Let’s hope there’s more to come!
Singaporeans live for great food – even when we travel, food is our top priority. We know too well those moments of bliss when we bite into a Ladurée macaron on the streets of Paris or indulge in a Shake Shack burger, because we can never enjoy those in Singapore.
Fortunately for us, our sunny island is not totally devoid of all the great food we’ve come to love during our travels. In the recent years, there’s been more and more international brands setting foot on our shores, in pop-up stalls or permanently. When they do, only the snaking queues are stopping us from savoring them. We’ve rounded up the ultimate overseas food favourites Singaporeans now have without having to buy an air ticket.
Bake Cheese Tart
Starting with the most talked about entrance in our food scene, the Hokkaido BAKE Cheese Tart was an instant hit with us – so much so that it started a whole new fad surrounding cheese tarts. Even our neighbourhood bakeries jumped onto the bandwagon and offered their own versions of the tarts.
Their first store at Ion Orchard saw snaking queues, but what’s a three-hour wait if you could sink your teeth into a crumbly tart with creamy warm cheese filling? Now, our island has a total of 2 outlets – which means a walk-in is not entirely impossible.
As its name suggests, the store originates from Hokkaido, and interestingly, these tarts actually started out as chilled blueberry tarts till they decided that it was lacking that cheesy sweet aroma we’ve all come to love.
Address: 2 Orchard Turn, # B4-33 ION Orchard, ION Orchard, 238801
Soi 55’s Thai Milk Tea Soft Serve
Shops offering Thai milk tea have been sprouting all over our island– almost at the same rate as Mcdonalds has. But who actually bothers about the drink when there’s a soft serve version – perfect for our humid weather. Remember when that super popular Thai milk tea brand Cha Tra Mue had everyone going bonkers, but that was only available in Bangkok? Perhaps those who frequent Bangkok would have tried Cha Tra Mue’s version in Terminal 21 or even at the airport.
Well this year, our homegrown brand specialising in Thai tea took matters into their own hands and brought us their version of the Thai Milk Tea Soft Serve using Cha Tra Mue’s tea leaves.
Each regular cup ($3.90) is served with your choice of crunchy and chewy topping, and finished with an Almond Biscotti. Other premium toppings like Red Ruby, Coconut Crumble are also available.
Address: 1 Shenton Way, Singapore 068803
Hattendo Cream Buns
Perhaps the most nondescript food to arrive in Singapore, the Japanese soft cream buns ($2.50) from Hattendo will surprisingly impress your tastebuds. I mean sure, Japan is known for their cream buns, but you don’t actually expect it to “wow” you.
Everything about the bun is simply “on-point”, tasting almost like a choux puff with the right proportion of cold, smooth fresh cream. Here, the other flavours are even better than the original; choose from Matcha, Chocolate, Adzuki and Custard.
Definitely one of the unassuming food options making its way onto our shores, but it sure has proven itself among us.
Address: 7 Wallich Street, Tanjong Pagar Centre #01-05, 078884
Burger Joint NYC
Some call this the “best burger in New York City”, other than the famous Shake Shack. New York’s cloak-and-dagger burger restaurant – Burger Joint – made its debut in Singapore last year with its first outlet at Amoy Street. Proudly deemed as a burger restaurant without all the fluff of gourmet burgers, Burger Joint makes genuinely unpretentious burgers that have left the harshest of critics in awe. Price-wise, don’t expect it to be similar to your Fatboys meal.
They use Nebraskan beef, and cheese sourced from the best dairy farms in America, so you are definitely paying for quality and a well-thought out burger combination.
They have been known to refer to their burgers as anti-gourmet burgers. Although there is nothing wrong with a tasty gourmet burger, the main idea of the burgers at Burger Joint is to just serve up some honest and delicious burgers – possibly the best one you will ever have.
Address: #01-03, 115 Amoy Street, 069935
Greyhound Cafe
Famous for their Chicken Wings and Thai Aglio Olio, this cafe finally made its way to Singapore, only to be greeted with complains about their exorbitant pricing. Such a vast difference from its Bangkok prices made it difficult for the difference in currency to justify it.
Bearing in mind that their location is after all in Paragon, the cafe is set to impress – in terms of both interior and their specially designed staff uniforms. While the food received mixed reviews, Singaporeans simply weren’t too happy about the pricing.
It’s the place to head to for Thai-fusion cuisine that you know is going to be good, but you would need to pay for ambience as well. Sharing a few dishes with friends will get you the most bang for your buck but otherwise, you’re better off with a meal at Nakhon.
Address: 290 Orchard Rd, Paragon Shopping Centre, Singapore 238859
Tai Cheong Bakery Egg Tarts
Tai Cheong’s egg tarts are well-loved by people from all around the world. One of the must-try local foods when you’re in Hong Kong, some even bother to lug back boxes of the egg tarts, cradling it like a newborn throughout the flight back.
Other than the much-lauded egg tarts, the old school bakery is also selling pineapple buns, doughnuts, egg rolls, pastries and local cha chaan teng dishes. Tai Cheong Bakery’s egg tarts are priced at S$7.60 for a box of 4.
With a bakery at the basement of Takashimaya and a dine-in concept in Holland Village, Singaporeans still wish for a bigger and more comfortable space. Food-wise, the standards are decently on par with the ones in Hong Kong, so we’d say we are pretty happy about their presence.
Address: 31 Lorong Liput Singapore 277742
LeTao Cheesecake
From the Otaru city in Hokkaido, LeTAO is famous for its Double Fromage – a double layered cheesecake in which the upper layer comprises of creamy smooth no-bake cheesecake, and the lower layer a rich, tasty baked cheesecake.
The cakes made in Hokkaido are frozen with a special technology, then air-flown over to Singapore at their takeaway outlet in Ion Orchard.
If you find the cheesecake to be too heavy for you, there is the perfect alternative. The sweet and cheesy finish of the cookies is guaranteed to satisfy even the pickiest of dessert connoisseurs.
Aside from their cheesecake, they also have other desserts on display over the counter including mascarpone creme brulee tarts and a wide selection of chocolates and cookies. Pop by their kiosk if you happen to be in the town area and perhaps take away some desserts to share with your friends and family.
Address: 2 Orchard Turn, #B1-K7 ION Orchard, 238801
London Fat Duck
Contrary to what its name suggests, London Fat Duck did not originate from London, the name simply draws inspiration from the Chinese restaurants there.
Roast duck lovers – London Fat Duck will probably be the one you look forward to most. It’s nothing fancy, just a plate of roast duck done right. The sauce is definitely the star of the dish here – and they pride themselves for it.
Using the best Irish Duck famous for its quality, the signature London Roast Duck ($48.80 whole, $12.80 regular) prides itself as the “Wagyu of Ducks”. The verdict is still torn with this restaurant, with some saying those they tasted overseas fared much better.
Address: 6 Scotts Rd, #B1-16/17 Scotts Square, Scotts Square, 228209