Hawker stall Reuben’s serves restaurant-quality pasta and western mains, run by ex-chef from viral Clementi stall
Those looking for western food in Singapore should check out Reuben’s, a new hawker stall located not far from Geylang Bahru station.
Why? You can trust the chef-owner behind the eponymous stall, 26-year-old Reuben Koh.
He’d gone through his fair share of ups-and-downs, including a stint in prison, before turning over a new leaf and opening a canteen stall in a junior college.
Some may recognise him as the chef behind Reverie, western hawker stall in Clementi that went viral for its restaurant-style dishes and pastas, and, more importantly, the moving story behind its genesis.
The chef-owner has since left Reverie due to business disagreements, but is persisting with his passion for cooking and mission of serving affordable restaurant-quality food in a hawker setting.
This led him to opening Reuben’s.
This new stint sees Reuben starting a new chapter stronger than ever, having found a business partner in Derek Cheong, MasterChef Singapore 2021 winner, serial F&B entrepreneur, and Berempah Bros owner.
What Reuben’s cooking at Reuben’s
Given all the attention surrounding Reverie, one can’t help but wonder what the young chef has planned for Reuben’s.
If you had any favourites from his time in Clementi, you might still be able to spot them on the Reuben’s menu, with signatures such as the chicken parmigiana (S$14) and white beef bolognese mafalda (S$14).
We were persuaded to try Reuben’s pork chop (S$24), which has undergone some tweaks, instead.
The pork chop uses bone-in pork loin, and is paired with mashed potatoes, fries, and a mustard pork jus.
We admit: S$24 is a hard-sell in a hawker setting, but this uses a more premium cut, plus pork chops are easy to overcook.
Reuben’s rendition was luscious and tender, with velvety streaks of fat — and the mustard pork jus imbues the perfect kiss of sweetness and acidity to contrast against the porky richness.
We paired it with Reuben’s miso salmon (S$24), since we wanted something less heavy and meaty.
The salmon is well cooked, has a delicately crispy skin, and is enrobed in a layer of sweet-umami miso glaze — like a salmon version of the legendary Nobu miso cod, but lighter in miso flavour.
Besides the mains, one item that really caught our eye is not commonly seen in Singapore: Blooming onion (S$7) — basically a whole fried onion that is first cut and fanned out to resemble a flower — a popular appetiser in the US.
This is our first time trying it and we enjoyed how the crust was light, while the onions were soft and silky on the inside.
It also pairs nicely with the spicy aioli at the side, which imparts a bit of kick and accentuates the sweetness and fragrance of the onion.
Affordable restaurant-quality pasta
Pasta fans will also have plenty of options here, with some interesting fusion creations such as the steak kombu cream spaghetti (S$22) and jjampong seafood spaghetti (S$19).
Japanese-food lovers can go for the former, while Korean-food fans would enjoy the latter, which is inspired by jjampong (a Korean-Chinese spicy broth noodle).
Although it’s inspired by a soupy dish, Reuben’s pasta twist comes with thicker sauce that’s packed with seafood umami and gochujang spice.
For those who have tried the signature white beef bolognese mafalda at Reverie, the recipe has been modified and now uses a confit garlic cream emulsion, instead of chopped garlic
Truthfully, we thought this was lacking some flavour compared to the original — but Reuben said they are still tweaking the recipes.
One other thing that sets Reuben’s apart from other hawkers is that he also serves restaurant-style desserts.
Guests have a choice between the hazelnut praline cake (S$8) and Reuben’s “kaya toast” (S$8). Both feature housemade ice cream — Madagascar vanilla ice cream for the former and pandan gelato for the latter.
All in all, be it pasta or mains, Reuben’s provides some pretty decent Western food options — of the kind you’d find in a brunchy cafe or a full-service restaurant — in a hawker setting. This means that the price is naturally higher, compared to our good ol’ chicken chops, though.
But honestly, we like to see a young hawker thriving!
For more ideas on what to eat, read our stories on KFC’s unique new Curry x Sambal Zinger and a guide to the underrated 216 Bedok Food Centre and Market!
Tue 12pm - 3pm, 5pm - 9pm
Wed 12pm - 3pm, 5pm - 9pm
Thu 12pm - 3pm, 5pm - 9pm
Fri 12pm - 3pm, 5pm - 9pm
Sat 12pm - 3pm, 5pm - 9pm
Sun 12pm - 3pm, 5pm - 9pm
- Geylang Bahru
Evan started off writing about food on Instagram, before joining outlets such as Buro and Confirm Good to pursue his passion. His best work usually comes after his first whisky shot in the morning.
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