CBD Lunch Haunts

CBD Lunch Haunts

Don’t know where to eat for lunch while working? Here are some recommendations that you can try.
Terry O
Terry O

One of the stalls that has the longest queue at Maxwell Food Centre is Fu Shun Shao La Mian Jia (01-71). Be enticed by the hanging display of roasted meat from the likes of char siew, roast duck, roasted pork and spare ribs. Have it with rice or noodles.

Char Siew - Thick, meaty cuts of char siew that are irresistible from afar. How can you not notice the glistening, caramelised char siew glaze that gives it that sweet savoury taste. A fairly good balance of fat and meat as I like fatty char siew.

The edges are slightly charred but not blackened that makes it great for those who dislike the burnt flavour. One good thing about this stall is that you can opt for either lean or fatty cuts of char siew.

Roasted Pork - For hawker standards, expect thicker than average slices of tender roasted pork belly. The crackling is super crispy and you can hear the crunch while chewing on it. Meat is fairly juicy but don’t expect it to be as good as Imperial Treasure’s. Pretty good for a weekday lunch if you’re back in office.

Roasted Duck - Beneath its slightly crispy skin lies a thin layer of fat and tender pieces of duck meat. A fairly good roasted duck that serves as a motivation for you to work harder in the afternoon.

Price - Starts from $3 a plate. A three meat combination (三拼饭) sets you aside $7.

The uncle is quite friendly and will make an effort to make some small talk with you. That may be why the queue moves rather slowly. But if you go at an off-peak timing, you wouldn’t need to wait too long.

Haven’t tried the wanton noodles before. Will make a mental note to try them next time.

Have y’all gone to PIVOT for their desserts and tamago sando? Decided to drop by one day for a quick coffee and cake. And I ordered their bestseller OH! Gee Cha ($8.50) since it’s my first time here.

A houjicha mousse cake that’s light on taste. Beneath the mousse is a rather fluffy houjicha genoise. In the middle lies an Apple compote that adds a fruity element to the cake. It’s decorated with houjicha leaves and houjicha crumble.

I’m not a diehard houjicha fan but this wasn’t great. The roasted, earthy taste that’s typically associated with the roasted green tea was at best faint in the mousse and the genoise. The essence of vanilla from the light and sweet houjicha mousse was much more prominent.

Unfortunately, it’s the chunky apple cubes and added sweetness of the compote that stood out here. If they could make the houjicha flavour stronger, I would rate it a few notches higher.

Can you believe it’s my first time eating Sarawak Kolo Mee? Where do you go for Kolo Mee in Singapore or Kuching even? Being very curious, I joined the short queue at Sarawak Kolo Mee by Jin’s Noodle at Amoy Street Food Centre (02-110). They have opened a couple of outlets including the Kopitiam at Tampines Mall.

Let me tell you what’s inside their Kolo Mee. For $4/5, be treated to a bowl of thin and springy yellow noodles with minced pork, char siew, boiled wanton, fried wanton and cai sim/ choy sum. It’s finished off with an aromatic mixture of fried onion and lard although for some reason there’s a bit of water that’s collected at the bottom of the bowl. Help yourself to the sambal chilli and green chilli. You can opt for spinach noodles too.

There’s a good amount of meat to give you enough protein for the afternoon. It was great that the fried and boiled wantons that’s filled with a good amount of minced pork. And the char siew was meaty and not of the lean and dry variety.

It’s a pretty good bowl of kolo mee although I don’t have a benchmark to compare it against. I found the portions to be reasonably filling but not food coma inducing.

1 Like

If you ever had 21 Sliders - that used to roam about at carnivals and Geylang Serai Ramadan Bazaar, you’d be happy to know that it has made a comeback as @cultsliders at Hermano by @theofficialsleepinggiants in Boat Quay. Choose from a range of sliders and mains. 🍔

The American Cheese ($5). You can’t go wrong with this. Good old cheeseburger with caramelised onions, gherkin and caramelised ketchup.

The Backyard ($5). Sliders with turkey bacon and smokey barbecue sauce. Turkey bacon is lean and crispy that adds a crunch to the juicy beef burger. And the barbecue sauce elevates the flavour of the slider.

The Wrangler ($5). Great for those who are afraid of gaining weight but want to satisfy their sinful cravings. A chunky, juicy piece of crispy chicken thigh, spicy buffalo sauce and purple slaw to satisfy your daily veggie intake.

The Dirty Standoff ($5). Cheeseburger slider with nacho cheese, salsa and tortilla chips. It has a Tex-Mex feel although I felt it’s a lot to put in a slider.

The 421 ($5). Grilled chicken thigh, purple slaw, pineapple and tangy mayonnaise.

The Cult’s Cutlet ($15.90). LOOK at this HUGE piece of CRISPY AND SUCCULENT CHICKEN CUTLET that ain’t too oily. Eat this during lunch only if you got a BIG appetite. And I actually enjoyed the side of Truffle Tots which is seldom served at most places.

The Mac & Cheese Miller ($12.90). Absolutely love how creamy this Mac and Cheese was. Perfect for those who are really hungry and love their carbs.

Cult Fries ($12). A massive pile of fries topped with slices of fried chicken, caramelised onions and drizzled with piquant buffalo sauce. Don’t attempt to have this on your own.

[LUNCH DEAL] Available from 11:30 am – 1:30 pm: From $7.90 – $11.90 for combos consisting of sliders, a drink and choice of a side, all mains will be available at $12.90.

Thank you @pyjemmas, Amos and @cultsliders for hosting this tasty lunch!

1 Like

CBD does not lack good nasi lemak places. But if you’re back working in the office, you can try the fairly new Spice and Rice at Amoy Street Food Centre (01-15). Expect nasi lemak with fried chicken, butter chicken or curry vegetables.

I had the nasi lemak with fried chicken ($7.50). A rather generous serving of fragrant coconut rice, fried chicken leg, fried egg, fried anchovies (ikan bills), peanuts, sambal and cucumber. Although not part of the set, you’ll usually get a complimentary serving of curry vegetables. I added on some pan fried tempeh for $1.

What did I enjoy? 😋

Coconut rice was fluffy and fragrant. You could tell quite a good amount of coconut milk was used which gives it the rich taste.

The sambal was pleasantly pungent and slightly sweet as with all nasi lemak sambal. Would have more if I could. If you can’t handle spicy stuff well, don’t eat too much in one mouthful.

Ikan bills and peanuts are as good as you can get. Crispy and not too salty. I like to eat these two ingredients with the sambal.

Curry vegetables were a nice touch. It’s vegetarian, mild in flavour and pairs well with the coconut rice.

What could’ve been better? 💪🏻

The fried chicken leg was huge, juicy and crispy. However, as the fried chicken was refried upon order, the skin appeared slightly burnt. It was already fried golden brown (and would also look nicer for pictures 😂).

The tempeh was slightly on the dry side. Probably wouldn’t have ordered it on hindsight.

Would I be back? 🙋🏻‍♂️

Yes. I’m curious to try the butter chicken nasi lemak. I hope my fried chicken leg would be better next time.

Has anyone tried Mdm Leong Ban Mian at Amoy Street Food Centre (02-109)? Absolutely love their Dry Chilli Ban Mian ($4.50/5.50) which is based on a Hakka recipe. And the noodles are made in stall and no MSG is used.

What I enjoy about the ban mian here is the handmade noodles. The noodles are of the right thickness and are cooked al dente (or QQ). This results in a chewy and springy texture.

The chilli that’s served with the noodles is also worth an extraordinary mention. The dried chilli is fried with dried shrimp to give it a mildly spicy, savoury and flavourful kick to the noodles. Do mix it together with the noodles and dark sauce for maximum flavour. The chilli could’ve been spicier though.

For the ingredients, you’ll get some minced pork, mushrooms, black fungus, fried egg and choy sum. It’s then topped with fried ikan bilis (anchovies) and fried shallots. A small bowl of lightly flavoured soup is served.

Decided to add on the braised pork belly ($2) and I didn’t regret it at all. It was soft, tender and balanced in terms of meat to fat ratio.

If you do a bit of Googling, you can read Mdm Leong’s inspirational story on her life and the beginnings of this stall.

P.S. Y’all could probably guess by now that I have a penchant for eating noodles at the hawker centre. 😂

Want a good and affordable gyudon?
🥩🍚Why not try The Feather Blade if you haven’t? It managed to hold up pretty well even I consumed my takeaway quite some time after it was prepared.

For $16+, you’ll get 100g of signature feather blade (or flat iron) cut beef marinated in sukiyaki sauce, on a bed of fragrant Japanese rice mixed with kombu and dashi. To complete the meal, it’s topped with onsen egg, caramelised onions, furikake, garlic chips and beni shoga.

I had my beef cooked medium rare and it was nicely charred, tender and chewy. The sukiyaki glaze add a tinge of sweetness to the beef and gives rise to the brownish colour of the meat. Eat it together with all the ingredients for a full flavour experience.

If you wanna indulge, add on a piece of French duck foie gras ($11+). It’s a very generous piece for the price you’re getting. The foie gras was fresh, soft and buttery where it adds a luscious texture to the already tantalising gyudon.

Anyone agrees that curry puffs are their comfort food? Cause it is for me. 🥟 If you wanna try a quality curry puff, check out Rolina Traditional Hainanese Curry Puff at Tanjong Pagar Plaza Market and Food Centre (02-15) - it’s been given the Bib Gourmand rating by the Michelin Guide a.k.a. The Red Book.

Each puff is made with love by hand and costs $1.50. Although it may look small, the filling is so generous and delectable. When I sank my teeth into this little treat, I was greeted by the aromatic smell of curry chicken and potatoes. It comes with a little slice of hard boiled egg for added texture.

I love how the emphasis of the curry puff is on the filling but the crust and pastry perfectly encases it. The crust and pastry is very thin and light. You won’t get a cloying (jelak) feeling after having a few of these little fried treats.

They do have sardine puffs available as well but I feel the chicken curry puff stands out here.

Do go down and get them if you haven’t.

Hit up a classic CBD lunch spot at Lunar Coffee Brewers before WFH and CB kicked in. If you’re working/ living near CBD, you can consider them for your lunch option.

It can be rather decadent to have steak don for lunch but it’s something that you could consider to perk up your afternoon. Beef slices marinated in soy sauce cooked medium, an onsen egg, garnished with fried garlic and spring onion. I found the beef to be slightly chewy but nonetheless, I enjoyed it.

I like how they serve both filtered still and sparkling water if you dine in. Quite an uncommon sight in Singapore’s F&B outlets.

Available for takeaway and delivery on your preferred food delivery platforms.

Maxwell Food Centre has seven chicken rice stalls. Which one is your go to chicken rice at Maxwell? Here’s one from Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice (01-10/11), the most famous of them all and features snaking long queues (mainly from tourists and curious locals) during lunch hour in better times. It has received rave reviews from the likes of Anthony Bourdain and Gordon Ramsay.

There are two sizes available ($3.50/$5). Go for the $5 one as the $3.50 portion won’t fill up your stomach. So what makes it so special from others? It lies in the rice and the chilli sauce. The flavoured rice is fluffy and fragrant as they use loads of garlic, chicken fat and chicken stock. The rice is good and consistent in texture.

Having eaten Tian Tian for over 20 years, I can boldly say that standards have dropped quite a bit and lost its original shine. It’s not inedible, but it errs towards the side of inconsistency. Perhaps they cook most of the food in a central kitchen now. When I had the chicken rice on my very last visit, it was fairly good probably because I was given the chicken drumstick. The drumstick was soft, juicy and tender which made me reminisce my younger days. But the steamed chicken breast meat is rather tough on most occasions. So opt for dark meat here for a pleasant experience.

Chilli sauce here is rather spicy and tangy. The taste of the ginger, garlic and lime is evidently strong. Don’t have too much in one go if you aren’t good with spice.

So how does this compare with its closest competitor Ah Tai? My vote goes to Ah Tai. Ah Tai’s version reminds me of the old Tian Tian (the owner parted ways some years back) while Tian Tian feels rather commercialised.

The fish and chips from @cheek.sg is certainly a winner. If you’re a true fish and chips fan, this is a must try.

You might think twice about paying $36++ for fish and chips for lunch (it’s only available for lunch during non-CB period). But you can’t go wrong with a Michelin-starred fish and chips as quality ingredients are used. Unlike most variants of fish and chips, you wouldn’t feel sick (jelak) or have a food coma after eating the entire dish.

A thick piece of fresh red snapper fillet is coated in Suntory Beer batter. With any fish dish, the freshness of the fish is a make or break factor even when it’s fried. When I sank my mouth into it, I was amazed. The fish was firm and flaky and retained its full flavour. What I like particularly is the batter which was thin, light, crispy and not too oily.

Chips (fries) were wonderful too. The chips were not the thickest cut that one would associate fish and chips with. However, the seasoning was on point (I wonder what’s it seasoned with) and the chips are dense and crispy.

Moving on to the condiments, you can’t go wrong with the tartare sauce and mushy peas. Both of which are homemade from scratch. The tartare sauce is homemade and didn’t taste like those commercially made ones. I can easily ask for a second helping if I could.

Mushy peas may not be everyone’s favourite but this is nothing like those you usually get in a chip shop, from frozen or tinned. It was a modern, refreshing twist to the classic and tasted more like a green pea salad, where the peas were really sweet. I’m sure this will appeal to many.

During the CB period, the fish and chips are available for takeaway and islandwide delivery all day for $30+.

I love having Cantonese roasts (烧腊) and always on the hunt to find a good place for them. So for those who eat at Hong Lim often, you should be familiar with roasted meat stall Lee Kheong (02-15). This stall attracts long queues (at least 20 minutes or more) during lunch hour and most of the items are sold out before 2pm. In fact it’s a one man operation that’s run by an uncle who is a man of few words.

I had my usual combination of char siew, roasted pork and roasted duck rice ($6). The char siew here definitely stands out with its charred exterior that was nicely glazed and caramelised. And the meat being lean, tender and juicy.

Roasted pork is my favourite roasted meat item and I was very impressed by this. The crispy skin together with the nice layer of fat and well seasoned meat made it a delight. I only can wish that I was served with thicker slices of this delectable meat.

The roasted duck was decent with the meat being juicy and tender but the skin being a bit soggy rather than crispy. But it’s fine by me as I’m used to having soggy roasted duck skin during my student days in London.

I must say that there’s a generous serving of sweet savoury gravy is poured over the rice. Nothing special about the rice here. It’s just to fill your carb intake.

The presentation here may not be photogenic but sometimes good food don’t need to look that nice.

Terry O

Level 7 Burppler · 327 Reviews

The camera always eats first. Instagram: @eaterries

What To Read Next

Deals This Good Friday and Hari Raya Puasa
Deals This Good Friday and Hari Raya Puasa Redemption of most Burpple Beyond deals will be locked from 5pm on the 28th March until 29th March 2024 and from 5pm on the 9th April until 10th April 2024, but over 50 of our merchants are still offering great deals you can enjoy to celebrate!
Burpple
Western Wonders
Western Wonders Hey there, Singapore foodies! Get ready for a culinary escapade like no other as we delve into the diverse world of Western cuisine right here in the Lion City. With Burpple Beyond leading the way, prepare to tantalize your taste buds at some of Singapore's top-rated restaurants. From Latin American grills to whimsical cafes, we've curated a list of must-try eateries that will satisfy even the most discerning palates. Enjoy these places with #BurppleBeyond deals!
Burpple
Asian Delights
Asian Delights Hey there, fellow foodies! Ready to embark on a culinary adventure across Singapore with Burpple Beyond's Asian Delights? I've got the scoop on some of the best spots in town where you can indulge in mouthwatering dishes without breaking the bank. So grab your appetite and let's dive in! Enjoy these places with #BurppleBeyond deals!
Burpple
Flavourful Fiesta
Flavourful Fiesta Hello, fellow food enthusiasts! If you're anything like me, you're always on the hunt for the next great meal, and what's better than finding those meals at a steal? That's right, today I'm taking you on a flavour journey through some of the best Burpple Beyond deals that promise not only a feast for your taste buds but also for your wallet.
Burpple
ADVERTISE WITH US
ADVERTISE WITH US