and fragrant. Edith Patisserie Cake Bar (Penang Road)

LA VIE
204 Jalan Besar Singapore 208890
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 8:30pm (Tues – Thurs), 11:30am – 10:30pm (Fri – Sun), Closed Mon

LA VIE is conceptualised on the idea of providing people with a place to enjoy fine pastries, drinks, art appreciations – you will see hanging paintings of rotating local artists on sale.

The business was previously known as Reverie Patisserie, an online patisserie shop specialising in various French pastries and butter cookies.

The name means “life” in French (minus the predictable ”en Rose”).

One of the reasons for adopting this French name is because the Head Pastry Chef and founder was trained in the famed Le Cordon Bleu academy specialised in French pastry.

Some of the signature dessert items include Chloe ($8.50) – a lychee rose entremet, Kaiser ($9) – a mango and passionfruit entremes, Alfie ($9) – a chocolate banana entremet, and Trio Chocolate Cake ($10) – the other one without the fancy name.

I went with the pretty-looking Watermelon Strawberry Cake ($9.50), with fresh sliced watermelon sandwiched between layers of rose chantilly and nutty almond dacquoise. La Vie (Jalan Besar)

The Twisted Trio
Blk 85C Lorong 4 Toa Payoh #01-384 Singapore 313085
Opening Hours: 12pm – 5:30pm (Tues – Sat), Closed Mon

The Twisted Trio was started by three friends that have known each other since young, serving a range of cakes and coffee.

However, do note that this is a space that is more catered towards takeaways. What I heard is, best-sellers have been flying off their shelves like hot keks.

However, there is a small corner at the cafe that can accommodate 3 customers.

The first item that caught my eye was the Watermelon Rose Cake ($8).

You can see a distinct layer of watermelon sandwiched right in between, topped with a generous number of grapes and strawberries.

Add a couple of sprinkles of pistachios and you have a dessert that is worthy to be put on your Instagram feed.

First bite in and you can taste the distinct floral notes of the rose. The watermelon added a nice texture to the entire cake. Do not worry about the calories because this cake is one of the less sweet ones I have had in a while. The Twisted Trio (Toa Payoh)

Lee’s Confectionery
343 Jurong East Street 31, #01-59, Singapore 600343
Tel: +65 9183 8447
Opening Hours: 12pm – 7pm (Mon, Thurs – Sun), Closed Tues, Wed

Lee’s Confectionery has attracted a lot of attention on social media, and it certainly has grabbed mine with its visually satisfying in-house made pastries.

Located near Chinese Garden MRT, the confectionery serves roughly 6 to 7 different types of tarts, with some varieties available on a rotational basis.

The best-seller here is the Dale ($8), which includes matcha included 4 ways – in a sponge, as crumble, matcha mousse, passionfruit compote with seeds on a tart sprinkled with… matcha powder.

A refined and polished version with multiple different textures.

Soft sponge cake, crispy crumble, creamy mousse, crunchy passionfruit seeds and sturdy tart base. Lee’s Confectionery (Jurong East)

The Better Half
1 Everton Park, #01-43, Singapore 081001
Tel: 9248 7088
Opening Hours: 10am – 4pm (Tues – Sun), Closed on Mon

Established by two passionate individuals who also happens to be each other’s better half, the café aims to serve honest and real fare to everyone who visits.

The bakes are placed in the shop exudes a certain Korean bakery vibe – kind of what you see in Layered 레이어드 or Cafe Highwaist.

All the bakes you see in The Better Half all made from scratch in-house. Even if you order a toast, the bread is made within the store and not from a supplier.

While I was thinking of what to get, the owners kindly suggested a slice of Rose Raspberry Cake ($8) which they were just about to display.

Essentially a rose sponge cake with raspberry cream cheese, the cake was fluffy in texture and not dry at all. The Better Half (Everton Park)

Sugar Thieves
BLK 333, Kreta Ayer Rd, #01-23, Singapore 080333
Opening Hours: 11am – 8:30pm (Mon, Wed – Sat), 10:30am – 7:30pm (Tues, Sun)

With a great variety of pastries lined up against the glass window like a well curated dessert table, many passersby cannot help but whipped out their phones to capture an Instagram shot.

The first dessert that caught my attention was the Strawberry Watermelon Cake ($8,90).

Other choices include Matcha Strawberry Roll ($7.90), Chai Latte Reindeer Tart ($8.90), Sticky Date Bundt ($5.50), Coffee Frosting on Carrot Bundt Cake ($6.90) and the only savoury item Kimchi Tuna Quiche.

The cutest looking pastry goes to the Chai Latte Reindeer Tart ($8.90), made up of chocolate sponge, salted caramel goo and specula’s crumbs to give it a sweet and savoury taste with a crunch.

With a rotating menu every 3 months due to the seasonal produce used, we can expect more tasty bakes from Caleen and her team in the upcoming months. Sugar Thieves (Kreta Ayer Road)

KURA Singapore
46 Kim Yam Road, The Herencia #01-07 Singapore 239351
Tel: +65 9722 2996
Opening Hours: 11am – 6pm (Mon – Sun)

KURA 蔵 in Japanese stands for a “storehouse”, a place where the owners would ‘store’ treasured pastries for customers.

Some of their signature offerings include the Key Lime Tart ($4, $7.5), Earl Grey Tart ($8), Dark Black Forest ($8.50), Uji Triple Matcha Tart ($4.60, $8.50), Kopi Gao Tiramisu ($8), Hojicha Tiramisu ($8) and even a Mango Pomelo Tart ($9).

The Dark Black Forest ($8.50) which is a contemporary twist on nostalgic flavours comes recommended.

While it didn’t look like a black forest cake at all, it kept its ‘cherried’ essence within, and I enjoyed the soft chocolatey mousse-like texture. Kura (Kim Yam Road)

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* Compiled by Daniel Ang @DanielFoodDiary, Nicholas Tan @stormscape and Song Yu @__sy_g.

First opened at Amoy Street in 2017 as a hole-in-the-wall takeaway kiosk, Upside Down Coffee Roaster has since expanded with their latest flagship outlet at Anson House, Tanjong Pagar.

They used to operate Shift Syphon Bar at North Bridge Road, but that store is now permanently closed.

Located just 1km away from their Amoy outlet, the Anson House branch now serves both coffee and food for dine-in customers.

Co-sharing the same space with Haworth – an office furniture manufacturer at the lobby of Anson House in Tanjong Pagar, Upside Down Coffee Roaster is now equipped with comfy furniture pieces from their showroom.

From the desks to the tables, chairs and lounge seats, customers can sit, feel and experience these furniture while dining in before making their purchases.

Only the 5 tables indoors and the outdoor seating area is meant for dine-in purpose, while the meeting room and the function room are meant for seminars.

Instead of focusing on their artisanal specialty coffee by offering multiple blends and single origins, the Anson House outlet only offers one blend for their espresso-based drinks.

Using a 2-beans-blend from Brazil and Ethiopia roasted in-house, options include Espresso ($4), Black ($4.50), White ($5), Mocha ($6), Iced Sparkling Black ($6.50) and Cold Brew ($7).

You can also choose to upsize the drinks at an additional $1, but I didn’t expect it to come in a big 12oz cup.

My cup of upsized White ($6) comes with double shots of espresso, smooth and medium bodied with notes of milk chocolate, berries and peanut butter.

Non-espresso drinks on the menu include Chai Latte ($6), Chocolate ($6), Matcha ($6), Tea ($7 – $8) and Juices ($9).

New on the menu is their food items, a selection of brunch items with funky names such as Cheese & Whiskers ($14), Smash Hit ($16), Homeless Smurfs ($15), Sweet Cheesus ($16), Mancake ($18) and Happy Place ($18).

Their pancakes come in both sweet called the Happy Place ($18), and savoury versions with the Mancake ($18). The latter is like a chives pancake.

The Happy Place ($18) came with interesting elements such as toffee banana bits within the pancakes, and drunken poached pear that added a light and refreshing twist.

Not to worry, you won’t get drunk early in the morning while having the pancakes.

Other toppings include ruby chocolate chips, blueberries, raspberries, icing sugar, a dollop of Chantilly meringue and homemade banoffee sauce served on the sides.

The pancakes were soft and moist with toffee banana that added a chewy texture, complemented by the sweet banoffee sauce.

With tables equipped with USB charging ports, Upside Down Coffee Roaster should be a possible spot for diners to work while having a cup of coffee.

Upside Down Coffee Roaster
Anson House, 72 Anson Rd, Singapore 079911
Opening Hours: 9am – 3pm (Mon – Fri), Closed Sat, Sun

114 Amoy Street, Singapore 069935
Opening Hours: 9am – 3pm (Mon – Fri), Closed Sat, Sun

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

Both Katong and Joo Chiat are the most happenings districts for cafe goers in the East.

Adding to the list in the East Coast Plan, traditional dessert store Wan Mei 碗美 has joined latest openings of Chin Mee Chin and Awfully Chocolate Bakery & Café along East Coast Road. Also don’t forget about local dessert shop Jin Yu Man Tang at The Flow.

Located at Odeon Katong, Wan Mei can accommodate 4 tables indoors and 3 tables outdoors for dine-in customers.

Wan Mei 碗美 is a play of the words 完美 which means “perfect”, hoping that each bowl of dessert is perfect too.

Their focus is on Chinese traditional desserts such as Orh Nee ($5), Peach Gum ($5), Black Sesame Paste ($4) and Ching Tng ($4) for their Hot dessert menu.

Their selection of Cold desserts is more interesting, such as Red Tea Jelly Ice Dessert ($4), Yuzu or Lychee Ice Dessert ($5) and their signature Wan Mei Snow Ice Set ($8).

The highlight is definitely their Wan Mei Snow Ice Set ($8) that comes in 8 different flavours with 1 complimentary sauce and 3 toppings.

Available in Chocolate, Hokkaido Milk, Mango, Matcha, Milo Dino, Peanut, Rockmelon and Strawberry, the snow ice is thinly shaved in the form of sheets, like the Taiwanese Chua Bing dessert.

The sheets-like shaved ice was soft and milky without feeling icy, yet it was slightly creamy without being too overwhelming.

I had the matcha flavour which was more subtle, with a more distinctive milk taste.

Diners can choose from various sauces such as Calpis, Chocolate, Milk, Gula Melaka, Lychee, Mango, Passionfruit, Sour Plum, Soursop and Strawberry.

With 24 toppings to choose from, interesting ones that are not commonly found in traditional desserts include the Lychee/ Mango “hor fun” which are thin noodle-like sheets of jelly and Lotus Biscoff, Oreo crumbles, fancy gems and Xiao Man Tou.

Served separately on the side, customers can choose the amount of toppings they want to add to their snow ice and adjust accordingly to their personal preference.

Both the Red Tea Jelly with distinctive tea taste and the wobbly texture of the Mango “hor fun” were interesting and memorable.

The Yuzu Ice Dessert ($5) is worth a mention, that comes with yuzu ice granita, topped with Nata de coco, lychee “hor fun” and mango bursters.

The ice granita was quite refined and not as icy as an ice kacang, packed with very distinctive citrus lime taste.

The toppings are quite unique with different shapes and textures that add some complexity to the dessert.

This light and refreshing dessert would be perfect on a hot, sunny day.

The usual safe options such as Orh Nee ($5) that comes with yam paste, sweet potato and gingko nuts and Mango Sago Pomelo ($5) can be found on the menu.

Nothing too fancy, the latter comes with mango cubes, pomelo, mango pearls and sago pearls for more textures.

With interesting options on the menu that differentiates themselves from other traditional dessert stores, Wan Mei 碗美 can be a perfect（完美）dessert spot after meals.

Wan Mei 碗美
Odeon Katong, 11 East Coast Road, #01-14, Singapore 428722
Opening Hours: 12pm – 10:30pm (Wed – Mon), Closed Tues

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

While Geylang has a certain reputation, and is lined with many Chinese eateries and supper places, there are a number of different café openings which foodies can look forward to.

Here are 10 Geylang cafes you can head to: (Also check out our PAYA LEBAR Café Guide for cafes and dessert places slightly to the East.)

Knock Knock Café
101 Geylang Road, Singapore 828761 (Kallang MRT)
Opening Hours: 12pm – 10:30pm (Tues – Sun), Closed Mon

Floral-Themed Cafe With Pastas And Burgers
Sprouting up at 101 Geylang Road is Knock Knock Café, ready to bloom and delight with its floral-theme aesthetics and fusion cuisine.

For those looking for directions, it is in between Geylang Lor 1 and Lor 3.

In terms of food, go for their their Asian-inspired pastas and burgers like “Lup Cheong” & Bacon Carbonara, Umami “Laksa” Seafood Pasta, Otak-Otak Burger to Krispy Buttermilk Chicken Burger.

These include Knock Knock’s Aglio Olio ($10), Kelong Vongole with Spaghetti ($16), Seafood Marinara ($17), Kreamy Mushroom Spaghetti ($16), to even a locally-inspired “Ga-Na-Chye” Chilled Capellini with Smoked Duck ($16). (Ganachye is a type of Chinese preserved vegetable.)

If you like a touch of spice and nostalgia, go for the Just Like Grandma’s ‘Hae Bee Hiam’ Pasta, and get Grandma feels with its familiar local ingredients.

The aglio olio style pasta is cooked with bouncy fire-grilled tiger prawns – which get a delicious slick of flavoured oil in between the strands of al dente spaghetti.

Surf all you want in between sips of your choice of coffee. They have a selection of espresso and fusion drinks. Don’t miss the adorable bear lattes where frozen cute bears or puppies sit atop the foam. Knock Knock Café (Geylang)

Geylang Drip City
184 Geylang Road, Singapore 389253
Opening Hours: 9:30am – 6pm (Sun – Thurs), 9am – 9pm (Fri – Sat)

Minimalist And Futuristic Black Coffee Bar
Situated right opposite Shell petrol station and next to the popular BBQ Box along Geylang Road, Geylang Drip City is a 25-seater Muslim-owned coffee bar.

Stepping inside, the all-black, futuristic design is very sleek and captivating with all the details from the coffee machine, to the black marble tables and coffer bar counter, walls, sofa couch and brewing equipment.

Geylang Drip City offers both coffee and light bites on their menu.

The espresso-based drinks use a single origin from El Salvador roasted by The Community Coffee for their Black, White and Soul Plane (Single Shot + 3oz White).

Light bites such as Sourdough served with either Lemon butter, Butter & Cream and Scrambled Egg are available. Geylang Drip City (Geylang)

The Wonderment Collective
Agrow Building, 90 Lorong 23 Geylang, #01-01, Singapore 388393
Opening Hours: 10am – 6pm (Mon – Fri), 12pm – 6pm (Sat), Closed Sun

Hidden Elegant Blue-Themed Cafe At Geylang
Setting inside, one will be greeted by the cozy 7 seater-space, clasped in gold and blue which has a slight resemblance to well… TWG.

From the tall ceiling, ample natural lighting to the golden takeaway tins, this Muslim-owned La Boutique evokes a sense of homely and class, suitable for a quiet afternoon tea time.

Their pastry menu rotates on a weekly basis, so check out the updates on their social media channels before heading down for your favourites.

There were Brownies ($6.50), Burnt Cheesecake ($6.50), 2 Tea Cakes ($6.50), Fruit Tart ($6.50) and Assorted Macarons (1 for $2, 3 for $5) during my visit.

My favourite was the Burnt Cheesecake ($6.50), served with raspberry compote by the side. The Burnt Cheesecake came in a round shape instead of the sliced version commonly seen in other cafes. The Wonderment Collective (Geylang)

Teahouse 1973
Sims Vista, 53 Sims Place, #01-172, Singapore 380053
Opening Hours: 11am – 8pm (Tues – Sun), Closed Mon

Malaysian-Style Cafe With $35 for 2 Afternoon Tea Set
Teahouse 1973 is the newest addition to the Geylang community at Sims Vista. What you can expect are traditional home recipes of culinary flavours of Penang Malaysia given a modern twist.

I was there on a weekday afternoon and happened to see the same Afternoon Tea Sets on every table.

Probably one of the most reasonably priced Afternoon Tea Set at $35 for 2 pax, available on Tuesday and Fridays from 2pm to 5pm.

The assortment of pastries included varies every time and comes with a pot of fruit tea.

Both Asian and Western grub items are on their menu such as Nasi Lemak ($13.80), Curry Chicken Roti Prata ($8.80), Cheese Baked Rice with Japan Curry Seafood ($13.80), Rosemary Honey Roasted Chicken Leg ($13.80), Salted Egg chicken Chop ($13.80), Sous Vide Steak ($19.90) and Beef/ Chicken/ Salmon Burger ($13.80).

This Sambal Prawn Nasi Lemak ($13.80) is an atas version, beautifully plated with green banana leaf, blue butterfly pea rice, with a dollop of sambal chilli on top. Teahouse 1973 (Geylang)

Monday Blues
749 Geylang Road, Singapore 389655
Opening Hours: 1pm – 3am (Mon – Sun)

Geylang Ice Cream Cafe With Cloudy Waffles
If you are feelin’ the Monday blues on Sunday night, you can hang out at this cafe till 3AM.

With 16 flavours on display, prices start from $4.80 for a single scoop and $7.80 for double scoops, with optional add-on Cone (+$1) or Cotton Candy Cloud (+$2).

Interesting flavours include Burnt Pineapple and Yuzu Lemon with Rose Lychee; while classic ones include the usual Dark Chocolate, French Vanilla Bean, Matcha, Pistachio and Earl Grey.

Classic Waffle with a single scoop of ice cream is priced at $10.50, whereas their signature Cloudy Waffle is only available with double ice cream scoops ($14.80). Monday Blues (Geylang)

Brawn & Brains Coffee
100 Guillemard Road, #01-02, Singapore 399718
Opening Hours: 8:30am – 5:30pm (Tues – Fri), 8:30am – 6pm (Sat – Sun), Closed Mon

Good Coffee And Great Vibes At Former Singapore Badminton Hall
Coffee drinkers staying near Guillemard Road should be familiar with Brawn and Brain’s first outlet, serving specialty coffee, brunch food, and a small selection of pastries.

A popular main is the Oven Baked Molten Eggs ($18.90) with a side of smoked salmon, avocado and Melted Cheese.

Also available are Smoked Salmon and Avocado on Rustic Sourdough ($17.50), Beef Pastrami Sandwich ($17), Classic BLT on Rustic Sourdough ($16.90), Curried Chicken Taco ($16) and BB Sourdough Waffles ($13). Note that some of these items are only available during the weekends.

Coffee-wise, a house blend of “Pen & Pencil” is used, with beans from Brazil, Columbia, Ethiopia.

Upon the first sip, I thought that the coffee was adequately smooth, and the nutty-ness rather obvious. Compared to some other lattes in Singapore which tend to be on the acidic side, I found my cup pleasurable.

Builders Cafe
53 Sims Place, #01-160, Singapore 380053
Opening Hours: 10:30am – 9pm (Mon – Sun)

Homely Café At Sims Place With Modern Fusion Comfort Food
Tucked away nearer the Aljunied side right opposite Sims Vista Food Centre, Builders At Sims is a neighbourhood favourite, serving up unpretentious café food.

Serving up modern fusion comfort food, start with one of their all-day breakfast items of Builders Big Breakfast ($25.90), French Leck Tart with Sous-vide Egg ($14.90), Truffle Mushroom Toast ($16.90), or Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Tomato Soup ($15.90).

I had their Chilli Crab Toast ($18.90) which was surprisingly hugely satisfying for the luscious generous crab meat cooked with spicy-sweet sauce paired with scrambled egg, on a bed of sourdough and accompanied with salad.

For something fuller, go for their mains of Herbs & Spices Fried Chicken ($16.90), Crispy Chicken with Mash & Purple Slaw ($16.90), Miso Salmon ($15.90), Chicken Collagen Stew ($15.90), Wagyu Beef Burger ($17.90), to Black Pepper Pork Chop ($13.90).

20grams Coffee Roastery
14 Arumugam Road, #01-05, LTC Bldg C, Singapore 409959
Opening Hours: 8:30am – 4pm (Tues – Fri), 9:30am – 5pm (Sat – Sun), Closed Mon

Coffee Roast with Rare Sustainable Coffee
This specialty Nordic-style coffee shop and coffee roastery is quite a hidden find, and you may be surprised by its industrial-decor, huge space, and of course fragrant coffee.

When it comes to their style of roasting, they try to manipulate both the beans’ inside and outside colour to better control flavour. This is because they believe that the relationship between bean colour and roast progression, serves as a powerful means of predicting coffee’s final flavours.

Do head over if you are a fan of specialty coffee bands.

To pair with coffee, there are rotational pastries to go along such as Sticky Bun ($6.90), Chocolate Fudge ($3.90), Matcha Ganache Cruffin ($5.90), Kougin Amann ($4.90), Kardemummabullar ($5.90), Cinnamon Roll ($5.90) and Blueberry Muffin ($4.90).

Sweet Hut 甜秘密
654 Geylang Road, Geylang Lor 40, Singapore 389584
Opening Hours: 6pm – 3am (Mon – Sun)

IG-Worthy Colourful Dessert Shop Opens Till 4AM Daily
Sweet Hut stood out among the row of shophouses due to the colourful walls and hanging neon lights that didn’t quite resemble the typical local dessert place.

Here, you will find a huge, 50-seater Instagram-worthy space.

There are varied themes in different corners, ranging from a blue floral backdrop to a golden cage, tatami area or even seats shaped like a rolling dice and Rubik’s cube.

Desserts such as Durian Sago ($6.90), D24 Durian Mousses ($6.90), Bird’s Nest ($15 – $28), Herbal Gui Ling Gao ($2.30), Almond/ Walnut/ Peanut/ Sesame Paste ($3.80), Yam Paste with Pumpkin & Ginkgo ($5.80) and Honeydew Sago ($4.30) can be found on their menu.

The Yam Paste with Pumpkin & Ginkgo ($5.80) aka Orh-Nee was rich and creamy with a thick and viscous texture, topped with a dollop of pumpkin flesh that added some sweetness. The ginkgo nuts contributed some chewiness overall. Sweet Hut 甜秘密 (Geylang)

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* Compiled by Daniel Ang @DanielFoodDiary and Nicholas Tan @stormscape.

Craving for something warm and comforting in the East of Singapore?

One of China’s most famous Lanzhou Lamian restaurants is Tongue Tip Lanzhou Beef Noodles 舌尖尖兰州牛肉面 has opened a new outlet at Tampines Century Square.

There are other branches found at Chinatown Point #01-43, Hillion Mall #01-07, Jurong Point #03-105, Tiong Bahru Plaza #02-107, and Paris Ris Downtown East E!Avenue #02-322.

The Chinese-Muslim style of beef noodles is typically known for incorporating halal-meats and clear beef broth cooked with more than 15 spices and flavoured with herbs and salt.

The other key feature is the hand-pulled Lamian noodles – 8 different types of choose from and freshly prepared only upon ordering.

Other than soup versions, there are also dry and fried noodles to be paired with sides.

Here are 10 interesting facts about Lanzhou Lamian and Tongue Tip Lanzhou Beef Noodles:
1. Lanzhou Lamian 兰州拉面 was first created by the Muslim Chinese (Hui 回族) people at Gansu province in China.
2. The noodle recipe has been passed on for generations since the Tang Dynasty.
3. Lanzhou Lamian usually refers bowl of freshly made noodles served with beef in a clear beef broth.
4. The bowls are also included with a handful of chopped spring onions and coriander thrown on top, with a helping of special spicy chili oil.
5. To spot an authentic Lanzhou noodle dish, it must include 一清、二白、三红、四绿、五黄, meaning one clear (soup), two white (radish), three red (chili oil), four green (leek) and five yellow (noodle).
6. In Lanzhou alone, there are more than 1,000 beef noodle restaurants, and estimated more than 20,000 Lanzhou Beef Noodle restaurants in China.
7. The Lanzhou style of handmade-noodles requires the dough to be worked aggressively – pulled in straight, quick, tugs with no twisting or waving.
8. The long strands also symbolise longevity, making these noodles a popular choice for birthday meals as well.
9. Other than the traditional soup version, there are now dry and stir-fried styles of Lanzhou Lamian.
10. Tongue Tip Lanzhou Beef Noodles offers their handmade noodles in 8 different styles – normal, thin, thick, thicker, leek leaf, small flat, flat, and triangle.

Here’s more of the food available at Tongue Tip Lanzhou Beef Noodles:

Signature Beef Noodles ($9.90, $12.90)
Try the classic Signature Beef Noodles to savour the most basic and authentic flavours, before trying out some of the variants.

Tongue Tip Lanzhou Beef Noodles uses a soup base that is added with more than 15 spices and cooked for at least 10 hours every day. No additional oils included.

As for the meats used, they are thinly sliced fresh beef shank and brisket. While the shank is normally considered a tougher cut of meat, braising them over a long period of time, makes this meat tender with rich flavour.

While the soup looked clearer and less dark than many beef noodles we are used to, it is no less flavourful and makes a comforting treat especially during the cooler days. No added MSG.

Top off your bowl with a dollop of our Signature Chili that is a secret blend of ingredients, specially imported from China. I would recommend having the soup on its own first, then mix in some of the bright red chilli oil to savour the difference.

The good news if you order a large-sized portion, there will be FREE top up of noodles for a more fulling meal.

Sauerkraut Beef Noodles ($10.90, $13.90)
Their Sauerkraut Beef Noodles offers silky smooth hand-pulled noodle of your choice with a clear beef broth, topped with tender beef slices, sauerkraut, white radish, leeks and coriander.

This “suan cai” bowl is also popular with the addition of Chinese pickled vegetables, providing that piquant and zesty taste.

Mala Beef Noodles ($10.90, $13.90)
The Mala Spicy Beef Noodles are best recommended to go with flat noodles – but up to your choice really.

While it looked intimidating at first, the spiciness was actually manageable with just that slight amount of mala that would cause that kick and numbness to the tongue.

Dry Beef Noodles ($9.90, $12.90)
Enjoy he chewy-QQ texture of the noodles with special blend of savoury-spicy sauces in a dry version – have it with beef, chicken or plain.

The shi fu would hand-pull the noodles upon order – using a custom blend of flour with a higher protein ratio to give the noodles more bite.

Stir-Fried Beef Noodles ($14.90)
If you want an alternative to both soup and dry-tossed version, there is also Stir-Fried Beef Noodles in which hand-pulled noodles are wok-fried with beef slices, mixed vegetables and sauces for a bowl with wok-hei.

Dry Chicken Noodles ($9.90, $12.90)
For the non-beef and non-meat eaters, there are also options like seared chicken fillet and braised mushrooms to add to your meal.

Usually I would find chicken fillets on the dry side, but this was surprisingly tender and moist.

Dry Mushroom Noodles ($9.90, $12.90),
For non-meat eaters, you can go for the Dry Mushroom Noodles topped with braised mushroom which are surprisingly flavourful with smooth and slippery texture.

The other side dishes include braised egg ($1.50) braised beancurd suji ($2), beacurd skin ($2), peanuts ($2), chilled cucumber ($2), fried dried radish ($2) or black fungus ($2)

Or you can just top up $4 for a braised egg, side dish of your choice, and drink.

There are also snacks of Sliced Beef ($4, $6.50), Handmade Prawn Dumplings ($5, $9.50), Cold Beef ($6), Grilled Chicken ($6), and Braised Mushrooms ($6).

For all students, you can now also enjoy the signature noodles at $6.50++, between 1pm and 5pm on weekdays (Mon to Fri).

Tongue Tip Lanzhou Beef Noodles – Century Square
2 Tampines Central 5, Century Square #01-42, Singapore 529509
Opening Hours: 11am – 9:30pm (Mon – Sun)
Delivery: https://tonguetip-lanzhoubeefnoodles.oddle.me/

Other Tongue Tip Lanzhou Beef Noodles outlets:
Chinatown Point #01-43, 133 New Bridge Road, Singapore 059413
Hillion Mall #01-07, 17 Petir Rd, Hillion Mall, #01-07, Singapore 678278
Jurong Point #03-105, 1 Jurong West Central 2, Singapore 648886
Tiong Bahru Plaza #02-107, 298 Tiong Bahru Road, Singapore 168732
Downtown East E!Avenue #02-322, 1 Pasir Ris Close, Singapore 519599

* This post is brought to you in partnership with Tongue Tip Lanzhou Beef Noodles.

So soup or dry Prawn Noodles for you??

The soup Hae Mee has to be hot and flavourful, brimming with seafood-goodness, with that umami.

As for the dry version, you get to try the best of both worlds – the mixture of sauces, along with the comforting soup available in a small bowl – but I know, it’s different. I also love it when some Prawn Noodles stalls offer mee kia option.

Here are 18 places in Singapore you can get delicious Prawn Noodles:

Zion Road Big Prawn Noodles
Zion Road Food Centre #01-04, 70 Zion Road Singapore 247792
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 10pm (Tues – Sun), Closed Mon

The stall used to be known as “Noo Cheng Adam Road Big Prawn Mee”, changed name to a more generic-sounding “Fresh Taste Big Prawn Noodle”, then to Zion Road Big Prawn Noodles. This is most possibly to prevent confusion with the brother’s stall at Adam Road Food Centre.

This Prawn Noodle stall is also listed in the Michelin Bib Gourmand.

Some new-comers may just scream at the price-point, at $8, $12, $16, $20, $25. Do not be surprised, I actually hear the $20/$25 orders more frequently than expected.

Yup, they got rid of the $6 bowl, and sometimes the $8 gets sold out early.

Cooked for hours with pork ribs and prawn heads, the broth was incredibly tasty (and I don’t get MSG attacks after).

The only thing is, I noticed of late that the intensity may not be as consistent as before, and sometimes not as full-bodied. AND I found the soup in the night time tastier.

There are prawn mee lovers who like bowls as if an ocean of prawns died within to create that stock. This isn’t one of them, but was still flavourful.

Order the dry version, ask for some chilli, and you would find a spicy bowl of ‘al dente’ medium-thick bee hoon addictively tasty with fragrant fried shallots. There is another outlet at South Bridge Road, but that is closed till further notice – but make that wasted trip. Fresh Taste Big Prawn Noodle (Zion Road)

Beach Road Prawn Noodle House
370 East Coast Road, Singapore 428981
Tel: +65 63457196
Opening Hours: 7am – 4pm (Wed – Mon), Closed Tues

This is one of those prawn noodles shops that is always swarming with customers. People come here in buses, taxis, cars, bikes or walk from the East Coast vicinity.

While the queues are often quite long, they have a pretty efficient serving system where you can sit at the table and wait rather than standing in line. You should get your food relatively fast.

Other than the most popular option of Jumbo Prawn Mee ($12), other choices include Prawn Noodles, Prawn with Pork Rib Mee, Pork Ribs Mee with Pig’s Tail, and Prawn with Pig’s Tail Mee – priced at $6, $9 or $12.

The place may be crowded, but I got a medium serving of their Dry Prawn Noodles (Small $5.80, Medium $8.80, Jumbo $11.80) within a couple of minutes.

The presentation was basic but the taste was quite exceptional. The prawns were fresh, noodles, tossed in delicious chili sauce, fried with lard bits and fried shallots.

Soup version was flavourful with slight sweetness, without being overly intense. One of the few shops that does both versions relatively well. Beach Road Prawn Noodle House (East Coast Road)

Blanco Court Prawn Mee (Beach Road)
243 Beach Road, #01-01, Singapore 189754
Tel: +65 63968464
Opening Hours: 7:30am – 4pm (Wed – Mon), Closed Tues

Regulars just go straight for the “3 in 1 noodles” ($10.90) with jumbo prawns, prawn ribs and pig’s tail.

This stall gives you many options to customize your prawn noodles dish according to your own taste and preference. You can get bee hoon, yellow noodles or kway teow, and have a dish with prawns, tail and ribs in one dish.

The place is always swarming with hungry customers. Or sometimes a busload of tourists may just walk in.

I ordered the Prawn and Pork Ribs Noodle ($8.90), the prawn ribs were rather tender, prawns fresh (though slightly tough at parts), with pleasant-tasting soup.

For this shop, I prefer the soup version – though I still think it can be slightly thicker. Some customers may feel that portion can be larger for its increased pricing.

Da Dong Prawn Noodles
354 Joo Chiat Rd, Singapore 427600
Opening Hours: 7:30am – 2pm (Wed – Mon), Closed Tues

This is the current IT Prawn Noodle stall, with many online reviewers giving thumbs up positive reviews.

This stall opens up fairly early in the morning, and they start their set up and cooking during wee hours of the day. If you want to ditch long queues, go a bit earlier than the peak lunch hours.

Managed by two brothers who are second generation hawkers, it is known for delicious prawn noodle recipe passed down from with a great, classic taste.

The Prawn Noodles is priced at $5, $8, and $10 (but $5 is really small), and Big Prawn Noodles at $13, $15, and $20.

The substantial price aside, the winner is in the gao-gao soup which had that delicious prawn flavour and seafood accents.

HOWEVER, there is also THAT much of the soup and the stall doesn’t provide extra refills. This is to maintain quality in their soups, and the owners do not want to serve it diluted. Treasure every sip.

River South (Hoe Nam) Prawn Noodles
31 Tai Thong Crescent, Singapore 347859
Tel: +65 62819293
Opening Hours: 7am – 3pm, 5pm – 10pm (Sun – Thurs), 7am – 3pm, 5pm – 1:30am (Fri – Sat)

Wah, prized commodity as it opens ONLY for those few hours in the morning. The stall (or should I say shop) operates in such systematic fashion, with so many options that it will keep you ‘dazzled’ for a while.

The Hoe Nam stall got its name from the province of their ancestors. They started out small, with prawn noodle soup as their only item. With time, they not only mastered the dish to make it more wholesome and flavourful, but also added a wide range of options to their customers.

There are options with abalone clams, pig’s intestines, and pig’s tail.

If you love the dry version, their bowl comes with homemade sauce, quite a lot of oily chilli sauce with fried shallots – good for tossing. The soup provided was thick and full-bodied, very comforting.

Their operational hours can be quite erratic, as they may close here and there to take breaks.

One Prawn Noodle
Moving from Golden Mile Food Centre to MacPherson

The stall is headed by Gwyneth Ang, with more than 10 years’ experience working in established restaurants like Burnt Ends, Tong Le Private Dining and Forlino.

The prawn noodles come with a difference, and is inspired by the flavours of Penang prawn noodles and Japanese ramen broth.

Considering the quality of the ingredients, prices are inexpensive, with offerings of Classic Big Prawn Noodles ($5, $7), Pork Ribs Big Prawn Noodles ($6, $8), Prawn Balls & Big Prawn Noodles ($6, $8), to combination bowl of Supreme Prawn Noodles ($10).

Get the soup version to experience the gao gao (thick) rich broth that come in a distinct tangerine-orange colour, and that umami.

Accordingly, the hawker brews the broth for hours by simmering pork bones to get that distinct taste and subtle sweetness that comes through.

Also, the prawn heads are blended and ‘washed’ with the broth for multiple times to fully extract the flavours. One Prawn Noodle (Golden Mile Food Centre)

Chung Cheng Chilli Mee 崇正辣椒面
505 Beach Road, #01-59 Golden Mile Food Centre, Singapore 199583
Opening Hours: 10am – 3pm (Mon, Wed – Sun), Closed Tues

Selling Chilli Mee, Prawn Mee, and Laksa, priced at $3.00, $4.00 or $5.00 depending on the portion size, Chung Cheng is talked about its signature chili paste.

What makes this house-made chilli paste special is the combination of belacan, dried shrimps, garlic, onion and some secret spices.

The signature chilli paste is generously used in Chilli Mee and Prawn Mee, with huge dollops of it scooped from a metal pot and added to the noodles – but do order the dry version to experience that kick.

If you want a non-spicy version, go for the Prawn Mee which comes with the soup same as the Chilli Mee’s, with its distinct herbal aroma.

The soup was not as robust and gao-gao thick as the famous prawn noodle brands, but with a light fragrance sweet (that I would describe as 清甜.) Though small, the prawns were fresh and firm.

Whitley Road Big Prawn Noodles 威利大蝦麵
Blk 51 Old Airport Road, #01-98 Old Airport Road Food Centre, Singapore 390051
Opening Hours: 9:30am – 8pm (Tue – Fri), 9am – 8pm (Sat – Sun), Closed Mon

Through the years, Whitley Road Prawn Noodles has been known to be one of the best prawn noodles stalls in Singapore.

They have 3 other outlets (Old Airport Road, 273 Thomson Road, 36 Circular Road) in Singapore gathering a long line of loyal followers especially during lunch hour.

Most people seem to go for the Big Prawn Pork Rib Noodles ($5.50, $8, $10, $12) or the Three In One ($8, $10, $15) with pork ribs, liver and tail.

The stall serves a smaller portion compared to others, but what it lacks in portion makes it up in flavour.

The prawns were chunky and tasted fresh – could be sweeter though; while the pork ribs were fall-off-the-bone tender.

Interestingly, I preferred the dry version. The noodles were coated in a spicy-savoury and home-made chili paste with some zing.

Fried shallots and pork lard added provided that light crunch and aroma. The other famous stall here is Albert Street Prawn Noodles. Whitley Road Prawn Noodles (Old Airport Road Food Centre)

Jalan Sultan Prawn Mee 惹蘭蘇丹蝦麺
2 Jalan Ayer (Lorong 1 Geylang), Singapore 389141
Tel: +65 6748 2488
Opening Hours: 8am – 3:30pm (Wed – Mon), Closed on Tues

The famous noodle stall is located just off Geylang Lorong 1, a walking distance from Kallang MRT Station.

The fresh, sweet prawns come in 2 sizes – regular and “King”. The basic bowl starts at $6 for Prawn Mee, while it is recommended to get the King Prawn Pork Ribs Noodle ($8, $10).

There is also a Pig Thai Pork Ribs Soup ($5, $8, $10) offered.

While my personal preference is typically the dry version, I say get the soup version for its broth, as it sets this apart from other stalls, mildly sweet and has a robust flavour.

Compared to some of the famous stalls around, the soup base was lighter, more diluted, not as hot-hot, but still considered appetizing. It was ”qing” and thus not too heavy. Jalan Sultan Prawn Mee (Geylang)

Lai Hiang Pork Rib Prawn Noodles
41A Cambridge Road, #01-41 Pek Kio Market & Food Centre Singapore 211041
Opening Hours: 6am – 2pm (Mon, Wed, Thurs, Sat, Sun), Closed Tues, Fri

Interesting, customers at Pek Kio Food Centre also seem to gravitate towards Lai Hiang Pork Rib Prawn Mee which has friendly service, huge portion and affordable pricing.

The stall is run by a husband-and-wife team for several years, even before the Pek Kio Market was renovated. They have gained a huge base of faithful customers and are always packed with hungry fans, and the queue can take up to 20 minutes or more.

Their Prawn Noodles start from $2.50 (!) but I would recommend going for the more sizable $3 or $5 versions.

A standard bowl of Pork Ribs Prawn Noodles has a generous portion size with well prepared, stringy noodles. The pork ribs to a succulent and juicy texture.

Between the dry and the soup, I thought that the dry is tastier, well-seasoned and doesn’t go overboard with flavours. Pleasant old-school flavours.

Wah Kee Big Prawn Noodles
41A Cambridge Road, #01-15, Pek Kio Market and Food Centre, Singapore 210041
Opening Hours: 7:30am – 2pm (Tues – Sun), Closed Mon

It is slightly unfortunate that Wah Kee Big Prawn Noodle at Pek Kio Market and Food Centre has become more ‘famed’ for a temperament owner, rather than its goods.

Just have a scroll through various review websites, and you would find countless feedback on the auntie’s attitude, especially if you do not queue behind a red line or ordered the cheapest bowl.

If I were to recommend, get the mee kia (thin noodles) dry.

The noodles are specially made for Wah Kee, and all base sauces such as the sambal chilli sauce and special spicy sauce are made in-house daily, using Wah Kee’s 65-year recipe.

Interesting to note that they do not use pork in cooking the soup, and therefore the broth is lighter with an unique orange colour.

The prawns were large and fresh, soup was tasty and moderately robust in flavours – more intense than the average stall, but didn’t seem to be as rich and gao-gao (ie more diluted) as in the past. Wah Kee Big Prawn Noodle (Pek Kio Food Centre)

Loyang Way Big Prawn Noodles
64 Loyang Way, Singapore 508754
Opening Hours: 7am – 3pm (Mon – Sat), Closed Sun

This prawn noodles stall is recommended by MasterChef Singapore Season 2 winner Derek Cheong.

While stall can be too far-flung East for many, especially when hidden in an industrial estate, there are also two other outlets namely at Albert Food Centre (near Bugis) and Bedok 85 better known as Fengshan Food Centre which may be more convenient to get to.

On its menu are Big Prawn Noodles ($5, $7, $9), Pork Ribs Prawn Noodles ($5, $7, $9), Abalone Prawn Noodles ($8, $10) and XL Big Prawn Noodles ($13.80).

Customers can also add on ingredients such as pork ribs, prawn, pig’s intestines, abalone, pig’s skin and sliced pork (additional $1 to $3).

The first thing that left an impression was that the stall was generous with its ingredients, included with pork ribs and three halves of the prawns – all at $5.

If you had always been disappointed with diluted prawn noodle broth that didn’t pack a punch, this was rich and gao gao, made more aromatic with fried shallot and pork lard fragrance.

There was a sweeter tinge, which I assumed was due to addition of rock sugar – some may or may not enjoy this. Loyang Way Prawn Noodles (Loyang)

Deanna’s Kitchen
127 Lor 1 Toa Payoh, Toa Payoh Lor 1 Food Centre #02-25, Singapore 310127
Tel: +65 96675500
Opening Hours: 9am – 3pm (Tues -Sun), Closed Mon

Deanna’s Kitchen is one of the few places that serve up “authentic Halal Prawn noodles”. (Though I know of Muslims who do not eat prawns.)

This is a family stall that has wholesome, homemade flavors in their food at quite affordable pricing. The owner’s greatest fan is said to be her mother-in-law and family who encouraged her to open up this stall.

Their regular Prawn Mee is perpetually sold out (LOL), so go for the other options such as Big Prawn Mee ($7), Prawn Noodles with Clams ($6.50) and Prawn Noodle with Crayfish ($12.50).

There is also a mega $39 “Seafood Platter” version, but you need to gather a squad to finish this.

The secret lies in the use of fresh prawn shells and other seafood items to heighten the taste and richness of broth – which I think works quite well.

The only thing is that the prawn shells were hard to remove, so do prepare some wet tissues.

545 Whampoa Prawn Noodles
665 Buffalo Rd, #01-326 Tekka Food Centre, Singapore 210665
Opening Hours: 7am – 11am (Mon – Fri), Closed Sat, Sun

This hae mee stall is helmed by a young hawker Ruifang who graduated in finance and economics, but made that career switch. The history of this particular prawn noodles can go back as far back into the 1950s when Ruifang’s grandfather started selling it along the streets of Balestier.

There are both dry and soup versions of their famous prawn noodles, and you have the option to choose from different types of noodles as well.

The price of their signature Prawn Noodles start from $4 depending on your order and serving size.

What I liked about the dry Prawn Noodles was combination of the spicy chilli sauce, sweet ketchup, and mixture of fried garlic and shallots which added light crisp.

There are customers who enjoy their soup version more. I found the soup light, not too greasy and zhong kou wei, that you could finish the entire bowl without having a heavy feeling.

Da Shi Jia 大食家大大大虾面
89 Killiney Road Singapore 239534
Tel: +65 6732 1085
Opening Hours: 11am – 9pm (Mon – Sun)

Opened by 2nd generation ‘hawkers’, the owner’s father operates a zi char chain, which explains the strength of the wok-fried dishes.

The Prawn Noodles are priced at $7.80, $12.80, $16.80, and $19.80 The difference is with the size of the prawns.

You get a choice of yellow noodles, bee hoon and kway teow. I would typically order the dry bee hoon, tossed in an appetizing black sauce.

Add some of the cut-chill for added shiok-ness.

Initially, I thought that the broth was slightly ‘weak’ and not as robust, but the soup base got richer and more flavourful over time.

The dish I would recommend would be the Wok-Fried Big Prawn White Bee Hoon ($17.80) which combines firm bee hoon, umami-rich prawn stock, and wok-hei.

They were also recently awarded the Michelin Bib Gourmand. Da Shi Jia 大食家大大大虾面 (Killiney Road)

Noo Cheng Adam Road Big Prawn Noodle
Adam Road Food Centre #01-31, 2 Adam Road, Singapore 289876
Tel: +65 9693 7961
Opening Hours: 10:30am – 4pm, 6:30pm – 2am (Tues – Sun), Closed Mon

If you find the name of this prawn noodle stall vaguely familiar, that is because a family member has another prawn noodle stall – Fresh Taste Big Prawn Noodle at Zion Road which is also sometimes called “Noo Cheng Prawn Noodles”.

The Zion Road stall has the bigger fame as it was awarded the Michelin Bib Gourmand Singapore.

The basic Pork Ribs Prawn Noodles in dry or soup options comes at $5, though customers could go for the Big Prawn Noodles at $8, $10, $12 to get bombastic juicy prawns.

I must say though pricy, the portion is quite huge with sizable pieces of ribs and prawns.

The broth was flavourful and had hints of sweetness from fresh prawns, though I wished it could be more gao-gao and robust.

Read that there are differing standards to the day and night shifts – nights are better it seems.

East Treasure Speciality Prawn Noodle
328 Joo Chiat Road, #01-01, Singapore 427585
Opening Hours: 9am – 9pm (Mon – Sun)

Another value-for-money concept by ASTONS, East Treasure offers prawn noodles in two styles – local and Penang.

Their signature Supreme Prawn Noodles ($12.50) come with big prawns, pork belly slices, pork ribs, fried and braised Spanish pork tail, topped off with fresh bean sprouts and vegetables that cut through all that richness.

The Penang-Style Prawn Noodles ($10) is a signature dish that is guaranteed to satisfy your midday cravings for comforting noodles.

Much of its flavours lie in the soup stock made with prawn head and shells, dried shrimps, soy sauce, garlic, shallots, and other seasonings.

The noodles are topped with halved large prawns and hard-boiled egg.

Chef Kang’s Prawn Noodle House (Lau Pa Sat)
18 Raffles Quay, Stall No. 26, Singapore 048582
Opening Hours: 11am – 7pm (Mon – Sun)

This stall at Lau Pa Sat is by the Michelin-starred Chef Kang, serving up King Prawn Noodles with Prawn Paste Spare Ribs ($7, $10)

If you order a soup version, you would get king prawn divided in two, and deep-fried prawn paste pork chop placed on a metal holder to keep the piece crisp (tonkatsu ramen style).

Of course, I headed for the soup first. It was mildly sweet, rather flavourful, but not as strong and robust as how I would like it to be. A reason could be because chicken rather than pork is used as base in cooking up the stock.

A not-bad prawn soup, but not impressive enough for some. Therefore I prefer the dry version using Hong Kong style jook sing noodles.

The prawn was fresh, pork chop succulent, but the true star of the bowl was in fact the fragrant and crunchy pork lard. Chef Kang Prawn Noodle House (Lau Pa Sat)

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

Choice Cuts Goods has opened a permanent space on the same stretch as the famous Mr and Mrs Mohgan’s Super Crispy Roti Prata along Joo Chiat Road.

It has moved quite a number of times in the recent years, from Serangoon to MOX, a co-working space at Katong Point and finally within a shophouse.

Choice Cut Goods should be no stranger to East Coast especially Katong residents, being a lifestyle concept shop with a selection of vinyl records, Hip Hop lifestyle products, accessories and streetwear brands.

With a spanking new white interior filled an entire shelf of vinyl records on the first floor, the brand has opened a second concept by the name of Jungle Grove on the 2nd floor.

On the left side of the entrance, one will find a colourful stairway that leads up to the 2nd floor, a darker space that is decked in wooden furniture, serving as a cafe in the day and bar at night after 5pm.

The place also doubles up as a co-working space from 9am to 5pm daily, where free WiFi and ample PowerPoints are provided.

On the first floor at Choice Cuts Goods, a bagels-centric menu with both savoury and sweet options can be found>

These includes items such as Smoked Salmon, Dill Cream Cheese ($13), Smashed Avo Vegemite Cream Cheese ($13), NYC Bacon, Egg & Cheese ($13), Hummus Dip ($8), Cheese Pepperoni Pizza ($12) and PB & J Banana Rice Krispies ($7).

Whereas at Jungle Groove, there is no food or espresso-based drinks but filtered coffee instead during the day.

After 5pm, the space is transformed into a bar with interesting cocktails ($18 – $20) such as Scotch Whiskey-based Joo Chiat Boulevard named after their geographic location.

4 different single origin coffee beans are available for their Drip Coffee (Hot $7 – $8, Cold $8 – $9), namely Guatemala, Rwanda, Ethiopia and Brazil.

V60 pourover is used for the drip coffee, served in double-walled Bodum glass, on top of a wooden tray with a small tasting note.

I had the Pia ($8) from Ethiopia, with distinctive rose aroma and hints of lemongrass and peaches.

A smooth body with distinctive sweet notes extracted, the Pia was easy to drink and pleasant on the palate.

For a fuller bodied Drip Coffee, the Brasiliana from Brazil will have a more earthy and nutty notes, with taste of pecan, cacao and plum.

With background music played from the vinyl records in store, diners can enjoy a quiet afternoon over a cup of good coffee.

Jungle Groove
446 Joo Chiat Road, Singapore 427659
Opening Hours: 9am – 10pm (Mon – Sun)

Other Related Entries
PRAIRIE by Craftsmen (Joo Chiat)
Tigerlily Patisserie (Joo Chiat)
The Brewing Ground (Joo Chiat)
Sevens Café (Joo Chiat)
6 Letter Brunch (Frankel Avenue)

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

After introducing Vietnamese hotpot with Crab Bisque Soup at Mrs Pho House Takashimaya, Mrs Pho has re-opened its first outlet at Bussorah Street.

This original outlet was located at Beach Road, but they have decided to relocate to a slightly bigger space with more spacious kitchen – a short walk away at 73 Bussorah Street.

Other than Pho, Vietnamese noodles and starters, the Bussorah Street outlet features Vietnamese streetside charcoal grill prominently.

Showcasing more than 20 specialty charcoal-grilled dishes and items, seven are exclusive to this outlet.

Also look out for the Opening Promotion of 1-for-1 Grilled Items (with purchase of 1 main from the classics section) from now till 30 November 2021.

As Mrs Pho fires up the grill, here are 10 recommended items for your picking:

Premium Short Rib Pho ($19.90)
The familiar Vietnamese iconic Pho goes for a deluxe rendition with this Premium Short Rib Pho.

The bowl is included with fall-off-the-bones short rib that has been sous-vide for 36-hours. After which the meat is marinated in a custom-made ‘pho’ spice rub and grilled in charcoal fire.

The result: you get fragrance and flavours of the spices that penetrates into the meat, while the short ribs does not lose its moisture.

Meat lovers will be glad with the generous portion, also included with tender sliced beef, beef balls, and tendon.

This is served within a hearty bowl of silky flat rice noodles in a rich beef soup. That broth has been boiled for 12 hours, long enough to extract all the beefy goodness.

Other Pho in the “Classic” menu includes the Wagyu Pho ($14.90) made doubly indulgent with premium beef from Japan, Beef Combination Pho ($14.90), Sliced Beef Pho ($8.90), and Sliced Beef and Brisket Pho ($8.90). Get one of these, and head straight for the 1-for-1 Grilled Items specials.

Mrs Pho Dry Noodle Combo ($10.90)
The Mrs Pho Dry Noodle Combo will allow you to savour the delicateness of the restaurant’s house-made vermicelli.

As this is a dry version, you might miss out the consoling warmth of soup. But then, change is good sometimes.

For its price, you get quite a sizable portion of ingredients, from grilled pork, meatballs, spring rolls to loads of greens, further sprinkled with chopped peanuts.

Pour over the sweet and spicy house-made sauce being eating, toss the noodles up like a salad, then appreciate the refreshing bite.

Other long-time crowd favourites are also available, such as Chicken Pho ($8.90), Spicy Beef Noodle ($10.90), Crab Meat & Prawn Noodle ($13.90), Braised Mushroom Dry Noodle ($9.90), and Lemongrass Beef Dry Noodle ($9.90).

Iberico Pork Belly ($5.90)
A more premium version of the typical pork skewers by using Iberico pork belly marinated in a special Mrs Pho sauce before grilled on charcoal.

This helps to achieve a juicier, better textured meat. You also get the fragrance of shallots and distinctive flavour of fish sauce in the marinate.

Served with some pickles to cut the greasiness of the fats.

Mountain Style Beef on Skewers ($7.90)
Beef cubes flame grilled to medium doneness with cham cheo (a type of popular Vietnamese seasoning) salt rub.

Juicy on the inside, well-marinated, and smoky on the outside.

Japanese Shiitake Mushroom Glazed With Ginger Sauce ($3.90)
The secret to succulent grilled shitake mushrooms?

These mushrooms are basted in house-special ginger sauce that helps replace the mushrooms’ natural moisture as it evaporates on the grill, keeping them juicy and flavourful.

Vietnamese Street-Style Corn ($3.90)
Viet-style corn on the cob, grilled with butter, spring onions, salt and pepper. Experience sweetness, juiciness and smokiness in one.

Mamma’s Impossible Grilled Meat Skewer ($7.90, only available from 18 Nov)
If you are familiar with Impossible ‘Beef’, perhaps you also want to try Impossible Meat’s new pork edition.

The ‘pork’ is made from plant-based ingredients like soy, coconut oil and sunflower oil. For those who love eating ground pork, this boasts the fatty taste and springy texture, without the environmental impacts.

The skewer is marinated with aromatics of lemongrass, shallots and peppercorn then grilled. I thought it tasted almost like real pork after all the seasoning and grilling, though it was missing some of the fatty juices I was familiar with.

Spicy Chicken Banh Mi on Grill ($7.90)
You may have tried Vietnamese Banh Mi before, now how about Banh Mi Nuong Muoi Ot?

This is like a “deconstructed Mekong Delta style Banh Mi”, a flavourful snack that is found in many food stands in Vietnam.

The Banh Mi Nuong Muoi Ot features baguette that has been flatten, smeared with signature chilli sauce and butter, then grilled over charcoal.

It is included with a topping of minced chicken and pickles, drizzled over with more chilli sauce and creamy mayonnaise for that quick savoury-spicy and crunchy snack. Satisfying due to the many different flavours in play.

Barbecued Goby Fish ($9.90)
Typically only found on the streets of Vietnam, this does remind me of Shishamo. The slender and delicate Ca Keo fish is tasty after being marinated with specially-made chilli sauce and other aromatics.

Tiger Prawns ($12.90)
For seafood lovers, there are Tiger Prawns grilled with Vietnamese street side style chilli sauce.

There are also Baby Octopus ($14.90) in Vietnamese style chilli, Mussels ($14.90) and Scallops ($15.90) barbecued with spring onion oil and crushed peanuts.

Opening Promotion: 1-For-1 Grills At Mrs Pho Bussorah
Enjoy 1 for 1 on all grilled and skewer items, with purchase of 1 main from the classics section. Promo till 30 November 2021.

The higher priced item(s) will be charged. The offer is exclusive to Mrs Pho Bussorah only, and is not valid with other promotions, discounts, and/or vouchers.

Mrs Pho
73 Bussorah Street, Singapore 199486
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm Last order 9:30pm (Mon – Sun)

Mrs Pho House
Takashimaya Shopping Centre #B2-36A, Ngee Ann City, 391 Orchard Road, Singapore 238872
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 3pm Last order 2:30pm, 5:30pm – 10pm Last order 9:30pm (Mon – Sun)

313@somerset #01-16, 313 Orchard Road, Singapore 238895
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm Last order 9:30pm (Mon – Sun)

VivoCity B2-29A, 1 Harbourfront Walk, Singapore 098585
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm Last order 9:30pm (Mon – Sun)

Mrs Pho House
221 Rangoon Road, Singapore 218459
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm Last order 9:30pm (Tues – Sun), Closed Mon
(Temporarily delivery & takeaway only, no dine-in)

* This entry is brought to you in partnership with Mrs Pho.

Tiong Bahru Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice at Tiong Bahru Food Centre got into the radar after it was awarded the Michelin Bib Gourmand Singapore.

It was a surprise entry then, considering that the other name on the list was the more internationally famous Tian Tian Chicken Rice at Maxwell Food Centre. (Sin Kee Famous Cantonese Chicken Rice was added in later)

Tiong Bahru Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice is located at the popular Tiong Bahru Market at 30 Seng Poh Road, though there are stalls of the same name at Chinatown (56 Smith Street) and Changi Village (5 Changi Village Road) operated by the owner’s brother.

It has also opened a new outlet at Blk 829 Tampines Street 81.

The stall which has opened since 1988, serves up Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice ($3, $4), Roasted Chicken Rice ($3, $4), Lemon Chicken Rice ($3, $4), Soya Sauce Vegetables ($3) and Bean Sprouts ($3).

Another reason why customers would like is due to the price. I mean, it is hard to find decent $3 Chicken Rice in Singapore.

The owner learnt the ropes of making Chicken Rice from a friend who used to work at Mandarin Hotel – known for its “legendary” Chatterbox Chicken Rice, and added his own modifications.

Compared to some of the more famous brands, the chicken here takes up a more muted slant.

The chicken meat was smooth, not too oily, still somewhat juicy but would have preferred plumper pieces.

The fluffy rice cooked with chicken stock, garlic, spring onions, ginger and onion, also had a more subtle taste, less oily than the average stall, but one wonders if there could be more depth in flavours.

The group of us figured that that was their style, and there will be many fans of this ‘cleaner’ taste.

Note that even though the stall indicates an 8pm closing time, they will close the stall once the 40 chickens or so sell out.

Tiong Bahru Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice
Tiong Bahru Market #02-82, 30 Seng Poh Road, Singapore 168898
Tel: +65 9750 9846
Opening hours: 10am – 8pm (Tues – Sun), Closed Mon

Blk 829 Tampines St 81 Singapore 520829
Opening Hours: 10am – 9pm (Mon – Sun)

5 Changi Village Road, #01-2037, Singapore 500005
Opening Hours: 10:30am – 9pm (Mon – Sun)

56 Smith Street, Singapore 058961
Opening Hours: 10:30am – 11pm (Mon – Sun)

Other Related Entries
10 Hainanese CHICKEN RICE In Singapore
Delicious Boneless Chicken Rice (Katong)
Sin Kee Famous Cantonese Chicken Rice (Holland Drive)
Hua Kee Chicken Rice (Redhill Food Centre)
Zhen Zhu Fang Roasted Delights 珍珠坊香港烧 (People’s Park Food Centre)

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

Mangiamo! (“Let’s eat” in Italian) Be transported to the enchanting streets of Pisa, Italy when you visit this new modern restaurant.

CURATE CUCINA PISANA is Resorts World Sentosa’s newest restaurant, and Singapore’s first specialising in Pisan cuisine.

The province of Pisa in the Tuscany region is known for its famous vineyards, Italian renaissance, and the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

You get to experience some of these Italian dishes with a colourful cultural background, some prepared from guarded home-style recipes.

It also sets itself apart from other Italian restaurants in town with its authentic and rustic ambiance, accentuated with beautiful décor, marble wall features and brass accents.

In terms of food, discover what Pisan cooking is all about through culinary creations of Pisan native Chef de Cuisine Chef Davide Bizarri, who previously trained under renowned celebrity chef brothers Enrico and Roberto Cerea as well as under culinary icon Chef Sergio Lorenzi.

They offer a modern approach to heritage recipes using seasonal and artisanal ingredients imported from boutique Pisan producers.

Diners can encounter prized truffles like as White Truffle, Bianchetto Truffle, and Summer Truffle from three-generational family-owned Savini Tartufi farm; top grade olive oil from Pisan mountains, unique cured Tuscan meats, and the much-coveted Pecorino and cheese from the town of Volterra.

Savour the superb wines of Pisan province as you pair them with seasonal meats and poultry, such as venison, pigeon, and quail.

Here are some of the recommended food and drinks from CURATE CUCINA PISANA:

Pappa al Pomodoro di Mare – Tomato Soup ($24++)
Begin with a traditional Pisan antipasto, a warm and thick tomato soup made from sweet vine-ripened tomatoes, fresh basil, and garlic, topped with melt-in your-mouth Stracciatella cheese.

You may be surprised to find this ‘soup’ looking like a stew instead, and Chef Davide explained this is what it is like back home. He wanted to serve the diners here the authentic, homely stuff.

What makes this soup extra tasty are the added white clams and black mussels stewed in pescatora sauce.

Served with fresh Tuscan bread for that extra dip into the tangy, hearty stew.

Fusilli di Pisa – Lobster Pasta ($58++)
This must-try pasta features Pisa tower-shaped fusilli hand-made by Martelli Pasta, and is my personal favourite dish of the meal.

Let’s talk about the pasta: It is sourced from this family-run business is in Lari, a small medieval village near Pisa, and has been making pasta using old-style traditions since 1926.

To this day, they remain a traditional artisan pasta factory using slow techniques and low temperatures. Though they take a longer time and produce lower yield, they enhance grain flavour and sauce absorption.

To create artisan pasta, they only use the best Italian durum wheat semolina, combined with cold water and bronze dyes. This makes the texture unique and helps hold the sauce well.

Enjoy this dish featuring colourful Martelli fusilli tossed in Sardinia’s saffron cream sauce with chunks of fresh Boston lobster, sweet Tomberry tomatoes, and green zucchini.

Risotto Tartufo – Mushroom Risotto ($30++)
One of the most common ways of cooking rice in Italy, risotto is prepared using Carnaroli rice.

Unlike other variants, this plump, short-grain Italian white rice has a higher starch content and firmer texture, resulting in a creamier risotto.

Sauteed porcini mushrooms and seasonal Italian truffle add earthy and umami flavours to the dish, topped with soft, buttery mascarpone cheese.

Merluzzo – Cod Fish ($48++)
For your second course, try an Atlantic cod dish cooked alla Livornese in a spicy and vigorous tomato sauce.

The mild flavoured firm-fleshed fish is complemented with extremely tasty Tuscan Leccino olives, garlic mashed potatoes and marinated tomatoes.

If you are up for meats instead, available is the Cervo ($98++, serves 2) venison served bone-in, in a savoury shallot sauce simmered with the reduction of San Giovese red wine. The venison rack is also served with Valdarno chickpeas braised with fragrant rosemary and a side of sautéed baby spinach.

Tiramisu ‘Pisano’ ($16++)
This is based on Chef Davide’s mama secret recipe of ‘Tiramisu’, and is definitely well-worth the try.

An elegant and rich layered Italian dessert made with ladyfingers soaked in espresso and rum and laced with freshly whipped mascarpone and dusted with cocoa powder.

Inside, the zabaglione filling of egg yolks whisked with sugar and Marsala wine, sets a key flavour of this Italian dessert.

Pera del Chianti – Pear with Panna Cotta ($16++)
Indulge in a Pisan dessert featuring an Italian pear poached steeped in a spiced Chianti wine.

This shimmering dessert is served with sprinklings of edible gold flakes.

The surprise comes when you cut through the middle of the fruit, and find velvety smooth vanilla panna cotta ‘hidden’ within.

If you have more room for desserts, get the Pisan dessert Torta co’ Bischeri ($16++), of rich 70% dark chocolate and risotto cake filled with raisins, pine nuts and candied fruits.

Aperol Spritz ($13++)
From 5pm to 7pm, discover a wide array of Italian cocktails during the daily Aperitivo Hour. A mobile mixology bar – the Spritz Trolley will be set up in the restaurant’s alfresco area.

Taste Italian summertime with “Spritz Pisano” aka Aerosol Spritz, an ultra-refreshing, vibrant bubbly cocktail that is not too sweet.

If you are in the mood for wine, explore some unique Pisan house wines.

They offer the best vintages of Super Tuscan from the Bolgheri area, known to produce the best red wines in Tuscany. Revered names like Sassicaia and Ornellalia are just few of your many options.

(A Super Tuscan is a red wine from Tuscany that may include non-indigenous grapes varieties, particularly Merlot, Cabernet, Sauvignon and Syrah.)

Sgroppino ($18++)
A cocktail originating in Venice, Italy, Sgroppino is an icy blend of zesty lemon sorbet and vodka, and optionally topped up with chilled Prosecco, an Italian sparkling white wine.

Perfect as a palate cleanser, dessert, or pre-dinner drink, and ideal for Singapore’s all-year summer weather.

Pair the drinks up with snack menu including Sliced Prosciutto Ham ($16++) or Tuscan Pork Salami ($16++) served with pickles and focaccia bread; or selection of Tuscan Pecorino Cheese ($16++) and classic Tuscan style Bruschetta ($14++).

Festive 4-Course Set With Vespa Tour ($228++ per diner)
If you are up for an adventure, book a Vespa side tour with CURATE CUCINA PISANA that takes you off the beaten track – as though you are in Italy.

Enjoy a welcome drink before going for a ride in a Vespa sidecar to discover Mt Faber’s gorgeous sights. After the ride, get ready for a sumptuous 4-course festive set menu.

For the Pre-Festive Dinner Set Menu available in November, main options include the 48-hour low-temperature-braised beef short ribs in Chianti wine; or Carnaroli Risotto cooked with Prosecco wine & Italian saffron pistils.

As for December, try the venison dish of Cervo e Castagne (pictured above). Traditionally served during Christmas in Italy, this dish is made using Chef Davide’s grandma’s recipe with dark cocoa and Chianti wine sauce.

It is a cocoa-marinated venison striploin prepared tagliata style – boneless, and grilled.

For the sauce, it is served with a Chianti wine sauce, alongside braised chestnuts from Garfagnana region, sautéed spinach, and chickpeas from the Valdarno valley.

This special experience is a collaboration between CURATE CUCINA PISANA and Singapore Sidecars, available during the year-end period for only $228++ per person.

CURATE CUCINA PISANA
Resorts World Sentosa, 26 Sentosa Gateway The Forum, #01-231 & 232, Singapore 098138
Tel: +65 6577 7288 / +65 6577 6688
Opening Hours: Lunch 11:30am – 3pm (Fri – Sun), Closed Mon & Tues Lunch, Wed, Thurs except eve of PH, PH
1st Seating 11:30pm – 1pm, 2nd Seating 1:30pm – 3pm
Dinner 6pm – 10pm (Fri – Tues), Closed Wed, Thurs except eve of PH, PH
1st Seating 6pm – 8pm, 2nd Seating 8:30pm – 10pm
Last order 30 min before closing
Reservation: curate@rwsentosa.com / dining@rwsentosa.com

* This entry is brought to you in partnership with Resorts World Sentosa.

”Daebak~ Korean cafe all day, Korean Fried Chicken at night, Obok Dabang is the latest brainchild of UTB Coffee Singapore who also owns Urban Table at Yio Chu Kang.

UTB Coffee first started in 2001 in South Korea, with the launch of their cold brew coffee brand – Boyle’s Coffee, a nitro cold brew dispensed from metallic taps instead of the usual espresso coffee machines.

Fun fact: Boyle’s Coffee was previously located at this exact same spot where Obok Dabang is now located at, right below Li Ka Shing Library at SMU.

Their 24-seaters space has undergone a transformation with both indoors and outdoors seating areas, from the white interior to a more earthly earthy tone decked in brown wooden furnitures.

Their cafe menu is available all day here, with Croffle ($4.50), Pastries, Cakes, Coffee ($3- $6) and Drinks ($5.50 – $6).

The Croffles ($4.50), a mix between Croissant and Waffle, are baked and displayed on the shelves, heated up before serving to give it a crispy crunch.

Come in both sweet and savoury options, flavours include Blueberry, Ang Butter, Cheese, Lotus Speculoos, Tiramisu and Basil Pesto.

I had the Ang Butter Croffle ($4.50) that comes with 2 scoops of red beans and a mini slab of butter, sprinkled with cinnamon sugar and icing sugar.

Maple syrup is drizzled on it with bits of cranberries to give it an extra sweetness.

I enjoyed the textures of the Croffle which is crispy and flaky outside, chewy and buttery on the inside.

The Nest Baguettes ($6) on display sounds interesting, with 3 different flavours namely Garlic, Basil and Quattro.

The Garlic Nest Baguette ($6) has a generous amount of garlic cream cheese added to the garlic baguette, topped with cranberries and drizzled with condensed milk on the side.

Mashisoyo~

With a combination of sweet and citrus notes from the garlic cream cheese, the garlic taste is more prominent, well balanced by the sweetness from the condensed milk.

Using a 3-beans-blend from Costa Rica, Colombia and Indonesia roasted in-house by their parent company UTB Coffee, prices are reasonably priced at $3 for a cup of espresso.

The usual options can be found: Long Black/ Americano ($3.80), Flat White ($4.80), Latte ($5.30), Piccolo Latte ($4.50).

The Iced Einspänner Coffee ($6) is something not commonly found in Singapore, but well-received by Koreans and highly recommended by my Korean language teacher.

With hot espresso at the base of the cup, a thick layer of cool whipping cream is placed on top which took up almost half the cup size.

The barista recommended to taste the whipping cream on its own like a dessert before giving it a good mix prior to drinking.

Chowahaeyo!

The whipping cream is so light and fluffy, velvety smooth and sweetened which makes the Einspänner Coffee more creamy upon mixing.

Interestingly, the cocoa powder sprinkled on the surface reminds me of a tiramisu, except in the form of a beverage.

Their Korean Fried Chicken menu is only available after 5pm daily, available in either Half Chicken (7pcs $17.40) or in parts: Wings (3pcs $8.40), Drumsticks (3pcs $8.40), Tenders (4pcs $7.80).

There are two options, either one of the four different flavours: Soy Garlic, Sweet Spicy, Honey Butter Powder, Snowing Cheese or 5 different dipping sauces: Spicy Chili, Soy Garlic, Sweet Spicy, Honey Mustard and Wasabi Mayo.

For a more filling meal, diners can order their Ramen ($6 – $7), Tteokbokki ($9.50) and Fried Dumpling (10pcs $7).

For those who are not taking the VTL flight to Korea, Obok Dabang can probably satisfy your craving for some Korean food and drinks.

Obok Dabang
SMU, 70 Stamford Rd, Li Ka Shing Library, #01-22A, Singapore 178901
Opening Hours: 10:30am – 12:30am (Mon – Sat), Closed Sun

Other Related Entries
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NY Night Market (VivoCity)
Chir Chir Fusion Chicken Factory (Bugis Junction)
Seorae Korean Charcoal BBQ (NEX)
Hongdae Oppa Korean Dining House (Jurong Point)

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

Salted Egg Chicken Rice still enjoys quite a following despite Salted Egg everything being in trend a few years back.

Some of the well-known names serving this dish include Jia Yuen Eating House, GLC Restaurant, and Taste Good; while New Station Snack Bar at Far East Plaza is known for its Salted Egg Pork Rice.

During a random visit to Sim Lim Square to buy camera accessories, I headed up to the 2nd level where some of the food places are, and noticed a familiar dish and face (people call here “Sister Mandy” or “Mandy Jie”) found at another eatery.

3 Meals A Day 一日三餐 is a newly set up shop that serves up the famed dish of Salted Egg Chicken Rice ($6.50).

There are three other ‘heavenly kings’ of Butter Pork with Rice ($5.90), Spicy Lemongrass Chicken with Rice ($5.90), and Cereal Chicken with Rice ($6.50).

You may ask, “Does it taste good?”

This is possibly Sim Lim’s best-kept food secret and hidden gem.

Other than rice dishes, there is a spread of items from noodles, bee hoon, double boiled soups, fried rice, omelette, vegetables, to other wok-fried dishes – all affordably priced.

Most of the items are from the $4.50 to $6.50 range.

You would notice the menu and many posters featuring the happy faces of the staff working here (instead of illustrations of models), and should find some of them looking familiar if you patronise the eateries at Sim Lim often enough.

I could have written a title like “Ex-Chef and Staff of XXX restaurant opens…”, but decided not to, so let’s just leave this here.

Heading straight for the Salted Egg Chicken Rice ($6.50, +$0.60 for additional egg), this was indeed one of the tastiest versions I had in recent times.

The chicken was crispy-fried while the meat remained tender, the sauce sweetly-milky and luscious-tasting, with the unmissable wok-hei.

What I enjoyed about the sauce was that it was rich but not overly jelak (cloying), nicely coating the chicken pieces with enough for the rice.

There was some chilli padi in the sauce which gave the alluring kick, and I would recommend adding some sambal chilli to elevate the flavours.

The Butter Pork with Rice ($5.90) was also quite ’shiok with the deep-fried pork meaty yet succulent, while the sauce was on the milkier side.

I wished it was slightly less sweet though.

There are also keropok on the side to add some crunchiness and differentiate from other stores. Perhaps achar could have worked well too, just to cut some of the greasiness.

3 Meals A Day 一日三餐
1 Rochor Canal Road, #02-01 Sim Lim Square, Singapore 188504
Opening Hours: 9am – 7:45pm (Mon – Sun)

Other Related Entries
WaWa Lala Bee Hoo (Middle Road)
Old Shifu Charcoal Porridge (Tiong Bahru)
Try Fresh XO Seafood Noodles 长鲜 (Jalan Sultan)
Tun Xiang 豚香南洋馆 (Tampines)
Downstairs 楼下 (Suntec City)

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

One of a kind 4-in-1 themed Hong Kong restaurant and café in Singapore, Legendary Hong Kong is run by 8 professional chefs hailing from Hong Kong, and they have raised the bar for other Hong Kong cafes in Singapore. (Also read: 12 Best Hong Kong Cafes In Singapore)

Found at Jurong Point Level 3, they will soon open an outlet at Funan basement (anticipated end Nov 2021), specialising in items such as Cart Noodle and Hong Kong style Hamburger.

The main four concepts found at Jurong Point include Roasted Duck and Meat 九如烧腊, Noodle & Congee 香港粥面, Dim Sum 龙凤茶居, and Bing Sut – the ‘predecessor’ of cha chaan teng.

Customer enjoy visiting the place as the interior is modelled like an old-school HK cha chaan teng, serving a spread of roast meats, pastry, toasts, noodles, congee and dim sum.

For dim sum, there are items from Steamed BBQ Pork Bun ($4.80), Steamed Beef Ball with Beancurd Skin ($5.20), Steamed Pork Dumplings ($5.80), Piggy Bun with Egg Custard ($5), to Steamed Sponge Cake ($5).

Any fans of ‘Zha Leong’? The Rice Roll with Dough Fritters ($5.80) features rice rolls are hand-made on the spot, silky smooth and wraps around the youtiao which remains quite crispy and not too oily.

As for noodles, Chef Ho had previously worked at the famed MAK’s noodles麥奀雲吞麵世家 and specialises in HK Wanton Noodles ($7.80).

Therefore, he keeps the wantons filled only with shrimps and not pork – just like how he does it back in Hong Kong.

Fans can also try the Braised Beef Brisket & Tendon Noodles ($9.80) which are made from Brazilian beef and tendon to keep to the most authentic style of cooking.

Their house specialty is the London Roast Duck ($58 for whole, $30 for half, $14.80 per portion, $9.80 for drumstick), sometimes known as the ‘best duck in the world’ for its succulent meal and tasty flavours.

Legendary Hong Kong gets the premium duck supply exclusively from Silver Hill Farms, where each duck sold is de-feathered by hand so as to ensure integrity of the quality of meat and no bruising.

Do you know that roasted pork is to be eaten with mustard, roast duck with plum sauce and the roasted chicken with a garlic sauce blend for the best complement?

Also, don’t miss the oozing Custard Crust Bolo Bun ($6) with a crispy bolo bun exterior.

Legendary Hong Kong
63 Jurong West Central 3, #03-80 Jurong Point 2 Shopping Center, Singapore 648331
Tel: +65 6794 1335
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm (Mon – Fri), 10am – 10pm

Other Related Entries
12 Best Hong Kong Cafes In Singapore
Friends Cafe HK 朋友冰室 (Springside Walk)
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Champion Bolo Bun (Tanjong Pagar)
So Good Char Chan Tang (Capitol Singapore)

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

Usher in the holiday season with an indulgent festive feast at Ichiban Bochi, which Singaporeans should be familiar with for their contemporary Japanese concept in a relaxing ambiance.

Do you know that no two Ichiban Boshi restaurants are the same? Each one has its own distinctive design, ambience, and specialty menu.

For example, Great World’s outlet specialises in Sakana (fresh fish), United Square in Kyoto Katsu (fried cutlet), NEX in Kaisen (seafood), Suntec City in Soba (buckwheat noodles), and Century Square in Hokkaido Ryori (Hokkaido cuisine), just to name a few.

You can celebrate the festive season in a different way other than the usual staples of turkeys and ham, with a selection of 4 festive sets to entice the Japanese food lover in you.

Its team of experienced chefs has curated these celebratory feasts, available from 9 Nov 2021 to 15 Feb 2022.

Plus, diners can receive a $10 Citibank Voucher with every Festive Indulgence set purchased, which makes the meal more value for your money.

Check out more of the 4 Ichiban Boshi Festive Indulgence sets:

Spicy Irodori Kaisen Gozen ($27.90)
One thing you would notice is that the set includes quite many components.

For this alone, a main of seafood in spicy broth, roast beef & salmon roe, sous vide pork soft bone mini rice bowl, potato cheesy balls, chawanmushi and fruit – making this a satisfyingly-filling meal.

The spicy soup was what I enjoyed best. You get a medley of seafood from prawn, flounder, squid, and clams, combined with vegetables and chunks of sweet pineapple in a spicy broth for a chockful soup.

The variety of tastes and textures, along with the slight kick of the spices, make this a delightful main meal.

The hearty soup is complemented with tender roast beef on crispy rice paper, ladened with salmon roe and drizzled with slight citrusy tataki sauce to cut the richness.

That is not all. If you are feeling for some carbs, the set also includes a mini rice bowl topped with extra tender sous vide pork soft bone and egg crepe with teriyaki sauce

Further enjoy with accompanying deep-fried potato balls with cheese-filled centre, smooth Japanese steamed egg custard (chawanmushi) and fruits.

Creamy Mushroom Chicken Yaki Gozen ($25.90)
A succulent chunk of grilled chicken steak takes center stage slathered with a cheesy mushroom cream sauce. The chicken is topped with chopped red and yellow capsicum to bring out the colourful festive mood.

Enjoy the chargrilled taste of chicken with mini bowl of rice topped with prawn, crabsticks, and veggies in a thick sauce.

You will also get fried prawn & cuttlefish paste in a beancurd skin roll served with a sweet-spicy Thai chili sauce.

Plus, a savoury side soup of cabbage & seaweed roll in dashi stock. The set also comes with a miso soup, chawanmushi and fruit.

Pork Rib Miso Nabe Gozen ($26.90)
If you are craving for the flavour and texture or pork, and something hearty, the large bowl of miso broth with udon on the side should be comforting.

Included with generous serving of pork ribs, earthy mushrooms, vegetables and fried beancurd skin, the added garlic chilli enhances the soup in terms of its depth of flavours

After having some of the miso soup, dip some of the udon within to savour the hearty soup in a different way.

Accompanying the main is a sushi roll made with barbecued eel, mango, cheese, and tempura flakes, which is kind of refreshing.

There is more? Yes, the set includes fresh yellowtail sashimi topped with sliced avocado, salmon roe, and citrus jelly. As well as chawanmushi and fruit.

Butter Demiglace Beef Steak Gozen ($26.90)
Indulge in a tender, juicy slab of premium beef steak served with demiglace and white sauce, sliced onions, and crisp bacon bits.

The beef comes in a heated plate, so that the meat and sauces remain warm throughout the meal.

This generous portion of meat goes well with stir-fried udon which is tossed with prawns, egg, and veggies.

On the side is a grilled minced chicken dish topped with cheese, capsicum, and shrimp roe.

Balance off the flavours and textures with a creamy egg mayo salad, a soft chawanmushi custard, miso soup and fruit.

Receive $10 Citibank Voucher with every Festive Indulgence set purchased
Treat yourself to a Japanese feast and receive S$10 return voucher with every festive set purchased at Ichiban Boshi and Ichiban Sushi, charged to a Citi card. T&C apply.

Ichiban Boshi
Causeway Point #05-06, 1 Woodlands Square, Singapore 738099
Century Square #02-29, 2 Tampines Central 5, Singapore 529509
JEM #B1-01, 50 Jurong Gateway Road, Singapore 608549
Jurong Point #B1-75, 1 Jurong West Central 2, Singapore 648886
Marina Bay Link Mall #B2-14, 8A Marina Boulevard, Singapore 018984
Nex #B1-04, 23 Serangoon Central, Singapore 556083
Novena Square #02-13, 238 Thomson Road, Singapore 307684
Parkway Parade #02-12, 80 Marine Parade Road, Singapore 449269
Suntec City #B1-111, 3 Temasek Boulevard, Singapore 038983
United Square #02-02, 101 Thomson Road, Singapore 307591
VivoCity #B2-07, 1 Harbour Front Walk, Singapore 098585
Waterway Point #B1-19, 83 Punggol Central, Singapore 828761

* This entry is brought to you in partnership with Ichiban Boshi.