If you happen to be an avid fan of nostalgia, then Biscuit King is a place you most definitely have to check out. Situated along Upper Thomson Road, Biscuit King is just a few shops down from the famous Casuarina Curry Restaurant.

Stepping into this old-school biscuit shop will transport you back to your beloved childhood days—that is if you happen to be born before the late 90s.

From iconic past-times such as ‘pick-up sticks’ and ‘snakes and ladders’ that we used to indulge in back in primary school, to childhood snack time favourites such as iced gems to pineapple jam biscuits, Biscuit King is a place worth checking out even if you have never heard of these traditional snacks and games.

Be spoiled for choices at Biscuit King, there is a huge variety of old-school snacks for you to choose from.

Other than traditional snacks, you can also find classic games and toys such as pick-up sticks, marbles and even old maid and donkey cards.

Biscuit King
130 Casuarina Rd
Tel: +65 6458 0925

Run by a team of experienced chefs from a multitude of culinary backgrounds, Edwin & Cooks is the newest kid in the Upper Thomson enclave. What initially started off as a kitchen and storage space for private chef services for parties and events, is now a bistro on its own.

The good folks at Edwin & Cooks serve up delicious fusion cuisine, munchies as well as a variety of alcoholic beverages for you to sit back and relax to. The talented chefs constantly work hard to update their menu every now and then so as to ensure that customers will always have something to look forward to.

Located at Thomson V Two, this new spot is a place worth checking out.

Occupying a small shop space, the interior is fully dedicated to being a kitchen and an order counter while the seating area outside consists of 3 tables. We felt the ambience to be rather cosy as the absence big a crowd really allowed us to sit back and relax as we watched the world go by.

The menu features a wide array of tasty offerings from freshly shucked oysters, truffle fries and a whole host of mains such as their Chicken Burger and Sloppy Joes Dog.

For those of you in search of a hearty meal that packs lots of flavours, the Sloppy Joes Dog (S$12) comes highly recommended. On a perfectly toasted brioche bun sits a pork bratwurst sausage that is generously slathered with their home-made tangy beef ragu and topped with onion and mozzarella.

The brioche bun provided a nice sweetness which bolded well with the savoury qualities of the meaty beef ragu. The sausage by itself was flavourful, but the beef ragu coupled with the cheese gave the dish a heightened dose of richness and texture.

The Chicken Burger (S$16) is something of a treat that even the most discerning of palates can agree with. Sandwiched between a toasted charcoal bun is a crispy chicken thigh that is given a healthy dose of their homemade buffalo wing sauce and cheddar cheese sauce as well as a refreshing cucumber slaw.

The chicken thigh had a lovely crunch and the marriage between both the spicy buffalo wing sauce and the cheddar cheese sauce was magical, to say the least. The cucumber slaw was a nice touch as well as it gave this heavy dish a refreshing lift. Crispy, spicy and savoury, this hearty burger easily trumps all other chicken burgers out there.

Edwin & Cooks
11 Sin Ming Road, #01-13
Thomson V Two
Singapore 575629
(Closed on Mondays)
Sun to Thu: 11am – 11pm
Fri: 11am – 12am
Nearest Station: Marymount

A cafe specialising in French bakes and Instagram-worthy desserts, Les Pâtisseries is not new to the cafe industry. Having relocated from Toa Payoh, the cafe has since joined the long list of F&B establishments along Upper Thomson Road.

Their desserts, breakfast dishes and All-Day mains are priced below S$20, making it a hit with the younger crowd who would hang around for Sunday brunch or afternoon tea session with their friends. 

Featuring clean lines and a minimalistic interior, Les Pâtisseries is spacious to boot which makes it comfortable for guests to walk around. We love the addition of a sparkling marble countertop and vintage, industrial metal cage pendant lights.

The Thai Milk Earl Grey Waffle (S$15.90) comes with crispy earl grey waffle, two scoops of rich Thai Milk Tea ice cream, almond slices and a macaron.

We thoroughly enjoyed the waffle but recommend sharing it among friends as the rich flavours can get heavy on the palatte.

Other waffle choices you can get there include Chocolate Indulgence (S$15.90), Waffle Banoffee (S$14.50) and Summer Berries & Maple Waffle (S$13.50). Diners can create their own waffles with various waffle and ice cream flavours as well.

Something else you may want to keep a lookout for is the Matcha Tart (S$4.50). This is a seasonal special which was available when we visited the cafe. We love the distinct layers of matcha, chocolate and wafer which came with great textures and taste.

Les Pâtisseries
222 Upper Thomson Road
Singapore 574354
+65 9744 0504
Mon to Thu: 11am – 12 Midnight
Fri: 11am – 2am
Sat: 9am – 2am
Sun: 9am – 12 Midnight
Nearest Station: Marymount

Kazoku Japanese Cuisine is a humble family Japanese eatery that serves up quality Japanese fare at affordable prices. For a fuss-free place with good yet cheap Japanese food, Kazoku Japanese Cuisine is the place to visit. For instance, their hearty Salmon Don only costs a mere S$8.90; what a steal!

At a price of S$8.90, Kazoku Japanese Cusine’s Salmon Don met all expectations. A whopping 10 pieces of fresh, thinly-sliced salmon sashimi sits atop of a bed of rice and is topped off with a spoonful of wasabi and fish roe.

However, our Salmon Don would have been tastier if the rice was slightly less soggy and had a tinge more flavour. The Salmon Don was served together with a bowl of miso soup.

Other donburi worth your attention include the Kazoku Don (S$11.90), Maguro Don (S$8.90) and Mixed Fry Don (S$9.90). If not, noodle sets such as the Udon & Katsu (S$8.90) and Chasoba & Mixed Fry (S$9.90) are available for your picking.

For a simple and well-executed Japanese meal, check out Kazoku Japanese Cuisine at Goldhill Plaza.

Kazoku Japanese Cuisine
1 Goldhill Plaza #01-05
Singapore 308899
Tel: +65 9687 3782
Mon to Sat: 12pm – 10pm
Nearest Station: Novena

About the writer:
A member of the team at ladyironchef, Claire’s mission is to lead a life without regrets – to explore the world and its treasures boldly. When she isn’t pursuing her interests in writing, academia, and music, Claire spends her free time with family and her pets. She also hopes to run her own animal shelter in the future.

The dining scene along Upper Thomson Road is buzzing with life, with a myriad of old and new restaurants coexisting along the long food stretch. Some of these places have been around for decades while others are only a few months old.

From the famous 24-hours Meng’s Kitchen to Pacamara Boutique Coffee Roasters, we present to you the guide to top eateries, cafes and restaurants in Upper Thomson.

#1 BADOQUE CAFE

Halal-certified Badoque Cafe has a comprehensive menu extending from Singaporean cuisine, Greek, Mediterranean to Middle Eastern. Best-selling dishes include their massive fork-tender signature Badoque Ribs ($36) and burst-in-your-mouth Jalapeno Cheese Poppers (S$12.50). It is also worth mentioning that the staff is incredibly friendly and helpful – an unfortunate rarity in Singapore’s hospitality.

246 Upper Thomson Road
Singapore 574370
Tel: +65 6552 1646
Mon to Thu: 12pm – 10pm
Fri: 2.30pm – 10pm
Sat and Sun: 12pm – 10pm
Nearest Station: Marymount

#2 BISCUIT KING

A visit to Biscuit King will have you instantly teleported to the past. Endless silver tins containing traditional biscuits are piled atop of each other and the vast variety is pretty damn impressive. We were thrilled to see our all-time childhood favourite ais gem biscuits, chocolate wafer sticks, pineapple jam filled biscuits and whatnot. How nostalgic.

130 Casuarina Road
Singapore 579518
Tel: +65 6458 0925
Mon: Closed
Tue to Sun: 11am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Marymount / Ang Mo Kio

#3 BAN LEONG WAH HOE SEAFOOD

Ban Leong Wah Hoe Seafood is packed with hungry diners daily despite the lack of visibility from the main streets. Its slight inaccessibility is clearly not a deterrent as foodies would travel all the way to Casuarina to satisfy their fresh seafood cravings.

Besides their famous chilli crabs and black pepper crabs, Ban Leong Wah Hoe is also renowned for their mouthwatering authentic tze char. Must-order dishes include fragrant Har Cheong Gai (prawn paste chicken wings); crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. Opened till 1.30AM daily, you now know where you can visit when the hunger pangs strike at midnight.

122 Casuarina Road
Tel: +65 6452 2824
Daily: 5pm – 1.30am
Nearest Station: Ang Mo Kio/Yio Chu Kang

#4 BLACK SHEEP CAFÉ

Tucked away in the basement of Thomson V Two, Black Sheep Café’s secluded location renders an unlikely accidental visit. Instead, the French restaurant solely relies on its regular patrons and word-of-mouth recommendations. Do treat yourself to their popular Duck Confit (S$26.50++) served on Apple Roesti and Tangy Mango Relish.

#B1-30, Thomson V Two
11 Sin Ming Road
Singapore 575629
Tel: +65 6459 5373
Mon: Closed
Tue to Thu: 11.30am – 3pm, 6pm – 11pm
Fri to Sun: 11.30am – 11pm
Nearest Station: Marymount

#5 CASUARINA CURRY RESTAURANT

Award-winning Casuarina Curry Restaurant is a prata paradise with over 45 different variations! This popular restaurant has been around for decades and its menu remains inexpensive albeit its roaring success in the food and beverage industry. Pratas start from S$1 each.

Here is a good news for all prata lovers – you can now even attend Casuarina Curry’s Prata Making Workshop at only S$15 per pax. The workshop is 2 hours long and you are entitled to a free drink and unlimited prata.

Mileslife is our favourite app to accumulate miles through everyday spending. You can earn miles for every dollar spent at this restaurant. Download and try Mileslife out now! You can use our code ‘Ladyironchef‘ upon your first spending to get 1,000 miles.

138 Casuarina Road
Tel: +65 6455 9093
Daily: 7am – 12midnight
Nearest Station: Ang Mo Kio/Yio Chu Kang

#6 E-SARN THAI CORNER

E-Sarn Thai Corner is a family restaurant that serves authentic North-Eastern Thai Cuisine at very affordable prices. We were instantly sold after digging into the aromatic plate of Seafood Pad Thai (small – S$8.50, large – S$14.50) and fresh coconut (S$4.50). E-Sarn Thai Corner first opened in 2010 but its history dates back to 1994, where its founder started up her first humble shop in a hawker.

9 Thomson Ridge
Tel: +65 6554 4174
Wed to Mon (closed on Tue): 11.30am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Ang Mo Kio/Marymount

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#7 FAT BOY’S THE BURGER BAR

At Fat Boy’s, it’s go fat or go home. The massiveness of the burgers is what makes it most attractive. Indulge in the sinful Fat Bastard (S$19.80); double beef patties, extra thick bacon, cheesy cheddar and a fried egg in between the fluffy sesame buns, or challenge the chef’s creation with your imagination.

Fat Boy’s launch of build-your-burger allows patrons to experiment with a long list of patties, sauces, bun and add-ons. Fat Boy’s also serve a large variety of American dishes such as mac and cheese (S$13), hot dog (S$13) and spaghetti meatballs (S$14).

187 Upper Thomson Road
Tel: +65 6252 8780
Mon to Thu: 4pm – 12midnight
Fri to Sun: 12pm – 12midnight
Nearest Station: Ang Mo Kio/Marymount

#8 FIVE BY FIVE

The same people behind the now-defunct November 8 has opened a brand new cafe & bar concept in the same Thomson V One Building and it is called Five by Five (5 x 5).

The casual establishment is decked in an all-white interior with minimalistic wooden furnishings. Five by Five is one of the rare few cafes in Singapore that opens till midnight daily (except for Tuesdays).

9 Sin Min Road
#01-03, Thomson V One
Singapore 575630
Mon: 11am – 12am
Tue: Closed
Wed to Fri: 11am – 12am
Sat to Sun: 10am – 12am
Nearest Station: Marymount

#9 HABITAT COFFEE

Habitat Coffee needs no further introduction. Packed to the brim on weekends and even weekdays, this café is indeed causing quite a commotion in Upper Thomson and on Instagram.

While Habitat’s food remains subjective to those with discerning palates, it certainly serves one of the better coffees in Singapore. They are passionate in bringing different coffee blends of varying origins and each dine-in coffee is complemented with the tastiest caramel biscuit.

223 Upper Thomson Road
Tel: +65 6456 2567
Tue to Sun: 10am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Ang Mo Kio/Marymount

#10 HWA NAM RESTAURANT

Hwa Nam is an old-school Cantonese restaurant serving dim sums till late. It is one of the few restaurants that still exudes the vibes of old Singapore. This coffee shop house has an enticing entrance – bamboo steam baskets containing the delicate dim sums stacked on top of each other.

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Upon order, the dim sums would be heated up and served to your table (or in takeout boxes). The homely dim sums served are quite limited in terms of variety but one can also order roasted meat or tze char from the same restaurant for a heavier meal.

Thomson Garden Estate
244F Upper Thomson Road
Tel: +65 6453 3645
Daily: 7am – 12midnight
Nearest Station: Ang Mo Kio/Marymount

#11 KAMPUNG CHICKEN RICE

As its shop name suggests, Kampung Chicken Rice is renowned for their Kampung Chicken Rice. We were blown away by how delicate and moist the fragrantly poached chicken were. The free-range chicken meat way were significantly leaner and tasted a lot healthier.

255 Upper Thomson Road
Singapore 574382
Tel: +65 6456 0698
Daily: 10.30am – 9.30pm
Nearest Station: Marymount

#12 MENG’S KITCHEN

Meng’s Kitchen is opened 24 hours daily and although it sells a large selection of Chinese food, 99% of its customers are there for their heavenly bak chor mee (minced pork noodles). Competition in Upper Thomson’s food stretch makes it tough to thrive but everyone knows that Meng’s remains unaffected by threats.

While service and cleanliness are from subpar, the piping hot bowl of goodness will make you overlook the sticky tables and rowdy staff. Despite having hundreds of bowls, our love for Meng’s Bak Chor Mee remains loyal and sturdy.

Thomson Garden Estate
246B Upper Thomson Road
Tel: +65 6455 4890
Daily: 24 hours
Nearest Station: Ang Mo Kio/Marymount

#13 MENYA MUSASHI

Menya Musashi made its very first debut in Tokyo around two decades ago and has successfully stood out from its competitors with its comprehensive variety of ramen. You can choose to dip their signature ramen Tsukemen (from S$14.90) in white, black, spicy or tomato tonkotsu broth or sample other choices such as Yakibuta Sword Ramen (S$19.90) and Tokyo Akiba Curry Ramen (S$14.90).

301 Upper Thomson Road
#01-112, Thomson Plaza
Singapore 574408
Tel: +65 6554 7120
Daily: 11.30am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Marymount

#14 MOO KA TA HUAY HWANG THAI

Such is the popularity of Moo Ka Ta Huay Kwang Thai @ Thomson, that the Thai Charcoal Steamboat restaurant is almost full house every day. The dome shaped cooking appliance acts as a grill and a BBQ grill.

Pork lard is placed above the bulging top sphere to accelerate the cooking process while soup fills the hollow trough for the boiling of food. Set meals start from S$39.90 (for two people) and offers a variety of meats, seafood and vegetables.

244R Upper Thomson Road
Red House Coffee Shop
Tel: +65 8588 9990
Sun to Thu: 5pm – 11pm
Fri & Sat: 5pm – 2am
Nearest Station: Ang Mo Kio/Marymount

#15 ONE MAN COFFEE

Being hidden is trending right now and One Man Coffee is doing an excellent job. One Man Coffee shares the same venue as Crust Pizza and you will not see its signboard until you near the entrance of Crust Pizza.

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Espresso blends are being rotated from time to time but consistency of coffee remains satisfying. Its most popular blend would be The Axil’s Seasonal, directly imported from Melbourne, Australia but sourced from Brazil and Colombia. Other than the coffee, must-order would definitely be their signature brioche French toast (S$10).

215R Upper Thomson Road
Daily: 9am – 5pm
Nearest Station: Ang Mo Kio/Marymount

#16 PACAMARA BOUTIQUE COFFEE ROASTERS

Pacamara Boutique Coffee Roasters is one of the new kids on the block, but not that new if you are familiar with OZ Specialty Coffee. Formerly located at the other part of Upper Thomson, the brand has undergone a major revamp and repositioning and now sits proudly as Pacamara at the edge of the busy stretch of Upper Thomson. It is a much bigger scale, with a proper dine-in space because they serve more than coffee and desserts now.

185 Upper Thomson Road
Tue to Sun: 9am – 11pm
Nearest Station: Ang Mo Kio/Marymount

#17 SALTED CARAMEL

Salted Caramel is a popular ice cream parlour that boasts dozens of unique flavours. Besides the best seller salted caramel, other popular flavours include earl grey and horlick tim tam. Salted Caramel offers good ice cream and waffles at reasonable prices.

If you are on a strict diet, you may be comforted by the fact that the ice cream served in Salted Caramel uses only natural ingredients where no artificial sweeteners and no preservatives are added.

246F Upper Thomson Road
Sun to Thu: 12pm – 11pm
Fri, Sat & Eve of PH: 12pm – 2am
Nearest Station: Ang Mo Kio/Marymount

#18 THAI IN TOWN

Fusion Bistro Thai In Town is the go-to place when you are craving for Thai cuisine yet unwilling to compromise on the AC facilities. With its cafe-like decors, diners might find themselves confused initially. Whilst the highly raved about Thai Wanton Mee was a tad disappointing, we actually did enjoy their Green Curry Chicken with Roti / Rice (S$12.90) and Prawn Sticks (S$10.90).

244P Upper Thomson Road
Singapore 574369
Tel: +65 8687 9990
Daily: 11.30am – 11pm
Nearest Station: Marymount

#19 THE FAMOUS ICE CREAM ROLLS

Granted, it requires a certain amount of courage to proclaim oneself as The Famous Ice Cream Rolls Shop and that further sparked our curiosity to check them out. This newest addition to Thomson V Two is a cosy Halal establishment selling mainly Ice Cream Rolls with a humble cafe seating.

At S$3.90 a cup, you can select from 6 yummy flavours and it comes with 2 toppings. For additional toppings, you can get it at S$0.50 each. So is it really so good that they deserve their name? We say it is definitely worth a try!

The Famous Ice Cream Rolls Shop is also listed in our guide to the 5 Fried Ice Cream Rolls You Must Try in Singapore.

Thomson V Two
11 Sin Ming Road, #01-12
Singapore 575629
Tue to Sun: 1pm – 10pm
Closed on Monday
Nearest Station: Marymount

#20 THE GOOD TRIO

Located on the ground level of Thomson Plaza is an underrated oriental restaurant called The Good Trio. The unassuming casual eatery offers delicious traditional Chinese cuisine at reasonable prices and is a perfect dining venue for families. Premium set menus start at S$24++ per pax, where diners get to savour steamed pork dumplings, deep-fried fish, spinach, double-boiled pork rib / chicken soup, a main course and a complimentary dessert.

301 Upper Thomson Road
Thomson Plaza, #01-111
Singapore 574408
Tel: +65 6457 1379
Daily: 11.30am – 3pm (last order 2.30pm), 5.30pm – 10pm (last order 9.30pm)
Nearest Station: Marymount

#21 THE ROTI PRATA HOUSE

The best crispy roti prata according to The New Paper is found right in The Roti Prata House. The pratas achieve their insanely crispy texture after being deep-fried in a deep pool of vegetable oil, making it a sinful yet satisfying dish.

Sweet pratas such as kaya pratas and strawberry pratas are also available to those who are looking for something less conventional. Other mains include nasi briyani and mee goreng in endless variations. The Roti Prata house opens 24 hours on Friday and Saturday, which makes it an ideal supper place.

246M Upper Thomson Road
Tel: +65 6459 5260
Fri & Sat: 24 hours
Sun to Thu: 7am – 2am
Nearest Station: Ang Mo Kio/Marymount

#22 YI JIA BAKERY HOUSE CAFE

Finding budget snacks in a café along Upper Thomson Road did not seem quite possible but Yi Jia Bakery House Café successfully proved us wrong. It is an Asian bakery-cum-cafe selling mainly local breads and pastries.

One can expect all-day traditional kaya butter toast sets and other local sweet delights such as the soft pillowy coffee buns. Durian lovers would be pleased to hear that Bakery House Café’s tasty durian puffs are at only S$0.50 each. What a steal!

Thomson Ridge Estate
229 Upper Thomson Road
Tel: +65 6456 1677
Daily: 7am – 9pm

#23 WINDOWSILL PIES

A whimsical cafe tucked between a row of shophouses, Windowsill Pies serves artisanal pies together with a range of coffee and other savoury food. Their pies are a must-try and the top-selling favourites are the Grasshopper Pie (S$7.50), a mint pie with chocolate brownie within and Strawberry Lemon (S$7).

95 Soo Chow Walk
Singapore 575382
Tel: +65 9004 7827
Tue to Thu: 11am – 11pm
Fri: 11am – 12midnight
Sat: 10am – 12midnight
Sun: 10am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Marymount

About the writer:

Hui Jun Ng is a staff writer for ladyironchef. She previously worked in the food and marketing industry. She loves traveling and enjoys exploring underrated destinations. In her free time, you will find her indulging in coffee and her all time favourite local dish – bak chor mee.

Fatboys The Burger Bar is a burger place in Singapore that serves comfort food, burgers, milkshakes and floats. I will get to that in a while, but now I want to tell you more about what I think of burgers, in general.

Before I started this Singapore Food Blog, I thought that burgers only came from fast food restaurants. Can you believe that I spent the first two decades of my life having only them? That’s not all, I was also convinced that they were the definition of good burgers.

Learning that burgers were more than the ones from fast food restaurants had a strange impact on me, it made me think twice about everything in life. It was like learning from the beauty blogger about how much make up can do. I think it’s definitely easier to be a guy where we can just have our burgers in peace, without worrying about smudged lipstick.

Thankfully, I started to explore different food places and had my fair share of good burgers in the recent years. It was the Smok’Inn Frogz Kitchen’s burger that changed my perception of how a cheap and good burger should be.

The burger that I had from Fatboys Burger Bar Upper Thomson road was a while back. It was a quick dinner before my TV interview at Mediacorp, so I didn’t want to gorge myself silly.

I shuddered at the thought of double beef patties, extra thick bacon, cheddar cheese, and a fried egg — that’s how big the Fat Basterd is! So instead of the popular Fat Basterd ($15), I went for the Wimpy burger (which is half of the former). For 11 bucks, you get a reasonable beef patty and the other ingredients, which isn’t a bad deal at all.

I’m not sure if it’s the same for you, but for my family, we hardly have soft drinks at home, unless it’s the festive holidays like Chinese new year or Christmas. Not that I’m complaining anyway, I very much prefer to have soy milk, fruit juice and milk. But when it comes to having a burger, I think nothing beats a glass of cold icy coke. Nobody can deny the fact that burger & coke are the perfect couple – they are meant to be together.

Nursing a hangover from the party last night? Have a burger for breakfast. Frustrated with work for the whole morning? The burger is the perfect choice for lunch. Feeling hungry but it’s not yet dinner time? Easy, have a burger. Hungry and tired after a busy day?

My dear, you need a burger.

* * *

I’m not saying the Fatboys Burger is fantastic, I’m just telling you that they are very decent for the price. The best burger in Singapore? Maybe, maybe not. Go try it for yourself. If I’m in the Upper Thomson or Mohamed Sultan road area, I can definitely see myself going back to Fatboys Burger Bar again to build my own burger.

// Read my list of Singapore’s Best Burger

Restaurant Review
Fatboys Burger Bar Singapore
187 Upper Thomson Road Singapore
Tel: +65 6252 8780

18 Mohamed Sultan Road #01-01 Singapore
Tel: +65 6735 8840

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