This Western Stall Has $7.90 Risotto With Caviar—Is It Too Good To Be True?

Amei Western Grill has cheap caviar-topped risotto in Bukit Merah

Tucked away in an industrial estate at Bukit Merah, Amei Western Grill has been making rounds as a coffeeshop Western stall that serves up restaurant-style dishes at affordable prices. 

Run by an ex-fine dining chef, the stall boasts unique menu items such as risotto, chicken cordon bleu, and ricotta-stuffed ravioli. The best thing? The average price here is a measly $7.90, and most dishes come topped with a scoop of caviar.

We were understandably sceptical when we first heard about this stall. After all, Western stalls don’t usually serve premium dishes, especially not at such affordable prices. Thus, we had to drop by and see for ourselves whether Amei Western Grill truly delivered. 

Food at Amei Western Grill

Unfortunately, on the day we visited, the store’s owner was not available, but we were still served by a friendly staff member who prepared our dishes. Furthermore, the ravioli was unavailable on the day of our visit, much to our disappointment.  

We started with the Mushroom Risotto ($7.90), which uses three types of mushrooms in its stock to achieve a rich depth. It was topped with a generous helping of fried shallots and parmesan cheese, and finished with a small dollop of tobiko and caviar. 

Upon my first bite, I noticed the risotto was softer than traditional versions, lacking that nice, chewy bite. Thankfully, it did not detract from my enjoyment of the dish, for the rice could still soak up the sauce well to form a creamy and buttery scoop. 

There was an ample amount of mushrooms in the dish, and while they were simple, they provided an earthy umami that permeated the rice well. However, the flavours were not as rich and thick as I had hoped. 

As for the caviar? We’re not 100% sure if it’s genuine caviar from a sturgeon, but it certainly injected a fresh, savoury brininess that elevated the dimensions of the risotto. The fried shallots also lent an extra crunch to each bite that made the dish slightly more satisfying. 

Next up, we had the Seared Scallops Risotto ($8.90), this time eschewing mushrooms for a spinach and saffron-laced stock, and coming with an abundance of scallop pieces mixed in. It was similarly topped with caviar and tobiko, along with fried shallots and parmesan cheese.

We loved how generous they were with the scallops, and while they weren’t the freshest as they were slightly rubbery, they still possessed a good chew that was soft yet firm, and had a mildly sweet flavour profile. However, the scallops were not seared much and lacked the aburi char that we had come to expect.

The risotto stock here was much lighter than that of the mushroom variant and had a brighter, leafier flavour profile due to the use of spinach. It did not compromise on its creamy, buttery texture, but we thought that the spinach did not meld well into the stock, with the moist vegetal and buttery textures and flavours contrasting too heavily, resulting in the dish feeling more homemade than restaurant-standard. 

The Chicken Cordon Bleu ($7.90) is yet another seldom-seen dish in Western stalls, featuring a chicken breast stuffed with ham and melted cheese, which is then breaded and deep-fried. Each main comes with a piece of garlic bread and two sides, for which we had Mac & Cheese and Potato Salad. 

Although the breast meat was rather dry, the oozing cheese and oily breaded exterior helped to alleviate that. The crispy chicken, savoury ham, and melted cheese came together to form a great combination of flavours and textures that was remarkable for a coffeeshop Western dish.

While the potato salad was decently enjoyable, the mac and cheese was nasty, possessing a strong artificial cheese flavour coating overly soft, flaccid macaroni. I would definitely get a different side on a subsequent visit. 

Ambience at Amei Western Grill

Amei Western Grill is located in HollaKopi, a non-airconditioned coffeeshop along the industrial area of Lower Delta Road. While the area was open-air and there were two large ceiling fans overhead, the coffeeshop was still quite stuffy due to the lack of wind circulation obstructed by the surrounding buildings. 

The location of the coffeeshop is slightly inaccessible as well, located within a 12-minute bus ride or a 20-minute walk from Tiong Bahru MRT Station. 

Amei Western Grill – Eatbook Review

While Amei Western Grill’s unique offerings might have some room for improvement, it certainly offers great value for money as far as coffeeshop Western stall fare goes. After all, it will be hard to find similar Western dishes at such affordable prices and decent quality anywhere else, especially those topped with caviar! This stall may be a great find if you’re in the area, but I wouldn’t travel far to its rather inaccessible location just to sample their dishes. 

If you’re looking for more eats in the area, Eightstify Western offers elevated handmade pasta dishes at a nearby coffeeshop. 5dot7 Western also has similar risotto and chicken cordon bleu dishes in Hougang. 

Address: 1080 Lower Delta Road, HollaKopi, Singapore 169311
Opening hours: Daily 11am to 8:30pm
Amei Western Grill is not a halal-certified eatery but uses no pork and no lard. 

Photos taken by Jordan Ong.
This was an independent visit by Eatbook.sg.