Singapore Chinese Dialect Heritage Food Trail, Singapore Food Festival 2014

This year Singapore Food Festival 2014 kick started at the Chinatown Food Street. The 10 days festival from 11 July to 20 July 2014 will see events at different parts of Singapore featuring an array of dining experiences and cuisine.

Themed as A Walk Down Memory Lane, it is even more appropriate to launch the event at the heart of Chinatown where our ancestors came to the shore of Singapore from various part of China bringing along their different dialect group's cuisine.

For this year Singapore Food Festival 2014 at Chinatown, a Singapore Chinese Dialect Heritage Food Trail has been specially designed to introduce 20 Chinese dialect dishes that are not commonly found now.

From the Hakka Chinese dialect group, one can try dishes such as Red Glutinous Wine Chicken, Traditional Hakka Yong Tau Foo, Abacus Seeds, Salted Egg Steam Meat, Stir Fried Pork Wrapped in Lettuce. The Cantonese Chinese dialect group will feature Deep Fried Taro Dumpling, Paper Wrapped Chicken, Pig Trotter with Vinegar and Ginger.

The Hokkien Chinese dialect group, you will find Richshaw Noodle, Wa Kueh, Tapioca Starch Kway Teow, Kong Bak Pau While you can frind Yam Paste, Sweet & Savoury Glutinous Rice and Pork Aspic from the Teochew Chinese dialect group.

Lastly from the Hainanese Chinese dialect group, you can savour dishes such as Hainanese Chicken Rice Ball, Hainanese Herbal Mutton Soup and Vermicelli with Cuttlefish & Chives. The food trail also features 2 very traditional item such as the Bird's Nest Drink and Ice Ball.

Do head down to the Chinatown Food Street from 11 July to 20 July 2014 to check out these different Chinese dialect group's dishes Informative boards will also be put up to explain the significance of the 20 dishes that is specially selected to be featured in this year Singapore Chinese Dialect Heritage Food Trail in conjunction of the Singapore Food Festival 2014.

For more information on Singapore Food Festival 2014, please visit SFF Website.

The Lokal @ Neil Road

With new cafes opening in various part of Singapore every couple of weeks, cafe hopping has become a trend and in a way a sort of competition in who is the first to discover any new cafe. I may not be the first to discover The Lokal but it definitely is one the latest cafes to be opened in the cafe scene in Singapore. Opened by Chef owner Darren Farr, one of the founding chefs of Tetsuya in Sydney, it has been gaining many good reviews in both their coffee and food.

Latte & Mocha 4.5/5

The coffee at The Lokal uses Sarnies coffee beans. I have not been to Sarnies but it was my privilege to meet K-Man at The Lokal who even made our Latte ($5.5) and Mocha ($6). Managed to have brief chat with him and I can feel the passion in him. The coffee itself was smooth, aromatic and had a nice body with just the right acidity.

Pork Belly Burger 3.8/5

Who eats a Pork Belly Burger ($23) for breakfast? Ha not me but for photography seek I had to have a heavy breakfast. When I saw the pork belly burger delivered to my table, it instantly reminds me of the fish burger at GRUB. While I thought the pork belly could be more tender, nevertheless it was a good burger with spinach, scrambled eggs and beetroots.

Sticky Date Pudding 4.2/5

In my second visit, I tried the Sticky Date Pudding which was really good. Served warmed and drenched in a chocolate with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, it was just too inviting. The pudding was really moist, eaten with the chocolate and ice cream only one word to describe it, heavenly.

The Lokal definitely has the right formula with its beautiful decorated space, good coffee and great food is what I described as a total package for a cafe to be successful. No wonders food bloggers and cafe hoppers on social media has been raving about the new cafe. Patrons who wish to check out the cafe need to take note that kitchen is closed at 330pm although it will be opened until 6pm on weekdays.


The Lokal
136 Neil Road
Singapore 088865
Tel: +65 64239918
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thelokalsingapore
Website: http://www.thelokalsingapore.com/
Nearest MRT: Outram Park (EW Line, NE Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon: 8am - 6pm
Tue-Fri: 8am - 1030pm
Sat: 9am - 1030pm
Sun: 9am - 4pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Outram Park MRT station. Take Exit H. Turn left onto Teo Hong Road. At the end of Teo Hong Road turn left and continue on Bukit Pasoh Road. Walk to the end of the road. The Lokal is on the right side at the end of the road. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]