Places Near The CBD

Delicious lunch boxes with a choice of various meats, would recommend the spicy fried chicken

Great home style Chinese cuisine, would recommend the scallion pancakes and guo tie.

Tried most of the Poke places in the CBD and this is probably my favourite! The unlimited choice of regular toppings makes for a rather generous & satisfying bowl.

This Telok Ayer restaurant specialises in food and sake pairing, and their collection of the drink spans across 20 prefectures, and counting! The Sake here starts from $8 for a 90ml serving, or you can get a flight of three 50ml shots for $24. No fear if you're sake-savvy, for the menu details the tasting notes very succinctly. The food menu is packed with umami-rich plates made for sake-pairing. Expect the likes of ginger-infused Miso Pork ($12), Takoyaki Fries ($12) and Nasu Dengaku ($12, baked eggplant glazed with miso and yuzu) or, for a meal in itself, the Kabuke Wagyu Bowl ($28) of wagyu striploin with onsen egg, garlic chips and truffle shoyu. This isn't just an after dark place. These guys serve a compact lunch menu of mostly rice bowls (from $15 for the simple but good Gyudon). Lunch time is also when a 90ml serving of the sake of the day goes for $5. Just sayin'.
Avg Price: $50 with drinks
Photo by Burppler Shawn Loh

Lu rou fan ($10),sirloin bowl ($10) & smashed potatoes ($5)

Highly recommend the spring onion pancakes and dumplings!

Love the silky soya sauce chicken here and the springy noodles soaked in a sweet sauce! The wontons are also worth ordering! Avoid the crazy lunchtime crowd and call in advance to order :)

Enjoyed the Sumo ($12), a pork burger which was topped with crunchy pork belly and roasted sesame dressing! A pretty good selection of burgers and sides at reasonable prices :)

Waited incredibly long for the food to be served, the steak itself wasn't particularly outstanding but the free flow of fries and delectable sauce did the trick.

Singaporean's Guide To Ulu Café Hopping

Price Range: $8-$16

Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar/Telok Ayer

Instagrammability: Moderate -
The Deli packs all sandwiches to-go.

Food:
1) PB&J Sandwich [$8.00]
"I was sent to Cloud 9 immediately." (Tay, 2015)
Oozing in peanut butter, lathered with chocolate & jelly, and crusted with heaps of cornflakes, my only gripe is my personal peanut dislike. Sub it out with hazelnut, pistachio or macadamia, and I'd probably love it as well.

2) Cheese Steak [$16.00]
At first, we were hesitant to drop $16 on a sandwich. But it's TOTALLY worth it.
PBD describes it as "sliced beef many many", and it's not a superlative. The sub looks almost made by a child; overstuffed with as many well-marinated, tender beef slices as the bread can carry, broiled in molten cheese, and doing away with any green formalities. Caramelized onions will be the only accepted vegetable here.

There was so much beef, lumps kept falling out of my sandwich and the thing still looked full. That's how much meat you're getting; when you lose meat to the floor and you ain't even mad.
I even remember just sitting in silence, working through a substantial half of the sandwich and going, "This is great."

The place literally overlooks Amoy Street Food Centre, but if you're feeling rich & in the mood for a quick Western bite, definitely check out Park Bench Deli.

Come Here: Again.

Drizzled with mayo and teriyaki sauce, each juicy piece of oyster was encased in batter and fried to crispy perfection. Bringing me back to my short school exchange at Hiroshima, the deep fried breaded oysters were a must-have there. Kaki (Japanese for oyster) also being one of the first few words we learned, I came to enjoy them in Japan whereas before I usually avoided them. Still loving Katanashi's lunch set menu, the Fried Oyster is just as satisfying as those I had in Hiroshima.

While its known as a good lunch spot, it is the pure decadence of the dinner menu that makes it perfect for a "Treat Yourself" night. Gather three friends, and expect to get your hands greasy. Be wise and order four things to share. The two must-trys are the heart-stoppingly delicious Patty Melt on Rye ($16), and the delightful Cured Meat Sandwich ($16) — cool, creamy mozzarella atop a stack of assorted cured meats between brioche buns. Dunk the sinfully oozy Grilled Cheese ($14) into the roasted tomato dip and into your mouth — cue inappropriate noises. Finish off with the PB&J ($8) that is crusted in cornflakes then fried. Wash this all down with an ice-cold pint — you'll need it.