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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Best Halal Restaurants in Singapore

La Marelle Cafe & Boutique

When I first stepped into La Marelle, I thought a Candy Crush bomb exploded in it. Located on the second floor of a shophouse at Bagdhad Street (near Arab St), the bright airy cafe was adorned with colourful walls decorated with cloud and raindrops motifs, flowery paper lanterns, whimsical decorations and merchandise for sale. We were immediately transported to the La Marelle world for children the innocent child in us. I went to La Marelle twice actually. The first time I was on my own, and the second time with two friends. It was surprising to find La Marelle rather empty on a weekend afternoon on both visits, which makes it a great place to hide from the over-populated cafes and hot weather.My friends ordered the Bonjour Singapore, which comprised of a butter croissant, grilled chipolata sausages, scrambled eggs and a side salad.

Something funny happened when my friend was ordering at the cashier. She asked to have the egg sunny-side up.

Cashier asked the cook if he can do sunny-side up.

Cook replied ok ... but after a few seconds, he asked, "How to cook sunny-side up?" Anyway in the end, she just told the cook to do it scrambled style.

We were joyous when the scrambled eggs were successfully produced. Although they made it, they were not fluffy enough. As for the croissant which is supposedly their speciality, we could only say we had better ones. It would be better if the croissant was warmed before serving. The salad dressing was too sweet.

I didn't know how to pronounce the name so I could only point it on the menu to the cashier. Basically, it's spaghetti tossed in aglio-olio style and served with turkey bacon and cherry tomatoes. I find it too oily. There was too much olive oil until I could see a patch of it beneath. The turkey bacon was not bad though but would be better if there was more of it. Hmmm quite expensive for a cheesecake. But actually it is more than a cheesecake. The top layer is made of sweet crumble topping that is dusted with sugar icing. The cheesecake beneath was creamy and cheese-intensive. But the thing is the crumble doesn't stick to the cheesecake and so I ate them separately. I love the presentation which had little pink, red and white sugar hearts sprinkled on top of chocolate syrup. 

Sunday cafe hopping and Limei suggest visiting La Marelle Cafe near Haji Lane after looking at some of the photos and reviews online so we headed over for our Sunday brunch! The shop house itself was quite easy to spot because of the vibrant colours painted outside and a staircase led us to the cafe on the 2nd storey. Upon entering, all sorts of colours welcomed you. The walls are painted in blue, pink, red neon lights and paintings/ doodles all over the place (as you can see in the photos below) Like as if i entered a quirky place where they do fortune telling via those crystal orbs,  Overview of the 3 dishes and a cup of coffee. Presentation wise, it looks really good. Taste wise, you will have to judge it for yourself. I heard recently they did a revamp on their menu though. The thing about instagram nowadays is people now take a photo of their food and upload it before they actually taste it. Their followers will then have the first impression that the food is good based on the photo and decided to find one day and head down to visit the place. (i'm not just referring to cafes) Oh wells. Good presentation and good editing of food photos does get the likes right? 

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Best Halal Restaurants in Singapore

Tang Tea House Hong Kong Cafe review

My bro was telling us about this Hong Kong food place at Simpang Bedok. He claimed that they have one of the best 'rojak' ever that will give him free dried 'sotong' when he order. I was very sure that he was talking about Tang Tea House (TTH). Well, until he drove past TTH itself and turned into the car park where the Simpang Bedok market is.

That's when I realise that he talking about the sort-of 'newer' Hong Kong food place. When they first opened, I heard some not-so-savoury reviews about them. I've also heard people mentioning this Enak Tea House that's like a spin-off of TTH.

Then again, I've always mis-read the 'Enak' of the logo as 'Chak'. And I thought that to be a pretty crappy name. I mean the 'e' was almost uncurled, making it look like a 'c' and somehow I got the word 'Chak' impulsively running into my mind. Until that day. Madness!

ANYWAY....

As luck would have it, there was no available parking lots in that area (even at the other side where Mad Jack is). So we parked at the public car park beside TTH. And we decide that it's simply inconvenient to cross the road, especially with a toddler & pram in tow and so we just dine there. And horror of horrors! The rojak stall is gone. We eventually put two-and-two together and figured out that the awesome rojak my bro was talking about was from the same rojak stall that had moved to the premise across the road. Yes, to another HK Tea House. Sounds like the battle of the tea houses already, Well, my bro took no chances and went across the road to take+away the desired rojak. And yes, he got the free 'sotong', alright. It doesn't help that the crowds weren't really picking up at TTH despite the fact that it's already 6pm. Worse still, when I want to order my favourite dim sums, the server gave me a crestfallen look and showed me the looooong list of unavailable items at that moment. Oh crap. It's like 60% of the items are not there, can?

Something that I had planned to order, initially. But my dad cut me to it and I let him have his way. Nice to see him being adventurous with his food choices, for once.

I asked him how it was and he said it was alright. I remember a friend who commented about the meat being on the slightly tough side. I took a piece. It was ok. Not very tender, just nice. The sauce had a slightly 'herbal' accent. Not sure what it was. Maybe it's five-spice. Oh, there's even a wanton or two on the plate.

We also ordered some satay, since the guy came by our table and we find it hard to turn him down. But the sauce was a real downer. It was so runny/watery that it didn't even cling onto the meat! Plus there were a few sticks that were undercooked. Had to send them back for more time on the grill.

All in all, I'm not sure if the food quality has diminished. I've never really fully tried their 'zhi char' items, save for the hotplate tofu that's meant for my toddler. And the fact that our favourite rojak stall has moved across the road…

Well surely, next time I'm heading to that area, it's to check out Chak Enak Hong Kong Tea House. 

Our Muslim friends can rejoice at the opening of the very popular Halal eatery Enak Enak HongKong Tea House. If this sounds familiar, yes Enak Enak of Simpang Bedok has expanded with its second outlet now located at East Coast Park Seafood Centre, opened in early April. The outlet boasts prime sea views as well as a huge car park nearby. Although most people may not realise it, there is a strip of beach in front of the Seafood Centre, and otters were spotted there last month. If there’s one thing that won’t escape notice when you step into Enak Enak, it is that of its extensive menu. It is so extensive, it is more than 10 pages long, and mind you, each page has like 20 items listed! Practically anything under the sun is sold here, ranging from dim sum, to Western grilled dishes, all the way to steamboat, peanut soup and banana milkshake? The list is almost endless. Scroll down to check out sample pages of the menu. And get this, they are open 24 hours every day. Tang Tea House Hong Kong Cafe located in Bedok, Singapore serves a large variety of Cantonese, Chinese, Fusion and Halal cuisine food. Tang Tea House Hong Kong Cafe is an in-between restaurant, higher class than hawker food stall but lower than those restaurant with themes. Despite the lacking on decorating, Tang Tea House Hong Kong Cafe makes it convenient for the Muslim by having their own praying room inside the restaurant!

Tang Tea House Hong Kong Cafe serves a large variety of choices on their menu. They serve not just only Hong Kong cuisine but Fusion cuisine food such as Chinese, Malay and Western cuisine. What is more is that the food they serve are all halal certified including their Dim Sum! If you are a Bee Hoon lover, you surely came to the right place as they have the best Pan-fried Crispy Bee Hoon around town! The Bee Hoon is well-fried and is very crispy but not oily! If you like to have some spicy and sour seafood, you can also add on with their Asam Fish. Their ingredients used are all fresh and well processed before cooking to ensure the best quality of their food. Dine in here if you are in a big group like family or a group of friends as they have a family set for the ease of ordering. You will also hardly run out of choices as they have a large variety of choice, be it in a la carte or set meals. Tang Tea House Hong Kong Cafe also provides catering service for those who needed.

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Best Halal Restaurants in Singapore

Yellow Submarine

We don't have Halal Subway in Singapore but we do have...Yellow Submarine! I was super impressed with the beef sandwiches at Yellow Submarine because they were incredibly juicy and the meat was super tender. The only downside to it is that it's really expensive. One set meal costs about $9 which is nearly twice the cost of a set meal from McDonald's. The thing about Yellow Submarine sandwiches is that it gets really messy so it's best if you don't go there for your first date. They have only one outlet so far and there's a limited seating space so you can expect a long queue on weekends.I'm a carnivore and nothing makes me happier than a combination of thin juicy slices of premium beef with gravy, topped with melted American cheese and sauteed onions sandwiched in a bread roll.  The latest option to satisfy this Philly Cheesesteak craving in Singapore is the Yellow Submarines, a cheery and happy spot located in the Toa Payoh heartlandThe menu here was conceptualized by fellow Philly cheesesteak lovers, with the help of celebrity chef Chef Eric Teo. Other than the classic cheesesteak, there's also the chicken sub, veg sub, tuna sub and burgers. From a sales point of view, that's only logical considering how we Singaporeans are so darn fickle-minded when it comes to food. 

It's fast food self service at the Yellow Submarines though all orders are made to order on the spot. The food comes out pretty fast so make sure you keep your eyes on the display for your queue number to be pinged. The Yellow Submarine Classic (S$6.90) is a tasty sub no doubt with high quality Australian sirloin steak being used in this one. The cheese sauce also had me swooning and i wished there was more of that in my sub (i gave feedback that they should provide a side portion of cheese sauce for all who wants more heh). The bun was also faultless with its crusty exterior and toasted  buttery interior.  Here comes the but.. and only because i'm too accustomed to the real deal. The meat was a little too thickly sliced and hence it lacked in the juice department. The large onion chunks (a fixture in all their subs) were too Asian styled for my liking. Philly cheesesteaks have long strands of sauteed, caramelized onions, not chunky pieces. And why the ketchup? Now that definitely doesn't belong in a Philly cheesesteak. Thankfully the ketchup taste wasn't too overpowering. I'm not saying it is no good, it's just not authentic Americano. Now the Oregano Submarine ($6.90) is nothing American. This is what i'd call an Asian Chicken sandwich. I don't mind the onions in this one as much as i do in the Classic because it belongs with the other flavors. The chicken meat was very tender and juicy and I enjoyed the peppery taste in this one. Aunties and uncles from the neighborhood would probably identify with this sub. 

 cannot express how crazy i am about Yellow Submarines' cheese sauce. Made from a blend of several cheeses, this heavily guarded secret recipe is a sure winner. You gotta make your sub a meal with the Torpedo fries and a drink for an additional $3. I say this is certainly one of the best tasting cheese fries in Singapore. 

Other sides were pretty good as well. I had fun with the Dino Chick Junior (4pcs, $2.80), which were perfect with cheese sauce. Kids would love this one. The Corn Mine ($1.50) was also very sweet and juicy. Dayums

Desserts don't fare as well here ($2.80 each). Again, everything was toned down for the Asian palate. The cheesecake was very milky and soft, though lacking in the richness of the cheese. The brownie was dry and not chocolatey enough.

Overall, i did enjoy my meal at the Yellow Submarines. The fries are sufficient for me to visit again soon. Do hope some changes will be made to un-Asian-fy the subs. More cheese would definitely be awesome. 

On a side note, i lament this whole 'catered to Asian taste' thingy. Food should educate, not accommodate. I admire those chef that stick to the authentic flavors and not let the whim and fancy of ignorant customers dictate what they should serve on the plate. It takes time, but I'm sure the sophisticated Singaporean diner would appreciate that. 

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Best Halal Restaurants in Singapore

1 Market by Chef Wan

Opened by Celebrity Chef Wan, 1 Market is a Halal-Certified buffet restaurant that serves a great variety of food for you to choose from. 

But before you start helping yourself with the food, queue up and pay first. You will get a invisible chop on the hand for re-entry purposes (just in case you need to go to the toilet). 

No time limit like some other buffet restaurant. So you can enjoy the food while catching up with your friends and family members. The dining area is big and spacious, you won't feel crammed while getting your food. With a great variety of food to choose from sections such as Japanese, Desserts, Seafood, Salad and many more. There are some areas they need to improve and that is the replenishment of food and drinks. We were seated near to the drinks section and from the moment we came in, it was full till half way through our meal, nothing left. No orange juice, barley, fruit punch. The very popular ones which customers go for rather than gassy soft drinks. And it took really a long time for their staff to replenish. Imagine you have to endure that thirst. This is one of the last thing a buffet restaurant should ever have. We pay for the service tax. How can you leave your customers in thirst and probably some customers have to inform the staff? This is bad. I suspect they are understaffed. And that shouldn't affect the service standard because it is their internal problem, not the customers. Imagine customers flowing in every min. If replenishment is not done fast, what do you think is left for the customers?

Another one will be maintaining the cooking standard. Take example, the first round of BBQ prawns were nicely done (which you can see just above) but thereafter, charred. Plus it wasn't springy and didn't manage to maintain the moisture within during the BBQ process.

The Sushi presentation looks messy (look above for the photo) though it tastes alright like any other sushi. If not because of the messy look on the sushi, the Japanese food section is great. I love their salmon. They have Chawamushi too.

But I think the only saving grace would be the desserts. Had their cream puff and eclairs. It was good. The pastry chef should be commended. Presentation was nice, knowing how each different pastry complement one another on the display. When I go for buffets, I would first look at desserts section especially those pastries because they are eye-pleasing. 

But this shall be the one and only visit to 1 Market on 26 May 2015.

Join Chef Wan on his heritage culinary journey at this expansive buffet that serves up to 200 dishes. Perfect for weekend lunches and family dinners.

Specialty:

– Halal certified

– Fantastic desserts – Ice kachang, assorted cakes and traditional kueh, custard, waffles and ice cream

– Large selection of Asian dishes like Rojak, Popiah

– Seafood dishes – oysters, prawns, fish…you name it.

– Wide selection of Japanese cuisine like Sushi and Sashimi

On your special day

– Let them know it’s your birthday and they will send a slice of complimentary cake to your table, with a group of their staff singing happy birthday.

Note:

– 1 Market is not vegetarian friendly

– You will have to make reservations in advance, as it’s mostly packed even during lunch hours.

Getting there:

Nearby MRT Stations:

Dhoby Ghaut

Bus Lines:

64, 65, 139, 65, 139, 587, 590, 598

1 Market has been opened for a while and my first time here with 3 girlfriends. Our celebration of Hari Raya holidays. Lunch starts at 11.30am and I was early. People were peeping in curiously and about 10 minutes before opening, both the walk-in and reservations queue were long. 

Located on level 4 of the new extension of Plaza Singapura, 1 Market is a buffet themed huge restaurant by chef Redzuawan Ismail, more widely known as Chef Wan, http://mychefwan.com/, a Singapore-born Malaysian celebrity chef. 1 Market is also a collaboration with foodcourt chain, Food Junction. An important fact of 1 Market, it is a halal buffet restaurant, a great place for gathering with friends who are muslim.

1 Market opens Monday to Sunday

Buffet Lunch: 11.30am - 2.30pm

Mon-Fri

$23.80++(Adults), $12.80++(Child*)

Sat, Sun, Eve PH & PH

$29.80++(Adults), $17.80++(Child*)

Buffet Dinner: 6.00pm - 10.00pm

Mon-Thu

$35.80++(Adults), $16.80++(Child*)

Fri-Sun, Eve PH & PH

$39.80++(Adults), $19.80++(Child*)

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