Laifa Bar @ The Scarlet Hotel - What A Steal, $5.50 Wanton Mee At A Hotel

Laifa Bar at The Scarlet Hotel is a wine bar turned noodle house, serving traditional wanton noodle, dumplings and complementary sides. Equipped with recipes handed to him by his grandmother, who used to be a hawker herself selling homemade taupok and wanton noodle back in the 1970s, chef-owner Royce Lee fine-tunes them and bring the traditional dishes to the table with a touch of modernity and bettered flavours.

Wanton Noodle 4.2/5

The Wanton Noodle ($5.50) is what first brought many to Laifa Bar. With its hearty portion, meaty wantons and springy noodles, there is no reason why one won't return for more. The original sauce used to toss the noodle is flavoursome, but I suggest adding a little of the special chilli sauce that comes bright orange in a bottle. True to its colour, it brightens up the dish with zest and heat. The dry wanton noodle doesn't come with soup which is prepared in a limited portion daily but will be served to you upon request.

Char Siew & Crispy Pork Noodle 4.5/5

However, what's even more superior than the wanton noodle I find, is the Char Siew & Crispy Pork Noodle ($7.50). Keeping to the tradition of a wanton noodle, the char siew used for Wanton Noodle is of a leaner cut, whereas for this bowl, a thicker and fattier part of the meat is served. One look at the burnt ends and you know they are well caramelised. I love the smokey charred fats! The crispy pork didn't disappoint too. The meat and fats were as unctuous, laced with a layer of crispy skin.

Dumpling Soup 4.2/5

The Dumpling Soup ($7.50) is another winner. The minced meat and prawn filling was not overmixed, resulting in a really juicy, loosely packed and tender dumpling.

Taupok 4/5

The sides here are pretty strong too. The Taupok ($8.00) surprised me with their airiness, alongside a well seasoned and tender minced meat filling.

Wanton in Red Chilli Oil 4.5/5

The spice-laden concoction of the red-chilli oil of the Wanton in Red-Chilli Oil ($8.00) is by far the most piquant I have tried. It strikes a perfect balance of spice, tang and sweetness, and it tasted so good over my noodles!

Egg Slice 3/5

The Egg Slice ($7.00) is an egg loaf made using flour and egg, and the way it is being executed gives it an almost hash brown-like texture.

Ngoh Hiong 3.8/5

The skinny Ngoh Hiong ($7.00) was interesting with a chewy texture, but the spices were a little strong for me.

Overall, I'm rather impressed by how satiable the food is at Laifa Bar, especially given that local fare is not the intended concept of this space.

Words 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. Note: This is an invited tasting.


Laifa Bar
The Scarlet Hotel
33 Erskine Road
Singapore 069333
Tel: +65 84392104
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Nearest MRT: Telok Ayer (DT Line), Tanjong Pagar (EW Line), Chinatown (DT Line, NE Line)

Opening Hours:
Tue-Thu, Sun: 1030am - 430pm
Fri-Sat: 1030am - 830pm
(Closed on Mon)

Direction:
1) Alight at Telok Ayer MRT station. Take Exit A. Turn left and walk down Cross Street. Turn left onto Amoy Street. Continue to the end of Amoy Street. Climb the stairs beside Siang Cho Keong Temple, up Ann Siang Hill. Walk to destination. Journey time about 12 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Tanjong Pagar MRT station. Take Exit G. Walk down Maxwell Road towards Kadayanallur Street (beside URA building). Turn right onto Kadayanallur Street. Walk to destination. Journey time about 12 minutes. [Map]

Town Restaurant @ The Fullerton Hotel Singapore - Experience Local & International Cuisine Sunday Brunch

Sit back, relax and toast to a Sunday brunch at Town Restaurant, situated in The Fullerton Hotel. Guests get to enjoy delicious brunch staples like Egg Benedict alongside irresistible favourites such as Chilled Maine Lobsters and Scallops, Grilled Angus Striploin, Slow-Roasted Lamb Leg scented with Rosemary and Garlic, and more.

With the current ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, The Fullerton Hotel has set up rigorous cleanliness practices and safe distancing measures at their restaurants to ensure that diners can experience an enhanced level of protection. Guests will experience a whole new different way of enjoying buffets in these unprecedented times, as ala-carte dishes can only be ordered from the menu, which will then be freshly prepared by the chefs upon order and delivered to your table. But of course, dishes will be free-flow for the duration of the buffet!

Chilled Seafood Delight 4/5

First, we kickstart the buffet with some crustacean delights from the starters menu. The Chilled Seafood Delight comprises a half Maine lobster, tiger prawns, half-shell scallops, snow crab legs and Venus clams.

Omakase Makimono 3.8/5

We had the Omakase Makimono - with a selection of maki rolls including the lobster & avocado salad maki roll, spicy tempura ebi roll and California maki, as well as the selection of sushi which consists of Hamachi, Norwegian salmon, octopus and yellowfin tuna. While fresh Hamachi, Norwegian salmon, yellowfin tuna is served on the sashimi platter for the seafood lovers.

Butcher Block Charcuterie 3.8/5

Moving on to the Butcher Block Charcuterie, it is a must-order for the cheese lovers for the mini platter of Parma ham, duck rillettes, saucisson, bresaola with freshly baked olive & rosemary focaccia.

Lan Zhou Hand Pulled La Mian Noodles 4.2/5

Traditional Malay-Style Grilled Chicken & Beef Satays 4/5

Not to be missed is the selection of their local favourites. The Lan Zhou Hand Pulled La Mian Noodles comes in a flavourful rich broth, with tender-braised wagyu beef cheek, Szechuan chilli, and scallion oil. We also had the Traditional Malay-Style Grilled Chicken & Beef Satays with Ketupat and chunky peanut sauce which adds a rich nutty flavour to the satays.

Dim Sum Selection 3.8/5

From the dim sum selection, they have the Steamed Crystal Prawn Dumplings, Chicken Siew Mai, and the Hong King-Style Char Siew Pau.

BBQ Hong Kong Roasts 4.2/5

From the BBQ Hong Kong Roasts selection, we had the Five-spiced Roasted Duck, Crispy Crackling Pork Belly, and Honey Glazed Char Siew. The tender roast meats are best paired with the Town Signature Tender-Poached Chicken Rice with house-made chilli and ginger.

Spaghetti Vongole with White Wine Fresh Clams and Chilli 3.8/5

For something substantial, opt for their meats from the grill, as well as pasta and pizza from the Italian corner. The Italian classic of Spaghetti Vongole with White Wine Fresh Clams and Chilli was quite balanced with a light briny, garlicky aroma, and a subtle tinge of chilli.

Grilled Angus Striploin 4.2/5

From the grill station, the Grilled Angus Striploin was one of my favourite dishes, which was cooked to perfect medium-rare doneness, and the addition of mousseline potato, smoked mustard and au just elevated the dish. Another highlight is the potato, which is made using premium french butter and sea salt for its superb smooth, buttery tones. We ordered additional Potato Mousseline, Broccoli Almondine, Roasted Champigon Mushrooms with thyme, and Signature Truffle Fries with Parmesan to go along with the steak as well.

Because breakfast is an all-day luxury, go for their organic eggs done in 3 different ways, and accompanied with a choice of sides such as mini rosti, crispy bacon and chicken chipolata.

Graham Cracker Key Lime Tart, Mango Pana Cotta & Exotic Macaroon Platter 4/5

We ended the meal on a sweet note with their Graham Cracker Key Lime Tart, Mango Pana Cotta & Exotic Macaroon Platter. Of the three, we fancied the Mango Pana Cotta the most for its lightly sweet but not cloying fruity flavours, as well as its soft and smooth texture. From the dessert menu, there is also an assortment of Nyonya Kueh, Classic Crème Brulee, selection of tropical fruits, cheese platter, and ice cream & sorbet available as well.

Kids^ Dine Free till 30 August 2020
The Fullerton Club Members enjoy 20% discount# on Sunday Brunch.

S$173* per adult
with free-flow of house wine, Champagne, Bloody Mary, Gin & Tonic and Negroni

S$120* per adult
with free-flow of chilled juices and soft drinks

Photos and words 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.


Town Restaurant
The Fullerton Hotel Singapore
1 Fullerton Square
Singapore 049178
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Nearest MRT: Raffles Place (EW Line, NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Breakfast (Daily): 630am - 1030am
Sunday Brunch: 1230pm - 330pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Raffles Place MRT Station. Take Exit H. Turn right and walk towards the river. At the river, turn right again and walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes [Map]