11 Eateries In Ulu Places You Would Never Know About Without The Internet

Ulu Eateries In Singapore

There’s nothing quite as thrilling as discovering something that is hidden—be it intentionally or not. Just the feeling of exclusiveness, being part of a special few to actually know of a hidden gem’s existence gives us a sense of gratification.

In our case, we simply love it whenever we discover hidden food gems. Some tucked away in some of Singapore’s lesser-known shopping malls and even some that find themselves nestled within industrial parks.

Some may say that secrets are meant to be kept, but as far as good food is concerned, sharing is caring—and we care. So here is our list of 11 secret eateries hidden in ulu places.


CAFE COLBAR


Back in 1953, Colbar—also known as Colonial Bar—was used as a British army canteen. Today, people still dine at Colbar and the sense of nostalgia still remains.

Colbar serves a wide range of food on the menu with dishes like their Hor Fun and Chicken Curry Rice being notable favourites. While others make the trip down here for the old-school vibes, many others (like us) come especially for their massive array of craft beers and ciders. That’s right, this unassuming cafe curates some of the world’s finest craft beers around and prices are pretty affordable too!

9A Whitchurch Road
Singapore 138839
Tel: +65 6779 4859
(Closed on Monday)
Tue to Sun: 11.30am – 8.30pm
Nearest Station: Queenstown


DA LUCA ITALIAN RESTAURANT


Serving up real-deal Italian food Da Luca Italian Restaurant is one spot that never fails to leave an impression. Owned by chef-owner Luca Pucciani along with his wife, this cosy Italian restaurant in Goldhill Plaza dishes out an arsenal of stellar antipasti, pasta and hearty mains.

Fresh ingredients, masterful preparations, friendly owners and good vibes all rolled out into one, this is without a doubt a place that promises a sensational dining experience. While many other Italian restaurants exist elsewhere, this is by far one of the most hearty and authentic around. And the best part? So few know it even exists.

1 Goldhill Plaza Novena #01-19/21
Singapore 308899
Tel: +65 6258 4846
(Closed on Monday and Tuesday)
Wed to Sun: 11.45am – 2.30pm, 6pm – 10pm
Nearest Station: Novena

District Sushi Barachirashi Don


DISTRICT SUSHI


District Sushi is a relatively new Japanese joint that serves up delicious Japanese fare at wallet-friendly prices. Their stellar Bara Chirashi Don, which is priced at an unbelievable S$13 per bowl (no GST and service charge), is stacked high with generous cubes of fresh marinated fish and is one of their most frequently ordered items.

Besides that, the casual eatery also has a range of sashimi, nigiri sushi and a la carte sides that are mostly below S$15—pretty nifty for a hidden eatery.

91 Bencoolen Street
#01-15 Sunshine Plaza
Singapore 189652
Mon to Sat: 11.30am – 2pm, 5.30pm – 8.30pm
(Closed on Sunday)
Nearest Station: Bencoolen

Ichi Tei Chicken Set


ICHI TEI


This low-key Japanese eatery in Sunshine Plaza is where one can find affordable Japanese food in town. If you are on a budget, Ichi Tei serves simple and flavourful meals below S$14. We thoroughly enjoyed the Chicken Teriyaki Rice Set which comes with a small portion of potato salad and miso soup.

Otherwise, Ichi Tei also has other options such as Curry Rice, Udon, Udon Curry and some of the basic side dishes.

91 Bencoolen Street
#01-52 Sunshine Terrace
Singapore 189652
Tel: +65 9139 1746
Mon to Sat: 12pm – 8pm
(Closed on Sunday)
Nearest Station: Bras Basah

Izakaya Nijumaru Bento Set


IZAKAYA NIJUMARU


Izakaya Nijumaru is one hidden gem (literally) in Cuppage Plaza. It is tucked at a corner on the 2nd level of Cuppage Plaza and you wouldn’t otherwise walk past it unless you were particularly looking out for it.

The nondescript outlet has been around for three decades. We actually only discovered it about seven years ago but it has since remained as a favourite of ours whenever we want a simple, affordable Japanese meal in Orchard Road. Our personal recommendations include the Buta Shioyaki Set (S$13), Deep Fried Pork Filet (S$13) and Tendon (S$13).

5 Koek Rd
#02-10/12 Cuppage Plaza
Singapore 228796
Tel: +65 6235 6693
Mon to Sat: 12pm – 2.30pm, 6pm – 10pm
Sun: 6pm – 10pm
Nearest Station: Somerset

New Station Snack Bar Pork Ribs


NEW STATION SNACK BAR


Salted egg yolk fanatics rejoice because New Station Snack Bar nestled in Far East Plaza is where you can find one of the tastiest salted egg yolk pork ribs around and affordable Chinese food. This small eatery that sits on the 5th floor of the mall serves a surprisingly wide array of dishes.

Conveniently located within walking distance from Orchard MRT Station, this is one great destination for a wallet-friendly meal in Orchard Road. Yet, it is also astonishing how so many people are unaware of its existence after so long.

14 Scotts Road
#05-95 Far East Plaza
Singapore 228213
Tel: +65 6734 2862
Mon to Sat:11.30am – 9pm
Sun: 11.30am – 9.30pm
Nearest Station: Orchard


PIGSFLY KITCHEN & BAR


Pig’s Fly is a melting pot of 6 different food concepts featuring Western, Japanese, Indian, Italian, Thai and British fare. During the day, this unassuming eatery is basically a slightly more upmarket coffee shop but once the sun sets, it turns into a bar.

Food options are aplenty and the beer taps never run dry, but as exciting as this place sounds, it still finds itself relatively under the radar and is patronised mainly by office workers and residents working and living nearby.

273 Thomson Road #01-05
Singapore 307644
Tel: +65 6256 0261
Mon to Thu: 12pm – 11pm
Fri and Sat: 12pm – 1am
Sunday: 12pm – 11pm
Nearest Station: Novena


TASTE OF THAILAND


Nestled within one of Yishun’s more ‘ulu’ industrial parks, Taste of Thailand stands as a beacon for all things delicious, especially where Thai food and zi char is concerned. This is seriously value-for-money food at its finest and so long as you do not mind the shabby environment, this is definitely a great place to take your friends and family.

Their pineapple rice, fried fish and fried calamari come highly recommended but who are we kidding, all their dishes are amazing.

701A Yishun Avenue 5 #01-01
Singapore 761701
Tel: +65 6756 4883
Mon, Wed to Sun: 11.30am – 2pm, 5.30pm – 10pm
(Closed on Tuesday)
Nearest Station: Yishuan

Thai Gold Food


THAI GOLD FOOD


Located in Sunshine Plaza, Thai Gold Food’s menu has popular Thai dishes like Mango Salad, Thai Fish Cake, Pineapple Fried Rice, Phad Thai, and Green Curry. Most of the items are reasonably priced below S$10 and they make for a real-deal Thai food experience—right down to the Thai servers and music that plays in the background.

91 Bencoolen Street
#01-14/22 Sunshine Plaza
Singapore 189652
Tel: +65 6883 1575
Mon to Sat: 11.30am – 10pm
Sun: 11.30am – 9.30pm
Nearest Station: Bras Basah

Victor's Kitchen Sunshine Plaza


VICTOR’S KITCHEN


Even if you have not been to Sunshine Plaza, chances are you would have heard of Victor’s Kitchen at some point. This hidden dim sum gem is a favourite among those who frequent town because it is one of the few places where one can find coffee shop-style dim sum that won’t burn too big a hole in their wallet.

The prices of the dim sum here are around S$3-4 per basket—which isn’t particularly the cheapest but the reason why people constantly make trips down to Victor’s Kitchen is for the down-to-earth atmosphere and quick service.

91 Bencoolen Street
#01-49 Sunshine Plaza
Singapore 189652
Tel: +65 9838 2851
Sun to Thu: 10.30am – 8pm
Fri to Sat: 10.30am – 9pm
Nearest Station: Bras Basah

Wildseed Cafe & Bar Wagyu Beef Burger


WILDSEED CAFÉ & BAR


Nestled in Seletar Aerospace Park, Wildseed Café & Bar is a picturesque venue where you can break out of the city’s hustle and bustle. Located on the ground floor of The Summerhouse Dining Room, this farm-to-table concept café serves hearty lunch and brunch during the day and transforms into a casual bar with a delectable grill selection in the evening.

From a wide selection of mains and sweet treats in their daytime menu to an even larger range of alcoholic drinks on their bar menu, there is something for everyone to indulge in at Wildseed Café. From Fridays to Sundays, there is live acoustic music in the evening.

3 Park Lane
Seletar Aerospace Drive
Singapore 798387
Tel: +65 6262 1063
Mon to Thu: 9a – 11pm
Fri: 9am – 1am
Sat: 8.30am – 12am
Sun: 8.30am – 11pm
Nearest Station: Punggol