FIVE TEN @ South Bridge Road - It Felt Like I Am Having a Hearty And Comforting Dinner At Home

All these years I have not been a big fan of tapas or small plate concept because I find the portion not only small but overpriced. However with Five Ten entering the dining scene, this has broken the mould with a new concept inspired by Taiwanese street food, putting customers' pockets first without scrimping on quality. What is more attractive is the pricing. Every item on the menu is priced at $5 or $10.

Fried Smashed Potatoes 3.5/5

We started with some light appetizers to kick start the night. We have the Fried Smashed Potatoes ($5). The baby potatoes are deep fried and sprinkled with chilli and white pepper spice to enhance the flavour of the starch. I also like that it has the skin on for that extra texture.

Fried Chicken 4.2/5

The Fried Chicken ($5) marinated with sesame and soy was deep fried to a nice crisp especially with the skin on. Paired the tender and juicy fried chicken morsel with the nori mayonnaise for that extra oomph.

Braised Intestines 3/5

You can tell Five Ten is different from the usual western tapas places when there is Braised Intestines ($10) on the menu. The large pork intestines which is topped with fried ginger and fresh grated garlic comes in a rich and intense braised sauce which was rather heavy on the salt during my visit. While so, it went well with the bowl of rice.

Grilled Squid 4/5

For seafood there is the Grilled Squid ($10). Grilled to a nice smokey aroma, the squid was tender and bouncy. Top with dashi and give the calamansi a squeeze for an elevated enjoyment.

Pork Ribs 3/5

I mentioned that Five Ten puts customers' pockets first without scrimping on quality, as well as quantity too. Compare to a similar dish down the road, 2 pork ribs costs $16 while I can get 3 pieces here. The sous vide Pork Ribs ($10) is glazed with hoisin sauce and topped with sesame. It also comes with some puckled Chinese cabbage to cut through the richness. The pork ribs were really fork tender, falling off the bone with ease. However I thought the hoisin sauce was a bit salty. I needs to be toned down a bit.

Lu Rou 4.8/5

The dinner at Five Ten got even better with the Lu Rou ($10) which is highly recommended by the staff. The pork belly is well braised in a housemade soy sauce. For a mere $10, it comes with 2 huge pieces of melted in the mouth pork belly. This is so good and value for money. It is a must try here.

Steak 4.5/5

Nothing fancy but simply showcasing the beautiful piece of Steak ($10) cooked to a beautiful pink. The seared sirloin, slightly charred and bursting with its natural sweetness is another worthy dish to order from the menu.

Fried Milk 3.5/5

I have enjoyed my dinner experience at Five Ten. Eating rice from a porcelain bowl and using chopsticks to share our small plates. The whole experience felt like I am having dinner at home with my friend. As we went to Five Ten during dinner time, we did not get to try the rice bowls which is priced at $10 per bowl, and available for lunch up to 530pm. Definitely will try to drop by if I am in the vicinity for lunch.

Note: This is an invited tasting. 


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Five Ten
237 South Bridge Road
Singapore 058786
Tel: +65 69247352
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Nearest MRT: Chinatown (DT Line, NE Line)

Opening Hours:
Tue-Sat: 10am - 10pm
Sun: 10am - 230pm
(Closed on Mon)

Direction: 
1) Alight at Chinatown MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk straight down Pagoda Street to South Bridge Road. Cross the road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

Sheng Yi Fa Lor Mee (生益发卤面) @ West Coast Drive - The Popular Clementi Lor Mee Stall Is Back

For those who stay in the West, you probably will know about Sheng Yi Fa Lor Mee (生益发卤面) at Blk 443 Clementi Ave 3 (Clementi Central). There is always a snaking queue at the stall and they are sold out slightly after noon. It is with great joy to announce that the Lor Mee Uncle and Aunty has come out of retirement after almost a year and re-opened the stall at Blk 501 West Coast Drive. They are at the same coffeeshop where Ah Hoe Mee Pok is located.

Lor Mee 4.8/5

I have a brief chat with the stall uncle when he was taking a break. He told me that his son wanted to learn the recipe and skill and pursued him to come out of retirement. His son also rooted in a partner who helps out at the stall when I visited the stall. Uncle told me that his son still holds a day job. He will come in the early morning to help out in the prep work and cooking, leaving in the late morning for his day job.

A basic bowl of Lor Mee starts from $4 which comes with braised pork belly, deep fried dumpling, ngor hiang and fried fish nugget. I have the $5 bowl which comes with extra ingredients. The lor mee here does not come with fishcake or braised egg. You have to pay an additional $0.70 for a braised egg. I noticed a different in the bowl of lor mee now. Uncle has added the bowl of noodle with crunchy flour bits for that extra texture. Customers can help themselves to their liking of chilli, ginger and black vinegar.

Most lor mee gravy is brown in colour, gooey and at times even lumpy. However at Sheng Yi Fa Lor Mee, the gravy is actually dark coloured, almost black. It looks similar to those beef noodle gravy. The gravy is smooth and comes with a lot of depth. Another different compared to elsewhere is the used of braised pork belly which is beautiful cooked to a nice tender.

I am really glad that uncle has come out from retirement. Every slurp of the delicious noodle brought back that fond memories of the familiar taste which I have missed so much. I really hope his son and partner are able to pick up the skill and continue his legacy.


Sheng Yi Fa Lor Mee
Blk 501 West Coast Drive
Singapore 120501
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Nearest MRT: Clementi (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Tue: 7am - 2pm
Thu-Sun: 7am - 2pm
(Closed on Wed)

Direction:
1) Alight at Clementi MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to bus stop at Clementi MRT station (Stop ID 17171). Take bus number 78. Alight 5 stops later. Cross the road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 18 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Clementi MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to Clementi Bus Interchange. (Stop ID 17009). Take bus number 285. Alight 5 stops later. Cross the road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 18 minutes. [Map]