Dressed in white and blue—inspired by the look of the traditional metallic ting kat—is The White Tiffin, a restaurant located on level one of Changi City Point, serving nostalgic local delights.
With their retro aesthetics, the use of eclectic colours and mosaic-tiled countertop, this restaurant is hard to miss. As I stepped in, I felt like I was transported down memory lane, back to the 1980s, where Deng Li Jun’s Tian Mi Mi played through the radio on the background.
The interior of the restaurant recreated old school vibes with vintage memorabilia placed in the open-faced cabinets. I especially loved the wall feature which has metallic plates imprinted with traditional vibrant coloured flowers, randomly placed across the Persian blue wall. Look up to the ceiling and you will see the same plates magically used as lampshades, extending throughout the entire restaurant.
A glance through their menu and the first dish that caught my eye was the XXL Nasi Lemak (S$49.90), huge enough to feed a family of four.
Inspired by Indonesian Tumpeng (a cone-shaped rice dish with side dishes of vegetable and meat), the XXL Nasi Lemak features blue coconut rice with two whole lobster gratin cut into halves, a bowl of curry chicken and a battered fish fillet. It is further supplemented by sides like hard-boiled eggs, achar (South Asian pickles), ikan bilis, roasted peanuts, salted egg fish skin crackers, and papadums (thin, crisp, round flatbread from India).
I knew the dish was on its way even before it was placed on our table. With the light coconut aroma from the rice lingering in the air, our attention drew towards the direction of the scent as we witnessed the service stuff struggling to bring the massive platter to us whilst keeping the coned shaped rice in place.
The blue butterfly pea flower-stained coconut rice caught my attention almost immediately. Breaking into the tall cone right smack in the centre of the plate, the rice was truly lemak. It was, to my delight, fluffy in texture but yet, rich in flavour. The fragrance and creaminess of the coconut came through after every bite, making the rice sinfully scrumptious.
Amongst the three mains accompanying the rice, my favourite would be the curry chicken. The coconut milk used in the curry was cooked well, with the right amount of curry leaves and spices, resulting in a gravy that was rich and flavourful.
To me, the curry was considered mildly spiced. It had a slight heat, which was easily masked when consumed together with the rice. The chicken chunks were simmered skilfully till tender, with its natural juices still locked in. Call me greedy, but I really wished that the portion of the curry chicken was bigger as my companions were all hawk-eyeing the curry after our first taste.
The battered fish was so-so. As much as I had no complaints about it, neither did I have any compliments. It basically tasted just like any battered fish we could get with a regular plate of fish and chips. Although the batter was irregularly coated, causing it to be thicker at some parts, I’m glad the fish inside remained soft, with a slight hint of saltiness.
Similar to a lobster au gratin, the lobsters were topped generously with a mixture of velvety cheese and cream sauce before being lightly torched on the surface. Just looking at it made my mouth water, and I excitedly plunged my fork into the luscious pool of creamy goodness.
Alas, I was disappointed. The lobster was completely lost under that blanket of gratin that was, in my opinion, too strong and overpowering. It snatched away the taste of fresh, succulent lobsters I had imagined.
The variety of sides complemented the dish well with everyone playing its role, contributing to a wholesome Nasi Lemak experience. Amongst them, the dark horse that made my meal so much more enjoyable was definitely the homemade sambal chilli.
It had a complex flavour that was altogether sweet, savoury and earthy—addictive as hell. Mid-way through the meal, I found myself forgoing the actual Nasi Lemak. Instead, I was enjoying my papadum dipped in sambal chilli, a combination that is sure to delight our Asian palates.
Nasi Lemak aside, the other rice dish we had was the Black Vinegar Pork Trotters With Rice (S$8.90). Traditionally, Black Vinegar Pork Trotters is a Cantonese confinement dish that is thought to be good for women to consume after birth.
Not only is the cooking process time-consuming, there is also a vast amount of ingredients and hard work that goes into its preparation. Thus, it is not usually a dish that we will come by often (they are mostly sold in Cantonese yum cha restaurants at ridiculous prices).
I haven’t had enough Black Vinger Pork Trotters to be able to determine if this is the best, but I can proudly say that this is a fairly decent bowl of pork trotters. The whiff of sourness that rushed into my nose as I opened the lid of the metallic pot immediately activated my salivary glands and I had to forcefully stop myself from digging in straight away, just to get a snap of its dark, oily glory.
The gelatinous pork trotters were simmered till tender and succulent. One bite into the trotters and the meat slipped off its bones, diffusing an aromatic (to some this may be pungent) scent of ginger and sour black vinegar that lingered in my mouth. The broth was not too acidic. In fact, it leaned towards the sweet side, warming up my entire body as I sipped on it.
To put an end to our mains, we ordered the Laksa With Prawns And Scallops (S$6.90). Considering the price of the dish, I was pleasantly surprised to see two huge king prawns served by the side.
I enjoy my laksa gravy milky and light, drinkable to a certain extent so that I can slurp the soup together with the noodles, and The White Tiffin’s laksa gravy was exactly how I like it. For those of you who enjoy a little more spiciness, mix in the sambal chilli and you will be in for a treat!
For an additional S$3.90, we enjoyed a cup of hot coffee and a Cendol Ice Cream as a sweet ending to our meal. The coconut ice cream, placed on a bed of red beans and green cendol “worms”, was milky and smooth.
The addition of the toasted coconut flakes was much appreciated as it was slightly crunchy, elevating the texture profile of the dessert. My only complaint was that it lacked the aroma of gula melaka, which is a key factor in defining the taste of cendol, in my opinion.
With the amount of effort put into the decoration of the restaurant and the eye for detail that goes into the plating of each dish, The White Tiffin is certainly a place that I will recommend. Not only that, the quality of the ingredients and portion of food generously given for the price paid will also keep regulars coming back for more!
Expected Damage: S$15 – S$30 per pax
Price: $
Our Rating: 3 / 5
The White Tiffin
5 Changi Business Park Central 1, Changi City Point, #01-44, Singapore 486038
The White Tiffin
5 Changi Business Park Central 1, Changi City Point, #01-44, Singapore 486038