1933? Why not 1954? Or 1965? Or any other year for that matter?
Turns out, this nostalgic restaurant helmed by Toast Box is named after the year the Capitol Theatre was first opened. Located in the middle of Capitol, this 2-storey restaurant is pretty hard to miss.
With its revamped menu, 1933 now presents a range of Nanyang-inspired dishes that we’re confident will impress both locals and non-locals. We started with the Forest Mushroom ($6.90) and boy were we pleasantly surprised with the crunchiness of the bread bowl. We’re not proud of it, but we ended up ditching our cutleries and went for the bread with our hands instead. #dontjudge
The Luncheon Fries ($5.90) are pretty much like your usual SPAM fries but its accompanying sweet chili sauce made all the difference. The Hainanese-style Satay ($8.90/6 sticks) on the other hand, blew us away. Succulent and tender, the bursting smoky flavors of the charcoal-grilled meat hit us like a wrecking ball. In a good way. The only gripe we have however, is the size of the satays. Please sir, can we have some more?
Moving on to the mains, the Hainanese Chicken Rice ($12.90) was a delight. Though more expensive than your Kopitiam version, the quality of this dish is worth its price. Served with fragrant rice cooked in chicken broth, a side of bean sprouts, a platter of chicken, a small plate of kang kong, and a bowl of soup, this dish is pretty much a meal by itself.
If you’re a fan of spicy dishes and Toast Box’s laksa, the Laksa Pasta ($13.90) is definitely the dish to go for. A local favorite with an Italian twist, the chef did a more than decent job in marrying the two. The taste of laksa is very evident despite the pasta’s dryness but as non-chili enthusiasts, we thought the dish was a tad spicy. So if you’re like us, do keep a drink handy which in our case, was the Berry Bliss ($5.50), a perfect blend of fresh mixed berries, mint and lemonade to douse the laksa fire.
To complete our meal, we had the decadent Gula Melaka Pandan Cake ($7.90), a soft pandan chiffon caked baked with bits of palm sugar and served with Gula Melaka syrup.
The prices may not be very 1933, but this revamped menu does offer some pretty good dishes. So if you’re in town and are game to try local food with a unique twist, take a trip to 1933 and who knows, you may be pleasantly surprised.
Address: 15 Stamford Road #01-83, S178906
Tel: 6348 3660
Operating Hours: Daily 8.30am-10pm
(Header image by The Food Journal, words by writer.)
Also read: Hipster Hawkers: 5 Stalls That Are Redefining Hawker Culture
