For those who work in the CBD, are you on a constant lookout for cheap places to dine at during lunch? It is true that prices of food in the CBD are usually fixed slightly higher than elsewhere, but this does not mean that there aren’t hidden gems where you can enjoy delicious food without breaking the bank.

Let us introduce you to Gochi-So Shokudo, an under-the-radar eatery located at the corner of the basement of One Raffles Place that brings to you top-quality Iberico Pork all the way from Spain at affordable prices. Their Iberico Pork Belly Don will cost you just S$10; isn’t that a steal?

One of Gochi-So Shokudo’s most value-for-money menu options is the Iberico Pork Belly Don (S$10). If you are feeling slightly hungrier, you can upgrade your meal with side sets such as Set C (S$4) which will give you a plate of Iberico Belly Enoki and Iberico Miso Soup.

The Iberico Pork Belly Don (S$10) comes with a generous portion of thinly-sliced Iberico pork belly, an onsen egg, a handful of seaweed strips and spoonful of sliced spring onion atop a bowl of hot, fluffy rice.

If you were to glance at the store front, you would notice that the Iberico pork belly will be grilled over a charcoal fire prior to service. The wonderful char-grilled taste was evident in every slice of meat and it further enhanced the taste of the pork belly. Elsewise, our onsen egg was executed perfectly and when broken, the egg yolk added a velvety texture over the whole don that was just so enjoyable.

The Iberico Loin Katsu (S$15.80) comes with a deep-fried Iberico pork loin cutlet, fluffy bowl of rice, sesame seeds and their special dipping sauce. Admittedly, we were hoping for something more when we compared the price point of the Iberico Loin Katsu (S$15.80)  to the Iberico Pork Belly Don (S$10).

Although the skin of the Iberico pork loin cutlet was a lovely golden-brown, we found the meat of the cutlet slightly dry and lacking flavour.

Gochi-So Shokudo
1 Raffles Place, #B1-30 One Raffles Place,
Singapore 048616
Tel: +65 6536 6447
Mon to Thu: 11am – 9.30pm
Fri to Sun: 11am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Raffles Place

Katsudon Hanakatsu at Suntec City is the newest Katsu Don restaurant in Singapore. Opened by the same team behind the popular Tendon Kohaku, Katsudon Hanakatsu specialises in Katsu Don and you can choose between the spicy and non-spicy alternatives.

If you are rushing for time and do not want to join the long queue at Tendon Kohaku, Katsudon Hanakatsu is a decent alternative.

The seating is rather limited so it is best to reach before the lunch or dinner crowd.

The original HA-NA Katsudon (S$13.50++) features a generous portion of two types of meat—pork and chicken. Diners get well-marinated meat with a subtle taste of shoyu on top of warm Japanese rice.

While there is nothing spectacular to shout about, we liked how the breaded deep-fried meat went well with tender meat. On top of that, the katsudon also came with the usual savoury egg and sliced onions.

Those who prefer your dish with a spicy kick can opt for the HA-NA Katsudon Spicy Flavour (S$13.50++) instead. The taste is similar to the original HA-NA Katsudon but came with chilli flakes for extra spice.

Do be warned that the level of spice is not for everyone; those who prefer something not too extreme should get the original flavour and add in the amount of chilli they are comfortable with.

Visitors get to choose between Nanatsuboshi Hokkaido rice (16 multi-grains) or Nanatsuboshi Hokkaido rice for their katsudon at no extra charge. Top up an extra S$1.50 for Tonjiru (S$1.50++), which is miso soup with pork chunks and vegetables.

If you are thinking of hanging out with some drinks, Katsudon Hanakatsu also offers a small selection of alcoholic beverages as well.

Katsudon Hanakatsu
#03-10 Suntec City
3 Temasek Boulevard
Singapore 038983
Tel: +65 6333 4386
Daily: 11.30am – 3.30pm, 5pm – 9.30pm
Nearest Station: Promenade / Esplanade

‘You must go to the Sydney Fish Market – they have the freshest seafood & oysters there!’, gushed one of my friend.

The fish market was around twenty minutes walk away from where I was staying, so I decided to take the lightrail instead.

It was fascinating to watch how the bus conductor collects money from passengers; he’d ask everyone where they are heading and proceed to issue tickets to them. The process continues at every stop, and every time he’d notice the new passengers and approach them. It’s almost absurd to think that this traditional way of collecting bus far is still being used in this era.

The calling of the sea gulls is the first sign of the fish market, and of course the strong fishy smell. I’m lying if I say I’m not there to do the tourist-thing; how can anyone miss out on the experience of visiting the fish market, slurping down a dozen of oysters and feasting on fresh sashimi?

Unfortunately I couldn’t see myself finishing half a dozen of oysters on my own, and somehow the whole place has a tourist sign stamped all over it, so I wasn’t very keen on trying the food there. Not especially when I see piles of pre-fried fresh (seemingly-not-very-fresh) waiting for the next sucker tourist to buy.

It probably wasn’t the best idea to visit the fish market at 3pm, somewhere in between lunch and dinner. No, I had greater plans, for sure. I took the return journey on the lightrail and went to this out-of-this-decade place call Oceanic cafe.

The furnishings in Oceanic cafe exudes a nostalgic charm, it was akin like traveling back in time to the 70s-80s. ‘Hello, can I have a pork chop?’ ‘No, no more pork chops left, I have lamb chops, you want?’ The old lady whispered. It took a while for the food to come, and I had the fashionable white bread with a slab of room-temperature butter. It looked like just an ordinary white bread, but somehow it was so soft and it goes so well with the butter. Maybe I exaggerate, it is just (soft) white bread with (normal) butter after all.

The lamb chop was slightly smaller than what I’ve expected, but the layer of fats beside the lean meat provided the kick I was looking for. And there was the side dish of green peas, how often do you still get them nowadays? It’s always the typical Caesar salad, or the upmarket (but boring) wild rocket. There’s also wedges that lacked the crispy bite, and I liked the slightly sweet onion sauce on the lamb. It was appetizing – not too bad at all!

While walking around Chinatown, I stumbled upon Kura, a small in-the-hole Japanese dining & takeaway shop. There’s only 14 seats inside the place, most people just eat and leave. I went there twice, on the first occasion, I had the chicken katsu set ($9) which came with crispy fried chicken and delicious Japanese rice – the only rice that I’ve while in Sydney. Another perennial return saw me ordering the Katsu don ($9); hot fluffy eggs covered the soaked fried chicken. Comfort food, my dear, comfort food.

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Sydney Fish Market
Pyrmont Bridge Rd
Pyrmont NSW 2009, Australia

Oceanic cafe
312 Elizabeth Street,
Surry Hills, Sydney, NSW

Kura Japanese
3/76 Ultimo Rd
Haymarket NSW 2000, Australia
(02) 9212 5661