Singapulah

I was away in India and Thailand for the majority of March. While I was there, I kept hearing about a new opening in London that was causing quite a stir. By then, the queues were reportedly up to an hour long, and it had become a viral sensation due to its immense popularity.

I suppose it's always desirable for a restaurant to gain such attention – the boost in brand awareness and popularity is undeniable. However, this also intensifies the pressure to deliver when it comes to the quality of food.

Upon my return to London in February, I made sure to visit the establishment early on, eager to experience it firsthand. And I must say, it lived up to the hype!

From the exterior, the branding was striking and easily caught the eye, particularly since it's situated in a bustling location like Chinatown. The interior was equally impressive, with a blend of nostalgic aesthetics and modern, clean design – it truly enhanced the overall ambiance. Because let's face it, dining out is not just about the food; the atmosphere plays a crucial role in the entire experience.

But anyway, let's move on to the food...

WE LOVED:

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The LAKSA was lovely in my opinion! In case you are unfamiliar, laksa is a spicy noodle soup that is particularly popular in Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia. The dish is famous for its rich broth, which is typically a fusion of spices alongside coconut milk, with an additional tangy profile, depending on the sour fruit used as part of the recipe.

This bowl wasn’t too spicy despite looking so. The broth was creamy and rich, and quite strong in coconut flavours, which I personally loved because I love anything coconut. The mouse tail (silver pin) noodles were a great texture as well and there were lots of prawns and tofu in the bowl. Some might argue that egg noodles would have been better but to me, the shorter and smaller noodles were perfect for scooping up with a soup spoon. Strong comfort food vibes. 7.5/10

BAK CHOR MEE. A dish I’ve never had before and I’m sad I only just discovered it!! If, like me, this is your first time hearing about it, bak chor mee is a popular street food dish in Singapore that translates to "minced meat noodles" in Hokkien. This dish is typically served either dry or in a soup form.

Our bowl was served dry with a small bowl of broth on the side. The sauce that came with the noodles was full of flavour and the noodle texture was perfect. Again, I love a bowl full of toppings and this was our fave dish of the meal. Note: we actually added the bowl of soup into the noodles and I totally loved how it all blended together to form a totally moreish bowl of comforting noodles. 8.5/10

CUTTLEFISH YOUTIAO. This one was a self explanatory dish. I loved the crunchiness of these as it had a similar texture and profile to the classic prawn toast. But instead of bread it’s fried dough sticks (youtiao) filled with cuttlefish. Definitely recommend trying it if you’re coming here to eat. 7.5/10

CHILLI CRAB BAOS. But first, what is chilli crab? Chilli crab is a popular seafood dish originating from Singapore and is often highlighted in food tours and culinary showcases. It represents the country's love for robust flavours and features fresh crab cooked in a thick, tangy, and spicy tomato-based sauce. It combines sweetness, spiciness, and a hint of sourness, often enhanced with egg, which adds a creamy texture to the sauce. Sounds delicious, right? The only downside to this dish is that usually it's a full hands-on kind of dish that involves cracking crab shells and digging out crab meat with utensils.

As we weren’t in the mood to tackle a whole chilli crab, we opted for these little buns and they were really nice! Lightly crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Probably could’ve done with a little more filling but flavour-wise it was delicious. 8/10

It definitely gave us a taste of how good the whole chilli crab would be if we had ordered it. That being said, if you're reading this and thinking you need to get in on that action, make sure you pre-order in advance as the crab can be seasonal and isn't available all year round.

CEREAL KILLER PRAWNS. Never had prawns coated in cereal before and I gotta say it works! The only thing I will say that it’s a bit on the drier side as a dish so best paired with a soupy or saucy dish for best experience. 7/10

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‍DIDN’T LOVE AS MUCH:

We also got the cuttlefish skewers but thought it was quite meh as everything else we ordered had so much more flavour and depth. I would say you should definitely get the youtiao version instead as the textures in that was just perfect! 5/10

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‍OTHER NOTES:

We only tried on of their kuehs (traditional Asian dessert) as we were SO FULL. I love all things chewy and pandan so this was great for me. If you love mochi, definitely order a kueh to finish your meal. 7.5/10

‍There were loads of drinks on the menu too. I got the milo dinosaur but would’ve also gotten the coconut shake as that also sounded really nice. Next time!!!

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