The daily lunch with colleagues has stopped for almost one month, and now it has been extended. I miss those lunches! (Disclaimer: all these visits were done before the lockdown.)

We are 4 weeks into the working from home and two weeks into “Circuit Breaker” and yet the numbers of those infected by Covid-19 have not gone down. The updates have been focusing on reporting those “lost files” of 2014-2016, post blogs that were deleted accidentally when I upgraded my WordPress system. I miss eating out!

Digging deep into my storage, I managed to retrieve some of the last meals I had with colleagues before the lockdown.

Fei Kee Claypot Chicken Rice

There are three claypot rice stores just within 100m radius of my office at the Concourse along Beach Road. Two of them have the pedigree of Lor 33 Geylang Claypot Rice. This one was the odd one out. I miss the friendly towkay that used to take our orders, and the double-boiled soup that they sell together with the delicious claypot rice. Last time we gathered for their claypot rice : Mar 2020.

Fei Kee Claypot Chicken Rice
341 Beach Rd, Singapore 199567
Tel : 8222 6360

Bergs Gourmet Burger

Working together with Ang Moh Liang Teh they serve very interesting sliders and artisan burgers. Located in Haji Lane, the beer pub is our regular watering hole. And just when they started pairing with Bergs, the shutdown began.

The Impossible sliders were impossibly good. Tasted like the real thing, I read that it has so much salt, one should avoid this. But seriously, it costs just as much as the beef sliders, I might as well go for the real stuff.

Anyway, still really good burgers. Miss them already.

Bergs Gourmet Burgers
10 Haji Lane, Singapore, 189203
Tel : 6293 3424

http://bergsburgers.com

Manna Food

Was walking around looking for a quick (and healthy) lunch and stumbled on this newly opened bistro at City Gate. A bargain at $9.80 for their Rosemary Chick in White Wine Sauce with vegetable, brown rice and pumpkin mash (u.p. $17) and it came with a drink (lemongrass honey tea). Beautifully done sous vide chicken that is tender and juicy, browned slightly to give it the smoky taste. Should have replaced the pumpkin mash for more vegetable or brown rice. Hope they hold up until we are back to the office.

Manna CityGate
371 Beach Rd, #01-35, Singapore 199597
Tel : 6573 0329

Roast Paradise

Though only established in 2015, Roast Paradise has quickly built up the reputation as having one of the best char siu offerings in Singapore. The business now has four outlets spread across Singapore — Old Airport Road, Lau Pa Sat, Tampines and Killiney Road — but the stall at Old Airport Road Food Centre was where they began. Sold out by 2pm, come early. Not only their charsiew is nice, you must try their roast pork with their cracking skin as well as their pork lard mee pok.

Roast Paradise
#01-121 Old Airport Road Food Centre, 51 Old Airport Road, Singapore 390051
Tel : 9786 7396 

Kallang Cantonese Prawn Noodle

Their claim to fame – prawn noodles using live prawns! Old Airport Road has no shortage of prawn mee, but then I heard about this stall tucked away in the middle that offers live prawns! Tank-to-table concept nets you one live prawn/$2 and obviously, it was super fresh. Easy to peel, firm and sweet flesh, and don’t even get me started on the juicy head. But the soup base is not as tasty as compared to some other famous prawn noodles, and prawn noodle is all about the (soup) base. Nevertheless, thumbs up for the uber fresh prawns.

Kallang Cantonese Prawn Noodle
51 Old Airport Road, #01-83 Old Airport Road Food Centre, Singapore 390051
Tel : 8288 4987

Seng Kee Ngo Hiang Prawn Cracker

What’s said to be an affordable Ngoh Hiang meal turned out to be very much scrumptious too. And I enjoyed the quality of the prawn cracker because it is so crispy, yet everything here went through a round of re-frying without tasting too oily, thanks to a very well-maintained oil temperature in the fryer. Served with a bowl of tangy chilli sauce with peanut powder inside, plus that red sweet sauce… both adding new dimensions to the already delicious platter.

Seng Kee Ngo Hiang Prawn Cracker
51 Old Airport Road, #01-29 Old Airport Road Food Centre, Singapore 390051

Sari Ratu Nasi Padang

This nasi padang place opposite my office is now my go-to fix when I crave for the spicy, satisfying cuisine from Indonesia. Just before the WFH came into effect, I have to go for three more times before it’s long goodbye. And for the farewell, I just have to stack it up high with gulai ayam, tapioca leaves curry, sambal petai udang, beef rendang and their wonderful sambals. Not cheap, but really good.

Sari Ratu Nasi Padang
20 Pahang Street Singapore 198617
Tel : +65 6294 9983

Da Po Hainanese Chicken Rice & Curry Chicken Noodle

The stall is popular for their chicken rice and curry mee, so it was no surprise that their curry chicken mee was their best seller. Their curry wasn’t the thick lemak type, it was more drinkable and satisfying, and its spiciness just delivered the kick in the tummy. The chicken meat was so smooth, tender and good it was a star on its own. With generous portion of beancurd, pork skin, fish cake and huge potato, this bowl was a good value for money only from our very own hawker stall.

Da Po Hainanese Chicken Rice and Curry Chicken Noodles
505 Beach Road, #B1-53 Golden Mile Food Centre, Singapore 199583
Tel : 9848 9949

What’s your first meal going to be after the WFH restriction is lifted? Leave a comment.