Go east: 20 eateries to check out

Residents in the eastern part of Singapore are often the envy of foodies.

Neighbourhoods such as Katong, Marine Parade, Geylang and Bedok throng with plenty of good and affordable food choices.

That is certainly true. I do not live near any of those areas, but make the trek regularly to Joo Chiat Road and the Old Airport Road Food Centre for my food fixes.

So it was tough sticking to just 20 picks for what the east has to offer. But what I have shortlisted are my trusty favourites and new finds, which I would happily go out of my way for.

Some are old haunts I have been patronising for years. Others were discovered while I was researching for this article - when I spotted a long queue at a stall, for instance, and checked out what the fuss was about.

Popularity is not always an indicator of good food, however. I wasted a lot of time standing in line for food that turned out to be average.

Even old favourites hold no guarantee of quality. Two roast meat stalls I had previously raved about - in Loyang and Yio Chu Kang - had let their standards slip. Their roast duck and char siew were still above average, but not good enough to go out of your way for.

Some picks, such as 928 Katong Laksa, have outlets in different parts of Singapore, but the eastern branch is the one to make a beeline for.

It beats its competitors in the neighbourhood hands down with its rich base stock, which amps up the usual dependence on a spice paste and coconut milk for flavour.

Here is my much pared-down list of 20 places to binge in the east.

There are more, but those will have to wait for another article. 

Katong/Joo chiat:

Da Dong Prawn Noodles Teow

Where: 354 Joo Chiat Road

Open: 7.30am to 2pm (Wednesdays to Mondays), closed on Tuesdays

Though it is a long drive away for me, this is one of my most frequented hawker stalls. It does not take long for me to get a craving for its amazing prawn broth.

I usually go for the soup version because, for me, a good stock is what defines prawn mee. And Da Dong boasts the best - full-bodied with just the right balance of seafood sweetness from prawns and meatiness from pork. It is so precious that there is just enough to cover the noodles. A sign at the stall front warns you against asking for more or risk diluting it.

I have been eating here way before current owner Watson Lim took over four years ago from his father, who started the stall in 1966, and I feel it reliably delivers. Prices range from $5 to $15, depending on the size of the prawns.

I always get the $10 bowl with medium-sized prawns and pork ribs. The $5 version is barely enough to line my stomach and the $8 rendition yields only slices of lean pork instead of delicious and tender ribs.

I also pass on the $15 serving because the large prawns in it come halved with shells attached. Having to pull the meat out and make a mess? Too much of a bother.

 

Tigerlily Patisserie

Where: 350 Joo Chiat Road

Open: 9am to 5pm (Tuesdays to Sundays), closed on Mondays

Among the assembly of cafes along Joo Chiat Road, Tigerlily is indisputably the best. Its executive pastry chef Maxine Ngooi used to work at Michelin-starred restaurants such as Joel Robuchon and Vianney Massot, so the pastries here are good enough to grace the tables of fine-dining establishments.

There is a good selection of savouries and sweets, as well as unique sandwiches like Monsieur Kim ($15), a twist on the French croque monsieur with kimchi added to the usual ham-and-cheese grilled sandwich.

The classic Bacon, Leek And Gruyere Quiche ($6) or Pain Au Chocolat ($4.50) are great for breakfast too.

I have a soft spot for the Pink Guava & Pear ($10) cake, a pretty confection decorated with colourful irregular shapes inspired by the cafe's terrazzo table tops. It tastes refreshing, with a layer of pink guava cream and jelly with cubed fresh pears in the centre encased in elderflower liqueur pear mousse.

The Beehive ($13), a lemon sponge and honey parfait, is a tad too sweet for me, but is one for the 'Gram, with its bright yellow yuzu casing. There is even a little chocolate bee perched on it.

 

Joo Chiat Place Fried Kway Teow

Where: Dong Cheng Eatery, 59 Joo Chiat Place

Open: 11am to 8.30pm (Thursdays to Tuesdays), closed on Wednesdays

A short walk from the busy row of eateries in Joo Chiat Road is a small nondescript coffee shop. Those in the know head there for char kway teow.

A sign at the stall says it dates back to the 1950s and, currently, two women run the stall. One does the frying, the other takes orders. The wait time is mercifully short - not more than 15 minutes.

The kway teow is fried in small batches, which ensures that the noodles are enveloped in wok hei and do not get soggy, while the bean sprouts stay crunchy.

Each plate ($4 or $5) also comes with a generous amount of egg and slices of fishcake. I like that the cockles are not overcooked and stay tender and juicy. Say yes to the chilli - fiery but shiok.

 

328 Katong Laksa

Where: 51 East Coast Road

Open: 9.30am to 9.30pm daily

It is easy to get into a heated argument in this hood over who serves the best Katong laksa.

Within walking distance in East Coast Road alone are two popular stalls - 328 Katong Laksa and Janggut Laksa @ Roxy Square - each with its own following. Then there is George's Katong Laksa in Changi Road that others swear by.

After visiting all three recently, my vote goes to 328 Katong Laksa. It scores in an area that others neglect: Under all that spice and coconut milk is a flavourful base broth that makes you slurp up every drop.

Katong laksa is different from the more ubiquitous version of this spicy noodle dish. It is richer with coconut milk, making it more lemak. And the thick beehoon used for the dish is cut into short strands and eaten with only a spoon - which ensures that every bite is accompanied with some gravy.

The toppings are fishcake, which is cut into strips to fit easily into the spoon, prawns that are shelled and halved, as well as cockles. Each ingredient has a distinctive texture and flavour, but blends well with the spicy gravy.

The laksa comes in two sizes - $5.50 and $7.50. Unless you are ravenous, the small serving should suffice. It may not look like much, but the coconut milk makes it a heavy meal.

The stall has four outlets, including at Queensway and Westgate shopping centres, but there is nothing like enjoying the dish at its original branch in East Coast Road, just for the Katong spirit.

 

Ipoh Tuck Kee Son

Where: B1-85/87 Katong Shopping Centre, 865 Mountbatten Road, tel: 8575-6044

Open: 11am to 3pm, 5 to 9.30pm

In some Malaysian towns, there are zi char stalls that specialise in wok-cooked noodle dishes and Restoran Tuck Kee in Ipoh is one of them.

The owner's son expanded into Singapore recently and his partners now run this stall in Katong Shopping Centre.

The menu is similar to that of the original Ipoh shop, with a small selection of noodle items such as Wat Dan Hor (hor fun with egg gravy, from $5.50) and snacks like Baby Octopus In Soy Sauce ($10).
 

The must-order is Yu Kong Hor (from $5.50), which is Cantonese for Moonlight Hor Fun. The super-smooth strands of flat rice noodles are braised in a delicious dark soya sauce with prawns, lean pork, small intestines and chye sim vegetable. Its fanciful name comes from the raw egg that is cracked over the noodles just before serving - a reference to the bright yellow yolk silhouetted against the inky noodles.

The egg lends a nice richness to the noodles, which may be why it is more flavourful than the Dai Loke Mee (from $5), the Malaysian moniker for KL Hokkien Mee, which is cooked with the same black sauce.

If you would like seconds, plump for the Wat Dan Hor, drowned in so much gravy that it resembles a soup - but a good one. The Baby Octopus also makes a good snack, with the chewy morsels accompanied by a garlicky chilli sauce.

 

Fei Gong Cart Noodle 

Where: 01-770, 80 Marine Parade Central

Open: 10am to 9pm daily

This Hong Kong cart noodles stall, which opened late last year in a coffee shop in Marine Parade, is the most authentic version I have eaten here. In the Chinese territory, the streetside shops selling this dish - where customers choose toppings for the noodles from an open display - are fast disappearing.

At Fei Gong, you get to pick from a wide selection of toppings, such as braised beef brisket ($2.50), chicken mid-joint wing ($1.50) and curry fish ball ($1), to add to rice vermicelli or egg noodle ($1.50). Not to be missed is the radish ($1), which is simmered in stock till it is soft and sweet.

There is a choice of sauces too, ranging from braise gravy to curry. I like mine with clear soup with chilli oil on the side as a dip.

With the tempting toppings on display, one can easily over-order, but as a guide, stop at four.

 

Geylang/paya lebar:

Penang Seafood Restaurant

Where: 32 Aljunied Road, tel: 6841-3002

Open: 11am to midnight daily

Though it sells a few Penang hawker dishes such as assam laksa ($6) and char kway teow ($6 to $12), this is actually a Singapore Chinese restaurant with more than 100 dishes on the menu.

Specialities include salted egg prawn (from $20) and fermented pork belly (from $12). Another popular dish is the volcano chicken ($48).

If you are there alone or as a couple, it might be easier to order the hawker dishes. Bigger groups can share the Chinese dishes. But either way, order the assam laksa. It is, by far, the best version in Singapore.

The cook needs to work on the presentation, though. It looks a mess, with the noodles and vegetables smothered by a layer of mashed fish meat. The char kway teow is a close second, with enough wok hei and boasting a savoury, rather than sweet, taste profile.

Get both carbs, you've earned it!

 

Swee Guan Hokkien Mee

Where: 5 Lorong 29 Geylang

Open: 5 to 10pm (Thursdays to Tuesdays), closed on Wednesdays

Geylang is known for good food, but I find a lot of it to be overrated, whether it is wonton mee or beef hor fun. They are passably pleasant, but not enough to tempt me to brave the congested roads and difficult parking in the area.

Swee Guan's fried Hokkien mee, however, is worth the effort. The stall opens only in the evening and draws a long queue, so try to get there before 6pm.

Prices are $6, $8, $10 and $15, but unless you are planning to eat something else, fork out for the bigger orders. I easily polish off the $10 plate by myself, supposedly for two.

Another reason to pay more is the prawns get bigger as the price goes up. My order comes with four large ones packed with firm and succulent meat.

The noodles boast plenty of wok hei and are braised in a delicious stock with squid, bean sprouts and fried egg. A moreish sambal provides a spicy oomph, but the dish is good on its own too.

 

Rempapa

Where: 01-01 Park Place Residences at PLQ, 2 Paya Lebar Road, tel: 9459-1603

Open: Weekdays, breakfast from 10.30am to noon, lunch from noon to 3.30pm, afternoon tea and bar snacks from 3.30 to 6pm, dinner and bar snacks from 6 to 10.30pm; weekends and public holidays: brunch from 9.30am to 3.30pm, afternoon tea and bar snacks from 3.30 to 6pm, dinner and bar snacks from 6 to 10.30pm

This new restaurant by chef Damian D'Silva is worth a special trip. It serves a mix of Singapore heritage dishes with a strong focus on Eurasian and Peranakan cuisines, but also includes Chinese and Indian dishes from the chef's childhood memories.

There are some Penang items too, thanks to a cook who hails from the Malaysian island.

The menu changes through the day, with mostly single-person hawker items for lunch and tea, and sharing dishes for dinner.

The Stir-fried Chee Cheong Fun ($13) served in the early part of the day is a show-stopper that reminds me of Penang char kway teow but with rice rolls instead of flat noodles. It also tastes more complex because, on top of black soya sauce, the recipe calls for lashings of black bean sauce, fish sauce and hua tiao Chinese wine.

The Nasi Lemak ($17) is good too, with fragrant coconut rice and the biggest ikan selar you will find in this dish anywhere.

Dinner dishes to order include the tart Kedongdong Salad ($15) and the umami-packed Seafood Beehoon ($48).

 

Old Airport Road

To-ricos Guo Shi

Where: 01-135 Old Airport Road Food Centre, Block 51 Old Airport Road

Open: 11am to 3pm, closed on Mondays and Wednesdays

I have been a fan of the kway chap here since the 1980s when it was at the now-defunct Blanco Court food centre.

My devotion did not waver after it moved to its current location in Old Airport Road in 1998.

The draw is its bowls of smooth rice sheets (kway) served with perfectly stewed pig innards (chap). For me, this is - without question - the best kway chap in Singapore.

You pick from a selection of toppings that include pork belly, intestines, tripe, skin as well as fishcake and taupok, and pay accordingly. My single serving of belly, big intestines and skin, with a bowl of kway, costs $7.60.

Everything is cooked perfectly. The meat is just short of fork-tender, leaving it juicy and flavourful. The intestines have a springy texture while the skin has bite - just the way I like it.

The queue starts forming before the stall opens at 11am but get in line anyway. It moves quickly because of the efficient workflow - one person takes orders, another chops up the innards and a third scoops out the kway. Before you know it, lunch is served.

 

Minced Pork Bros

Where: 01-113 Old Airport Road Food Centre, Block 51 Old Airport Road

Open: 9.30am to 4.30pm (Wednesdays to Mondays), closed on Tuesdays

This bak chor mee stall was opened by five "bros" - close buddies who grew up together.

It is fronted by Mr Kai Koh, 36, but you sometimes see partner Randall Gan popping in to help too.

If they look familiar, that is because you may have seen them chopping roast meats at another stall they own a few units away called Roast Paradise.

Not content to follow the crowd, the young men do not just sell classic bak chor mee with the usual minced pork, meat slices and dumplings ($3 and $4), but have also come up with three souped-up versions. And these are the ones to get.

My favourite is Signature ($5.50), which comprises a bowl of dry mee pok with a bowl of superior soup.

The dish looks rather plain - until you dig into the soup and discover what is in it, which includes a pork ball, minced prawn, a scallop and a pork dumpling.

The noodles are smooth and tossed in a mild chilli sauce tangy with black vinegar and rich with lard. The soup is full-bodied and feels almost creamy in the mouth.

Another creation is Seafood ($6, above), which comes topped with ikura (salmon roe), a prawn, minced pork and fish dumpling.

The last is Teochew ($6), which includes half a soft-centre marinated egg and a small abalone besides pork.

 

Roast Paradise

Where: 01-121 Old Airport Road Food Centre, Block 51 Old Airport Road

Open: 11am to 6pm (Tuesdays to Sundays), closed on Mondays

The queue for this stall's char siew and roast pork starts the moment its shutters go up and lights come on. It ends only when every single item sells out, which is often hours earlier than its official closing time.

The star is definitely the Kuala Lumpur-style char siew ($4.50 with rice or noodles), where fatty pork is used, then coated with maltose, so the sweetness helps to balance the fat.

The roasting caramelises the sugar and turns the edges crispy, while keeping everything juicy inside. And the fat gets so soft, it melts in the mouth.

The stall used to sell two types of char siew, including a lean cut which I found unremarkable. It was frustrating when the fatty version was sold out by lunchtime and I had to settle for less. Now at least I know I'm always getting the good stuff.

The roast pork ($4.50 with rice or noodles) is good too, with its crisp crackling and tender meat, though not as outstanding as the char siew.

For variety, get a plate of char siew roast pork rice ($5). The sweet and savoury combo is just perfect.

 

Bedok

Chef Kin Wanton Noodle

Where: Block 59 New Upper Changi Road

Open: 7.30am to 8pm daily

Chef Kin is Chan Wing Kin, 58, who worked with the Crystal Jade group of restaurants for 18 years before setting out to start his own wonton mee stall last year.

He now has three outlets in Yishun, Bedok and Ang Mo Kio. They sell Hong Kong-style wonton mee ($5), which has thin wiry egg noodles accompanied with four plump shrimp wontons. There is no char siew - unlike in the Singapore version.

Despite the no-frills coffee-shop setting, the dishes are served on porcelain crockery and the food tastes as good as in any Hong Kong restaurant.

The duck egg noodles have a smooth, firm and slightly springy texture. And when you bite into them, they snap easily without sticking to your teeth. The wontons boast a smooth skin that envelopes crunchy whole prawns, leaving no doubt about their freshness.

 

Chin Lee Teochew Restaurant

Where: 01-285, 115 Bedok North Road, tel: 6449-5454

Open: 11.30am to 2.30pm, 6 to 10.30pm daily

This neighbourhood restaurant in a Housing Board block has been around since 1973, so it has become a landmark in the Bedok foodscape, although few non-residents may have heard of it.

It is packed with families in the evenings, who flock there for the Home-made Teochew Prawn Ball ($10 for small). Commonly known as hae chor, these deep-fried balls burst with juices from the filling of fresh prawn, minced fatty pork and water chestnut.

The Conpoy & Fish Maw Thick Soup ($10 a single-person bowl or $30 for small) is good too. Packed with ingredients, the delicately flavoured broth tastes free of commercial chicken powder seasoning - rare for a neighbourhood Chinese restaurant.

The Steamed Pomfret ($80 for small) cannot be faulted either. The fish is fresh and the cooking perfectly timed. It comes in a tangy clear broth flavoured with sour plums, salted vegetable, Chinese mushrooms and pork fat.

The Teochew Kway Teow ($15 for small), fried with kailan and preserved radish, is the best version I have eaten. High heat gives it lots of wok hei and the rice noodles, spread out flat like a pancake, are crisp at the sides.

 

Desa Rancapanggung

Where: 739 Bedok Reservoir Road

Open: 7am to 3pm (Saturdays to Thursdays), closed on Fridays

Ask anyone who lives in Bedok Reservoir Road where to eat and, chances are, you will be pointed to a Malay stall in one of the coffee shops there.

Desa Rancapanggung is named after a town in Java, Indonesia, which is where the matriarch of the family-owned stall hails from. You know you have found it when you see a long queue snaking outside the coffee shop at lunchtime.

Many people recommend the lontong, but that is sold out or unavailable every time I visit.

The beef rendang ($3) is good too, others advise. It is delicious, as are many of the cooked dishes. The taucheo fish ($3), fish fillet cooked in a thick gravy of blended fermented soya beans and spices, made me gasp in delight the first time I tucked in.

There are noodles dishes too, including an excellent Mee Soto ($3) that comes with two chicken drumlets and an aromatic broth spiked with spices.

 

Xing Ji Rou Cuo Mian

Where: Block 85 Bedok North Street 4, 01-07 Fengshan Centre

Open: 12.30pm to 12.30am (Fridays to Wednesdays), closed on Thursdays

One of the best-known hawker stalls in Bedok, this is my top pick for minced meat noodle soup in Singapore.

Ordering is ultra simple. Unlike other bak chor mee stalls, there is no dry version. The sole option is thin egg noodles, nothing else. The only decision you need to make is the serving size - $3 or $4.

The devil however is in the details: The broth is clear and delicately sweet from simmered pork bones, complemented with springy noodles and toppings of firm, tasty pork balls. Fried minced garlic and deep-fried lard add another layer of flavour. Altogether a low-fuss, delightful treat for the palate.

 

Tomahawk King

Where: 324F Changi Road, tel: 8790-2242

Open: 11am to 10pm daily

If you are looking for a halal steak, this is the best place to find it.

The highlight of this Muis-certified restaurant is the Tomahawk Steak ($138 for 1.1kg to 1.2kg), which can feed three to four persons. The price includes three sides, cheesy fries, onion rings and a garden salad.

The 120 days grain-fed Australian steak is grilled to perfection. The corners will suit those who prefer their meat more cooked while the centre stays pink and juicy.

It is good for delivery too . The first time I tasted it was during the circuit breaker in 2020 when restaurants were closed. It brought me much joy then.

If you are not planning to share, the restaurant also has options such as Sirloin Steak ($43.90 for 250g to 300g), Grilled Chicken ($15.90) and Braised Lamb Shank ($39.90). May these bring you joy too.

 

Changi

Greenhouse

Where: Dusit Thani Laguna Singapore, 11 Laguna Green, tel: 6321-6726

Open: Noon to 3pm, 5 to 11pm daily

Located in the newest and poshest hotel in the eastern part of Singapore, this is possibly the east's most beautiful restaurant, with its forest-theme design and walls covered in lush greenery.

Scattered within the restaurant are five open kitchens, each specialising in a different cuisine that ranges from Italian to Japanese to Indian. Diners can order from any of them.

As expected of a multi-cuisine eatery, not everything is good. But some dishes are outstanding.

It is no surprise that the Dusit Thani, being a hotel chain from Thailand, serves up totally legit Thai food. In particular, the Tom Yum Goong ($24) hits the spot. It comes with meaty river prawns and fresh mushrooms swimming in a fiery broth laced with just the right amount of lime juice. Pair this with some Gaeng Kiaow Waan Gai ($24) or green chicken curry. Both dishes come with rice.

The Chinese kitchen has some gems too. Kurobuta Pork ($30), what the restaurant calls its sweet and sour pork, does not sound very exciting until you bite into a piece of the juicy meat coated in crispy batter. Instead of the usual pineapple, the dish is fried with lychees.

The chef comes from Hong Kong, which explains why the sauce boasts a beautiful balance of tomato, plum sauce and rice wine vinegar. He also does an intoxicating Anxin Chicken ($29) that is smoked with jasmine tea leaves.

 

Hougang/Upper Serangoon

Hougang Oyster Omelette & Fried Kway Teow

Where: 435A Hougang Avenue 8

Open: 11am to 7.30pm (Tuesdays to Sundays), closed on Mondays

When it comes to oyster omelette, fans fall into two camps. One likes it gooey, with blobs of stretchy starch within the omelette. The other prefers it crispy and eggy.

At this stall in Hougang, you get the best of both worlds as the elderly hawker has perfected the art after tossing the omelette about for more than 30 years. He fries each batch in a large flat-bottomed wok with lard and manages to get the edges crisp, while retaining just the right amount of chewy starch in the omelette.

The oysters are also bigger than at other places and nicely undercooked. Eaten with a piquant chilli sauce, this may be one of the best oyster omelettes ($5.50 and $6.50) around.

Forget about the char kway teow ($4 and $4.50), though. Fried by the hawker's wife, it is wet and oily with little wok hei. The cockles, however, remain juicy.

 

Yaorawat Seafood

Where: 27 Teck Chye Terrace, tel: 6858-5988

Open: Noon to 3pm, 5 to 9.30pm daily

Tucked in the middle of a row of eateries facing Upper Serangoon Road, it is easy to miss this Thai seafood restaurant. It does not help that the parking is a nightmare.

But after seeing photos of its dishes, including luscious hairy cockles topped with minced garlic and chilli, my interest was piqued.

Those cockles are off-menu, however, as they are not always available and prices vary. But worry not, prices at Yaowarat Seafood are wallet-friendly and you should not have to pay more than $15 for them.

If they are unavailable, the menu has a lot more to offer.

The Thai Yellow Curry Crab (from $56 for 700g) will transport you immediately to Bangkok with its buttery curry sauce thickened with egg. Or get the appetising Squid Steamed Thai Style ($15.90), with a spicy-sour dressing made with lime juice and chilli padi.

One of my favourite dishes here is surprisingly not seafood, but the Pork Satay ($2.90 each). Chunky pieces of meat are infused with herbs and spices before being grilled to a smoky finish.