Giraffa

 Giraffa, hailed as “Japan’s most popular cheese curry bread,” has clinched the Japanese Golden Award three years running. Their signature curry bread is packed with spiced meat curry and gooey cheese, all wrapped in a light, sweet milk-flavored batter and deep-fried to golden, irresistible crispiness.

Giraffa

Good news for curry lovers! Famous Japanese snack chain Giraffa, known for its popular Kamakura-style curry buns, is making its Singapore debut this year at Westgate Mall. 

About Giraffa

Crispy on the outside, savory on the inside, it’s set to be a must-try for fans of warm, comforting bites.

Menu

Giraffa’s curry buns are no ordinary snack, the curry filling is crafted with 30 different spices, delivering a savory, rich, and aromatic flavor in every bite. With reasonable prices, it’s a tasty treat that won’t break the bank.

Freshly Deep Fried

The Japanese Curry Bun comes in a presentable box that fits 4 buns, making it perfect for gifting.

A box of 4 

Just look at that cheese pull, it’s absolutely enticing! The filling of ground beef, pork, and seasoned vegetables draws out deep flavours. 

Cheese Pull

Balanced with honey, apples, tomatoes, and wine, the mix of freshness, sweetness, sourness, and richness makes every bite so enjoyable.

Freshly Prepared Curry Bun

Giraffa
Location: Westgate, 3 Gateway Drive, #02-05A , Singapore 608532
Nearest Station: Jurong East (EW24 / NS1)

Next Shikaku

 Located at the basement of Westgate Mall, Next Shikaku is taking Singapore’s ramen scene to the next level.

Hailing from Osaka, their unique concept revolves around oysters, the soul of their broth. The clear soup is made from 100% pure oyster broth, carrying a natural richness with a subtle, pleasant bitterness.

To complete the experience, the noodles are hand-kneaded with a 45% hydration ratio, giving each strand a perfect, satisfying bite.

Menu

The eatery greets diners with a futuristic illuminated screen right at the entrance, a bold contrast from the usual Japanese ramen shop vibe. The restaurant itself is long and narrow, with limited seating, making the experience feel a little more exclusive.

Dining

Their broiled meat sushi strikes a perfect balance, searing just enough to unlock the umami of raw meat, making it comparable to speciality sushi houses.

Meat Sushi - $4.90

Plump, large oysters are freshly fried to golden perfection and served simply with lemon and salt for a clean, briny indulgence.

Fried Oysters - $11.90

The Oyster Tsukemen “Asobu” is another standout on the menu, crafted in collaboration with the renowned Kyoto noodle maker Teigaku. Instead of the usual slender strands, this version features wider, rectangular flat noodles that deliver a more satisfying, chewy bite, almost reminiscent of mee hoon kueh.

Oyster Tsukemen (Asobu) - $22.90

These noodles are designed to soak up the full-bodied dipping broth, which is made from a blend of shrimp kombu water and oysters. The result is a rich, ocean-sweet umami that clings to every strand, making each dip an indulgent, slurp-worthy experience.

Hand Kneaded Flat Noodles

The Oyster Broth “Koeru”, a creation that redefines the ramen experience. Unlike conventional bases, Koeru is built on the pure essence of oysters, blended seamlessly with pork and chicken to achieve a broth that is both bold and refined.

Slow-cooked Oyster Broth (Koeru) - $20.90

The result is a soup with natural oceanic richness, layered with savory depth and a gentle, lingering umami. Paired with hand-kneaded, low-hydration noodles, every mouthful balances silky broth and perfect bite.

The chashu comes as a generous thick-cut slice, thoughtfully balanced with both lean and fatty sections. The lean part is juicy and firm, while the fatty portion ranges from a delicate, jelly-like texture to fully melt-in-your-mouth richness. Lightly seasoned, it allows the natural pork flavor to shine, making each bite deeply satisfying without overpowering the ramen.

Chashu

Next Shikaku
Location: Westgate, 3 Gateway Dr, #B1-28 Singapore 608532

Da Cheng Lok Lok

Dacheng Lok Lok lovers rejoice！ No need to head to JB anymore!

Da Cheng Lok Lok

Dacheng Lok Lok (大成渌渌), a beloved Malaysian lok lok joint, has expanded to Singapore with branches at Tai Seng and Jurong East. They offer a wide selection of skewers, seafood, meats, and veggies, all at just $1.10 per stick.

My Lok Lok Selections

A perfect spot for late-night bites and satisfying your lok lok cravings without crossing the border!

Count the Sticks

Don’t miss their dipping sauces, from fiery mala chilli to tangy Thai-style chilli. Plus, at the Tai Seng branch, you can try their famed 30-year-old JB wanton mee in both black and white sauce, sadly, it’s not available at Jurong East.

Dipping into Satay Sauce

While enjoying my dinner, I couldn’t help but notice how popular the Lok Lok was among the coffeeshop patrons. It seems to be quite a hit! I’ll definitely be back again for more.

Print on Sticks

Da Cheng Lok Lok
Location: Blk 267A Toh Guan Rd, #01-01 Singapore 601267

Jing Jing Hokkien Mee & Oyster Omelette

While the hawker center offered a wide variety of meal choices, I found myself drawn to Jing Jing, a stall that specializes exclusively in Fried Carrot Cake. It’s a rare find where a stall focuses on perfecting just one dish, and in this case, it’s a comforting plate of fried black carrot cake that immediately caught my attention. There’s something about a plate of well-made fried carrot cake that never fails to hit the spot, especially when it satisfies a deep craving for something hearty and flavorful.

Jing Jing Hokkien Mee

The texture of the carrot cake was just right—tender yet firm enough to hold its shape, and wonderfully moist, not at all dry or overly greasy. One of the standout features was the generous amount of Chye Poh (preserved vegetables) mixed throughout, adding a salty, savory depth to each bite. What truly set this fried carrot cake apart, though, was its distinct charred flavor, which gave it a slightly smoky edge that complemented the natural sweetness of the sauce used. The balance of flavors—salty, sweet, and a little bit of that smoky char—came together in a way that was both satisfying and comforting.

I could see why this stall has its loyal following: it’s simple, but expertly executed. If you’re in the area and craving a delicious, no-frills plate of fried black carrot cake, I highly recommend stopping by Jing Jing. It’s the perfect dish to fix any craving for something nostalgic and satisfying.

Black Carrot Cake - $3.50

Rating: 3.25 / 5

Jing Jing Hokkien Mee & Oyster Omelette

Location: 347 Jurong East Ave 1, Singapore 600347

Paofan Paradise

A little bit of history, Tong Kian Coffeeshop (TK) has been in the business since 1993. However, due to manpower and staff issues, the whole Coffeeshop was rented to another operator, with them taking back only the seafood stall. Paofan Paradise has been around since 2016 and they had been doing Lala hotpot since 2022.

Stall of Paofan Paradise

Hotpot meal has been in the trend lately with charcoal operated. However, if you are still missing the conventional method where we gather around over the portable gas stove for hotpot, come here. We had 2 kinds of hotpot base with chosen ingredients picked up by ourselves in the refrigerator.

Hotpot

White Pepper Pig Stomach Chicken Hotpot Paofan is a comforting and hearty dish that combines the warmth of hotpot with the satisfying elements of paofan. It combines the bold flavours of white pepper with the comforting aspects of chicken soup and rice. It's perfect for a cool day or when you need something warming and nourishing. 

White Pepper Pig Stomach Chicken Hotpot Paofan 猪肚鸡汤泡饭火锅 - $38

The interplay of textures—from the tender chicken to the chewy pig stomach and the soft rice—makes each bite interesting and satisfying. 

Tender Chicken

The combination of lala clams with ginger, cooking wine, chilli, and garlic created a strong aromatic base, especially with the addition of cooking wine causing flames, enhancing the flavours.

Lala

First, they stir-fried these ingredients in the claypot with cooking wine, causing a brief flare-up when the cooking wine was added due to the alcohol content. This not only adds depth to the flavour but also creates a dramatic effect before adding the broth to simmer the ingredients and fully infuse the flavours into the hotpot.

Ingredients for Stir-Frying Lala

After the broth was added, we started putting in ingredients like tofu and vegetables, as well as those ingredients that we had selected from their fridge. 

Vegetables and Tofu

The broth's sweetness was later on enhanced by the fresh prawns and gradually the base became flavourful.

Lala Hotpot  Paofan 啦啦泡饭火锅 - $28

We like our prawns to be cooked to the correct texture, therefore we took them out of the pot once we felt that they had been already cooked.

Prawns

We were served with the rice grains in the metal container. It will keep the grains warm and maintain their texture. It also adds to the overall presentation, giving a more authentic and rustic feel to the dining experience.

Rice in Metal Container

We poured the broth into these containers and let it immerse for a while before consuming it. 

We dipped the hotpot ingredients into their sambal chilli and its fiery kick had added a bold, spicy flavor that perfectly complements the savoury broth and fresh ingredients of the hotpot.

Fish dipping in Sambal Sauce

Besides Paofan and claypot dishes, they are also selling the usual Cze Char Dishes that may be worth some notice whether if you are dining in or taking away.

Paofan Paradise 泡饭天-T.K Kitchen
Location: 37 Teban Gardens Rd, Singapore 600037

How Yu Restaurant 好友 XO 鱼头米粉汤

With friends suggesting having a Cze Char Meal in Teban Gardens, here we are!

How Yu Restaurant 

Enjoying the deep-fried slices of tender pork in combination with the unique flavours of fermented beancurd. Good for sharing but meat was on a dry side.

Fried Pork Preserved Beancurd 南乳炸肉 - $10

Next, we had stir-fried French Bean with Minced Meat. The French bean was deep-fried and looked pretty oily. Nonetheless, pairing up with the minced meat in sweet gravy made it tasty.

Stir Fried French Bean with Minced Meat 揉碎四季豆苗 - $8 

A bowl of Fish Meat Been Hoon with chunks of fish and vegetables without the taste of XO. Looking at the price paid, it's quite decent.

XO Fish Meat Bee Hoon XO 鱼肉米粉 - $5

We had the smallest portion of creamy salted egg yolk sauce over the big prawns. Savoury and yummy.

Salted Egg Prawns 

Deep-fried chunks of chicken coupled with some unpeeled deep-fried garlic cloves and cabbage made up the dish. It's a tad spicy and we found that the taste was on a dry side.

Spicy Garlic Chicken 蒜香鸡 - $12

The popular dish from JB (Johor Bahru) that is getting more common in Singapore is Char Stalls. The distinctive look of the flattened Bee Hoon offers a harmonious blend of textures and tastes that will tantalize your taste buds. Accompany the Bee Hoon will be vegetables, and prawns, sliced pork and egg.

JB San Lou Bee Hoon 柔佛三楼米粉 - $5

No doubt the price was relatively cheaper than most of the Cze Char Stall, we find that the standard and quality of food is moderate.

Rating: 3 / 5 

How Yu Restaurant 好友XO鱼头米粉汤
Location: 39 Teban Gardens Singapore 600039

Legacy Seafood 横行八道海鲜 [Moved]

With many friends having already visited this place, now it's my turn. While we were looking for some quiet place in the West Area for a decent dinner, one of us decided on Legacy Seafood. Legacy Seafood is known to offer Cze Char Dishes in their air-conditioned restaurant conveniently located along Science Center Road.

Legacy Seafood

We visited during of the weekday evenings and were rather happy that we had the whole place to our own before the sky turns darker.

Environment

With so many sauce selections for the Crab Dish, we opted for The Golden Sand for we thought it was quite special. The sauce was creamy and addictive with pumpkin and salted egg yolk which complemented the plump and juicy big crab.

Golden Sand Crab Delight 黄金沙螃蟹 - $105 per Kg

We enjoyed the Crustacean Gravy too with these little airy buns.

Buns

One of Legacy Seafood's recommended dishes is Fermented Vegetable with Minced Meat Beancurd. 

The circular beancurn was crispy on the outside and wobby in the inside. It was topped with minced meat, preserved vegetables and spring onions.

Fermented Veg With Minced Meat Beancurd 味香豆腐 - $20

The execution of this Hor Fun Dish was pretty similar to the usual Hor Fun we have. A good highlight was that the seafood ingredients like prawn, squid and fish were generous. The scrumptious gravy was a tad spicy though.

Signature Hor Fun 招牌河粉 - $15

A familiar dish from Malaysia that I would never thought to see in Singapore. The leaves of kale were deep-fried till crisp and topped with fried anchovies alongside crunchy Kai Lan Stalks.

Crispy & Stir Fried Kale Combo 双味芥兰 - $18

Fans of Ribs and also enjoying a hearty infusion flavours? This Guinness Pork Rib might float your kind of dish. Enjoy these fall-off-the-bone, tender succulent pork ribs with a rich and complex taste achieved from the slow-cooking in Guinness Stout Beer as marinade 

Guinness Pork Rib 黑啤酒排骨 - $20

Replacing the Bowls of Rice, we had the longevity noodles too. We ordered this as we thought this was special on the menu. The ingredients on the noodles were generous too with mushroom, prawns, vegetables, beansprouts, minced meat, shredded carrot etc. 

Longevity Noodles 寿面 - $20

Noodle has a smooth texture and was not oily. Simple and taste good.

Long Noodles

Rating: 3.5 / 5

Legacy Seafood 横行八道海鲜
Location: Bestway Centre, 10 Science Centre Rd, #01-23, Singapore 609079
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