Orchard Road isn’t just about the retail therapy – its food has got healing qualities as well! Here are places to go to when all that walking has gotten you worried about weight loss.
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1. SO PHO
Vietnamese food at Paragon
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Scoot over to SO PHO for an un-pho-gettable meal! Vietnamese cuisine is a mix of sour, salty, sweet and spicy flavours, and SO PHO’s Vietnamese street food provides an authentic experience of all of them. Utter com-pho-rt food!
Fresh Noodle with Grilled Lemongrass Chicken and Fried Spring Rolls (SGD 10.80)
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Of course, with a name like that, it’s a safe bet to order SO PHO’s Vietnamese Pho – Sliced Beef, Brisket and Beef Balls Noodle Soup (SGD 10.80). Its clear broth is pho-lavourful and re-pho-reshing, and not too greasy (we’re on a pun roll today!). Speaking of rolls, if you decide to roll with it and would like to try something different, order the Fresh Noodle with Grilled Lemongrass Chicken and Fried Spring Rolls (SGD 10.80), where vermicelli is used instead of the usual flat rice noodles. Lots of flavours and textures in this bowl!
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If you’re a coffee fan, try the Vietnamese Drip Coffee (SGD 6.50). You might feel sleepy watching the coffee drip slowly through the filter, but Vietnamese coffee being on the stronger side, you’ll be jolted up after a sip.
Average price: SGD 17
Operating hours: Open daily; 11AM-10PM
Website: http://www.sopho.com.sg
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sophosogood/
Address: 290 Orchard Road, Paragon #B1-20, Singapore 238859
2. Puncak Best Noodles
Local Chinese food at Far East Plaza
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It’s possible to have a meal at Orchard Road on a budget! Head over to Puncak Best Noodles and save some money aside for shopping. Sink your teeth into simple, homely fare, such as tze char and claypot rice, that’s comforting to your belly and wallet.
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Slurp up some Honey Dew Chicken Noodles (SGD 4.50), a marriage of sweet and savoury flavours! Contrary to the name, no fruits were harmed in the making of these noodles. It refers to the dish’s addictively syrupy gravy and dewy appearance. Just look at that sheen!
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If the noodles make you decide that shopping isn’t important anymore, stuff yourself silly with a plate of Fried Wantons (SGD 5/7/10)! They’re moreish and won’t make you feel like a bag of grease after an entire sitting. You’ll certainly have good fillings for these!
Average price: SGD 10
Operating hours: Open daily; 11.30AM-9.30PM
Address: 14 Scotts Road, Far East Plaza #05-93/94, Singapore 228213
3. Minang House Traditional Nasi Padang
Nasi Padang at Lucky Plaza
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Speaking of homely fare, Minang House is the place to go for when you’re starving and have a hankering for fluffy grains of steaming white rice. Take your pick and have classic Malay dishes like petai prawns and ayam panggang scooped onto your plate.
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With an ever-changing menu, you’ll want to rice to the occasion and keep coming back for more!
Average price: SGD 10
Operating hours: Open daily; 11AM-9PM
Address: 304 Orchard Road, Lucky Plaza #02-04, Singapore 238863
4. Maki-San
DIY sushi rolls at Cathay Cineleisure Orchard
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Maki your day with a box of sushi rolls at Maki-San, the first design-your-own-sushi place in Singapore! Here, you get to pick what goes into your rolls and what holds those ingredients together (egg, seaweed or soy wrap) – so think Subway with a Japanese twist! And what’s not to love about those adorable assorted boxes that can even double up as pencil boxes?
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With soy many choices available, healthy eating shouldn’t leave a bad taste in your mouth anymore. Or “pretend” healthy eating, if you opt to have your sushi deep-fried at an additional SGD1.50 and dip it in Japanese-inspired salted egg sauce (eggs are good for you). You can also design your own nutritious salads with ingredients like edamame, salmon sashimi, lettuce and sweet potato noodles. After which, reward yourself for eating so cleanly with a side of tempura! Lettuce get rolling!
Average price: SGD 10
Operating hours: Sun-Thu; 11.30AM-9.30PM, Fri-Sat; 11.30AM-12AM
Website: http://www.rollwithmakisan.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rollwithmakisan/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rollwithmakisan/
Address: 8 Grange Road, #01-04 Cathay Cineleisure Orchard, Singapore 239695
5. Charlie Brown Cafe
Western food at Cathay Cineleisure Orchard
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No more Snoopy-ing around for cute meals! Charlie Brown Cafe is a themed cafe that serves family-friendly meals decorated with templates of the Peanuts gang, as if the characters had given the food their stamps of approval.
Charlie’s All-Time Favourite (SGD 12.80)
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Character cafes tend to get on the pricier side, but compared to the rest in town, you’ll be paying peanuts at the Charlie Brown Cafe! Prices for set lunches, which include dishes like Turkey Ham Fried Rice and Aglio e Olio, start at SGD7.80 and come with iced lemon tea and a mini lava cake!
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Average price: SGD 19
Operating hours: Sun-Thu; 11.30AM-11PM, Fri-Sat; 11AM-2AM
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/charliebrowncafeorchardcineleisure/
Address: 8 Grange Road, #04-01 Cathay Cineleisure Orchard, Singapore 239695
6. Ayam Penyet Ria
Ayam Penyet at Lucky Plaza
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We can’t write a list about halal eateries in Orchard without mentioning the smashingly famous Ayam Penyet Ria – the chain that put ayam penyet on the Singapore map!
Ayam Penyet (SGD 7.40)
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Before its transformation into crispy heaven, the chicken is first boiled with herbs and spices and is finally plated with a salad. Healthy 
. Regulars may insist, though, that the one thing that makes this dish so hot among customers is the sambal belacan that accompanies it. It packs such a punch, your tongue may be unconscious for awhile and wake up forgetting its name.
Tahu Telor (SGD 6.50)
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If you’re a vegetarian and somehow found your way into this outlet, don’t chicken out yet! Ayam Penyet Ria has a few vegetarian-friendly dishes on its menu, such as Tahu-Tempe Penyet and the popular Tahu Telor, a tofu omelette with peanut sauce!
Average price: SGD 10
Operating hours: Mon-Fri; 11AM-10PM
Website: http://www.ayampenyetria.com
Address: 304 Orchard Road, #01-45 Lucky Plaza, Singapore 238863
7. Bebek Goreng Pak Ndut
Fried duck at Lucky Plaza
Bebek Goreng Original With Rice (SGD 9.90)
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Psst, a little birdie told us chicken may be a little too conventional! It’s not easy to find halal duck in Singapore, much less in everyone’s favourite Ayam Penyet style. Enter Bebek Goreng Pak Ndut, which changed the game forever – literally, because duck meat is slightly gamier than chicken!
Ayam Penyet Original With Rice (SGD 7.90) on the left, fried duck on the right
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As you can see, duck skin crisps up more than chicken skin after frying. If you’re bought over by its crackling goodness, order a side of Kulit Bebek Goreng / Crispy Duck Skin (SGD 4.90). At Lucky Plaza with a friend who’s craving Ayam Penyet? Save your friendship and order the Ayam Penyet Original With Rice along with your duck – you’ll be killing two birds with one stone!
Average price: SGD 15
Operating hours: Open daily; 11.30AM-10PM
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bebekgorengpakndutSG/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bebekgorengpakndut_sg/
Address: 304 Orchard Road, #01-45 Lucky Plaza, Singapore 238863
8. Carousel
International buffet at Royal Plaza on Scotts
Credit: Carousel
Get cracking on lobsters, be of-fish-cially hooked on sushi, and get Teppan’ on Teppanyaki! Having received the Best Buffet Restaurant Award by AsiaOne People’s Choice Awards for the seventh year in a row, have a taste and you’ll discover why people hardly have any beef with Carousel.
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With an extensive menu consisting of Japanese, Indian, Chinese, Spanish, and Mediterranean food, you decide which cuisines and ingredients go well on your plate. The meal is your oyster.
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Are the calories worth the price? Well, give it a go – the truth is in the pudding.
Average price: SGD 55 (Check the website for the full price list)
Operating hours: Open daily; Breakfast; 6.30AM-10AM, Lunch; 12PM-2PM, High Tea; 3.30PM-5.30PM, Dinner; 6.30PM-9.30PM
Website: http://www.carouselbuffet.com.sg/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/royalplazasingaporehotel
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/royalplazaonscotts/
Address: Royal Plaza on Scotts, Lobby Level, 25 Scotts Road, Singapore 228220
9. StraitsKitchen
Local ethnic buffet at Grand Hyatt Singapore
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Homesick for local food? Have it all in one sitting at StraitsKitchen! Even if you grew up here, it’s always a sight to watch chefs flip fresh prata dough in front of you. And rarely can one see tea being hand-pulled on the spot nowadays! The best part is you get to witness all of it in a comfortable, air-conditioned setting. Less swatting flies, more digging in!
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We’ve all heard that Singapore is a melting pot of many cultures, and right here at this buffet restaurant, it couldn’t be truer. There’s really naan like it! With a generous spread of Nyonya, Malay, Indian and Chinese hawker favourites, they’ll get Mee Goreng for more food! There’s no way you can complain about having too much on your plate!
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Go gila (crazy) over gula (sugar) at the desserts station. Why poke a fork into a rainbow cake, when you can peel off the layers of a slice of rainbow kueh lapis by hand like a child?
Price: Lunch; SGD 52++ /Adult & SGD 28++ /Child, Dinner; SGD 62++ /Adult & SGD 35++ /Child
Operating hours: Mon-Fri; 12PM-2.30PM (Lunch) & 6.30PM-10.30PM (Dinner), Sat-Sun; 12.30PM-3PM (Lunch) & 6.30PM-10.30PM (Dinner)
Website: http://www.singapore.grand.hyattrestaurants.com/straitskitchen/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GrandHyattSingapore/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grandhyattsing/
Address: 10 Scotts Road, Lobby Level, Grand Hyatt Singapore, Singapore 228211
10. 4Fingers Crispy Chicken
Korean fried chicken at ION Orchard
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Another KFC has stolen our hearts – and we’re not chicken-hearted to admit it! Korean fried chicken is like a neater, less greasy, cousin with character – sometimes sweet, other times like spitfire! And how can anyone say no to our chicken being double-fried for extra crispness?
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It’s hard to choose between 4Fingers’ addictive Soy Garlic sauce and Hot sauce, so why not have both? Devour them while wearing gloves, because you wouldn’t want to get caught red-handed with sauce. An 18 Pcs Wingettes & Drumettes Combo (SGD 28.45) comes with 3 servings of fries and drinks, so grab two other friends who love fried chicken as much as you do. As the saying goes, birds of a feather flock together!
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The Chicken Katsu Sandwich (SGD 10.45 for a set meal) is another breadwinner! Fried chicken and kimchi slaw are encased by a fried bun that’s crispy on the outside and pillowy soft on the inside.
Average price: SGD 10
Operating hours: Sun-Thu; 11AM-10PM, Fri-Sat; 11AM-10.30PM
Website: http://www.4fingers.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/4FingersSG/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gimme4fingers/
Address: 2 Orchard Turn, ION Orchard #B4-06A
11. Es Teler 77 Juara
Affordable Indonesian food at Cathay Cineleisure Orchard
Mie Ayam (SGD 5)
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Head to Es Teler 77 for Indonesian food if you don’t have a stellar budget! The name refers to an Indonesian shaved ice dessert of mixed fruit and condensed milk, but this fast food chain also serves some Indonesian mains like Mie Ayam and Siomay (SGD 6.50) – fish dumplings in peanut sauce.
Es Teler (SGD 4)
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Needless to say, the Es Teler is the chain’s best s(t)eller! It’s topped with jackfruit, young coconut, and avocado. Its iciness will help you keep your cool after overspending on shopping, and is perfect for hot days, a.k.a. everyday.
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You can’t call your meal authentic if you don’t wash it down with the iconic Teh Botol (SGD 2.50)! This sweet jasmine tea is the choice drink of locals, and will end your meal on a tea-rrific note.
Average price: SGD 10
Operating hours: Open daily; 11AM-10PM
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/EsTeler77Singapore/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/esteler77sg/
Address: B1-02 Cathay Cineleisure, Singapore 239695
12. Jollibee
Fast food at Lucky Plaza
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The biggest fast food chain in the Philippines is a crowd-pleaser the world over, and 4 years after its opening in Singapore, the queues haven’t quite settled down. But don’t cry fowl yet! We think it’s well worth the wait, and with how reasonable the prices are, we’ll certainly wing it.
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Jollibee’s Chickenjoy (SGD 6.95 for a 2-piece meal) does live up to its name. One of the best fast food fried chicken in Singapore, it’s tender, flavourful, and juicy, with skin so crisp, it doesn’t turn into Chickensad when dipped in the delicious accompanying gravy. Eaten with rice, it’s oh-so-comforting. Also, do try the Spaghetti (SGD 3.20) if your belly yearns to be extra Jolli – it’s done Filipino-style and is sweeter than the usual tomato-based spaghetti.
Average price: SGD 8
Operating hours: Mon-Sat; 9AM-9PM, Sun; 8AM-9PM
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/JollibeeSG/
Address: 304 Orchard Road, #06-048A Lucky Plaza, Singapore 238863
13. Fish & Co.
Seafood-in-a-pan at Paragon
Seafood Platter for 1
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Don’t have enough mussel to carry on shopping? Have a sea-t at Fish & Co, which serves seafood meals in a pan. Things will only go swimmingly from here!
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For a reel-y classic dish, the Swiss Fish & Chips never fails to satisfy. A mozzarella and oregano stuffing go in the fish, which is then topped with an indulgent garlic lemon butter sauce.
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We’re not squidding! There’re so many fish in the ocean, and Singaporeans just can’t stop choosing the one with the golden salted egg yolk sauce. This version’s topped and stuffed with salted egg yolk sauce. Egg-cellent choice, ma’am.
Average price: SGD 21
Operating hours: Open daily; 11AM-11PM
Website: http://www.fish-co.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fishandco.sg/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fishncosg/
Address: 290 Orchard Road, #B1-35/36 Paragon, Singapore 238859
14. Swensen’s
Ice cream and dessert buffet at ION Orchard
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Beat the heat at Swensen’s at ION Orchard, the only branch in Singapore with an all-you-can-eat ice cream and dessert buffet! Hopefully, you won’t get a meltdown deciding from their selection of cakes, waffles, cookies, candy, and ice cream – not forgetting their chocolate fountains!
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Take a trip to Candyland and whisper all the sweet nothings your tummy will ever want to hear at just SGD 19.90 on weekdays. If you order a main course, you get to pay for your desserts at just SGD 13.90. So, you decide – go on an all-sugar diet or have a balanced one with a meal?
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Is this mint to be? Or are we getting nutty?
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Here’s the scoop – we’re not yolking about our salted egg yolk obsession. Here’s a Salted Egg Sundae! Pretty please, with a cherry on top?
Price: A la carte; SGD 19.90 (Weekday) & SGD 20.90 (Weekend), With food orders; SGD 13.90 (Weekday) & SGD 14.90 (Weekend)
Operating hours: Open daily; 10.30AM-10.30PM
Website: http://www.swensens.com.sg
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SwensensSingapore/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/swensenssingapore/
Address: 2 Orchard Turn,#B1-31, ION Orchard, Singapore 238801
Now, go to town, both literally and practically. At Orchard Road, you stretch your wallet and stretch your belly!
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