Most people know Queenstown for two things: IKEA and Queensway Shopping Centre. What many people may not know is Queenstown is also Singapore’s first satellite town.
An area rich with history, those who live in Queenstown know it is more than just a place to get cheap furniture and cheap sport shoes. In fact, Queenstown is home to many underrated food gems that residents have been keeping to themselves!
Offering tasty local grub, trendy desserts, and everything in between, even the pickiest eater will be able to find something here!
For those with a taste for local delights,
1. Depot Road Zhen Shan Mei Claypot Laksa
Believe it or not, this Michelin-starred laska only costs $3/$4/$5, depending on the portion you order.
Here, they are generous with their prawns, tau pok (fried beancurd), cockles and fish cakes, which are all soaked in their deliciously thick, savory broth. Serving the laksa in a claypot is a stroke of genius, as it keeps the broth nice and warm up till the very last mouthful.
Depot Road Zhen Shan Mei Claypot Laksa
Address: Blk 120 Bukit Merah Lane 1 #01-75, Alexandra Village, Singapore 150120
Opening Hours: Mon – Sat, 9am – 3.30pm; Closed Sun
2. Master Prata
Hidden between a row of shops at Alexandra Central Mall, you might miss this prata shop if you’re not looking out for it. Master Prata has an extensive menu, featuring a whopping 108 flavors of prata, alongside items like mee goreng and roti john.
The plain prata ($1.20), or kosong prata, as we Singaporeans affectionately know it, is crispy without being excessively oily. You can choose from 3 different curries: chicken, fish and mutton.
Another popular choice is the tissue prata with chocolate sauce ($3). It is crispy on the outside, and light and fluffy on the inside. The dark chocolate sauce plays the role of the supporting character well, and doesn’t overpower the prata.
Be prepared to be spoiled for choice when you pay this eatery a visit. Go for a safe option with the egg prata or opt for a more daring alternative, such as the milo prata and egg floss prata! You can even order one of each–who says you have to stop at one?
Master Prata
Address: 321 Alexandra Road, Alexandra Central Mall, #01-02, Singapore
Opening Hours: Daily, 10am – 12am
Website
3. Wow Wow West
Wow Wow West whips up value for money food that warms the heart. As supporters of the Yellow Ribbon Project, they hire ex-offenders and ex-drug addicts to help in the kitchen.
Try their Dory Fish & Chips ($6). With its outside cooked to a perfect golden brown, it reveals tender fish meat when you cut into it.
Alternatively, try the chicken chop, which is priced at a super affordable $5. The huge portion of meat is juicy and well-seasoned with basil and tarragon. Paired with coleslaw, this dish beats KFC’s fried chicken hands-down.
Wow Wow West
Address: 6 Jalan Bukit Merah, #01-133 ABC Brickworks Market & Food Centre, Singapore 150006
Opening Hours: Mon, Wed – Sat: 10.30am – 7.30pm; Closed Tue and Sun
Website
For the hipsters,
4. The Bakehouse (Permanently Closed)
The Bakehouse is a quaint joint opened by artisan café Carpenter and Cook–and you can tell the instant you walk in.
Both cafes boast a rustic aesthetic, with vintage furniture strategically placed in every nook and cranny of the area. Pleasing on the eyes, it’s also very Insta-worthy.
One thing that sets this café apart from its sister counterpart is their focus on main courses such as pizza, pasta and sandwiches.
The chili crab linguine ($22) has finely shredded crab meat tossed into the springy pasta noodle. Its fusion chili sauce is reminiscent of the sauce in chili crab–spicy, with the tang and sweetness of tomato sauce. It’ll take you more than a little effort to keep yourself from licking the whole plate clean!
Another fantastic dish worth a taste is the Parma Ham Pizza ($18), which is good for sharing between 4 people. Topped with tomato, parma ham, mozzarella and shaved parmesan cheese, with truffle oil drizzled over it, every bite of this pizza delivers a kick of flavour.
If you like your pizza crust thin and crispy, you’ll love this pizza. Baked to perfection, it won’t leave you feeling bloated from all that extra pizza dough.
The Bakehouse
Address: Alexandra Central, 321 Alexandra Road, #01-14, Singapore 159971
Opening Hours: Sun – Thurs: 8am – 10pm; Fri, Sat, eve of PH: 8am – 11pm
Website
5. Boufe Boutique Café
Situated between Queenstown and Redhill, in a slightly ulu place in Phoenix Park is this well-hidden gem. The food here is well worth the journey it might take for you to get here!
Just take a look at the Milky Way cake, a masterpiece in terms of both looks and taste. Beneath the star spangled layer lies an Italian sponge cake with white chocolate and yogurt mousse. There is also calamansi jelly interspersed through the cake, keeping the cake from being overly sweet.
One of those foods that look too good to eat, you’ll be torn on whether to eat it or to keep admiring it.
If you swing more savoury than sweet, try the smoked salmon croissant ($19). The buttery croissant is served in bite-size portions, accompanied by smoked salmon and fluffy scrambled eggs. A brunch classic that never gets old!
Boufe Boutique Café
Address: 308 Tanglin Road, Phoenix Park #01-01, Singapore 247974
Opening Hours: Tues – Sun: 10am – 10pm; Closed Mon
Website
For those with a sweet tooth,
6. Love Confectionery
This old-school bakery located just opposite Alexandra Food Village will have you reliving your childhood with their wide array of pastries.
The most famous item here would definitely be their cakes, priced at just $0.90 a slice. They also sell cakes in flavours like peanut, chocolate rice, rainbow sprinkles, and more. Nothing takes you back to your childhood days like chocolate rice and rainbow sprinkles, am I right?
These simple cakes may not look the fanciest, but they have everything you want in a cake; they’re light, they’re moist, and they’re oh-so-tasty.
Another must try at this confectionery would be their pandan chiffon cake ($0.80). Fragrant, with its subtle flavour lingering on your palate even after you’ve finished eating it, it’ll have you craving for a second slice. If you want to give this a try, make sure to do it early in the day! We hear these cakes run out fast!
Love Confectionery
Address: Blk 122 Bukit Merah Lane 1, Singapore 150122
Opening Hours: Daily, 12pm – 9pm
7. King Avocado
It is a well-known fact that Alexandra Food Village is the home of avocado juice. Of the 5 stalls selling avocado juice there, King Avocado, the pioneer of avocado juices, emerges victorious.
The top-grade avocadoes used here blends well with the infusion of gula melaka, giving the avocado juice served at this particular store a smoothness and creaminess that’s hard to beat. At $3.50 for a regular-sized cup and $5 for the large cup, it may not be the cheapest, but it’s definitely worth every dollar.
King Avocado
Address: Blk 120 Bukit Merah Lane 1, Alexandra Village Hawker Centre, Stall 01-19, Singapore
Opening Hours: Mon – Fri, Sun: 9.30am – 9.30pm; Closed Sat
8. The Milky Way
Opened by Campus Superstar alumni Renfred Ng and managed by his brother Alfred Ng, The Milky Way serves a host of delectable, unique ice-cream flavours. Priced at $3.80 for a regular scoop and $4.50 for a premium scoop, this is the perfect pick-me-up for a hot summer day typical day in Singapore.
One interesting flavour the Ng brothers have created is the ‘Smurf’. Coloured blue like a Smurf, no artificial colouring was used to give the ice-cream this blue hue. Instead, the colour comes from blue butterfly pea flowers. Flavour-wise, it tastes like a cross between bubblegum and a paddlepop ice-cream.
Another must-try flavour would be the Strawberry Cheesecake. Expect chunks of biscuits and strawberry hidden within the velvety texture of this ice-cream.
You can also pair your ice-cream with waffles here! The waffle batter is home-made daily by Renfred and Alfred’s mum. With a crispy exterior that doesn’t turn soggy from the ice-cream, a whole waffle will set you back $8.80, while a half waffle will only set you back $5.
The Milky Way
Address: Blk 48, Tanglin Halt Road, Singapore 142048
Opening Hours: Sun, Mon, Wed, Thu: 1pm – 10pm; Fri – Sat: 1pm – 1am; Closed Tue (except PH)
Website
9. All The Batter
Some of you have tried banoffee pies (a dessert pie made from bananas, cream and toffee) before, but how many of you have tried a banoffee pie drink?
All The Batter has taken a creative approach to making the English classic by using fresh bananas, chocolate chips, caramel, honey and milk to make a liquid version of the pie. Priced at $4.90, wholesome ingredients are used to create this drink, such as their hand-made honey cream.
One of their latest creations is the Fruit Bran ($4.90), a hand-roasted rolled oats drink blended with fruits and honey. It is a refreshing mid-day perk for those working in the area.
All The Batter also sells a range of superfoods such as granola and flax seeds, so to all the health nuts out there, don’t say bojio!
All The Batter
Address: 370 Alexandra Road, #B1-46 Anchorpoint, Singapore 189953
Opening Hours: Mon – Wed, Fri – Sun: 11.30am – 9.30pm; Closed Thurs
Website
10. Nine Fresh
Possibly the most affordable Taiwan dessert brand here in Singapore, Nine Fresh now has 15 different locations in our country alone! Did you know there is an outlet located underneath a HDB flat in Queenstown?
Beat the sweltering Singapore heat with Nine Fresh Signature, a mixture of bean curd and grass jelly, generously topped with red beans, green beans, pinto beans, peanuts and taro balls. A perfect harmony of tastes and textures, this is a real treat for the taste buds.
The customers’ favourite here is the Grass Jelly Special. This $2 bowl of goodness has aloe vera, pearl jelly, taro balls, black sugar jelly dice and milk balls. You won’t be able to get a scoop of grass jelly without all the other ingredients getting into your spoon!
Don’t be deceived by the size of their portions–these desserts are so filling, they could pass as a full meal.
Nine Fresh
Address: Blk 169 Stirling Road, #01-1149, Singapore 140169
Opening Hours: Mon – Fri: 11am – 9.30pm; Sat – Sun, PH: 10am – 9.30pm
Website
With such a diverse array of foods to be found in Queenstown, it’s definitely an area worth traveling to to eat. The next time you’re in the vicinity furniture shopping or copping yourself some cheap sporting goods, make sure you stop by some of these eateries!
Also read Lok² And Load – Prepare Yourselves For This All-You-Can-Eat Buffet For Only $24.60 Per Pax
