Malaysia
Singapore
Thailand
Food courts aren’t usually the sort of places where you’ll find hidden gems. However, this particular food court stall in Sembawang puts out fancy Western dishes with a twist!
I decided to head down to Roger’s Kitchen in NTUC Foodfare to find out what the hype was all about.
The owner, Roger, started the business in 2018. He has also opened another branch in Buangkok that’s conveniently right next to the MRT.
The dishes here at Roger’s Kitchen are certainly not your typical kopitiam Western food items. Not only are the portions humongous, but they also include elements of Singaporeans’ all-time favourite food trends.
One of his most popular dishes is the Mala Pasta (S$7.50). It comes with a decent amount of spaghetti, as well as a huge piece of breaded chicken.
Straightaway, I noticed the large, red pieces of dried chilli in the pasta. They gave the dish a devilish reddish-brown hue that got me a little nervous. Did I mention that I’m not one who takes spice very well?
I also spotted dozens of whole black peppercorns in the pasta. By then, I already knew what I was in for.
The spaghetti was pleasantly firm and springy. It had an al dente texture, which made it very satisfying to chew.
With the dried chillis and peppercorns, it goes without saying that the spaghetti packed a punch! The pungency of the mala was there, and so was its spicy kick. Of course, the peppercorns were excruciatingly numbing too, giving my entire mouth an electrocuting shock.
Unfortunately, the breaded chicken was lacklustre, as it was a bit too tough for our liking. That said, the crunchy crust contrasted the al dente spaghetti well.
The chef told us that the dish was only equivalent to a 小辣 (mild spice), but I already found it super spicy! You can also customise the spice level of the dish from 小辣 (mild spice) to 大辣 (super spicy), just like having ma la xiang guo.
For sides, we went with the Salted Egg Wings (S$3.90). I’ll be honest, I wasn’t expecting much from the looks of it. However, the salted egg glaze on the wings soon proved me wrong.
As I sank my teeth into the meat, a wave of sweetness and saltiness immediately flooded my taste buds.
I could pick out tiny chunks of salted egg yolk in the thick and luscious sauce, a clear indication that they used actual salted egg yolks.
The wings were also decently sized, with juicy and tender meat. We unanimously agreed that it was one of the better dishes. So don’t miss these succulent wings when you’re here!
Our next dish was Roger’s Famous Jumbo BBQ Pork Ribs (S$12.90). Since it’s named after the owner, we had high expectations of it. And unsurprisingly, it turned out to be a showstopper.
To start off, the rack of pork ribs was, as its name implied, humongous. It was probably as large as my face!
They also slathered a thick, glossy layer of barbecue sauce on top of it, which made our mouths water.
Just by tugging on one of the bones, the tender meat around it slid off. The succulent meat went very well with the decadent and slightly smoky sauce.
The dish also came with a side of aglio olio. Like the Mala Pasta, the spaghetti was al dente and had a distinct spiciness from the chilli flakes. It made for a good contrast against the sweetness of the pork ribs.
Our last dish was the one we were looking forward to the most, the Wagyu Egg Lava Beef Burger (S$11.90). We spotted it on a huge banner as we were walking into the food court.
Like the other dishes, the beef burger came in a huge portion, as well as a mountain of fries. While the fries were nothing to rave about, the burger hid a surprise.
When we cut into the burger, the runny egg yolk started oozing out, creating a beautiful mess on the plate.
The extra-thick beef patty had a peppery fragrance which made it scrumptious. However, we felt it would have been perfect had it been slightly juicier.
That said, there were crunchy slices of bacon on top of the patty too, which crackled spectacularly with every bite.
Not to mention, the burger buns were soft and buttery. As I compressed the burger and the juices oozed out, the buns soaked them all up like a sponge.
There’s a whole variety of other fusion dishes at Roger’s Kitchen that we didn’t try. However, we’re certain that they would all taste as good as the ones we had.
I’m sure this isn’t the last I’ll be seeing of Roger’s Kitchen. The price range here is unbelievably affordable for the quality of the food. It’s a bonus that their portions are all so hearty too.
If you stay around the area, put this on your must-try list!
Expected Damage: S$2.90 – S$14.90 per pax
