24 Food Places Near Lavender Under S$20 That You’ll Love

As someone who plans my meals ahead of time (the best way to maximise your calories and budget), it’s always a moment of relief whenever Google search turns up food guides of the area.

I’ve known that the Lavender district in Singapore has an abundance of good food, but being car-less and unfamiliar with the area, it’s usually tough to find those hidden gems that satisfy both my tummy and my wallet.

Considered part of the general Kallang area, the Lavender district actually also includes Jalan Besar, and parts of Little India too. While on the hunt for food, you can expect to chance upon historic shophouses and alleyways with beautiful murals.

So, if you’ve ever run into the same issues as I have, then our guide of 24 food places near Lavender under S$20 is perfect for you. We’ve included cafes, hawker food, snack kiosks and other eateries—I’m sure you’ll find something that suits your palate.

1. Blanco Court Beef Noodles

Most beef noodles stalls in Singapore are located within hawker centres and coffee shops, which means that slurping up a bowl of piping hot noodles often ends up as a steamy affair—literally.

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Credit – Blanco Court Beef Noodles

But at Blanco Court Beef Noodles, you get to enjoy traditional Hainanese beef noodles in the comfort of an air-conditioned stall—within Aperia Mall. Founded back in 1979, they’ve been using the same authentic recipe since then.

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Credit – Blanco Court Beef Noodles

Get a bowl of Superior Beef Noodles (S$9.90), the ultimate bowl of beef noodles indulgence. It comes with premium cut beef shank, tender beef slices, gourmet beef balls, melt-in-mouth beef tendon and springy beef tripe.

Not to forget, the lip-smackingly delicious herbal soup stock and gravy—it’s a secret recipe, which yields such rich and bold flavours that you’ll be polishing off your bowl in no time.

Expected Damage: S$10 per pax

Blanco Court Beef Noodles: 12 Kallang Avenue, Aperia Mall, #01-36, Singapore 339509 | Tel: +65 8923 6968 | Opening Hours: 10am – 9pm (Daily) | Facebook

2. Beach Road Scissors Cut Curry Rice

This is one of those famous stalls that you have to try if you’re in the area.

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Located at the junction of Jalan Besar and Kitchener Road, Beach Road Scissors Cut Curry Rice is one of the pioneers of gloriously messy scissors cut Hainanese curry rice. Concept-wise, it operates like a cai png stall—you stand in line, point out the food items you want, and watch as they drench your food in curry sauce.

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The curry sauce here is the highlight, for sure. Made from chilli sauce, chilli oil, curry and braised gravy, it’s just spicy enough to leave lingering heat but not uncomfortably so.

I’d recommend getting tau pok and pork cutlet, and perhaps a fried egg and chap chye. Like a cai png stall, the prices are calculated after they tally up your ingredients, so it’ll probably fall in the range of S$4 to S$5 per plate.

Expected Damage: S$4 – S$5 per pax

Beach Road Scissors Cut Curry Rice: 229 Jalan Besar, Singapore 208905 | Tel: +65 9826 1464 | Opening Hours: 11am – 3.30am (Daily)

3. Carbon&

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Calling all craft beer fans! Carbon& in Aperia Mall has the perfect line-up to satisfy all your frothy beer cravings.

This craft beer restaurant dishes up affordable dons and ramen, and at night, the craft beers start flowing. Something worth noting: Carbon& offers Japanese craft beers on tap, which is a pretty rare find!

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I loved the Sansho Yakitori Chicken Ramen (S$12), which also has a non-spicy version (S$10) if you can’t take the heat. A new addition to the menu, it comes with miso soup that combines Sichuan Aoyama Seishou with chilli pepper for a perfect balance of spicy and numbing flavours.

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For a quick yet satisfying lunch, get the Yakiniku Beef (S$6), a hearty, no-frills beef rice bowl that hits all the right spots. Blanketed with a layer of tender beef with melt-in-mouth fats, this dish also comes with a perfectly cooked onsen egg in the middle, and fluffy white rice.

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Don’t forget to try their craft beers, particularly the Miyazaki Hideji Kuri Kuro Dark Chestnut Ale (S$16/half pint). Made with chestnuts from Miyazaki, this Hideji stout fills the palate with creamy, nutty notes and exudes an aroma of coffee and brown sugar.

Expected Damage: S$10 – S$20 per pax

Carbon&: 12 Kallang Avenue, Aperia Mall, #01-43, Singapore 339511 | Tel: +65 6243 6873 | Opening Hours: 11.30am – 10pm (Daily) | Facebook

4. Chye Seng Huat Hardware

No stranger to the hipster café scene, Chye Seng Huat Hardware has been around since 2012. It’s one of the first few hipster cafes to open in the Jalan Besar/Lavender area, and has been a mainstay ever since.

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Housed within a conserved Art Deco shophouse along Tyrwhitt Road, the outdoors seating area looks deceptively like the metal and hardware companies of ages past. But rest assured, the space houses a coffee bar, a roastery, retail area, and even C-Space, which is equipped with state-of-the-art coffee gadgets and more to help you learn more about coffee.

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Take a sip of Nitro Black Matter (S$7.50), a black cold brew made from Ethiopian Suke Quto and charged with nitrogen for a creamier, foamy head—much like Guinness. If you prefer milk in your coffee, go for the White Cold Brew (S$8.50). With notes of dark chocolate and rich hazelnut, you’ll want to savour this slowly.

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Pair it with Homemade Banana Bread (S$8.80) or Breakfast Scones (S$12), and you’re off to a great start in the morning.

Expected Damage: S$15 – S$20 per pax

Chye Seng Huat Hardware: 150 Tyrwhitt Road, Singapore 207563 | Tel: +65 6396 0609 | Opening Hours: 9am – 9pm (Daily) | Facebook | Instagram | Website

5. CIO – Fruit Enzyme Drink

If feasting on too much good food has left you a little bloated, then what you might need is a good dose of enzyme beverage from CIO!

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Credit – CIO

CIO offers au naturale sparkling enzyme beverages, which helps to improve many bodily functions like digestion, circulation, metabolism and more. And of course, these enzyme drinks are delicious too.

Available in eight different flavours—Pineapple, Apple, Passion Fruit, Mango, Lychee, Winter Melon, Yoghurt Soda and Coffee Stout—this is a great way to kickstart your digestion after a heavy meal.

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Credit – CIO

Those around the Lavender area can pop by Aperia Mall to pick up a cup (S$3.80/small, S$6.80/big) or even stock up on a bottle or two (S$46/750ml bottle).

Expected Damage: From S$3.80 per cup

CIO – Fruit Enzyme Drink: 12 Kallang Avenue, Aperia Mall, #01-29, Singapore 339511 | Tel: +65 9070 0214 /+65 8481 1263 | Opening Hours: 11am – 8.30pm (Daily) | Facebook | Website

6. Dim Sum Haus

Craving dim sum? Instead of heading straight to the popular spots like Swee Choon, what about giving Dim Sum Haus a try?

Affordably priced (all of the dishes are under S$5), Dim Sum Haus serves up classics like Steamed Shrimp Dumpling “Har Gao” (S$4.20/3 pcs) and Xiao Long Bao (S$3.60/3 pcs), but also innovative variants of our old favourites.

The Steamed Charcoal Chicken & Shrimp Dumpling (S$4/3 pcs) is Dim Sum Haus’ version of the classic siew mai. It comes with a whole shrimp and prawn roe, so you can be sure of a juicy, savoury bite.

Get the Baked Salted Egg Custard Bun (S$4.80/3 pcs), a variant on the usual liu sha bao, but with the crispy crust of Hong Kong-style baked BBQ buns.

Expected Damage: S$10 – S$15 per pax

Dim Sum Haus: 57 Jalan Besar, Singapore 208809 | Tel: +65 6909 0777 | Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm (Tue to Thu), 9am – 10pm (Sat & Sun) | Facebook

7. Dynasty Fried Porridge 皇庭炒粥

The concept of ‘fried porridge’ might be pretty baffling. Sure—fried egg, fried noodles, and fried rice, but… porridge?

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Head over to Dynasty Fried Porridge 皇庭炒粥, and you just might be proven wrong. Located along Foch Road in Lavender, Dynasty Fried Porridge was opened by a Malaysian couple in Dec 2015.

After the porridge is fried in a pan, Dynasty Fried Porridge’s Chef John transfers it to a claypot and lets it cook for a while longer to achieve that smoky wok hei effect.

I really loved how comforting the portion of Dynasty Famous Fried Porridge (S$7/small, S$15/large) was. It had just the right amount of saltiness from the soy sauce (which is what turned the porridge brown) and its time on the wok and claypot gave it a nice charred wok hei aroma.

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What Dynasty Fried Porridge serves is really unique and authentic. I’ve never heard of fried porridge prior to this, but one visit to this cozy zi char place made me an instant fan of this comforting dish.

Expected Damage: S$15 per pax

Dynasty Fried Porridge 皇庭炒粥: 30 Foch Road, Singapore 209276 | Tel: +65 9122 3993 | Opening Hours: 11.30am – 10.30pm (Daily), Closed for 2 days mid-month

8. Enjoy Eating House & Bar

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If you like your meals with a good dose of nostalgia, Enjoy Eating House & Bar within Kam Leng Hotel is the place for you. This resto-bar in Jalan Besar serves up homely local dishes that are sure to bring back memories of comforting meals with your family.

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Chef Joel Ong carefully curates the menu here, creating dishes with the aim of bringing a smile to diners’ faces. He wanted to return to his Singaporean roots after a previous stint in a Thai restaurant.

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One of the famous dishes at Enjoy Eating House & Bar is Chef J’s “Te Kar” Bee Hoon (S$12.80). Inspired by the huge pot of te kar (braised pig’s trotters) that his grandma used to make, I’d recommend slowly savouring this comforting dish.

Made with home-made tender braised pigs trotters atop a plate of wok-fried bee hoon, this dish is one of their four signature dishes (also known affectionately as 四大天王, or “Four Heavenly Kings”).

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Dining at Enjoy Eating House & Bar feels like coming home to a comforting, warm meal. Carefully created and skilfully prepared, the homely dishes are great for sharing with friends and family.

Expected Damage: S$10 – S$20 per pax

Chope Reservations

Enjoy Eating House & Bar: 383 Jalan Besar, Kam Leng Hotel, Singapore 209001 | Tel: +65 9299 1601 | Opening Hours: 11am – 1am (Daily) | Facebook  

9. Ha-Jun Korean Restaurant

Some days, you just feel like going for Korean food. But not every day is Korean BBQ day—sometimes you want simple, hearty Korean fare.

That’s where Ha-Jun Korean Restaurant comes in. Located on the ground floor of Aperia Mall, you can order affordable favourites for a quick and easy meal.

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Credit – Ha-Jun Korean Restaurant

The Dolgot Bibimbap (S$6.50) is simple enough—vegetables and seasoned beef on a bed of fluffy rice with crispy bits. Yes, those bottom-of-the-pot bits you get from claypot rice.

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Credit – Ha-Jun Korean Restaurant

For spice lovers, the Kimchi Chicken Ramen (S$5) takes our favourite preserved spicy vegetable and adds it to a hearty bowl of noodle soup. And if you prefer more meat in your diet, then opt for the Hotplate Chicken Set (S$6.50)—the hotplate keeps your chicken warm so you can enjoy it slowly!

Psst, from now until October, you can get a free Buckwheat Tea with any purchase.

Expected Damage: S$5 – S$10 per pax

Ha-Jun Korean Restaurant: 12 Kallang Avenue, Aperia Mall, #01-31A/28, Singapore 339511 | Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm (Daily)

10. Hand In Hand Beijing Restaurant

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Despite having Swee Choon as their neighbour, Hand In Hand Beijing has been hiding in the Jalan Besar area for a while. Well-known for their affordable dumplings, I decided to head down to Hand In Hand Beijing to try them out.

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You have to order the Fried Dumplings With Leek, Pork And Shrimp (S$7.80). Hand in Hand Beijing served their dumplings with a satisfying layer of crispy fried skin, and the crackling sound of breaking the layer of fried skin was so satisfying.

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The Steamed Dumplings With Leek, Pork And Shrimps (S$5.80) is a good choice too. Just from the appearance, I could tell the dumpling had a good filling-to-skin ratio. Dunk it in vinegar and ginger for a hearty, satisfying bite.

If you lean more towards the dumplings side of dim sum, Hand In Hand Beijing Restaurant is the place to be.

Expected Damage: S$5 – S$7.80 per dish

Hand In Hand Beijing Restaurant: 143 Jalan Besar, Singapore 208859 | Tel: +65 6297 1398 | Opening Hours: 10am – 3pm & 4.30pm – 10pm (Daily) | Facebook

11. Kok Kee Wanton Mee

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If you’re one to scroll through Facebook or online news sites religiously every day, you’d have heard of Kok Kee Wanton Mee, one of Singapore’s most beloved wanton mee stalls—or at least, that’s what everyone is calling it.

It’s been called “legendary”, “notorious”, “famous”, and even touted as the “Best Wanton Mee in Singapore”, so much so that someone wanted to buy its secret recipe for S$2 million in March 2019, but the owners rejected the offer.

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Kok Kee’s Wanton Mee (S$5) comes with an oily clear sauce, a bed of egg noodles, a handful of dumplings, thin slices of char siew, and some vegetables. I immediately gave the wanton mee a good toss and I was delighted to see that the watery lard-based sauce coated the noodles nicely.

The watery lard-based sauce wasn’t too overpowering and allowed the natural sweetness from egg noodles to come through. At the same time, it was salty enough so that each bite was tasty and not bland.

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Is Kok Kee Wanton Mee the best wanton mee in Singapore? I’m going to be bold and say no. I’ve had better plates of wanton mee, but Kok Kee’s wanton mee is so authentically delicious that I have no doubt that it’s a real classic.

Expected Damage: 30 Foch Road, #01-02, Singapore 209276 | Opening Hours: 12pm until sold out (Daily) | Facebook

12. Kopi & Tarts

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Bringing together old school and “new school” into a single concept, Kopi & Tarts is a halal café specialising in delectable tarts, pastries and Nanyang brewed coffee and tea. Their outlet in Aperia Mall is more of a kiosk, so you can dabao a few treats home.

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Calling themselves “retro modernity in a cup and on a plate”, it’s not hard to see why. The space is clean and bright, but the pastries, drinks and other dishes are delightfully nostalgic. You can find old school biscuits and sliced cakes, kaya toast with eggs, next to fudgy brownies.

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Credit – Kopi & Tarts

Kopi & Tarts is known for their range of XXL iced drinks, which are big in size and big on flavour.

Take a sip of the XXL Gula Melaka Kopi or XXL Gula Melaka Teh (S$3.50). Freshly-brewed traditional Nanyang coffee and tea comes together with gula melaka and pandan leaves—local drinks at their finest!

From now until 31 August 2020, you can also get one free egg tart for every five purchased. Time to gather a few close friends for an afternoon tea break!

Expected Damage: S$5 per pax

Kopi & Tarts: 12 Kallang Avenue, Aperia Mall, #01-41, Singapore 339511 | Tel: +65 6266 5280 | Opening Hours: 7.30am = 5pm (Mon to Fri), Closed on Sat, Sun & PH | Facebook | Website

13. Lai Makan Thai Food

We all know someone who’s a huge fan of Thai cuisine. If it happens that you’re that friend, then you can head over to Lai Makan Thai Food in Aperia Mall.

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Credit – Lai Makan Thai Food

A no-frills stall serving up Thai street food, you can get a taste of your favourite dishes from the Land of Smiles without the hassle of travelling. Spice lovers can look forward to dishes like Tom Yum Seafood Soup (S$6), Green Curry (S$6), Mango Salad (S$5) and Spicy Chicken Salad (S$6). It burns, but it burns so good!

For a quick snack, the Thai Fish Cake (S$6) will satisfy your craving for munchies. And you can’t miss out on the classic Mango Sticky Rice (S$5)—otherwise, does it even count as a Thai meal?

And for those who are always on the lookout for good food deals, here’s one for you. From now until 31 August 2020, Lai Makan Thai Food is offering a promotional Value Set Meal for S$5!

Expected Damage: S$5 – S$10 per pax

Lai Makan Thai Food: 12 Kallang Avenue, Aperia Mall, #01-42A, Singapore 339511 | Opening Hours: 7.30am – 8.30pm (Mon to Sat), Closed on Sun

14. Lim’s Fried Oyster

One of the longest established oyster omelette stalls located in the central, busy Jalan Besar area, the Lim couple has been running this stall for more than thirty years.

It just goes to show how well Lim’s Fried Oyster has maintained the quality of their dish flavours in meeting the standard of taste for Singaporeans across generations.

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Cooked with chilli in it, the Oyster Omelette (S$5) had a mouthwatering fragrance. The Korean oysters are stir-fried with chilli and are ‘wetter’ than usual. I especially love the slimy, jelly-like texture with hints of crisp edges.

Expected Damage: S$5 per pax

Lim’s Fried Oyster: 166 Jalan Besar, Berseh Food Centre, #01-32, Singapore 208877 | Tel: +65 9386 0732 | Opening Hours: 7pm – 12am (Daily)

15. Music Dreamer Live! Café

Tucked away in the corner of Aperia Mall, Music Dreamer Live! Café is a haven for music lovers, especially if your tunes of choice includes Singapore folk music.

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With lots of natural light and a live performance stage, coupled with a good sound system, it’s the perfect place to get music along with your latte. If you prefer a heartier meal, Music Dreamer Live! Café offers Western and Asian dishes too, to fill up your belly.

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Credit – Music Dreamer Live! Café

Pop by for lunch, and enjoy a set meal for S$19.80. The MD Chicken Chop package comes with a main dish, as well as cake and a choice of tea or coffee. For the whole month of September, get your set meal for just S$13.80!

Grab your karaoke kakis, and head over to Music Dreamer Live! Café for a chill afternoon.

Expected Damage: S$13.80 per set meal (U.P. S$19.80)

Music Dreamer Live! Café: 12 Kallang Ave, Aperia Mall, #01-44/45, Singapore 339511 | Tel: +65 6333 1933 | Opening Hours: 11.45am – 2.45pm (Mon to Thu), 11.45am – 2.45pm & 6.30pm – 9.30pm (Fri), 6.30pm – 9.30pm (Sat & Eve of PH), Closed on Sun | Facebook | Instagram | Website

16. One Kueh At A Time

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Previously at Berseh Food Centre, One Kueh At A Time is now at a café space in the same building as Lim Chee Guan’s factory, at Pandan Loop.

If you’ve already heard of them when they were operating as a hawker stall, then you’ll know that Nick, the owner quit his previous job as an insurance agent to start a kueh stall. Now that they’re in a café space, they’ve also switched to using a machine to make the kueh skin—though of course, the kuehs are all still hand-wrapped.

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Credit – One Kueh At A Time

While they still only offer soon kueh, the kuehs here come in a variety of flavours. You can choose from Classic (S$1.60), Ku Chai (S$2), Carrot (S$1.60), Beetroot (S$1.60), Sah Nia’s Haebi Hiam (S$2.50), and Bak Kwa (S$2.50).

Pair it with a cup of tea, then you can have a great afternoon chilling.

Expected Damage: S$1.60 – S$2.50 per kueh

One Kueh At A Time: 230 Pandan Loop, #01-K1, Singapore 128415 | Tel: +65 9795 6119 (WhatsApp) | Opening Hours: 10am – 6pm (Tue to Sun), Closed on Mon | Facebook | Instagram

17. Simple.簡

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Located in CT Hub 2, a commercial and industrial building, Simple. was previously known as Jia Xiang Nasi Lemak. They moved out from the coffee shop in the same building into an eatery of their own after a rebrand.

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I’ll be honest, it was a challenge finding the store with its obscure location. But if you visit during lunchtime, that wouldn’t be a problem. You’ll see groups of office workers swarming outside the seemingly only operational stall in the entire lane.

What stands out about this nasi lemak joint is that they infuse many of their dishes with butterfly pea flower. Not only that, but they also offer a range of unusual nasi lemak ingredients.

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We loved the effort they put into plating the rice — it was too beautiful an art to ruin! At the tip of the rice pyramid was the butterfly pea flower-infused nasi lemak, which was well-cooked and not mushy at all.

So, if youre ever in the area and craving a good plate of nasi lemak, Simple. is a place you can visit.

Expected Damage: S$10 per pax

Simple.: 114 Lavender Street, #01-09, CT Hub 2, Singapore 338729 | Tel: +65 8188 6325 / +65 9639 2486 | Opening Hours: 11am – 6.30pm (Mon to Fri), 11am – 3pm (Sat), Closed on Sun | Facebook

18. Sungei Road Laksa

Sungei Road Laksa has been around for many years, serving hoards of customers each day. Many locals flock to this stall along Jalan Berseh because of its crazily affordable laksa bowls at S$3 each.

It is also a stall that locals tell tourists to check out when recommendations for local food are brought up.

Sungei Road Laksa remains the only laksa stall in Singapore that still insists on using charcoal to cook the soup. They insist on doing this because it creates another depth of flavour and fragrance that you do not get from gas stoves.

As with most bowls of laksa, the noodles were cut to shorter lengths, so a spoon is all you need (and all you’ll get)! The thick bee hoon was cooked perfectly al dente and complemented the soup well.

If you’re a fan of cheap food, cockles and fishcake, this will probably do it for you.

Expected Damage: S$3 per bowl

Sungei Road Laksa: Blk 27 Jalan Berseh, #01-100, Singapore 200027 | Opening Hours: 9.30am – 5pm (Daily), Closed on Wed

19. Swee Choon 瑞春

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Any supper-lovin’ kaki would have heard of Swee Choon, and would have spent more than they wanted just by gorging on delectable dim sum.

One of Singapores oldest and most successful roadside dim sum place, although Swee Choon has raised prices, the dim sum is still very affordable.

The beautiful thing about Swee Choon is that it only opens at night, which makes it a popular spot for young, midnight supper goers. Post-clubbing supper, anyone? (Maybe not during this COVID-19 pandemic.)

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Most of the dim sum is above average, while the fried Swee Choon Mee Suah Kueh (S$2.40) is quite interesting. Swee Choon nailed the staples, making them my go-to dim sum restaurant!

Expected Damage: S$10 – S$15 per pax

ChopeDeals: Save 10% at Swee Choon Tim Sum >

Chope Reservations

Swee Choon 瑞春: 183 – 191 Jalan Besar, Singapore 208882 | Tel: +65 6225 7788 | Opening Hours: 6pm – 6am (Wed to Mon), Closed on Mon | Facebook | Instagram | Website

20. Thai Bàang Bakery

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Working in the financial sector for almost 10 years, Jovi, the lady boss who now currently oversees Thai Baàng Bakery, decided to risk it all for her passion for bread and opened her very own bakery business together with her husband and two other business partners.

You can say Jovi’s decision in opening Thai Baàng Bakery is a tribute to her late grandfather, as well as a remembrance of her husband’s childhood. 

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Currently, there are two outlets of Thai Baàng Bakery, one located right at ION Orchard, and the other store, which was the first outlet, at Lavender. If you prioritise a wide choice of pastries as an important factor in a bakery, head over to the Lavender outlet, where they offer more selections.

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Thai Baàng Bakery is found near Lavender MRT, specifically at Kitchener Complex. The bakery itself is a grab-and-go bakery, where bread and pastries are freshly baked without any preservatives. 

The passion that Jovi puts in her bakery is admirable, and you will definitely not be disappointed with the quality of bread and pastries from Thai Baàng Bakery.

Expected Damage: S$1.60 – S$8 per pax

Thai Baàng Bakery: 809 French Road, Kitchener Complex, #01-41, Singapore 200809 | Tel: +65 9722 1213 | Opening Hours: 8.30am – 8.30pm (Daily) | Facebook

21. The Pack Protein & Salad Bar

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Credit – The Pack Protein & Salad Bar

Founded by an ex-auditor from one of the Big 4 accounting firms, The Pack Protein & Salad Bar grew from his passion to build an F&B brand that serves up healthy and affordable meals.

If you’re a fitness enthusiast, or simply want to eat healthy food, you can pop by The Pack Protein & Salad Bar in Aperia Mall to get your fix.

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Credit – The Pack Protein & Salad Bar

Those who work in the area can come by for a quick lunch that caters to a clean, balanced diet. The Signature Flame Grilled Angus Beef Steak Salad Bowl (S$8.90) and Flame Grilled Wagyu Karubi Beef Salad Bowl (S$14.90) are two great choices.

Packed with greens, and topped with a hefty portion of beef slices, this will fill you up without sending you into a “food coma”. Who says healthy food can’t taste good?

Expected Damage: S$10 – S$15 per pax

The Pack Protein & Salad Bar: 12 Kallang Avenue, Aperia Mall, #01-30, Singapore 339511 | Tel: +65 8118 9313 | Opening Hours: 10.30am – 8.15pm (Mon to Sat), 10.30am – 5.45pm (Sun) | Facebook | Instagram

22. Very Lucky Turtle Soup 大幸运山瑞

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On the second floor of Berseh Food Centre, you’ll find Very Lucky Turtle Soup 大幸运山瑞. This hawker centre is littered with mouth-watering eats, but this is a must-try stall.

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Uncle Chu has been running Very Lucky Turtle Soup for the past 40 years, and he specialises in herbal stews that are chock full of Chinese herbs. Though its namesake points us towards the shelled reptile, it was the tail of a beast that caught our eye.

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Crocodile meat is hailed as one of the foods to help combat asthma and its related symptoms. Enter Crocodile Tail Stew at Very Lucky Turtle Soup which goes for S$20 or S$40 at two serving portions. You can also get your helping of crocodile meat in a Clear Soup (S$10/S$15/S$20) or immersed in Herbal Stew (S$15/S$20/S$30).

A crocodile may seem intimidating, but we cannot forget its prowess ⁠— even when it comes to its health benefits that have been touted by older generations. Would you be daring enough to give crocodile meat a try?

Expected Damage: S$10 – S$20 per pax

Very Lucky Turtle Soup 大幸运山瑞: 166 Jalan Besar, Berseh Food Centre, #02-38/49, Singapore 208877 | Tel: +65 6292 0851 | Opening Hours: 11am – 8.30pm (Thu to Tue), Closed on Wed | Facebook | Website

23. Wonder Juice

Food Guide Lavender Jalan Besar Aperia Mall Wonder Juice 1

We’ve arrived at my favourite kind of drink kiosk: a juice store. Wonder Juice is a humble juice kiosk in Aperia Mall, but I simply adore the refreshing drinks they offer.

They offer a range of classic juices, like Watermelon Juice (S$2.50), Carrot Juice (S$3.50) and more. And like most juice kiosks, you can also opt to mix two or more fruits in one drink.

Food Guide Lavender Jalan Besar Aperia Mall Wonder Juice 2

If you prefer something more refreshing, go for the Coconut Milkshake (S$3.80). Made from real coconut flesh, this was icy and thirst-quenching, just the way I like it. The Strawberry Banana Smoothie (S$3.50) was also tart enough, with creaminess from the banana.

Food Guide Lavender Jalan Besar Aperia Mall Wonder Juice 3

For those who want something richer, get the Gula Melaka Avocado Smoothie (S$3.50). Take a sip, and the creamy avocado hits with full force. I like how this wasn’t overly sweet, so you could finish the whole drink without feeling jelak.

Expected Damage: S$2.50 – S$4 per drink

Wonder Juice: 12 Kallang Avenue, Aperia Mall, #01-31, Singapore 339511 | Tel: +65 8186 3059 | Opening Hours: 10am – 9pm (Daily) | Website

24. Zheng Neng Zhu La Mian

From its name, you’d expect tasty noodles—since “zheng neng zhu 真能煮” in Zheng Neng Zhu La Mian means “cook very well” in Chinese.

And yes, this noodle stall in Aperia Mall serves up tasty, authentic handmade noodles that are freshly-cut from hand-kneaded dough. No preservatives or artificial colouring here!

Don’t know what to try? The Signature La Mian (S$5) and Dumpling La Mian (S$5) are good choices.

Lavender Jalan Besar Food Guide Aperia Mall Zheng Neng Zhu La Mian Online 1
Credit – Zheng Neng Zhu La Mian

Chewy, springy noodles pair well with the sweet and savoury sauce. Those who opt for the Dumpling La Mian can expect bites of meaty steamed dumplings with plenty of veggies within.

Lavender Jalan Besar Food Guide Aperia Mall Zheng Neng Zhu La Mian Online 2
Credit – Zheng Neng Zhu La Mian

The Signature La Mian comes with thinly-sliced pork belly, and an egg—you can mix the egg into the soup, or portion it out to pair with the noodles and meat.

By no means a fancy meal, but some days you just need a hearty bowl of noodles to hit the spot.

Expected Damage: S$5 per pax

Zheng Neng Zhu La Mian: 12 Kallang Avenue, Aperia Mall, #01-31/28A, Singapore 339511 | Opening Hours: 10am – 9pm (Daily)


So, if you happen to be in the Lavender/Jalan Besar area, this guide should tide you through with a variety of food options. If there’s anything you think we should’ve included, do let us know! I’m sure we will “lave” it too.

*This post is brought to you in partnership with Aperia Mall.

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