Singapore - A Day Of Food Adventure In Katong
As much as I like to share about my travel adventures overseas, I realised I haven't shared much of local stuff in my own home country. So today, we take a break from all the yummy food in Bangkok and feature something unique in Singapore.
Singapore has a lot to offer when it comes to food because we have many races, and in addition, we are quite a developed city so the international brands are here as well.
During one of my free days, I decided to embark on a food adventure in Katong, which is one of the neighbourhoods which I realised I hardly visit. It's ironic sometimes, that sometimes there are even places in one's own country that I don't venture to. So armed with curiosity, and a well researched food to try, I travelled a long way to Katong!
First up, I started my lunch at Sta Western, which served quite old school Western food. Being my first visit, I ordered their signature Chicken Chop with Mushroom Sauce. This cost SGD 10.79 (USD 8.43). For most Western dishes, usually there are just two or three sides with the chicken, but this one totally surprised me. There's fries, sausage, baked beans, coleslaw, egg, and garlic bread! For this price, this is totally reasonable. Taste wise, this was very decent and I quite enjoyed it.
As it was a hot day, I also ordered a drink, this is called Bandung, which is rose syrup with milk I think. Not sure this is common in other countries. This cost SGD 2.83 (USD 2.21). Bandung in my impression is always overly sweet, after all it's meant to be sinful and enjoyable drink, but this one was not that sweet. Depending on whether one prioritises health or flavour, this one was a pass for me.
When people go to Katong, they always have to try the Katong laksa! For typical laksa, it's noodles, prawns, fish cake, all mixed with a rich coconut based spicy sauce. This cost SGD 6.50 (USD 5.08), which is pretty okay given the standard of living here (not cheap I know). I know the photo might look spicy, but let me shock you, it is totally not spicy at all! Personally I can't really take spicy food, and I was pleasantly surprised (while during my research prior to the trip) that there is indeed non-spicy laksa as well. Basically, the coconut based broth for this one is much stronger. That said, I had a little regret because somehow I realise the spicy "kick" is quite quintessential for laksa, and not having it while makes it comfortable for the taste buds, something seems to be lacking. That said, their business is amazingly good so there must be people who prefer this recipe as well.
After somewhat two mains, it's time for a good coffee and some desserts. I settled for a cafe called June Coffee which seemed to have very good reviews. I ordered a Basque Burnt Cheesecake! This cost SGD 11.99 (USD 9.37). That's more than the mains already, but good desserts and especially cheesecakes don't come cheap. Definitely pricey but the cream cheese was very dense and that's how good cheesecakes should be. The cream on top of the cake was refreshing. A little sinful for one person but I suppose it's okay to indulge once in a while.
For drinks, I had wanted to order their matcha signature drinks, but they were sold out. So I settled for Iced Black Sesame Latte. This cost SGD 9.59 (USD 7.49). Once again, cafe food and drinks can be quite pricey, because other than the quality, there's also the ambience of the place (i.e. good for chilling solo or with friends), and the display is always top notch (i.e. suitable for people who are posting photos on their socials). This was a very interesting drink, and I think the experiment with this combination is a success. Black sesame has a strong flavour/taste and when paired with the bitter coffee, everything felt just right.
So that's it for my one day of food adventure in Katong! Felt really full after all the food. Definitely an interesting experience to restaurant/cafe hop, and the money spent was definitely worth it!
P.S. In case anyone is wondering, this sharing is not sponsored in any way.