My husband and I are huge foodies and #gymtoeat to try to balance it all. One activity we’ve always wanted to indulge in is a foodie trail.
A foodie trail is where you pick a popular foodie haven and demolish all your favourite foods in one foul swoop.
We were finally able to test the limits of our appetites on the last weekend of February 2022 while enjoying a 3D2N staycation at Grand Mercure Singapore Roxy in East Coast.
Our Foodie Haven of Choice – Katong
East Coast Road has long been the home of many old school eateries, legendary coffee shops and rival laksa stalls – each claiming to be the original “Katong Laksa”.
Today, it is a vibrant street littered with trendy cafes, hip bars and enticing restaurants. As if trying to deter us from our gluttony, there were also countless yoga studios and boutique gyms in the midst of it all.
If you decide to embark on a foodie trail of your own, you will be spoilt for choice in Katong.
Our Plan of Attack
Our MO was to start light and work our way up from there. With that in mind, we made an eager beeline to Ampang Niang Tou Fu with plans to round things up with the famous 328 Laksa.
To give you an idea of how we rated the food, we came up with our own scoring system based on whether the dish was worth the calories.
A lower score doesn’t necessarily mean it’s bad but indicates that we wished we had used those calories on something else.
Over the course of 6 hours between 12.30-6.30pm, here is what we devoured.
AMPANG NIANG TOU FU
This no-frills coffee shop looks exactly as I remember it from the first time I dined there as a teen a few decades ago.
It has remained relatively unchanged in the last 40 years, right down to the old-school hospitality of serving boiled water in a cup of ice to drink. (I had ordered mineral water instead but it appears they don’t sell that here.)
what we devoured
We ordered the preset selection for two ($19.60) and, unlike most other yong tau foo stalls that serve in a bowl, this comes in a large, shallow green plate.
The sight of sumptuous triangles of soft tofu amid fish balls, stuffed bitter gourd, fried eggplant and lady’s fingers, crowned with crispy beancurd skin, was just too much to bear.
We dug in heartily and dunk our morsels of beancurd, and the like, in the sweet, spicy red sauce. Slurps of the light broth in between bites made this a very satisfying meal and I loved every bite.
It is a taste of nostalgia that you absolutely cannot miss. Be sure to get your final fill of this simple, local delight before it closes for good at the end of May 2022.
RATING: 100% worth the calories especially when this dish is not super high calorie to begin with. It’s a definite must-eat as it will soon be unavailable when the owner retires.
AMPANG NIANG TOU FO
225 East Coast Road, Singapore 428922
Opens 11:30am – 8:30pm daily, closed on Wednesdays (closing for good end of May 2022)
BEACH ROAD PRAWN MEE EATING HOUSE
Our next stop was the popular Beach Road Prawn Mee. My American husband, Matthew, was a regular at this highly acclaimed eatery when he lived in this area back in his bachelor days.
He excitedly explained to me how this coffee shop would cause traffic problems with a long line of cars illegally parked on the curb. And that day was no different!
Even though we got there after the lunch crowd (it must have been about 3pm) there was a queue of hungry Singaporeans eagerly awaiting a table. I was impressed with how organised everything was and we got seated in no time.
what we devoured
We shared a large bowl of dry Pork Rib Mee ($12.50) that came with a side of rich, prawn broth.
As soon as I sunk my teeth into the tender pork ribs and slurped up the saucy yellow noodles, I was hooked. I was also impressed with how large and juicy the prawns are.
Having created my own Prawn Noodles with Pork Ribs recipe (see photo below) for my cookbook “Smitten in the Kitchen, 60 Recipes for Love”, I know the amount of work that goes into making this dish.
I could immediately tell from the deeply hued broth that prawn heads and pork bones were lovingly simmered for hours on end. It was delicious.
other variations
While you can order the prawn noodles in soup too, you have to order this dish dry for the full effect. The noodles have that “que-que” springy quality we all love and come slathered in a super yummy sauce.
Besides a simple bowl of prawn mee without the pork ribs ($6.50) you could also choose to top it with pig tails or go for the super-sized jumbo prawn mee!
why is it called Beach Road Prawn Mee?
So why is it called “Beach Road Prawn Mee” when it’s located on East Coast Road? It was so named as a tribute to the owner’s father’s stall on Beach Road.
The founder, Mr John Lee, comes from good stock (pun intended!). He learnt the business from his father Mr Lee Seng Hoon (who in turn learnt it from his!), before opening this outlet in 1986.
Not only does the older Lee own the famous Blanco Court Prawn Mee but a string of other prawn mee stalls as well. It is a family business and one that first started in 1928. Talk about Prawn Mee Royalty!
East Coast Ngoh Hiang
This spacious coffee shop also houses another fan favourite – East Coast Ngoh Hiang.
I let the hubs order and he was quite the pro, choosing fried spring rolls, chicken cutlet, some crispy things and of course ngoh hiang. This beloved sausage-like roll is basically minced prawn and pork seasoned with five-spice powder, wrapped up in beancurd skin and deep fried to perfection.
RATING: 82% worth the calories… because I know how to cook this, it lost a few points for me. Also thought it was strange that they don’t sell tissue paper, only wet wipes. I had to walk further up to the 7-11 to buy a packet of tissue paper.
BEACH ROAD PRAWN NOODLE HOUSE
370/372 East Coast Road, Singapore 428981
Opens 7am to 4pm daily, Closed on Tuesdays
TAPOUT CRAFT BEERS
“I like my dark beer. Unfortunately, it doesn’t like me anymore.”
~ Matthew Nixon, Gout Survivor
We were starting to feel full so we walked around the neighbourhood for a bit before making our way back towards Roxy Square.
After all that fried food we were craving some ice cold beer to wash it all down with. We had a hard time deciding what to try first at Tap Out Craft Beer.
With 20 craft beers on tap, which they rotate frequently, you can choose from classic IPAs and lagers to interesting fruity concoctions. They also offer membership so you can enjoy discounts on your next visits.
what we devoured
After two half pints of beer, we felt peckish again and tried their skewers. You can choose three different preparations – shio (salt and pepper), tare (black soy sauce) and spicy.
We went for the Asparagus wrapped with Pork Belly Slice ($2 per stick) and Quail Egg ($2 per stick) with just good ol’ salt and pepper! Wow! It was fantastic!
We were also curious about the Burger Cordon Bleu ($28) which boasts a handmade beef patty that was perfectly grilled. The patty had good char on the outside and juicy succulence in every bite.
We also tried the Salted Crispy Cauliflower ($10). It was a little too greasy for us, especially after all that we had wolfed down by this point. After sampling another two beers we were off to wander around again.
RATING: 85% worth the calories. The ice-cold beers were a well deserved reward after walking up and down East Coast Road. The skewers were hands-down our favourite and we shall be back for more!
TAPOUT
103 East Coast Rd, Singapore 428797
Mon – Thur: 3pm-11.30pm | Fri: 3pm-midnight | Sat: noon-midnight | Sun: noon – 11.30pm |
328 KATONG LAKSA
We didn’t get very far and ended up sitting at the now-closed Rabbit Carrot Gun. We were able to catch it just the day before they decided to shut down. Was quite sad to hear the news as it really had a lot of charm.
After some coffee, cocktails and good conversation, we decided we had some space in our bellies for the famous 328 Laksa, just next door.
I didn’t recognize the coffee shop which is now air-conditioned. I did, however, recognize the iconic red-haired owner, Ms Nancy Koh on her wall of fame. Among the snapshots of her with local celebrities, we spotted a photo with celebrity chef, Gordon Ramsay.
328 Katong Laksa has been around for 22 years, and the recipe reportedly took 6 months to perfect. But is it the best laksa in Singapore? We had to find out.
what we devoured
We shared a small bowl which was priced at $6.30. These days their sambal is packaged in foil packets and costs an additional $0.20 for extra (the first packet is complimentary).
I soon found that one packet was enough. My tongue was on fire after dolloping two portions of sambal in! We also had one otak each ($1.40 per piece). The verdict?
THE Verdict
While the scissor-cut rice noodles made it slurp-able without the need for chopsticks, I found the gravy too thin and watery. It was lacking that rich “lemak” oomph I was craving for. However, it was still flavourful and most importantly, had the noodles to sauce ratio perfected to a T.
If Katong is too far for you to get your fix there are other 328 Katong Laksa outlets located at United Square Shopping Centre, Queensway Shopping Centre and Westgate.
RATING: 43% worth the calories. Gosh I really hate that I rated this iconic coffee shop so low. But as I’m very happy to get my laksa craving sorted for $4 at the hawker centre in my neighbourhood, 328 Katong Laksa lost its allure for me.
328 KATONG LAKSA
51 East Coast Road, S4289770
Opens daily 9.30am – 9.30pm
food for thought
After leaving a trail of empty bowls and plates in our high-calorie wake, it’s time to repent! Follow #SmittenDiet and join my 6 month journey to reset and reboot my health and fitness.
We thoroughly enjoyed our first foodie trail together and cannot wait for our next foodie trail at a different location!
Where shall we go next? Comment below if you have any suggestions!
