Saturday, January 27, 2018

Eating in Singapore- One Day Food Trip 2018 @ Singapore

Ranked as the 2nd most visited country in Asia Pacific 2016, Singapore is a global destination for businesses, leisure and because of its minimal import tax and as a melting pot for culture, the culinary scene is very interesting. It has the classic Singaporean dishes that most Malaysians are familiar with, and myriad of international cuisine pouring in, the nation is a great choice for foodie to embark on a food-hunting journey. If your tight schedule only permits a day or half for food, this can be a good guide for you.

Hawker Chan @ Chinatown
Non-Halal
Service Charge: No
Government Tax: No
Address: Block 335, Smith Street #2-126, Chinatown Food Complex, 050335 Singapore.
Business Hours: 10:30 am to 7 pm on weekdays, 8:30 am to 7 pm on weekends. Closed on Wednesdays.
Nearest MRT Station: Chinatown Exit A



Soy Sauce Chicken (SGD 12/ half bird)


Plain Noodles (SGD 1.50)

Known as the cheapest Michelin-starred food in the world, Hawker Chan was awarded a one Michelin Star in the Michelin Guide Singapore 2016. It has since then made famous to the world and visitors from all over the globe will queue patiently for the opportunity to taste the food. It has BBQ Pork (Char Siew), Roast Pork (Siew Yok) and Soy Sauce Chicken... served with either Noodles or Rice. Accordingly, the Char Siew is some of the best that you can find in Singapore; Hawker Chan has a few branches across the nation now but patrons still go back to this place... reasons? Better consistency and cheaper prices. If you found yourself lost in the food complex, look for the stall with the longest queue, it's somewhere at a corner (corner lot). 

We had the Chicken with Noodles, the Chicken was tender but the seasoning was somewhat weak. We thought the soy sauce flavor could be bolder but it was okay-decent (but definitely not great). While the Noodles were springy, they over-killed them with excessive seasoning. The noodle dish was a tad too salty to our liking and the Chili sauce did not help much in its aid. How long did I queue? Slightly less than 2 hours but will I queue again for these? Probably not. 


Mei Heong Yuen Dessert @ Chinatown 
Non-Halal
Service Charge: No
Government Tax: No
Address: 133, New Bridge Road #B2-32/33, Singapore 059413
Business Hours: 12 pm to 9:30 pm. Closed on Mondays.
Contact Number: 6538 3892
Nearest MRT Station: Chinatown Exit A


Sesame Paste (SGD 3.50)


Ginger-infused Egg Pudding (SGD 3.50)


Mango with Pomelo Sago (SGD 5)


Chilled Coconut Pudding (SGD 3)


Mango & Strawberry Snow Ice (SGD 6.50)

A short walk from Chinatown Food Complex is a renowned dessert house- Mei Heong Yuen. The long-established dessert house has a huge menu on display right outside the shop houses. Don't be surprised if all 3 shop houses are fully occupied, the place tends to run on full capacity on weekends. It's one of the best places to rest your shopping legs while continuing your journey to explore Chinatown. The shop offers a wide variety of Chinese desserts, ranging from classic Tong Sui like Sesame Paste, steamed Milk Pudding, Almond Milk and Glutinous Rice Balls etc to modern desserts like flavored Snow Ice. Snacks are also available but with limited choices. We were satisfied with all of our orders, we thought they were delicious and the sweetness was well-balanced. The portion was good enough to satiate our cravings for desserts but did not leave us overly surfeited.


Teppei Syokudo @ Plaza Singapura, Dhoby Ghaut
Non-Halal
Service Charge: No
Government Tax: No *Prices shown are GST-inclusive*
Address: #B2-20, Plaza Singapura, 68 Orchard Road, 238839 Singapore.
Business Hours: 11 am to 10 pm. Opens Daily.
Contact Number: 
Nearest MRT Station: Dhoby Ghaut Station


Bara Chirashi Don (SGD 19.80/ large)

Singaporeans' perennial love for Japanese cuisine is not a new and this leads to a huge wave of Japanese restaurants opening across the nation. Bara Chirashi Don, a Japanese dish that has Sashimi cuts served over a bed of vinegared Rice, is well-received in Singapore and the dish is now omnipresent. Teppei Syokudo is a big name in Singapore, known for offering DIY Kaisendon (Sashimi Bowl). A short walk from Concorde Hotel Singapore, Teppei Syokudo has a branch in Plaza Singapura. Unlike the usual Bara Chirashi Don, Teppei Syokudo seasoned the Sashimi instead of having the diners to season them instead. The flavor combination was good and importantly, the Sashimi was fresh. I thoroughly enjoyed the entire bowl of Bara Chirashi Don on my own. For small eaters, there are smaller portions available.


Matchaya @ The Cathay Cineplax, 
Pork-Free
Service Charge: No
Government Tax: No
Address: #01-72, The Cathay, 12, Gopeng Street, Icon Village, 078877, Singapore.
Business Hours: 12 pm to 8 pm. Opens Daily.
Contact Number: N/A
Nearest MRT Station: Dhoby Ghaut Station


Matcha Kakigori (SGD 14.90)

Matcha lovers should not miss Matchaya, a Japanese Green Tea dessert specialist in the heart of Orchard. The dessert joint has quite a number of Japanese-influenced sweet treats to offer- from Kakigori to Roll Cakes, Soft Serve to Mochi... even Fondues. While the Soft Serves are popular items, their Kakigori are selling like hot cakes too. The Matcha Kakigori is one of the best sellers- finely shaved Ice (Matcha-flavored) sandwiching Azuki Red Beans and served with Matcha-infused Whipped Cream as well as sprinkles of crisp Rice Puff. The texture of the flavored-ice was fine while the whipped cream was most light on the palate. Though they did not make a burden on the palate, the Matcha element was bold and strong. Sweetness was subdued but good enough to counter-balance the bitterness in Matcha; just as I thought it was monotonous, the addictively crisp Rice Puff was there for the extra crunchy dimension. Easily one of the best Matcha Kakigori I've ever had.


Peach Garden @ Changi International Airport Terminal 2
Non-Halal
Service Charge: Yes 10%
Government Tax: Yes 7% GST
Address: 60, Airport Boulevard, Changi Airport Terminal 2, #036-084, 819643, Singapore (Departure Hall)
Business Hours: 10:30 am to 11 pm. Opens Daily.
Contact Number: 6386 3033
Nearest MRT Station: Changi Airport


Siew Mai with Crystal Prawns (SGD 5.60)


Steamed Prawn Dumplings (SGD 5.80)


Skin-roll with Seaweed (SGD 5.80)


Beancurd with Crabmeat (SGD 27/ medium)


Hor Fun with Seafood (SGD 27/ medium)


Fried Rice with Crabmeat (SGD 25.20/ medium)

Looking for a place to fill the tummy before boarding your flight? Peach Garden on Level 2 of Changi Airport (Terminal 2) might be able to please your Chinese palate. It has the standard Chinese restaurant setting, with round tables properly arranged with table cloth. Once you stepped in the restaurant, you will notice the Dim Sum baskets, hanging Roast Duck/ Chicken etc. The Chinese restaurant offers quite a big variety of Chinese food, ranging from the usual Dim Sum to Roast goodies or some Chinese stir-fry dishes (including Noodles). The Dim Sum dishes did not disappoint, everything was served to our table piping hot and the Prawns were plump and juicy. We recommend the Hor Fun with Seafood, a hearty portion with copious amount of Seafood added (Prawns and Scallops). The Fried Rice with Crabmeat on the other hand, was disappointing. It was poorly seasoned and the dish was rather monotonous (lacked of depth). Not a bad place for a quick fix before the next leg of journey.


Irvin's Salted Egg Fish Skin @ Plaza Singapura, Dhoby Ghaut
Pork-Free
Service Charge: No
Government Tax: No
Address:06-K1, Plaza Singapura, 68, Orchard Road, 238839, Singapore.
Business Hours: 10 am to 9:30 pm. Opens Daily.
Contact Number: N/A (only walk-ins)
Website: https://irvinsaltedegg.com/
Nearest MRT Station: Dhoby Ghaut 


Salted Egg Fish Skin (SGD 8- Small/ SGD 16- Large)

The introduction of Salted Egg Fish Skin swept the feet off many netizens slightly over a year ago- shattering crisp deep fried Fish Skin given a quick toss with Salted Egg seasoning. One of the best brands to try this local delicacy would be Irvin's, a brand known and made famous because of Salted Egg Fish Skin. Irvin's is everywhere on the island but you need to be there to join the queue, the Salted Egg Fish Skin gets sold out quick and if you don't queue, high chance you would not be able to get your share. 

We joined the queue at Plaza Singapura, right next to Concorde Hotel Singapore. The pop-up store is located on Level 6 of the mall so traipse yourself up the stairs to find the place (the escalators will only work after 10 am). It is advisable for you to join the queue as early as 9:30 am (if you are serious about buying this). We joined the queue at 9:20 am and managed to stand at the 11th position; we only however, managed to buy ours at 10:10 am. The queue was very long and some walked home with disappointment.

We had a few versions (including Bee Cheng Hiang's and Golden Duck Salted Egg Fish Skin); to be frank, we thought Irvin's stood out. The winning factor was the introduction of Kaffir Lime Leaves and a light, sweet touch instead of mono-dimensional saltiness from the Salted Egg Yolk. The Salted Egg-element was bolder and more apparent in Irvin's as well. Bee Cheng Hiang's was totally out while the Halal Golden Duck Salted Egg Fish Skin was okay in terms of flavor but the texture was a tad too thick to our liking. 


Have Fun Exploring Singapore!

3 comments:

  1. My niece came back from Singapore, brought us a few packs of those salted egg fish skin. Can't say it swept me off my feet...plus so expensive some more, thank you very much.

    ReplyDelete
  2. 2 hours of queue, I think it exceed my limit :P

    ReplyDelete