The world went into a lockdown due to Covid-19. Singapore locked down started 7 Apr and we cannot dine out since then.
Even before the “Circuit Breaker” (the code name Singapore government gave to the lockdown) was announced, many of us were already working from home. Our company closed the office from 23 Mar and so we have been eating at home most of the time since then.
But when Circuit Breaker went into full swing, you would notice that live2makan would only have new blogs on weekends and a reblog on weekends. And then, even the weekends are reblogs or travelogues. I have ran out of eateries to recommend as I stop eating out. Even ordering a fast-food was a nice respite from home cooked meals.
The F&B sector was badly hit as all dine-in and sit-down meals were not allowed. Only takeaways and deliveries continue during this time. However, the logistic nightmare of securing a reliable (and economical) delivery service among F&B outlets was just beginning. After a while, finally in May did I manage to arrange for a proper dinner to be sent to my home.
Lawry’s
I always celebrate birthdays at Lawry’s with the family. This year, we have to make do with their delivery service. The good experience gave me the courage to continue venturing to other choices.
Soup Restaurant
Next, may daughter’s favourite – Soup Restaurant’s Samsui Chicken (pictured above). I really enjoyed their service. They texted to ask if everything was alright. Even though some of the sauce were spilled from the spinach, but everything came on time, warm and ready to eat. Fantastic.
You may order from the Oddle website.
No Signboard
Besides Soup Restaurant, you can also order No Signboard from Oddle. Available online are their famous white pepper crab and chilli crab. However you would not be able to choose the size of the crab, only the net weight of crab that you will get. The food came in their usual takeaway plastic containers, which we love to recycle in our home as tupperware because of the size. You can get the usual delights like mee goreng and ikan bilis fried rice.
Haji Kadir & M Baharudeen Sup Tulang
The bright red colour of the Sup Tulang Merah (cow bones in red sauce) from Haji Kadir (Golden Mile Food Centre #B1-13/15) was not the most appetising sight at first glance. I didn’t make it so neon red in Lightroom, the sauce was that red. Antony Bourdain was brought here to try this very same dish that I crave for. Now that my office is just nearby, I thought I would have tried them already. Two years into moving to this office, I have to get it delivered to my house recently. Irony of ironies.
The work is to suck the marrow out of the bone. There’s little bit of meat left on the bones but not that much to worth the effort. The beautiful, atomic red sauce can be dipped with baguette (my favourite way of eating it), and more recently, used as spaghetti sauce.
Haji Kadir & M Baharudeen Sup Tulang
#B1-13/15 Golden Mile Food Centre, 505 Beach Road, 199583
Lao Shan Kway Chap
Lao Shan Kway Chap is featured by many bloggers, but to me, it’s part of the family. My brother is an old friend of the owners and learned the recipe to setup shop in Dunman (now closed). I grew up eating their kway chap, and we never have to queue in my memories. However they are also hit but Covid-19 and can only do takeaways and deliveries these days. Order online here.
The essentials of kway chap include pork skins, pork belly, braised egg and pork innards. In the good old days, you would have all the different innards and blood pudding. Nowadays, you can only get 粉肠 chitterlings, 大肠 and 大肠头 big intestines. It takes a lot of work to clean them and a great braising liquid to remove all that stench, so please don’t complain about the price. Manpower costs are expensive in Singapore. The 粿 kway was also really smooth and soft. The homemade chilli sauce also enhances the whole experience.
Lao Shan Kway Chap 老三粿汁
Kebun Baru Palm View, #01-1222, 3, 232 Ang Mo Kio Ave 3, Block 232, Singapore 560232
Joo Chiat Kim Choo
Joo Chiat Kim Choo used to run a retail shop in Joo Chiat, but that has since closed due to manpower shortage and lack of foot traffic, nothing to do with Covid. But you can order the bak changs and nonya kuehs through their delivery service.
Be warned, this is not the same as Kim Choo Kueh Chang in Joo Chiat. You can find out more in a separate blog post I have written.
Salted and Hung – Winner of the Most Innovative Delivery Menu
This is the most innovative delivery service so far and it is from Salted and Hung. Because of the lockdown, they would not be able to celebrate their 4th anniversary in the shop. So they came up with a menu that you can assemble at home. You will need to watch the YouTube video to walk through the assembly process.
At the end of the whole experience, you come to appreciate the hard work behind those wonderful meals you had with them over the year. Only available for limited time, but they have their regular menu available from Oddle.
Salted & Hung
12 Purvis Street, Singapore 188591
Tel : +65 6358 3130
Kungfu Durian
And your mother says you need to have fruits after your meal.
Currently it’s the durian season, and the last couple of years have been bad for durian lovers like me had experience price increases due to demand in China. This year its different – Covid-19 has disrupted Malaysia’s export of durian to China and therefore there’s a oversupply. Also the fever for durian in China has subsided too. These double whammy has brought down the prices to reasonable levels of $18~25 per kg. Kungfu durian sells their durian dehusked and vacuum packed. 800g is around a 3.5kg durian and goes for $69 for Pahang A Maoshanwang, the best durian on offer.
Many people have bad experience with durian sellers. The owners of Kungfu Durian are a new bred of durian sellers – young millenniums who are online savvy and deliver the value. So far all the durians I have bought from them via delivery (and I have bought a lot before Covid at their shop) are high quality and delicious. Highly recommend for that durian fix. Stock sells out quick, so you have to order in advance.
Kungfu Durian
8 Jalan Legundi #01-05, Singapore 759274
Tel : (65) 8118 6318
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