For those of you who went, “Where is West Coast???” when you clicked on this article, West Coast is found in the south-west of Singapore, within Clementi. Having been a resident here for almost seven years, I’d say we have a pretty wide range of food to choose from in this small neighbourhood. Getting here may not be the most convenient task ever, but the list below may motivate you to jump into a cab for your next meal.
Even if you live at the other end of Singapore, you’re going to want to travel here for Penang fare such as Penang Special Hokkien Prawn Noodles ($15++). Think juicy prawns, huge scallops, pig trotters, pork ribs, pork belly and crispy fried lard all in one big bowl of sweet, full-bodied prawn broth. The portion is big enough for two, so it’s pretty value-for-money. For more, get Penang Assam Laksa ($5++) and Penang Fried Kway Teow ($6++) that’s bursting with wok hei. The line gets pretty long so either come early for a table or avoid peak hours.
Address: Blk 721 Clementi West Street 2, #01-126, Singapore 120721
Opening hours: Daily 11:30am to 2:30pm, 5pm to 9:30pm
Tel: 6873 0163
Website
Anywhere with fries, craft beer and wine, I’m sold. Cheng’s Gourmet Food Bar has a homely interior and seems more like a quaint cafe for brunch, but it also makes a great location for drinks at night without loud music and background noises. Fill your tummy in the day with Truffles Scramble ($17.90+) that includes scrambled eggs with hints of summer truffles. Steak Frites ($32.90+), which features an eight-ounce (~227g) slab of pan-fried rib-eye steak with béarnaise sauce and crispy fries, makes a hearty dinner. My fellow sweet tooths, go for Gula Melaka Hotcakes ($14.50+) that’s actually one thick hotcake drizzled with gula melaka syrup and topped with a scoop of coconut ice-cream.
Address: 28 Clementi Road, Singapore 129754
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 12pm to 11pm
Tel: 6464 0617
Website / Menu
Niqqi’s is no stranger to night owls of West Coast. The pratas here are on the doughier side, so fans of crispy prata should stay away and go for Maggi Goreng with Egg ($3.50) instead. Flavourful without being overly greasy, this is a must-order every time I’m here. If you’re a fan of cheese prata, you’d be pleased to know they use stringy mozzarella – get your camera ready for that money shot!
Address: 18 Clementi Road, Singapore 129747
Opening hours: Daily 24 hours
Tel: 6872 2577
While their outlet at Alexandra Village has traditional zi char fare like coffee pork ribs and chilli crab, KEK Keng Eng Kee Seafood at Pandan Gardens modernises its menu by offering wacky burgers and pastas. Their popular Wok-hei Burgers ($9++) include salted egg chicken burger, “pai gu wang” (pork ribs king) burger and salted egg sotong “Blurger”. Basically, your favourite zi char dishes sandwiched between lightly toasted buns and served with a side of fries. For those who believe everything’s better in a burger, you know where to go now.
Address: 200 Pandan Gardens, #01-12, Singapore 609336
Opening hours: Daily 11:30am to 2:30pm, 5pm to 10pm
Tel: 6694 3044
Website
Fun fact: Dim Sum Dolly Selena Tan is the daughter of Daisy, owner and chef at Daisy’s Dream Kitchen. That aside, this is the place to get stellar Peranakan fare. Of course, a must at any Peranakan restaurant is buah keluak. Babi Buah Keluak ($12+) has a thick but smooth rempah (spice paste) that’s slightly tangy and earthy, with pieces of fork-tender pork and buah keluak nuts. Other crowd-favourites include Black Ink Sotong ($12+), Ngoh Hiang ($8+) and Beef Rendang ($12+).
Address: 517 West Coast Road, #01-571, Singapore 120517
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 6pm to 10pm
Tel: 6779 1781
Website
Unlike at your usual BCM stall, Ah Hoe Mee Pok is helmed by a Japanese father-daughter duo preparing mee pok with towels around their necks like true-blue Singaporean hawkers. Most of us are used to bak chor mee with a disappointing amount of pork or braised mushrooms, but the ones here are loaded with so many ingredients – even sliced abalone – that you can barely see the noodles below. A bowl of traditional mee pok here is $4 or $5, and if you’re feeling adventurous, go for Japanese Fusion Mee Pok ($6/$7, $10 for more meat). You get to choose between a miso or shoyu base in both soup and dry versions, and it comes with slices of chashu too! But, like for all good mee pok (read: Tai Hwa BCM), be prepared to wait at least 45 minutes.
Address: Blk 710 Clementi West Street 2, Singapore 120710
Opening hours: Thur-Tue 7am to 4pm
Tucked next to more affordable dining options like prata and nasi lemak, Dario would probably not be your first choice for a meal. But prices aside, this unassuming Italian restaurant dishes delicious handmade thin crust pizzas, pastas and Italian desserts. Classic pizzas with basic toppings range from $13++ to $19++, and fancier ones with ham, salami or multiple cheeses are $22++ to $28++. Prep your belly for an Italian feast with Burratina ($16++) that comes with a fresh, creamy ball of burrata cheese alongside savoury parma ham and arugula.
Address: 6 Clementi Road, Singapore 129741
Opening hours: Tue-Thur 12pm to 2pm, 6pm to 9:30pm, Fri-Sat 12pm to 2pm, 6pm to 9:45pm, Sun 12pm to 2pm, 5:30pm to 9:30pm
Tel: 9446 0253
Website
Menu
West Coast Market Square is home to a number of delicious roast meat stalls with long snaking queues during lunch and dinner hours. If you have to pick one of them, know that tender braised duck and flavourful gravy at He Ji is definitely worth the wait. Duck Rice Set Meal ($3.50) comes with braised duck, tau kwa and egg covered in a robust gravy sitting atop a mound of soy sauce-flavoured rice. Kway Chap ($3) here has an intense herbal broth as well as a generous serving of simmered pork belly and intestines that soak up the dark sauce nicely. Don’t miss out on their homemade chilli too! The hae bee hiam-based chilli paste is mixed with a watery, slightly sour, garlicky and spicy sauce that complements the savouriness of their braised dishes well.
Address: 726 Clementi West Street 2, #01-162, West Coast Market Square, Singapore 120726
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 7:30am to 3pm
Indian rojak used to be too doughy and dense for my liking, but Habib’s rojak has completely won me over since. The wide selection of vibrant red, orange and yellow fritters, fish cakes and whole squids will have you picking one of everything and before you know it, you’ll have $25 worth of Indian rojak on your plate. Their flour mixes and ingredients are prepared fresh daily and your items are re-fried upon order so everything is warm and crispy when it arrives at your table. The dipping sauce rounds it off with a perfect balance of sweet and spicy. Try it once and you’ll understand why this stall is said to be one of the best places to get your Indian rojak fix!
Address: 503 West Coast Drive, #01-68, Ayer Rajah Food Centre, Singapore 139957
Opening hours: Daily 11am to 10pm (closed on alternate Mondays)
Westies have always been envious of the abundance of hipster cafes in the East, and we sometimes forget we also have some of our own. W39 Bistro & Bakery is the pride and joy of the West Coast district because this is one of the few cafes in the hood that draws people from across the island. Chef’s Special Nonya Mee Siam ($9.50+) and Nasi Lemak with Roasted Chicken Thigh ($12.50+) are some popular dishes, but I am in love with Savoury French Toast ($17+). I’m all about that sweet and savoury flavour combo so bacon and sausage on fluffy, crisp and eggy brioche drizzled with maple syrup was love at first bite.
Address: 39 Jalan Mas Puteh, Singapore 128637
Opening hours: Tue-Fri 11am to 10pm, Sat-Sun 9am to 10:30pm
Tel: 9646 5372
West Coast is so much more than just NUS, West Coast Park and 24-hour McDonalds. Easties, we may not be as hip as you, but we sure know how to keep our bellies full and satisfied! Let us know down below if you have any other favourite food haunts in West Coast.
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