If you’re a shopaholic, you’ll know that shopping along Orchard Road is serious business. And that means you’ll need breaks in between to refuel! The food isn’t going to be cheap, but good food is worth the price.
Are your feet tired after all that shopping? Here’s a list of 8 restaurants for you to recharge when you’re at the shopping district.
Spanish restaurant FOC Pim Pam serves not only mouth-watering tapas, but also an extensive selection of gin and tonic beverages. How many? 17 different G&Ts, to be exact.
The popular FOC Pig Tripe Stew (S$12++) comes with a combination of sun-dried tomatoes, onions, garlic, and sweet paprika. The pig ears, braised pork, and beef tripe had a tender texture and alluring aroma that had me wanting more.
End off your night with the Chocolate Forest (S$16++), a sweet-bitter treat with chocolate ice cream, white and dark chocolate cream, and hazelnut buttercream. The dropper was filled with Arbequina olive oil, which added a fruity pop of flavour to the dessert.
FOC Pim Pam: 442 Orchard Road, #01-29, Singapore 238879 | Tel: +65 6100 4242 | Opening Hours: 12pm – 3pm & 5pm – 11pm (Mon – Thu & Sun), 12noon – 3pm & 5pm – 1am (Fri & Sat) | Website | Facebook
If you have a craving for Japanese cuisine, Tsukiji Fish Market Restaurant is the place to be. This unique restaurant gives customers a taste of five dining concepts, all in one place.
A bowl of Ebizo Special Tendon (S$20.80) will satisfy even the biggest eater. Every single ingredient was cooked to perfection. There was a nice crispy coating that wrapped around each ingredient and the crunch was so ever satisfying. The prawns were as succulent as it can be, the pumpkin was sweet, and everything else tasted fresh and delicious.
Sashimi lovers, rejoice! If this platter doesn’t satisfy your sashimi cravings, nothing will. 7 Kinds Of Tsukiji Sashimi On A Ship (S$39.80) comes with seasonal fishes so your order may differ from time to time. Fret not, you’ll get fresh sashimi with every visit and the thick cuts ensure that customers get to savour the freshness of every slice.
Tsukiji Fish Market Restaurant: 181 Orchard Road, Orchard Central, #12-02, Singapore 238896 | Tel: +65 6634 2803 | Opening hours: 12.30pm – 2.30pm & 6pm – 10pm (Daily) | Facebook
A blast from the past,Chinese restaurant Circa 1912 serves traditional Lingnan cuisine, which can’t be found elsewhere in Singapore. Mr David Yip, owner of Circa 1912, aims to recreate dishes that have been lost in the passage of time and allow his customers to have a taste of the past.
The popular Wor Pao (S$6) is served inverted, to ensure that you can enjoy the sweet fragrance of the meat filling from start to end. Also, the sweetness comes from natural fruit sugar. This is one pao that you won’t forget!
With three layers of meat consisting of pork, chicken liver, and lard, the Roasted Golden Coin Chicken (S$5/piece) blew my mind away with it’s complex textures and flavours. The pork was sweet, the chicken liver was gritty, and the lard had a pleasing crispy layer. I guess good things do comes in threes.
Circa 1912: 1 Scotts Road, #03-07/11, Shaw Centre, Singapore 228208 | Tel: +65 6836 3070 | Opening Hours: 11:30am – 2:30pm, 5:30pm – 10pm (Daily) | Facebook
If you are interested in witchcraft and wizardry, alchemy-themed Elixir Bar will dazzle you with their visual sorcery. From flaming alcohols to cocktails with gold flakes, it is a never-ending spectacle.
Elixir Of Immortality (S$24++) has a fancy name, and it’s served in a fancy fashion. The bourbon-based cocktail came in a dragon goblet, with the top layer aflame. The burning question now is, how does it taste? The cloves gave off a sweet fragrance, pairing well with the sweet cocktail which had a faint raspberry taste.
Grab a bite to go along with the cocktails! Biting through the crispy skin of the Crispy Suckling Pig With Prawn Paste (S$22++) revealed a chewy centre with delectable pork. This savoury snack was even topped with caviar!
Elixir Bar: 321 Orchard Road, #02-01, Orchard Shopping Centre, Singapore 238866 | Tel: +65 9277 3315 / +65 6733 8272 | Opening Hours: 5pm – 1am (Sun – Thur & Public Holidays), 5pm – 2am (Fri, Sat & Eve of Public Holidays) | Facebook | Website
Joie is a French-Japanese restaurant where not a trace of meat is found on their plates. If you have the misconception that vegetarian cuisine is boring, think again. Joie currently offers set lunch and dinner menus, with a Six-Course Set Lunch (S$38.80) and a Seven-Course Set Dinner (S$68.80).
I swear this tasted like meat! If all vegetarian dishes tasted like the Grill Summer Mushroom Steak On “Pu-Ye” Hot Stone, heck, I don’t mind being a vegetarian myself. The springy and juicy mushroom had a hint of smokiness from the grill, with a texture similar to meat.
Each pocket of the Gratinated Champignon With Mozzarella contains not escargot, but button mushrooms. A sheet of baked cheese blanketed the dish, with a strong cheese-pull game each time I lifted a button mushroom.
Joie Restaurant: 181 Orchard Road, #12-01, Orchard Central, Singapore 238896 | Tel: +65 6838 6966 | Opening Hours: 12noon – 3.30pm & 6pm – 10.30pm (Daily) | Facebook | Website
You no longer have to travel to Hong Kong to taste this famous porridge, because Mui Kee Congee has opened a restaurant at Shaw Centre. This trademark creamy congee has won the hearts of many Hong Kong people, and now it’s our turn.
The Sliced Threadfin (S$16) had a strong fish stock flavour, with a hint of wok hey aftertaste. With its creamy consistency, it was so easy to gobble down a bowl of congee.
In order to cook this bowl of congee, a whopping five hours have been invested into cooking this meal, with constant stirring every five to ten minutes.
The Drunken Chicken In Shaoxing Wine (S$10) is marinated overnight, so you can expect an intense aroma. Served chilled, every slice of chicken was exploding with lingering flavour from the Shaoxing wine. A must try!
Mui Kee Congee: 1 Scotts Road, Shaw Centre #01-12, Singapore 228208 | Tel: +65 6737 2422 | Opening Hours: 12non – 9.30pm (Daily) | Facebook | Website
Michelin-starred meals come with a hefty price tag. But at Tsuta Japanese Soba Noodles in Pacific Plaza, you can enjoy piping hot bowls of noodles at affordable prices.
The open-kitchen concept meant that customers are able to see their meals prepared in front of them.
You can choose from several soup bases such as Shio, Shoyu, and Miso. With prices starting as low as S$15, you can have a taste of Michelin-starred ramen, without blowing a hole in your wallet.
I liked the Shoyu Soba (S$15), mainly because the dollop of black truffle oil really enhanced the flavour of the soup. I also loved how the noodles were springy and light, complementing the flavour-intense broth.
Tsuta Japanese Soba Noodles: 9 Scotts Road, #01-01, Pacific Plaza, Singapore 228210 | Tel: +65 6734 4886 | Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm (Daily) | Facebook | Website
If you have visited Millenia Walk, I’m pretty sure you would have noticed The Dark Gallery. They have expanded and now operate a flagship store at Takashimaya Shopping Centre. Thankfully, they now have a larger seating capacity, because I always had trouble looking for seats at their smaller outlet.
Unique to their flagship store is Singapore’s first Mod-Bar® pour-over and steam system. From this system, a unique blend of coffee was born.
Their Single Origin Pour Over (S$6.50) is made with Ethiopian beans from Melbourne’s Padre. Surprisingly, it had a stronger cocoa taste rather than a coffee taste. While it isn’t as strong as your regular Americano, the bitter aftertaste is still prominent.
Another new addition to their menu are plated desserts, and the Chocolate Souffle (S$15) is one you shouldn’t miss. This sweet treat was made with 66% dark chocolate, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side.
As with all souffle, the semi-hollow middle caved in as soon I plunged my spoon into the Chocolate Souffle, revealing a soft and moist centre. The chocolate flavour leaned towards the milder side, which I thought could be stronger. Pair it with the ice cream to enjoy a hot-cold experience!
The Dark Gallery: 391 Orchard Road, Takashimaya Shopping Centre, #B2-29, Singapore 238873 | Opening hours: 11am – 10pm (Daily) | Website | Facebook
If you haven’t tried the restaurants and cafes on this list, make sure you set some time aside on your next shopping trip. You’ll need that extra energy to continue shopping!
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