Established in 2012, The Market Grill along Telok Ayer Street offers a menu of classic meat and seafood including signature flown-in live Boston Lobsters and seasonal cuts of steak.

What you can expect from The Market Grill by Unlisted Collection is hearty and delicious meat and seafood that are grilled to perfection by executive chef Kenneth Lin.

A pioneer to introduce lobster rolls in Singapore, The Market Grill dishes out a solid lobster roll. 500g of lobster are stuffed into a toasted brioche roll that is lightly coated with herbed mayonnaise. To complete the dish, the magnificent roll is paired with a side of crunchy green salad and thick golden fries.

This is one of the best lobster rolls that you can get in Singapore.

Other than their signature lobster roll, The Market Grill also offers fantastic whole lobsters, burgers and steaks.

You can enjoy the live Boston Lobsters in three different styles—steamed, char-grilled or Thermidor. The whole lobster is accompanied with garlic butter sauce, greens and mashed potatoes.

There are various steak cuts available on the menu including USDA Prime Striploin (S$68), Rangers Valley Ribeye (S$88) and Blackmore Wagyu Karubi (S$58) and each steak comes with onion confit, and mashed potato.

The steaks are seasoned with salt and pepper and superbly grilled on the ‘Woodstone’ charbroiler. It comes with Chimichurri or Béarnaise sauce, but there is really no need for any sauce when the steak is good on its own.

The dishes at The Market Grill are simple yet perfectly executed and super comforting. It is a place which will never disappoint you and you can always be assured of a great meal.

The Market Grill
208 Telok Ayer Street
Singapore 068642
Tel: +65 6221 3323

The Bravery—one of the more popular Muslim-owned cafes in Singapore—is moving from its current location in Lavender to a new space in the Central Business District near Telok Ayer Street and Amoy Street.

The coffee shop is best known for its hearty brunch fare and excellent coffee. On the menu, you can expect brunch dishes including Bagel Set, Brave Omelette as well as our favourite Pancakes Stack with banana slices and cream cheese.

We are particularly fond of their signature Lavender Latte which boasts a really nice fragrance with a creamy finish. The cappuccino and cold brew are also consistently good.

The Bravery is currently waiting for SFA inspection this week and they should be ready to open their doors soon.

The CBD area, despite being crowded and hectic during lunchtime, is well known for having a plethora of great eats ranging from the cheap to the exorbitant to feed the hungry office crowd.

Let’s face it, you’re strapped for time, money and the workday isn’t shaping up to be as great as you had hoped. You need a pick-me-up and one that’s quick tastes incredible and won’t take a toll on your wallet. That’s where Chunky Crabs comes in.

Newly-opened Chunky Crabs is the brainchild of the same folks who brought you Chunky Lobsters. The concept here is pretty much the same, with the only key difference being that Chunky Crabs serves, well, crabs. But don’t worry, you’ll be able to find their lobster rolls at both their outlets at The Cathay and Oxley Tower.

You would expect a crab roll made with such high-quality meat to be exorbitantly overpriced. However, you’d be surprised to know that Chunky Crabs sells pretty wallet-friendly crab rolls that are great for those of you who are craving for anything crab related but are on a budget.

All the rolls here are meticulously made with love and utmost precision. They use only the freshest ingredients so you can be assured that you’ll be getting the best quality crab rolls out there.

They pride themselves on using only the best and the freshest crabs that are sourced from the waters of the Western English Channel and they even go as far to hand-peel every single crab themselves.

Here at Chunky Crabs, they only serve three kinds of crab rolls at an affordable S$16 each: Chunky’s Butter, Chunky’s Chilli and Chunky’s Aioli. 

Each roll is generously stuffed to the brim with a copious amount of sweet, fleshy crab meat that is encased in a soft, evenly-toasted brioche bun. We can imagine how heavenly this combination alone tastes like; the sauces are just additional enhancements that serve to elevate the flavour of the crabs tender, sweet flesh even further.

Every serving of crab roll comes with a side of their crisp, golden brown Cassava Chips, which adds a nice crunch to the overall meal and a nice barbecue element as well. if you’re addicted to their chips (we know we are), you can order the à la carte version of it for just S$1.50.

CHUNKY’S AIOLI

If you’re hankering after something with a Mediterranean touch, Chunky’s Aioli is the crab roll for you. The roll is served cold and consists of crab that is garnished with mayo, chopped celery, a sprinkle of cayenne pepper and a dash of zesty lemon juice for that extra tanginess.

Chunky’s Aioli had a more refreshing feel to it as compared to the other rolls as it was served cold, making it great for people who prefer something that is lighter on the palate.

CHUNKY’S BUTTER 

If you’d rather go for the real-deal taste of natural crab meat, then you should opt for Chunky’s Butter. Simple, as it literally comprises crab meat tossed in butter, this roll is the best choice to really get the purest flavour.

The crab meat in this roll is coated in a generous but not too overwhelming amount of melted butter that provides a rich, savoury touch that really complemented the sweet flavours of the crab meat.

CHUNKY’S CHILLI 

For all our chilli crab fans out there, you would be delighted to know that they have their own rendition of our favourite classic local dish.

Chunky’s Chilli features a soft, toasted roll that is adorned with a lavish amount of fleshy crab and drenched in a sinfully potent chilli sauce that is sweet, savoury and spicy all in one. It’s all right if you have a low tolerance for heat because the spiciness is really quite manageable and tends to lean more towards the sweeter side.

MAKE IT A SET 

Wash down your meal with a nice, cold drink. All you need to do is opt for Set A and top up an additional S$0.90 for a cup of your choice of drink.

If you’re feeling a little more peckish, you can have Set B instead and top up S$3.90 to get both a drink as well as a bowl of their thick, hearty crab bisque. We recommend dunking your crab rolls into the soup. You won’t regret it, we promise.

LOBSTER ROLLS 

We also sampled some of their famous lobster rolls that will be available at their sister brand, Chunky Lobsters, which is located at The Cathay and Oxley Tower.

At Chunky Lobsters, they will be serving their three signature flavours of lobster rolls at also an affordable S$16 each: Chunky’s Original, Chunky’s Connecticut and Chunky’s Cheezy. Don’t forget their lobster bisque, too.

DRINKS GALORE 

There is just something oh-so-satisfying about pairing a scrumptious crab roll with an icy cool bottle of beer. Chunky Crabs knows what’s up, so they have an array of beers for you to choose from for you to complete your meal.

Beer lovers will also rejoice over how cheap each bottle is—only S$6! That’s even more reason to crack open a cold one while you savour your crab roll, even if it’s in the middle of the day.

Some of the beer varieties available are the light and refreshing Estrella, the fruity Magners Apple Cider as well as refreshing Bavaria.

All-in-all, Chunky Crabs has won our hearts and we know that both crab aficionados and foodies alike will enjoy the affordable, chunky yet funky crab rolls here. So the next time you’re craving anything crab-related, you should definitely give Chunky Crabs a try.

Chunky Crabs
51 Telok Ayer Street
#01-06A, China Square
Singapore 048441
Mon to Sat: 11am – 10.30pm
(Closed on Sundays)
Nearest Station: Telok Ayer & Raffles Place

This post is brought to you by Chunky Crabs

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

Replacing the now defunct Jimoto-Ya along Pickering Street is Mister Wu, a casual dining eatery serving up Chinese far with a modern twist.

The concept behind the shop is simple staple food with little platters to share with colleagues and friends, with old-school Chinese and Cantonese music adding to the easy-going vibe of the place.

Catering to the lunch and dinner crowd with a specific menu to both, Mister Wu serves up la mian and rice bowls at affordable prices.

The main dishes start at just S$8, and with an additional S$4 you can get a lunch set inclusive of a side dish and tea.

We ordered Mr Su’s Braised Pork Rice (S$8), Revenge on Marco Polo (S$8) and Mahjong La Mian (S$8), along with a side of Fried Ping Pong Wanton (S$3 a la carte) and Brown Butter Oolong (S$3 a la carte).

We were told that the teas at Mister Wu are their own special blend, offering tea cocktails and tea ice creams made from the same blend.

The Brown Butter Oolong had a very subtle and light taste to it and was just perfect for cleansing our palate between each dish.

The Revenge of Marco Polo is a truffle mushroom dry la mian. The smell of truffles greeted us before we saw the dish, and piled at the side of the noodles were a mix of Enoki and Shimeji mushrooms, crunchy greens and a soft-yolk egg.

The Mahjong La Mian, on the other hand, had much stronger flavours. The spicy sesame sauce gave the creamy noodles a nice kick, while the shredded chicken and sliced cucumber helped to combat the heat and add texture to the bowl. Though the noodles were nice, we found the chicken a tad bit too dry.

Mr Su’s Braised Pork Rice is essentially a bowl of rice with braised pork on the side, with the same greens and egg as the previous two dishes. The braised pork was a good mix of fat and lean mean—not too dry, not too fatty, and just melts in your mouth.

The braising sauce was also rich, which accent the flavour of the pork. Though the rice had a bit of sauce on it, we did wish that the pork and rice were not served separately, as that would have allowed the sauce to soak into the rice more.

For just S$12, Mister Wu offers value-for-money meals in the CBD and is a place that would have you returning after trying their lunch menu to see what’s different in their dinner menu.

As they’ve only opened for about 2 weeks, Mister Wu is still currently undergoing their soft launch. Their full menu with pictures will be available from the 18th of this month onwards.

Mister Wu
3 Pickering Street, #01-44/45
China Square Central
Singapore 048660
Tel: +65 6781 3833
Mon to Sat: 11.30am – 2.30pm, 6pm to 10pm
(Closed on Sundays & PH)
Nearest Station: Telok Ayer

Red Holic is where lovers of Korean food can settle in for some of the tastiest tteokbokki around. Helmed by the same folks behind Super Star K, this cosy joint boasts a myriad of home-style Korean stews, dumplings and other tasty delights that go well with beer or soju.

Red Holic specialises in comforting Korean food in the likes of classic tteokbokki, ramyeon and Korean street snacks. While their menu is pretty selective, this Korean eatery does make for a nice pit stop for a quick snack on the go or for your friends and yourself to retire to over drinks after a hard day’s work.

Kick start your meal with one of Red Holic’s Giant Mandus (Korean dumplings). Red Holic serves a selective variety of this classic Korean street snack at a relatively affordable price per piece.

We opted for the Giant Kimchi Mandu (S$1.80++ per piece) and each piece came steaming hot and stuffed with generous amounts of kimchi, minced pork and glass noodles.

While the variety of textures, flavours and tongue-tingling heat surprised us in some way, we would have much preferred if it was less dry.

If you are tired of drooling over the Jjajangmyeon you often see in Korean dramas, hop over to Red Holic and order up a portion of Jjajang Tteokbokki that will satisfy any of such cravings.

The Crispy Chicken Jjajang Tteokbokki (S$27.80++) comes with Korean ramyeon noodles, quail eggs, 2 pieces of fried mandu, tteokbokki and pieces of diced up chicken thighs that are deep-fried to a nice golden brown.

The Jjajang sauce was mildly sweet and savoury with a slight spicy kick to it, which we felt went pleasantly well with the tteokbokki and ramyeon. The fried chicken arrives tender on the inside and crisp on the outside but we suggest you finish them up quickly before they turn soggy.

If you’re a fan of spicy food, don’t beat around the bush and head straight for the Red Holic Tteokbokki which comes with a broth that is equally as sweet as the Jjajang sauce, but with a fiery element that will impress.

The Red Holic Beef Brisket Tteokbokki (S$28.80++) can feed 2 to 3 people nicely given its size. Similar to the Crispy Chicken Jjajang Ttekbokki, this dish gives you the best of both worlds as it comprises both ramyeon as well as their signature Tteokbokki. Carbs aside, this dish will fill you up with the beef brisket, fried mandu as well as glass noodles too!

Tanjong Pagar may be home to plenty of Korean restaurants—this area is known to be Singapore’s ‘Little Korea’ after all—but what makes Red Holic stand out is their exceptional tteokbokki which are undeniably one of the best that we tried.

And while Red Holic’s menu is rather limited, they definitely deliver when it comes to quality. Should you wish to indulge in inexpensive and hearty Korean fare that is not overly pretentious, Red Holic is a great place to consider.

Red Holic
88 Tanjong Pagar Road
Singapore 088509
Tel: +65 6224 1064
Daily: 11.30am – 2am
Nearest Station: Tanjong Pagar

Located at South Bridge Road, Un-Yang-Kor-Dai is one of the few restaurants in Singapore that specialises in Authentic Issan cuisine. Issan cuisines are usually spicier and sourer, making it a very appetising dining experience.

This place gives off a modern and chill vibe, with soft lighting, wooden furniture, and upbeat music that makes one feel at home.

Un-Yang-Kor-Dai’s dishes definitely brings you an authentic Thai experience and if you are into hot and fiery food, this is definitely the place for you.

The first dish that came up was the Tom Kha Chicken (S$14.50++), which looked really spicy and appetising. We ordered the soup with coconut milk because it gives this rich and creamy texture, which makes the soup more flavourful.

True to what it looks, the soup was tangy and bursting with flavours—filled with lots of ingredients like chicken, tomato and mushrooms that makes the whole dish complete.

Next came a refreshing dish that helped wash down the spiciness of the tom yum soup. We are not really fans of salad but this Papaya Salad With Salted Egg (S$10.50++) definitely won us over. The papaya salad was zesty, spicy and refreshing—combined with the peanuts and salted egg gives this crunchy and flavourful experience.

Up next was their Massaman Curry With Chicken (S$16.50++) was topped with peanuts and also sweet potato, which surprisingly complimented the whole dish. Masaman doesn’t pack as much heat as other curries, so if you are into something less spicy, this is the dish for you.

Marinated with cinnamon and star anise, the shredded chicken was tender and flavoursome, and the taste of the whole dish was really sweet and satisfying.

Saving the best for the last, one of the best pork necks we had was served on our table. We love their Grilled Pork Neck (S$12.90++) because the fat to meat ratio was 1:1, making it the golden ratio which allows you to taste the tenderness and juiciness of the meat. Dipped in the special sauce that was spicy and savoury, we devoured the dish within minutes.

As this restaurant is located in the CBD area, prices of the food might be a little bit pricey but fret not, for those who are looking for a more wallet-friendly option, they also have set lunches that comes with complimentary tom yum soup on weekdays at only S$15++.

Un-Yang-Kor-Dai
57 South Bridge Road, #01-02
Singapore 058688
Daily: 11.30am – 3pm, 6pm – 10pm
Nearest Station: Clarke Quay