Trendy new restaurants are always cool and happening, but we also need our fix of homey comfort food. Whether that’s a basket of dumplings, a plate of rice or something Nyonya, here are the new restaurants to check out when you’re hankering for a local food fix.
9Goubuli
The latest addition to the often star-studded list of MBS restaurants is pretty humble. This baozi, or Chinese buns, specialty restaurant was founded in Tianjin in 1858 and steams up baskets of fat buns filled with pork, wagyu beef and a special vegetarian option. It’s also got classic platters of chilled salted duck and braised meatballs, aside from the usuals of fried rice and noodles.
House of Peranakan Petit
An offshoot off Katong classic, Peranakan Inn, this Tiong Bahru restaurant isn’t a cool cafe. In fact, it’s a pretty turquoise gem serving homey Nyonya dishes. There are your usual suspects like otak otak, ngoh hiang and itek tim, but also house specialties like bakwang kepiting, a soup of prawns, crab, bamboo shoot and pork served in a crab shell, as well as babi assam, a pork belly dish full of spices.
Kay Lee Roast Meat Joint
This one has been around for a long time, but it recently got bought over and rejuvenated. Founded in 1970s, this no-frills joint serves Guangzhou-style roast meats like duck and pork piled high on rice drenched in soy sauce. Now that they’ve got shiny new digs in Upper Paya Lebar, Suntec City and the soon-to-open West Coast outlet, there’s more reason to tuck into the meats and double-boiled soups.
Tang’s Steamboat Restaurant
Speaking of trendy restaurants, this homey steamboat joint is in the middle of the happening Keong Saik Road. Unlike most traditional steamboat restaurants, this Sichuan-style place will pack on some heat. It’s also got a unconventional ingredients like bamboo fungus in shrimp paste and red wine-marinated beef.
