Oriental Kopi (华阳) @ Nex - Popular Malaysian Kopitiam Chain Opens 2nd Outlet in Singapore

Oriental Kopi, a well-known Malaysian brand, has become a familiar name among Singaporeans. After the successful launch of its first outlet at Bugis Junction, Oriental Kopi now opens its second outlet at NEX, bringing its award-winning egg tarts and authentic Nanyang flavours to the heartlands.

Oriental Egg Tarts 4/5

One of their bestsellers, the Oriental Egg Tarts ($5.20 for 2 pieces), has earned recognition in the Malaysia Book of Records for both the "Thickest Egg Tart" and the "Most Number of Egg Tarts Sold." It's a must-order whenever we visit. Served piping hot, the egg tarts feature a flaky, buttery crust and a smooth, creamy custard filling that keeps you coming back for more.

Double Butter Kaya Toast (Pandan) 4.5/5

We skipped our usual Polo Bun and tried the Double Butter Kaya Toast (Pandan), which has quickly become our new favourite. At $2.60, it features perfectly crisp toast generously spread with rich, pandan-infused kaya and a thick slab of cold butter. The Traditional version is next on our list for future visits.

Oriental Ice Mocha and Ice The 4/5

For drinks, we ordered the Oriental Ice Mocha ($4.80) and Ice Teh ($3.50), both served in large mugs. Each was well-balanced with just the right blend of richness and sweetness.

Oriental Signature Nasi Lemak 4/5

For mains, we had the Oriental Signature Nasi Lemak ($9.90), which comes with a large fried drumstick, runny poached egg, crispy ikan bilis, peanuts and sambal chilli. The rice is aromatic without being overly rich in coconut, while the drumstick steals the spotlight, perfectly seasoned and fried to golden crispiness.

Oriental Curry Laksa 4/5

We also tried the Oriental Curry Laksa ($7.90), served with a generous variety of ingredients in its rich, creamy broth, including long beans, hard-boiled egg, fried beancurd skin, fish cake, fish balls, and shredded chicken. Both mains offer excellent value with their hearty portions and variety.

Another highlight at Oriental Kopi is their range of retail products, perfect as gifts or souvenirs. Options include Traditional Pan Mee (from $1.90 per packet), brew-at-home sachets of smooth instant white coffee (from $7.30 per box), and handcrafted pineapple tarts ($18.20 per box for Classic, $21.20 for Cheese). To celebrate the Grand Opening of Oriental Kopi at NEX from 11 to 15 June 2025, diners can enjoy a special promotion: buy any three merchandise items and get one free. This exclusive five-day offer is valid while stocks last.

As part of the celebration, customers who order any Breakfast Value Set between 8am and 10am will receive a free Thermal Cup, available for both dine-in and takeaway.

Photos and words by Jaslyn. An avid cook who lives to eat and travel for food. Note: This is an invited tasting.


Oriental Kopi
Nex
23 Serangoon Central
#B1-15
Singapore 556083
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Nearest MRT: Serangoon (CC, NE Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 8am - 10pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Serangoon MRT station. Take Exit G or H. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

Nan Yang Dao (南洋岛) @ Serangoon Central - Authentic And Affordable Malaysian-Style Dishes In Serangoon

Nan Yang Dao (南洋岛), a vibrant eatery offering Malaysian-style dishes, opened earlier this year. It is located within Serangoon Central and just a short walk away from Serangoon MRT. The popular eatery has seen crowds throughout the year, especially during meal times to get a taste of their extensive variety of authentic Malaysian classics.

3 Layers Coffee 4/5

We kickstarted the meal with a cup of 3 Layers Coffee ($3). This layered drink was initially inspired by Sarawak's famous '3 Layer Tea. As for the coffee version, the drink consists of three layers of black coffee, palm sugar, and evaporated unsweetened milk. Perfectly milky without being overly sweet, it is great for coffee drinkers who prefer their coffee to be milkier and sweeter.

Penang Fried Kway Teow 4.2/5

The Penang Fried Kway Teow ($6.80) is one of their signatures. The Penang's rendition has lesser soy sauce and boasts a nice wok hei aroma. The pork lard gave the dish an extra oomph and comes with essential ingredients like Chinese sausages, bean sprouts, fish cakes and prawns.

Selayang Big Bowl Curry Noodle 4.2/5

Another signature is their Selayang Big Bowl Curry Noodle ($9.90). It arrives in a giant bowl of curry mee while a plate contains the excess curry broth at the bottom to depict the overflowing goodness. The rich curry broth is fragrant and slightly spicy and comes loaded with pork belly, prawns, beancurd skin, meatball, and fishball.

Dry Curry Mee 4/5

We also tried the Dry Curry Mee ($6.90), where yellow noodles are doused in a robust and creamy curry sauce and topped with char siu slices and french beans, along with tau pok and shredded chicken. Like the Selayang Big Bowl Curry Noodle, the spiciness was slightly tamer, but the dishes were still very satisfying.

Hometown Prawn Paste Fried Chicken 4.2/5

The Prawn Paste Fried Chicken ($10.80), better known as 'Har Cheong Gai', is crisp on the outside and succulent on the inside, with a pleasant prawn paste aroma. The wings packed a punch full of flavours from its special shrimp paste batter.

Chendol 4.5/5

To end off the meal on a sweet note, we had the Chendol ($3.50). It has a good amount of gula melaka without being overly sweet and has a nice brown sugar and coconut fragrance. The generous amount of red beans and chewy green jelly toppings also added a nice textural contrast to the dessert.

Words and photos by Crystal. A girl who likes to eat, photograph, and write about food, and dreams about travelling around the world one day. Note: This is an invited tasting.


Nan Yang Dao (南洋岛)
Blk 262 Serangoon Central
#01-85
Singapore: 550262
Tel: +65 65131750
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Nearest MRT: Serangoon (CC Line, NE Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 10am - 9pm
Sat-Sun: 9am - 9pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Serangoon MRT station. Take Exit E.Turn left and walk down Serangoon Central. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 mintues. [Map]

Rempapa @ Park Place Residences at PLQ - Chef Damian D'Silva Opens All-Day Singapore Heritage Cuisine Restaurant

I have been following Chef Damian D'Silva heritage cooking when he had a stall at Timbre+ Ayer Rajah, followed by Folklore and Restaurant Kin. But, unfortunately, he didn't stay long at any one place. Hence I was glad to hear he is making a come back with a new restaurant - Rempapa at Park Place Residences at PLQ. Rempapa offers an all-day dining concept where the eclectic menu caters for different times of day - Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch, and Dinner.

Chickpea Curry with Roti/ String Hoppers 4.2/5

Available for both breakfast and brunch is the Chickpea Curry ($18) with either Roti or String Hoppers. Perked up by the addition of Kashmiri chilli powder and turmeric powder, it is an aromatic combo of Indian and Eurasian curry flavours. It's best to have it with the buttery crisp roti or let the string hoppers soak up the delicious curry.

Sri Lankan Chicken Curry with String Hoppers 4/5

I know Chef Damian can cook many cuisines, but Sri Lankan is new to me. The Sri Lankan Chicken Curry with String Hoppers ($16) is milder with tender kampong chicken thigh. Traditionally, Sri Lankan curry is a more watery kind of gravy that is perfect for the string hoppers, commonly known in Singapore as idiyappam or putu mayam, to soak up the curry.

Stir-fried Chee Cheong Fun 3.5/5

Chee Cheong Fun is a trending dish in the food scene this year, with several hawker stalls selling it, but they all sell the steamed version. Over at Rempapa, there is the stir-fried version. The Stir-fried Chee Cheong Fun ($13) is fried together with prawn, egg, and yellow chive. It is similar to our local white carrot cake replaced with smooth and soft rice noodle roll.

Seafood Curry Mee 4.8/5

The Seafood Curry Mee ($18) available during lunch and brunch comprises yellow noodles, bee hoon, pig skin, boiled prawns, fish cake, fresh cockles (optional), long tau pok and beansprouts. According to Chef Damian, his interpretation is from a Hokkien hawker dish served during the 1920s and 1930s. He has used his own curry powder blend for more subtle spice flavours. Sand prawns and dry shrimps are used to make the stock instead of coconut milk, resulting in a rich and umami soup base which I drank to the last drop.

Fish Nasi Lemak 4.2/5

Fried Chicken 4.5/5

The Nasi Lemak ($17) comes with either Fish or Fried Chicken. The fragrant coconut rice is accompanied by sambal, silver fish, egg and cucumber. Customers who opted for the fish nasi lemak gets a whole selar fish which is enormous! I prefer the fried chicken nasi lemak, which is comparable to the popular fried chicken nasi lemak from The Coconut Club.

Fried Chicken Curry Rice 4/5

To introduce heritage cuisine to the younger generation, Chef Damian introduces them to heritage flavours by giving the dish a modern presentation. He believes the food needs to be accepted by them first before trying and learning more about heritage cuisine. Hence, he has come up with the Fried Chicken Curry Rice ($16), presented as a Japanese curry with kaarage, combing the essences of Eurasian, Peranakan, Indian, Malay and Chinese cuisines.

Kedongdong Salad 4.5/5

For the dinner menu, the dishes are more communal. The menu is different from the breakfast, lunch and brunch menus. We had the Kedongdong Salad ($15) to kick start our dinner. I am not strange to the wing bean salad as Chef has served it before in his previous restaurant. However, the new version is less spicy, and he has added more shrimp floss.

Baca Assam 4.8/5

The Baca Assam ($38) is a dish that Chef Damian's granddad cooked only on special occasions. It is a lost Eurasian heritage dish that is a mix of Peranakan and Indian flavours. Beef brisket is used, and I enjoyed the tenderness. The addition of tamarind gives the beef brisket the tanginess, which cuts the richness and whetted the appetite.

Lamb Leg Rendang 3/5

The Lamb Leg Rendang ($38) is a classic Minangkabau dish cooked in a mix of wet spice paste. Unfortunately, while I enjoyed the rempah, the boneless lamb leg came across on the dry side.

Slow-cooked Belly Pork with Ah Seng Sauce 4.2/5

It is not all about Chef Damian's family recipes at Rempapa. The restaurant also showcases heritage recipes shared by the younger chefs to motivate their immersion into heritage cuisine. The Slow-cooked Belly Pork with Ah Seng Sauce ($23) is a heritage Hokkien dish that hails from Penang. The soul has to be the mildly spicy sauce on top of the pork belly. It is like having mala xiang gou.

Kueh Platter 4.5/5

Not to be missed at Rempapa is the daily assortment of kuehs. The Kueh Platter ($6 for 4pc, $10 for 8pc, $15 for 12pc) includes favourites such as Kueh Kosui and Kueh Ku, Kueh Bengkah, Pulut Bengkah, Talam Keladi, Sago Ubi, Lapis Pulot, Rempah Udang and others available on the day.

Rempapa is unlike any of Chef Damian's previous restaurants. At the new restaurant, Chef Damian introduces his 'Singapore New Heritage Cuisine', in which recipes drawn from the soul of tradition are reinvented with elements of different ethnicities to create flavour profiles that resonate with today's diner. Rempapa is not just a restaurant. It is the place where Chef Damian elevates Singapore heritage food to a status among the world's great cuisines. And where 'cultural sustainability' is nurtured through engaging the next generation of diners and mentoring fresh talent, seeing them take pride in Singapore cuisine and driving it to the next level.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


Rempapa
2 Paya Lebar Road
#01-01/02/03
Park Place Residences at PLQ
Singapore 409053
Tel: +65 94591603
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Nearest MRT: Paya Lebar (CC Line, EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 1030am - 1030pm
Sat-Sun, PH: 930am - 1030pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Paya Lebar MRT station. Take Exit E. Walk to Sims Avenue. Cross the road. Walk to Park Place Residences. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

Ah Heng Curry Chicken Bee Hoon Mee @ Queen Street - Popular Curry Noodle In the Heart Of Bugis

After numerous missed opportunities, I finally get to try Ah Heng Curry Chicken Been Hoon Mee at Queen Street. Many people has told me that it is comparable to the popular Heng Kee Curry Chicken Bee Hoon Mee at Hong Lim Food Centre. In fact, each has its own fans. For me, I finally can say I have tried probably the best two curry chicken been hoon mee stalls in Singapore.

I heard Ah Heng has already retired. During my visit, a young man was behind the stall at Queen Street cooking the bowl of noodle assisted by an old couple. By the way there is also a Ah Heng Curry Chicken Been Hoon Mee at Hong Lim Food Centre run by Ah Heng's nephew, while another nephew runs the other stall at Golden Shoe Complex.

Curry Chicken Noodle 4/5

I had the Curry Chicken with Yellow Noodle as well as the Bee Hoon. Each bowl ranges from $4 to $6. I personally preferred the yellow noodle over the bee hoon. I like how the curry gravy seems to cling on to the yellow noodle more, coating each strand of the noodles. Compared to Heng Kee, I find the curry gravy lighter and less intense. In  a way more drinkable.

The bowl of curry noodle comes with chunky pieces of chopped poached chicken, tau pok, fish cakes and potatoes. I like the generosity in the serving but I though the the chicken was a bit on the tough side. What I like most is actually the puffy tau pok that soaked up the gravy and has a good bite to it.

After trying both Heng Kee and Ah Heng, I felt that they are of two different schools. Heng Kee's curry gravy is richer, robust and more lemak while Ah Heng's version is lighter, drinkable and more refine. End of day it is really up to individual's preference.


Ah Heng Curry Chicken Bee Hoon Mee
QS269 Food House
Blk 269B Queen Street
#01-235
Singapore 182269
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Nearest MRT: Bugs (DT Line, EW Line), Bencoolen (DT Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 930am - 10pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Bugis MRT station. Take Exit C. Walk to traffic light junction. Cross the road. Turn left and walk to Bugis+. Cut through the building to Queen Street. Cross the road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 6 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Bencoolen MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk down Bencoolen Street to the junction of Bencoolen Street and Middle Road. Turn road onto Middle Road. Walk down Middle Road. Turn left onto Waterloo Street. Walk towards Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho temple. Walk to block 268B. Walk to destination. Journey time about 8 minutes. [Map]

Truly Test Kitchen @ Jun Jie Industrial Building (Macpherson Road)

The two young hawkerpreneurs that have started Truly Curry Rice at Telok Blangah Drive Food Centre has closed their stall and made a bold expansion move, taking over an entire coffee shop inside an industrial building at Kampong Ampat with a rather hip name - Truly Test Kitchen. Located on level seven of the industrial building, Truly Test Kitchen is a concept that consists of Truly Curry Rice, and another 3 other stalls - Truly Western, Mian and Handmade Meatball Porridge.

Hainanese Curry Rice 4/5

I was quite amazed to see the inner rice clean of gravy, after sitting there for quite some time with gravy coated all over. That to me was already a huge plus. The consistency of the curry allows it to just glaze the rice without drowning it. It is flavourful yet not overpowering the other dishes. I highly recommend their braised dishes - Radish, Chap Chye and Bittergourd.

Curry Chicken Noodle 3.5/5

Homely Noodle 3.5/5

From the Mian Stall, we had Homely Noodle and Curry Chicken Noodle. I have never seen such a huge portion for only $3.50. After observing that most customers working in the area will head straight to the rice stall without giving the noodles or porridge stall a chance. The two hawkerpreneurs increased the portion for a value return to counter that. Hence, both noodles and porridge are made extremely hearty to satiate their hunger. Homely Noodle is something that comforts your soul, while the Curry Chicken Noodle sets to fire your energy for the rest of the afternoon.

Homemade Pumpkin Cakes 3.8/5

Their Homemade Pumpkin Cakes are also worth trying. They are slightly differently from the usual. Crispy on the outside soft on the inside, the special sauce and chilli at the side make it extra moreish.

Meatball Porridge 3.8/5

Chunky homemade meatballs and velvety porridge, the liking for their Porridge is unanimous.  Thick and gluey, this hearty porridge is slow cooked for 2 hours to achieve such consistency. Hence, you wouldn't see your porridge turning watery till your last drop. That happens when potato starch was being added to quicken the thickening process. 

Chicken Chop Baked Rice 3.5/5

Chicken Chop 4/5

From Truly Western, their Baked Rice, Chicken Chop and Chicken Waffle ($4.50 each) are their popular dishes. Their baked rice is more towards the Hong Kong style. Perhaps it's the batter, I must say their Chicken Chop is really good, hence be it we had it by itself or as Chicken Chop Baked Rice, both were equally satisfying.  Their pasta, however, pale in comparison.

Pasta 2.8/5

Their Chicken Waffle ($4.50) may excite you as much as it had excited our table. Isn't it interesting to see how hawker food has evolved?  Some may see it in a negative way but such evolution may give people a chance to taste new things that is almost out of their imagination. This particular dish actually made an old couple coming back for it consecutively everyday for weeks!

Chicken Waffle 4/5

Joel and Deniece, former forex traders and colleagues, are the two young people who made it happened, barely after a couple of years after Deniece's dad handed over the hawker stall at Telok Blangah Food Centre to them. They took over the defunct coffeeshop on the 7th storey of the industrial building, spent months to get the entire space up and running, to what you see today. Hungry for success, you can see that in their eyes.

I can't imagine how this place was like back before Joel and Deniece took over, but to see so much energy going on at a level so high up in an industrial building on a Saturday, Truly Test Kitchen has definitely breathed a new lease of life into this place.

Written by Si An. A girl who is allured by travelling, loves the feel of freedom, smell of the rain and the aroma of fine coffee and food.



[CLOSED]
Truly Test Kitchen
Jun Jie Industrial Building
153 Kampong Ampat
#07-05
Singapore 368326
Nearest MRT: Tai Seng (CC Line), Aljunied (EW Line)

Opening Hours
Mon-Sat: 7am - 2pm
(Closed on Sun)

Direction: 
1) Alight at Tai Seng MRT station. Take Exit B.Walk down Harper Road. Turn right onto Playfair Road and then left onto Mactaggart Road. Walk to the end of Mactaggart Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 10 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Aljunied MRT station. Take Exit B. Cross the overhead bridge. Walk to bus stop opposite Aljunied MRT station (Stop ID 81081). Take bus number 62. Alight 5 stops later. Walk to Kampong Ampat road. Turn left onto Kampong Ampat road. Continue on Kampong Ampat. Walk to destination. Journey time about 20 minutes. [Map]