11 street foods you need to try at Geylang Serai Ramadan Bazaar

Forget Ramly burgers – here’s 11 other better street grub you should try at Geylang Serai – and some of them are healthier too!

When: Now through Wednesday

Where: Along the stretch of Changi Road between Joo Chiat Road and Paya Lebar Road

Time: 5pm till late

How to get there: Alight at Paya Lebar MRT and just follow your nose!

The Watermelo Volcano

Paying almost seven bucks might feel extravagant at a night bazaar, but when it tastes this good, just close your eyes and folk over the cash. Or even better, pay $13 and get a ginormously large serving. Our first thought when we saw this was Happy Rollies seemed inspired by the Korean watermelon sojus- but without the alcohol, which makes this perfectly suited for our Muslim friends. The perfect cooldown in the midst of the bazaar, and it’s not too sweet too!

Our score: 8/10

Sahwon Salmon Burgers

As we said, the days of tucking into greasy (though undeniably tasty) Ramly Burgers as the only guy grub option at bazaars is over. There’s really no need to go over the top calorie-wise.. but there’s also no need to sacrifice much in the taste-stakes, thanks to the jolly fellows at Sahwon Burgers and Wraps. What impressed about their grub was how fresh and healthy it looked, and the guys at the stall shared that they made all ingredients on the day itself, which we could tell by how wholesome this tasted. And if you’re feeling even more decadent, they’ve got their wasabi mayo or salted-egg sauce for a further kick- we tried the latter and it felt epicurian enough to feel out of place at a night bazaar. Last but certainly not least- they’ve got curly fries! Who says no to curly fries?

Our score: 8/10

Over Dose Team’s Awesome Drinks

Here’s a little secret that only those who pop over to Malaysia for grub know- Overdose Station has actually been a cult favourite for quite a long time across the border. And now it’s here! With a wide variety of flavours that are both caffinated and non-caffinated, there’s something for every tastebud. And interestingly enough, if you pop into Instagram and search the hashtag #overdoseteam you’ll see folks enjoying their tipple everywhere, and the reason is simple- they serve their drinks in a unique-looking rectangular ziplog bag that reminds us of a hospital drip bag, which makes it really easy to bring around, as well as take home to enjoy later! Of course, prices are abit steep at $5 a serving if you’re factoring the exchange rate, but what’s the price of liquid bliss? Our personal favourite? The Hazelnut. But heres a tip- their drinks can get a tad sweet so just let the ice melt a little before really taking a long slurp up your straw.

Our score: 8.5/10

Ice Cream Macaroons

If you’ve got a super-sweet tooth this dessert by Barakah-Fe will be for you- the chewyness of the giant macaroon, which tastes like two huge cookies, marries well with the ice cream. Our personal favourite? The salted-caramel. You’re gonna need some water after this though.

Our score: 7/10

S’mores Dip

Yet another dessert innovation from the folks at Happy Rollies- it comes with the options of getting either dark chocolate, white chocolate and cookies and cream for the dip option, and then it’s covered by marshmellows and baked till it all gets soft and gooey. You’re given a few crackers to dig in. Joy ensues. Our only thought? For $2.50 it feels abit pricey for a couple of marshmellows, chocolate and crackers.

Our score: 7/10

World’s first Japan Rail Cafe coming to Singapore

GuocoLand on Wednesday announced that it will be bringing the world’s first Japan Rail Cafe to Singapore among a slew of new-to-market food-and-beverage (F&B) concepts that represent a 70 per cent take-up of retail space at Tanjong Pagar Centre.

The tourist-themed Japan Rail Cafe will be operated by Japan’s largest rail operator, East Japan Railway Company (JR East), and is set to open in the fourth quarter this year.

The cafe will allow customers to experience Japanese culture through an array of kawaii (“cute”, in Japanese) products, gourmet Japanese food, and in-store educational workshops.

In addition, the cafe will feature items and services to encourage travel to Japan, such as travel itinerary recommendations, in-store ticket counters for purchasing train passes, as well as pop-up displays of Japan’s tourist destinations in collaboration with the Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO).

Expressing his excitement about the new cafe, Japan Rail Cafe’s general manager Makoto Yamataka said: “We decided to open our world’s first tourism-themed cafe in Singapore as we believe Singapore travellers are extremely experienced, adventurous and would influence travel trends.”

GuocoLand said in a release on Wednesday that Japan Rail Cafe will enhance Tanjong Pagar Centre as a “transit-oriented development” – a mixed-use residential and commercial space designed to maximise access to public transport, hence encouraging transit ridership.

When completed in the third quarter, the 290-metre-high Tanjong Pagar Centre will take over the title of Singapore’s tallest building, and introduce many other new concepts to the local F&B scene.

The development will also bring in several new-to-market brands including Korean restaurant SBCD Tofu House, which specialises in Sundubu; The Little Island, which serves authentic Penang-style cuisine; and Chalong, which serves Thai fusion bentos.

Tanjong Pagar Centre has been designed to include a large 150,000 square foot landscaped urban park, which will house even more F&B outlets in an al fresco dining environment under a 16-metre-high glass canopy.

The urban park also contains a community space that can accommodate up to 2,000 people for a large range of events including music and the arts.

The development’s expansive lifestyle offerings, which are built alongside office areas, are part of GuocoLand’s strategy to position it as a unique destination that integrates lifestyle and commercial spaces.

GuocoLand Singapore’s general manager (commercial) Valerie Wong said: “We want Tanjong Pagar Centre to be a major driver in transforming the district into a unique yet relevant lifestyle hotspot that offers a new dimension to the definition of the CBD (central business district).”

Ms Wong also believes that the development’s new-to-market tenants and concepts, such as the Japan Rail Cafe, will further boost Tanjong Pagar Centre’s status as “being a first in many aspects”.

The Turkish Cuisine

Do not underestimate any dish by simply calling it food. Its is blessed and represents for itself an entire civilization! Abdülhak Şinasi Hisar (Turkish Novelist)

Observing how a food is prepared and served is, curiously, an incredible way to understand and appreciate a culture. The most important civilizations have created their own gastronomy, where each dish is the reflection of their town and the place where they live (a nation and their country) staying together to enjoy a great meal. So you need to watch it where its originally harvested freshly and cooked freshly during a tours to Cappadocia

What makes Turkish cuisine glorious

A skilful child of mind, seeing his mother cooking “lahana dolması (cabbage dolma)” stuffed cabbage, on a boring gray winter day, he will surely ask himself: “Who on earth discovered this peculiar combination of sauteed rice with pine nuts? , herbs, raisins and spices, carefully wrapped in transparent cabbage leaves, half an inch thick, which are stacked in an oval dish and decorated with slices of lemon? How is it possible to turn this humble vegetable, with so few ingredients, into a dish of kings?

How can such a delicious dish be at the same time, so healthy? “We will ask ourselves the same question when contemplating a simple Turkish pastry shop where the” baklava “is the leader of a dozen cakes bearing such sophisticated names as: rolled turban, sultan, saray (palace), navel of lady, nest of nightingale, etc. We expect a similar experience in the “muhallebici” (pudding store) where we can taste a dozen different dairy desserts.