Western Boy: All under $8, with giant, juicy chicken portions at Toa Payoh stall
My dining companion commented that this hawker centre had 'the cleanest tables [she's] seen in [her] life'. I also appreciated the open-air vibe and bountiful plants surrounding it, allowing us to enjoy our meal in a cooling space.
Western food wouldn't be my usual choice of cuisine at any hawker centre. But for the seemingly large portions at inexpensive prices (See: Chicken Cutlet w/ Rice & Coleslaw for S$4?!), how could I turn a blind eye?
The owner shared that his stall only opened recently in Mar 2025, but Western Boy's Signature Chicken Chop (S$6.90) has already become a hot favourite with customers. It does take the biggest spot on their signage, so that must count for something, right?
It also took up a really big spot on my plate, but I'm not complaining.
The moment I sliced into it, a mouthwatering mix of the juices from the chicken threatened to burst out. I noticed that the chicken chop didn't resist the knife while we were cutting it, too. Just one clean slice right down the middle.
It was undoubtedly fresh and bursting with fragrant juices between the meaty chunks in my mouth. Okay, pause. Where are they getting their chicken, and how did it remain so tender even after being grilled?
Based on its taupe shade with a sprinkle of black spots, I concluded that it was black pepper sauce lathered over the chicken chop. It did lean towards the sweet side, which overpowered the peppery taste for me. I would've still preferred if it maintained a smokier profile, which I felt would've paired better with the chicken.
Fries and coleslaw were the assigned sides to this dish, but I'd say they took a step back to let the chicken shine.
The fries were thinly cut and remained crispy after cooling down, so kudos to that! Flavour-wise, it was only lightly seasoned with salt, and I felt they could've done with just a little more to counter the overall sweet-ish profile of the plate.
A pet peeve of mine is room temperature coleslaw, which was unfortunately the situation I was faced with here. Nothing to shout about, just a humble portion of crunchy veg coated in a creamy sauce. Regardless, it was a refreshing palate cleanser every 5-ish bites that complemented the rich flavours well.
Seletar Western Food (實里達西餐): Old-school western food under $12 hidden in Seletar
The other dish I tried here was the one and only Chicken Schnitzel w/Spaghetti & Coleslaw (S$7.90). When the uncle first slid this plate over the counter, the only thought in my head was, 'Wow, this looks exactly like it does on the signage'.
This is what dreams are made of: A humongous slab of fried chicken cutlet generously layered with cheese sauce and mayo. Well, my dreams, at least.
It somehow tasted exactly like how I envisioned, possibly even better. Right off the bat, the chicken was super well-seasoned, lending it a balanced savouriness that seeped into the tender cut of meat. Similarly, this cutlet was very well cooked, tearing apart easily with just one chomp down, contributing to a satisfying mouthfeel.
The cheese sauce and mayo were the same-old, but elevated the chicken cutlet with a creamy, cheesy and salty kick that tasted like childhood. Beware, this is a truly addictive combination that I just couldn't put down.
'This tastes exactly like the spaghetti at my JC's Western stall', lamented my dining companion upon our first bite of the cylindrical pasta. From the colour alone, it's obvious that the ratio of pasta to sauce was off, though when I got to the parts more saturated with minced meat, it packed a punch of tomato-y savouriness that made it more enjoyable.
This dish made me feel like I was devouring a kid's meal for the portion of an adult one.
Get the Chicken Schnitzel.
The sides are mostly average, though are by no means inedible. They do offer a nice variation of textures and flavours to balance out the hearty chicken, but I would stick to the fries over spaghetti next time.
Definitely a value-for-money, easy Western fix!
Expected damage: S$4 – S$7.90 per pax
Star Western: Western food from $9 with monster portions
The post Western Boy: All under $8, with giant, juicy chicken portions at Toa Payoh stall appeared first on SETHLUI.com.
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A man and a woman were found dead after a fire broke out in a flat at Block 173 Toa Payoh Lorong 1 on the evening of 22 July. The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said on Facebook later that evening that it responded to the fire at around 7.30pm. The living room was on fire when firefighters arrived at the unit, located on the second floor. The flat was filled with smoke and they extinguished the fire using a water jet. Singaporeans can start claiming their SG60 vouchers in July. Seniors aged 60 and above can claim them from 1 July, while those aged 21 to 59 can claim them starting from 22 July, 10am. The dates were split up to prioritise older Singaporeans to recognise their contributions to the country, and devote more resources in the first three weeks of July to support elderly Singaporeans who need help to claim the vouchers digitally or print them out, said Mayor of the South West District Low Yen Ling. Read more in our live blog below, including the latest local and international news and updates. Singaporeans still hold the world's most powerful passport Singapore has once again tops the Henley Passport Index, allowing Singaporeans to continue being the holder of the world's most powerful passport. According to the latest Henley Passport Index released on 22 July, Singaporeans enjoy visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 193 out of 227 destinations worldwide. This is a slight dip from the 195 destinations recorded in the January 2025 edition of the index, but it was not enough to knock the Republic out of the top spot. Singapore lost visa-free or visa-on-arrival access after Pakistan and Mauritania, a West African nation, changed their visa policies, moving from visa-on-arrival to e-visa systems. Despite the change, Singapore's passport continues to offer its holders exceptional global mobility. Japan and South Korea came in second, with access to 190 destinations. 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The dates were split up to prioritise older Singaporeans to recognise their contributions to the country, and devote more resources in the first three weeks of July to support elderly Singaporeans who need help to claim the vouchers digitally or print them out, said Mayor of the South West District Low Yen Ling. Singaporeans can visit to claim their vouchers. They will be required to log in with their Singpass account before receiving a link via SMS from SenderID ' to access their vouchers. No banking information or financial transactions are required to claim the vouchers. For more information on claiming SG60 vouchers, read here. 2 dead in Toa Payoh flat fire A man and a woman were found dead after a fire broke out in a flat at Block 173 Toa Payoh Lorong 1 on the evening of 22 July. The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said on Facebook later that evening that it responded to the fire at around 7.30pm. 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This is the lowest position ever for the US in the 20-year history of the index. The Henley Passport Index is based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). For more on the passport rankings, read here. Singapore has once again tops the Henley Passport Index, allowing Singaporeans to continue being the holder of the world's most powerful passport. According to the latest Henley Passport Index released on 22 July, Singaporeans enjoy visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 193 out of 227 destinations worldwide. This is a slight dip from the 195 destinations recorded in the January 2025 edition of the index, but it was not enough to knock the Republic out of the top spot. Singapore lost visa-free or visa-on-arrival access after Pakistan and Mauritania, a West African nation, changed their visa policies, moving from visa-on-arrival to e-visa systems. Despite the change, Singapore's passport continues to offer its holders exceptional global mobility. 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The living room was on fire when firefighters arrived at the unit, located on the second floor. The flat was filled with smoke and they extinguished the fire using a water jet. "During the firefighting operation, firefighters found two unresponsive persons inside the unit and immediately carried them out," SCDF said. The police added that a man and a woman were found "lying motionless in a unit and were pronounced dead at the scene by an SCDF paramedic". Cai Yinzhou, an MP for Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC, told reporters that three units on the same floor were affected and HDB has arranged alternative accommodation for the occupants. For more on the Toa Payoh flat fire, read here.
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Holders of this most desirable of travel documents enjoy visa-free access to 193 out of 227 destinations worldwide, more than citizens of any other place on the planet. Naturally, Singapore isn't handing out passports to foreign nationals like candy. Applying for Singaporean citizenship requires at least two years of permanent residency, a review of 'economic contributions' and other qualifications, and compulsory national service for male applicants. South Korea has climbed to join Japan at No.2 in the ranking, with an open door to 190 destinations, ensuring that Asian nations have a solid lead in the global mobility race. The EU member states of Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, and Spain are all at No.3 behind them, in the third tier, along with Finland, with access to 189 destinations with no prior visa needed. Europe holds sway over the fourth position in the rankings, too, which belongs to seven countries: Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal and Sweden. All enjoy visa-free access to 188 destinations. Squeaking into fifth place are Greece, Switzerland and New Zealand, all of which have visa-free access to 187 destinations. At the opposite end of the list, at No. 99, Afghanistan remains locked in bottom place, with visa-free access to just 25 destinations, one fewer than at the start of this year. Syria is at No. 98 (with 27 destinations) and Iraq is at No. 97 (with 30 destinations). That's a yawning mobility gap of 168 destinations between the top- and bottom-ranked passports. The UK has dropped one spot to No. 6 in the rankings, with visa-free access to 186 destinations. Australia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Malta and Poland are tied at No. 7, while Canada, Estonia and the United Arab Emirates are at No. 8. The UAE is one of the biggest success stories on the index, having risen 34 places in the past decade, from No. 42 to eighth place. China has also jumped from No. 94 to No. 60 since 2015, a rise that's been achieved even without visa-free access to the 29 countries in Europe's Schengen Area. Ninth place is shared by Croatia, Latvia, Slovakia and Slovenia, while No.10 is held by Iceland, Lithuania and the United States. The US now has visa-free access to 182 destinations worldwide. In a provision in the Trump administration's recently enacted domestic policy bill, the United States will soon require international visitors to pay a new 'visa integrity fee' of at least $250, added to existing visa application costs. The fee will apply to all visitors who are required to obtain nonimmigrant visas to enter the United States. Critics including the U.S. Travel Association, a national nonprofit organization aimed at increasing travel to the United States, have panned the new visa fee as discouraging to visitors. Christian H. Kaelin, chair of Henley and Partners, said in a release that the latest Henley Passport Index reveals an increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility. 'The consolidation we're seeing at the top underscores that access is earned — and must be maintained — through active and strategic diplomacy,' he said. 'Nations that proactively negotiate visa waivers and nurture reciprocal agreements continue to rise, while the opposite applies to those that are less engaged in such efforts.' Henley & Partners' list is one of several indexes created by financial firms to rank global passports according to the access they provide to their citizens. Arton Capital's Passport Index takes into consideration the passports of 193 United Nations member countries and six territories — Taiwan, Macao, Hong Kong, Kosovo, the Palestinian territories and the Vatican. Territories annexed to other countries are excluded. It's also updated in real-time throughout the year and its data is gathered by close monitoring of individual governments' portals. Arton's Global Passport Power Rank 2025 puts the United Arab Emirates in the top spot, with a visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 179. Second place is held by Spain, with a score of 176. Singapore (193 destinations) Japan, South Korea (190) Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain (189) Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Sweden (188) Greece, New Zealand, Switzerland (187) United Kingdom (186) Australia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Malta, Poland (185) Canada, Estonia, United Arab Emirates (184) Croatia, Latvia, Slovakia, Slovenia (183) Iceland, Lithuania, United States (182)
