The old Rasa Singapura Food Centre still spells fond food memories for many, previously located at Tanglin where some of the best hawker stalls in Singapore congregate. When things were much simpler, and perhaps happier.
To pay tribute to the space, a restaurant bar newly set up at Tanglin Post Office calls itself “New Rasa Singapura”, offers favourite local dishes, and even have their website domain as hawker.com.sg
New Rasa Singapura was cooling after a late-afternoon rain as I walked into the alfresco space with turquoise-coloured and wood tables, surrounded by some greenery that could make you feel that you are away from the city.
Even though the busy Orchard Road is just a stone’s throw away.
Favorite Singaporean cuisines such as fish head curry, chicken rice, laksa, char kway teow, satay, and soup kambing are available, some given a modern touch by incorporating into pasta and focaccia breads.
The one thing to note is New Rasa Singapura is a social enterprise.
It provides training and employment opportunities to the underprivileged, including people with certain impairment, recovering from medical condition, as well as the vulnerable elderly.
Food preparation process has been designed and segmented into smaller tasks for the kitchen staff to perform, so that they find it easier to re-integrate to society.
As we went in a big group, these were some of the dishes that we tried:
New Rasa Chicken Wings (6 pieces $12, 12 pieces $20)
Satay served with onions, cucumber, ketupat (6 sticks $12, 12 sticks $20)
Fried Mantou (4 pieces $8) with pan-seared chicken in black pepper sauce
New Rasa Dry Laksa ($12, $20)
Beef Rendang Pasta ($14)
Mom’s Curry Chicken ($12, $20)
Beef Rendang ($14, $24) – tender beef slow-cooked in coconut milk and spices.
New Rasa Soup Kambing ($14, $24) – lamb ribs with tender bone in rich broth
Crispy Chai Tow Kway ($12, $20)
Smoky Curry Fried Rice ($12, $20)
Black Pepper Char Kway Teow ($12, $20)
If I were to recommend, it would be the Rasa Chicken Wings gloriously juicy with the slightly har cheong flavor; Dry Laksa in which the gravy is well-absorbed by the thick vermicelli, and Beef Rendang Pasta where the two merges quite brilliantly.
There may be occasions when the food may take slightly longer than usual to arrive, or that some dishes are still under the stage of fine-tuning.
The challenge for New Rasa Singapura would be to adjust their processes, and to up the presentation of the dishes (Taste-wise, many are actually quite fine). Because it would be inevitable for some diners to compare between this, and say a much cheaper foodcourt right opposite.
Do inform the staff if you are really in a rush. If not, just chillax by the corner.
New Rasa Singapura
56 Tanglin Road #B1-02 Tanglin Post Office Singapore 247964
Tel: +65 98188102
Opening Hours: 12pm – 10pm (Mon), 12pm – 10pm (Wed – Sun), Closed Tues
Other Related Entries
A-Z List Of Where To Eat, Where To Go Around Singapore
10 Singapore National Dish
10 Best Claypot Dishes In Singapore
Soon Huat Bak Kut Teh (6th Avenue)
Fu Lin Bar (Telok Ayer)
The post New Rasa Singapura – Social Enterprise Restaurant Serving Good Old Hawker Food appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.