Singapore Eats: My Top 4 Picks

Four days left in Singapore and already I'm missing the amazing food the little country has to offer. Singapore is quite a diverse country with many expats coming here to work, and as a result there is a very wide selection to choose from. I'm going to take you through a few places that I always go to whenever I'm in Singapore and what I recommend from them. 

ToriQ Japanese Yakitori (photographed above)

For those of you who are unfamiliar with yakitori, it is a very popular dish in Japan that is very cheap and accessible. ToriQ opened in 2000 at Takashimaya shopping centre and they now have 8 stalls around the country. Being close to Orchard Road, we like going to the one in Ion Orchard and Takashimaya shopping centres. It is popular among the locals and there is always a line, but due to the 'fast food' nature of the stall, you never have to wait too long. To cut it short, ToriQ has the best yakitori I have ever had; the quality of the food is just amazing. They offer bento boxes, but of course you can also choose what yakitori sticks you would like. The prices are also very reasonable. 

I recommend the chicken (SGD$1.00), chicken balls (SGD$1.50), and the chicken with leek (SGD$1.40) with the rice (prices are per stick).

Jollibean

Jollibean produces a multitude of products that incorporate soybean in one way or another. They offer soy milk, soy milk freeze (think a soy milk frapuccino), soy bean pudding, soy bean pancakes, and of course bean curd. When I was growing up in the Philippines, we had this man going around the village selling taho, which was essentially soy bean curd with sago and a sweet syrup; it was a family favourite! When we moved away from the Philippines and discovered Jollibean to offer something similar, we rejoiced. Jollibean provides 100% natural servings of soya milk which are prepared fresh every time. There are 30 Jollibean locations in Singapore, but we frequent the one in Great World City. 

I recommend the bean curd with pearls (SGD$2.50) which serves as a heavy, healthy snack. 

Garrett Popcorn Shops

I am not lying when I say that Garrett Popcorn Shops has the best popcorn I have ever had. Seriously. The popcorn is always fresh, crunchy, and never soggy (it has even lasted a trip back to Sydney). Garrett's offer their popcorn in a variety of sizes and even in specialty tins, which go up to 1 gallon. Their flavours include their signature flavours of CaramelCrisp, CheeseCorn, Buttery, Plain, and Chicago Mix (CheeseCorn and CaramelCrisp). Their specialty flavours are Almond CaramelCrisp and Macadamia CaramelCrisp. 

Kieran is a popcorn lover, like myself, and last year I brought home a small can of a mix of the different CaramelCrisps (which he devoured in a day). Safe to say, I got him a bigger bag this year! I recommend a mix of Buttery and CaramelCrisp for that sweet and salty mix! What I love about their CaramelCrisp is that it is not overly sweet that you'll be sick of it for a month. 

Ladurée 

A.K.A. Heaven. Last year, when my parents told me that Ladurée opened up a boutique in Takashimaya shopping mall I made it my mission to make it one of my first stops. I walked into the little shop and I honestly did not want to leave. Everything was colourful, decorative, and inviting. There was a subtle sweetness in the air from the various treats and the candle that they were burning. There's something about Ladurée that makes me feel like a small child again, and that's one of the reasons I've fallen completely in love with the pastry shop. They don't only sell their world famous macarons, but also chocolates, candles, cookbooks, and tea (all with quite a hefty price tag on them). Last year we got a box of 24 macarons to share (meaning half was basically mine) which cost about SGD$116.00 on promotion, a box of 15 macarons cost about SGD$60.00. Each macaron costs SGD$3.80. 

I recommend pistachio, salted caramel, raspberry, Marie Antoinette (seasonal), and strawberry candy marshmallow (seaonal). 

There you have it, my top 4 picks for the best food stops in Singapore. If you have any others to recommend, do let me know below! I'm going to be here again next year and would love to try out new places.