Food from popular overseas stores is not difficult to find in Singapore. With exciting concepts sprouting up all the time, we’re thankful to have a myriad of well-known restaurants from Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and China in our shopping malls.
While you won’t get the exact same experience dining at their local counterpart, these stores undergo strict quality control measures to ensure the flavours are similar. This includes directly importing the same sauces and ingredients used in their home country.
Here are 10 popular overseas food stores you can find in these Singapore malls.
One of the best places for sandwich toast in South Korea, Isaac Toast made its way to Singapore in Plaza Singapura in July 2018 with much fanfare. With more than 700 stores worldwide, this popular Korean sandwich chain serves up a variety of meat toppings that are sandwiched between thick buttery bread.
The Double Spicy Cutlet ($6.90) hits all the right spots for spicy food lovers. More like a burger than a sandwich, the bread sandwiches two pieces of chicken fillets that are smothered in a spicy sauce. I liked how it had a slight sweetness to it, tasting very similar to the one I had in Korea.
Address: 68 Orchard Road, #B2-42, Plaza Singapura, Singapore 238839
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 8:30am to 9:15pm, Sat-Sun 9am to 9:15pm
Tel: 6253 1321
Website
You no longer need to travel all the way to Japan for the famous cheese cookies from Tokyo Milk Cheese Factory. Their slogan “Your cheek might drop” may sound mildly morbid, but it’s actually a popular Japanese expression that is used when something delicious is eaten.
The Japanese brand’s flagship store at Raffles City Shopping Centre also dishes up Cow Cow Ice, the brand’s signature soft serve that lets you choose between two flavours of milk and cheese.
Go for the signature Cow Cow Sundae ($8.80) that includes a slice of velvety smooth milk cheesecake and a piece of their best-selling Salt & Camembert cookie. Dip the crunchy cookies in the soft serve for an extra punch of flavour.
Address: 252 North Bridge Road, #B1-73, Raffles City Shopping Centre, Singapore 179103
Opening hours: Daily 11am to 9:30pm
Tel: 9248 8476
Website
Regarded as one of China’s top global hot pot brands, Spice World 香天下火锅 gives a playful spin to regular hot pot dishes. The soup bases are first brewed in Sichuan, before being air-flown to Singapore, where it is further prepared for four to six hours.
The restaurant at Clarke Quay is known for their Teddy Bear Ma La Butter ($9.90++) – an add-on to the regular Yinyang 2-flavour broth ($22.90++). Watch as the bear gets gently douse in ma la broth, before melting its buttery essence away. I like how the soup has a nice body to it, while remaining not too greasy.
Other dishes you can order include the One-metre Mutton Slices ($28.90++) that comes in a metre-long tray, and Premium Barbie Wagyu Beef ($38.90++), which features a toy doll dressed in a gown made of wagyu beef.
Address: 3B River Valley Road, #01-06/07, Clarke Quay Block B, Singapore 179021
Opening hours: Mon-Thur 11:30am to 2am, Fri-Sat 11:30am to 4am, Sun 11:30am to 3am
Tel: 6265 9777
Website
With 12,000 outlets around the world, Liang Sandwich Bar is commonly referred to as Jay Chou’s favourite sandwich.
What you find here is not your traditional sandwich, but a scallion pancake wrapping various ingredients. Premium Honey Baked Ham & Cheese Sandwich ($5.50) is filled with ham and cheese, which is then wrapped with what tastes like a fluffier version of an egg prata. The pancake is what makes this dish special, tasting light and crispy.
Address: 252 North Bridge Road, #B1-58, Raffles City Shopping Centre, Singapore 179103
Opening hours: Daily 10am to 10pm
Tel: 6255 0310
Website
Have a taste of authentic Huaiyang cuisine, one of the four major styles of Chinese cuisine, at Nanjing Impressions in Plaza Singapura. The servers are dressed up in traditional garb, and along with a matching traditional Chinese courtyard interior, you’ll feel like you’ve travelled back in time.
The food here is one of the best we’ve tried out of the lot, with plenty of rich and robust flavours. Jingling Signature Salted Duck ($16.80++) won our hearts with a 400-year old recipe that comprises more than 10 precise steps. The end product is a duck that is succulent and tender.
Be sure to also try their Jingling Noodles in Light Soy Sauce Broth ($4.80++), which is hand-pulled to order. I liked how the noodles had a firm bite while absorbing the delicate soy-flavoured broth.
Address: 68 Orchard Road, #04-46/51, Plaza Singapura, Singapore 238839
Opening hours: Daily 11am to 10pm
Website
One of Korea’s largest fried chicken chain,Chir Chir Chicken Fusion Chicken Factory at Bugis Junction lets you get crispy fried Korean chicken in interesting flavours. Pronounced as chi-ruh chi-ruh, not chi chi; the sauces are all specially imported from Seoul, making the taste consistent throughout.
Two of us shared a plate of the Crispy Fried Chicken ($26.90++). It’s also recommended to top up $2++ to get half the chicken in either spicy or garlicky. The garlic variant is something special. The skin remained crispy and had a thick luxurious coat of sweet and punchy sauce that went well with everything.
Address: 200 Victoria Street, #02-50, Bugis Junction, Singapore 188021
Opening hours: Mon-Thur 11am to 10pm, Fri-Sat 11am to 11pm, Sun 11am to 10pm
Website
Comforting and refreshing, Cantonese desserts always seem to hit the right spot without filling me up too much. Originating in Hong Kong, Honeymoon Dessert has made its way to Singapore with three outlets.
The Mixed Mochi in Coco Mango Juice with Green Tea Ice Cream ($7.50) combines chewy mochi with creamy coconut and mango juice, along with a scoop of green tea ice-cream. The flavours combine well, with the slightly bitter matcha offsetting the rich and creamy coconut and mango juice.
Address: 200 Victoria Street, #01-70, Bugis Junction, Singapore 188021
Opening hours: Daily 12pm to 10:30pm
Tel: 6837 0027
Website
You won’t get the usual bowl of thick brown Japanese curry here, as SAMA Curry & Café at Plaza Singapura serves up Hokkaido curry instead. The curry is much thinner, with a soup-like consistency. Each bowl is customisable, and you can choose from nine different mains, then your desired spice level, and finally the soup base with flavours such as Japanese, tomato, coconut, and shrimp.
Cheesy Bear ($17.90++) comes with a chicken cutlet and melted mozzarella mixed in the broth. I like how the tomato broth has a nice robust sweetness to it, with a slight hint of curry spice. This makes for a hearty bowl of curry that warms my tummy nicely.
Address: 68 Orchard Road, #06-11/12, Plaza Singapura, Singapore 238839
Opening hours: Daily 11am to 10pm
Tel: 6455 2033
Website
Originating from Thailand, look out for the cute mochi ice-cream at Kane Mochi at Bugis+. Flavoured ice-cream is wrapped with a layer of mochi, resulting in these cute little creations.
There are 20 flavours to look out for, and any three flavours will cost $6.20. The Taro is my favourite of the lot, with a rich and creamy filling that is accompanied by a melt-in-your-mouth mochi skin. The skin is lightly flavoured with sugar, resulting in a sweet burst of flavour when it melts.
Address: 201 Victoria Street, #02-50, Bugis+, Singapore 188067
Opening hours: Daily 10am to 10pm
Tel: 6509 1915
Website
Originated from Osaka, Japan, Kushikatsu Tanaka at Clarke Quay is one of Japan’s most popular kushikatsu chain with 160 outlets. Aside from specialising in deep-fried skewered meat and vegetables, they also have an interesting range of whiskey highballs which start from $7+.
Go for the Recommended 5 ($8.20+), which gets you asparagus, lotus root, beef, pork and onion. The panko flour, batter and sauce are all imported directly from Japan, and the batter is light and crisp. Make sure to dip it into the savoury dipping sauce to give an extra depth of flavour to the skewers.
The restaurant also offers plenty of exciting promotions from time to time. All their kushikatsu will be going at $1 from 4 to 28 March 2019. Available from Mon to Thursday, the promotion is only valid from 5pm to 7pm.
Address: 3A River Valley Road, #01-01B, Clarke Quay Block A, Singapore 179020
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 12pm to 2:30pm, 5pm to 12am, Sat 12pm to 1am, Sun 12pm to 12am
Tel: 6258 3789
Website
With plenty of popular overseas food stores making their way to Singapore, you no longer need to rely on visiting these stores when you’re abroad just to get your fix. All you have to do is head to these malls to get a taste of these popular overseas food stores!
There are also plenty of monthly deals, events, and new openings popping up all the time. Check out the pages of Clarke Quay on Facebook and Instagram, Bugis Junction X Bugis+ on Facebook and Instagram, Plaza Singapura on Facebook and Instagram, and Raffles City on Facebook and Instagram for the latest updates.
Photos taken by Tan Wen Lin.
This post is brought to you by CapitaLand.
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