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Today, I went to Sim Lim Square. You may be wondering why – was it to buy computer parts? Or photography equipment? Nope – I went there to eat, obviously. Except the place I wanted to go to was closed. So I had to find somewhere else – and that place was Wynn Eateries.
Located up on the 4th floor and tucked away in the corner, Wynn Eateries’s signboard is a collage of the various dishes they sell, along with a few electronics displayed on the front of the shop. The range of dishes served is dizzying – cakes and pastries, kopi and kaya toast, traditional desserts, zi char dishes and even Indian food.
A friendly uncle sitting near the entrance gets up to greet me and invites me in to have a meal; he told me that there’s lu rou fan and teriyaki chicken available today, as well as their signature chicken curry. As I pondered my order, I realised the eatery is way, WAY bigger on the inside than the outside.
There’s a lot more seating and the main kitchen is located here. There’s no real interior decor to speak of, but everything is clean and neat.
Interestingly, every table has the menu printed on it, but it lists mostly drinks, desserts and snacks or small bites.
What I tried at Wynn Eateries
I decided to order the Curry Chicken Rice Set (S$7), which is the signature dish. For my drink, I originally wanted teh halia, but with ice, and the auntie who was in charge of preparing beverages said that she didn’t think it was a good idea to have that cold, since according to her, “Ginger is like a medicine. Having it cold might affect your health!”
I’ve had teh halia iced before, and I’m still here to write this review, but the auntie was so genuine with her concern for my well-being that I acquiesced and went with Ice Milk Tea (S$2.20) in the end.
The Chicken Curry Rice Set is served with 2 sides – a veggie, and some omelette. While he was preparing the dish, the uncle had asked me if I liked beansprouts, and instead of the regular cabbage, he had given me stir-fried beansprouts with tofu.
The chicken given was a large slab of leg meat, and while not fork tender, the meat came apart easily enough. The curry is the kind that leans more mild, so if you’re a spice fiend, you might feel it’s not spicy enough. The spice level was just right for me, and it’s creamy and quite homely in flavour.
The potato is also cooked just right – just done enough to cut through with a spoon with no resistance, but not so soft that it turns into mash. My only complaint? I got just 1 piece – for potatoes of this calibre, I would like at least 4 pieces, please.
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Interestingly, the rice served here is not the typical jasmine rice – it’s actually short-grained rice. It’s slightly too sticky for my preferences but has a nice bite.
Both the sides also had that same home-cooked taste and feel to them. The beansprouts in particular tasted so much like the ones my family makes at home and were nice and crunchy. The omelette was fine, not overcooked and rubbery.
Unfortunately, I did not enjoy the Ice Milk Tea as much as the curry chicken. It tasted quite diluted and could do with a stronger tea flavour.
Final thoughts
This is not food that will win awards. This is also not food that will start a viral trend, or cause a revolution. What this is though, is honest, yummy food that fills the belly, is comforting, and very homey. Some days, I just want food like that, and Wynn Eateries delivered on that front.
Expected damage: S$4 – S$10 per pax
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