This is the epitome of Peranakan Fine Dining IMHO, from the ambience, decor and cutlery. There is a small "museum" that displays a collection of Peranakan antiques, photos and kebayas. So before the food arrives, you are free to browse around the "museum".
Food is served promptly and in the right portions. Some might find the portions too small, but of course if you ordered the "small" serving. We ordered chap chye (good), ayam buah keluak (average to our liking), fried fish with sambal (this is good, fresh and crispy), ngoh hiang (we find it bit oily and expensive), ngo hiang soup (nice but too small portion), and Nonya chap chye (average).
Price : Fine dining price, about $15-20 per dish, dining with about 6 persons can come up to be about $180. A friend of mine dined there at about $250 so be prepared to be a fine diner. There might be a discount for some credit card members. Good to check with them before making payment.
Location : Along East Cost Road. May have difficulty finding parking space so have to park at the old Joo Chiat Police Station car park. Just walk across the road to the restaurant.
Staff : Friendly staffs, accomodating and helpful. We changed tables as the one we were sitting was too huge (more like king size) and the staffs were helpful in that regard. Rice servings are unlimited so you can guess how many times the staff have to some to top up our plates.
Feel like an emperor? At Emperor's Soup, you will feel like one after having a meal there - pocket wise. This restaurant is set up by a former head of the Pine Court restaurant at Mandarin Hotel, this perhaps explaining the reason for the name Emperor.
Food is served promptly and with nice porcelain ware. The small portions are a bit small though. So be prepared to order the larger portions. Go for the chef's specialty, and be prepared to pay about $16-$18 for the "small" serving.
What we like about the food is that it is not oily, a tad just right for our taste. They also serve unique soup varieties. You can ask the waitress for the recommendation.
Location : On busy Joo Chiat Road, so get there early to get a parking lot. Crowd streams in about 6:30pm on weekends. Also do make a reservation just in case. Place can get quite packed.
Love the Lebanese Hummus and Lebanese Moutabel. Goes fantastically well with the Pita bread. Can just live with this! Of course apart from these appetizers, the main course set meal is also value for money at $20.
Recommendation : The set meal! It comes with ALL the following:- 1 soup, Pita and Garlic Bread, Lebanese Hummus and Moutabel (dips), your choice of any (1) one main course 1 single scoope ice cream OR cream caramel. The Kebabs are value for money. They have chicken, beef and Kofta (lamb) and the mixed (combination of the 3). Go for the latter if you want variety.
Location : The exterior does not look that promising, but after stepping into the place, the atmosphere resembles like somewhere in Egypt or the middle east. There are also private function room on the top level, but these have to be pre-booked at an extra cost. Perfect for a private function with a few friends. Decor is varied with the "harem" look and seating. But do not expect any belly dancers.
Price : Main dish about $7.90 to about $20 for the King butter prawn
Situated in Harding Road, away from the hustle and bustle of the city, PS Cafe is the perfect place for a romantic or quiet dinner for 2 or a place to get together with friends for a meal and chatty conversation. There are 3 sections, the indoor restaurant, outdoor alfreso dining and the lounge area, where you can get warmed up with drinks and cakes before embarking on the real deal.
The selection of food is varied and unique. We had the Beef Ragout and the Steak Sandwich. The portions are huge and can be shared by 2 persons, at least for the steak sandwich.
There are daily specials that are handwritten on the wall. So just look at the wall and place your orders. This is not your average eating place so it is best to make a reservation before coming by to dine.
Nice environment and ambience. There is also a huge selection of wines ranging from $79 to more than $100 per bottle.
Price : Entree about $24 to about $50
Location : Away from the city. Best to get there by 6:30pm, by night it is pitch darkness.
Staff : Friendly and accomodating. We did not make a reservation but since we were early (about 6:30pm), they tried to locate a seat for us (outdoor). When we indicated our preference for indoors, they obliged and led us to a good spot indoors.
Specialties : Try the cakes. Come by during tea time on weekends and you can practically spend the entire afternoon chatting and eating with your pals. Cakes are fresh and delicious.
This is a unique Chinese restaurant serving many varieties of tofu dishes. If you need tofu for your diet, this is the place to go. They have tofu like you have never seen before. They have the Mai Pian (Friend Oats) Tofu - favourite, tofu with minced beef and other kinds of tofu dishes. Of course they also have other meat and vegetable dishes including desserts. The Thai fried fish fillet is also delicious.
Price : Reasonable. About $5.50 per dish. Size is just right for 2-3 persons. Vegetable dishes are just about $3.20.
Location : Place is usually crowded during weekends. So go early to get a good seat.
Staff : During weekends, staff usually busy taking orders and waiting on diners. But still attentive and friendly.
This restaurant has been around since 1953. We have been scouting around for home made AYAM BUAH KELUAK, HEE PEOW SOUP and Nonya OTAK OTAK but have never been able to find one close to grandma's cooking. We find the one served at Guan Hoe Soon the closest to grandma's cooking, especially the AYAM BUAH KELUAK (grandma says it herself). So we give this restaurant a high rating in terms of the food served.
Price : From $6 to $22 per dish. Reasonable and portions are average. If you have a table of 8, then the medium portion is recommended. Otherwise you will leave the restaurant wondering if you had eaten your dinner.
Recommendation : Must Try the Chendol after your meal! This is draped with Gula Melaka and the coconut is super rich. Not for the faint hearted. The bobo chacha is also fantastic. Gives you the umph!
Location : Get there early or make a reservation for guaranteed seating. There is a huge parking lot right in front of the restaurant so no worries about parking. But if you come too late, perhaps after 7:30, the lots will be full and there might also be no place to sit in the restaurant. So always be early....so that you can enjoy your meal.
Staff : Service can be improved. Perhaps it is the dinner crowd. The person taking the order can be a bit impatient. So if you see that the place is too crowded, get set on your minds what you want to eat and just fire away your orders. There are only a select few (only one) who are experts at taking orders. The rest of the staffs are not locals and definitely not familiar with Peranakan food. So make sure you order from the right person because Chendol might end up being QingDou.
Truly many shops and lots of walking to do. The symmetry makes you feel like you are in a maze the first time you are there. One end of it looks the same like the other end. Need to use the shops as bearings inorder not to get lost.
The types of shops available is not for everyone. In my opinion, suited for those with heavy pockets. IMHO, It does not give you the "come back again" feel. It feels like the shops are screaming for your attention with the fanciful decor and designs. It has the "quickly buy and go home" kinda feel. Not homely and appealing.
The only reason why I would bring someone there is just to tell them that this is the newest and "biggest" shopping center in Singapore (in 2007). Full Stop.
This is another one of this authentitic family run Korean restaurants with a good mix of dishes and BBQ selections to go with.
The pa-jeon (korean pancake) here is simply delicious. Servings are large and we had to struggle to finish it. But it was all ours and we could take our time to eat it. The original Korean version is a simple pancake of green onions (pa = green onions, and jeon = pan-fried), but other variations have since evolved. We just like the original.
Staffs are friendly and attentive. Typically catering to Koreans who live in Singapore. The atmosphere is very home like. For those who prefer a no frills restaurant, this is the place.
Step into this restaurant and you will think that you are in Korea. Decor and layout is typically Korean. Serves authentic Korean food. Extra charges for BBQ, so we had them pre-cook the BBQ dishes in the kitchen.
Bulgogi lovers will like the sweetness and juicy beef slices. Goes very well with the Chinese lettuce and kimchi.
This is a typical family run Korean restaurant so the atmosphere is cosy. For those who prefer homelike atmosphere typical of the korean guesthouse, this is the place to eat, minus the posh and fanciful lighting.
Authentic Korean food cooked by Korean chef. Price is reasonable and portion suited for one person. They serve mostly pre-cooked Korean dishes. No BBQ dishes. Bulgogi is pre-cooked and tasty. Propably one of the most tastiest I have tried. Priced at S$16.00, it is certainly value for money!
The Kimchi soup (Yookgae jang) is also delicious. Again the portion is just nice. The only problem we had with it was that it was slightly too oily for us. But then again, there might be others who like it.
The rice tea goes very well with the food and the kimchi is just right. The staffs are friendly and helpful.
Also a must mention is that they have Korean rice cakes for sale. So if you like rice cakes, this is the place to visit. If you come by late enough (about 8pm to 9pm), you might even be able to get a discount for the rice cakes (no guarantees!).
1=SGD 0.0587
This is the epitome of Peranakan Fine Dining IMHO, from the ambience, decor and cutlery. There is a small "museum" that displays a collection of Peranakan antiques, photos and kebayas. So before the food arrives, you are free to browse around the "museum".
Food is served promptly and in the right portions. Some might find the portions too small, but of course if you ordered the "small" serving. We ordered chap chye (good), ayam buah keluak (average to our liking), fried fish with sambal (this is good, fresh and crispy), ngoh hiang (we find it bit oily and expensive), ngo hiang soup (nice but too small portion), and Nonya chap chye (average).
Price : Fine dining price, about $15-20 per dish, dining with about 6 persons can come up to be about $180. A friend of mine dined there at about $250 so be prepared to be a fine diner. There might be a discount for some credit card members. Good to check with them before making payment.
Location : Along East Cost Road. May have difficulty finding parking space so have to park at the old Joo Chiat Police Station car park. Just walk across the road to the restaurant.
Staff : Friendly staffs, accomodating and helpful. We changed tables as the one we were sitting was too huge (more like king size) and the staffs were helpful in that regard. Rice servings are unlimited so you can guess how many times the staff have to some to top up our plates.
Rating given:
Feel like an emperor? At Emperor's Soup, you will feel like one after having a meal there - pocket wise. This restaurant is set up by a former head of the Pine Court restaurant at Mandarin Hotel, this perhaps explaining the reason for the name Emperor.
Food is served promptly and with nice porcelain ware. The small portions are a bit small though. So be prepared to order the larger portions. Go for the chef's specialty, and be prepared to pay about $16-$18 for the "small" serving.
What we like about the food is that it is not oily, a tad just right for our taste. They also serve unique soup varieties. You can ask the waitress for the recommendation.
Location : On busy Joo Chiat Road, so get there early to get a parking lot. Crowd streams in about 6:30pm on weekends. Also do make a reservation just in case. Place can get quite packed.
Staff : Service is satisfactory.
Rating given:
Love the Lebanese Hummus and Lebanese Moutabel. Goes fantastically well with the Pita bread. Can just live with this! Of course apart from these appetizers, the main course set meal is also value for money at $20.
Recommendation : The set meal! It comes with ALL the following:- 1 soup, Pita and Garlic Bread, Lebanese Hummus and Moutabel (dips), your choice of any (1) one main course 1 single scoope ice cream OR cream caramel. The Kebabs are value for money. They have chicken, beef and Kofta (lamb) and the mixed (combination of the 3). Go for the latter if you want variety.
Location : The exterior does not look that promising, but after stepping into the place, the atmosphere resembles like somewhere in Egypt or the middle east. There are also private function room on the top level, but these have to be pre-booked at an extra cost. Perfect for a private function with a few friends. Decor is varied with the "harem" look and seating. But do not expect any belly dancers.
Price : Main dish about $7.90 to about $20 for the King butter prawn
Location : Shophouses along Pahang Street.
Staff : Friendly and attentive.
Rating given:
Situated in Harding Road, away from the hustle and bustle of the city, PS Cafe is the perfect place for a romantic or quiet dinner for 2 or a place to get together with friends for a meal and chatty conversation. There are 3 sections, the indoor restaurant, outdoor alfreso dining and the lounge area, where you can get warmed up with drinks and cakes before embarking on the real deal.
The selection of food is varied and unique. We had the Beef Ragout and the Steak Sandwich. The portions are huge and can be shared by 2 persons, at least for the steak sandwich.
There are daily specials that are handwritten on the wall. So just look at the wall and place your orders. This is not your average eating place so it is best to make a reservation before coming by to dine.
Nice environment and ambience. There is also a huge selection of wines ranging from $79 to more than $100 per bottle.
Price : Entree about $24 to about $50
Location : Away from the city. Best to get there by 6:30pm, by night it is pitch darkness.
Staff : Friendly and accomodating. We did not make a reservation but since we were early (about 6:30pm), they tried to locate a seat for us (outdoor). When we indicated our preference for indoors, they obliged and led us to a good spot indoors.
Specialties : Try the cakes. Come by during tea time on weekends and you can practically spend the entire afternoon chatting and eating with your pals. Cakes are fresh and delicious.
Rating given:
This is a unique Chinese restaurant serving many varieties of tofu dishes. If you need tofu for your diet, this is the place to go. They have tofu like you have never seen before. They have the Mai Pian (Friend Oats) Tofu - favourite, tofu with minced beef and other kinds of tofu dishes. Of course they also have other meat and vegetable dishes including desserts. The Thai fried fish fillet is also delicious.
Price : Reasonable. About $5.50 per dish. Size is just right for 2-3 persons. Vegetable dishes are just about $3.20.
Location : Place is usually crowded during weekends. So go early to get a good seat.
Staff : During weekends, staff usually busy taking orders and waiting on diners. But still attentive and friendly.
Rating given:
This restaurant has been around since 1953. We have been scouting around for home made AYAM BUAH KELUAK, HEE PEOW SOUP and Nonya OTAK OTAK but have never been able to find one close to grandma's cooking. We find the one served at Guan Hoe Soon the closest to grandma's cooking, especially the AYAM BUAH KELUAK (grandma says it herself). So we give this restaurant a high rating in terms of the food served.
Price : From $6 to $22 per dish. Reasonable and portions are average. If you have a table of 8, then the medium portion is recommended. Otherwise you will leave the restaurant wondering if you had eaten your dinner.
Recommendation : Must Try the Chendol after your meal! This is draped with Gula Melaka and the coconut is super rich. Not for the faint hearted. The bobo chacha is also fantastic. Gives you the umph!
Location : Get there early or make a reservation for guaranteed seating. There is a huge parking lot right in front of the restaurant so no worries about parking. But if you come too late, perhaps after 7:30, the lots will be full and there might also be no place to sit in the restaurant. So always be early....so that you can enjoy your meal.
Staff : Service can be improved. Perhaps it is the dinner crowd. The person taking the order can be a bit impatient. So if you see that the place is too crowded, get set on your minds what you want to eat and just fire away your orders. There are only a select few (only one) who are experts at taking orders. The rest of the staffs are not locals and definitely not familiar with Peranakan food. So make sure you order from the right person because Chendol might end up being QingDou.
Rating given:
Truly many shops and lots of walking to do. The symmetry makes you feel like you are in a maze the first time you are there. One end of it looks the same like the other end. Need to use the shops as bearings inorder not to get lost.
The types of shops available is not for everyone. In my opinion, suited for those with heavy pockets. IMHO, It does not give you the "come back again" feel. It feels like the shops are screaming for your attention with the fanciful decor and designs. It has the "quickly buy and go home" kinda feel. Not homely and appealing.
The only reason why I would bring someone there is just to tell them that this is the newest and "biggest" shopping center in Singapore (in 2007). Full Stop.
Rating given:
This is another one of this authentitic family run Korean restaurants with a good mix of dishes and BBQ selections to go with.
The pa-jeon (korean pancake) here is simply delicious. Servings are large and we had to struggle to finish it. But it was all ours and we could take our time to eat it. The original Korean version is a simple pancake of green onions (pa = green onions, and jeon = pan-fried), but other variations have since evolved. We just like the original.
Staffs are friendly and attentive. Typically catering to Koreans who live in Singapore. The atmosphere is very home like. For those who prefer a no frills restaurant, this is the place.
Rating given:
Step into this restaurant and you will think that you are in Korea. Decor and layout is typically Korean. Serves authentic Korean food. Extra charges for BBQ, so we had them pre-cook the BBQ dishes in the kitchen.
Bulgogi lovers will like the sweetness and juicy beef slices. Goes very well with the Chinese lettuce and kimchi.
This is a typical family run Korean restaurant so the atmosphere is cosy. For those who prefer homelike atmosphere typical of the korean guesthouse, this is the place to eat, minus the posh and fanciful lighting.
Rating given:
Authentic Korean food cooked by Korean chef. Price is reasonable and portion suited for one person. They serve mostly pre-cooked Korean dishes. No BBQ dishes. Bulgogi is pre-cooked and tasty. Propably one of the most tastiest I have tried. Priced at S$16.00, it is certainly value for money!
The Kimchi soup (Yookgae jang) is also delicious. Again the portion is just nice. The only problem we had with it was that it was slightly too oily for us. But then again, there might be others who like it.
The rice tea goes very well with the food and the kimchi is just right. The staffs are friendly and helpful.
Also a must mention is that they have Korean rice cakes for sale. So if you like rice cakes, this is the place to visit. If you come by late enough (about 8pm to 9pm), you might even be able to get a discount for the rice cakes (no guarantees!).
Rating given: