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Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Michelin Bib stalls join in Raffles City's reopened food court
The reopening of The Food Place at Raffles City brings a 20-stall array that's bound to satisfy your cravings. The crowds were at an all-time high as I took in all the new stalls that had set up in the new storefront. A concept by Food Republic, The Food Place aims to combine Michelin-recognised brands with food court prices. Among these renowned names is Mon Kee Café, responsible for authentic Hong Kong cha chan teng-style recipes. They are especially famous for their scrambled egg rice, featuring various cooked meats enveloped within a layer of fluffy egg. The Scrambled Egg Rice with Homemade Sweet Sauce (S$8.50) was a plate of true indulgence. The soupy sauce was drizzled generously, coating the entirety of the omelette. Paired with the thick slices of char siew, each bite was a balance of sweet and savoury. I love how the scrambled eggs were still slightly moist, adding a velvety texture as they mix with the rice. A dish like this can only be called comforting! Ever wondered what stars like Jay Chou, Alan Tam and Bosco Wong enjoy during lunch? Well, come for a taste of Ju Xing Fish then! They're the first sauerkraut fish express concept by Ju Xing Home: a Hong Kong restaurant awarded the Michelin Bib Gourmand for 6 years since 2018. This Sauerkraut Fish Soup (S$13.80) features crunchy grass carp. The sour and slightly spicy soup whets the appetite. I was pleasantly surprised by the texture of the fish. It was meaty and light, enhanced by the acidity of the soup. Smash burger fans, you're going to love this one. Smash by BurgerLabo brings their juicy, umami-rich burgers to The Food Place's reopening. The Smash Burger (S$16.80) was filled with pickled onions, two thick beef patties, and a creamy sauce. It also came with a side of salted fries that were fried to crisp perfection. Seared on a griddle till a crust is formed, the minced beef turns an appetising caramel brown. So, if you're not sure of what to eat, why not pop by The Food Place? You're bound to find something that tempts you when you arrive! New Ocean 新海: Saucy KL-style pork noodles & clean-tasting fish soup in Toa Payoh The post Michelin Bib stalls join in Raffles City's reopened food court appeared first on
AsiaOne
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- AsiaOne
This revamped Raffles Place food court has Michelin-recognised and cult-favourite brands - here's what to try, Lifestyle News
While City Hall is no short of good food, you may want to prioritise a visit to this food court. The Food Place by Food Republic in Raffles City, which recently underwent renovations, is back with a bang. Amongst the 20 food stalls, there are a number of Michelin-recognised and cult-favourite brands like Smash by BurgerLabo, Li Xing Teochew Fishball Noodles, and the highly anticipated Mon Kee Cafe. I was invited to the media launch of The Food Place by Food Republic on Friday (July 11) - and I was raring to go as I was curious about the hype and wanted to taste test some of the options. Despite opening only a few days ago, the place was packed like sardines. So if you plan on having a meal here, do come early or during an off-peak time so you don't have to jostle with the crowd. The stall everyone has been raving about is Mon Kee Cafe, a brand that was brought to Singapore in collaboration with Ken Loon, the founder of The Naked Finn and BurgerLabo. I was told that Mon Kee Cafe's food was so popular that on some days, several of their menu items would be sold out by lunchtime. Thankfully, their award-winning Char Siew Scrambled Egg Rice with Homemade Sweet Soy Sauce ($10) was still available during my visit so I got to try it for myself. And I can see the hype — the scrambled egg which blanketed the rice was light, fluffy and creamy, just like the ones you would find in a Hong Kong diner. This was topped with a generous serving of roast pork. My only gripe is that the pork was on the leaner side but that is a personal preference — it still was really good pork. If pork isn't your thing, there is also the Beef Scrambled Egg Rice with Coriander and Homemade Sweet Soy Sauce ($9) option. When I was there, the Tomato Egg Fried Rice ($6.50), Macaroni with Sliced Ham in Cream of Chicken ($5) and Mon Kee Quartet Pineapple Bun Sandwich ($8) were not available but I was told that these will be back on the menu soon. Apart from Mon Kee Cafe, Ken has also brought Smash by BurgerLabo to The Food Place, another stall that many, including myself, were eager to patronise. I tried the double patty Smash Burger with Salted Fries ($16.80), which certainly lived up to the hype. To me, what makes or breaks a burger is the patty and Smash by BurgerLabo does a really solid one. Despite having been flattened — hence the term 'smash' — the patty was still pretty thick and sizeable. It was also oozing with juices and marinated well. The fries were excellent too — crisp and seasoned with just the right amount of salt. It was hard to just stop at one and before I knew it, I had already polished off half of the pile on my plate. Another brand many were looking forward to was Ju Xing Fish, a Michelin Bib Gourmand establishment which, like Mon Kee Cafe, hails from Hong Kong. Its stall at The Food Place is its first-ever express outlet and sells Ju Xing's Signature Sauerkraut Fish with Crunchy Grass Carp ($13.80), made from the exact same recipe as the original Ju Xing Home. Sauerkraut fish is one of my all-time favourite Chinese dishes, so I'm happy to report that the ones sold here are as good as the ones I've had in China. In fact, it tastes healthier. This is because Ju Xing's recipe features a lighter, less oily Sichuan-style broth that is made from boiling a whole chicken over a large fire. Another popular Hong Kong brand at The Food Place is Kam's Roast Express, a name that many Singaporeans would already be familiar with thanks to their main outlet at Jewel Changi Airport and express outlet at Ion Orchard's Food Opera. The food here was admittedly quite disappointing for me, especially since I've tried the food from not just the brand's Jewel Changi Airport and Ion Orchard branches, but also the original store in Hong Kong. I got the Five Treasure Rice ($17.90), which comes with roast duck, soya chicken, BBQ pork, red sausages and salted egg. I found all the meats pretty dry, with some cuts lacking seasoning. However, I may have just been unlucky with my serving and wouldn't mind patronising them once more to see if it was just a one-time incident. As a typical Singaporean who enjoys spending my free time in Malaysia, I love myself a mean plate of char kway teow. When I don't have time to cross the border, I think I will be satisfying my cravings with the Char Kway Teow with Big Prawn ($12.90) from Penang Jiak. True to its name, the dish came with three massive, meaty prawns. The dish also nailed the wok hey element and had a beautiful char. I'm a loyal fan of Li Xin Teochew Fishball Noodles and I always order the same thing — The Folk's Favourite Noodles with kway teow. So, I was admittedly a little hesitant to sample their new creation, the Sambal Mushroom Meat Dumpling Noodle ($7.80), which is exclusive to The Food Place outlet. Thankfully, I came out of my comfort zone to try it because I think this is my new favourite dish from Li Xin Teochew Fishball Noodles. The kway teow noodles were tossed in a sweet and spicy sambal sauce and garnished with mushrooms, pork lard and fishcakes. It also came with a bowl of soup and meat dumplings. Thick and chewy, the kway noodles soaked up all the sambal sauce so every bite was packed with flavour. I also loved the meat dumplings, which were stuffed with delicious filling. If I had to come back to The Food Place for just one dish, it would be this. Apart from all the food I've tried, there are also a mix of both local and international options that will leave diners spoilt for choice. For lighter meals, there are Koo Kee Yong Tow Foo Mee, King Grouper Fish Soup and Spinach Chef. If you prefer bolder Asian flavours, go for Kinzo Japanese Cuisine, Penang Jiak, Hankang Pocha Express, Piao Xiang Mala, Shanghai Gold Heritage Duck and Padang Lezat by Java Kitchen. Craving Western fare instead? Check out Wikedo Western and PepperGrill. There are also halal-certified picks like Fitra Chicken Rice and Go Teppan Go teppanyaki. Address: 252 North Bridge Road, #03-15/16/17 Opening hours: Daily, 10am to 10pm melissateo@
CNA
26-06-2025
- Business
- CNA
Cult favourite Hong Kong Cha Chaan Teng Mon Kee opening in Singapore in July
Cha chaan tengs in Hong Kong are a dime a dozen. But a cha chaan teng serving slightly elevated classics like wobbly, barely-set scrambled eggs whipped up with Japanese eggs and milk, atop savoury char siew and rice? Well, only a few in the bustling city can claim to offer that. Cult favourite CCT chain, Mon Kee Cafe, is one of such establishment. The brand is coming to Singapore – albeit not as a standalone cafe like in Hong Kong, but via a stall in a food court at Raffles City Shopping Centre. Mon Kee Singapore will soft launch on Jul 4 at the revamped The Food Place food court, owned by Food Republic. MON KEE CAFE WILL BE LOCATED IN A RAFFLES CITY FOOD COURT The food court that has undergone a major renovation, featuring some farm-to-table aesthetics with greenery and warm interiors. The stalls, too, have been overhauled, with a new line-up of brands, including some Michelin-recognised names. Alongside Mon Kee, another stall to look out for is Ju Xing Fish, the first sauerkraut fish express concept by Hong Kong's Ju Xing Home, a Hong Kong Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant that has a fancier restaurant at Ngee Ann City. MON KEE'S POPULAR CREAMY SCRAMBLED EGG DISHES Mon Kee opened its first outlet in 2016 in Wan Chai, Hong Kong, and quickly gained traction with the office crowd. The 24-seater was so popular that they opened a second branch in Quarry Bay nine months later. Today, the brand has expanded to four standalone cafe outlets across Hong Kong. According to co-founder Derek Choi, 56, the name 'Mon Kee' is a playful nod to old-school cha chaan teng monikers – 'Mon' being a common name in traditional shopfronts – and also a pun on the word 'monkey', as all the founding partners were born in the Year of the Monkey. 'It's just a fun thing that stuck,' he told CHAR SIEW SCRAMBLED EGG RICE, S$8.50 Mon Kee's signature char siew scrambled egg rice with homemade sweet soya sauce paired with fluffy Japanese eggs and house-made barbecued pork. 'The dish is all about balance,' Choi explained. 'Not just great char siew or great eggs, you have to take one spoonful with everything to really enjoy the full effect.' SCRAMBLED EGG RICE DISHES FROM S$6.50 'We want to keep our food affordable and accessible,' Choi said, noting that most items are priced similarly across both cities. Other eggy rice options include chicken karaage scrambled egg rice (S$7.50), beef scrambled egg rice (S$9), siu yuk scrambled egg rice (S$10) and a meatless offering of tomato fried egg rice (S$6.50). Another highlight is the luncheon meat macaroni in creamy tomato soup (S$6), which our senior food editor tried years ago in Hong Kong and recommends: 'Its thick, tangy tomato soup is more like a gravy, with fat cubes of luncheon meat fried till the outsides are crispy while the insides remain pillowy'. UNIQUE CORNED BEEF WITH EGG & PEANUT BUTTER SANDWICH The most interesting item at Mon Kee is undoubtedly the quartet sandwich, a niche sarnie even in Hong Kong. It's a quirky, love-it-or-hate-it combo of corned beef, egg, lettuce and… peanut butter. It's so polarising that few places in Hong Kong besides Mon Kee offer it. One such joint is Dai Pai Dong, a traditional open-air food stall in Hong Kong and Yue Hing Coffee. Despite that, the quartet has become one of Mon Kee's best-selling dishes, said Choi. Mon Kee also offers luncheon meat instead of corned beef if you so wish. While it may sound unconventional, Choi explained that the creation was the result of extensive experimentation. 'We wanted something satisfying but not too heavy,' he said. 'Peanut butter and egg go surprisingly well together. But to lighten it up, we added lettuce – it completely changed the eating experience.' 'In Hong Kong, we serve it on plain toast,' he continued. 'But in Singapore, we wanted something that felt more distinctly 'Hong Kong', so we decided to use bolo buns. The sweetness of the bun pairs beautifully with the savoury fillings.' BOLO BUN QUARTET WITH CORNED BEEF, EGG, PEANUT BUTTER & CABBAGE, S$8.50 There are two bolo bun quartet options here: Corned beef (S$8.50) or luncheon meat (S$8), paired with scrambled eggs, peanut butter and lettuce. The buns are made by a local bakery using Mon Kee's own recipe. If it all sounds too much for you can get a classic bolo bun with butter (S$5). HONG KONG MILK TEA ONLY AVAILABLE AS PART OF SET MEAL You can also enjoy Mon Kee's Hong Kong-style milk tea hot or iced but only as part of a set meal, not a la carte. Add S$3 to your main dish, or pay S$6 for a cup of tea, together with a plate of scrambled eggs and mini bolo bun. Choi told us the tea is brewed using a blend of three different types of Ceylon leaves. MON KEE SG OPENED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH NAKED FINN FOUNDER Interestingly, Mon Kee was brought to Singapore in collaboration with founder of seafood restaurant The Naked Finn and BurgerLabo, Ken Loon, 50. Choi happens to also be a partner in these two Singapore restaurants and the men have been longtime collaborators. 'The owners of Mon Kee are my partners,' Loon told 'They previously had a Mon Kee stall in Food Republic's Hong Kong branch, so when this opportunity came up, I asked if they wanted to work together. I've always craved proper Hong Kong comfort food, and this is the real deal.' Loon's team in Singapore will be operating Mon Kee. 'The chef for Mon Kee was previously with my Naked Finn and BurgerLabo team. Right now, he's in Hong Kong for training,' Loon shared. 'At any one time, we'll have three staff at the stall. It's the first time we're doing something like this in a food court, so it's a bit of trial and error.' CHA CHAAN TENG STAPLES DONE RIGHT For Choi, returning to Food Republic felt natural. 'We worked with them in Hong Kong for four years before the [Hong Kong] government reclaimed the land for redevelopment,' he shared. 'We've always wanted to go overseas, and there's no better place to start than in Singapore – Ken is based here, and we trust the Food Republic team.'
