Food

"Wagyu for the masses." ~ That should be the tagline for this restaurant. When it comes to steaks, I firmly believe that you CANNOT make mediocre meat taste good, ever. Because of this, I often shun the ones offered at "affordable chain restaurants" like Swensen's and Aston's.

This franchise (opened by Aston's, ironically), however, piqued my interest with its claims of offering grade A3 Wagyu cuts at prices practically unheard of. The menu features an absolute plethora of steaks, each from a different part of the cow. Most cuts are available in two different portions (150g & 220g). Do note that medium Rare and medium are the only options to have your meat done.

Cutting into it, I could immediately tell this was NOT your average family diner steak. Juices (yes, juice, not blood) flooded the plate, and every morsel melts in the mouth. Each piece was ridiculously marbled, bathing my mouth in what I imagine Nirvana to taste like. I must warn, however, it does get pretty oily, so maybe opt for something more healthy as your side dish. The french fries and bacon mac & cheese were passable, but with a main course like that, all is forgiven. Oh, and there's complimentary ice cream for all diners.

While the interior and ambience of the restaurant may pale in comparison to more posh steakhouses, there is definitely nothing boring about the meat served here (not to mention at a fraction of the price). Also to take note: the availability of the steak cuts are subject to change everyday, so do clarify with the staff before dining.

Throwback to this meal I had a while back. Never been one to swoon over Nasi Lemak but boy, does this deserve a special mention.

Nestled under a block of HDB flats in Bedok North 122, Azme Corner has been quietly churning out stellar food for over half a decade.

The stall serves a simple but well executed menu. Choose your set (chicken, fish) and select add-ons like begedil, or an extra chicken wing. First-time customers can opt for the Nasi Lemak special (S$3.50) to try both their chicken and wing selar fish. (pretty incredible value)

For starters, their coconut rice was done to sheer perfection. Each grain was fluffy and busting with coconut flavour. Don't be ashamed in asking for an extra serving of rice (or if you are like me, a second plate will do). The other components were equally fantastic. Ikan bilis & peanuts were crispy and fragrant, and the egg was done omelette-style, which is quite a refreshing touch opposed to the usual sunny side-up. The pièce de résistance (chicken wing), was fried superbly. Crispy, juicy and oozing with flavour, I would order an additional portion on its own. Last but not least, the sambal chili was also very impressive. Not too sweet and packing a slight punch, it binds the entire dish together.

There aren't many places which still make Nasi Lemak this way, and not to mention at this price. An absolute must-go for all you Nasi Lemak fanatics.

Be warned, long queues of returning customers are still spotted outside the stall at 9am on weekends though. Who knows, maybe you'll run into me waiting in line, hungry for more.

🚫 Closed on Mondays

122 Bedok North Street 2, Azme Corner Muslim Food
Opening Hours: 9am till 12.30pm/sold out

Decided to pay a visit to the much highly acclaimed Seven & Ate for their popular pork burgers and boy, did it live up to every bit of the hype. Located along Horne Road, this 8 month old eatery serves burgers, rice bowls and an array of appetisers like fried jalapeños and nacho chips. There is also a bar counter for those who drink. The decor of the restaurant is tastefully done, coupled with good music to create a warm atmosphere (albeit a little dark in some areas).

I went for what seemed to be a crowd favourite, the Jam & Eggs (S$15) and opted for fries instead of nachos for an additional top-up of S$1.50. The fries were super crisp yet delicate in the centre and came with a tub of home-made tomato ketchup which was sweet, tangy and provided a nice bit of freshness to the crinkle-cut fries. The burger packed a double layer of their signature honey mustard pork patties, (all burgers come with at least two patties) a fried egg, bacon jam and a generous amount of "egg fritters". The pork patties were very well executed, each being juicy, flavourful and so tender, to the point where it began to fall apart in my hands. These patties were so delicious, they could definitely hold their own against their beef counterparts. The sunny-side up had a runny yolk which provided an awesome creaminess to the whole dish. However, what really elevated this particular burger for me was the egg fritters and bacon jam. The egg fritters were greasy, sinful but oh-so-yummy and exploding with egginess. The bacon jam was sweet and smoky, reminiscent of barbeque sauce and complemented the saltiness and oiliness of the rest of the toppings perfectly. I can see why this is indeed a popular choice with customers. My tablemate ordered their Peppa Pig (S$15), which featured jalapeños and mayo atop the patties and was equally excellent.

Each component of the burgers has had obvious thought and care put into it to create a truly awesome rendition of this dish. And of course, Burpple Beyond has made a meal here extremely value-for-money, so remember to add this to your list of foodie haunts for great food and a fun time with friends and family.

Air-conditioning ☑️
Prices stated are NETT 💸
Order and pay at counter 🔔

Seven & Ate
78 Horne Road
Closed on Mondays
Opens only from 4pm onwards

The Min Jiang Kueh (Peanut Pancakes) most of us are and have been familiar with since young will be soft, chewy and filled with crushed peanuts and sugar. The version sold here is slightly different, with a circular shape and a thinner, crispier coating.

Each pancake is made fresh upon order, and what you get is an awesome biscuit-like outer layer with a soft chewy inside. What sets this apart from other traditional pancake stalls though, would be the awesome variety of fillings to choose from. From traditional sweet fillings like peanut and red bean to more uncommon ones like black sesame and kaya butter, rest assured that you will not be bored by the pancakes here. You can also be creative and tell the Aunt to mix and match different flavours to come up with a flavour combination that's sure to suit your tastebuds. (One flavour which I found to be super delicious will be the peanut paste with cheese😋)

The Aunt manning the stall is generous with the fillings and really friendly too. Not to mention the incredible value for money that these pancakes offer (from $1!!!). Such stalls are becoming increasingly harder to find and it is definitely a refreshing and welcome take on the traditional peanut pancake.

Do make a trip down for her yummy pancakes!

*Disclaimer: This is not a stall in 85 fengshan hawker centre, but a standalone shop occupying a space that used to be a provision shop called "Yu Ko Fu". It is located amongst the rows of neighbourhood fruit shops and hair salons that are situated directly outside the hawker centre.

🚫 Takeaway Only
🥞 Made Fresh Upon Order
🥜 Wide variety of flavours

Stumbled across this Zi Char restaurant in the ulu part of Tampines, hidden beneath the rows of industrial buildings. This is situated in a food court below Block 9007, a canteen catering to the lunch and dinner crowds of office workers. The storefront is huge and it's kitchen occupies a big space. I settled for the one person portion of 咸蛋鸡丁饭 (Salted Egg Chicken Rice) priced at $6. They also offer salted egg pork ribs with rice, also at $6. The sauce itself was of a paler yellow and had a slightly underwhelming salted egg flavour. However, this is probably due to my greedy self requesting for more salted egg sauce, thus they made it more diluted and watery. The boneless chicken pieces, however, were nicely fried and tender. If only the sauce had packed more salted egg flavour, this would have been a winner. 🥚

Note to self: Don't request for more salted egg sauce next time.

Nevertheless, I will be back to try their other items on the menu. 😃

🚫 No Air-conditioning
👣 Free Seating
💸 Prices are nett
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Good for Groups

Nestled in the Alibabar Hawker Bar along east coast road, this stall serves up some classic Thai grub like Basil Minced Pork and Tom Yum Goong. However, what seems to be the popular dish here is their Thai Wanton Noodles (S$6.90 Nett). Each serving comes with thick slices of grilled pork collar, two plump, pork-filled fried 'wantons', a soft-boiled egg and a generous amount of veggies atop the thin, eggy noodles. The bits of fried pork lard sprinkled on top were super sinful yet delicious. Noodles were packed with flavour and the wantons were wonderfully crispy and juicy. Their pork, however, was the star of the show. Each slice was tender, juicy, fatty and had a great char. (The grilled pork collar is also available for ala-carte order, starting at S$4.90 per 100grams.) Some level of spice would have been nice to cut through all the porky goodness though.

Overall, definitely would make a return visit to get my noodle fix and for that sexy pork collar.

🚫No Air-Conditioning
👋Self-Service (Order at respective stall counter)
👣Free Seating
💸Prices stated are NETT

The famous teochew pau at Toa Payoh Blk 127 has opened another outlet at The Bedok Marketplace.(lucky easties!!!) The 包s were half the size of your normal paus yet still the same price 🤔. However, the paus were indeed of good quality. The skin was thin, and the ingredients were fresh. The red bean pau (S$0.80) stood out to me as it had a generous amount of yummy and smooth red bean paste packed into the tiny pao. The kong bak pao (S$0.80) (braised pork bun), however, didn't appeal to me as there was only lean meat used and not the typical slab of pork belly which we are familiar with. The small paus go at one for S$0.80 and 5 for S$3.80. The Big Pau (aka 大包) and their Lor Mai Kai (glutinous rice) each go for S$1.60. Prices here are definitely a little steep as compared to other pau shops but you get what you pay for and the size of the pau is perfect if you just want to sample a bit of everything. (Make sure to get at least 5 though if you are looking for something to fill your stomach)

🚫No air-conditioning
🚹Order and pay at counter
💸Prices stated are NETT
👣Free Seating

This humble hole-in-the-wall eatery nestled in Simpang Bedok serves up some of the best crispy prata in Singapore. Each prata is pressed till thin and then fried in a pool of ghee (clarified butter). The result? An insanely buttery prata that was almost cracker-like around the edges yet beautifully soft and fluffy in the centre. Each order includes fish curry and their unique homemade sambal chilli. The curry was nicely done, being slightly sour and spicy to balance out the oiliness of the pratas. Their sambal added a refreshing twist, with sweet and spicy notes that's sure to send flames down your throat. Oh and did I mention that they are open 24 hours? So make sure to ‘jio’ your supper buddies to check this place out for some seriously delicious roti prata.

🚫No Air-conditioning
👣Free Seating
💸Prices stated are NETT
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦Crowded During Peak Hours
🌇Open 24 Hours

This unassuming tiny little shop in Sunshine Plaza serves up a decent bowl of beef omurice. The roast beef slices were tender and flavourful. The egg was well executed, with some parts still runny and oozing with eggy flavour. Rice beneath the egg had a subtle tomato flavour, which went well with the demi-glace sauce that binded the dish together. Overall, a comforting plate of omurice that's bound to leave your tummy satisfied. Will be sure to come back and try other dishes from their incredibly extensive menu. (over a 100 dishes!!!)

☑️Air-conditioned
💸7% GST and 10% Service Charge
👣Limited Seating
🇯🇵Japanese Food