The Coco Rice @ Tiong Bahru Food Centre - From Selling Nasi Lemak Cake At Home To Opening A Hawker Stall

Aries Chan made a name for herself with her home-based business - Nasi Lemak Indulgence, selling Nasi Lemak Cake. From the comfort of her home, she has opened a hawker stall - The Coco Rice at Tiong Bahru Food centre selling Blue Pea Nasi Lemak Sets.

The hawker stall offers four different sets. The four sets on the menu are Sambal Lady Finger and Fried Tempeh Bean Curd ($6.90), Fried Chicken Whole Leg with Herbs & Spice ($7.90), Fried Fish with Sambal Kicap Chili ($8.90) and Sambal Prawn with Petai ($9.90). On top of that, you also have the option of adding extra ingredients for an additional cost.

Fried Chicken Whole Leg with Herbs & Spice 4.2/5

I decided to go for the Fried Chicken Whole Leg with Herbs & Spice ($7.90), which comprises blue pea nasi lemak rice, homemade sambal, fried anchovies, fried peanuts, sunny side-up, cucumber and whole fried chicken leg with herbs & spice. I even added a homemade pan-grilled otah patty for an extra $2.

Among the various items on the plate, my favourite is the fragrant and fluffy nasi lemak rice complemented by the sweet and spicy sambal on the side. However, the star has to be the whole fried chicken leg. It is deep-fried to a crispy golden brown accentuated by the marination of the herbs and spices, giving it a lovely aroma.


The Coco Rice
Tiong Bahru Food Centre
Blk 30 Seng Poh Road
#02-58
Singapore 168898
Website
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Nearest MRT: Tiong Bahru (EW Line), Outram (EW Line, NE Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 930am - 5pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Tiong Bahru MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk down Tiong Bahru Road towards Kim Pong Road. Turn right onto Kim Pong Road. Turn left onto Lim Liak Street. Walk down Li Liak Street. Walk to destination. Journey time about 10 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Outram MRT station. Take Exit A or C. Walk to bus stop opposite Outram MRT station (Stop ID 06011). Take bus no. 33, 63, 75, 121, 122, 851 or 970. Alight 1 stop later at Blk 55 Tiong Bahru Road. Walk to destination about 200 meters away. Journey time 8 minutes.  [Map]

Oishii Ristorante @ Frasers Tower - New Japanese-Italian Restaurant Offering Omakase Dinner As Cheap As $53/pax

Opened in June this year at Frasers Tower is Oishii Ristorante offering Italian pizza and pasta with a touch of Japanese ingenuity, alongside donburi and an array of classic Japanese dishes. The Japanese-Italian restaurant also has a splendid selection of Japanese sake, whisky, fine wines, champagne and beer to complement the dishes.

Truffle & Kombu Edamame 3.5/5

We started with Truffle & Kombu Edamame ($10), an ideal snack to munch on before the rest of the food is served.

Oishii Salad $12

Our salad of the day is an Heirloom of Tomatoes. I enjoyed the tomatoes' sweetness a lot, brightened by the ponzu-like sauce.

Truffle Mushroom & Seaweed Rigatoni 3.8/5

Pasta lovers will adore the Truffle Mushroom & Seaweed Rigatoni ($20) that has been perfectly cooked to a delightful al dente texture. Accompanying the beautiful dish are sauteed mushrooms in a miso truffle cream sauce, topped with nori seaweed.

Unagi & Corn Pizza 4/5

From the paste, we move to another Italian staple - pizza. We picked the Unagi & Corn Pizza ($22). The eight-inch white sauce pizza is topped with unagi, corn, tobiko and nori. The fusion combination works for me, giving the traditional pizza topping a new take.

Yuzu Miso Salmon & Ikura Don 4/5

From Italy, we moved to the Japanese's Donburi. We had the Yuzu Miso Salmon & Ikura Don ($28) brimming with fresh Atlantic salmon, ikura, onsen egg, tobiko, olives, pickled mustard greens and cucumbers. I appreciate the yuzu miso marination for the salmon and ikura. It enlivens the enjoyment of the rice bowl.

Salmon Tartare 4.2/5

It seems like the chef likes to use yuzu in his cooking. Yuzu is also used in the Salmon Tartare ($20), brightening the seasoned fresh diced salmon and served with tamago, tobiko and Pistachio nuts.

Ribeye & Pesto 4/5

Another beautiful dish on the menu is the Ribeye & Pesto ($18, 120g). On top of the char on the exterior of the binchotan grilled ribeye, I can taste a hint of sweetness to the medium-rare beef. It seems like it has been marinated in some sweet marinade, giving it the sweetness, paired with house-made pesto.

Yuzu Choc Tart 4.2/5

Wrapping up our dinner is Yuzu Choc Tart ($16). Another item on the menu shows the chef loves to work with yuzu. Usually, I have chocolate with orange, but yuzu is the first for me. I enjoy the yuzu curd and chocolate ganache combination more. The flavours are more prominent.

For those looking for a unique experience at Oishii Ristorante, you can go for the Japanese-Italian fusion omakase at an attractive price of $80/pax during lunch and dinner at $53/pax for 7 courses and $76/pax for 9 courses. It is not a typo error! The dinner omakase is cheaper than the lunch omakase!

Note: This is an invited tasting.


Oishii Ristorante
Frasers Tower
182 Cecil Street
#01-05
Singapore 069547
Tel: +65 62327890
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Website
Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Sat: 113am - 1030pm
(Closed on Sun)

Direction:
1) Alight at Tanjong Pagar MRT station. Take Exit G. Walk to destination. Journey time about 4 minutes. [Map]