Best Halal Restaurants in Singapore

Aqua Marine

Another hotel revamp another reopening. This time it’s Marina Mandarin Meritus, catching up with its recently renovated Pan Pacific and Oriental bedfellows. The lobby looks “cookie cutter” modern, and to find Aquamarine you need to zip up to the fourth floor.

Gone are Tatler Brasserie and the Cricketeer Pub. The space previously reserved for the Filipino singers now has a “fish bar,” a bizarre concept of wet market meets upscale dining, with fresh bream, cod and oysters on display, overlooking a Captain’s Table of 16.

The rest of the sprawling Aquamarine buffet restaurant flows quite well, with nautical cues matched with shiny surfaces and IKEA-like tables and chairs. The menu has an à la carte section, and a sushi bar option. This little trick means that the real deal, the buffet doesn’t come with any sashimi or sushi—which left us feeling somewhat shortchanged.

The appetizer selection was not bad, with plenty of fish choices, along with some meats. Mains included a roast and some soggy local and Western choices. In general, the food was mediocre, lacking in taste and left to languish on warmers. When the highlights are fried rice (unusually tasty) and fresh rocket, you know it’s not the most memorable dinner of the month.

We did sample some of the buffet, but quickly moved on to dessert. The spread was respectable, with the obligatory chocolate fountain, a generous array of cakes and two hot puddings. A fine cheese board was put out too, but was unfortunately accompanied by flaky crackers instead of firm biscuits.

What saved the experience was good service from our prompt and attentive servers, including a sommelier who recommended a suitable bottle of wine. At the end of our meal, we felt that while this restaurant is trying hard, and has succeeded with the décor, ambiance and service, it falls short on food quality. If it hopes to compete with the bigger, better buffet restaurants, it needs to work on substance in addition to the style it already has.

We all know that Singapore is a true foodie’s paradise and one where so many “live to eat”. There’s a pretty good chance you can find any cuisine on earth right here in our cultural melting pot, but if you’re a newbie to Singapore (or have visitors decending!) there’s a whole world of food that often goes unnoticed: local food! Sure, we’ve all had our fair share of hawker centres and tried the likes of popular treats like satay, noodle soup, and dim sum, but there is still so much more to try. What a shame it would be if you lived in Singapore and didn’t get to try everything this foodie haven had to offer…

Well, check that off your bucket list now, mama because we’ve found a solution to your dilemma. Say hello to AquaMarine – where Asian delights meet international flavours. What better way to explore the island’s best-kept secrets than at this renowned weekend buffet (the kids are invited too!).Located on level 4 of the 5-star luxury hotel, Marina Mandarin Singapore, AquaMarine is a unique concept restaurant featuring a resplendent spread of Asian and international cuisines (all with Halal certification too). Featuring a sumptuous buffet of perennial favourites such as Fried Japanese Tofu with Pickled Ginger and Roasted Goma Dressing, Poached Tiger Prawn Salad with Citrus Dressing, Singapore Chilli Crab, Lamb Rogan Josh, Seafood Au Gratin and a mouth-watering array of desserts, there’s so much here to tickle your taste buds, mama. There’s also a wide selection of à la carte dishes including local signatures like Jumbo Laksa and Hainanese Chicken Rice. Surrounded by clear glass panels, AquaMarine gives diners a complete view of the hotel’s plush atrium, as well as a little touch of nature with textured stonewalls and a water feature at the outdoor terrace. Contemporary and bright, the show kitchen is the real highlight here – it allows diners to view the chefs doing what they do best… cooking!

We recently decided to check out the weekend buffet for ourselves and are happy to report that while the place does deliver the internationally local food that it promises, it’s also a great venue to bring the kids along to as well. The buffet is divvied up into several sections, the highlight being the extensive seafood spread. Apart from the usual must haves like fresh oysters, prawns, Boston lobsters, scallops, and black mussels, I was thrilled to see stone crab claws and sea whelks on offer too! Another special addition to the seafood spread, and one that I must mention, is the Whole Poached Salmon, complete with condiments – so good! Once you’ve had your aquatic fix, head to the Japanese bar, where a selection of sushi, sashimi, cold noodles, and tempura await. Of course no buffet is complete without a salad bar and the one here offers unusual items such as edamame and lotus root. Healthy food for the fam — check!

My kids were more than thrilled with the Pizza and Pasta station, with its über cheesy slices of Hawaiian and Margherita pizza — not exactly the local fix I was hoping to introduce them to, but who can argue with pizza! That being said there’s a lovely selection of main meals that you can also go for if you want to divert your kids away from the usual…. try the DIY stations of Lor Mee noodles, or the crispy baskets of Kueh Pie Tee, filled with a traditional Peranakan vegetable filling. My favourite dish was the pepper crab, which was complemented by fragrant garlic fried rice or glass noodles. The drunken Chinese prawns were also hugely popular, as were the lamb chops and teriyaki chicken. And if you’re craving Indian, the fish and lamb curries are beautiful, served with hot butter naan breads and condiments. It’s also worthy dropping past the BBQ station, where you can get your fill of roast chicken, grilled vegetables, chicken wings, sausages, and grilled prawns Sushi, sake, and sports are served up at this spacious Second Avenue eatery. The dim interior skews to a clubby Asian style: River-stone walls, an occasionally functional waterfall, and pale-white birch trees that serve as dividers between the dark wood tables. At the long bar, everything’s glowing, including the counter, the backlit shelves lined with sake bottles, and the flat-screen TVs. Floor-to-ceiling glass accordion windows are a nice touch, though the crushingly dull Second Avenue view of two dry cleaners and a shoe repair is a downer. The sushi is fresh if unmemorable, and of the heftier entrees, the seafood trumps the meats: Grilled duck breast tends towards dry, but the red snapper is moist and flaky, and studded with chunky pineapple. As the hour grows late, the sports volume goes up a notch, as do the hoots and hollers from the sake-swilling patrons. — AnneLise Sorensen

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Best Halal Restaurants in Singapore

Selera Rasa Nasi Lemak

Selera Rasa Nasi Lemak is arguably the most famous nasi lemak stall in Singapore. Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong arranged for the nasi lemak from this stall to be served to Indonesian President Joko Widodo when he visited the Istana in November 2014. The Sultan of Brunei gets his breakfast from Selera Rasa each time he visits Singapore. There aren’t many nasi lemak stalls in Singapore with this level of recognition. Mr Hassan Abdul Kadir started selling his mother’s nasi lemak on a bicycle decades ago. Mr Hassan’s grandfather was a Japanese soldier and this allowed Mr Hassan’s mother to incorporate Japanese ingredients into her sambal sauce. Mr Hassan gave up peddling nasi lemak eventually and started work at the Hyatt Hotel in the laundry department. However, he continued making nasi lemak to sell to his colleagues at the hotel, where he ended up working for 20 years. According to Mr Hassan’s son Mr Abdul Malik, the Sultan of Brunei often stayed at Hyatt Singapore, as the hotel is the property of the Brunei government’s investment arm. One day, the Sultan dropped by the laundry department and spotted packets of nasi lemak. On the Sultan’s enquiry, Mr Hassan gave the Sultan one to try. The Sultan would later tell Mr Hassan to open a stall with his nasi lemak. Mr Hassan ended up doing just that in 1998, and the rest is history. His son Mr Abdul Malik gave up his promising pilot career path to follow his father’s wishes and take over the popular stall in 2004. The son improved on the ingredients and the processes, switching to basmati rice and improving the fried chicken marinade. Soon, the popular Selara Rasa Nasi Lemak stall became internationally famous. It received awards like the Singapore Street Food Master for best nasi lemak by Makansutra in 2006 and The Straits Times Readers’ Choice  for nasi lemak in 2008. The all-star items here are the chicken wing, basmati rice and the sambal chilli. Their crispy ikan bilis (deep fried anchovies) are pretty good as well. This means that you would have to order either the Chicken Wing Meal, Full House, Royal Flush or Royal Rumble. Personally we prefer the Full House that comes with the chicken wing, otah, fried egg, ikan bilis, basmatic rice and the sambal chilli. It goes for S$4.50 (IDR Rp42.776).

Selera Rasa does nasi lemak close to perfection. The basmati rice is super fragrant and it tastes so much better than the regular Thai rice, especially together with the sambal chilli. The chicken wing by itself is one of the best in Singapore, perfect crispiness with a fragrant delicious taste. Mr Abdul Malik’s marinade for the chicken wings has really hit all the right notes. From the picture you can just imagine how delicious the chicken wing would taste with the basmati rice and the sambal chilli. We rate the nasi lemak here 4.4/5. We note that you may encounter some problems with consistency, as the chicken wings that we had that day were very slightly overcooked. They would have received a higher rating if not for this issue I actually timed the queue, it came to 39 minutes. He will sign first "come here and what do you want" then "eat here or take away" (I was confused, hence putting it out there for future visitors). The rice was a bit soft for my taste, too salty, and with not enough coconut (but you can really smell the pandan as a result). The ikan billis was not sickening for a change. The chicken wing is a chicken wing, I mean there's not many ways to improve on a chicken wing, it's a decent wing as far as wings go. No peanuts. The sauce was the best item, sweet and with incredible scent. 

I could not indulge fully in the sauce due to avoiding spicy foods at the moment, which may be why I was less than enthusiastic about the whole thing, which I did not consider to be worth 39 minutes of queue (prices have bumped up too, $3.90 for the chicken set). I prefer the nasi lemaks I've had around Joo Chiat. My wife, who ate most of her sauce, thought it WAS worth it, so I'll average our ratings and give it 4*. Personally, I'll try "No. 1" next time, its queue is considerably shorter and you get peanuts with your nasi lemak.

CRAVE houses both the popular Adam Road Nasi Lemak by Selera Rasa, as well as the Amoy Street Teh Tarik by Rafee’s Corner in the same place.

Two local hawker delights in an upscale shopping mall? Why not? (Other than ION Orchard, Hougang Mall, Bedok Mall, Waterway Point and the latest addition of Parkway Parade are where you can find CRAVE

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong served this Nasi Lemak to Indonesian President Joko Widodo when he was here in Singapore; the Sultan of Brunei would request this frequently whenever he visited Singapore.

A normal Nasi Lemak set would be between $4.90 and $5.90 (good to know it is still possible to get cheap and good food at Orchard), while a Royal Rumble with Chicken Wing, Bergedil and Kuning Fish is at $6.90. Top up $1 for Otah Otah.

The current owner attributes it to the family recipe that emphasizes on the 4 key ingredients: basmati rice, sambal chilli, chicken wing and otah otah.

That is a type of rice variant commonly used in Biryani, but not that typical for Nasi Lemak. The longer rice grains supposedly absorb water but do not become overly wet. Perhaps for reason of habit, I would have preferred fluffier shorter grain rice.

The story goes that the owner’s grandmother wanted a less spicy version of the chilli to cater to more customers. Thus, the store created this sweet-savoury-spicy version of sambal that just elevates the taste of the crispy fried chicken wings. So sedap, can?

If you are a loyal customer to Amoy Street Food Centre in the past, you might have seen Raffee’s Corner serving fragrant smooth Teh Tarik. The stall is no longer at Amoy though.

Owner of Rafee’s Corner Mohamed Rabeek mixes and matches different types of tea dust to create his own unique version. A cup of Teh Tarik or Teh Halia goes for $1.80, while an iced version is $2.20.

I liked that there was a strong tea taste without being overly siap-siap (bitter), and not thoroughly sweet. In fact, it was one of those occasions I didn’t need to ask for siu-dai (less sugar) for the iced version.

To note that the line during lunch time can get rather long, and thus also difficult to find seating space in the cramped area. So I would advice, if possible to go during off-peak hours.

It is heartening to see hawker stalls entering shopping malls and finding support. Plus, CRAVE has managed to keep prices affordable. Will return for more wings with power sambal chilli.

Selera Rasa Nasi Lemak at Adam Road Food Centre is well-known in the Singapore food scene. Some of my friends even go as far as calling them the best Nasi Lemak in Singapore.

Naturally, I was half sceptical and half excited to try Selera Rasa Nasi Lemak. Having been to Chong Pang and Punggol Nasi Lemak, I thought that they were not as impressive as the one that I had in Kuala Lumpur. Bearing that in mind, I went to Adam Road Hawker Centre with zero expectations.

The Selera Rasa Nasi Lemak comes in sets with prices ranging from S$2.50 to S$5.50 depending on the ingredients. We ordered a set and it had Fried Egg, Potato Croquette, Otah, Ikan Bilis and deep-fried Chicken Wing. Enriched by the coconut milk, the rice is very fragrant and cliché as it may sound, it is so good that you can eat it on its own.

However, the rice was probably the best part of Selera Rasa Nasi Lemak; the other ingredients were pretty standard – nothing outstanding.

We were not blown away by Selera Rasa Nasi Lemak, though that was probably due to the fact that we had better Nasi Lemak elsewhere.

All in all, Selera Rasa Nasi Lemak serves a good plate of Nasi Lemak and I am sure there is definitely a reason why they have such a big following.

As for me, I will not go all the way to Adam Road Food Centre just to satisfy my Nasi Lemak craving. But if I am in the area and there is no queue, the famous Adam Road Nasi Lemak is certainly a good way to self-indulge.

My hunt for the best Nasi Lemak in Singapore continues…

Singapore Food Blog Review

Selera Rasa Nasi Lemak

2 Adam Road Stall 2

Adam Road Food Centre Singapore

Daily: 7am – 10pm

Blk 603 Ang Mo Kio Ave 5

#01-2683 Singapore

Tel: +65 9843 4509

Sat to Thu: 8am – 3pm

(Closed on Friday)

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Best Halal Restaurants in Singapore

Carousel

Carousel is the brainchild of Shuttlecock Inc, the team of cousins who specialise in unforgettable pop-up experiences. With innovative pop-ups including Mile High and Rumble at the Deli being greeted with great success, Carousel is looking to deliver more of the same memorable meals.

Located just to the west of Baker Street, Carousel is quite literally a moving feast – it’s a vast, industrial-style space that provides the perfect setting for a curated line-up of exciting chefs from top restaurants around the world, so you can expect something different (but no less fantastic) on a very regular basis (chefs can come and go after just a few days, or can stay for a couple of weeks).

The interior is simple yet striking – a fairly blank canvas against which the chefs can perform their magic. Two rows of simple wooden tables are flanked by Ercol dining chairs and lit by homespun tin pendant lights with white walls and waxed concrete floors. The kitchen is open, off to one side and dining is communal, supper-club style.Argentinean chef Javier Rodriguez took over the kitchen for the launch back in 2014 (a corn custard and juicy ribeye steak are planted firmly in my memory). There have been several chefs since and, when I visited, it was Tom Ryall’s shift, who lists highly acclaimed St John Bread & Wine and Moro restaurants on his résumé. 

Ryalls’ residency was titled ‘The Hunger Gap’, after his fascination with ancient methods of preserving food before refrigerators were readily available. These were times when the annual surfeit of summer produce would be pickled, salted, smoked and confit-ed to last throughout the winter. These methods feature heavily in Ryalls’ menu for his three-week stint at Carousel. With focus on the quality and provenance of his chosen ingredients, and a balance of meat, veg and fish, the six-course set menu is priced at a rather mouth-wateringly reasonable £35.The set menu must be paid for when booking, and booking is essential. Guests can arrive from 7pm, to eat at half past, and the food comes out course by course for everyone all at once.Just after 7.30pm, a selection of bites set the tone: paper-thin slices of ox-tongue pastrami with dill pickles and sesame were delicate and delicious, accompanied by fresh sourdough bread and super salty butter; sage potato cakes wrapped in anchovy were deep-fried and packed with flavour; grilled Hispi cabbage and Coolea cheese tasted fresh and unusual.

Salt brill, blood orange and Jerusalem artichoke were up next – another fine example of novel flavour pairings. The fish was tender and easily flaked off the bone, and I was surprised by how well the citrus fruit and brill combination worked, with artichoke puree adding a further dimension.

We opted in for the optional extra course (for an extra £6.50), which was confit pork belly – how could you possibly say no? The belly melted in the mouth yet was crispy all at once, and the quince, Kohlrabi mustard and thin strips of crackling further added to the experience – I only wished that the portion had been larger.

Bone marrow is seemingly the ingredient du jour, and for the next course it was incorporated into a bread sauce and served with braised Guinea fowl; served off the bone, it was totally delightful.

After what seemed like an eternity, pudding arrived to round off the meal. Trifle ice cream with poached rhubarb, toasted almonds and delicate Lady’s Fingers biscuits. Fruity, sweet (but not overly so) and a fabulous way to finish.

Carousel is ideal for those who want an ever-changing food offering without having to find a new restaurant each time – no need to change venue when the venue periodically changes the chef. And when the choice of chefs is so spot on, you can be sure of an exceptional culinary experience every time.

Service was rather slow on our visit – which is somewhat inexcusable when all guests are eating exactly the same thing at the same time. But since £35 gets you a stellar meal from a highly rated chef in a stunning Marylebone location, you can be sure I’ll be heading back soon.

Tom Ryalls’ residency finished on 14 February, but you can expect the next spin of the carousel to be just as delightful. Keep an eye on Carousel’s What’s On page for future residencies – Daniele Di Grazia, head chef and co-owner of La Cruz (one of Italy’s most spectacular restaurants), will be serving big-hearted, regional home-cooking from 24 February to 7 March.

I was just waiting outside for a friend during my invited lunch tasting at Carousel, and was asked by a service staff if I wanted a seat inside first. I was pleasantly surprised, as initiative in service is something becoming less common in Singapore.

Carousel has always been quite a popular hotel buffet restaurant amongst locals and foreigners, especially since it is halal. It serves a huge variety of cuisines, featuring a variety of sweet treats with not one but three dessert counters. Special mention must be made of its bread & butter pudding and Asian selections.

This time, I saw a new Teriyaki counter where you can have Japanese style fried rice, chicken, seafood and beansprouts on a single plate, all cooked lived in front of you.

Service was also prompt, especially in terms of clearing plates and refilling of water. That is especially important to me when having a buffet.

And to my further surprise, I noticed that the service staff pouring water was also the same one who greeted me at the door. Wait a minute, why is she multi-tasking?

After a chat, I realised that “butlers” at Carousel are trained to be multi-tasked so that they can deliver personalised and seamless one-stop service to enhance guests’ experience. So Lena the butler can also be a coordinator for concierge service, and a bartender for making cocktails!

The butlers at Royal Plaza on Scotts are also trained to be multi-skilled, such as making evening cocktails and various types of egg dishes when requested. Okay, I am kind of sceptical when it comes to this – will this overwork the workers?

Lena told me that she has been working at Royal Plaza on Scotts for more than 20 years, and wasn’t satisfied with knowing how to do just one thing. She likes to learn with the job, doing a variety of tasks keeps her interested and passionate, and she gets to attend trainings to learn new skills.

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Best Halal Restaurants in Singapore

Hajah Maimunah Restaurant

Ernie wanted to have Malay/Indonesian Padang cuisine at House of Minang, but it was closed for renovations. I remembered my office room-mate, Yas, telling me to try this place called Hjh Maimunah, so I asked around and was directed to this lane off North Bridge Road.

Come on. Tell me honestly who hasn’t heard of the famous Hjh Maimunah?

They’ve been around since the 90s and delighting diners for decades and the people keep going back for more everytime so you know they must be doing something right.

With a wide variety of traditional Malay dishes, I reckon you’d be hard-pressed to find anywhere else to take your family and friends for a good ol’ makan session with all your classic favourites.

And it’s very economic too! That whole spread above is enough to feed a small family and all for $20!

We’ve personally been visiting for years. Maybe not so much for me when I was younger but definitely more since I met my darling wife who would bring me on lunch dates to Hjh Maimunah so we could have some good food.

This is one of the all-time favourites of so many people out there and at Hjh Maimunah it’s quite obvious why this sells out quickly almost every time.I know that “Mum cooks it best” but if you’re ever hankering for Ayam Lemak Cili Padi outside of home, I think that this is probably the best version you can find out there today. Until I find another version outside that is this good, this is tops in my books.The lemak looks watery when you get it but don’t let that fool you. It’s packed full of flavour and the lemak flavour is going to make you go “Wow”.And it’s quite spicy too! If you look closely at the picture, you can see that they use the green variety of Cili Padi and apparently that makes a big difference here. I’m so used to the red version but this is really really good! The chicken itself is really tender and the flavour of the gravy really penetrates into the meat.We asked for ‘peha’ but for some reason we got drumsticks instead but it was still really good. Oh well. Be sure to choose your pieces of chicken wisely!

Another traditional Malay dish we always have with our nasi campur is Sambal Goreng.Maybe I got the wrong scoop but it was mostly tauhu and not enough veggies for me.

The taste was okay but I’m guessing this one of the few dishes that a lot of people still order because it’s pretty much a one-stop with your nasi

Paru Goreng with my nasi. Whether it’s Nasi Campur or Nasi Jenganan or Nasi Rawon, I simply gotta have it!!

But I’m really fussy when it comes to my Paru Goreng. I don’t mind those big pieces which they fry up but I kinda prefer if it’s not cut so thick. I prefer a thinner cut so that when they fry, it gets (at least a little) crispy. And luckily for me, the Paru Goreng here is awesome!

They also have a Belado version of the Paru by the way in case you’re interested.

And speaking of Belado

We actually wanted to have a nice ol’ Bagedil which is a staple with our Nasi Campur but unfortunately they were all out of Bagedil when we visited. So we settled on the next best form of potato we could find.

The Kentang Belado at Hjh Maimunah comes with quite a fair bit of ikan bilis (anchovies) as you can see from the picture above. And if you’re worried about the spicy factor, don’t worry so much. The belado is not that spicy to be perfectly honest. It’s got the chilli flavour… but not that spicy.

Actually, my darling wife is the one who had this dish. I’m not much of a fan to be honest.

But she orders this everytime we come to Hjh Maimunah and I’ve heard from so many people that Hjh Maimunah serves one of the  Lemak Siput Sedut!

The siput is fresh and of a decent size. The lemak itself is bursting with spicy flavour.

This appears to be a definite must-have if you’re lucky enough that it’s available when you visit.

And last but not least, I went back in because I wanted to get some Goreng Pisang but it was all out.

And then I saw something that I couldn’t resist…

he challenge with Kuih Lopes is making sure the rice is cooked thoroughly while ensuring it doesn’t get too hard.

The version here is superb! Nice and not too soft or hard. Just right!Drown it in brown sugar syrup aka gula melaka and top with grated fresh coconut and you’re all set!

One of the better ones I’ve had!

Adam’s Verdict:

Ayam Lemak Cili Padi 5/5 — Sambal Goreng 2/5 — Paru Goreng 4.5/5

Kentang Belado 2/5 — Ulaman 4/5 — Kueh Lopes 4/5

Maryah’s Verdict:

Ayam Lemak Cili Padi 5/5 — Sambal Goreng 2/5 –Kentang Belado 3/5 — Ulaman 4/5

Lemak Siput Sedut 5/5 — Kueh Lopes 4/5

Sometimes you just want a taste of the traditional and it’s good to know that there’s at least once place you can go if you really need to… Hjh Maimunah!

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Best Halal Restaurants in Singapore

Le Steak by Chef Amri

Le Steak by Chef Amri is one of the few halal restaurants that serve up steak. As such, when I heard of it's setting up at Jalan Kayu, it has been on my must-try halal food places. For those who know Chef Amri will know that he is a Celebrity Chef on Suria Channel. Besides being known for his charming persona, Chef Amri is known for his creativity in making healthy yet tasty dishes.  It is not difficult to spot Le Steak, especially on weekends when there is a queue. Le Steak is a casual restaurant suitable for family dining and group gatherings. You can also make a booking with Le Steak if you would like to book the venue for an event. They also have private dining room that you can make reservations. They however, do not take reservations for normal dine-in. 

Opened by French-trained celebrity chef Amri Azim, this restaurant offers gourmet steaks and ribs at affordable prices. For steaks, go big and order the Australian M6 grade wagyu beef ($45) but if you’re looking for more cheaper options, try the Angus beef sirloin steak ($14.90) or burger ($12.90) that come with two sides. Apart from grilled meat, the restaurant also whips up pastas and grilled fish dishes that start from $7.90 while its dessert menu consists of lemon curd tarts ($4.90) and Belgian waffles ($8.90). And on Fridays and Saturdays only, the restaurant offers freshly shucked oysters at $18 for half a dozen shells. One of the reasons that sparked my fascination with finding the best steak in Singapore is my father, who is a steak-enthusiast himself. His favourite cut is ribeye and when it’s done a perfect medium, he becomes one happy carnivore. So whenever he recommends a steakhouse, I’m more than game to try it out.

Just a few days back, he had a craving for steak (big surprise) and suggested we head down to Le Steak by Chef Amri. He told me it’s great value and when I saw the price listed on the menu, I had to agree. We already knew we wanted ribeye steaks, so we placed our order with the waitress within less than a minute after seating down and in about 10 minutes, two beautifully grilled slabs of meat were staring us in the face.

Hopping around Singapore to find nice and yummy food to eat. Let me introduce Le Steak. Their famous dish is Steak. Don’t worry about the price. Their price are reasonable and affordable.Chef Amri very friendly. He still walk around to talk to customers to ask for feedback. This is a Halal restaurant.

The Meat

The first impression this PS Ribeye (I believe PS stood for pan-seared) created was stunning. Firmly set, the piece of meat boasted a tantalising brown that any meat-lover would drool over. This was further accentuated with deep-set grill marks, egging me to just dive right in. The plating was entirely without frills, with the steak accompanied only by thick-cut fries and a ramekin of black pepper sauce.

Upon cutting into the steak, I could see the tenderness respectfully giving way and revealing a brilliant pink. Unfortunately, they gave me a medium-well when I asked for medium. While this is a mistake that usually ends up with me sending the steak back, the quality of the meat was good enough for me to soldier on. As I cut out a bite and put it into my mouth, the meat immediately cooperated with my palate. The steak was juicy and well-rested, with the full flavour of beefy goodness delighting all the taste buds in my mouth. I tried the second piece with the black pepper sauce and it was a delicious combination of flavours. The beef still shone through while peacefully mingling with the tasty enhancement. The fat was well-rendered, adding awesome salty magic to the meat.

Food

The food was prepared very nicely and it came with a sauce too. We finished the food with satisfaction. The dessert was extra-ordinary. We were really delighted to see flower petals on our dessert. It was a kind of real delight for us.

We will give 5 out 5 for Food.

Service

Service was really good. The waiters are very attentive and they were very fast to serve what we need. They were serving us without asking. Since we shared the Lamb Rack, the waiter served us extra plates without any request. Even the waiter gave us bigger plates without any demand. Initialy we were served smaller plates. This is what we are looking for as a customer.

We will give 5 out 5 for Service

Everything Else

Like their plating, the setting is simple and sincere. It reminded me of an American diner but with a little more class, I guess. The service was prompt and reasonably friendly, especially when you consider that no service fee was charged. The washroom was actually very well-kept or maybe it was still early in the day.

Should You Try It?

Diners looking for great value steaks are definitely encouraged to give this establishment a shot. While I understand that prices have gone up from $16.90 to about $21.90, I still find lots of value in this. If the steak was prepared a proper medium, I would not think twice about eating here.

Nevertheless, I might give their ribs and USDA Prime cuts a shot next time.

Details

Le Steak by Chef Amri (Mackenzie Rd)

19/21 Mackenzie Road

Singapore 228678

Opening Hours

Mon – Thu: 12:00pm to 2:30pm (Lunch)

Mon – Thu: 5:30pm to 11:00pm (Dinner)

Fri: 3:00pm to 11:00pm

Sat & Sun: 12:00pm to 11:00pm

Tel: +65 6238 0609

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Best Halal Restaurants in Singapore

21 On Rajah

Heard so many rave reviews and seen gorgeous food pictures of the buffet offering at the recently-Halal restaurant ~ 21 on Rajah, located within the new Days Hotel. My colleague, Sri and I have had enough and decide to check it out for ourselves.

We've always been 'buffet partners' and it's only right we both go together to explore.

Chose to go on a weekday to avoid unnecessary crowd.

The great service here deserves a mention (and a thumbs up). I did keep a lookout for points that will be noticed by those with initiative and they passed easily.

1- Reservation was made easily over the phone. When asked about different offerings between weekday & weekend dinners, they were upfront about the absence of the 'Rojak' station as well as crayfish in the seafood section.

2- I wonder if they'll make effort to the heavily pregnant me (made no special requests over the phone). As soon as we were shown our table somewhere in the middle of the dining area, the staff looked at me and asked, "Would you like a seat nearer to the front?" Awesome!! Our table was the NEAREST to the food.

3- We don't bother to be prim & proper when peeling the seafood shells. When I got up for a 2nd round of seafood, I came back to see a bowl of water with lemon wedges (for washing hands). My dining partner asked, "Did you request for this?" Nope, I did not. But that's another PLUS for their service!

4- The staff manning the roast station saw me taking pictures and told me hold back on taking a pic of the almost skeletal seabass, right then. He offered to call me when a freshly-grilled/baked seabass comes out.

5- The same staff offered to order a laksa for me from his friend manning the laksa counter. He even asked if I want more prawns. I declined, saying that I've had enough prawns from the seafood station. He replied, "Maybe you don't want. What about your baby?" Aww...

6- Staff offering to help bring a fully-laden plate to my table.

There weren't many varieties of sushi. Just Inari Sushi, California Maki, Corn Gunkan And Tobikko (flying-fish roe) Gunkan. Accompanying condiments are the slices of pickled ginger, wasabi and 'shoyu' (soy sauce).

As we've already been told that the crayfish won't be available on week nights, we didn't expect much. But there are still ample green-lipped mussels, fresh tiger prawns and snow crabs (claws and legs).

Accompanying condiments for these are the regular lemon wedges, Tobasco sauce, tomato salsa, garlic salsa verde and lemon-wasabi mayo. 

The appetisers:

(From top-left) Oriental chicken salad, Wild mushroom salad, many many slices of smoked salmon (OMG!) and potato salad.

Nothing drives me crazy like the salad bar.

In the left corner were all the salad condiments like pickled capers, garlic & beetroot. There are slices of fresh zucchini, julienned carrots and wedges of tri-coloured bell peppers.

The salad bar had a big bowl of mixed mesclun greens, large leaves of cos lettuce and another bowl of rocket/arugula. And various salad dressings. Also croutons. There's an empty bowl with salad tongs for people who prefer to mix their own salad.

Apparently, the type of roasted/grilled meat served at this station change daily. I've seen pictures of the rib-eye steak online and since we knew that this station will still be available, I had assumed the steak will be there.

Turns out that day, the grilled item is Moroccan seabass. A huge one, at that.

Look at the hefty fish in all it's glory! All disappointment of not getting any red meat flew out the window at the sight of this beauty.

I so happened to be in the area when I heard the kitchen manager telling his staff to, "Get the fish ready!"

Hearing that, I scrambled to get my phone. The friendly staff who offered to call me when when a new fish is to be brought out; looked around and smiled when he saw me. He called me over. "Ready to take picture?" he asked.

"Of course!" And only then, did he bring out the he-yuge platter out onto the station, with the scent of grilled spices wafting from behind it. He let me take some pics and waited for my 'OK' signal before proceeding to carve the fish and serve the line of people.

Sibeh paiseh (very embarrassing) but he really kept his words!

I didn't mix my salad in the bowl as I like to try out the various salad dressings available. So I heaped on the loose leaves of mesclun greens, julienned carrots and croutons with many dollops of the various dressings on the side.

Of course I sampled ALL the appetisers available.

The potato salad looked simple but it's tasty. Tasted almost like an Indian dish because it seemed spiced. The wild mushroom salad was tasty too (as ALL mushroom dishes are!).

The Oriental chicken salad, as expected; did remind me a lot like chicken rice. Really! Refreshing taste, though. Not gamey at all, despite it being a cold chicken dish (I'm skeptical about eating cold chicken meat).

And of course, the slices of smoked salmon. I dipped those in the lemon-wasabi mayo from the seafood station. With added wasabi. And some rocket leaves.

In the background is a bowl of warm pumpkin soup (soup-of-the-day). It's really delish and it's not the kind that's heavy on spice, so its more sweet-ish..

The tortellini was something I've never had before so I was really curious. Too bad it was kinda' soggy after sitting too long in the cream sauce. The skin became too thick as a result and totally overwhelm the cheese filling inside.

The braised lamb shank had really tender meat and the sauce was nice. But the meat appear a lil' dry at parts (maybe due to over-exposure) and tasted a lil' gamey too. I countered that with the help of some garlic salsa verde.

The seafood in spicy tomato sauce was filled with a chock full of seafood varieties like mussels, scallops, calamari rings, prawns and fish fillet. The sauce came off a lot like marinara, albeit a bit more watery. I think it was supposed to be a more Mediterranean flavour?

The baked potato wedges was a simple dish, meant to accompany all the other dishes, perhaps.

I love all these desserts in shot-glasses/mini containers thingy. Just so fun to eat, you know. Don't forget to grab a teaspoon, though.

(From front)

- Kaya mousse w/ Gula Melaka & Crumble

- Durian Pengat w/ Gula Melaka

- same as above but taste more… stale (maybe left out a lil' too long)

- Blueberry Panna Cotta?

- Mango Pudding

- Raspberry Panna Cotta?

The Kaya thingamagic was quite decadent. Rich kaya taste but not too cloying like you've eaten out of a jar of those green stuff. The cookie crumble on top complement it rather well.

The Durian Pengat was the bomb! Honestly, I've never tasted this type of Durian Pengat (supposedly 'Nyonya-style'?) before and apparently it's pretty popular at hotel buffets, nowadays.

Liked it so much that I went back to the dessert station and stealthily snuck one away before someone else grabbed it.

The panna cotta tasted a lil' 'meh'? Hence, the question mark. Can't really figure out if it's indeed panna cotta. Did taste a lil' milky, though. The only station that I did not take a pic of was the drinks station (despite us being seated right behind it). It was a row of 4 drink dispensers; with Calamansi, Bandung, Iced water (w/ lemon) & Pineapple-flavoured drinks. I regularly topped up on the ice-water & calamansi. Nicely refreshing! The only downer was that you gotta get you own ice-water. No one's gonna refill your glass, if you get what I mean. In fact, they clear the glass away once it's empty. Those who are used to the much bigger array of food offering/varieties at buffet restaurants like Sakura International buffet might seem disappointed to see that the varieties are much less here. But I dare say that this place is all about Quality over Quantity. It's like having Carousel-esque food but lesser varieties of course. And therefore, much (much!) cheaper. And we got 15% off because there's some Maybank card promotion going on. So we paid the net price of $32 only, sans theAnd honestly, I'm comfortable with the amount of varieties that they have here. Sufficient to satisfy me yet not too overwhelming that it became a burden to try everything out. This way, I can go for another round of my favourite/preferred food items. Nestled in the heart of foodie haven, 21 on Rajah is a vibrant new restaurant at the Days Hotel Singapore. The restaurant marries the best of nature and modern architecture with a menu of wholesome and hearty Mediterranean cuisine coupled with local favourites and South East Asian delights at affordable prices.

The restaurant has launched a delicious Sunday brunch inspired by Mediterranean flavours. There are unlimited servings of appetizers, hot dishes, desserts available from the homely kitchen counters.

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Best Halal Restaurants in Singapore

Fika Swedish Cafe & Bistro

Fika is a social institution in Sweden; it means having a coffee with one’s colleagues, friends, date, or family.

When I got wind of Fika Café, I knew we had to give it a shot. How often do you come across a Swedish café (No, IKEA’s not counted) that is halal? Located right at the junction of Beach road and Arab street, a place that is popular with Middle Eastern tourists and Persian carpet merchants in the Kampong Glam area, it naturally made sense.

(Looking for a good Halal café is always a part of our agenda to ensure we have an inclusive diversity of makan places in Singapore on our site!)

We went to the branch at Beach Road at about 6.30pm on a Saturday; sadly, by then all the inside air-conditioned seats were already taken or reserved so we had to settle for the seats outside. Quite a pity too that we didn’t get to check out the second storey as we heard that the interior of the café there was rather cosy.

Kopparberg Pear Cider ($7.90)

Specially imported from Sweden, this is one hell of a premium pear cider you’re paying for. Thankfully it’s not too sweet and not overly gassy.

Korvstroganoff ($17.90)

Basically creamy chicken sausage stew; this was very creamy and cheesy – a little like cheese fries, but replace those fries with strips of chicken sausage instead. Paired with some grainy white rice, the sauce went well with everything, we loved it!

Mushroom and leek pasta ($15.90) + Additional Meatballs ($7.50)

The sauce was very creamy and cheesy like the previous dish, which might not be for everyone. (Father said it was too rich.) Even so, it wasn’t cloying after multiple mouthfuls. The bits of mushroom were juicy too, quoted by my brother, “the juice will ooze out in your mouth!”

Meatballs ($19.50)

The meatballs were soft and loosely held together, just the way we liked it, with a handmade feel. Huge pieces too.

Apple crumble ($9.90)

The apple was cooked till it’s so soft it melts in your mouth, and it was tangy, not too sweet. There wasn’t a very prominent caramel flavour so those who aren’t fans of it need not worry. It was thus a pity that the ice cream spoilt the whole dessert as it made the apple crumble extremely soggy. The vanilla ice cream was mediocre too. Would have been better if the ice cream wasn’t there.

From the flag dangling inside the restaurant, you would know that this is a Swedish cafe.  I am no food expert and the only thing I know about Swedish food are Swedish meat balls from IKEA.  But one can get bored of the usual Chinese / Western fare that is so ubiquitous. So why not try some Swedish food for a change?

Fika Swedish Cafe has been on my radar for quite some time as I wanted to try Swedish cuisine in places other than Ikea. Traditional dishes like the Inlagd Sill, pickled herring platter ($12.90) , usually served in Christmas, Easter with vodka can be spotted on the menu. 

However, that platter was not sharing-friendly because the work of splitting the tough hard rye bread can be messy. The marinated fish was as savoury as smoked salmon, but did not bind well with other ingredients (eggs, sour cream,onions and chives). Would it be better if they were served in canapés style?

Since we wanted the Fika Swedish Meatballs and a dessert, the kids meal that came with a drink with the above at $15.90 sounded more economical. Portion might be smaller but sufficient. Similar to Ikea, in place of tomato gravy was creamy brown mushroom sauce that was not overly rich. The sweet lingonberry compote took the dish up a notch by balancing the meaty flavours. The meatballs have a slightly charred crust that trapped moisture within.

Fika Swedish Cafe & Bistro

Add: 258 Beach Rd, Singapore 199539 (on the corner of Beach Road and Arab Street)

Tel: 6396 9096

Hrs:

Sun-Wed 11am-10pm, last order 9pm   • (9.30pm for beverages and desserts)

Thu-Sat 11am-11pm, last order 10pm   • (10:30 for beverages & desserts)

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