Location: Bedok

This Hawker Stall In Bedok Run By 3 Young Dudes Serves Ume-zing Japanese Fusion Food For Under $7

Fusion food is a rather ingenious concept that gives us the best of both worlds, but it more often than not comes with a premium price tag as well.

The much-hyped Lobster Nasi Lemak, for example, costs a whopping $22 — a price point higher than some restaurants, mind you — while hawker chain Fish & Chicks charges $12.90 for their chilli crab and salted egg fish & chips.

The folks at Plum & Rice, however, have flipped that idea on its head, and the result is an incredibly satisfying meal at an even more satisfying price.

Small Menu, Big Flavours

Occupying a humble corner stall at Bedok North Street 1 Market and Food Centre, Plum & Rice serves Japanese-inspired rice with Singaporean-inspired dishes.

The concept is the brainchild of three friends who graduated from the Culinary Institute of America (Singapore) — they discovered the titular combination of Umeboshi and rice while searching for inspiration in Japan, and decided to adopt the fusion angle to better suit the Singaporean palate.

The menu, while small, is all about choices — right from the get go you can choose between rice or porridge, both of which are infused with an Umeboshi paste.

Unfortunately, the porridge was sold out by the time we got there (a testament to how popular it is, perhaps), but the rice is definitely something to write home about.

Thanks to the addition of house-made furikake, cereal, curry leaves, dried shrimp and seaweed, everything comes together to form an extremely flavourful bite, and I could have seriously ate a bowl of it on its own. The owners have also recently added red rice into the mix, making it as healthy as it is tasty.

On the meat side of things, you have three choices: braised pork belly, braised pork shoulder, and fish. Both pork dishes are prepared in the same dark soy sauce and are therefore rather similar in taste, but the belly is ultimately is the one to get thanks to its silky smooth texture.

Breaking apart at the slightest touch, every slice quite literally melts in your mouth. There’s also a rather…homely feel to the taste, which forms a nice juxtaposition with the Japanese rice.

The fish was also sold out (pro-tip: go early), but co-owner Raphael tells us that it’s cooked sous-vide style, which makes it very, very tender. Judging by how smooth the pork belly was, we wouldn’t doubt it.

Each meal also comes with a side and (refillable!) soup, both of which change every two weeks. We were served bean sprouts and peanut soup, and their lighter tastes balanced out with the savoury meat and rice perfectly.

One personal recommendation I have to make is the house-made chilli —it provides a decent kick of spice without going overboard, and adds a whole new dimension of to an already-flavourful meal.

Cheaper Than You Think

You might think that all this would be pretty expensive, but a meal at Plum & Rice will actually cost you less than $7.

Yup, that’s right — you’re getting rice, meat, a side and free-flow soup for the unbelievable price of $4.90 ($6.90 if you’re going for the fish, which is still very reasonable), which honestly might be the best deal we’ve seen in recent history.

One caveat, however, is that the stall closes at 2pm, which might be a problem for office workers and those not living in the east.

Those willing to put in the effort to try them out, however (there’s always the weekend), will not be disappointed.

Plum & Rice
Address: 216 Bedok North Street 1, #01-45, Singapore 460216
Opening Hours: 8am – 2pm (Closed on Mondays)

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Also Read Tsukiji Fish Market Restaurant Is Pretty Close To The Real Deal — Serves Fish, Ramen, Yakiniku All In One Place

(Header Image Source: Discover SG)

10 Michelin Bib Gourmand Eateries Actually Worth Visiting, According To S’poreans

The list of restaurants that have been awarded the Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2018 has been released.

Not to be confused with the Michelin Star, the Bib Gourmand is awarded to eateries that serve really good food below a maximum price determined by local economic standards. For Singapore, the maximum is $45.

And this year, there are 17 new additions to the Bib Gourmand list.

However, with so many eateries on the 50-strong list, how many are ACTUALLY worth visiting?

After all, food preference is subjective. So we’ve sieved through the list of 50 to pick out our 10 favourites.

Here we go.

Ah Er Soup

If you love soup like I do, then this is it.

I’ve seen many shops with the sign “老火汤”, which translates into “Old Fire Soup”, but I’ve never come across one with accolades like the Bib Gourmand.

Ah Er Soup serves up various herbal soups with offerings such as Lotus Root Soup and Watercress Soup and even their own version of Buddha Jumps Over The Wall.

Every order of soup comes with white or pumpkin rice. And the best part is, the prices are incredibly affordable, between $3.50 to $6.50.

Ah Er Soup
Address: 6 Jalan Bukit Merah, ABC Brickworks Market & Food Centre #01-143, Singapore 618642
Opening Hours: Daily: 11am – 9pm

Alliance Seafood

Alliance Seafood blends into the sea of tze char stalls at Newton Food Centre very easily mainly because it looks like a generic stall.

It doesn’t really look any different from a regular tze char stall.

Like any tze char stall, the available dishes are quite standard. You can expect Chilli Crab, Black Pepper Crab, Fried Rice, Cereal Prawn, BBQ Stingray, Sambal Kangkong, and more.

Seats are hard to find due to the crowd here, so come early with a tissue packet for the chope.

Alliance Seafood
Address: Newton Food Centre, 501 Clemenceau Avenue North #01-27, Singapore 229495
Opening Hours: Thu – Tue: 1pm – 12am, Wed: Closed

Chey Sua Carrot Cake

Don’t expect to find the sweet, dark carrot cake here because Chey Sua Carrot Cake only serves the savoury, white carrot cake.

The carrot cake here is homemade from scratch, unlike most carrot cake stalls nowadays who prefer to use machine-processed carrot cake chunks.

The cooking method is also slightly different. While most carrot cake hawkers pan-fry the carrot cake chunks first before cracking and adding the eggs later, Chey Sua Carrot Cake mixes the carrot cake chunks in beaten egg mixture before pouring it on to the pan to fry.

The result is a carrot cake that resembles a pancake. Flat with each carrot cake chunk evenly coated in egg mixture.

Need your carrot cake fix? Be prepared for a wait. Especially now that they’ve received their Bib Gourmand accolade.

Chey Sua Carrot Cake
Address: Blk 127 Toa Payoh West Market & Food Centre Lorong 1 #02-30, Singapore 310127
Opening Hours: Tue – Sun: 6am – 1pm, Mon: Closed

Hoo Kee Bak Chang

Hoo Kee Bak Chang is known to be Singapore’s best bak chang (rice dumpling).

If you love salted egg, then you’ll love this too. They’re known for their Salted Egg with Chestnut Bak Chang – a traditional bak chang with the addition of salted egg yolk.

The bak changs are priced from $2.80 to $3.60 and each one is handmade.

If you know your bak chang, then you have to try this because there’s no better bak chang than this.

Hoo Kee Bak Chang
Address: 7 Maxwell Road, Amoy Street Food Centre #01-18, Singapore 069111
Opening Hours: Mon – Sat: 11am – 3pm, Sun: Closed
Contact no.: 6221 1155

Address: Blk 161 Bukit Merah Central #01-3735, Singapore 150161
Contact no.: 6222 7866
Image Credit: Burppler Wan Yu Elton Goh[/caption]

There are other sides to order as well, such as various boiled soups and blanched vegetables with oyster sauce.

Because of the long waiting times, there’s the option to call ahead to place your orders so piping hot claypot rice will be ready when you arrive.

Lian He Ben Ji Claypot Rice
Address: 335 Smith Street, Chinatown Complex #02-198/199, Singapore 050335
Opening Hours: Fri – Wed: 4.30pm – 10pm, Tue: Closed
Contact no.: 6227 2470

Na Na Homemade Curry

I remember there was a stall in Bukit Panjang Plaza’s Kopitiam that sold really good Chinese-style curry.

I love Chinese-style curry. It is usually spicier and comes paired with either white rice or baguette.

This is what you’ll find at Na Na Homemade Curry. They serve a variety of Chinese-style curries, with options such as Curry Chicken ($3), Curry Vegetable ($3), Curry Fish Head, and even Curry Mutton ($4) and Curry Pork Ribs ($4).

[caption id="attachment_36002" align="aligncenter" width="645"] Image Credit: Burppler Christina Nanana[/caption]

Order yours with a side of white rice or toasted baguette slices because you’ll definitely need a buffer for the incoming spice hit.

Na Na Homemade Curry
Address: 115 Bukit Merah View, Singapore 151115
Opening Hours: Mon – Sat: 11am – 7pm, Sun: Closed
Contact no.: 9106 4316

Outram Park Fried Kway Teow Mee

Outram Park Fried Kway Teow Mee always has a long queue, but don’t worry, it clears pretty quickly because every plate is cooked and served with surprising speed.

Even though it says “Kway Teow Mee” in the name, what they serve here is basically Char Kway Teow. However, the version here isn’t as oily as the ones you’d find elsewhere, with plenty of egg, lard, beansprouts, and cockles.

[caption id="attachment_36003" align="aligncenter" width="645"] Image Credit: Burppler Steve G[/caption]

They’re also not heavy-handed with their dark soy sauce so the Char Kway Teow is more savoury than sweet.

You can order the spicy version and your order will be fried with chilli instead of the typical scoop of chilli on the side.

This is probably the best Char Kway Teow you can find in Singapore at the moment.

Outram Park Fried Kway Teow Mee
Address: #02-18 Hong Lim Market & Food Centre, 531A Upper Cross Street, Singapore 051531
Opening Hours: Daily: 7am – 9pm

Sin Kee Famous Cantonese Chicken Rice

Chicken rice is probably Singapore’s most iconic dish. Everyone can learn to cook chicken rice, but few can make GOOD chicken rice.

However, that’s what Sin Kee Famous Cantonese Chicken Rice has managed to achieve. The chicken is tender and full of flavour, so no complaints there. The chicken rice, however, could do with a stronger flavour.

[caption id="attachment_36001" align="aligncenter" width="645"] Image Credit: Burppler Marvin Lowe[/caption]

At this point it just seems like white rice flavoured with a bit of chicken stock and is a little mild. I prefer the chicken rice to be full of flavour.

And now the aspect of chicken rice that can make or break the dish, the chilli. Once again, flawless execution. Spicy with a hit of tanginess, thanks to the lime and vinegar.

You want good chicken rice? This is where you should be going.

Sin Kee Famous Cantonese Chicken Rice
Address: Blk 40 Holland Drive, Singapore 270040
Opening Hours: Tue – Sun: 11am – 8pm, Mon: Closed

Shi Hui Yuan Hor Fun Specialty

Ipoh Hor Fun is a magical dish. It’s neither kway teow or hor fun. It just toes the line between the 2 and is so simple yet delicious.

The ones served at Shi Hui Yuan come with either duck, chicken, braised spare ribs, or a mixture of all 3.

[caption id="attachment_36000" align="aligncenter" width="645"] Image Credit: Burppler Jeremy Tan[/caption]

The recommended one is the Blissful Combination ($5), which has braised shiitake mushrooms, roast duck and chicken slices, as well as braised spare ribs.

A worthy mention is the sauce that they pour over the hor fun. It’s a magical concoction of the braising liquid of the mushrooms, spare ribs, and chicken.

The biggest problem you’ll encounter here is finishing your hor fun before you can finish the sauce.

Shi Hui Yuan Hor Fun Specialty
Address: 159 Mei Chin Road, Mei Ling Market & Food Centre #02-33, Singapore 140159
Opening Hours: Wed – Sun: 7.30am – 2pm, Mon – Tue: Closed

Zai Shun Curry Fish Head

Zai Shun Curry Fish Head looks just like a regular cai fan stall albeit slightly more upscale, with their rather impressive display shelves for the dishes.

While their name suggests that they’re known for their Curry Fish Head, it’s their Steamed Fish that fares better and is more popular.

[caption id="attachment_35998" align="aligncenter" width="645"] Image Credit: Burppler Sze Qi Wong[/caption]

The steamed fish depends on the catch of the day which ranges from red snapper to grouper.

Aside from their signature Steamed Fish, other must-orders include the Salted Egg Minced Pork, Fried Egg with Bittergourd, Har Cheong Gai (Prawn Paste Chicken), Braised Pork Belly, and Herbal Chicken.

[caption id="attachment_35999" align="aligncenter" width="645"] Image Credit: Burppler Gin[/caption]

There’s a lot more that’s worth trying so our advice is bring more people so you’ll get to try everything once.

Zai Shun Curry Fish Head
Address: 253 Jurong East Street 24 #01-205, Singapore 600253
Opening Hours: Thu – Tue: 7am – 3pm, Wed: Closed
Contact no.: 6560 8594

So there you have it. 10 of the best eateries, out of the 50 chosen by the Michelin inspectors, that’s actually approved and loved by locals.

Are any of these eateries already a favourite of yours? Or which are you going to try next? Let us know!

Also read Beyond Char Siew Siew Yoke – Cantonese Words & Phrases You Can Impress Your Grandma With

(Header Image Source: Burppler Marvin Lowe and Burppler I Makan SG)

Men In S’pore Blessed With Facial Hair, Here’s Where You Can Groom It For Under $30

For the gifted few men in our society that have the capacity to grow a full beard, this one is for you. In the recent decade, we’ve had many metrosexuals and “gentlemen” popping up.

I don’t mean “gentlemen” sarcastically. I’m referring to the term that dapper men who groom themselves with a fervent passion, use to address themselves and others like them.

[caption id="attachment_35746" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Image Credit: Pinterest[/caption]

You know, men like that.

Along with the emergence of this particular group of people, there have been modern barbershops appearing all over the island, catered specifically for men’s grooming.

However, not all are good and they’re always rather pricey, depending on the size of your beard. So we’ve compiled a short list of tried and tested barbershops that are affordable and good.

Grooming Is A Basic Human Right

1. We Need A Hero

We Need A Hero (cue song), is a grooming centre that provides haircuts, beard trimming, brow grooming, and even waxing services.

[caption id="attachment_35747" align="aligncenter" width="2048"] Image Credit: We Need A Hero[/caption]

The name comes from their belief that there is a hero, buried within every man – he just needs proper grooming to emerge.

[caption id="attachment_35748" align="aligncenter" width="1648"] Image Credit: We Need A Hero[/caption]

We Need A Hero provides beard trimming services starting from $15 and waxing from $22. For a full list of their services and prices, check 2. Paul’s Barbershop/Barbershop Pauls’

Paul’s Barbershop is a humble barbershop in Bedok offering haircuts and beard trimming services.

[caption id="attachment_35749" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Image Credit: Barbershop Paul[/caption]

A haircut will set you back $20, while a haircut and beard trimming session will cost $25.

There has been issues with inconsistency in the quality of the haircuts in the past few months, but haircuts are usually good.

Paul’s Barbershop
Address: Blk 202 Bedok North St. 1, #01-477, Singapore 540202
Opening Hours: Sat – Thu: 10am – 9pm, Sun: 12.30pm – 2.30pm
Contact no.: 8104 9577
Website

3. Limpeh Barbershop

For a more consistent and affordable grooming experience, Limpeh Barbershop is your “man”.

[caption id="attachment_35751" align="aligncenter" width="2048"] Image Credit: Limpeh Barbershop[/caption]

An adult haircut here will set you back $20 and beard sculpting alone (it’s basically beard trimming) only goes for $10!

That’s extremely affordable to be honest. For a solid beard sculpt at just $10, it’s hard to beat.

For a full list of their services and prices, check here.

You can also book an appointment on their website here. Do note that customers are given a 15 minutes grace period. Any latecomers will be rescheduled to the next available slot.

Limpeh Barbershop
Address: Blk 537 Bedok North Street 3, #01-511, Singapore 460537
Opening Hours: Mon – Fri: 11am – 9pm, Sat: 11am – 6pm, Sun: 12pm – 6pm
Contact no.: 9422 5895
Website

4. Barber Point

Barber Point might seem like another random neighbourhood barbershop, with no social media or website, but don’t let that fool you.

[caption id="attachment_35752" align="aligncenter" width="435"] Image Credit: HDB[/caption]

Because it really doesn’t have any social media or website.

All we know is that the haircuts only cost $15. So a beard trim wouldn’t be that far off. In fact, it might be even less.

If you’re expecting young, dapper men, the barbers here are all veteran barbers who know their stuff.

Sometimes, you just need a good and simple, unpretentious haircut to look good.

Barber Point
Address: Blk 118 Rivervale Drive, #01-12, Singapore 540118

5. The Black Tie Barbershop

The Black Tie Barbershop is by far the most proper barbershop on this list. The barbers are dressed to the nines, in formal shoes, pants, suspenders, and a combover so smooth you’d slip.

[caption id="attachment_35770" align="aligncenter" width="768"] Image Credit: Vulcan Post[/caption]

A haircut will cost you from $20 to $30, depending on your age, while a beard trim will be $25.

The shop is usually crowded, so book an appointment on their Also read McDonald’s Releases New ‘Har Cheong Gai’ Burger And Drumlets As Part Of National Day Menu

(Header Image Source: Unsplash)

Golden Village Cinema Is Bringing Movies Back To Bedok After 10 Years

While Bedok might be one of the most densely populated neighbourhoods in Singapore, it’s strange that the area does not have a cinema of its own.

One would have to go to Eunos, Tampines or further to catch a movie. The last movie theatre that served Bedok residents, was the iconic Princess Theatre, which closed 10 years ago.

Today, Golden Village Multiplex, Singapore’ leading cinema exhibitor, has opened its doors at Bedok with a new 576-seater multiplex at DjitSun Mall Bedok.

It’s somewhat serendipitous for the new Golden Village Bedok multiplex to be standing where the Princess Theatre once stood. It’s almost as if the Princess Theatre is passing on the baton to Golden Village.

Bringing Movie Magic To Bedok

This new cineplex will house 6 screens and can seat up to 576 people.

That’s not all. In line with the opening, Golden Village is launching a NEW curry-flavoured gourmet popcorn. This new popcorn is exclusive to Golden Village Bedok and will only be available for the first 3 months after the opening.

Golden Village will also be introducing 3 other popcorn flavours to all its cinemas islandwide – Seaweed Wasabi, Caramel, and Cheese.

If you’re living in Bedok, dry your tears because you no longer have to head to another neighbourhood to catch a movie!

Golden Village Bedok
Address: 445 Bedok North Street 1, #04-01 DjitSun Mall Bedok, Singapore 469661
Contact no.: 6653 8100
Website

Also read This New Arcade Is Supposedly The Biggest In The East Side – Tokens Go For As Low As 16 Cents

(Header Image Source: Golden Village)

This New Arcade Is Supposedly The Biggest In The East Side – Tokens Go For As Low As 16 Cents

5 months ago, VivoCity saw the opening of the Timezone flagship store and it was YUUUGE. You can see it for yourself in our video.

https://www.facebook.com/discover.sg.official/videos/2427312264161128/

Now, there’s a new arcade claiming that they’re the biggest arcade in the East side of Singapore.

Introducing Fat Cat Arcade. They recently opened in Bedok’s Djitsun Mall and they’re proudly owning the title of being the “Biggest Arcade In The East”, or as I would like to call it, B.A.I.T.E (The ‘e’ is silent.)

So Far, So Fat

Fat Cat Arcade claims that they have over 100 machines on the arcade floor and their tokens go for as low as $0.16 each!

Here’s a video tour of Fat Cat Arcade.

https://www.facebook.com/fatcatarcade/videos/194170894563006/

While I’m not a regular patron at arcades, the games I do go for are the shooters such as Time Crisis, The Walking Dead, and the Nascar racing games. Fat Cat Arcade seems to have more skill-based games than shooters.

Here are some photos of the arcade. Can you spot any games you’re familiar with?

To be fair, the arcade floor is quite expansive, though it’s not as big as Timezone. BUT, they have carpeted floors. So the point goes to them.

Of course, every decent arcade in Singapore has these cursed loose-clawed, money-sucking, token-eating machines and Fat Cat Arcade definitely didn’t forget theirs.

Oh, not forgetting these coin-drop arcade machines too.

Now, after you’ve spent hours upon hours farming and stocking up on your tickets, it’s time to redeem them for some prizes. And Fat Cat Arcade has a pretty decent “redemption shop”.

Actually we’re understating because you can choose from more than 500 items to redeem with your tickets. Also, the place reminds me of Mini-So.

Honestly speaking, Timezone is still bigger with more traditional digital arcade games and they have a bowling alley, bumper cars, an air hockey table.

But if you’re in the East and you’re trying to avoid the ‘Special Event Area’ near Sentosa at the moment, then Fat Cat Arcade is a good alternative.

Also, arcades are a better addiction than casinos. Just saying.

Fat Cat Arcade
Address: 445 Bedok North Street 1 Level 2, Djitsun Mall, Singapore 469661
Opening Hours: Daily: 11am – 1am
Contact no.: 6242 0221
Website

Also read There’s A New Sushi Joint At Northpoint City With Prices From $1/Plate

(Header Image Source: Fat Cat Arcade)

If You’re Living On A Budget, Here’s A List Of Crazy Cheap Eats In S’pore For Under $2

Don’t you just miss the days when life was simple, cartoons were great and food was cheap?

Now that we’ve grown up, life isn’t simple and cartoons have gone to shit. But we can still hope for cheap food. And the good news is, while prices have gone up in the last decade or so, there are some places that are still selling food at prices of the past.

So here’s a list of places that are still offering food below $2.

1. Cendol (Makan Melaka)

Because Singapore’s been experiencing a heat wave recently, we’re all clambering for the nearest air-conditioned shelter. And if that’s not available, a cold drink or dessert will have to do.

At Makan Melaka, they’re serving up a classic Singaporean dessert for less than $2. Their Cendol Melaka ($1.50) is made fresh daily.

You can also get the Cendol Melaka with Glutinous Rice for just $1.80.

Though the original Cendol Melaka is good on its own, other toppings such as corn and red bean are also available.

Makan Melaka
Address: Blk 1 Changi Village, Singapore 455207
Opening Hours: Wed – Fri & Sun: 8.30am – 10pm, Mon: 9am – 10pm, Sat: 8.30am – 11.30pm, Tue: 8.30am – 10pm, 11pm – 12am

Address: 492 Jurong West Ave 1, #01-70 Singapore 640492
Opening Hours: Daily: 7am – 7pm
Website

2. Tiong Bahru Fried Kway Teow

One of Singapore’s (debatable) most iconic dishes is Char Kway Teow. Waxed sausage slices, clams, beansprouts, and fishcake slices are stir fried with flat rice noodles (kway teow), yellow egg noodles and dark soy sauce.

The result is a dark and sticky sweet plate of kway teow full of flavour and wok hei. And that’s exactly what you’ll get for $2, at Tiong Bahru Fried Kway Teow.

As with most Char Kway Teow stalls, there’s the option of not having clams in your order. Personally, I don’t like clams in my Char Kway Teow.

You can also choose to order your Char Kway Teow with just kway teow and not a mix with yellow egg noodles.

If you’re looking for a simple, cheap, decadent plate of Char Kway Teow, this is it.

Tiong Bahru Fried Kway Teow
Address: 30 Seng Poh Road, #02-11 Tiong Bahru Market, Singapore 168898
Opening Hours: Thu – Tue: 11am – 10.30pm, Wed: Closed

3. Hum Jin Pang

Located in Maxwell Food Centre is a peculiar Hum Chin Peng (deep fried dough fritters) stall.

Aptly named Hum Jin Pang (no confusion here), what’s unique about this stall is that customers get to fry their own hum chin peng, coat it with sugar and pack it.

Crisp on the outside, and soft and fluffy on the inside, these traditional snacks prove that old truly is gold.

While some may argue that this is beyond self-service, please calm yourselves.

This practice is almost 3 decades old and it was started because customers in the past saw how busy the then-owner Li Zao was, and would offer to help him by frying their own hum chin pengs.

Smaller in size than what you might find elsewhere, Hum Jin Pang’s dough fritters come in two varieties – Five Spice Salt and Sweet Red Bean.

At six pieces for $1, these fritters are ridiculously cheap.

Hum Jin Pang
Address: Maxwell Food Centre, 1 Kadayanallur St., Singapore 069184
Opening Hours: Daily, 2.30pm – 8pm

4. Naan With Curry (Pak Kashmiri Delights)

I know of friends who have intense cravings for naan. While I don’t understand it, they’ve mentioned a certain place in Tekka Market, serving up $1 naan.

Enter Pak Kashmiri Delights, this unassuming Indian stall sells a variety of naan and curries. That’s not all, they make all their naan from scratch in the traditional tandoor.

The Plain Naan will set you back $1. Yeap, $1. For a HUGE piece of fluffy naan. For $2, you can get both the Plain naan and the Garlic naan.

Because their naan is baked in the traditional tandoor, each piece is specked with charred bits giving the naan an additional flavour profile.

While the curries will cost more than $2, if you’re willing to burst your budget a little, it’s definitely worth it.

Pak Kashmiri Delights
Address: 665 Buffalo Road, #01-250 Tekka Market, Singapore 210665
Opening Hours: Daily: 7am – 11pm

5. Rickshaw Noodles

Back at Maxwell Food Centre once again, is another stall that’s keeping a traditional dish alive, Zhong Guo Re Shi (Rickshaw Noodles).

Rickshaw noodles date back to the early days of Singapore, when vendors would peddle the noodles on a rickshaw.

While rickshaw noodles aren’t specifically defined, the stall here sells simple comforting noodle soups which are perfect on a cold day (kinda like Chicken Noodle Soup).

If you’d like a soupy option, go for the Yellow Egg Noodle Soup ($1) which comes with chye sim, carrots, dried shrimp and garnished with shallots.

There’s also the Mee Sua ($1) which comes with shitake mushrooms, chicken and fried shallots.

You can also choose from an array of ngoh hiang and fried food available. Quite a throwback to simpler times with simple food and simpler budgets.

Zhong Guo Re Shi (Rickshaw Noodles)
Address: Maxwell Food Centre, 1 Kadayanallur Street, #01-87, Singapore 069184
Opening Hours: Mon – Thu & Sat – Sun: 6.30am – 1.30pm, Fri: Closed

6. Junshin Express

Hidden in the basement of Bedok Mall, is Junshin Express. This halal-certified sushi joint sells sushi for just 50 cents per piece.

Yeap. 50 cents per piece is quite a steal considering that sushi isn’t usually cheap and even if it is, the lowest we’ve seen (till now) is $1.20 per plate.

A budget of $2 will net you 4 pieces of sushi. While it might not be filling, it’s perfect for a snack or if you just feel like eating something to occupy your mouth.

Currently, their only outlet is in the East. Here’s hoping they’ll open an outlet in the West.

Junshin Express
Address: 311 New Upper Changi Road, #B2-20 Bedok Mall, Singapore 467360
Opening Hours: Daily: 10am – 10pm
Contact no.: 6440 2893
Website

7.  Chicken Rice (820 Hainanese Chicken Rice)

Chicken rice is also one of Singapore’s most iconic dishes. Probably the most iconic.

820 Hainanese Chicken Rice sells their standard chicken rice for just $2. They do have other add-ons such as the braised egg and gizzards.

Where else can you find $2 chicken rice? Do NOT say Ananas.

820 Hainan Chicken Rice
Address: 823A Tampines Street 81, Singapore 521823
Opening Hours: Daily: 9am – 9pm, Closed: Alternate Mondays

Also read The First-Timer’s Guide To Food In Katong That Isn’t Just Laksa

This Halal Cafe Puts A Sweet Spin On Murtabak – Serves Flavours Such As Kit Kat And Red Velvet

My fondest memory of travelling to Indonesia will always be the street food. The murtabak manis in particular has always been my go-to dessert after a long day of activities.

If you’re not too familiar with murtabak manis, it’s the Indonesian version of a ‘pancake’ that’s usually thick and sinful due to the excessive amount of butter and toppings such as sweet condensed milk, chocolate sprinkles, grated cheese, ground peanuts.

Terang Bulan is a muslim-owned eatery that offers murtabak manis with several unique flavours – there’s bound to be something for everyone here.

Sugar Overload

Terang Bulan offers 30 over flavours for you to choose from, so you’ll be spoilt for choice. The Pizza Terbul (from $9) comes with 4 flavours of your choice.

Some of their popular flavours would be the Kit Kat, Choju (chocolate and cheese) and Juna (banana and cheese).

Freshly made upon order, you can expect hot pancakes, packed with your favourite toppings and drizzled with condensed milk. So bad for your health but so good for your soul.

In case you’re not up for sharing and you just want an entire terbul to yourself, they offer Mini Terbul (from $3.50/pc) as well.

Aside from their usual murtabak manis base, they have a red velvet edition as well. Just imagine sinking your teeth in red velvet murtabak manis topped with velvety cream cheese and oreo crumbs.

The owner, Ms Adhita, who migrated from Indonesia to Singapore at 14 years old, personally went back to her hometown, Surabaya to learn how to make murtabak manis.

So you know this murtabak manis at Terang Bulan is as close to authentic as you can get.

If you don’t have the time to head all the way to their stall, they do delivery as well. So you can get murtabak manis at the comfort of your own home.

Do give this murtabak manis a try if you’re ever in the East side. It’s definitely worth the calories.

Terang Bulan
Address: 430 Upper Changi Road, #01-04, East Village Mall, Singapore 487048
Opening Hours: Tue – Sun: 12pm – 8pm
Contact No.: 9230 9514
Price: $3.50 – $15
Website

Also Read Ben & Jerry’s Free Cone Day Is Back – Get Ready To Queue On April 10

(Header Image Source: @duashutter)

This Hawker Stall May Be Low-Key, But Its Soy Sauce Chicken Rice Is Hai Kee Amazing

Chicken rice is a dish that’s close to many Singaporeans’ hearts.

A dish that inspires fierce, unwavering loyalty among Singaporeans, many of us chicken rice fans have a favourite stall we rarely stray from.

If you love chicken rice, here’s a contender you should definitely check out – Hai Kee.

With two locations – one at Changi and one at Bedok – ‘Hai Kee’, which roughly translates to ‘remember the sea’, is a chicken rice stall that has been around since 1959.

Originally located at Upper Cross Street, this hawker stall is easy to spot with its bright red signboard. Specialising in soy sauce chicken rice, Hai Kee is run by a pair of young hawkers – Joseph Wang and his younger brother, James Wang.

Chicken That’s Soy Delicious

It probably goes without saying that the best-seller at Hai Kee is its signature soy sauce chicken.

A Cantonese style of cooking chicken that involves braising the chicken in soy sauce, Hai Kee’s version is tender and packed with delicious savoury flavour.

The chicken is poached to perfection and is left to rest for a few minutes before serving, which is what gives the meat its tender quality.

Choose to have your meat with either rice — cooked in a garlic- and ginger-infused broth and chicken fat — or egg noodles.

As with many other hawker stalls, you can order ‘xiao de‘ (small), ‘zhong de‘ (medium) or ‘da de‘ (large).

The Superior Soy Sauce Chicken Rice is $3.50 for a small serving, $4.50 for a medium serving, and $5.50 for a large serving, while the Superior Soy Sauce Noodle is $3.80, $4.80, and $5.80 for a small, medium, and large serving respectively.

Even though the soy sauce chicken is the crowd favourite, Hai Kee’s char siew is an absolute must try.

Roasted in-house, Hai Kee uses pork belly meat to make its char siew. The meat is marinated overnight and is freshly roasted daily with Hai Kee’s secret caramelised sauce. Succulent and bursting with flavour, the meat is the perfect mix of sweet and savoury, and will leave you hankering for more.

The Char Siew Rice is $3.50, $4.50, and $5.50 for a small, medium, and large serving respectively, while the Char Siew Noodle is $3.80, $4.80, and $5.80 for a small, medium, and large serving respectively.

Any chicken rice lover worth his salt will know that the sauces are just as important as the flavours on the plate – and Hai Kee’s definitely pack a punch.

If you can’t live without your chilli, dip your meats into Hai Kee’s chilli sauce! Prepared with two varieties of chilli – bird eyed chilli and big red chilli – the sauce is finished off with a dash of lime juice, giving it a bright, zingy twist.

Hai Kee has also created two ginger dipping sauces for its customers. Its ‘sha jiang’ ginger is a chunkier dip that is more reminiscent of the ginger sauce we’re familiar with. Aside from that, Hai Kee has also created a sweet-sour version that goes superbly with its chilli sauce.

Hai Kee also serves roasted pork and vegetables such as Oyster Sauce Vegetables ($3/small, $5/large) and Beansprouts with Cuttlefish ($3/small, $5/large) if you want more variety on your plate.

A New School Brand With Old School Flavour

While Hai Kee has undergone a huge rebranding, ditching its original, more traditional signboard for a modern aesthetic, the food and flavours have not changed; the chicken and roast here taste every bit like the Hai Kee Singaporeans have come to know and love, but with an updated presentation.

One thing you’ll notice when you eat at Hai Kee is that, unlike many chicken rice stalls these days, it serves its rice in a bowl. The old way of eating rice, the duo wanted to do this because they felt that the rice is more fragrant when eaten like this, instead of on a plate.

At Hai Kee, the food is served in traditional-style crockery, making you feel as if you’re having a comforting home-cooked meal, while also evoking a sense of nostalgia.

If you’re keen to have a taste of Hai Kee’s chicken rice, be warned — both its Changi and Bedok branches see long queues on weekends, so be prepared to wait! Otherwise, your best bet is to drop in on a weekday.

While Hai Kee may be a little out of the way for some of us, you can rest assured that the trip will be well worth your while. And if you can’t travel out for a taste, hey, they’re on all the food delivery apps – Deliveroo, FoodPanda, honestbee, and UberEATS.

With mouth-watering soy sauce chicken and tasty roasts, you’ll be wanting seconds while you’re at Hai Kee!

Hai Kee
Address: Kim San Leng Coffeeshop, 324T Changi Road S419799
Opening Hours: 9am – 6.30pm, while stock lasts; Kitchen is closed every Friday
Contact no.: 9459 2494

Address: Food Loft Coffeeshop, Blk 217 Bedok North St 01 S460217
Opening Hours: 9am – 8pm, while stock lasts; Kitchen is closed on alternate Tuesdays
Contact no.: 9835 0099

Also read If You Like Blackball, This Dessert Shop Will Have You Questioning Your Loyalties

Welcome To The Dark Side – These 13 Black Foods Will Surely Soot Your Tastebuds

Black – we love to wear it, we love it on makeup, we love to… eat it?

Black coloured foods seem to be the next big food trend and we think you’ll be seeing more of these dark, moody foods all over your Insta-feeds. From sinful desserts to devilish mains, with foods as black as our hearts, we’re not going to say no.

We’ve rounded up some of the blackest foods in Singapore, so let your inner goth come alive with these cold, black treats.

1. 黑 “Hei” Rice ($22) – Paddy Hills

This signature dish consists of the OG black food, squid ink pasta, tossed with a generous amount of crayfish, scallops, prawns, clams, and squid. The pasta is infused with the natural taste of the sea from the squid ink, and the sauce is briny and flavourful. While squid ink pasta is not hard to find across our little island, this is one of the better squid ink pastas you can get in Singapore.

Pasta Brava
Address: 11 Craig Road, Singapore
Opening Hours: Mon – Sat: 11.45am – 2.15 pm (lunch), 6.15pm – 10.15pm (dinner); Closed on Sun & PH

4. Squid Ink Panini with King Crab and Prawns ($14) – Dolcetto by Basilico

Black Magic[/caption]

You may have chanced upon this all-black dessert before. Now, it’s back again in all its glory. The magic unfolds in an intricately designed medley of black sesame panna cotta, squid ink profiterole, crispy charcoal biscuit, lace tulle, black berries, with a chocolate wand. A tasty and quirky combination that works wonders!

Platform 1094
Address: 1094 Serangoon Road, Singapore 328192
Opening Hours: Tue – Fri: 11am – 10pm; Sat & Sun: 10am to 10pm; Closed on Mon

10. Foie Gras Macaron ($12) – Hashida Garo

[caption id="attachment_27604" align="aligncenter" width="1500"] Image Credit: 

To beat the heat, come to the dark side with KokoPanda’s black frozen yoghurt, made with charcoal and roasted coconut husk.

It’s a tangy, refreshing and absolutely yummy alternative to ice cream. What’s more, it’s also a much healthier choice as it comes topped with superfoods. These include dried strawberry, apple, pear, persimmon and Jeju tangerine, as well as caviar bubbles made with real fruit juice.

A single topping with the base froyo will cost $4.90, while a froyo with 3 toppings will cost $5.90, with additional toppings priced at $0.80 each.

KokoPanda
Address: 68 Orchard Road, #B2-60, Plaza Singapura, Singapore 238839
Opening Hours: Mon – Sun: 10am – 10pm

12. Homemade Black Soy Ice Cream ($4.90 for Regular, with 2 toppings) – Dofu

This grand tower consists of fine milk shavings topped with a generous layer of black sesame and kinako powder, a heap of red beans, and a scoop of ice cream. Feast your eyes on the Black Sesame Bingsu, a slayer at Nunsongyee Korean Dessert Café that for good reason, has garnered its own fan club.

Nunsongyee Korean Dessert Café
Address: 534 North Bridge Road, Singapore 188749 | #02-25 Century Square, 2 Tampines Central 5, Singapore 529509 | 227 Upper Thompson Road Singapore 574359 | The Midtown Singapore, 1187 Upper Serangoon Road #01-14, Singapore 534785
Opening Hours: 24 hours daily (North Bridge Road branch) | Mon – Sun: 12pm – 10pm (Century Square branch)

It seems when it comes to food, black is now the new black. With all the multi-coloured and ombre foods and drinks we’ve been seeing lately, this is definitely a refreshing and much welcomed change.

If you’re in the mood to try something new, check out these deliciously dark eats. And of course, make sure to bring a mirror with you–you don’t want to be out in public with black stuff all over your teeth!

Also read 8 Instagram-Worthy Drinks That Will Have Your Followers Spamming The Like Button

Goodbye Gong Cha, LiHo Is Taking Over – We Tried Their New Cheese Bubble Tea To See If They’re Worth It

Bubble tea lovers, and specifically Gong Cha lovers, we’ve got some very bad news for you.

Gong Cha will be shuttering all its stores, and in its place will be a new home-grown bubble tea brand–LiHo.

Change is already underway, with 30 Gong Cha outlets already converted into LiHo shops. By 5 June 2017, all 80 Gong Cha outlets island-wide will be replaced. #RIPGongCha

Long story short, this drastic change comes because of a change in ownership of Gong Cha’s parent company, leading to new franchising terms that are no longer favourable to its Singapore franchisee, RTG Holdings.

LiHo – Singapore’s Newest Bubble Tea Spot 

Brought to you by the same RTG Holdings, LiHo is Singapore’s answer to Gong Cha with a very cheesy twist!

For those of you who don’t speak Hokkien, LiHo translates into ‘How are you?’.

Not only is the phrase quintessentially Singaporean, it distances the brand from its predecessor. Aside from the name change, here are some things we’ll be saying goodbye to and some new things we can get excited about.

New Flavours 

The biggest pull at LiHo is their new line of Cheese flavoured drinks. Yes, CHEESE flavoured.

While some of you might recoil in disgust at the mere thought of having cheese added to your bubble tea, the cheese flavour will only be in the froth of the tea! From Cheese Black Tea to Cheese ‘n’ Choc Smoothie, you won’t find these unique flavours at any other bubble tea shop.

We managed to try a few of their cheese bubble teas and were honestly quite underwhelmed by the experience.

There was no discernible cheese flavour, and even when we tasted the foam directly, the cheese flavour was very, very subtle. Some of our colleagues did note that the cheese froth tastes similar to the salty froth you find in some of Gong Cha’s teas, so that’s good news!

While there are novel additions to LiHo’s menu, Gong Cha lovers will be pleased to know that there are old favourites that taste exactly the same!

Keen to try something different? The Cheese Guan Yin Ji is a good bet. Traditional Chinese tea with milk, this tea is a refreshing addition to the menu.

Looking  for something that’s both sweet and refreshing? LiHo has a range of Lemon & Vitagen beverages. The crowd-pleaser, Fresh Lemon Juice Honey, is tagged at $2.90 for a medium-sized cup and the array of Vitagen beverages go for $3.60 – $4.50.

New Packaging 

Another change we were pretty psyched about was their new packaging. LiHo has given the old bubble tea cup–complete with its plastic sheet cover–an upgrade. Firm, reusable plastic containers with plastic lids are what your LiHo bubble teas will come in. Not only is it a sleeker option, the lid lets you choose between sipping from the cup or drinking from a straw!

LiHo’s plastic cups are re-usable so we foresee our kitchens filling up with empty LiHo cups!

Price Points 

The classic milk teas at LiHo will set you back between $2.80 – $3.50 for a medium sized cup and $3.80 – $4.50 for a large cup. Cheese smoothie drinks come in a standard large and will set you back a jaw-dropping $6.90!

While the serving is generous, the price tag is pretty steep for bubble tea. That said, most of the large-sized drinks will cost you under $5. (Phew!)

Price-wise, add-ons like custard pudding and Nata de Coco are comparable to other bubble tea spots, with only the cheese froth setting you back $2.

Out With Old And In With The New 

In all, the new LiHo has a more ‘atas’ vibe, with its sleeker, higher quality cups and lids. They definitely have the novelty factor with their cheese flavoured drinks. Their drink selection is also significantly smaller, at 2/3 the size of Gong Cha’s. The price point is also higher, which is a big deterrent for us long-time lovers of Gong Cha.

With Gong Cha stores still open from now till 5 June, you’ll want to make sure you get as much Gong Cha in before they disappear across the country!

Want to try LiHo for yourself? Head to their outlets at Bedok Mall, Bugis+, Bukit Merah Central and Tiong Bahru. While we were lucky enough to avoid long queues when we headed down, we can’t guarantee the wait time will stay short once word gets out!

Also read, 8 Instagram-Worthy Drinks That Will Have Your Followers Spamming The Like Button