Pocket Friendly

While the travel restrictions are loosening up, if travelling is not on your list just yet, you can still get a taste of HK at Tim Ho Wan!

For something heavier, opt for their HK Curry Pork Chop Egg Fried Rice! Each grain of rice can be seen distinctively from each other, giving you that nice bite. Pair it with their generously huge slab of pork chop & savoury spicy curry, you'd definitely end the meal on a stuffed note.

Valid for a limited time only, do head down to your nearest THW to try this out!

One of my favourite all time dim sum places to go is 一点心 (yi dian xin). They serve up a simple menu of traditional dim sum which is handmade daily at the kitchen.

My personal favourites includes the Steamed Carrot Cake ($2.80). Instead of the usual chopped up and fried with eggs and pickled cabbage (giam cai), this steamed version comes with a savoury soy sauce mixture, topped with chopped chives and sesame seeds.

The carrot cake is extremely soft and melts almost instantly. Scoop up some of the sauce while you’re at it to lightly flavour the smooth and soft carrot cake.

Taking over the now defunct Yellow Submarine, is Nagara Thai! Their first outlet is located at Ang Mo Kio Ave 10 (which I happened to stumble upon previously).

They serve up authentic Thai dishes, where you get your usual suspects such as Tom Yum Goong, Phad Thai and Basil Fried Rice.

I loved the fact that they offered the fried tang Hoon & mama phad kimao (aka stir fried Maggie) because that’s exactly what you’d get in Thailand as well!

Their noodles came with a strong wokhei flavour which was perfect with every bite. At $6, you get a prawns, calamari, loads of bean sprouts and tons of flavour.

The lunch and dinner crowds have been picking up and seems to draw a huge crowd, comparable to popular chains like Nakhon.

While famed for it’s Drunken Noodles Pork, one must also order the Deep Fried Pork Belly when you visit Kra Pow!

This side is a tough fight with it’s close competitor, the Pork Collar, but it’s equally as savoury and delicious.

While you lick your fingers from having fried chicken, the fried pork belly comes paired with a pepper sweet sauce which works perfectly with the fried pork making it extremely addictive.

With the weather heating up everyday, a nice cool bowl of chendol is just the perfect thing to have.

Located on the left of the steps as you climb up Bukit Timah Hawker, Nonya Chendol serves up 4 variations of the classic dessert.

It comes as the Original Chendol ($1.50), Red Bean Chendol ($2), Corn Chendol ($2) and the XO Durian Chendol ($2.50).

We decided to go for the Red Bean Chendol and at $2, it’s definitely worth every penny! The pandan jelly made me feel like I was eating kaya out of a bottle, with the red bean was lightly sweetened without being too overbearing. The scoop of gula melaka that they drizzled was sufficient over the finely crushed ice and evaporated milk.

A simple yet satisfying dish, this would be the perfect dessert after a meal whenever you’re at BTFC!

•
The thick soup base made from fish bones & cooked with a dash of milk warms your belly as you slurp away with your choice of noodles or rice, and a selection of either steamed or fried fish.
•
Kick it up a notch with their in-house chilli & you’ve got yourself a comforting bowl of noodles.

Expanding beyond their tiny store in a corner is Kra Pow, which has now taken over 2 units at Far East Plaza.

The hidden gem of this Thai street food store helps to rid your Thai food cravings at pocket friendly prices.

One of my personal favourites is the Drunken Noodle Pork, which is stir fried rice noodles (kway teow), together with basil pork, long beans & chilli padi.

As simple as it sounds, the wok hei flavours are present & adds the extra oomph you need in every mouthful. For chilli lovers, enjoy that spicy punch as well which would either leave you in tears or dripping wet in buckets of perspiration.

For non-chilli lovers, not to worry, you can always ask for non-chilli options, that’s for sure!

Lucky for me, I managed to find out about Watami's Lunch Set Menus, starting from $9.90++. I had the Pepper Beef Rice in Stone Pot Set ($9.90) which was pretty much similar to a hot stone chain restaurant, but with better grade beef & ventilation.
The generous slices of beef lays atop a bed of what seem to be garlic seasoned rice, and sprinkled with corn, salt & pepper. As it's a hot stone pot, the heat from the stone cooks the beef quickly which leaves you a nice char to the beef, plus some crispy chunks of rice with that.
Each lunch set comes with a side salad, an agedashi tofu, miso soup and a choice of drink (tea or soft drinks). Definitely one of the more worth it set menus I've had in quite awhile! •
#burpple #aroundwithamd #WatamiSG #StarVista #CapitaMalls

Arrived at 9:45pm to hear that the Spare Ribs Soup ($8/$10) was sold out, so we settled for the Pork Ribs Soup & Sliced Pork Loin instead.

My go-to would be the Sliced Pork Loin Soup simply because you wouldn't have to worry about having to chew an entire chunk of meat, but be able to enjoy individual small bite-sized slices instead.

Order the You Tiao ($2) & enjoy soaking them into your bowl of refillable (YASSSS) peppery soup! Only downside would be that the You Tiao isn't crispy & tasted laohong, but still good nonetheless.

#BurppleSGLateNight

With generous slices of salmon & mentaiko lightly torched over a bed of Japanese rice, this bowl of pocket friendly quick fix is the go-to whenever you're craving for a good rice bowl!

Priced under $15, this wallet-friendly option is perfect for both students & working adults! Tucked at the corner of the third floor of Fortune Centre, you wouldn't think much of this store!

But come belly empty and top them up with belly satisfying items such as this, Salmon KaMa Karrage ($6) and Salmon Belly ($9).

My favourite of all time! The thick soup broth is the reason why I'm always back for more. Not only is the soup broth good, their juicy fish cakes works as appetizers while you wait in line for your noodles. Remember to come early, otherwise you may spend another 15-30 minutes waiting for seats!

We had the Seafood version ($8.90) & that spicy kick was the perfect start to dinner!
The perfect blend of spicy & sour but be careful if you're afraid of chili cause it can get quite spicy!
Best part was that for a group of 8 of us, we only spent $10.20 each & we were filled till our bellies were about to burst. Perfect for group meet ups, definitely a spot for #BurppleBestBugis!