COCONUTS HOT SPOT — Next time you’re craving noodles, make the trip to Turf Club Road for small plates by Chow Fun Restaurant & Bar. For anyone who’s ever made their friends starve while they took their own sweet time to decipher the menu, this newly-opened eatery understands your indecision.
Eighteen Asian- and Western-inspired noodle dishes are the main feature here, at a super affordable $2.90 per bowl. And they’re small — sorta like palm-sized — which is a good thing, ’cause you can order all the menu items that stand out to you, try a bunch of different flavours, and not burn a hole in your pocket. Even better if you have a small appetite and always struggled finishing regular portions.
Four to six items is the usual order per person, and you can choose from hot and chilled noodles that come in the form of vermicelli, penne, spaghetti, udon and rice noods.
The selection of Asian plates includes zesty ginger and scallion rice noodles tossed with vinegar and sesame oil, pork belly bibim guksu with Korean gochujang sauce mixed into rice noodles, and the kung fu dashi broth, a slightly different take on fried bee hoon.
Our favourite was undoubtedly the tom yum cream — a spicy yet creamy blend of tom yum paste, sautéed mushrooms, tomatoes, prawns and layers of crispy chicken skin with udon noodles.
The wild mushroom and truffle penne from the Western range also stood out — nothing earth-shattering here, but it’s a solid, hearty bowl that’ll satisfy any pasta craving. For spaghetti lovers, try the wagyu bolognese ($4.40), a comforting dish of 12-hour slow-cooked beef in a tomato-based sauce surrounding a heap of spaghetti.
Another top pick of ours is the bone marrow, lemon and parmesan bowl ($4.40). Think roasted bone marrow on a pile of al dente spaghetti flavoured with garlic, lemon juice and cheese. You really can’t stop at one (but you have to, ’cause there’s more to try). Also, if you find a dish you really like, get it in an upsized portion next time (only available for selected dishes, from $15.90).
Since the carb bowls are so tiny, you’ll have room for appetisers, too. Try the crispy mom’s white radish cake ($5.90) with Chinese sausages and a side of spicy homemade dried shrimp sambal, or get the fish roe fish balls ($6.90), where a deep fried exterior hides a luscious, creamy centre.
Chow Fun’s potato, bonito and cheese pancake ($5.90) is also definitely worth a shot — it’s a cheesy combination of mozzarella, cheddar and grana padano on top of a rosti pancake sprinkled with bonito flakes and spring onions.
If you’re just here for the snacks, enjoy the restaurant’s all-day happy hour deals: Erdinger on tap ($12/pint), Stella Artois and Kirin ($11/bottle), and Guinness Draught ($12/can).
Last but not least, desserts. The shaved ice lychee granita and crystal jelly ($4.90) works great for a refreshing end to what could possibly be a gelat meal, but we recommend the salted egg and chocolate lava cake ($8.90) — slice open the moist cake and two layers of gooey goodness flow out. Other options include red bean, black sesame and peanut tang yuan, green tea cheesecake and chocolate springroll wanton. If, once again, you can’t make up your mind, get the tasting platter of three ($16.90) or five ($22.90).
Set in a cosy 40-seater, the space is anything but muted. Vintage postcards dating back to the ’30s deck the vibrant walls, along with shelves of fortune cats and prints of retro Chinese ads. It’s all in the name of the restaurant’s inspiration: Chinatown in New York.
Oh, and in case you were wondering, the name is a nod to the popular Cantonese fried noodle dish found in Chinese restaurants across America, where Singaporean chef-owner Alicia Lin lived for two decades. ‘Chow’ is also a reference to food, and ‘fun’, well, the restaurant’s bright decor and lively vibes speak for themselves.
Chow Fun Restaurant & Bar is at #01-08 The Grandstand, 200 Turf Club Rd, 6464-6900. Daily 11am-midnight.
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