The Ultimate Foodies’ Guide to Aperia Mall – over 12 Exciting Eateries to Fill Your Hungry Tummy

With social distancing measures in place, the last thing you want to do is to spend the day jostling with the crowd. If you’re looking to skip the queues, consider Aperia Mall, a lifestyle destination located at the fringe of Singapore’s business district. And with a slew of delicious food and beverage offerings, Aperia Mall offers a quiet, gourmet escape – sweetened with one-for-one deals on weekends and free parking. Here’s a sampling of the delicious variety the mall has to offer.

Ichiho Donburi & Sushi (#02-07/08)

Armed with over 40 years of experience, head chef Patrick Png has cut his teeth at various Japanese restaurants. Now, he has set up shop at Ichiho, carving slivers of sashimi and rolling up hearty maki for all to enjoy. Ingredients and fresh seafood are flown in from Japan at least twice a week, and used to create dishes including a premium kaisen sashimi don ($20.50), where seasonal seafood comes delicately arranged atop a bed of sushi rice; or rolled into the popular aburi salmon avocado mentai maki ($14), a well-stuffed creation that’s perfumed with the heady aroma of truffle. It then gets slathered with mentai mayonnaise, a sauce that’s specially made in-house, and torched to finish. The restaurant also serves an impressive Ichiho special tendon ($18.50), where river eel, shrimp, and mixed vegetable tempura comes served with your choice of sweet tendon sauce or salted egg yolk sauce.

My Spice Affair (#02-11)

It can be hard to decide on what to eat at My Spice Affair. After all, the well-stocked display comes filled with over 20 side dishes – from chicken merah ($3.60) to mutton curry ($4.20) – all whipped up using the same traditional recipe that owner Ivan Lek picked up from his mother-in-law. The business might have started some 20 years ago as a street hawker, but until today, Ivan insists on keeping to the same recipe and time-honoured methods of cooking. The result: an authentic version of nasi padang that tastes “no different from home”. There’s the usual chicken merah ($3.50) and mutton curry ($4.50), but Ivan’s personal favourite is the beef rendang ($3.80) that packs a fiery punch.

You’ll also find the uncommon nasi ambeng here – a celebratory Javanese dish that’s usually served as an impressive, giant platter. It’s served communal-style, and can feed multiple people. Indulge in My Spice Affair’s version of this dish, Premium Ambeng ($28), that’s a treat for both the eyes and tummy. The party platter, which is good for three, comes lavished with fix-ins of beef rendang, chicken curry, bergedil, sambal goreng, and more. Dining solo? There’s also an individual ambeng ($12), along with specials of lontong kering ($9.80), dry mee siam ($5), nasi lemak ($5.50), ayam penyet ($6.50), and mutton biryani ($7.20) that’s worth making a repeat visit for.

Nature Café (#02-14/15)

Looking to embark on a healthier diet? Nature Café is a vegetarian outfit with affordable, plant-based variants of your favourite food. There’s the soy chicken rice ($5.50), a meatless alternative to the hawker classic that’s worth a try. Up your veggie intake with the braised bean paste cabbage with rice set ($7.90), a mildly spicy stew chocked full with healthy ingredients of leafy greens, carrots, and mushrooms. And for some guilt-free indulgence, consider the spicy satay burger ($16.90) which comes made with Beyond Meat and a fragrant peanut sauce served at the side. Have it with the burger, or as a dip with the accompanying wedges. Either way, you’ll leave Nature Café feeling healthy and satisfied.

Cucina Italian Restaurant (#02-10)

Don’t be fooled by its name; Cucina Italian Restaurant serves more than just classic plates of pasta and pizza. The international menu covers an extensive selection: from Western cuisine of fish and chips ($12.90) to local dishes of beef rendang ($14.90) in its takeaway bento set. But the menu remains rooted in its hearty Italian flavours, with highlights that include the mushroom stew ($10.90) and beef stroganoff ($12.90). The restaurant also switches things up, with innovative options of a slurp-worthy lobster pasta ($29.90) and its version of a spicy-sweet chilli crab meat pizza ($12.90) that’s worth a try.

Dragon Bowl Restaurant (#02-09)

There’s something comforting about Dragon Bowl Restaurant. It could be its old-school interior, with Lazy Susans and traditional Chinese murals that mimic a banquet-style setting. It could also be the menu, a colourful collection of traditional Cantonese dishes. But either way, a meal at Dragon Bowl Restaurant will prove to satisfy both the young and the old. Start off with the deep-fried salted egg prawn roll (from $22), a quintessential snack that comes coated with creamy, umami-packed sauce. There’s also the stir-fried tenderloin cube with red wine and black pepper (from $24), with tender meat and a flavourful sauce that you’ll want to lap it all up with a bowl of rice. It’ll come in handy too, serving as a base for the luscious seafood sauce from the braised bamboo charcoal beancurd with conpoy (from $14).

Of course, it isn’t a Cantonese meal without some fish, and Dragon Bowl Restaurant offers a seasonal selection of cooked up in various methods. Red garoupa, firm yet tender, can come baked with ginger and onion, or steamed with assam. But we’ll recommend keeping it simple, and having it come stir-fried with huai shan or Chinese yam root for the natural flavours to shine best.

Daily Grind by Spinelli (#01-34)

Daily Grind by Spinelli is the coffee chain’s latest concept to shake things up from its usual offerings. Beyond aromatic brews, you’ll also find a good selection of wines and spirits at DG by Spinelli. By day, this cosy café has a range of espresso-based drinks, from the usual flat white (from $6.20) to vanilla latte (from $6.80). Come lunchtime, it also stocks a hearty selection of mains available either as a warm meal, or a fuss-free grab-and-go option. Stand-outs include the mala chicken salad ($10.80) complete with spiced slices of chicken and the requisite wood ear mushrooms to lend an Asian slant to the usual bowl of greens, and the hearty Caesar chicken wrap ($8.90). Those watching their calories can also opt for the falafel and tahini wrap ($7.50) that’s scented with Mediterranean spices in every bite. Come evening, start the happy hour drinks early with your choice of poison: there’s beer on tap, wine by the bottle at under $40, and even one-for-one spirits.

Au Croissant (#01-35)

Looking for a quaint spot to while the afternoon away? Consider Au Croissant which offers freshly baked pastries and warm cuppas – and has a quaint seating area reminiscent of Parisian terraces. The high tea set, which runs from 3pm to 9pm every day, lets you enjoy a slice of cake ($6.90) and coffee for an additional $3. Choose from options of carrot walnut, chocolate truffle, sea salt caramel, or honey earl grey hazelnut. Of course, no trip to this bakery is complete without grabbing a few of its namesake buttery pastry. Butter ($3.60), chocolate ($3.80), and almond ($3.80) variants are some popular options, but we’ll recommend dropping by after 5.30pm to take advantage of its closing sale. Bakes, depending on its corresponding coloured tag, go for $10 for three, four or six pieces.

Nature’s Nutrition (#01-52)

You’ll find a menu powered by nature at this little eatery. Customisable quinoa bowls are the main draw here, and hungry diners can put together a hearty, healthy meal with options that include buffalo chicken ($8.40), baked salmon ($10.40), and portobello with cheese ($8.90). Dress things up with sides of refreshing apple cucumber pickles, honey glazed carrots, spicy broccoli, seaweed-roasted cabbage, along with sauces of tomato salsa, lemon yoghurt, and more. And to complete your square meal, grab a bottle of its gut-friendly kombucha ($3 with every meal ordered), brewed in-house in flavours of lemongrass ginger, hibiscus cinnamon, and original.

Grains & Greens (#01-37)

Grains & Greens isn’t just your regular salad joint; it offers choices of toppings and dressings that aren’t easily found anywhere else. Start by choosing a base – nourishing grains ($7.80), made with a special in-house blend of quinoa, lentils, millet, and barley; mixed greens ($7.30); or tortilla wraps (from $6.90) – and fill it various toppings and sides. Beyond the usual chicken breast and garden veggies, Grains & Greens offers a line-up of skewers to top your bowls with. There’s honey lemongrass chicken ($2), sriracha chicken ($2), and tandoori paneer ($2) – unique creations to jazz up the meal. And as a final touch to round off the meal, skip the common sauces of goma sesame or olive oil. Opt instead for the eatery’s Asian-inspired homemade dressing, including a spicy kicap manis, Vietnamese dressing, and the herb-based butterfly pea-infused olive oil.

Mini Fashion Pot (#01-38)

Mala fanatics and spice fiends should bookmark Mini Fashion Pot. This little eatery might have paused its steamboat offerings, but it still offers mala xiang guo for those looking for a tongue-numbing meal. Assemble your own bowl by choosing from a wide variety of meats ($2 to $3) , mushrooms ($1.50), and vegetables ($1 to $1.50). There’s also grilled fish ($28.80) – smothered with spicy sauce, sour and spicy sauce, or tomato sauce – that can make a filling meal for three. But not everyone can take the heat, so beyond the usual tongue-numbing dishes, Mini Fashion Pot also cooks up different soup bases: chicken, mushroom, and more. All are prepped fresh by the owners daily. The tomato soup base, in particular, is the perfect balance of sweet and tart. “Better than Hai Di Lao,” quips the owner.

Ortus by Grind Coffee (#01-40)

Stepping into Ortus by Grind Coffee feels like entering a time machine. Vintage coffee grinder, restored record player, and typewriters from the yesteryear help decorate the cosy space. They are all from owner Frankie Lee’s personal collection. Even the food served is designed to evoke nostalgia. “We often forget about the comfort food we have,” shares Frankie. The menu takes quintessential local favourites – nasi lemak, mee pok, and the likes – and puts a modern, inventive spin on them. Must-order includes the Ortus nasi lemak set, served with an uncommon addition: crispy duck leg ($18.80). Its incredibly tender and juicy, and pairs well with the accompanying sambal that packs loads of heat and flavour. Egg, anchovies, and homemade achar complete this dish. And to push this nasi lemak to the next level, consider throwing in an order of its house-made otah ($6) or the special ‘Ah Ma’ fried fish ($10), tender and brimming with fragrance from the homemade chilli. Equally impressive is the masala pork chop mee pok ($10), where succulent cutlet comes marinated in Ortus’ own blend of masala spice.

The drinks section, similarly, shines a spotlight on Asia. Only single-origin beans are used, with particular emphasis given to those sourced from “underrated” regional countries like Chang Mai, Thailand. Sample the aromatic brew in form of its signature iced coffee ($6.50), sweetened with caramel milk syrup, or as classic espresso-based beverages (from $5.50). Not a fan of caffeine? There’s also the ginger latte ($4.50) that’s worth a try. Made using a blend of three different ginger, sipping the drink feels like a warm, soothing hug for the tummy. And to pair with the drinks, nibble on some ‘Ah Ma’ png kueh ($4), a well-stuffed, inch-thick variant of the humble kueh that’s literally bursting with ingredients, or the egg and toast ($6) where sous vide egg is served alongside toasted sourdough that comes slathered with a layer of deeply aromatic homemade kaya.

Warung Kampung (#01-42)

Warung Kampung prides itself on serving up authentic Indonesian cuisine. Spices, a core pillar of the food, are carefully sourced and turned into sauces and curries that make up its colourful menu. To start, choose from various set meals which come with rice and an egg. We like the rendang chicken ($6.40), a whole tender leg stewed in slick, flavourful curry with gentle heat. Rendang beef ($6.90) is also a safe option, while the grilled sweet chicken ($6.40) is coated in a rich sauce that pairs great with the rice. Side dishes of chilli long beans, eggplant, and sayur lodeh are also available for just $1.20, and there’s even the option to change up the usual base to healthier brown rice or fried beehoon.

Sweet deals

Planning to head down to Aperia Mall? From now to 1 November 2020, take advantage of its attractive one-for-one deal happening every weekend. A total of 100 vouchers are up for grabs at the information counter. Check out its website for the full list of participating tenants. It’s fastest fingers first, so head you’ll want to head down quick to enjoy this attractive promotion. Parking is also free for the first three hours on weekends and public holidays, making it a great destination to head down with the family.

This post is brought to you by Aperia Mall.

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