Probably only known to those who stay in the west of Singapore, Pandan and Teban Gardens are two underrated neighbourhood districts in Jurong East. As secluded as these places may seem to the rest of Singapore, there are a couple of hidden gems in the area that are worth exploring.

Ranging from humble eateries and hawker stalls to restaurants and even a cosy ice cream parlour, Pandan Gardens and Teban Gardens offer a decent selection of food choices for residents of Jurong East and those who are working near the area.

Here are 9 Eateries And Restaurants To Check Out At Pandan & Teban Gardens.

PANDAN GARDENS FOOD PLACES

Photo Credit: KEK Seafood

#1 KEK SEAFOOD

KEK—short for Keng Eng Kee—Seafood at Pandan Garden is the zi char restaurant’s second outlet in Singapore. Adding a different twist to local zi char dishes, what you can expect at KEK Seafood is a myriad of local and western dishes such as Marmite Chicken, Coffee Pork Ribs, Salted Egg Soft Shell Crab Pasta and more.

200 Pandan Gardens #01-12
Singapore 609336
Tel: +65 6694 3044
Daily: 11.30am – 2.30pm, 5pm – 10pm
Nearest Station: Jurong East

Photo Credit: Ministry Of Ribs

#2 MINISTRY OF RIBS

Nestled under a HDB block, Ministry of Ribs is like your typical ‘atas’ coffee shop where you can get American-style food at reasonable prices. What they are known for is their succulent Hickory Smoked Ribs but if you are looking for more options, go ahead with the Black Angus Ribeye or the Ministry Burger.

For those who are up for a tipple or two, Ministry of Ribs also carries a range of alcoholic beverages where you can have a good time with your buddies over some beers.

Blk 416, #01-125
Pandan Gardens
Singapore 600416
Tel: +65 9890 4649
Daily: 12pm – 10pm
Nearest Station: Jurong East

#3 MY LITTLE ICE CREAM SHOP

My Little Ice-Cream Shop is managed by the same folks behind the famous fishball noodles eatery—Pandan Fishball Noodles. This hole-in-a-wall ice cream parlour offers classic ice cream flavours such as Raspberry, Strawberry and Coconut. Otherwise, opt for their premium flavours including Salted Caramel, Yuzu Sorbet, Tiramisu and Mao Shan Wang.

Have the ice cream on fresh waffles which comes with one wet and one dry topping.

150 Pandan Gardens
#01-07 Ayer Rajah Community Club
Singapore 609335
Tel: +65 6265 5845
Daily: 11.30am – 10.30pm
Nearest Station: Jurong East

Photo Credit: PGFN

#4 PANDAN FISHBALL NOODLES

Founded in 1982, Pandan Fishball Noodles has been dishing out mouthwatering fishball noodles and laksa at the same coffeeshop and the business is now helmed by the family’s third generation. The sweet part? You can get a comforting bowl of fishball noodles for only S$2.50!

Blk 416, #01-122
Pandan Gardens
Singapore 600416
Tel: +65 9009 2714
Daily: 6am – 4pm
Nearest Station: Jurong East

Photo Credit: jamsembrano

#5 TENDERBEST

Look no further if you are craving for sinful fried chicken—you will find a menu dedicated just for that at Tenderbest. Nestled within Ayer Rajah Community Centre, the halal-certified restaurant runs a self-service concept where diners have to pick up their own orders at the counter.

Some noteworthy items not to miss are the Salted Egg Yolk Pasta with Crispy Chicken, Crispy Fried Half Chicken with Rice and Laksa Spaghetti.

150 Pandan Gardens
#01-02 Ayer Rajah Community Centre
Singapore 609335
Tel: +65 9169 0972
Mon to Thu: 11.30am – 10pm
Fri to Sun: 11.30am – 10.30pm
Nearest Station: Jurong East

TEBAN GARDENS FOOD PLACES

Photo Credit: Prae Sampachanya

#6 HAO CHU SEAFOOD

Hao Chu Seafood or also known as Chop Lian Hin because of its prominent wooden signboard is a no-frills coffee shop where residents of Teban Gardens drop by for hearty zi char dishes such as Curry Fish Head, Cereal Prawns, San Lou Bee Hoon and Fish Head Soup.

39 Teban Gardens Road
Chop Lian Hin Coffeeshop
Singapore 600039
Tel: +65 6561 1405
Mon to Fri & Sun: 11.30am – 1.45pm, 5pm – 11pm
Sat: 5pm – 11pm
Nearest Station: Jurong East

#7 POH POH CHICKEN RICE

Talk about Poh Poh Chicken Rice and many will think of the original outlet at Serangoon Gardens. This chicken rice stall may not be ranked amongst the best in Singapore, but its affordable prices make it a great place to satisfy your cravings for this local dish.

You can also find Poh Poh Chicken Rice at Teban Gardens Food Centre.

37A Teban Gardens Road
#01-15, Teban Gardens Food Centre
Singapore 601037
Mon, Wed to Sun: 8am – 8.30pm
Tue: Closed
Nearest Station: Jurong East

Photo Credit: Sen

#8 QUAN SOON WANTON NOODLE

Besides Poh Poh Chicken Rice, something else to look forward to at Teban Gardens Food centre is Quan Soon Wanton Noodle. Having been around for more than 35 years, this hawker stall offers one of the cheapest wanton noodles in Singapore for only S$2!

Even the laksa and prawn noodles are sold at S$2 and you can choose bigger portions by topping up just a little more.

37A Teban Garden Road
#01-04, Teban Garden Food Centre
Singapore 601037
Daily: 5am – 7.30pm
Nearest Station: Jurong East

Photo Credit: T.K Kitchen

#9 TONG KIAN EATING HOUSE

Also called T.K Kitchen, this coffee shop specialises in Chinese zi char at Teban Gardens. Their signature dishes include crabs cooked in several ways (Chilli Crab, Claypot Cheese Crab and more), La La Bee Hoon, Handmade Fried Prawn Rolls and Assam Fish Head.

T.K Kitchen is closed on every Thursday on the second and fourth week of the month.

37 Teban Gardens Road
#01-302/303
Singapore 600037
Tel: +65 8330 7554
Daily: 12pm – 10pm
Nearest Station: Jurong East

For more recommendations, read our guide on 18 Food Places in Jurong East that are worth travelling for.

Behind the same folks that brought you Fresh Fruits Lab comes Blue Willow, a thematic bar and bistro that derives its inspiration from one of our favourite science-fiction movies of 2009—to give you a clue, the alien characters in it are all blue.

Decked out in—you guessed it—blue with beautiful wall murals depicting scenes and characters from the movie, this cosy bistro in the West of Singapore is not your usual gimmicky themed cafe. Of hearty grub and inventive cocktails that are mostly blue in colour, the food standard is so good that you wouldn’t believe you are dining in a cafe!

You’d be pleased to know that the blue-coloured dishes and drinks are naturally coloured with butterfly pea; nothing tastes artificial nor tackily sweet. Blue dishes and desserts to look forward to include the Eywa Natural Blue Carbonara, Neytiri’s Blue Pancake Stack and Blue Velvet Cake. If you are out looking for a tipple, we are sure their stunning line-up of thematic cocktails will leave an impression as well.

From now until 04 Mar 2018 (excluding Valentine’s Day), our readers can quote ‘ladyironchef’ upon making your orders to enjoy 50% OFF the second main course (on the lower-priced item). This promotion is valid for lunch and dinner daily.

So get your appetites going and your cameras at the ready, because Blue Willow Bar & Bistro is an absolute must-visit.

Blue Willow Bar & Bistro is the latest venture by a young couple, who are also the owners of restaurants Fresh Fruits Lab and Platform 1094. Tucked away along a small row of shops, away from the bustling city scene and near to the NUS campus, Blue Willow offers students and regular patrons alike some much-needed respite from the stresses of everyday life—at a pretty affordable price point too!

The inspiration for the blue themed, alien-world cafe, which serves Western-fusion cuisine, comes from a tree in the cafe’s backyard, reminiscent of the iconic ‘Tree of Souls’ in the movie—don’t tell us you’re still guessing.

JAKE’S BREAKFAST

Only available on weekends before 3pm, their brunch menu offers a fine selection of hearty grub that will set the tone for your weekend perfectly. First on the list is Jake’s Breakfast (S$16++): a huge plate featuring all the works from scrambled eggs, toasted baked garlic, bacon, chicken cheese sausages, grilled mushrooms and a salad.

Modelled after a classic English breakfast, this colossal plate promises you everything you could ever want from greasy to creamy—the best way to kickstart any day in our opinion.

EGGS BENEDICT

Although similar in composition, the Eggs Benedict (S$13++) served here is presented and prepared a little differently. Instead of the conventional English muffin, what you get as your base is a toasted soft roll which is topped with bacon, chicken ham, two sous vide eggs and drizzled luxuriously with their homemade hollandaise sauce.

NEYTIRI’S BLUE PANCAKE STACK

Perhaps one of the most ‘Insta-worthy’ items on their brunch menu is the Neytiri’s Blue Pancake Stack (S$14++) that comprises three thick, blue pancakes topped with blueberry, maple sago, strawberries and cookie crumbles.

The pancakes left a deep impression upon first bite! Fluffy with a crispy exterior and brimming with vanilla aroma, complemented with fresh berries and maple syrup that beautifully bring the entire dish together. As with all of their blue coloured dishes, no artificial colouring is added. All of them derive their bluish hue naturally from butterfly peas.

EYWA NATURAL BLUE CARBONARA

For something a little more unusual that is bound to have your Instagram followers in total awe is the Eywa Natural Blue Carbonara (S$14++).

Boasting a blueish colour courtesy of the butterfly pea added into the pasta dough, this dish would surely have diners feeling a tad confused at first, but stick your fork in and swirl some into your mouth and you would be greeted wiith a delicious medley of flavours from the sautéed bacon, savoury cheesy cream sauce and the rich sou vide egg yolk. After the initial taste, we were hooked and were ready to scarf down the entire plate.

BLUE WILLOW’S BARRAMUNDI

Grilled to tender perfection, the Blue Willow’s Barramundi (S$20++) is a good alternative to order should you wish for something less rich. Our fish was tender and flaky and the skin had a glorious crisp.

Complementing the Barramundi is a blue pine nut mustard cream sauce, as well as a combination of fresh vegetables from tender beetroot, wilted baby spinach and pine nuts, sprinkled over top.

FFL DA BOMB BURGER

For the love of ginormous burgers that pack great flavour, the FFL Da Bomb Burger (S$19++) is something we highly recommend.

This monster of a burger features a 200gram medium-well beef batty, romaine lettuce, tomatoes, grilled sweet onion, bacon, egg and is finally topped with a blue cheddar cheese sauce that diners are free to pour over themselves should they wish.

ENCHANTING BEVERAGE CONCOCTIONS

Besides their array of toothsome food offerings, do pay attention to their stellar cocktail menu as well. Offering a variety of inventive cocktails that showcase various methods of culinary theatrics, they are just as tasty to sip on as they are aesthetically pleasing.

Some of their cocktails even require diners to get ‘hands-on’ so pimp away, because at Blue Willow, the experience is what you make of it.

For the wine connoisseur, you will be delighted to know that Blue Willow is the only bar and bistro in Singapore licensed to bring in and sell the world’s first blue-coloured wine, Gik. We already know so many parties to bring this to!

From now until 04 Mar 2018 (excluding Valentine’s Day), our readers can quote ‘ladyironchef’ upon making your orders to enjoy 50% OFF the second main course (on the lower-priced item). This promotion is valid for lunch and dinner daily.

Blue Willow Bar & Bistro
28 Clementi Road,
Singapore 129754
Tel: +65 6803 7472
(Closed on Mondays)
Tue to Fri: 12pm – 12am
Sat & Sun: 11am – 12am
Nearest Station: Kent Ridge / Haw Par Villa

This post was brought to you by Blue Willow Bar & Bistro.