Lotus Thai Viet

Some local restaurants are slowly but surely accumulating new customers by situating themselves in prime food courts around Singapore. Lotus Thai Restaurant in Murray Terrace near Maxwell Road, is one of them, with 11 outlets named Lotus Thai Viet in various food courts since 2004.

Kopitiam at Vivo City (Basement 1), Kopitiam at Tiong Bahru Plaza (Level 3), and My Dining Room @ Kopitiam at The Central (Level 4) are some of these 11. The outlet featured on the left is located at Square 2’s Fork & Spoon Food Court on Level 4. This stall can get pretty busy during lunch hour, so do pop by early if you can.

Lotus Thai Viet has 1 of the best Thai Fresh Spring Rolls ($4) [****] I’ve tried (those in rice paper sheets with heaps of greens & prawns). Their version may not have prawns in them, but their sauce dip more than makes up for it because it takes the edge off the plain basil or coriander (cilantro) leaves. To date, I’ve also tried their Pineapple Fried Rice ($4.50) [***.] and Thai Beef Noodles ($4) [****] which had an ample amount of fresh mint leaves in a tasty beef broth. Don’t underestimate a simple ingredient like mint leaves, for it has a significant role to play in making a Thai dish palatable.

For those who are dining in groups, you should order a couple of their steamboat sets to share along with additional sides. Each set has 3 dishes, perfect for sampling. On my recent visit, I ordered their Tom Yam Steamboat Set ($16.90) to share with my mum and brother. It was value-for-money because it came with rice, a fried omelette atop a bed of beansprouts, Thai fried chicken with vegetables and a big pot of tom yam steamboat. For the meat dish in the set, you’ll have a choice of chicken/fish.

What I like about their tom yam steamboat, is the tom yam soup of course. Personally, I love clear tom yam broths (without the coconut milk) with little chillis to spice it up. Lotus Thai Viet’s is slightly different, with their addition of red dates to their soup. I believe they’ve got other herbal ingredients as well, but they were not visible in the pot served to us.

For those who are averse to anything hot & spicy, rest assured that their tom yam is safe for your consumption (in other words, it won’t bring tears to your eyes). I make this statement using my sister (who trust me, has an extremely low tolerance for spices) as a gauge.

Now you know where to go for really affordable Thai…My next stop for Thai food will be: Jane Thai Food (400 Orchard Road, Orchard Towers, #04-30) recommended by my friend J (who isn’t Jane by the way).

The I-wanna-know[s]:
Taste – 6.5/10
Price – $ to $$
Service – 6/10
Ambience – 5/10
Accessibility – 7/10

Legend:
[$]-cheap like peanuts: ($10 & below/person)
[$$]-average Jane ($15-$25/person)
[$$$]-you might wanna tke tht card out..($30-$60/person)
[$$$$]-extremely exorbitant ($70 & above/person)
[* to *****] – rating(s) for individual dishes

Tel: +65 6224 6416

Address:
(Outlet featured) Square 2 Fork & Spoon Food Court
(Main Restaurant) Murray Terrace 16 Murray Street, Singapore 079526

Opening hours:
(Main Restaurant) – Lunch: 11am – 3pm | Dinner: 6pm – 10pm

Dress code: Casual

Nearest MRT: Novena (Square 2) / Tanjong Pagar (Main Restaurant)

Buses: 56, 57, 124, 21, 980, 166, 54…

Collagen Ramen at Koufu

Boasting a variety of 13 types of ramen on their menu, this stall should have something to suit your liking. Don’t expect Japanese ramen though, their speciality is collagen ramen (not egg-based ramen) in different soup bases, with different toppings. Collagen has anti-inflammatory properties, as well as anti-ageing and weight loss benefits (or so I’ve heard).

This stall’s ramen is more chinese than anything else if you ask me. Although I’ve had my share of bad experiences with food court ramen…this one’s different. Each strand of noodle is silky smooth, and the soup’s really tasty. Previously featured by the Straits Times, this stall makes it a point to have promotional prices for different items on the menu. Today, their Roast Pork & Corn Ramen (usual: $5, promo: $4.50) was one of a few.

The Roast Pork & Corn Ramen [***.] had generous portions of corn, roasted pork cubes, seaweed, carrots, and surprisingly…stewed egg. Well not the yummy Japanese sort from Ken Ramen House, but fairly decent nonetheless. A big bowl worth ordering. Prior to this I’ve also tried their Seafood Ramen ($5.50) [***], but I still prefer their Roast Pork & Corn. Other ramen favourites on the menu include the Char Siew Ramen ($5.50).

My mum ordered her usual Fried Fish Ramen ($4.80) [***] which had the same soup base as mine. The fish wasn’t oily so the overall combination was quite satisfying.

I’d definitely drop by this place again to try their spicy ramens. Looks like there’s hope for food court stalls just yet.

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Taste – 7/10
Price – $
Service – 7/10
Ambience – 5/10
Accessibility – 8/10

Legend:
[$]-cheap like peanuts: ($10 & below/person)
[$$]-average Jane ($15-$25/person)
[$$$]-you might wanna tke tht card out..($30-$60/person)
[$$$$]-extremely exorbitant ($70 & above/person)
[* to *****] – rating(s) for individual dishes

Website: http://www.koufu.com.sg

Address:
500 Toa Payoh Lorong 6
#02-30 HDB Centre
Singapore 310500

Opening hours:
Open daily | 9am-9pm

Dress code: Casual

Nearest MRT: Toa Payoh

Korean stall | Toa Payoh HDB Hub Foodcourt

My mum, sis and I decided to check out the new Korean stall in the Toa Payoh HDB Hub Foodcourt for lunch earlier. I skeptically circled the stall while deciding between korean and nonya food..the boss was a friendly korean lady who recommended their Saba Set the moment she saw me. After much deliberation, my sis picked the Ramyeon ($4.50/$5), my mum ordered the Kimchi Fried Rice ($4.50/$5), and I had the Saba Set ($5.50). They also have 2 types of bibimbap, yuk gae jang (spicy beef/pork/chicken soup with vegetables) and kimchi soup on the menu. Not a bad selection for such a small stall.

As it turned out, their Ramyeon wasn’t too good [**.] because the noodles tasted like the instant type and ingredients were limited. The soup was relatively tasty, but could’ve been better. Comparing like for like, Kim Dae Mun Korean Cuisine over at the Meredien foodcourt has a better bowl of ramyeon.

However, all’s not lost. If there is 1 thing I’d definitely come back for…it’ll be their Saba Set [****]. The lady boss was right, the saba was well-grilled and retained its juicy sweetness. Topped with a teriyaki-like sauce, this fish was superb. What you see here is really only half a saba, but a sizeable portion nonetheless. Value for money.

Lastly, do skip the Kimchi Fried Rice [**.]. The rice was too sticky and it clumped together. Ingredients were scarce, consisting of egg and kimchi only. That being said, the kimchi was good even if the rice wasn’t. They do sell their side dishes of kimchi and anchovies (ikan bilis) separately if you’re interested. For korean food fans out there who don’t want to burn a hole in the pocket, do check out Kim Dae Mun at Meredien and the korean stall at Lavender Food Centre (near Jalan Besar) next to Eminent Plaza.

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Taste – 6/10 (worth visiting for their Saba)
Price – $
Service – 7/10
Ambience – 5/10
Accessibility – 8/10

Legend:
[$]-cheap like peanuts: ($10 & below/person)
[$$]-average Jane ($15-$25/person)
[$$$]-you might wanna tke tht card out..($30-$60/person)
[$$$$]-extremely exorbitant ($70 & above/person)
[* to *****] – rating(s) for individual dishes

Address:
Lorong 6 Toa Payoh HDB Hub, Basement,
Toa Payoh HDB Hub Food Court
Singapore 310460

Opening hours:
Mon – Sat: 11 am – approx 9 pm

Dress code: Casual

Nearest MRT: Toa Payoh

Kim Dae Mun Korean Cuisine

Kim Dae Mun is a Korean food stall that has resided in the Le Meridien Food Court since 2002 or so. With Korean cooks and assistants in the kitchen, this place serves up authentic Korean fare at affordable prices. I first stumbled upon this place in 2005, after a visit to the food court for some Thai beef noodles. One of the things I really like at Kim Dae Mun is their Potato Pancake ($3.50) [****] as pictured here. The thin, crisp pancake doesn’t taste starchy despite the use of potato flour, and goes very well with a tangy sauce dip. The addition of white sesame seeds is a must for every dish, and it’s something I noticed while queuing for my food.

Another dish I like is their Korean Glass Noodles ($4.50) [***] which isn’t overly oily, and comes chockful of ingredients like prawns, vegetables, and egg. It’s accompanied by a choice of 1 side. Usually I’ll pick either the anchovies (ikan bilis) or kimchi to go with the noodles. For me it’s always a toss up between the Thai Pad Thai and Korean Glass Noodles. Both of which have somewhat similar ingredients but still manage to taste different. The important thing that sets a good dish of glass noodles apart, is definitely fresh ingredients.

Fancy some Korean-style ramen? [**.] Try some of Kim Dae Mun’s. At $4.50 a bowl, their ramen comes with egg, vegetables, and chicken. The soup’s tasty enough, but it could be spicier I felt. If you’ve got the tastebuds for spicy stuff, do try their Hot Beancurd Soup with Rice ($6) [****]. The soup is served piping hot in a black pot, with sliced pork, straw mushrooms, and la la shells (a variation of clams). Meat lovers will be glad to know that they’ve also got hotplate meats such as spicy pork, beef, and chicken on the menu. Others include spicy squid and more soups. All in all a sizeable selection for a food court stall that has a constant stream of customers (some of them Koreans too) every weekend.

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Taste – 7/10
Price – $
Service – 7/10
Ambience – 6/10
Accessibility – 8/10

Legend:
[$]-cheap like peanuts: ($10 & below/person)
[$$]-average Jane ($15-$25/person)
[$$$]-you might wanna tke tht card out..($30-$60/person)
[$$$$]-extremely exorbitant ($70 & above/person)
[* to *****] – rating(s) for individual dishes

Address:
100 Orchard Road, Level 1, Le Meridien Food Court

Opening hours:
10 am – 9 pm daily

Dress code: Casual

Nearest MRT: Dhoby Ghaut