Local Faves

An affordable, no-frills, eat-and-go experience in the heart of town. Batter for both was not as crisp as I would have liked, and the pork chop had to little meat in my opinion. The chilli that came with leaned on the tangier side, and didn't really suit the chicken/pork chop. As for the sides, the fries+beans+coleslaw combo was decent, but the noodles was blander than I expected - at least they gave chilli! Overall, for an $11 meal for two, it's definitely a good place for a quick and simple meal.

Quite authentic, broth is almost like what I had in my childhood in Kuching. Noodles were plentiful, and there was substantial egg strips, shredded chicken, and taugeh. The bowl also came with THREE juicy and sweet whole prawns wow! Mix in the chilli and lime and you've got yourself a fantastic meal. Highly recommend.

I dare say this store has one of the best char siew in the whole of Singapore....forget about the roast duck (it's just average) and forget about the roasted pork (skin is crackling but so so fatty and oily), just head straight for the charsiew plus your choice of rice or noodles. The noodles are good but I prefer the rice as a blank canvas to the sweet saltiness of the charsiew and its sauce. For sides, the nai bai cai had an addictive sauce and the fried wontons was pretty filling and good. Otherwise, yeah a good place to satisfy your roast meat (read: charsiew) cravings although watch out for all the oil and fats.

Set F ($6.50) - Rice + Abalone 1pc + Scallop 1pc + Mushroom 2pcs + Chicken + Lupcheong, served with soup, dessert, and free flow chinese tea. Overall, taste was good with special shoutout to the tender and well-marinated chicken pieces. Very hearty and homely meal in the middle of Orchard.

Recent cravings for Peranakan food led me to this slightly hidden stall at Golden Mile Food Centre, and boy was this a good find. Blunt but friendly aunty serving customers and even helping to clear their plates. The Ayam Rendang ($8) came in a sharing portion of chicken and potatoes in a superb aromatic and slightly spicy gravy; and the best part is that the chicken pieces are boneless! The Chapchai ($5) was also really good and in a sizeable portion. Two plates of rice completed the meal for an additional $0.50 a plate. Don't forget to ask for their (very potent) chilli too! Overall, fantastic and homely peranakan fare at a very affordable price. Would definitely return and also wholeheartedly recommend anyone to come by too!

Lots of variety of local delights at an affordable price considering the standards and the service. We had the Curry Chicken w/ Prata ($9.50), added on another prata ($1.50), the Dry Laksa Goreng ($9.90), and a glass of Honey Lemongrass ($2.50). Prata would be good for those who prefer soft and fluffy prata. Curry chicken was delicious, except for the fact that the bone-in chicken pieces were slightly undercooked closer to the bone. Didn't get a stomachache though, thank goodness. Dry laksa goreng was pretty good and lemak, and the thick rice vermicelli used was firm and not mushy. Honey lemongrass came in a small portion though. Overall, $28.06 for everything seems alright considering two of us were so full after, but do watch out for the chicken.

Always passed by without noticing this non-descript restaurant, but after a colleague mentioned that this was her favourite weekend meal, decided to try. Staff were proactive in approaching us and sharing about the menu. They have a wide range of dishes, but I was immediately drawn to their set meals which were so value for money. Starting from $13.80, you could get a main, 2 sides, and a dessert - a considerable steal for the portion as well as the standard! We chose the Ayam Kleo and Babi Pongtay set, trying all the sides, and sticking to the Sago Gula Melaka for the desserts. Everything was so good, and do remember to ask for their homemade chilli which complemented the meat so well. Overall, a filling and delicious meal and we would definitely return!

Found at the corner of the first floor, surprisingly manned by a bunch of young dudes. Waited about 20min for the food, says alot about their popularity. Food-wise, I liked the sogginess and wokhey of the noodles, and there were substantial squids, pork belly, and eggs as well. Remember to add on the lard! The only thing I was disappointed by was the chilli - was a rather weak punch and I would have preferred more spice and sourness.

The Lu Rou Fan ($3.50) was surprisingly substantial in portion and taste wise it was also pretty good. Lots of meat in a delicious sweet dark sauce, coupled with a sizeable portion of greens make for a satisfying dish. Would return to try their other cuts of meat; the pork cheek one looks especially tantalising!

Not as delicious as years ago. Prices are also slightly high ($5 for bigger portion of the standard chicken rice) for a normal-quality chicken rice.

Stumbled upon this old school-styled cafe which had traditional kopitiam delights at an affordable price in comparison to the other establishments in the Tanjong Pagar area.

Started off with the Peanut Butter French Toast ($4.50) which were slightly-bigger-than-bite-sized squares of eggy bread filled with peanut butter, with drizzles of honey on top. This combination worked surprisingly well, but I wished the peanut butter filling was thicker and creamier.

For mains, we had the Signature Hainanese Chicken Cutlet ($15.90). The chicken cutlet was clearly the star of the show - a huge, thick slab of breaded boneless chicken leg. Bite into it with an audible *crunch*, and you'll be greeted with the juicy and flavour chicken within. Pair this with the rich, buttery gracy, and you have a winner of a chicken cutlet. Loved this from the first bite till the last lick of the plate.

Washed everything down with the Iced Teh C ($4), and we were already making plans to return to try the other dishes on the menu!

Thought this was tomato soup at first; so thick and generous was the gravy that it looks like an egg-drop tomato soup. Nice chunks of both tomato and cherry tomatoes, but ultimately I thought the gravy was too sweet and didn't gel well with the scrambled egg. The rice also got very mushy from the gravy.