15 affordable Far East Plaza food gems

Most discerning diners in Orchard will know that if you want affordable hidden gems in the heart of town, Far East Plaza’s food options never disappoint. 

Opened in 1982, Far East Plaza is one of the older shopping centres in Singapore, and even housed the first Famous Amos and Wendy’s in Singapore. In the 1980s and 1990s, it was a popular hangout spot for teenagers, often dubbed the ‘Far East kids’. Whether it was the second-hand bookstores, tattoo parlours, fast food outlets or street-fashion stores that drew them there, it was the place to be if you wanted to be seen as a ‘happening’ teen.

Located at 14 Scotts Road, Far East Plaza continues to house a variety of affordable food spots, some that have been here from the start and some newer, trendy brands. Here are 15 Far East Plaza food places to try the next time you’re in the area:

1. Krapow Thai Kitchen 

Far East Plaza, 03-26/27, 14 Scotts Road
Open: Tuesday to Sunday (11.30am to 3pm, 5pm to 9.30pm)

Why visit? Craving authentic Thai street food? Then head to Krapow Thai Kitchen. ‘Krapow’ refers to ‘holy basil’, which is a regular ingredient in Thai cooking. The spice level here can get pretty high so make sure you mention your preferences before placing your order. This restaurant is almost always busy, so be prepared to wait especially if you’re visiting at peak times.

Price range: $$

Crowd favourites: Crackling pork belly (S$18.90) is one of the specialities here. Limited portions are roasted daily, so dine early if that’s on your list of things to try — enjoy the meat wok-fried with hot basil, garlic and freshly chopped green and red chilli. You can also try the piping hot tom yum (from S$12), served with mushrooms, seafood or tiger prawn and mussels.

2. Penang Kitchen 

Far East Plaza, 03-89, 14 Scotts Road
Open: Tuesday to Sunday (11am to 3pm, 4pm to 9pm)

Why visit? The OG Penang Kitchen is located in Coronation Arcade, but fret not because this branch in the heart of town serves the exact same menu, including its well-loved, Michelin Guide-approved assam laksa (S$10). Its assam laksa is said to be one of the best in Singapore, so head here if you love this dish.

Price range: $$

Crowd favourites: You can order the belachan chicken wings (S$8/10) to share, but don’t be surprised if you wolf them down all by yourself because they’re so deliciously juicy and the shrimp paste taste really comes through — in a good way. The char kway teow (S$10) is also so authentic, you’ll feel like you’re dining in Penang. 

3. The Sushi Bar 

Far East Plaza, 04-28, 14 Scotts Road
Open: Monday to Thursday (11.30am to 3.30pm, 5pm to 9.45pm), Friday to Sunday (11.30am to 9.45pm), eve of public holiday and public holiday (11.30am to 9.45pm)

Why visit? Love The Sushi Bar? Its Far East Plaza outlet is the very first one set up by chef Eugene Hong along with his then-girlfriend-now wife, her best friend and his brother, back in 2012. Fine food in a casual, non-pretentious environment — that’s the aim of The Sushi Bar. 

Aside from Far East Plaza, the brand is also located at other easily accessible spots in Singapore — Ngee Ann City, Plaza Singapura and Stanley Street. The items on the menu change often so make sure you visit frequently to enjoy different dishes.

Price range: $$

Crowd favourites: The donburi selection is extremely popular so try the kaisen chirashi don (from S$27.90) or aburi chirashi don (S$31.90). If sushi is more your thing, order spicy salmon (S$6.90, six pieces) or ebi fry salmon aburi roll (S$19.90, eight pieces).

4. Pondok Jawa Timur 

Far East Plaza, 05-22/23, 14 Scotts Road
Open: Monday to Thursday (11am to 8pm), Friday to Sunday (11am to 9pm)

Why visit? Pondok Jawa Timur is an excellent Far East Plaza halal food choice. It started out as a canteen stall at the Indonesian embassy in Singapore in 2006, then expanded to a standalone restaurant due to popular demand. You’ll get to taste delicious eastern Javanese cuisine here — ‘timur’ means ‘east’ — and marvel at the gorgeous Indonesian art that adorn the walls.

Price range: $$

Crowd favourites: Nasi campur (S$12.90) is a good introduction to the cuisine — white rice served with chicken curry, stir-fried long beans, tempeh, fried sambal potato, and egg balado (spicy eggs). Ayam penyet (S$8.90) or rendang Jawa timur (braised beef in spiced coconut, S$10.90) are recommended choices, too. 

5. Nana Original Thai Food 

 Far East Plaza, 01-21,14 Scotts Road
Open: Monday to Sunday (11am to 10pm)

Why visit? This Far East Plaza Thai food place is unassuming and family-friendly. Nana Original Thai Food serves classic Thai dishes that will make you feel like you’re on holiday in Bangkok because it’s that authentic. If you’ve visited its other outlets before, note that this one isn’t open 24 hours like the rest. Also don’t confuse this eatery with Nana Thai Restaurant, which is on the fourth floor of the same shopping centre.

Price range: $$ 

Crowd favourites: Try its pad krapow moo (holy basil stir fry with pork, S$8.50 for a spicy kick or its moo gra tiem (Thai garlic pepper pork, S$16.50), a well-loved classic at Nana.

6. Yan Ji Gourmet Seafood Soup By Goodearth

Far East Plaza, 01-16A/B,  14 Scotts Road
Open: Monday to Saturday (11am to 4pm, 5pm to 9pm), Sunday (11am to 4pm, 5pm to 8.30pm)

Why visit? Soup is certainly up there in many of our lists of comfort foods. And if you love seafood soup, Yan Ji Gourmet Seafood Soup By Goodearth is the place to go. The broth is flavourful and the fragrant soups will draw you in as you walk past. It isn’t a big eatery, so you might have to wait a while to get a seat during busy times, but the good news is, it doesn’t take that long to enjoy soup, so you won’t be waiting very long.

Price range: $$

Crowd favourites: Try goliath grouper seafood soup (S$16.90) or batang seafood soup (S$14.80). If porridge is more your thing, order the Hokkaido scallop gourmet porridge (S$13.50) or milkfish belly gourmet porridge (S$12.90).

7. Puncak Best Noodles 

05-93/94, Far East Plaza, 14 Scotts Road
Open: Sunday to Friday (11.30am to 8.45pm), Saturday (11.30am to 9.15pm)

Why visit? If you’re looking for halal food at Far East Plaza, this is one of the most trustworthy options as it has been in operation for decades. Puncak Best Noodles serves Chinese-Muslim cuisine. In fact, the team of chefs here is specially trained in making zi char dishes so you know your dishes are being cooked by the experts. It’s one of the most popular spots in Far East Plaza, so go off-peak for the best dining experience.

Price range: $$

Crowd favourites: Its specialty is honeydew chicken noodles (S$6.30) and — trust us —  it’s a lot more delicious than it sounds. The mix of sweet honeydew flavour and chilli in the dish makes this an excellent combination of sweet and sour. If you’re not that adventurous, stick with its tried-and-tested dishes such as the oyster sauce chicken noodles or rice (S$5.80) and beef char siew noodles or rice (S$6.80).

8. Maddie’s Kitchen

Far East Plaza, 02-10/11/12/13, 14 Scotts Road
Open: Monday to Sunday (11am to 9pm)

Why visit? Delicious hawker food in air conditioned comfort — that’s what you’ll get at Maddie’s Kitchen. Pop into this Far East Plaza zi char eatery if you like your hawker dishes made the old-school way, with wok hei oozing out of every dish. 

Price range: $$

Crowd favourites: Curry pork chop rice (S$6.80) is one of its specialities and definitely a must-try. Made the Hainanese way, it’s served with a generous portion of crispy pork chop, rice, a fried egg, braised cabbage, and robust curry. The curry is made with original rempah that’s blended daily from fresh spices. This eatery also gets our vote for the best fried oyster omelette (from S$11.80) in Singapore. 

9. Indo Rasa

Far East Plaza, 01-23, 14 Scotts Road
Open: Monday to Sunday (10am to 9pm)

Why visit? You’ll feel like you’re having a meal at an Indonesian friend’s home when you dine at Indo Rasa — its vibes, decor and food are all authentically Indonesian and homey. The restaurant specialises in pempek, a savoury Indonesian fish cake delicacy. It is served in various incarnations such as pempek kulit crispy tenggiri (crispy mackerel skin cake, S$5.80 per 100g) and pempek lenggang tenggiri (omelette fish cake served with glass noodle, yellow noodle, cucumber, ebi and cuko, S$13.80).

Price range: $$

Crowd favourites: Try tekwan (S$13.80) — curly fishball with savoury prawn broth, served with turnip, black fungus mushroom, glass noodle and condiments. Prefer some protein? Try the ayam bakar (grilled chicken with special sauce, S$8.80). Carb lovers should load up on the nasi goreng ayam suwir, a non-spicy fried rice served with shredded chicken, fried egg, cucumber, cherry tomato, and crackers (S$8.80).

10. Max’s Restaurant

Far East Plaza, 01-07, 14 Scotts Road
Open: Monday to Friday (11am to 9pm), Saturday (10am to 9pm), Sunday (10am to 8pm)

Why visit? If you’ve always wanted to try Filipino cuisine, here’s where you should start. Opened in September 2019, Max’s Restaurant is a household name in the Philippines that has been around since 1945. Its fried chicken is so popular that it’s known as ‘the house that fried chicken built’. 

And what should you eat it with? Its very own banana ketchup, of course. The condiment is popular in the Philippines and made from bananas, sugar, vinegar and spices. If you enjoyed it there, speak to the staff and you might even be able to purchase a bottle or two home! 

Price range: $$

Crowd favourites: Try Max’s fried chicken either in half (S$18.80) or whole (S$30.80) portions, or get five (S$18.50) or 10 pieces (S$29.50) of spicy fried chicken. Another signature dish is Max’s crispy pata (crispy pork hock, S$36.80), cooked in the same way as the restaurant’s famous chicken. Make sure you dip it in the soy-vinegar sauce that’s served with it. 

11. Chippy British Take Away

Far East Plaza, 01-16C, 14 Scotts Road
Open: Monday, Wednesday & Thursday (12pm to 9pm), Friday & Saturday (12pm to 9.30pm), Sunday (11.30am to 8.30pm)

Why visit? Chippy British Take Away created quite a stir when it opened in 2004 as it was the first place in Singapore where you could get authentic British favourites, such as beer-battered fish without dining in a restaurant. 

The fish and chips here are made the traditional way — battered, deep-fried then doused in malt vinegar. It’s not the only thing on the menu though, there are lots of other bite-sized snacks you can pick up, too.

Price range: $$

Crowd favourites: You can order its B.B.F, or beer battered fish, with chips (from S$8.90), mac and cheese (from S$12.20) or mash and gravy (from S$10.10). Save space for a decadent dessert — we say go for its ever-popular fried Mars balls, served with vanilla ice-cream (from S$5.60), or the fried Oreo (from S$6.70).

12. Hainanese Delicacy

Far East Plaza, 05-116, 14 Scotts Road
Open: Tuesday to Sunday (10.30am to 8pm)

Why visit? One of the best spots for chicken rice at Far East Plaza, Hainanese Delicacy is a family-run business that has been at this location for decades. It might look like time has stood still at this Far East Plaza food spot, as the shop hasn’t undergone much renovation since it opened, but the food has withstood the test of time and still attracts a loyal customer base.

Price range: $

Crowd favourites: If you love your chicken rice (S$6) with fragrant rice and juicy chicken, this is the stall for you. The condiments that come with the rice are top-notch, too — thick chilli sauce and homemade ginger with heavenly grated bits. If you want more chicken, you can pay S$2.50 for additional meat. Pair all of these with signature salted vegetable duck soup (S$7.50) — a dish that’s also extremely popular, with slide-off-the-bone duck meat and a hearty broth.

13. Phat Fingers Korean Fried Chicken & Burgers

Far East Plaza, 01-16E, 14 Scotts Road
Open: Tuesday to Sunday (11am to 9pm)

Why visit? We can’t deny that Korean fried chicken is extremely popular. And it’s not just a fad because there are several really good brands out there right now such as Phat Fingers Korean Fried Chicken & Burgers. The takeaway-only chain uses a unique blend of seven Korean spices for its fried chicken. 

Price range: $$

Crowd favourites: Get K-fried chicken wings (six pieces, S$10.90) chicken poppers (S$6.90) or tenders (six pieces, S$8.90). Exclusive to this outlet are Seoul udon noodles, which come with kimchi among other ingredients, (from S$7.90) and Korean fried chicken wraps (from S$7.90).

14. Wang Xing Mala Kitchen

Far East Plaza, 05-96/97, 14 Scotts Road
Open: Monday to Sunday (10.30am to 9.30pm)

Why visit? If spice is something you need often, head to Wang Xing Mala Kitchen for a good dose of it. Want more than just mala? The menu is also filled with other zi char style dishes such as Chong Qing grilled fish and kung pao chicken. 

Price range: $$

Crowd favourites: If you’re headed here, you probably love your spice, so some must-tries aside from its mala xiang guo (price varies depending on ingredient selection) are its mapo spicy tofu (S$10) and spicy shredded pork (S$14). Its non-spicy dishes are highly recommended, too, such as super crispy lemon chicken (S$13) or deliciously creamy salted egg pork ribs (S$16).

15. New Station Snack Bar

Far East Plaza, 05-95, 14 Scotts Road
Open: Sunday to Friday (11.30am to 8.45pm), Saturday (11.30am to 9.10pm)

Why visit? Chloe, the owner of New Station Snack Bar, saw her parents work hard to keep the restaurant going for almost three decades since 1994, and decided to join them to run it. The Far East Plaza zi char place serves fuss-free dishes that appeal to our local tastes.

Price range: $

Crowd favourites: Its signature salted egg pork rice (S$7.50) is a unanimous crowd favourite with its tender, boneless pork chops with a creamy salted egg sauce, while its Marmite chicken rice (S$6.50) with diced chicken cubes coated with caramelised Marmite sauce also has its fair share of fans, among those familiar with Far East Plaza food choices. 

Still hungry? Check out Haidilao’s latest free-flow set offer or the newest Michelin-awarded HK restaurant in town, Ju Xing Home. 

All eateries are on the GrabFood delivery service and offer free delivery (up to S$3 off) with GrabUnlimited.

Do explore the new GrabFood Dine-in service for awesome deals.

You can also book a ride to dine at these Far East Plaza food spots.