This week we’re bringing it back to our childhood days. From spending time at indoor playgrounds in McDonald’s to being on our best behaviour at Raffles Hotel dining institutions, it wasn’t always just ketchup spaghetti for us.
1. Jing Hua
Dumplings, potstickers and “Chinese pancakes”, this is home food at its best.
2. Colbar
Remember post-colonial brunches (before “brunch” even made it into your vocabulary) at this lush place and wheeling around the pathways in Rochester afterwards?
3. The Tiffin Room
It’s all about the colonial vibes with this restaurant that has stood the test of time with its Mulligatawny soup and high ceilings.
4. Raffles Grill
A dinosaur (and heavyweight) in the dining scene. Just remember your table manners and be on your best behaviour.
5. Palm Beach Seafood Restaurant
It’s touted as being the inventor of the famed black pepper crab. Remember your mother turning tissues into bibs so you don’t get sauce all over your shirts?
6. Swensens
The sundaes, the baked pastas and the kid-friendly dishes like fish & chips and meatballs. This place was, for some us, always a special-day treat.
7. Boon Tong Kee
This affordable chicken rice specialist is a go-to for Sunday zi char family dinners, thanks to its juicy whole chickens …
8. Chatterbox
… unless atas chicken rice was more your family’s speed. In which case, this place has been doling out $30 chicken rice for as long as we can remember.
9. Samy’s Curry Restaurant
The unassuming and casual restaurant is known for its fiery and finger-licking curries.
10. Pasta Fresca
This Italian family joint was the heigh of sophistication when we were kids. Never mind that all we ordered was greasy spaghetti carbonara.
11. Pete’s Place
The cozy, family-style Italian restaurant had super classic food that’s almost ’80s in palate. Think chicken parm and delicious pizzas.
12. Prima Tower Revolving Restaurant
A frou-frou Chinese restaurant, this one provided the novelty of rotating slowly to provide a panoramic overview of the sea and harbor.
13. Kenny Rogers
Because who doesn’t love grilled chicken and an entire lineup of sides? It’s got a special place in our hearts thanks to the Wild West look and Kenny Rogers soundtrack.
14. Ponderosa
This steakhouse was a classic. Remember the “salad” buffet that came with every main course? We were in it just for the chicken nuggets, onion rings, spaghetti and unlimited soft serve ice cream.
15. A&W
We were really sad to see this place go, especially with our fond memories of coney dogs, root beer floats and curly fries.
16. Jack’s Place
Thanks to its affordable price point, it was definitely one of our first forays into Western food with steaks, mashed potatoes and grilled chicken.
17. Red Star
Everyone loved this place, from our grandparents to our parents and now us. It’s super vintage, with the aunties pushing carts full of dim sum.
18. Tony Roma’s
Where most of us first got to sample the addictive nature of barbecue ribs, slathered in their special rub and barbecue sauce. Bring on the free flow fries.
19. Dunkin’ Donuts
This one’s been resurrected recently. It was the most popular donut hangout in the ’80s and now it’s back for good.
20. McDonalds at King Albert Park
A visit to KAP always meant hours of fun in the huge indoor playground (which meant that our parents could ditch us and buy groceries at Cold Storage in peace).
