Starker Q: Try Food From All Over The World & Pair It With Freshly-Brewed German-Style Beers At Punggol Central

Aug 24, 2017

Sophie Ng

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Everyone had their eye on Punggol last January 2016 when the new Waterway Point opened, bringing with it a wave of F&B establishments. Starker Q is technically not part of the mall (it’s right next to it), but if you’re in the area, scout it out as you’ll then be able dine on a selection of food from all over the world, all in one place.

If the name sounds familiar, Starker Q is the latest addition to the Starker Group of dining concepts. Following a different concept, this new outlet in Punggol has a wide selection of quality international cuisine at wallet-friendly prices (think Marche-style).

The menu currently consists of dishes from five different stalls, Allegra, Legend Seafood, My Bao, Pizalo and Mukja, that serve authentic cuisine that has been tweaked to suit the Singaporean palate.

Allegra serves up classic Western fare, while Legend Seafood serves up the sea on a plate.

My Bao is geared more towards locals who want a twist on the classic Chinese Bao, Pizalo is for the thin crust pizza enthusiasts, and Mukja would be a hit with Korean fans.

To enable fuss-free ordering and to prevent crowding in Starker Q, you’ll find ordering kiosks where you place your orders, key in your phone number and return to your seat.

When your order is ready, a text message will be sent to you to come and pick it up. This also means no GST or service charge! (Yay, more money to spend on food!)

After having fun with the ordering kiosks, we started our meal with finger foods from Allegra, a stall that serves up classic Western fare such as pasta, steaks, light bites and even sharing platters that are perfect for families.

The Cuttlefish Strips ($2.80) are something I will break my no-fried-food diet for. Thin strips of cuttlefish were well-seasoned and deep fried to a crispy golden perfection.

They make a good beer snack, but I’d be careful with those because they were highly addictive and you will not be able to stop at one.

After finally peeling ourselves away from the cuttlefish strips, we tried the Fiery Wings ($5.80). These are a spin on the Starker classic wings, with a coating of homemade hot sauce.

Don’t be scared away by the looks of it; the wings were actually not too spicy. Just the right amount of spice covering crispy, fragrant mid-joint wings, that make for another great accompaniment to beer.

We were then brought straight to Korea with the Seafood Pajeon ($6.80) from Mukja. The pancake was filled with scallions, carrots, prawns and squid, before being pan-fried.

The seafood was really fresh and the dipping sauce that’s made with soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame (chilli) oil and honey, paired perfectly with the pancake.

A bite of this took me right back to the streets of Seoul where I had the best seafood pancake while hiding from the cold.

After the warm-up with the side dishes, we moved on to mains. We had the Garlic Butter Cream Clams In a Pot ($14.80) from Legend Seafood. For that price, 500g of clams were served up.

The garlic butter cream sauce was luscious, sinful, and so, so good. I just wished there was a bowl of pasta for me to pour the sauce all over. The clams were also very fresh and not overcooked.

If you like the popular duck pizza from Timbre, you’ll love the Wanton Pizza ($6.80) here from Pizalo. Served on a thin crust, the BBQ-marinated pulled pork was elevated with the crunch from crispy wanton skin, and a drizzle of hoisin sauce.

Pizzas cannot get more oriental than this. Every bite of this pizza was a burst of umami, but it might be a tad too salty for those who prefer their food seasoned on the lighter side. If you’re a fan of hoisin though, you’ll love this.

Missing our dose of carbs for the day, we proceeded to try My Bao‘s Bacon and Mushroom Cream Bao ($1.40). Just like the price tag, the Bao came in a very small portion that is perfect as bar grub or for someone looking for a light lunch.

We also tried the Braised Pork Belly Bao ($1.40) and it was a pleasant surprise. First braised in soy sauce, the meat tasted unique and different from other braised pork belly dishes and was super tender.

We also found out that more stalls will be added to the mix in the future and we were very excited to hear that some of the classic Starker dishes will soon be sold at Starker Q.

We’re talking about the Pork Belly, which featured succulent tender meat with a good marbling of fats, covered with crisp crackling and elevated with a simple mustard dip.

You’ll also be happy to know that you’ll soon be able to order the popular Pork Knuckle, which comes with cherry tomatoes, sauerkraut and crisp fried onion strips. The sourness of the sauerkraut and cherry tomatoes balanced the heavy flavours of the pork, while the fried onions added extra texture.

My favourite part of this entire dish though, was the beer-infused sauce that came with it. Well-seasoned with bursts of umami flavour and just a tinge of beer coming through. Perfection in a little saucer!

We ended our meal with a Starker Fresh Beer flight ($20). From left to right, the beers for tasting were Starker Lager, Starker Charcoal, Starker Lychee, Starker Dunkel and Starker Aromatic.

For someone who does not usually drink beer, the Lychee one was my favourite. Sweet and light on the palate, that particular flavour was super refreshing and ideal for Singapore’s hot weather.

Craving for a pizza but in a rush? No problem. Pizalo at Starker Q also does a Trio of Pizza Cones ($11.80) for takeaway.

The cone shape seals all the goodness of the filling, and allows you to carry it around easily without creating a mess while eating it.

Apart from serving affordable and delicious food, Starker Q also places an emphasis on music. Starker Music on the first floor sees a roster of live bands comprising emerging local musicians playing both English and Mandarin pop, so you can enjoy your Starker Beer and squeeze a boogie in too.

Starker Q also boasts a second level with a bar that serves up locally brewed, German-style Starker Fresh Brew from Mondays to Saturday evenings, 4pm onwards. This space can even be booked for events, so you’ll have a bit of privacy to drink beer and party with your friends.

We were pleasantly surprised by the prices of the food at Starker Q and would highly recommend it to those looking for a casual dining spot and for options to make everyone in your group happy. Our advice? Get a dish from every stall to share like we did, and wash everything down with affordable and refreshing beers.

Expected damage: $10 – $30 per person