You may have heard this ad nauseum, but travel is out of the equation right now.
While many entertainment establishments are slated to close for the foreseeable future, restaurants, cafes, and the like continue to open with social distancing measures in place, though starting this week, you can only takeaway or get delivery.
Still, there’s no better time than now to support our local businesses and hawkers. To help in that cause, we’ve scoured the downtown line and sussed out the best eats you can find from Beauty World to Bendemeer.
A Guide to The Best Eats on The Downtown Line, Singapore
1. Beauty World Station
Beauty World has a bevy of food choices, including the popular Cheong Chin Nam stretch that has famous eateries like Al Azhar and Boon Tong Kee, but I’d like to turn your attention to Beauty World Centre.
I’m just coming right out to say it: Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice and Noodle at Beauty World Food Centre is one of the best of its type I’ve had in Singapore. Period.
I would even go so far to say in a completely biased opinion, it’s the best.
What’s so good about it? Well, for one, the chicken is marinated and cooked with a multitude of herbs, rose wine, and soya sauce. What you get is a delightfully tasty and succulent chicken with every tender bite.
Don’t overlook the rice as well, as the grains are nicely separated and not mushy like some place can be.
Oh, and there’s free fried pork lard which you can add to your liking. Maybe it’s the pork lard that won me over… hmmm.
Once you’re done with your meal, head over to Kopifellas, who are not your average coffee hawkers.
Starting out at Timbre+ in 2017, Andy and Terry sought to infuse the contemporary into the traditional art of local coffee making and the result was Kopifellas.
Serving up your traditional kopi peng (iced coffee) to more hipster drinks like earl grey milk tea, there’s a wide range of drinks to quench your thirst at affordable prices.
2. Fort Canning Station
Okinawa, the historic group of islands, was actually going to be a part of the Olympic route during the summer. Unfortunately, due to the severity of Covid-19, Olympics 2020 will be postponed.
That’s a wet blanket for anyone who had plans to catch the games in Japan. Well, all hope is not exactly lost. If you can’t experience Japan this summer, we can bring Japan to you, specifically Okinawa.
You can get a taste of Okinawan cuisine in Singapore courtesy of Nirai-Kanai Okinawan Restaurant. Okinawa was once the Ryukyu Islands, and not part of mainland Japan; the cuisine, effectively differed from the rest of Japan.
So, when you’re at Nirai-Kanai, embrace their signature Okinawan dishes that includes braised pork belly and stir-fried bitter gourd with egg. If you’re wondering why these dishes sound like they are mainstays of a Chinese menu, it’s because when Okinawa was the Ryukyu Islands, they were actually a tributary of China, leading to cultural influences that shaped Okinawan society.
3. Hillview Station
Just outside Hillview Station lies The Rail Mall, a stretch that boasts quite a number of food options including Springleaf Prata Place.
Hidden amongst the many stalls is New Teck Kee Chicken Rice. Like many chicken rice stalls I’ve seen such as Boon Tong Kee and Five Star, New Teck Kee has a wide variety of zi char dishes beyond its staple, signature dish.
Their rice isn’t anything special I should say, but their chicken is tender and succulent, and is what is keeping customers coming back.
If you’re at The Rail Mall, New Teck Kee solves your chicken rice cravings plus offers so much more variety in terms of food.
Come for the chicken rice but don’t be surprised to be won over by the curry chicken noodles at the end of the day.
4. King Albert Park Station
About a bus stop down from King Albert Park Station lies the hidden Binjai Park, with gems like IVINS, the popular Peranakan restaurant.
But Hup Choon Seafood is the place to go if you’re craving for some good zi char. You can’t really go wrong with zi char per se, but there are good ones, and there are those that just don’t quite hit the mark.
Hup Choon Seafood hits the mark by a mile. There may be some biasness in this as I’ve been going there for a good number of years now, but their quality and standard have maintained throughout the years.
Prices are exceptionally reasonable and you can find your favourite zi char classics like har cheong gai (prawn paste chicken) and sambal kangkong (water spinach).
Get. Their. Dried Chilli Diced Chicken.
Thank me later.
P.S. Go early because the coffeeshop isn’t large by any means and you’ll find the tables filled to the brim by 7pm.
5. Jalan Besar Station
Laksa is a beloved dish of many Singaporeans, and many have their personal favourite stalls they swear by.
Run by three ladies, Sungei Road Laksa has been serving a faithful crowd along Jalan Berseh, and one of the few remaining stalls using charcoal in the cooking process.
The laksa gravy you get here is slightly lighter but make no mistake, it’s still flavourful with a level of lemak (richness) that you’ll want out of a laksa. The spiciness can leave some chilli masters wanting, so be sure to add several dollops of sambal to your bowl if you really love the kick!
Served in the same style as the traditional Katong laksas, one spoon is all you get (and need) to down the entire bowl.
6. Bendemeer Station
Jia Xiang Nasi Lemak has a really sweet story behind it.
Missing and reminiscing about their Grandma’s Nasi Lemak back home in Northwest Malaysia, brothers Kenneth and Shawn set out to share their Grandmother’s recipe with all of us.
Thus, began the story of Jia Xiang Nasi Lemak.
This stall has since become famous for their beautiful blue-coloured rice, which if you do not know, comes from butterfly pea. It’s 100% natural butterfly pea flower, so you don’t have to worry about any extra additives.
Opt for their fried chicken drumstick or rendang to round out the nasi lemak set and you’ve got yourself a hearty breakfast to start the day.
