Maybe one of your dream destinations is Switzerland, where you get to enjoy a warm cheese fondue in a cable car while overlooking the white snowy mountains with the love of your life or tasting some rösti for breakfast made the Swiss-way.

Sadly, not all of us have the luxury or the time to travel all the way there.

But hey, don’t fret! Because here in Singapore at Wursthans Switzerland, you can savour Swiss delicacies without breaking your bank and experience what Swiss locals have for their meals. This restaurant is just steps away from Paya Lebar MRT!

You get to Create Your Own Swiss Meal (from S$14.90) here and it comes with 1 Main + 2 Sides + 1 Sauce of your choice. We opted for Chicken Cheese Bratwurst with Signature Rösti and Spätzli topped with Sour Cream. Spätzli might be unfamiliar to most, but it is a type of pasta made with fresh eggs that can be found in countries such as Switzerland, Southern Germany and Austria.

The bratwurst was thick and had a firm bite, not too salty and the cheese was not overwhelming. As avid fans of gourmet sausages, we thought that this was a good sausage that we would gladly have for breakfast every day.

Different from the usual pasta, spätzli had a chewier texture and they were shaped like scrambled eggs. It was odd and bland-tasting at first, but after a few bites, the flavour of the eggs and flour slowly surfaced and we thoroughly enjoyed it.

The rösti was pan-fried to a beautiful golden brown, crispy outer layer. And you know it is a must to have rösti with sour cream, lots of it at it, for the full rösti experience!

The Swiss Rotisserie Chicken (S$16.90 for half, S$29.90 for whole) comes with oven roasted poulet, paprika marinade, oven roasted potatoes & veggies with white wine cream sauce.

Nicely roasted and seasoned, the poulet was full of flavours while still being extremely tender. It was paired with a white wine cream sauce that was light yet savoury.

A shoutout for the oven roasted potatoes and veggies because they were so yummy! The potatoes were fragrant, pillowy and had a nice outer char while the veggies were sweet, crunchy and juicy.

There are still many other types of Swiss sausages such as the Cervelat and Veal Bratwurst that are popular in Switzerland for you to try with their DIY option and there are other options such as sandwiches, salads and cheese fondue as well.

10 Paya Lebar Road
#01-13A Paya Lebar Quarter
Singapore 409057
Tel: +65 9058 0487
Mon to Sun: 11:30am to 9:30pm
Nearest Station: Paya Lebar

When Singaporeans see the word Yishun, save for the Yishun-dwellers, they normally think of the many odd occurrences that have been blown up on social media and the news often over the past few years.

However, many don’t realize that Yishun is a treasure trove of rather affordable yet delicious food options! One of them, our latest food-find, is Suparakki Ramen located in Northpoint City, serving ramen under S$10. Meaning “super lucky” in Japanese, you’ll find you and your tastebuds feeling exactly that when you taste their ramen.

First up, we tried one of Suparakki Ramen’s classic ramen bowls – the Tonkotsu Black Garlic Ramen (S$9.90). It comes with a good portion of springy ramen noodles, three slices of thinly-sliced chashu, black fungus, seaweed, spring onions and a gooey ramen egg. You can also choose to have it spicy or non-spicy!

We felt that the broth was quite substantial and had a nice richness, complemented by the slight smokiness of the black garlic oil. However, the black garlic taste faded as we continued eating.

We also ordered their Dry Truffle Ramen (S$6.90), which is one of their newest menu items. The bowl comes with pulled pork, shredded seaweed, spring onions, black fungus and a ramen egg. The ramen noodles are drizzled in a special sauce that includes fragrant truffle oil.

We were super impressed by the ramen as it had a very strong truffle flavour. Be sure to mix in all the ingredients and the egg so that you get a good mouthful of all the toppings and chewy ramen noodles. We did find the noodles a tad salty, but it was still a pretty legit bowl considering the price point!

We also think the ramen toppings deserve a quick shout because despite such affordable price points, they were still super delicious. The egg was nicely seasoned and perfectly gooey on the inside, while the chashu was fatty and tender.

Though the seating area may get a bit cramped, we definitely wouldn’t mind coming back for such affordable and delectable ramen bowls.

1 North Point Drive
Northpoint City, #B2-152
Singapore 768019
Daily: 10am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Yishun

Perhaps one of the most versatile sauces to go onto—and sometimes even into—our food is salted egg yolk. A simple yet quintessential component that can turn something that, by itself is pretty average, into something insanely addictive, salted egg yolk is something we all go mad for.

Sweet, creamy, savoury and normally brimming with nuanced aromas of curry leaves and chilli, salted egg yolk dishes remain at the helm of Singapore’s ever-evolving food scene. A popular zi char comfort food and something we often gravitate towards whenever we’re in need of a hearty tummy filler is salted egg yolk chicken rice.

Here, we suss out our favourite spots to get salted egg yolk chicken rice, ensuring that you will always have a place to turn to whenever the craving for this decadent dish kicks in—regardless of the time of day. Here is our list of 6 best salted egg yolk chicken rice in Singapore.

CUI XIANG YUAN

Cui Xiang Yuan Restaurant has under its belt a rather impressive repertoire of traditional zi char dishes. Their standout dish among the lot is no doubt their Salted Egg Chicken Rice.

Possessing all the qualities of a decent salted egg yolk chicken—from the crispy chicken to the sweet, savoury and subtly spicy sauce—we must admit that this hit the spot. We will admit that it was not the best we’ve tried but it sure did not disappoint either way.

47 Tanglin Halt Rd, Block 47, Singapore 141047
Tel: +65 9866 5128

GLC RESTAURANT

Boasting an impressive array of zi char delights that taste really good and are priced pretty affordably, GLC Restaurant is definitely one to consider should you find yourself hankering after proper zi char that’s also Muslim-friendly for your Muslim friends.

Their famous Salted Egg Chicken Dice Rice (S$5.50) came with a generous portion of diced chicken coated in a copious amount of savoury, spicy salted egg sauce as well as a fried egg that was perched atop a bed of warm white rice. The salted egg sauce truly had us in awe. We’ve tried many different kinds of salted egg dishes and this is no doubt one of our favourites. The sauce here is a tad bit spicier here than most places. However, we preferred that and we liked how it gave the dish an extra fiery kick.

GLC Restaurant
121 Upper Paya Lebar Road
Singapore 534836

JIA YUEN EATING HOUSE

Coming from humble beginnings, this hidden gem located within Jia Yuen Eating House started out as nothing more than a food delivery business but now has a fully operational stall along Crane Road.

A glorious sight to behold, Salted Egg & Buttermilk Chicken Rice is something salted egg fanatics are sure to swoon over. this one-dish-wonder features generous portions of bite-sized chicken pieces, rice and a fried egg with a runny yolk. The chicken pieces are first deep-fried before they are coated with a luscious and rich salted egg and buttermilk sauce.

13 Crane Road,
Singapore 429359
Daily: 12pm – 10pm
Nearest Station: Paya Lebar / Eunos

NEW STATION SNACK BAR

New Station Snack Bar nestled in Far East Plaza is where you can find affordable Chinese food in town. This small eatery has been highly raved about for serving delectable pork ribs, chicken wings and other side dishes but the dish that you absolutely must-try is their Salted Egg Yolk Pork Rice—our favourite Salted Egg Pork Rice in Singapore.

Crispy and succulent, the pork ribs are drenched in a tasty salted egg yolk sauce; we love that the sauce is rich and extremely flavourful with a hint of curry from the curry leaves—a great and cheap option should you wish not to overspend when you’re in town.

14 Scotts Road
#05-95 Far East Plaza
Singapore 228213
Tel: +65 6734 2862
Mon, Wed to Fri, Sun: 11.30am – 9pm
Sat: 11.30am – 9.30pm
(Closed on Tuesday)
Nearest Station: Orchard

TASTE GOOD

One of our favourite places in Singapore to satisfy our cravings for Salted Egg Chicken/ Pork Ribs rice is at Taste Good, a hidden gem nestled on the second floor of Sim Lim Square that serves up stellar economical mixed rice dishes, and most importantly, the extremely popular Salted Egg Chicken with rice.

Served in a mini wok, a generous portion of salted egg chicken is layered atop cabbage and also comes with a sunny side up egg (with a top-up of S$0.50) and white rice. We appreciated that Taste Good kept the presentation simple, as the beauty of its simplicity allowed us to focus on the true flavours of the dish—The smooth, creamy salted egg yolk sauce was the bomb.

1 Rochor Canal Road,
#02-04 Sim Lim Square,
Singapore 188504
Tel: +65 6336 6298
Daily: 9.30am – 7.45pm
Nearest Station: Bugis

YONG TAI SEAFOOD

Serving up a surprisingly wide variety of dishes from humble rice and noodle one-dish-wonders to other seafood and meat dishes, what you can expect from Yong Tai Seafood is local zi char comfort food done right and at a reasonable price point—it’s also good that they close at 4am on most days, meaning that you can get quality zi char in the wee hours of the morning.

Famous for their Salted Egg Yolk Chicken Rice, we made it a point to order one up for ourselves. We were not disappointed, in fact, given its price point—and how fast it took from the wok to our table—we were rather impressed.

130 Sims Avenue
Singapore 387453
Tel: +65 9612 1912
Mon: 5pm – 12am
Tue to Sun: 12pm – 4pm, 5pm – 12am
Nearest Station: Aljunied

Hardly do we ever hear the words ‘affordable’ and ‘beef’ in the same sentence—especially in Singapore, to chance upon pocket-friendly beef that doesn’t skimp on quality is uncommon.

Brought to you by the same folks behind sake gastrobar Kabuke, Tokidon is a relatively new concept that recently opened in Hong Leong Building. Priding themselves as the ‘Purveyor of Gourmet Wagyu Bowls’, their menu focuses on a selective but tantalizing range of beef bowls—all at a price that will not burn a hole in your wallet.

With prices starting from just S$11.90, Tokidon is where all beef-lovers should keep their eyes peeled for.

Hidden in the corner of the basement in Hong Leong Building, this 80′s Disco-inspired Japanese eatery is hard to miss—decked out in quirky multi-coloured neon lights, this 20-seater eatery in the heart of Raffles Place may just be the next hit amongst those working in the area.

We opted for a serving of Tokidon’s most basic bowl—the Gyudon (S$11.90 nett). Fluffy white Japanese rice is topped with furikake and a light garlic soy dressing, as well as slices of striploin and an onsen egg—the hallmark of a classic Japanese beef bowl.

Served medium rare, we found some inconsistency in the doneness of the striploin but nonetheless, each piece impressed us. While it wasn’t melt-in-your-mouth tender, the striploin was extremely well-seasoned and paired well with the fried garlic chips and oozy onsen egg which gave the dish an added dimension of flavours.

Considering its price, this was one pretty darn good bowl of gyudon we’d see ourselves returning for.

Should you find yourself hankering for something fancier that encompasses an added oomph of flavours, the Truffle Wagyu Don (S$23.90 nett) would go highly recommended.

As one of Tokidon’s signature items, what you can expect is a sizeable portion of wagyu striploin with a dash of their house-blend truffle soy sauce drizzled over it.

Served medium-rare with a pink centre in the middle, barely any effort is needed to chew into the tender and juicy wagyu striploin slices. Although we thought that the meat itself was already good on its own, the truffle soy sauce—though extremely light on the palates—only served to bring out the best flavours of the beef bowl.

Other options include Truffle Tenderloin Don (S$15.90), Wagyu Sukiyaki Don (S$17.90) and Wagyu Misozuke Don (S$23.90).

16 Raffles Quay
Hong Leong Building #B1-33
Singapore 048581
Tel: +65 9151 9572
Daily: 11am – 9pm
Nearest Station: Raffles Place

The Salted Plum pays tribute to hearty, comforting Taiwanese street food that is the hallmark of Taiwan’s ever-popular night markets.

Managed by the same people behind the former FIVE-TEN, The Salted Plum—located in Boat Quay—came to fruition after many months of intensive research while Chef Shawn Koh was travelling through Taiwan in hopes of replicating the same flavours but with an innovative twist back in Singapore.

The casual restaurant serves a medley of Taiwanese street food—from favourites such as Braised Pork Belly, Braised Pig Intestines and Taiwanese Sausage Patties to other interesting options including the likes of Salted Pork and Oyster Steamed Egg.

And just like what you would expect from the street food stalls at Taiwanese night markets, prices at The Salted Plum are kept affordable so you can indulge in Taiwanese-style meals, “tapas” and alcohol all day (and night) long without feeling the pinch.

THE SALTED PLUM CONCEPT

The humble establishment’s concept is one that is easy to grasp; prices are mostly set at S$5, S$10 and S$15 for most items and S$25 for the premium choices. Their S$10 lunch bowls are the top picks, with incredible options such as the Lu Rou Fan and Steak Rice.

As much as their lunch deals are insanely attractive, it is really the a la carte dishes you should be keeping a lookout for. Known as ‘xiao chi’, the small plates featured at the Salted Plum are essentially similar to those substantial snacks you will find at any traditional eatery in Taiwan.

Complement the delicious “tapas” with their selective range of drinks, from red tea to beers and wines.

S$5 DISHES

LU ROU

Even those who have not been to Taiwan would have heard about Lu Rou (braised pork belly) because it is THAT iconic.

But there is no need to get on a plane just to have taste of this street delicacy if you are short on cash/time; the recipe has been perfected by The Salted Plum and what you get at the humble establishment is two gorgeous slices of pork belly that are braised in savoury and sweet sauce. Have the melt-in-your-mouth pork belly with their Shiny Rice in one bite—you will be blown away by the sheer umami flavours.

BAMBOO SHOOTS

While bamboo shoots is hardly anyone’s idea of a signature dish at a restaurant, The Salted Plum seeks to prove that notion wrong. Fresh chunks of bamboo shoots are simmered in aromatic pork broth to allow the decadent porky flavours to penetrate into the crunchy vegetables.

By the way, this is a great snack if you are drinking beer. The Taiwanese could call that ‘xia jiu cai’.

SMASHED BABY POTATOES

One of the most memorable dishes on the menu during our previous trip was the Smashed Baby Potatoes with salted plum powder—and is still, by far, a dish we would highly recommend to diners.

Think smashed potatoes deep-fried to perfection so you get that crispy texture with every bite. It was so good, it may very well be the only way we want to have potatoes for finger food from now on!

S$10 DISHES

TAIWANESE SAUSAGE PATTIES

Inspired by his experience with Taiwanese sausages and Taiwanese-style cured bacon during his travels, Chef Koh’s version of Taiwanese Sausage Patties has been modified to suit our local palates, using less rice wine and sugar but throwing in more five spice powder.

Made in their kitchen daily, fresh ground pork belly is first marinated with fragrant spices before they are moulded into small patties and stir-fried in a pan. We thoroughly enjoyed the layer of char on the outside for that smoky flavour while the meat remains tender and juicy.

BRAISED PIG INTESTINES

Those who do not take innards won’t be inclined to try this dish but trust us when we say, this is the place that will change your perception of pig offal.

The fresh large intestines are braised in a piquant dark sauce that strikes out any pungent smell you would usually taste in poorly done pork innards dishes.

OYSTER STEAMED EGG

To be honest, the Oyster Steamed Egg did not look like much when we first saw it. You really have to dig into it to find the treasure hidden within the steamed egg—a generous serving of baby oysters so plump and they provided great textures when eaten with the silky smooth steamed egg.

MUSSELS

Steamed mussels with wine is not a new recipe but the one at The Salted Plum stays true to traditional Chinese culinary techniques by using only Shaoxing wine, a type of yellow wine that is commonly used for Chinese cooking to elevate flavours.

This mouthwatering bowl of mussels is then topped off with sliced ginger for that additional kick.

STEAMED PRAWNS

Enjoy a piping hot bowl of prawns that follows the classic, healthy Chinese method of steaming and is served with garlic, chilli, fish sauce and soy sauce.

The freshness of these juicy prawns is complemented with a hint of heat from the chilli padi and garlic—just the way Asians love their spicy food.

MORE TAIWANESE-INSPIRED FOOD ON THE MENU

The list doesn’t end here. Apart from our favourites, The Salted Plum also has other choices that make for great tapas or filling meals when you have them with rice. Some other options to consider are the Haus Bacon (S$10) which are made in-house, Brussels Sprouts (S$10) and Corn (S$5).

For something even fancier, the Hamachi Collar (S$15) and Slipper Lobster (S$25) will do the trick.

FREE-FLOW DRINKS FOR S$5 AND ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES

Complete your meals with iced teas at S$5 for groups of four. Served in a decanter, the iced teas are free-flow so you can have as much as you desire for just a one time charge. What a steal, we know!

Beyond that, The Salted Plum is also the perfect place for after-work drinks with your friends and colleagues because of the chill ambience and selection of reasonably-priced alcoholic beverages which include Taiwan Beer (S$10/ bottle) and wines.

STAY TUNED FOR A NEW SUPPER SPOT AT BOAT QUAY

For night owls who are looking for a supper spot in Boat Quay, you will be delighted to know that The Salted Plum will be opened till late on Fridays and Saturdays, offering Taiwanese porridge from 11pm to 3pm on these two nights. Imagine having a bowl of warm porridge with sweet potatoes after a night of drinks—how comforting!

Diners can also have their porridge with other sides such as Fried Frog Legs with Haus Chilli Mayo, Dough Fritters with Minced Pork and Haus Sauce, Crispy Duck Leg and Golden King Mushroom and Plum Powder. Signature items from their main menu including Braised Intestines, Burnt Chilli Chicken and House-made Taiwanese Sausage Patties can also be enjoyed.

The Salted Plum
10 Circular Road
Singapore 049366
Tel: +65 9181 6265
(Closed on Sundays)
Mon to Sat: 11.30am – 3pm, 6pm – 10pm
Nearest Station: Clarke Quay

This post is brought to you by The Salted Plum.