Category: Food

Having trouble finding a decent dining place when you are in Orchard Road? Typically, food prices are on a higher end in town area. When I was introduced to this new eatery, Maddie’s Kitchen by a friend of mine recently, I decided to give it a try.

Maddie’s Kitchen, located on the 2nd floor of Far East Plaza is an eatery outlet serving affordable zi char dishes.

The food served is savoury and gives one a feel of home-cooked meal dishes. Indeed, a rare hidden gem in Orchard Road. Simple, tasty, no frills and fuss free.

You can easily choose one of your favourite dish (to your liking) from the list of extensive menu items offered.

Their home-made ngoh hiang is crunchily good with generous chunks of water chestnut in the meat filling. A good side to start off your meal.

Great appetizer with the mayonnaise dip. To me, fried stuff of such usually can’t go too wrong. 😃

Their Har Cheong Gai is crispily done too and tastes especially good when served piping hot. Dipping it with sambal belachan is another heavenly concoction.

This is their House Specialty, a highly recommended (must order) dish here. The oysters served are fresh, big and juicy coupled with the crispy omelette. Goes extremely well with their tangy chilli sauce.

Hainanese curry set with braised cabbage and egg. This is another one of the heavenly dish. Really power and comparable to E.A.T, Encik Tan or Scissors Cut Curry Rice. The pork chop is crispily done and flavourfully delicious.

They do offer a variety of soup options as well.

Ordered their recommended signature seafood soup. Soup base is rich and tasty with generous seafood servings of king-sized prawns, abalone slices, fish maw, batang fish & lala. A steaming bowl of white rice would be a suitable companion for the soup.

For wok fried dishes, their seafood hor fun is one item that you cannot miss. You can really taste the distinct wok hei of the hor fun coupled with the huge seafood portions comprising of fish maw, lala, batang fish and king-sized succulent prawns.

OMG, another power dish with super tender beef, strong wok hei of the hor fun with the black bean sauce and bittergourd. Yum yum….

Generous servings of lala with 2 king-sized prawns. Another tasty dish, loved the rich gravy cooked with lala and egg. Goes extremely well with their sambal belachan and crispy pork lard.

The white clams are of reasonable size and blends extremely well with their sambal and curry flavoured sauce. Goes really well with a plate of steaming white rice.

I will be looking forward to try out more of their menu items with the above good dining experience. I would urge you to uncover this hidden dining gem should you have trouble deciding on what to eat the next time you are in town area. 😉

Sukiya, one of my all time favourite breakfast hangout whenever I am in Japan. For those of you who follow and read on my Japan travel blog will know why. 😉

Sukiya is Japan’s leading Gyudon chain as in the likes of Yoshinoya and you can always find one such chain near you. Sukiya offers quality authentic Japanese food at affordable prices to diners who need to grab a quick comfort food.

So what exactly is Gyudon?

Gyudon is none other than a Japanese dish made with perfectly sliced beef simmered in a sweet and savoury shoyu-based sauce made with their secret recipe. It is served on top of delicious, fluffy and warm Japanese rice.

Believe me, I am extremely excited when Sukiya decided to make a debut to open an outlet here in Suntec City.

There is nothing fanciful about dining here as this is just another kind of fast food outlet equivalent where one pops over for a quick meal often enjoyed for lunch.

Signature dish of Sukiya. Tenderly cooked thin sliced beef simmered in their secret recipe sauce, served with hot and Japanese fluffy rice. Truly authentic as I can feel as though I am having it in Japan.

Grilled fresh eel with sweet sauce served with rice.

Thick cut beef marinated with sweet and savoury yakiniku sauce and grilled to perfection. Great for carb-free diner. 😉

Bite-sized Japanese style fried chicken. A dish loved by locals of all ages. A must have side to go though the crispiness of the chicken is missing from it.

Another favourite side of mine, just somehow loved their runny egg and goes well with Gyudon.

I must agree that the entire dining experience was perfect as it gives me the Japan feel (as though I was brought back to Japan at that very moment) when dining here. The familar flavours of the food and cutlery just blended well to the atmosphere. This will certainly be a place that I can go to for my fixed whenever the cravings arises. Yay!

Violet Oon, another option for Singaporean Peranakan cuisine other than Straits Chinese Nonya Restaurant and Tingkat PeraMakan.

However, Violet Oon is definitely a much higher end option compared to the other 2. I must admit that the food quality is of standard, tasty and pretty authentic.

At Violet Oon, they feature a myraid of flavours inspired by Nonya, Chinese, Indian and Malay kitchens as can be seen from their menu offering.

Here in Ion Orchard, you get to enjoy a great array of dishes ranging from soup, starters, salads, mains, noodles & rice and desserts.

A cornerstone of British Indian Cuisine. A mild, creamy curry broth with chicken and rice infused with a myriad of spices and topped with deep fried shallot, spring onion & coriander leaves. This is very unusual. It’s worth a try, definitely. You need to experience it as it’s quite hard to verbalise it. 🤨

Deep fried beancurd spring roll with prawn, crab, chicken and water chestnut seasoned with five spiced powder. The ngoh hiang roll is certainly huge in size compared to the usual plating in restaurant. It can even passed off as a main instead of a starter. 🤣

Julienned bamboo shoot and turnip poached in a prawn bisque and served in a deep fried “top hat” cup. Topped with prawn, chilli sauce and a sweet fruit sauce. Another one of their recommended starter dish.

Chicken chunks marinated in spices, grilled and served with a spicy peanut sauce topped with grated pineapple, steamed rice cake, cucumber and red onion. I loved their satay with the tender chicken meat. Well marinated.

Deep fried turmeric and lemongrass chicken wings served with a spicy chinchalok sambal. This is at best so-so nothing great to shout about other than huge sized wings. 😐

A staple of the British Hainanese Kitchen. Deep fried kurobuta pork loin crusted with a cream cracker batter, topped with a house-made tomato reduction. Served with steak cut fries and a side of petit pois tossed with minced kale.

Fresh rice noodle tossed in Violet’s laksa gravy, topped with prawns, tau pok and bean sprouts. Tastily good.

Fried beancurd on a bed of julienned cucumber and beansprouts topped with Violet’s Signature sweet and tangy peanut sauce. The sauce is surprisingly tasty and has the tinge of fermented shrimp paste just like rojak sauce. 👍

Tender beef shin braised in a creamy coconut sauce flavoured with a melange of spices, kaffir and bay leaves. This is my favourite dish. The beef is so tender that it simply melts in your mouth.

Classic spicy and tangy chicken stew and buah keluak nut infused with fresh root spices of lengkuas and turmeric. Another power dish with generous nut servings.

Prawns cooked in a spicy creamy coconut gravy infused with lemongrass and kefir lime leaf. This dish is superbly good, especially with the lemak over the rice.

Classic nonya festive dish of braised mixed vegetables and beancurd skin in a rich prawn bisque. I enjoy the hugely sliced shitake mushroom and the gravy is definitely heavenly.

Mixed vegetables and tempeh in a fragrant and mildly spicy coconut gravy. For those who like it on a spicy end compared to chap chye. Lemakly delicious.

They do offer a good selection of desserts here, and I am sure will leave you spoilt for choice (at least for me 🤣).

Creamy chocolate filling infused with Baileys Irish cream liquor and kopi, topped with crushed cookie crumble. This is chocolatety good. I love the chocolate pie crust.

Gula melaka tea cake served with coconut ice cream, topped with toasted coconut flakes and gula melaka sauce. The tea cake is served warm, and it is by far the best tea cake that I have had for sure.

Dining in here is without a doubt with style and the service level is certainly tip top. Staff are well trained and service focussed. Needless to say, the price you are paying compared to others is equally tip top. 😲

Well (to me), this is differentiated service experience dining which probably one should try at least once. Tantamount to enjoying the dining service in a business class versus that of economy class (if that helps). 😃😃

Fans who loves authentic Thai cuisine will be pleased to know that Warm Up Cafe is one such place you can go to for your fix on Thai cuisine without missing Bangkok.

Warm Up Cafe specialises in authentic Thai street cuisine, mookata and Thai boat noodle. A new found GEM for me at least!

They have both indoor and outdoor seating and I would highly recommend that you try their outdoor seating instead. It really gives you a feel as though you are in Bangkok.

Below are the usual suspects of the Thai street cuisine that typically offered in a Thai restaurant. 😊

This is one of those must eat street item whenever I am in Bangkok. Always good to feel a sense of familiarity savouring this dish. 😋 😋

Tastily deliciously without surprises. Another not to be missed appetiser.

Definitely one of the better pandan chicken that I have had. Moist, tender and juicy meat.

One of the signature highlight, Thai Boat Noodle where you can enjoy with the different spice level and you may choose between pork or beef alongside with the various noodle option comprising of bee hoon, kway teow, rice noodle, mee kia, tang hoon or maggie.

For first-timer, you can try going for their rice noodle if you are at a loss on the choice of noodle. Very flavourful broth as expected. You can order a small bowl as taster too if you have difficulty deciding. 😉

Though nice but I feel it’s on a saltier side. Not so value for money given its price-point. You may skip this dish if you like in my opinion. 😐

Lemakly delicious. Another satisfactory dish and goes extremely well with a plate of Thai white jasmine rice. Deadly concoction for sure.

You can opt for the red curry version if that is your favourite colour to go with. ☺️

Basil-ly good too with mussels, squids and prawns.

This is power too, the gravy goes extremely well with the steaming white rice.

They offer a good selection of Thai Rice and Thai Noodle Sets that leaves you spoilt for choice as well. 🤩

Holy Moly, this is 👍 💩 stuff! Savoury good with each mouthful bite coupled with the specially concocted green chili sauce. Simply loss for words.

You can order as a ala-carte item to go with your plain rice too.

Looks are deceiving. Holy mama! Another great stuff not to be missed! 😋😋😋

This is another great surprise. Somehow it just tasted super delicious and really felt that I was brought back to Bangkok for a moment.

Oh mine! Their Thai fried spicy mama noodle is equally power too.

Very flavourfully done with a nice wok hei. Similar but not same as the usual zi char style that we are used to. Authentically Thai-ish.

Always nice to finish with a good dessert. The red ruby with sliced jackfruit do what it supposed to without surprises. ☺️ Having said that, I feel it would be superb and perfect if shaved ice is served instead of ice cubes.

Really good dessert and tastes like eating kaya dessert.

It’s refreshingly good and served sweetened.

This is definitely one value for money place that I will drop by anytime whenever I needed a good fix on Thai food in future. Aroy Mak!! 👍👍👍

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Chatterbox, a well-known name in my era. Newer generation folks may not resonate easily with this name.

Chatterbox used to be housed in the old Mandarin Orchard Hotel and they are famous for their “atas” chicken rice, a comfort hawker dish but catered to people in the insanely Crazy Rich Asians diners back in those days.

They have just opened their doors to diners again since Mar 2022 at the new Hillton Singapore Orchard. I am sure chicken rice fans will flock to check out Chatterbox in time to come and experience the taste of the all-famous chicken rice dish.

Likewise, I am no exception either 🤣 as a natural self-acclaim foodie.

Chatterbox whips up local Asian dishes where you can easily find in any hawker centre around you. Nothing fanciful but merely a nostalgic walk down memory lane for people who are familiar and can associate with. 😊

You will immediately be greeted with the fragrant chicken rice smell while making your way to the seating area.

Other than ala-carte items, they now offer Heritage Set Meal too.

Trio of the Day comprises of beautifully crafted Ngoh Hiang, Kueh Pie Tee and a big succulent prawn.

The star of the item, (there is no price in guessing) the all awaited chicken rice. The chicken meat is well boiled and so tenderly soft with the fragrance of the rice without a doubt and coupled with their trio sauces; home-made chili sauce, ginger puree and the cannot missed out black sauce that is required to drizzle over the rice.

In the past, they used to provide free-flow rice refill but now additional bowl of rice will be charged. Having said that, you may still request for soup refill without additional charge. 😉

Not sure whether it is due to the psychological effect (expensive stuff must be good 😂) that somehow Chatterbox chicken rice seems to be super tasty though this is what you can get in any other chicken rice stall. 🤔😃

Their Signature Coconut Ice Cream that comes with double scoop of the creamy coconut ice cream, topped with crunchy chopped walnuts, medley of tropical fruits served in a coconut husk. Sinfully delicious.

You are more than welcome to go for their ala-carte items as well if set meal sounds heavy to you. 😉

Skewers of chicken or beef grilled over charcoal with onions, cucumber, ketupat and a sweet-savoury peanut sauce with pineapple puree. The meat is grilled to perfection and tenderly deliciously with the charred smell especially.

Wrapped in banana leaf and grilled over an open charcoal flame, this traditionally spicy fish cake is a marriage of mackerel, handpicked crab meat and a melange of traditional Malay spices such as lemongrass, shallots and coconut milk. A must try for seafood fans.

This crowd-pleaser is loaded with whole Boston lobster claw, quail eggs, fish cake, thick vermicelli noodles and dried beancurd served in a flavoursome coconut broth of spices and coconut milk.

Nostalgic best enjoyed over a pot of tea. An assortment of Nyonya kuehs-of-the-day, available in 4 types. It’s a must for kueh lovers. Strictly no compromise!

Do you think it is still worth your while to try this “atas” chicken rice? Well, to each its own but I firmly believe that chicken rice die-hard fans out there will surely give it a try! 👍

When I think of Mexican cuisine, Cha Cha Cha will immediately popped up in my mind. Key reason for resonating it so easily is that Cha Cha Cha holds a special memory in me.

Why is it so? I used to work as a part-time staff in the early years in 1990. Wow, time really flies. I remember vividly the couple owners, Melvin and Joyce of Cha Cha Cha back then and not forgetting a lovely colleague, Karen too. Wondering how have they been after all these years. It would certainly be great if they chance upon this blog article and get in touch with me. 😉

The restaurant remains the same except for the internal layout that have since changed. Food prices are friendly and affordable coupled with the quality too.

You cannot shy away from the usual suspects when it comes to authentic Mexican food. Else, it just don’t feel so Mexican after all. 😀

Jalapeño stuffed with cheese, battered & fried to crispy finish. This is one of those recommended authentic starter and an acquired taste dish if you enjoy the little spice and sour taste of that green chilli pepper.

Chicken & beef stuffed tortillas served with sour cream, guacamole & pico de gallo. Mexican spring rolls with meat instead of vegetables fillings. Great starter before your mains.

Deep fried calamari served with chipotle mayo. Another power starter as well. Definitely one of the better calamari that I have had.

Grilled flour tortilla filled with melted cheese served with guacamole, sour cream & pico de gallo. You can choose from a selection of fillings or having it just with cheese. I loved mine with shredded beef.

Served with lettuce, cheese, pico de gallo with pulled pork as my desired fillings.

Rolled corn tortillas with melted cheese served with green enchilada sauce, cilantro rice & black bean. There are selection of fillings too and I like mine with pulled pork. This is something new as in the early days when I was there, pulled pork was not an option back then. Also, we use to serve it with Mexican rice (loved the tomato-rish taste) and refried bean instead of cilantro rice (refreshingly good too) and black bean.

Flour tortillas served with pico de gallo, sour cream & guacamole. Bigger version of deep fried tapas. Its like spring rolls. Likewise there are options for fillings too. I loved mine with shredded chicken.

Served in a wholesome huge flour tortilla bowl of kidney beans, cheese, sliced Jalapeño, cherry tomatoes, green salsa, black olives, cilantro rice, guacamole and sour cream. Awesome dish for sure.

Tortilla stuffed with cheese, topped with sour cream, guacamole, pico de gallo & deep fried. Similarly, you can choose from a variety of fillings too and I liked mine with shredded beef. This is truly authentically Mexican and so far I have yet to see this dish offered in other Mexican restaurant here. A must order item here in my opinion.

Deep fried chicken thighs served with chipotle sauce, corn salsa & cilantro rice. One of my favourite mains for sure. The chipotle sauce just works wonder with the deep fried chicken thighs.

Beef stew topped with Jalapeño served with flour tortillas and cilantro rice. I love the tomato-rish flavoured broth, and this dish is likened to that of Mexican biriyani.

You can always try some of their desserts here too for your after meals.

Deep fried cinnamon apple pastry served with vanilla ice cream. An interesting dessert to try. 👍

Deep fried dough strips served with chocolate sauce. One of the better churros for sure.

I would strongly urge you to try if you have already not done so. 😉

Porridge or commonly associated to congee is a comfort food known to the locals, especially when you are feeling sick, is a simple joy to bring up your day regardless of occassion.

The canton-styled congee, one with the soft and creamy grains that will send warmth to your stomach and usually mixed with minced pork and century eggs. There are also variations to the porridge, depending on what the stall owners have to offer.

I listed some of the stalls that I personally liked and hope to share with like-minded friends.

The first stall is Hong Kee Porridge (鸿记粥) located at Commonwealth Crescent Market on the 2nd floor. I have grown up with this stall since I was young. The stall is operated by an old cantonese couple, and it is often usual to hear them quarrelling over trivial matters like placing food order by customers.

This is my all-time cheap and favourite porridge stall that serves generous ingredients of slice pork, mined pork balls, and pork liver at $4 a bowl.

Sin Heng Kee Porridge at Hougang Street 61 is another of my favourite porridge stall too. I love their pork porridge with additional ingredient of pork liver added.

They do offer a wide selection porridge choice to suit each individual needs. If you are undecided, then go for their signature porridge, which has all the sample ingredients in it. By the way, this stall also offers claypot frog leg porridge in their menu too.

Speaking on claypot frog leg porridge, my personal favourite will be none other than Chang Cheng Zhou (长城粥) along New Bridge Road.

Best of all, they open till 4am to cater for night owls after partying. I like their 宫保田鸡粥 best.

Each time, I will bound to order at least 3 frog legs to satisfy my cravings.

They do offer a wide selection of porridges in their menu, too. Wait no more. Go and check it out now!

Chai Chee Porridge at Blk 85 Bedok Food Market is one other place that certainly warrants some attention too.

Bon appetit! I love mine with lots of sesame oil. How about you?

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Craving for a good American burger? Try considering Broadway American Diner.

An American-themed restaurant set in the 50’s backdrop which reminds me of Billy’s Bombers and Johnny Rockets. This place serves Shakes, Burgers & Hot Dogs, a truly American styled items offered without fanfare.

They offer selection of items ranging from Munchies, Salads, Sandwiches, Rolls, Toasts, Burgers, Sweets, Ice Cream, Sorbet, Milkshakes and Floats.

Oh, I just loved their curly fries. Brings back fond memories of those A&W Curly Fries days. 🙂

Smoked Beef Sausage, Chilli Con Carne, Pico De Gallo, Mozzarella Cheese, Hot Dog Bun

Milk-poached Salmon, Scrambled Egg, Black Truffle, Bacon Bits, Shaved Parmesan Cheese, Brioche Toast

Beef Patty, Fried Onion Rings, Smoky Bacon, Cheddar Cheese, Apple Butter Barbeque Sauce

Angus Patty, Mayonnaise, Chilli Sauce, Egg Wrap, Cheddar Cheese, Black Pepper Mushroom Sauce

Angus Beef Patty, Brie De Meaux, Caramelized Onions Cornichons, Dijon Mustard, Apple Butter Sauce

Angus Beef Patty, Sautéed Mushrooms, Roasted Bacon, Browned Onions, Swiss Cheese

Pulled Pork, Coleslaw, Green Apples, Arugula, Dijon Mustard, Smoky Spicy Ketchup. Their pulled pork is super tender and melts in your mouth type. Awesomely delicious.

Looks are definitely deceiving in this instance. I love the buttery flaky crust of their apple pie. In my opinion, serving with a scoop of vanilla ice cream will be more of a perfect match instead of using whipped cream.

This is one of the better classic milkshake that I have had. Smooth and milky. 😍

I would certainly love to try more of their items on the menu in time to come.

So, if you are yearning for some classic American food, do pop by Broadway American Diner and I am sure you will be intrigued by the food and ambience.

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With continuation of travel restriction to Taiwan, fans of Taiwanese cuisine will surely missed and craved for authentic Taiwanese food. Thankfully, there are a couple of Taiwanese cafés and eateries making ways here for these fans.

Apart from Lee’s Taiwanese and Eat 3 Bowls, there is another new found outlet, +886 Bistro offering authentic Taiwanese flavors with a modern twist which I chanced upon.

Needless to say, it is a must to try out the usual suspect dishes. 😉

Using premium Japanese rice with superior sauce sauce coupled with melt in your mouth pork belly and braised for more than 24 hours. Topped with spring onion and sweet & spicy turnips. This is truly heavenly. Cannot go wrong type. 👍

Shredded chicken with a home made blend of scallion oil and sauce. This is another champion dish. Much better than the one served in Lee’s Taiwanese.

Like Scallion Chicken Rice, except served with udon. Something unique and tastes as good too.

Bonito broth with mushrooms and shredded chicken. This is at best so-so and passable. I would prefer it with intestine instead. Not as flavourful as I expected.

One of their signature item, originated from their Founder’s great grandparents, boneless, fried to a crisp with a slight chew. Frankly, I am not too impressed by it as it does not have the crispy texture to it.

For those who prefer their chicken without the honey. It’s nice but not as power as the crispy chicken chop served in Lee’s Taiwanese.

Braised in the same goodness as their braised pork, includes radish, Taiwanese glutinous rice cake, mushroom, meatball and fish roe strip. The Taiwanese version of Oden. This is another power dish. 👍

There are various flavour options for selection. Decided on their original salt & pepper flavour for the first try. This is surprisingly delicious.

Likewise there are various modifiers that you can choose from. I go for the original flavour that do not require additional top-ups. 😉 Well, I still prefer the crispy enoki over fried shitake as I enjoy more on the crispy crunch feel.

A great starter dish to begin with. Simple yet tasty.

Oooh, this is another good crispy starter to begin with too. 🙂

A chewy texture rice cake dish with a unique salty plummy taste. Very Taiwanese indeed. I would say it is quite acquired. It’s either a love or hate type of dish.

You may also try out some of their desserts too.

An interesting dessert, mochi-like texture similar to fried glutinous rice ball with yam paste wrapped with sweet potato paste. Makes a great dessert dish.

Classic creme brûlée with a dollop of yam. Feels like eating orh nee. Interesting and unique dessert.

Served with condensed milk and brown sugar. Definitely another power dessert without a doubt especially for sweet-tooth lovers. Sinfully good. 😋😋😋

Oh mine….this is one of the better boba brown sugar milk tea that I have had for sure! 👍

Overall, quality is there and certainly a new place which you can try out should your next Taiwanese food cravings arises.

This is truly a hidden gem for traditional coffee lovers. With the recent spate of high inflation with all prices increasing as fast as rocket, you may be pleased to know that there is still one such place that sells coffee at only 50 cents a cup! 😲

Yes, you did not hear me wrong, it is 50 cents!!!! Holy mama!!!!

This place is none other than Jalan Benaan Kapal Hawker Centre. It is tucked in an inconspicuous area around stadium walk, a small hawker centre with just one row of about 10 or less stalls. Most of the stalls do not have a stand out signage name. Just plain vanilla of what they are selling that’s all. Very nostalgic the moment you step in and it gives you the feeling being transported back to an old kampong area. 很有人情味.

This is the coffee stall that I am referring to. Located at the corner stall with no visibly stand out signage or stall name. ☺️

Operated by just a one-man old uncle who is passionate about what he has been doing all these years.

This is insanely unbelievable. You get to enjoy a cup of nice fragrant coffee at 50 cents and also soaking in to the kampong feel environment. This is by far the cheapest coffee you can find in town other than the free coffee offered by Ikea for Ikea members. 😊

So, feel free to drop by this place if you happen to be around this area to lend your support to this uncle and at the same time experience the joy of stretching your dollar further! 👍👍👍