Tag: chicken rice

This Local Popcorn Brand Offers Un-cornventional Flavours Like Chicken Rice And Bak Kwa

Are you a sucker for popcorn?

Do you buy a large bag of popcorn before a movie, yet go through half of it by the end of the commercials?

Do you have stashes of Garrett’s popcorn sitting at home in your kitchen cabinets?

If you answered yes to any 2 of the 3 questions above, then we have good news for you.

There’s a local brand of popcorn that’s been making waves for their uniquely local flavours.

Enter The Kettle Gourmet.

Local Flavours In Popcorn

While they initially started off with Salted Caramel popcorn, eventually they started experimenting with local flavours.

Some of their best-selling flavours include Salted Caramel and Bak Kwa. The Bak Kwa-flavoured popcorn was sold out within days of release.

Now they’re launching a new Chicken Rice-flavoured popcorn, adding to the list of locally-inspired flavours.

The full list of flavours can be seen below.

They even have a seasonal flavour – Bailey’s. Mmmm…

While the flavours have continued to impress, our biggest gripe is that the bags are too small. We need bigger bags for more popcorn.

Unfortunately, to get your hands on this a-maize-ing popcorn snack, you’ll have to order it online because they don’t have a physical store yet.

You might be able to catch them at local events like ArtBox, where they usually have a booth selling their popcorn.

In the meantime, you can buy the popcorn from their online store here.

So…popcorn anyone?

Also read 10 Budget-Friendly Karaoke Studios In S’pore From As Low As $1 For 2 Songs

(Header Image Source: The Kettle Gourmet)

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

Katong is one of my favourite neighbourhoods in Singapore. It’s very high SES living.

My aunt used to live in the area and we’d go to I12 Katong often because that’s the closest thing that Katong has to an actual mall.

Don’t get me wrong, I love I12 Katong. But what I wish I knew earlier was that Katong is packed with interesting cafes and places to explore.

So now that I’m older and wiser (that’s debatable), here’s a guide to Katong that I wish I had known about when I was younger.

Katong For First-Timers

1. Dona Manis

My friends claimed that Dona Manis Cake Shop in Katong Shopping Centre, makes the best Banana Pie in Singapore. I knew I had to try this one for myself to believe it.

Upon reaching, I met the owners of Dona Manis, Mdm Soh Tho Lang and Mr Tan Keng Eng, who were busy prepping their bakes for sale.

Their bakes are made and sold in this one unit shop. Must-tries include their incredibly light Cream Puff ($3.50 for 5 pieces) and their famous Banana Pie ($2.50 per slice, $25 per pie).

Dona Manis is Singapore’s hidden gem and is truly worth a visit.. You won’t find bakery shops like Dona Manis in Singapore anymore.

Dona Manis Cake Shop
Address: 865 Mountbatten Road, #B1-93, Katong Shopping Centre, Singapore 437844
Opening Hours: Mon: 9am – 5pm, Tue – Sat: 9:30am – 6pm
Contact No.: 6440 7688
Website

2. Delicious Boneless Chicken Rice

Down the corridor from Dona Manis Cake Shop, is Delicious Boneless Chicken Rice.

Every time Katong Shopping Centre is mentioned, I hear about this chicken rice stall. And as someone who shuns chicken rice because bone-in chicken is too much of a hassle for my liking, boneless chicken rice is a God-send.

And that’s not all, their boneless chicken rice comes with complimentary soup and free-flow achar. One thing to note is that the soup they serve is not your generic MSG water – they actually cook proper soups to go with their chicken rice.

After all, good chicken rice should not overlook any aspect of the meal.

If you’re ready to take on long queues and begin the quest of finding a free table, then you’re ready for some Delicious Boneless Chicken Rice.

Delicious Boneless Chicken Rice
Address: 865 Mountbatten Road, #B1-85/87 Katong Shopping Centre, Singapore 437844
Opening Hours: Tue – Sun: 10.30am – 8pm, Mon: Closed
Contact no.: 9789 6073
Website

3. Birds Of Paradise

Located beside other popular eateries along East Coast Road, Birds of Paradise gelato boutique is completely different from any other local ice cream parlour – they offer up botanical inspired gelato flavours.

4. An Acai Affair

The latest kid on the block is none other than An Acai Affair!

Located in the east, An Acai Affair is set to revoluntionalise the #eatclean trend with their delectable acai bowls and fruit smoothies.

Their Signature Acai Bowl – Tropical Coconut Bowl no doubt stands out from the other specialty stores with the use of an actual coconut husk as a bowl. Despite the relatively small portion due to the coconut husk, expect generous toppings of fruits the likes of pineapple, kiwi, blueberry as well as granola and even wolfberries.

An Acai Affair
Address: 101 East Coast Road, Singapore 428796
Opening hours: Sun to Thu 12nn – 10pm; Fri to Sat 12nn – 11.30pm
Tel: 9792 0837
Website

5. Ampang Niang Tou Foo

Yong Tau Foo is one of my favourite comfort foods. It’s customisable because you get to choose the ingredients you want, which are then blanched in broth and served with rice or noodles.

At Ampang Niang Tou Foo, they serve Ampang-style Yong Tau Foo.

The difference is that they stuff their usual Yong Tau Foo ingredients such as chillis and fried beancurd with minced meat paste instead of fish paste. It gives the ingredients a lot more bite than fish paste does.

That’s not all, the Yong Tau Foo is served in a light broth with soya beans and dried anchovies.

Don’t forget their chilli sauce to add a little “oomph” to the Yong Tau Foo.

Ampang Niang Tou Foo
Address: 225A East Coast Road, Singapore 428922
Opening Hours: Sat – Tue & Thu: 11am – 8.30pm, Wed & Fri: Closed
Contact no.: 6345 3289
Website

6. Chin Mee Chin Confectionery 

This place has been a long-running favourite among the locals. Located along East Coast Road, this nostalgic coffee shop is a nice change to modern joints.

Known for it’s decor typical of 1950s Singapore, with retro marble top tables, floor tiles, and ceiling fans. It’s also known for their traditional kaya toasts.

Instead of the kaya toast bread you’d typically see, their Kaya Toast is served in a hamburger-type bun and slathered with their homemade kaya and a slice of butter.

These buns are made in house and toasted till they are slightly burnt for that nice “char” taste. This place can get pretty busy so try and avoid peak hours if you’re looking at dining in.

Chin Mee Chin Confectionary
Address: 204 East Coast Road, Singapore 428903
Opening Hours: Tues – Sun: 8.30 am – 4pm, Closed on Mondays
Contact No.: 6345 0419

7. Beriwell

A not-so-little space at Katong, along the dessert-filled East Coast Road that houses An Acai Affair and Birds Of Paradise, Beriwell makes you feel like you’re chilling at a shack on the beach.

Easy to spot with its beachy murals, tropical vibes, flamingo printed seats, and rattan chairs, this casual joint will give you plenty of fodder for the ‘gram.

The brainchild of friends Galissa, Dash, and Anand, this acai joint was born out of a love for healthy living and acai.

The trio created the Superswirl, a soft serve that comes in 2 flavours: acai (‘Acai‘) and coconut (‘Coco Majik‘). You can even have the two flavours swirled into one (‘The Twist‘)!

Dairy free, gluten free, and vegan-friendly, the Superswirl is tagged at $6.90 for a small cup, where you can pick 2 toppings out of the day’s selection of fruits and crunch, and $9.90 for a large serving, where you get to choose 4 toppings.

The acai soft serve is a creamier, smoother version of the refreshing acai bowls we all love – perfect for a warm day in the East.

While the menu is still pretty trim at the moment, the store has plenty more up it’s sleeve. We hear there will be more sauces, more toppings, and another smoothie being added to the mix!

This super cute hangout is Instagrammable, chill, and serves up some healthy AND delicious stuff. If you live in the East, make sure to pop by for a refreshing treat in this little tropical retreat.

Beriwell
Address: 19 East Coast Road #01-01, Singapore 428746
Opening Hours: Daily, 9am – 11pm
Website

8. Ponggol Nasi Lemak

Make no mistake, Ponggol Nasi Lemak is not in Punggol, nor is it halal. They serve up Chinese-style Nasi Lemak (Yes.)

Established in 1979, this household name is known for their lemak sambal chilli and crispy fried chicken wings and some say the “Best Nasi Lemak in Singapore”.

There are also plenty of dishes for you to choose from.

It’s been a supper spot for many Singaporeans so if you’re coming here for supper, be prepared to queue.

Ponggol Nasi Lemak
Address: 238 Tanjong Katong Road, Singapore 437026
Opening Hours: Fri – Wed: 5.30pm – 2.30am, Thu: Closed
Contact no.: 6287 0020
Website

Also read This Unassuming Old School Bakery In Katong Is Home To S’pore’s Best Banana Pie

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

Singaporeans, Here’s What Your Go-To Hawker Food Says About You

It’s no secret that we Singaporeans love our food. We will queue for them, travel for them, pay for them; we will go to any lengths to get ahold of the foods we love.

While we’re always on the lookout for the next big food craze, we’ll admit, there’s a special place in our hearts for our very own local delicacies – our messy, greasy plates of char kway teow, our savoury, vinegary bowls of bak chor mee, our deliciously sinful, spicy bowls of laksa…

Most of us have a go-to local dish – the dish we head straight for when we’re in a food court; the one we miss when we’re out of the country; the dish we absolutely cannot imagine our lives without.

Whatever your go-to may be, it reveals plenty about you. Here’s what your go-to Singaporean food says about you:

1. Yong Tau Fu

You’re either someone who is very health conscious, or someone who likes to feel like you’re making at least some healthy choices in your life. You can be a picky eater, and when ordering food online, you will browse through the entire Deliveroo catalogue until you find something that perfectly suits your mood.

You like feeling like you’re in control at work, at home, and in life in general. You’re careful, meticulous, and reliable. You prefer to err on the side of caution and more often than not, you stick with the safer option.

2. Chicken Rice

You like your food like you like your days – good, but in a safe, predictable kind of way. You are a creature of habit and you truly believe you can eat chicken rice every single day.

You take great comfort in routine and familiarity, and you are faithful and loyal to the people and the things you love. You are simple, easy-going, and you don’t sweat the small things.

3. Laksa

You live for a bit of risk. You’re adventurous, fiery and passionate. You say go big when others say play it safe. You’re always jio-ing your friends to try cool new eateries with you and you’re often drawn to the most unusual items on the menu.

The Deliveroo catalogue is like a playground to you, and you often have a hard time nailing down what to eat, and where you should even order from. Novelty and things that are outrageous excite you, and you constantly seek out these experiences in your life.

4. Bak Chor Mee

You’re someone with very particular tastes. With food and with every other aspect of your life, you know exactly what you want, and you will go out of your way to get it. You have your go-to pick for everything from the supermarket, to the place you do your hair, to the app you use to order your food. If Deliveroo is your go-to, there’s a good chance you’re sticking with it till the end of time.

While you do get distracted once in a while, you always remember to get back on track – that’s just the laser-focused kind of person that you are.

5. Char Kway Teow

Your favoute phrase is ‘treat yo’self’ and you whip it out as often as you can. You love indulging in the things that make you happy and you couldn’t care less what others have to say about it. You’re independent, smart, sassy, and have a mind of your own. Whether it’s bubble tea, pasta, or Chinese food, your Deliveroo order is always at least a little bit different from the rest – and you take pride in that individuality.

Aside from the ones closest to you, what others say or think about you and your decisions don’t faze you. When your mind is made up, there’s no stopping you.

6. Cai Fan/Nasi Padang

You’re an impatient character and you want your food, chop chop, right now. You don’t ask for your food to be amazing – decent is good enough. While you’re normally quite sui bian when it comes to food, you like to spoil yourself once in a blue moon. That’s when you go all out, ordering all the delicious grub you’ve heard and read about.

That said, food is not where your passion lies. You prefer to spend your time, effort, and energy improving yourself, nurturing your interests, or on your work; these are the things that give your life meaning, and you pour yourself wholeheartedly into them.

7. Roti Prata

You’re the life of the party. You have plenty of close friends, and you’re the person everyone calls (or texts) to talk to in the middle of the night. You’re outgoing, extroverted, a little bit cray, and you believe in making good memories over food.

To you, both with food and with people, the more, the merrier. You’re always that person who orders extra sides to share – and you’re happy to pay for it too. You’re all about having a good time, and your infectious energy never fails to light up the whole room.

Were your food “readings” accurate?

We Singaporeans are spoiled for choice when it comes to good food. Now, we’re even more spoiled by Deliveroo, who will bring all these tasty hawker staples right to our door step! (Well, all except for cai fan, but you can always order tze char and make your own cai fan.)

Whether you’re up to your neck in work at the office or decide to spend a lazy day at home, Deliveroo is just a couple of clicks away, and they’ll have all your dining needs covered!

This article is written in collaboration with Deliveroo.  

Also read Lady M Created A Light-Up Lantern For Its Mooncakes, Because Boxes Are So Mainstream

This Restaurant Deep Fries Their Chicken Rice Balls And The End Result Is Super Shiok

Chicken rice is a dish that has a special place in all our Singaporean hearts.

Our national dish, ask any Singaporean where their favourite chicken rice stall is and you will see people fiercely defending their favourites.

Enter Roost, a restaurant that focuses on the iconic dish, and that celebrates it by reinterpreting it in a variety of interesting ways!

Located at The Centrepoint, in the heart of Orchard, this is the place to go for a plate of your favourite chicken rice after a whole day of shopping in town!

A Unique Spin On Chicken Rice

One of the most inventive dishes sold here is the Chicken Sushi ($4.90 for 4), Roost’s signature soya chicken and chicken rice assembled in sushi-form, and glazed with Teriyaki Sauce. Perfectly bite-sized, these are great for popping into your mouth!

Another is the Crispy Chicken Rice Balls ($4.90 for 4), a chicken rice ball that is coated with breadcrumbs and deep fried. Served with a saucer of homemade chilli sauce, the crispy chicken rice balls are lightly battered and deliver an explosion of flavour when you bite into it. Can’t fully enjoy your chicken rice unless there’s chilli? Dip it into the sauce for a spicy kick!

Torn between Poached and Soya Sauce Chicken Rice? Get the best of both worlds with the Yin Yang Chicken Rice ($8.90), a must try at Roost. Serving up a tasty rendition of Soya Sauce Chicken, this is definitely our pick of the two.

Yin Yang Chicken Rice (Image Credit: Time Out)

Machine-Cooked Chicken

A unique feature you’ll notice about this restaurant is the cooking method employed here. The chickens at Roost are cooked using an automated poultry machine called the ‘iKook’.

Inspired by the automated machines Krispy Kreme uses for the production of their donuts, the iKook is the world’s first automated poultry machine. It can poach, braise, and sous-vide chickens, ensuring the chicken is of a consistent quality!

So, onto the million dollar question: How does machine-cooked chicken taste?

The answer is not bad, not bad at all. With a silky skin and flesh that is tender and moist, the all-important chicken at this chicken rice restaurant fares decently. Not the best, but definitely decent.

Here, the standout dishes are undisputedly the starters – especially the Crispy Chicken Rice Balls! Crispy on the outside, packed with chicken flavour on the inside, and with a great chilli sauce to go along, this was definitely a unique taste experience for us chicken rice fans.

The next time you’re feeling peckish when in town and have no idea where to eat, make a stop at Roost for their unique spins on everyone’s favourite chicken rice! With both an unusual way of cooking their chickens and an unusual array of chicken rice-related dishes, Roost is a unique food spot worth checking out!

Roost
Address: 176 Orchard Road, The Centrepoint #B1-17/18/19, 238843
Opening Hours: Daily, 11am – 9pm
Contact no.: 6909 0411
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