Category: Uniquely Singapore

8 Local Dishes Modified To Look Modern, Can You Recognise Them?

Modern Singaporean cuisine (local dishes modified to look modern), or mod-sin in short, amalgamates our familiar Singaporean hawker flavours with international dishes of the world. Very much like our Singaporean culture, mod-sin cuisine takes inspiration from various food cultures and adapts it into an experimental new dish that’s both bold and unique in taste.  

Let us explore the creativity and culinary concept behind some of these innovative creations that are only made possible thanks to our bustling local culture.

1. Hainanese Chicken Rice + Sushi

Image credit: Lepark

Picture a plate of steamed chicken rice served in bite-sized tapas portions. The Poached Chicken Sushi is unique to Lepark, a rooftop bar that’s situated on the roof of People’s Park Complex. A thin strip of nori sheet wraps around a tender poached chicken and Hainanese chicken sushi rice. Each morsel is topped with some garlic chilli. It ticks all the elements that goes into making a traditional chicken rice dish, but made more portable as side to some beer.

Lepark
Address: 1 Park Road, People’s Park Complex Level 6
Opening hours: Tue – Thu: 4pm – 11pm; Fri: 4pm – 12am; Sat: 12pm – 12am; Sun: 12pm – 11pm

2. Buah Keluak + Pasta

Image credit: Violet Oon Singapore

The distinctive ingredient used in traditional Nonya cuisine has now found its way into a marriage with Italian spaghetti. Admittedly, the fruit’s nutty and earthy profile makes it an acquired taste, but those who enjoy the rich and slightly bitter profile will appreciate Violet Oon’s take on Buah Keluak Noodle. This aromatic dish is tossed with chilli padi to lend a subtle kick, along with coconut milk and minced prawn.

Violet Oon Singapore
Address: 881 Bukit Timah Road
Opening hours: Tue – Sun: 12pm – 3pm, 6pm – 10:30am

3. Ondeh Ondeh + French Toast

Image credit: Crystalwee

Deconstructing an ondeh ondeh and infusing the sweet flavours into a classic breakfast dish makes the Ondeh Ondeh French Toast at Hyde & Co. a great dish that doubles as both dessert and tea break. The egg-washed brioche slices come loaded with grated pandan coconut and drizzled with gula melaka sauce. Topped with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream for good measure and you have for yourself an oozing cold dessert with all the reminiscent flavours of an ondeh ondeh.

Hyde & Co.
Address: 785 North Bridge Road
Opening hours: Sun – Mon: 11am – 6pm; Wed – Sat: 11am – 10:30pm

4. Chilli Crab + Bun

Image credit: Baomakers

The thought of having a chilli crab bun might sound off putting initially, but they actually make sense if you think about how Singaporeans like to soak up the leftover chilli crab sauce with deep fried mantous. Making this Chilli Crab Bao possible is Bao Makers. They take deep fried crab meat and slather it with chilli sauce and top it off with coriander and fried shallots. Essentially a combination of various Asian flavours, think of it as our version of a slider with a local twist.

Bao Makers
Address: 78 Horne Road
Opening hours: Mon – Fri: 12pm – 10pm; Sat: 11am – 10pm; Sun: 11am – 6pm

5. Charsiew + Fries

Image credit: Redpan

Give the standard truffle fries a miss the next time you’re hit with a fries craving. At Redpan, they top their Char Siew Chilli Fries with a charsiew ragout and dolloped with sour cream and some jalapeno salsa. The seemingly contrasting ingredients come together nice to form an addictive starter that you’ll polish off in no time.

Redpan
Address: 6 Raffles Boulevard, #02-03/04
Opening hours: Mon – Fri: 9am – 10pm; Sat – Sun: 11am – 10pm

6. Roasted Pork Belly + Pasta

Image credit: @cayceemeows

Not for the health-conscious, this Sio Bak Aglio Olio from Froth serves up chunks of roasted pork belly that sits on a bed of aglio olio, topped with a slice of their homemade bak kwa. The salty and crispy pieces of fats serve as a good contrast to the al dente pasta, creating a decadent dish that’ll fill you up with satisfaction.

Froth
Address: 2 Finlayson Green
Opening hours: Mon – Sun: 11:30am – 10pm

7. Rendang + Lasagna

Image credit: Makankaki

Replace the tomato sauce in a plain old lasagna with some authentic rendang gravy and what you’ll find yourself with is an explosion of taste comprising of Italian and Malay cuisine. Alternating layers of pasta sheets, beef briskets and bechamel make for the perfect Ren Dang! Lasagna. But top it with a scoop of rendang gravy and you get a savoury spicy kick in this updated dish. Regular lasagna will never cut it for you again.

Sunday Market
Address: 22 Lim Tua Tow Road
Opening hours: Mon – Fri: 11am – 11pm; Sat: 9am – 11pm; Sun: 9am – 9pm

8. Bandung + Latte

Image credit: Infuse your cuppa with floral accents of rose with Bandung Latte. Getting your caffeine fix just got a whole lot sweeter, with a drink that comes in a pretty pastel shade of pink. The rose floral notes mask the bitterness of the coffee, making this a delicious drink that even non-coffee fans will enjoy.

(Header image from Bao Makers, words by writer)

Also read: 9 Of SG’s Best Local Street Snack, How Many Have You Tried?

6 Things We Only Miss About Singapore When We’re Overseas

Wanderlust is a bittersweet concept. Having spent a good part of our lives in such a tiny island, we Singaporeans constantly have an innate longing to venture out into the vast unknown, tread on uncharted territories and take in all the sights and sounds the great big world has to offer.

We harbour big, big dreams to explore every nook and cranny in the world, one city at a time. We make ever-growing bucket lists and follow Instagram accounts with feeds that only serve to fuel our travel fantasies. But as much as we “can’t wait to escape the heat”, a part of our heart will always belong to our lion city. Here are some aspects of Singapore we only come to miss when we’re not around.

1. Sometimes It’s Good to be Small

If you’ve been to countries like Australia, you would know that life crawls to a slow by sunset. Shutters go down by 5 pm and everyone is back home for dinner come nightfall. While this laid back way of life may be a relaxing respite from our hectic lifestyle, sometimes we can’t help but crave a prata and teh tarik combo from a 24-hour coffee shop, or hit the clubs for a night of TGIF partying.

4. The Grass is Honestly Greener on Our Side  

Outsiders mock us relentlessly for being a fine city, and we’ve heard about our chewing gum law from foreign friends about a thousand times. But because these laws are in place, what we have is a relatively spotless cityscape and most importantly, public toilets that are actually clean. We may not be at Japan’s level, but we’re not too shabby ourselves either. Ask any tourist what they like about Singapore and they will, apart from our impeccable food, gush about how clean our public spaces are. We’ve got an army of cleaners, dustbins at every corner and NEA officers patrolling the streets to catch litterbugs.

5. Public Transport

[caption id="attachment_8511" align="alignnone" width="700"] Source: Source: foodie paradise we call home. Being a multi-racial nation comes with perks – a vibrant foodscape with cuisines from all over the world. Ask anyone who has lived abroad for a substantial period of time and chances are they won’t say they miss food from Michelin star restaurants or the cafés in Tiong Bahru. Singlish echoes of “Katong laksa!” or “prawn mee!” will reverberate loud and clear. There’s nowhere else in the world you can get a satisfying plate of Hainanese chicken rice with a bomb-ass chili paste for just $3 – cheap and good hawker food is something we take pride in.

There are about a hundred and one complaints we can easily list about Singapore. From our inferno-like weather to our absurd COE prices to our exponentially growing population, right down to the treacherous waiting time at polyclinics. But at the end of the day, there are still certain overlooked aspects about Singapore to be grateful for.

(Header image credit: from pictures above. Gardens by the bay picture credit: zoe lai. Words by editor)

8 Romantic But Affordable Wedding Venues In Singapore Under $10k

It’s June and that means the wedding season is upon us! We have often heard laments that Singapore is a very expensive place to get married, but is that true? We’ve embarked on this journey to discover the supposedly few romantic but affordable wedding venues that are slightly easier on the pocket. Not everyone wants or can fork out the usual hotel venues where one table could cost (gasp) $1888 – what Resorts World Sentosa charges for a weekday lunch.

Here are five offbeat venue suggestions that would not cost you an arm and leg. They’re even romantic and beautiful, to boot! With this, you and your partner can focus on building your nest egg instead.

1. Spruce Ristorante at Phoenix Park

For those of you looking for an intimate venue nestled within lush greenery, look no further! This open air rustic restaurant features a courtyard which accommodates up to 70 people and it is perfect for solemnization ceremonies.

They serve unpretentious American food here, which is available in both buffet and sit down styles, and you can savour that moment with your other half whilst enjoying the treetop view and the sound of chirping birds and insects nearby.

Another plus is the restaurant is sheltered, and only the deck is alfresco. If it happens to rain, you have a backup plan.

Spruce Ristorante at Phoenix Park
Cost: Buffet starts from $68++ per pax. Sit down dinner starts at $68++ per pax for three courses.
Indoor dining room or the alfresco dining area require a minimum spend of $5k. The former hosts up to 68pax and the latter accommodates up to 110pax. A minimum spend of $10k is required to book the whole restaurant.
Contact: 6836 5528
Email: [email protected]
Address: 320 Tanglin Rd Phoenix Park, Singapore 247980
How to get there: Opposite Redhill MRT, take bus 132 and alight after 2 stops

2. Yacht

For couples who share a love for the sea or want something different, rent a yacht for the day to hold your nuptials and reception.

Some yachts have their own barbeque pits onboard. You could also arrange for catering (at your own cost). Space is quite limited since most yachts only allow up to 30 people onboard. You could also fork out more to rent the luxurious Royal Albatross which can host up to 149 guests.

The yachts are available for rent at four hours and you can extend the hours afterwards for around $350 per hour, depending on the vendor. Weekdays are usually cheaper but
Contact:  6808 6303
Email: [email protected]

*Most yachts cost around $3k for 4 hours. Extension rate applies, food and beverages are not included.

3. SAF Yacht Club (Changi Clubhouse)

[caption id="attachment_8663" align="aligncenter" width="696"] Credit:

At the SAF Yacht Club, you have the option of inviting up to 250 people so for couples who plan to have a bigger wedding but have a tight budget, you might want to check it out.

SAF Yacht Club (Changi Clubhouse)
Cost: From $25++ per person for their dinner package (they have a variety). Sit down dinners start at $688++ per table for 10.
Contact: 6389 3760
Email: [email protected]
How to get there: © Sharon Zhang’s Facebook[/caption]

Singapore Turf Club
Cost: Starts from $80++ per person for buffet style solemnization lunch. At least 50pax for dinner or $888++ per table for 10. Minimum booking of 20 tables for chinese-style sit down lunch or dinner. You can host up to 1000 guests here.
Contact: 6879 1715
Email: [email protected]
How to get there: Kranji MRT Station
Address: Singapore Turf Club, 1 Turf Club Avenue, Singapore Racecourse, Singapore 738078

5. Rider’s Cafe

The Rider’s Café is great for couples who are looking for a more intimate wedding ceremony. It’s a unique venue and there are stables and horses right outside the yard!

This café seats up to 60 guests for a sit-down dinner and couples can customise the venue based on their wedding theme.

The three-course menu can be tailored to each guest’s needs. Three different time slots available – from lunch (11am to 3pm) to tea (3.30pm to 5.30pm) to dinner (6pm to 10pm).

Unfortunately, tea time is only limited to two hours and you cannot arrange for extensions unlike the other two time slots.

Rider’s Café
Cost: $55++ per pax for three courses. Maximum of 60 pax for sit down dinner. Up to 80 pax for cocktails with a minimum spending of $2.5k++ on weekdays and $3.8k++ on weekends, not including venue rental.
Contact: 6466 9819
Email: [email protected]
How to get there: 20mins walk from Sixth Avenue MRT
Address: 51 Fairways Drive Singapore 286965

6. Kombi Rocks

Ever imagined yourself in a classic Beetle, feeding your fiance some ice cream whilst chilling in the backseat? How about enjoying the view of the lalang fields or riding the old school white scooter with your bae?

Well, Kombi Rocks has got your back! This retro venue with its iconic fleet of Beetles and Kombis would surely give hipster couples that 50’s vibe they love.

The rustic charm does not end here as the whole diner is decorated as such with light brown tiled flooring. This certainly reminds us of gran’s house! Instead of the usual western cuisine you would expect (from such hipster cafes or diners), Kombi Rocks, fomerly known as Koon Kee Restaurant, offers Teochew-Thai fusion.

If you want a unique old school or shop house venue that offers Asian comfort food like Mee Goreng or Otah, we think you might like this place.

© Wheeler’s Yard[/caption]

We’re sure everyone has heard of Wheeler’s Yard. Unlike most hipster haunts, this place is huge, as it used to be a warehouse before it was converted to a cafe cum bicycle atelier.

[caption id="attachment_8675" align="alignnone" width="1024"] © fionatreadwell.wordpress.com[/caption]

This industrial themed venue will may need some decoration for that romantic feeling. The downside to this place is that only bookings from Tuesdays to Thursdays are allowed.

© NOM Facebook[/caption]

Remember when the slides were made from smooth hard tiles and how everyone, including your childhood sweetheart, took turns sliding down it?

Well you would be pleasantly surprised to learn that NOM has a small replica slide that us 90’s kids used to play with! This brightly lit cafe will probably bring back some good old memories. It also has a heartland feel to it, thanks to the colorful dragon slide in the corner and its location.

[caption id="attachment_8676" align="alignnone" width="960"] © NOM Facebook[/caption]

Not to mention, this spacious Bakery is also known for its customised fondant cakes. Go ahead and hire them to bake your wedding cake as well!

wedever.co, words by editor)

Also read: Under SGD500 – 5 Nearby Places For A Weekend Getaway