Friday, December 5, 2008.

This entry, I’ll be bringing you around Singapore to try the most delicious cuisines you can ever find; and to be in-line with our blog name, cheap thrills, these food joints are of course the cheapest you can find in town!

Sin Huat Eating House
659-661 Geylang Lorong 35 (at the corner of Geylang Road), Tel: 6744-9755

It's got the dubious honour of being the priciest zhi char joint in town. But why bother the priciest tag it carries, their food is damn shiok! (good in singlish) Their famous crab bee hoon is seriously worth getting down and dirty for: massive Sri Lankan crustaceans house sweet, super succulent flesh while moist loops of bee hoon kissed with wok’s breath are a dreamery conduit for the crab’s juices and orange roe. I just couldn’t resist the temptation and downed 5 bowls of the crab bee hoon! Besides the crab bee hoon, try out their scallops in a thick, peppery sauce. This is the best zhi char joint you can ever find in town!

The Roti Prata House
246M Upper Thomson Road, Tel: 6459-5260

Yet another cheap, tasty stomach-filler at 60 cents for a prata kosong (plain prata). Just like the Pizza Hut’s pizza, Prata House’s prata comes in many different flavours and fillings. Just that they do not provide any delivery service. (HAHA!) Anyways, Prata House is a must-try eateries in Singapore. Their just-right prata texture, tender and spicy tandoori chicken and huge portion of nasi briyani makes me walk back to their eatery whenever I’m craving for a prata (even if I’m on the other side of the island!).

Mohd Razeen & Bro’s Cafe
20 Baghdad Street,

Arab Street may not be the most deserted place, this cafe is relatively quiet. This is the best place to enjoy their frothy milk teh tariks (‘Pulled’ Milk Tea) after shopping along Haji Lane or Bugis Street. Not missing out the cold, lame and corny jokes cracked by cute old Indian uncles. Honestly speaking, I had a good time laughing there, especially when the uncles talk about their lives. Oh! And if you’re trying to call them, you can forget about it, because Baghdad doesn’t have a fixed telephone line (as told by one of the uncle. HAHAHA!)

Eng Seng Restaurant
247 Joo Chiat Place

You may call me crabby (or just plain crazy), I queued up for more than two hours to get a table there. But the wait was worth it because of their heavenly shellfishes. Their awesome shellfishes are gently steamed before being tossed in a gooey sauce heaving with crushed black pepper and garlic. What I can say at the end, NO PAIN, NO GAIN!


International Food Stall Nasi Lemak
#01-57, Changi Village Food Centre

Despite the fact that the hawker centre is teeming with countless other nasi lemak stall, this one continues to draw the longest lines of mostly Chinese patrons (Chinese aren’t Kiasu! Or maybe some..). But still, the nasi lemak here is the best one around. The coconut rice is fluffy and well-flavoured, and the chicken wing nicely marinated and crunchy. You can drop by here before heading to the airport (Changi Airport).

Haron 30 Satay
Stall 55, East Coast Lagoon Food Village, Tel: 6441-0495

What is going to the beach without any food? Go down to the nearby food village at East Coast and try out Haron’s fabulous satay, charcoal-seared, melt-in-your-mouth silvers of meat and murky pools of rich, nutty gravy. Complementing the satay are some of their specialties, home-cooked curry and mee goreng. To make it complete, find a table near the seaside and enjoy the soothing sound of lapping waves. Trust me, a dozen of satay isn’t enough, I had 2 dozens just by myself.

Basil Alcove
190 Middle Road #01-07, Fortune Centre, Tel: 6336-1318

Ever tried an al fresco dining on the busy sidewalk of Singapore? Basil Alcove is just the place. It was a rather weird experience, I admit. But their food just covers up everything. So, start nibbling on their pan-seared chicken avocado with tomato and peach chunks for just SGD $7.90. Oh! And that’s where I managed to win over someone’s heart! (*cheeky smile*)

Geylang Famous Beef Kway Teow
237 Geylang Lorong 9, Tel: 9388-0723

It was a night of hard party when I went down to this perfect streetside eatery. Their hearty Beef Hor Fun is delish with smoky, slippery hor fun and smooth sliced of beef swimming in the dense, black bean-spiked gravy. This dish seriously recharges me for more partying!

And if you’re feeling a little too rich, I’ve got some nice and not-too-expensive places for you. Perfect if you’re bringing your partner along, enjoying the night with the best food in town with the perfect ambience.

Iggy’s
The Regent Singapore, Tel: 6732-2234

This is a compact modern French Degustation restaurant and has put Singapore on the world map by making it to #60 on UK-based Restaurant magazine’s list of 100 Best Restaurants in the world. It is, dare we to say, Singapore’s most famous fine-dining eatery. Of course, this accolade doesn't come cheap – an eight course dinner costs $175. The food itself are prettily plated and delicately portioned, is clean-tasting and generally good. Oh! And their wine list is excellent, providing a wide range of French Wines. So, order a top bottle enjoy the best of life.

Sneak peek: Food ànuanced sakura prawn capellini uplifted with kelp and scampi oil

My Humble House
#02-27/29, Esplanade Mall, Tel: 6423-1881

Travelling after retirement? Luxe modern Chinese restaurant by Tung Lok that’s so far fro humble, it made to #94 on the hoity-toity list of 100 Best Restaurants in the World. Shouldn’t you spoil yourself after years of hardwork? This place has the luxurious feel of a haute period drama set with its strange but sexy high-back chair and nonsense-lyrical menus. I was captivated by their delicious delicacies especially the pristine crab claw which reclines on a bed of delicately smooth chawanmushi, and probably the braised shark’s fin in unctuously rich stock which is served alongside a clean-tasting mushroom consommé. Isn’t this the best way to kickstart your retirement years apart from traveling to Singapore?

Straits Kitchen
Grand Hyatt Singapore, Tel: 6732-1234

Straits Kitchen Buffet is the answer to anyone’s insatiable appetites. Famous Singapore Cuisines are elegantly prepared and laid out amid cool designer furnishings. Straits Kitchen is the only place where I can enjoy so many different cuisines at one go! How can I ever say no to those smoky satay, char kway teow and rich curries they serve? Not missing out those sinful deserts that are prepared a la minute at ‘show kitchens’.

Enough of the savoury eh? and shouldn't everything end off perfectly. So, why not end off your dinner with something sweet and extraordinary?

Island Creamery
#01-03 Serene Centre, Tel: 6468-8859

Being a Singaporean myself, I was so sick and tired of the usual local deserts such as Chendol, Red Bean Soup and Ice Kachang. But there’s this one place which re-sparked my interest in these deserts! And that is trying them in the Ice-cream way! The owner of the eatery started off with an ice cream machine and an adventurous palate, he pioneered local-centric flavors such as Teh Tarik and Horlicks. More recently, he just came up with new flavors made up of our local deserts. It just tastes like the real thing, only smoother and creamier. Make sure to satiate your life with these sweet treats before flying home.

That's about all for the dining in Singapore. But if you want to find out more, log onto 8day.com or just buy yourself one copy of the 8 Days Magazine, our local publication. The above eateries and descriptions are found in 8day [16th August]. but of course, my experiences are included (:

p.s. due to some problems with blogger, photos of the various eateries and restaurants were unable to be uploaded. Sorry about that! Try google-ing! (: