Dining and Night-out In Tampines

I’ve been living in Tampines for three years now. I must admit, there are just a few good restaurants in Tampines where I live. Most of them are in the malls and usually crowded. More often than not, we go to other places to eat in Singapore just to have a good dining experience or where night life is more exciting. Food in Tampines is really not that bad. As I have mentioned before the Tampines hawker centre has good food stalls that offer the best food in Singapore and it comes really cheap. I often eat noodle dish there but there are also noodle stalls and restaurants in the Tampines Mall that offer heart-warming soup.

One time while we were strolling in side Tampines Mall, I suggested that we have some hearty soup because it was raining all afternoon. I just wanted something hot and will warm me up. We went to the Tonkichi Japanese Restaurant. We already tried eating several times at Tonkichi in Orchard Road and I usually order the ramen there. I was really happy that they have the same food at their branch in Tampines Mall. Aside from the tofu and black pig dishes, the ramen really warmed me up.it was so filling that I skipped dessert. Since we will be visiting our other friend who just gave birth, we decided to bring her a ramen for her to regain her strength back. She was so happy to see us and the ramen we brought her. It a welcoming treat from the hospital food she was eating.

If we are already tired and lazy to go somewhere far to have a good time, there is always Harry’s @ Tampines Grande. It is where we usually unwind after a day’s work. The boys in my group usually hang out there to watch some live sports game playing on their TV. Since I belong to a large group of friends we have gone there about a dozen times just to celebrate about anything from job promotions to losing a job, from engagement to birth of a baby, we have done it all there.

When people I know who do not live in the area ask me what is in Tampines, I tell them, just about everything. It is not about the place actually that makes it special. For me it’s my friends who mostly live here and also my friends who live nearby. Although it is more laidback, it’s more relaxed than the area where I lived before and for that alone makes me like this place even more.

Of Beer, Dancing and Friends

My friends and I eat and drink with a passion. We always have a blast when dining and drinking out. But deciding when and where to dine can be a bit of a problem at times. During lunch or dinners, we just end up eating in food courts to save us the fuss of trying to decide where to eat.

Last Friday night, we went for a walk and did some shopping. We were trying to get out from the stressful events of the day. It was such a hot and humid night. I hope none of my friends would suggest al fresco dining or else I would just go and enjoy the air conditioning in my house.

Lily, the life of the party in our group, suggested that we head to The Cannery for some drinks. What better way to chase the heat away! I was ready to drink a barrel of beer to quench my thirst from all the walking we did that day. It is one of the best places to eat in Singapore and have fun. There are also 5 new restaurants in Singapore there that my friends and I would want to check out. The Cannery is the best place to party, party,party!

This clubbers’ paradise is what we all need; nice crowd, good food and drinks are just over flowing. Dancing is one of my weaknesses as I have two left feet. But what the heck? Who cares if I couldn’t dance? The music is enough to make any blood pumping. We drink, eat and dance the night away. If you think you’re already having fun, wait ‘til the after-party. I am not much of a cocktail drinker. I am all for beer, tequila and bourbon. The beer kept on coming and I have lost count how many bottles of beer I had. I don’t know who I was dancing with anymore. Happy feet, here I come!

I think I never had so much drink until that Friday night. I woke up with a bad hangover the next day but still on a happy mood with all the partying the previous night. Good thing Maggie brought me a tomato juice and a Bak Kut Teh from Outram Park. Thanks Lily, you never fail to impress me with your suggestions and sense of humor and Maggie for always being so thoughtful. Things just get better and better …

A Real Page-Turner Spanish Novel

I am fortunate to find myself living in Singapore and having friends who enjoy eating out. There are so many places to eat in Singapore that you can say it is the food destination capital of the world. My friends and I are always trying out new restaurants in Singapore and is always on the hunt for good eats at affordable prices. There are so many food outlets here that serve local food. The food choices are endless and restaurants are always looking for a way to create new dishes.

About two weeks ago, my friend got promoted in his job. As usual, we celebrated his promotion by dining out and having some good old beer. He was able to get a reservation in a new restaurant. I was skeptical at first cause it might be a pizza night again. When we went out that night, I was surprised that we are going to a Spanish restaurant named Don Quijote, a restaurants named after the great Spanish novel. Good thing my friend reserved seating in advance because the place was packed when we got there. This restaurant is something new to us since we’ve never dined out in any Spanish restaurants in Singapore before. I am a paella lover so I was hoping to get one that night.

I can say that it was a good choice of a restaurant that night. The food and service was great and the ambiance was conducive to eating. The place was really charming. We were blown away with the food and had good Spanish wine. I think the dishes are pretty authentic and my best friend kept on eating the prawn tapas. I never got to eat paella but what we had there was more than enough to make up for it.

Nothing really beats good food, good wine and sharing it with good friends. Another Spanish restaurant would have to top this restaurant. Next time we go there, we’ll unleash the goodness of their paella and drink some more Spanish wine.

Don Quijote Spanish Restaurant
Blk 7 Dempsey Road
#01-02 Singapore
Tel: +65 6476 2811
Sun to Wed: 11.30am – 10.30pm
Thu to Sat: 11.30am – 1am

Italian Night Out

Could not help but write about the nice dinner I had with my friends tonight at this cozy and chic restaurant at Rochester Park called Da Paolo. After this night, I can say that it is one of the best restaurants that serve Italian food in Singapore. It is the first time that we dined in this restaurant so it was quite exciting for us to explore their menu as well as the restaurant.

Since the sky was clear we opted for an al fresco dining but the inside of the restaurant is also very nice with huge sitting area and nicely lit place for cozy dining and chatting with your friends. You can also easily spot the large two kitchens where the one is situated at the center of the restaurant and the other one at the end. The pizza kitchen is the one that you can see on the middle. It is such a sight to behold as chefs and waiters prepare and get your food from these kitchens.

For the food, they have a very large list of food variety in their menu which excites us even more. So we were all eager to try everything especially their pizza selection. We first ordered some of their appetizers like the Prosciutto Crudo e Melone and the Seared Scallops with baby greens, olives, black truffles, anchovies with a splash of extra virgin olive oil. The prosciutto with melon is simply refreshing. Very Italian I must say. The sweetness of the melon cuts into the saltiness of the ham and it is really juicy and tasty. The scallops are just seared to perfection while the truffles and anchovies give a hint of earthiness and saltiness to the greens. Since we are all up for a hearty soup, we tried their Minestrone. The one they have here is rich and hearty and the beans are soft but not mushy. For the pasta we ordered 4 varieties for us six people to share. Our choices are Tagliatelli al Grancho, Carbonara Vegeteriana, Gnocchi Crocante con TartufoNero and their Risotto with beetroot. I have to got to say, their Tagliatelli al Grancho is really superb. I think it is one if not the best Italian food in Singapore I have tasted in a long time. The vodka sauce is really creamy and delicious but not too thick and heavy like most cream sauce. We agreed that the vodka sauce really made a big difference for this dish. The egg pasta is just cooked to perfection and not soggy and can hold up the cream sauce. We were all satisfied with the amount of crab meat because the chef did not hold back in putting a lot of them.

Tomorrow, I will write more about our wonderful evening at this restaurant. For now, I will imagine the Tagliatelli that I had as it still lingers in my taste buds. Really a good choice of restaurant to go to tonight, my friends …

Good Restaurant Quality Food at Tampines Hawker Centre

About two weeks ago, we were at the Tampines Area so we decided to eat some good local Singapore recipes found at the Tampines Round Hawker Centre. It was almost dinner time so we already expected a lot of people lining up on the food stalls in the place. We decided to line up at Sheng Li Restaurant. My friends and I have eaten here before and we know that they serve good food and probably one of the best restaurants in Tampines.

Sheng Li restaurant is actually only a stall located inside the Tampines Hawker centre. Although it is just a stall, the dishes here are not the ordinary street food that other stalls offer. They serve main entrees such as the best-selling coffee pork. This is what we always have here. It has the right balance of sweetness and a hint of bitterness to the dish. My friends find the earthiness of the dish very appealing and the smell of the coffee is so enticing. This unique dish is only served here and I have not found any food joint or restaurants which has it. Or if there are, I do not think it will measure to the taste of the one they serve at Sheng Li.

We also had the Emperor prawns. With the right amount of curry, this dish is really good with steamed rice. It just soaks up all those wonderfully curry-infused gravy. The Minced pork egg has a pleasantly good taste with a not too salty soup and right amount of vegetables. Some other nice dishes here are the Kang kong with spicy sambal, fried chicken with spicy sauce and the braised tofu dish. The tofu dish is a great appetizer and the delicious gravy is really absorbed well by the silky tofu.

The chef in Sheng Li really knows what he is doing and does it really well. The menu he has created with really one of a kind dishes, unique in flavor and really are worth your money. The dishes they serve have been consistent since we started eating there. I would rate this as one of the most affordable restaurants in Singapore but with great tasting food that are freshly and neatly prepared.



Sheng Li Restaurant
Tampines Round Market and Food Centre
137 Tampines Street 11 Singapore 521137

Pizza Hopping with My Friends

My friends and I have definitely tried just about every pizza joint and restaurants in Tampines. There are quite a few good restaurants there that serve good pizza and are reasonably priced. Today, I am going to talk about two restaurants we went to last week that serve pizza and almost have the same food variety in their menu. These are Domino’s and Pizza Hut.

First one is Domino’s Pizza. We frequently visit this popular pizza chain because of their affordable pizza and spicy wings. My friends and I would usually order the New York Crust or the Crunchy Thin Crust. What’s great about this pizza chain is that you can choose not only the crust and the toppings but as well as the sauce you want on your pizza. We always alternate their three signature pizza sauces. One is the Domino’s pizza sauce, Sweet and Spicy sauce and top secret sauce. My favorite is the Top Secret Sauce. I am a garlic flavor fan and this sauce has garlic flavor in it. Customizing the pizza is one feature that they have which we truly like. And you can have two flavors in one pizza. Their chicken wings are always on our order lists. They just have the amount of hot and spiciness. 

Pizza Hut is also making pizza for years. Aside from pizza, they have pasta selection which Domino’s does not have. They also have appetizers plus soups and salads. They only offer three choices of crust which is the thin, pan and stuffed crust pizza. Pizza cannot be customized but you can add more toppings to the pizza of your choice. They have a wide selection of appetizers from cheesy clams to calamari wings. They also offer classical pasta from specialty pasta. I must say that they offer more food varieties than Domino’s. 

Notably, Domino’s Pizza carries Coke products while Pizza Hut has Pepsi products. Pizza Hut has more choices when it comes to beverages because aside from sodas they also have fruit juices and coolers. 

In conclusion, I must say that both restaurants has well-made pizzas. Pizza Hut’s place is cozier and fit for family dining.  Domino’s caters more for take-out and delivery which they are more known for.

Pizza Hut

4 Tampines Central 5 Popular Bookstore

Tampines Mall, Singapore 529510

6781 3413

Domino’s Pizza

#01-76 Blk 462 Tampines Street

44 Singapore 022462

6222 6333

Pizza Night

Yesterday, my friends and I had a shopping expedition at the Tampines mall. Retail therapy was what we need after days of hard work and stress. We finished shopping just about dinner time. With all that walking and going through the aisles, we were famished. What better way to celebrate our loot than to have hot, mouthwatering pizza and ice cold beer! We had it at Pizza Hut since it is within the area. And it is our go-to place when it comes to pizza.

For starters, we tried the cheesy mussels. Cheese are overflowing from the mussel shells and you can say that it is really cheesy with three cheese added to it namely parmesan, mozzarella and cheddar. Bits of bacon and turkey are also added but you can barely taste it along with the meat of the mussel because there is so much cheese. Next, we ordered some of their pizza. We had Super Supreme, Ocean Bite and Cheesy Bite Treats. The Cheesy Bite Treats was quite a treat. They have the new Texan Chicken Fest. The edges are filled with chicken sausage alternating with cheese stuffed crust. A creamy cheese nacho fondue is placed at the middle of dip the pizza in.

The best seller in this restaurant is the Pizza Supreme. The house special never fails to disappoint those who have been going to this restaurant for years of its existence. Bits of ham, pepperoni, and beef really go well with the tanginess of the olives and the sweetness of the pineapple and onions. The Ocean Catch has a surprising taste. It’s the first time that I tried this on their menu. I must say that the pineapple chunks goes well with the shrimps, crabsticks, squid and tuna and it just brings out the sweetness of the seafood in every bite. The cool lime mayonnaise sauce just gives it the right amount of creaminess and not too heavy on the palate. These pizzas really go well with cold beer but some of my friends opted for Coolers which I also find really refreshing.

Overall impression of Pizza Hut in Tampines mall: good. The service is great as the staff and waiters are always smiling and attentive. The food is also good, freshly made pizzas and they are piping hot with the cheese that melting down when you try to lift it. Price of each selection is reasonable. And waiting time for their pizza to be cooked is not that long compared to other pizza joints. Over the years I must say that they have improved tremendously. Their menu has evolved in such a way that they developed loyal customers who simply love their not only their pizza but all the food in their restaurants.

What my Friends and I Love Doing Best

I have great respect for chefs and cooks and what they do. I love the food they create. I marvel at the delicious dishes that they produce from simple to hard to find ingredients. But cooking is not for me. As much as possible, I avoid the hassle of preparing and cooking food. So dining out, in my vocabulary, is one of the greatest things there is and just makes my life simpler and enjoyable. Food options are immense and you just need to sit back and relax and savor every meal.

This blog is my take on dining out in Tampines with my good friends. Whenever possible, I and my friends get together and it is our guilty pleasure to dine out. We may have different opinions about food and how we like our meat done but one thing is for sure: we love eating out. Finding a good restaurant and exploring the menu can be a wonderful or bad experience. There is always a hit and a miss. Whether bad or good, it is something to be shared with good friends.

Here in Singapore, Tampines boast of huge selection of dining places. Each night can be a different experience in Tampines for food lovers out there that enjoys dining out. There’s a lot of interesting and inexpensive restaurants. Some restaurants offer al fresco dining and you can just enjoy the fresh air while eating an appetizing meal. Coffee shops and tea houses are everywhere for those coffee lovers and those who likes having pastries while drinking coffee or tea. Italian food lovers will be happy to find good Italian restaurants here in Tampines.

One of the well-known dining destinations in Tampines is the IKEA store. The Bistro offers convenient and low food prices for those always on the go. The Swedish Delights are just delightful creations you can share with friends. Join me as we explore each and every restaurant and food joint here in Tampines. There’s nothing more comforting than leaving all your worries behind and enjoy good food with your friends.