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Chir Chir
just when we thought that the Korean fried chicken wave has kinda settled, with the key players taking their places in our city, a bunch of young local entrepreneurs joined the fray with a bang. Calling themselves the 'fusion chicken factory', Chir Chir (pronounced chi-rae chi-rae) has seen scores of people flocking to 313 @ Somerset. we joined the queue recently to understand what fusion chicken is all about.
throngs of young hispter crowds on a Friday night, and we used to think that Llao Llao or Hai Di Lao were the only things people would queue for in 313 @ Somerset. replacing a space previously owned by a local ramen chain, Chir Chir has transformed this corner of the mall with unbelievable scenes like what you see above. earning the franchisee rights to a popular Korean chain, the owners currently have 2 stores in Singapore. 
for the first visit, we went for the most original and specialty serving of crispy fried chicken. it comes in a huge plate of at least 10 pieces, and while some ravenous friends may find this ample, we felt that it would have served 3 people just right. the chicken didn't feel pre-fried as it was served piping hot and with a fine tinge of oil. the dish comes with some honey mustard sauce and some salsa. 
i guess the true test for how this tastes will come from the meat itself. the texture was indeed very crispy, tender and more importantly hot on both the inside and outside. the chicken was very juicy, probably one of the better fried chickens we've tasted, in the leagues of Arnold's chicken. call me naive but i truly felt that this chicken felt alot more organic than the KFC ones. the only drawback i guess was the very dry nature of this dish and you'd start to get weary after 3 to 4 pieces. the next time we visit, the Korean Nest Snow dish of fried chicken with cream, cheese and vegetables could be a better option. 
another signature of this place would be their Chir Cream Beer. the korean beer comes in two sizes, half or full pint, and is topped with a shaving of sweet whipped cream. a perfect accompaniment for fried food. there's also lots of other interesting cocktails and soju-magaritas to choose from, bringing out the fun element of this concept. reservations here are not allowed, so come early, pick up a menu and select some sides to go with your chicken while you wait in line. the queue is certainly worth the experience. 
Chir Chir Fusion Chicken Factory 313 Orchard Road, 313 @ Somerset #B3-04/05/06 Singapore 238895 Opening Hours Sundays to Thursdays: 10 am to 10 pm Fridays & Saturdays: 10 am to 11 pm You'll find cold beer and hot chicks here.. White Restaurant
Inspired by a recent discussion with our CEO, i recalled a trip to the furthest north-eastern reaches of Punggol Settlement. for those less familiar with the area, Punggol Settlement is located at the deepest tip of Punggol. it is a coastal cycling area, that has a supermarket, bicycle rental, cafes, pubs and some Chinese restaurants. just the most usual unlikely place where you'd find White Restaurant, a spin-off branch of the equally hard-to-access famous Sembawang white beehoon.
as their name suggests, White Restaurant is a branch of the original You Huat Restaurant located at Jalan Tampang, off Sembawang road. for both their remote locations, each restaurant draws a respectable lunch crowd and a strong weekend clientele. moving a slight notch higher than the coffeshop setup at Sembawang, the outlet at Punggol Settlement is fully air-conditioned with some al-fresco seats overlooking the Punggol Point Coastal Walk. 
their signature dish is their white beehoon, a fried vermicelli dish with seafood, eggs, vegetables and typically sprinkled with lime juice. its practically like a beehoon version of Hokkien mee, served moist and extremely aromatic. i guess when a signature dish is practically how people remember and make reference to the eatery, that dish surely has to leave a lasting memory. 
to prove that they are not just a one-trick-pony, this restaurant not only specializes in the white beehoon, but also their signature home-made fried beancurd. it's crispy and battered, and for some strange reason, tastes pretty much like fish from fish-and-chips. notwithstanding, it's all pure beancurd and goes very well with the mayonnaise that accompanies this dish. 
White Restaurant is essentially a zi char restaurant, so we took the opportunity to try other dishes. a couple of notable ones include the prawn paste chicken and hay cho. in particular, the hay cho was very rich in flavour, crispy and served with a generous portion of meat. the combinations for the day was a tad too salty though, and we found ourselves pretty thirsty after our meal. perhaps thats why the watering-holes in the vicinity seems to be enjoying brisk business as well. in all, White Restaurant is a decent weekend hangout for a unique local delight - just a word of advice, the place is so deep that it's best to drive or cab there. 
White Restaurant 3 Punggol Point Road The Punggol Settlement Singapore 828694 Opening Hours 11.30 am to 10 pm (daily) From the makers of the original Sembawang White Beehoon Guan Hoe Soon
one of the oldest Peranakan restaurants serving Nonya classics in the Joo Chiat area, Guan Hoe Soon has come a long way to make themselves a local favourite for events and special occasions. venturing out to offer catering service as well, many have turned to Guan Hoe Soon for wedding receptions at home and also for house-warming parties.
the main restaurant itself is situated at a traditional conserved shophouse at Joo Chiat Place. known for being able to whip up many effervescent Peranakan dishes, the eatery with a history dating back to 1953 adds to the gourmet diversity that Joo Chiat already boasts. younger patrons like ourselves tend to be introduced to Guan Hoe Soon through positive experiences with their catering food first, and later on decided to visit the main store. 
One of their most signature dishes is not even listed on the menu, and has to be ordered in advance. their Babi Pangang or roast pork is tender, juicy and carries a decent amount of fat. the meat is well marinated and grilled till the sides are slightly charred. unlike the crispy roast pork that some of us are familiar with, this one melts in your mouth. 
another must-try famous dish is this Ayam Buah Keluak or chicken pieces, stuffed nuts and blended spices. it is served in a special peranakan sauce that is very robust in flavour and comes in generous servings. the "keluak" nuts are apparently very hard to prepare where they have to be soaked for a couple of days before they are stuffed with spices. 
we accompanied our meal with other Nonya favourites such as Otak Otak, Ngoh Hiang and Nonya Chap Chye. we topped it off with some Kerpting soup and meatballs. Dessert is a curious affair as we decided to try some of their freshly made Nonya kuehs. the thick flavour of coconut and brown sugar is evident from this version as compared to those we typically get off the bakery rack. Guan Hoe Soon is certainly the real McCoy, and if you're thinking of impressing the Peranakan patriarch of your fiance or girlfriend, this is the place to visit. 
Guan Hoe Soon Restaurant 38 Joo Chiat Place Singapore 427762 Opening Hours Open Daily from 11 am to 3 pm & 6 pm to 9.30 pm The owners and chefs of this restaurant are interestingly not Peranakan Bridge - Cafe, Restaurant, Bar
as the name suggests, the Bridge along Seah Street is pretty much everything. by day it's your hipster favourite brunch cafe, by night it is a chillout bar for the PMEBs and an artisanal restaurant to boot. and then on weekdays there's also set lunch menus for the office faithful, this place certainly serves up quite abit to give the Bugis folks more dining options.
before i make it sound like this an everything place, the owners of this diner actually put alot of thought into their menu. while the brunch servings offer the full range, the lunch and dinner options are capped at a few of their specialties. not to forget, this is also a chill-out bar, and you may be glad to know that we actually found out about this place through a facebook ad offering 1-for-1 Happy Hour drinks all day, everyday.. 
had my pint of 1-for-1 Hoegaarden whilst waiting for friends to arrive one evening. the dinner menu is pretty avant-garde, with a couple of signature mains that borders along the art of fine-dining. but rest assured the portions are reasonable and that you'd have your fill for the price you pay. the dim candle-light setting also makes the Bridge a cosy place for a date and at present, the place ain't overcrowded yet. 
had the opportunity to try almost all their dinner mains, with this pork belly dish standing out. the meat is well braised with a layer of fat, but very tender and well marinated in cider sauce. certainly the chef's recommendation. we also tried the truffle chicken which was pretty unique, prepared in a flavourful orange truffle sauce to give it a tinge of sweetness. 
for the more adventurous, you should try out this lamb ballotine, that is served with button mushrooms, baby potatoes and rosemary sauce. the lamb is juicy and doesn't carry the strong aftertaste that some of us may not be accustomed to. above all, the service is pretty fast, and there's a wide selection of finger food if you're just here for a chillout. we'd certainly come back here for brunch some time soon, but dinner was such a pleasant surprise. 
Bridge - Cafe, Restaurant, Bar 31 Seah Street Singapore 188387 Opening Hours Mondays to Thursday: 11.30 am to 10 pm Fridays: 11.30 am to 12 am Saturdays: 11 am to 1 am Sundays: 12 pm to 1 am Fine dining with a twist; without fuss nor pinch.. Pacamara
the cafe enclave around the Upper Thomson Road area is fast catching on to rival traditional locations such as Duxton, Everton Park or Holland Village. starting out from the humble origins of coffee roasters, Pacamara teed-up with some Thai partners to set up a new cafe in this area. the effect is somewhat a mixed experience.
amid the simple and clean interior, coffee blenders, racks of coffee powder and machines remains the highlight of the cafe. the aromatic brews from the barista, especially their Thai coffee and white coffee range further confirms their caffeine roots. the store has since expanded to be somewhat of the brunch cafe and chill-out bar, with an assortment of breakfast dishes, pastas and cider/beer/stout beverages.. 
not to mention... salads! we tried this prawn & avocado dish that comes with spinach, cherry tomatoes and some fruit-based dressing. not exactly wowed by the taste, but that was the pre-cursor to some unique looking dishes that the menu has to offer. we ordered some pastas such as their Forest Mushroom Aglio Olio and Pesto Cream, a tad overkill on the mushrooms and cream we thought, nothing too fancy. 
something a little more special would be the soft-shell crab burger. the bread uses a squid-ink bun (similar to the famous black buns at Duke's bakery) and the crab is actually really soft yet crunchy. the dish is presented with chips and a special ebbiko sauce, in all making it quite a good meal. 
special mention to some of the tea brews in the midst of a coffee-roaster. their specialty teas such as this Blissful Berries tea is actually not bad. we recommend this to anyone who is having a stressful day and would like something warm to soothe the nerves. ironically for Pacamara, the drinks at this place actually saves the day from a generally normal menu. the wide selection of ciders, flavoured beers and stouts actually encourages one to come back for a drink. if they can up their game for the food menu, this place would be a blast. 
Pacamara Boutique Coffee Roasters 185 Upper Thomson Road Singapore 574333 Opening Hours Tuesdays to Sundays: 9 am to 11 pm (closed on Mondays) the seats are mainly on the bartop or over long tables.. Manna Story
In preparation for an upcoming visit to Seoul, we decided to get into the mood by having some Korean fare. Manna Story is considerably one of the more authentic versions to be found in a shopping mall setting, and is known to be good value-for-money too. The outlet at JCube actually brings a pretty unique dining experience, not exactly busy, brightly decorated, and over-looking the ice-rink. shades of the wintry feel in Seoul.
Originating from the shop-houses of Telok Ayer Street, the Manna brand till today attracts a steady clientele of Koreans and locals alike. K-Pop artistes such as Rain and Shinhwa have also supposedly visited the main branch, according to pictures found on the walls. Since moving to malls such as Plaza Singapura and JCube, the mainstream version of Manna Story have been bringing authentic Korean dishes to the masses. 
i recall a hearty serving of 12 types of Banchan, or side dishes, the last time i visted Manna Story. so i guess the modest serving of 4 is a sign of current economic times. undaunted, we went ahead to order some of the Korean favourites. for someone like me with a more delicate tolerance for spicy Korean food, this was good training for the days ahead in Seoul. 
we went for this Budae Chigae, which was a scrumptious mix of ham, sausages, tofu, vegetables and ramyeon immersed in a well-flavoured kimchi soup. it was quite a generous serving, suitable for 2 people and certainly no less satisfying than an army-stew hotpot. on top of that, we had a serving of pork bulgogi delivered on a hotplate and a dish of traditional Korean rice cakes or Topokki. the meats were well-marinated with the right kick of spice, although the Topokki tended to get a little drab after awhile (maybe too big portions of the same thing). 
i'd always have a soft spot for Korean noodles and this ramyeon dish warrants some mention. nothing too fancy, just Korean ramen in kimchi with egg, seaweed and chicken. the spices within the broth and the texture of the noodles somehow makes this dish real comfort food. strangely, our much anticipiated Korean steamed-egg turned out to be the disappointment of the evening, overly soft and absolutely bland. what happened? nonetheless, Manna Story remains a popular family restaurant at various shopping centres. the outlets are often packed and attracts people of all ages. though it may have lost abit of the hype that it started with, we'd still come back here the next time there's craving for a simple Korean fix. 
Manna Story 2 Jurong East Central 1, JCube #04-19, Singapore 609731 Opening Hours 10 am to 10 pm (daily) Manna means delicious food from heaven.. fyi |
..ThE lEgEnD..
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Golden Village, Singpost Centre 
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