5 eating places to feed your wanderlust in the east of Singapore

This is the fourth instalment of a five-part series on places that feed your wanderlust in Singapore. Here, we check out eateries in Singapore’s east.

East-siders are spoilt for choice when it comes to the diverse dining options found on that part of the island.

Here are our five picks to eat your way across the world while staying in eastern Singapore, including a visit to a floating restaurant off our shores.

1. La Fez Cafe and Bakery

907 East Coast Road, 01-04
Nearest MRT station: Bedok
Open: Tuesday to Sunday (12pm to 10pm)

Singapore has no shortage of Instagram-worthy cafes, but La Fez has got to be among the dreamiest yet.

Inspired by the rose-tinted colours of Marrakesh, the Moroccan-inspired wellness and halal-certified cafe and bakery in Siglap is an oasis of rose pink and gold. Nourishment takes centre stage here.

Brunch is served all day with items such as the majorelle shakshuka with feta cheese, comprising two wobbly poached eggs in hearty spiced tomato and pepper sauce served in a traditional tagine, a type of north African cookware.

What to order: Majorelle shakshuka with feta cheese — traditional tagine, poached eggs with spiced tomato and pepper sauce (S$20.90), Tyma chicken tagine (S$29.90)

2. Long Phung Vietnamese Restaurant

159 Joo Chiat Road
Nearest MRT station: Eunos
Open: Monday to Wednesday (12pm to 10.30pm); Thursday and Friday (12pm to 10pm); weekend (12pm to 10.30pm)

Eating at Long Phung transports one instantly back to the colourful chaos of Ho Chi Minh City’s roadside restaurants. A well-known spot among the Vietnamese community and nearly a decade old, the eatery along Joo Chiat Road serves up an extensive menu of authentic, no-frills fare.

The soul-warming pho nam (well-done beef noodle soup) has a rich, flavourful broth, springy rice noodles and generous slices of beef, while the bun thit nuong cha gio is a sweet and tangy bowl of rice noodles topped with grilled pork and crispy spring rolls, and a drizzle of fish sauce.

And of course, you can’t leave without sampling its aromatic Vietnamese coffee. It’s packed on weekends, so try to drop in for a late lunch or early dinner to avoid the queues.

What to order: Pho nam (S$7.90), bun thit nuong cha gio (S$8.50)

3. Smith Marine Floating Restaurant

Get there by ferry from Changi Point Ferry Terminal
Nearest MRT station: Pasir Ris
Open: Daily (10am to 7pm)

Fancy a break from the city to dine out in the middle of the open sea? Go to Smith Marine Floating Restaurant, Singapore’s first floating seafood restaurant, or “kelong”, off the coastal waters of Pulau Ubin.

You have the option of working for your food — try catching sea bass or snapper in a “sure catch” pond with rod and bait provided, and ask the chef to cook it in steamed Teochew or Thai style, or in other delicious ways.

There’s also plenty of other seafood that you don’t have to catch yourself. These include its signature chilli crab accompanied by golden deep-fried mantous (buns), steamed lobster with pumpkin, sambal sotong, and mussels smothered in garlic and greens.

Kick back, enjoy the rolling waves and unwind by watching the sunset for an idyllic way to spend your evening.

What to order: Chilli crab (from S$68 to S$85 per kilogram), steamed lobster with pumpkin sauce (S$120 to S$130 per kilogram)

4. La Bonne Table

214 East Coast Road
Nearest MRT station: Eunos
Open: Wednesday and Thursday (6pm to 10pm); Friday to Monday (12pm to 2pm, 6pm to 10pm)

Step through La Bonne Table and you’ll feel a little like you’ve entered a quaint countryside house in a charming little French village.

A labour of love from husband-and-wife team Andrea Scamandro and Manon Cattelain who hail from Pyrenees-Orientales in southern France, La Bonne Table opened in 2018 to bring the flavours of French cuisine to Singapore.

On a quieter corner of Katong, the casual French bistro offers comfort food such as confit de canard maison (duck-leg confit served with sauteed potatoes and mushroom sauce) and tartiflette (a baked cheese dish made from potatoes, onions, bacon and reblochon cheese).

What to order: Foie gras mi-cuit — duck foie gras served with vanilla-infused onion confit and toasted bread (S$27), confit de canard maison — homemade duck leg confit served with sauteed potatoes and mushroom sauce (S$30)

5. Zaffron Kitchen

137 East Coast Road
Nearest MRT station: Paya Lebar
Open: Tuesday to Thursday (11.30am to 3pm, 5pm to 9.30pm); Friday to Sunday (11.30am to 3pm, 5pm to 10.30pm)

Zaffron Kitchen has no lack of accolades and this is testament to the consistently high quality of food it has dished up over the years.

Its prize-winning East Coast branch has been listed in the Michelin Guide Singapore for five consecutive years (2016 to 2021).

Enjoy punchy north Indian flavours in the Zaffron chicken biryani (a flavourful basmati biryani rice and succulent chicken cooked on dum — over a small heat) or the tandoori mixed grill, a platter of charred, smoky tender bites of chicken tikka, malai tikka (chicken tikka marinated in yoghurt and coriander), fish tikka and seekh mutton kebab.

What to order: Zaffron chicken biryani (S$16.50), tandoori mixed grill (S$35)

La Fez Cafe and Bakery, Long Phung Vietnamese Restaurant and Zaffron Kitchen are on the GrabFood delivery service. You can also book a ride to these places.