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Do you remember when the popular Fortune Centre diner Japanese Curry Express shuttered in Aug 2023? You probably miss their thick slabs of salmon sashimi, too. Well, taking over their space is New Station Rice Bar, a new zi char eatery that might just fill the void in your heart.
If the name ‘New Station’ rings a bell, you’re probably thinking of New Station Snack Bar, the popular hole-in-wall eatery in Far East Plaza best known for its delicious salted egg and affordable zi char sets.
You’re on the right track! New Station Rice Bar is the independent venture of Chloe Tan, the daughter of New Station Snack Bar’s owners. She kickstarted Rice Bar in Mar 2024 with the experience she harnessed from years of working at her parents’ eatery and skills developed from self-sourced cooking lessons.
You should know that they aren’t competitors, though. Think of Rice Bar as Snack Bar’s “younger sister”. Chloe revealed in an interview with 8Days that her parents are fully supportive of her venture, despite initial doubts that stemmed from a place of concern.
So, what does Chloe bring to the table with New Station Rice Bar? Let’s get into it.
The humble eatery has a refined menu of just 9 mains and several side dishes, making for some no-frills dining affairs.
In case you (probably) were wondering, yes! New Station Rice Bar serves up Salted Egg Pork Chop (S$8.50) of its sister brand’s fame. It’s made with the same recipe, too. The dish stars hefty fried pork chop pieces doused plentifully in a creamy moreish salted egg sauce. Each is served alongside a bed of rice and your choice of a sunny-side-up or onsen egg.
There are other classic dishes as well, such as Fish/Chicken Katsu Gu Lao Rou (S$8) and Gong Bao Ji with Sesame (S$8).
Another note-worthy dish is the tongue-numbing Mapo Tofu with Minced Meat (S$9). Some popular choices include the succulent handmade Chilli Oil Dumplings ($8) and “Chloe’s Style” Curry Chicken Cutlet (S$9.50). These started out as monthly specials, but have since become permanent fixtures on the menu.
To be honest, I’m salivating as I write this. I might just pop over soon for a delicious zi char fix!
