Bossy Flossie
One dusky Sunday in late October, I found myself sampling wine and having a good ol’ natter with Corrine, the idyllic brains behind Druggists. Now, most craft beer lovers in Singapore will be familiar with Druggists. They will also be scratching their heads… wine tasting? At a beer joint? Well yes, but allow me to start from the beginning.
In Raffles Place, a café is not judged by the quality of their coffee but rather by the prices they charge and whether there is ample seating. You see, the CBD is all about the perfect coffee meeting. Quite often for newbies to the area, the price of a new friend or business connection is a cup of coffee at Raffles Place. Read on to learn about my favourite coffee haunts in Raffles Place.
I love roasted duck. The fatty flavours, the juicy meat, the crispy skin… mmmm. What’s not to love? The most delectable duck I’ve had the pleasure to savour in Singapore is Irish roast duck! Duckland restaurant is my new go-to place for all things related to duck in Singapore.
I miss being able to enjoy a few quiet drinks at my local pub. The concept of a neighbourhood bar is not very popular in Singapore. I mean, it is a small country after all and it doesn’t take long to jump in a taxi and head to Robertson Quay. Nonetheless, I have been seeking out all the possible places to enjoy a good cocktail or glass of wine in my area of Farrer Park. While it is slim pickings, there are a few cool places to enjoy an alcoholic beverage for those of us who do not like drinking beer!
I went to Bintan for the first time recently and while the sightseeing was good, my culinary experiences at Kelong Ciuyong were the most remarkable. But to begin with, I do hope I have got the name of this place right. The signpost outside the restaurant reads “Welcome to RM Ballond ALIM Seafood” but the menu header reads “Kelong Ciuyong Seafood Restaurant.” Whatever the place is called, it really is one of the best seafood dining experiences in Southeast Asia and is fantastic value for money.
Fook Kin is the kind of place that I would take my mum to. They do Chinese roasted meats in a trendy-looking and air-conditioned shop along the exclusive Killiney Road. My mum likes to know what is hot and what is not, but she also cannot take the heat of some of the older, airless hawker centres. Whilst I must admit, Fook Kin do the best char siew in all of Singapore, I personally do not believe in paying top dollar for roasted meats. A few of their dishes are also a little hit-and-miss.
I only started my healthy eating journey about four weeks ago, but ever since going keto I’ve been discovering all sorts of interesting places to shop and eat in Singapore. Mahota is the first in a long list of incredible finds that I’m excited to share with you!
I am so excited to be writing about Tongue Tip Lanzhou Beef Noodle, a newish noodle shop located in China Town Point. Although the name “Tongue Tip” is a little off-putting for a Western like me, the noodle soup here is incredible. So much so that stopping for a delicious bowl of beef noodles in China Town, after a bit of reflexology, is now a firm part of my routine.
Good coffee on Gili Air, a remote island of Indonesia; you’ve got to be kidding… right? I was actually surprised by the number of great cafes and brunch spots on this Gili island. Cafe hopping is a very real and popular pastime here, in between island hopping, swimming and snorkelling. A lot of the cafes have an all-natural vibe to them, to appeal to the boat loads of SWOF (skinny white organic females) that travel solo to the island for yoga. That’s a big plus in my book! Here is a run down of my favourite coffee spots on Gili Air.
If you want to drink your expresso right on the beach then Mowies is the place for you! Admittedly the coffee is not great, but it is good. By that I mean, it is definitely drinkable albeit pussy-willow-weak. I like my coffee milky anyway.
Mowies also have some great toasted ciabatta sandwiches, which are good to eat for breakfast or for lunch. I ordered a smoked salmon, sundries tomato and blue cheese toastie, substituting the ciabatta for wholegrain bread. It came with a delicious side of hand-cut, golden brown fries. This is breakfast on the beach at it’s almost best!
The name “Breadalicious” nearly scared me away, because I’m currently on a low-carb diet. But I’m glad I overcame my fear and ventured inside. Hands down, I had the best coffee on Gili Air at Breadalcious. It was a little slow to arrive, as the barista took great pains to craft the perfect cafe latte, but it was deliciously creamy yet strong.
My worst fear came true and I also succumbed to the temptation of bread whilst visiting here! They have a great selection of fresh breads and you can make your own sandwich. I ordered a warm wholemeal roll with feta cheese. Take a seat in their outside courtyard and enjoy some coffee, bread and their awesome Spanish playlist!
Gili Bliss is the chicest place on the island, decorated exclusively in pink and white hues to pay homage to all the yogi goddesses on the island. Heart throb pineapple-shaped pot plants with budding pineapple crowns dot each table. You just have to come here, if not for the pretty-in-pink decor, then for the spectacular brunch menu. I ordered poached eggs on smashed avocado and wholegrain thick-sliced bread, which was totally Instagram-worthy! The eggs were cooked to perfection although the avocado was a little slushy.
Gili Bliss is also famous for their smoothies and smoothie bowls. I ordered a Brown Lady, which was a blend of raw chocolate, organic peanut butter, banana and coconut water. It tasted like a healthy version of milo! The smoothies are huge and constitute as a meal in themselves.
The location of Coffee & Thyme is pretty awesome, situated just by the pier. It is the perfect place to grab a cuppa whilst waiting for the ferry. The coffee is on the weaker side, but nonetheless they make a respectable cafe latte replete with some coffee crema and coffee art. Their signature drink is a thyme latte, which comes with a dash of thyme syrup.
It is worth having breakfast here too. Their menu has a plethora of Western brekkie choices, from pancakes through to simple toast and jam. As I was on a low-carb diet, I ordered a classic cheese omelette with toast. I was slightly disappointed that they did not have wholemeal bread so I had to suck-it-up and eat white toast. At least the omelette made up for it – fluffy, soft and cheesy!
B52 is a small yet very popular cafe. They do coffee and tea and they do it really well. No fancy smoothies, milkshakes or cold-pressed juices in sight here. But, you can order a classic chocolate milk highball, which is sure to remind you of childhood memories.
The breakfast menu is also simple yet good. They make their own sourdough bread on-premise each day and cook up the best peppered sautéed spinach I have ever tasted. If you order eggs, they come with a side of delicious, crumbly feta cheese.
Come to the Good Earth Cafe if you want to be kind to yourself. Everything on the menu is natural, organic and vegan. Their specialty is coconut coffee, which is essentially muggy-black Lombok coffee with a dash of coconut cream – I don’t recommend drinking it, but kudos to them for trying to revamp the local brew to appeal to tourists. Their home-made banana bread is a treat in itself. It is densely packed with loads of healthy grains, topped with nut butter and fresh banana slivers. But the best thing here are the fresh juices and smoothies. They come in trendy glass jars with bamboo straws that are so environmentally chic right now. The dragon fruit and pineapple juice was my fave.
Happy cafe hopping on Gili Air and feel free to let me know about more good coffee on Gili Air in the comments box!
Like most city workers, the toughest part about my job is deciding where to go for lunch. After two years of working in Raffles Place, I have developed a love-hate relationship with the area. There is a lot of crappy and overpriced food here but if you are willing to walk the extra mile and sample a few burnt toads, then it is possible to find edible food for lunch.
Lunch is the highlight of my day and I always try and spend under $10 unless it is a special occasion, in which case I might splash out on a $15 lunch. If my meal does not taste delicious, it can throw me into a terrible temper. For that reason, I have created the following guide to grabbing lunch in Raffles Place, which includes everything from Malay and Chinese food options, to Japanese and Western cuisines. Makan!
Seasoned foodies and penny pinchers know the secret to buffet dining – skip the carbs, stews and curries and load up on the expensive stuff. And that is exactly what I told my auntie when we went for brunch at the Colony restaurant in the Ritz Carlton Hotel. Now, buffet dining is very popular in Singapore but it can be tough to get it right. No single chef or restaurant kitchen can be the expert on preparing multiple cuisines and meal-types. That is why unlimited alcohol and high quality ingredients are integral to the success of a buffet.
The Japanese believe that you eat with your eyes first. Japanese meals are always carefully arranged on the plate and bright colours and garnish help to enhance their appearance. Condiments are served in delicate pots and ramekins whilst attractive chinaware and chopsticks help to frame the dish. The Japanese also believe in good, quality ingredients above all else. Most recipes are designed to maximise the natural flavours and textures of fresh produce and therefore the cuisine is notorious for its lack of spices and complex seasonings. Why would you spoil a nice piece of fatty tuna with too many sauces and oils after all?
During my recent trip to Japan, I had every intention of splurging on a special Wagyu steak dinner. Wagyu is the generic term given for Japanese breeds of cattle, however the meat is well regarded for its tenderness, superior fat marbling and buttery taste, which is the result of strict guidelines for rearing and feeding the cattle. There is no one single region of Japan that produces premier Wagyu however as I was visiting Hokkaido, the unofficial foodie capital of Japan, I planned to have my special steak experience here.
There are many hidden foodie gems along Jalan Besar Road and when I walked past Xiang Yuan Ji Shanghai Pan Fried Dumpling I thought this was another one of them. The menu looked fantastic, boasting many Shanghai favourites like pan-fried soup dumplings, scallion oil noodles and braised eggplant in brown sauce. I was excited to discover a new place in the area.
The biggest challenge faced by workers in Raffles Place is where to buy a healthy lunch for under $7. I have been investigating this issue for more than a year only to come to one conclusion. The only way to eat a healthy lunch for cheap in Raffles Place is to go for Yong Tau Foo. Fortunately, there are three reputable Yong Tau Foo spots in the city although unsurprisingly they all have long queues at lunchtime.
I have never devoured chicken so tender and soft before discovering Hawker Chan’s humble soya sauce chicken rice and noodle stall in Chinatown. As a general rule, the hawker stall with the longest queue typically has the best food and this principle has served me well living in Singapore. That was how I discovered Hawker Chan. As is my usual Saturday morning tradition, I was browsing the Chinatown Food Complex looking for some lunchtime inspiration. I still hadn’t had my morning coffee and I carried a slight headache after a few too many wines the night before. I was also very, very hungry.
Do you know the hardest thing about being a food blogger? It is keeping the calories at bay! However now that Haritts donuts and coffee from Tokyo has come to Singapore they have made my sugar addiction just a little bit easier to handle. Haritts Japanese donuts taste lighter than traditional donuts and are lower in calories.
A popular way for locals to spend lazy weekends in Singapore is to head for a fresh seafood lunch at East Coast Village followed by a stroll along the beach. Visiting East Coast has been on my list of things to do for quite some time since moving to Singapore and honestly I felt like it was a daunting task. East Coast is not so easy to access as there is no MRT station or major bus depot, and the area is quite huge by Singaporean standards and densely populated with residential buildings, eateries and shops. However when I finally made it here I enjoyed an addictive combo of eating, walking and inhaling the fresh sea air.
After a year of searching, I have finally found the best laksa in Singapore at 波东巴西146 佳加. I have no idea what this joint is called in English, except it is also referred to as Sam Wei Food, and I don’t care either. All I know is that it is a stone’s throw from my house and for just $5 I can get a bowl of some of the best laksa soup I have ever tried in my life.
I love Japanese food and there is no shortage of supply in Singapore. From food courts and hawker centres to high end restaurants, you are spoilt for choice in terms of Japanese food options. However there are very few authentic Japanese Izakayas in Singapore. An Izakaya is a Japanese tapas and sake bar, where you go to enjoy snacks and drink alcohol. So of course I had to ask my Japanese friends for their recommendation and they all insisted I check out Himonoya at Robertson Quay.
I love discovering new places in my local area and Yi Zun Noodle is a real gem. It is a smallish joint tucked away on a side street of Little India serving up incredible handmade halal beef noodles as its signature dish. Despite being a new addition to the area, it is already a favourite with locals and you will rarely see the place empty in the evening.
If you love the rich and succulent flavours of Chinese-style roasted duck then you will be a big fan of Nanjing Impressions. The restaurant is decorated like an ancient Chinese tea house and all the signature dishes on the menu feature roasted duck! From roasted duck soup dumplings to fried duck noodles and claypot cooked duck, this place is every duck lovers fantasy.
Hand in Hand is my discovery of the year, as it is an amazing little restaurant dishing up delicious Chinese dumplings on Jalan Besar road. Even more, I can say it is the best Northern Chinese fare in Singapore. Whilst that is a big statement, it is not an exaggeration. The dishes are made with high quality ingredients and care… and you can taste it. Hand in Hand’s mission statement is to serve customers with love and sincerity and their selection of dumplings rivals the nearby Swee Choon in variety, deliciousness and price.
As a rule of thumb in Singapore, a long queue is a sign of good food. However some of the most outstanding food in Singapore is hidden amongst the thousands of food stalls at various hawker centres. So I couldn’t believe my luck to have stumbled across this little gem. Zhong Guo La Mian Xia Bao always has a queue but the food is amazing and the prices are very cheap.
I visited Sri Lanka for the first time in July and I wanted to try authentic Sri Lankan food. As an adventurous foodie, whenever I travel the local food experiences are an important part of my holiday experience. Sri Lanka is one of the most difficult countries to sample the local cuisine. Most Sri Lankan people do not dine out at restaurants but prefer to cook at home, which means the majority of restaurants are catered to tourists. Understandably, when Sri Lankan’s do go out to restaurants it is usually to try other types of cuisine like Italian or Chinese. Nonetheless, when travelling in Sri Lanka (even with a tour guide) it is very possible to have some authentic foodie experiences if you have your wits about you.
For those that know me well, they understand my poison of choice is wine. After 10 years of working in hospitality and attending numerous wine tastings I have developed an appreciation of European and New World wines. So when I came to Singapore I struggled at first to find my feet. Alcohol is expensive here and if you don’t have the budget or know any better, you can easily end up drinking cheap and nasty Australian chardonnay every time you go out. I first discovered Ginett quite by mistake. Ginett is a French wine bar and restaurant that is part of the G Hotel brand located close to Bugis. This is where I go for shopping and I decided to pop in for a glass of wine when walking by one weekend. Ginett offer a fantastic wine menu at reasonable prices, with good French wine for as low as $6 a glass, which is a bargain in Singapore.
In my quest to find the best dim sum breakfast in Singapore, I had to give the dumplings and roasted meat at Red Star Restaurant a try. Red Star serves Cantonese-style dim sum and Chinese dishes and is located at the top of a HDB block of flats near River Valley. It also has an excellent reputation amongst locals. When I first went there one Saturday morning I observed only Chinese patrons and not a European face in sight. There was also a very long queue for a table and these signs made me feel sure it was going to be a fantastic meal. Unfortunately it did not quite live up to my expectation.
Living in Farrer Park has its perks but good brunch and coffee is not one of them. To the untrained eye Farrer Park seems like a foodies delight as there is a high concentration of restaurants, from the Michelin starred Putien to Singapore’s beloved dumpling house, Swee Choon. You are surrounded by the curry houses of Little India, the family restaurants of City Square Mall and the Chinese hawkers of Lavender. However getting a decent espresso coffee and organic eggs over easy is hard to find. Read on for my full guide on where to go for brekkie and find good coffee in Farrer Park.