London Eats For The Homesick Singaporean

Ramen swimming in a delicious sea of 20-hour pork bone broth. Perfect pick-me-up on a dreary rainy day in London. (£11) Bond Daddies is another ramen place in SOHO, and is constantly in contest with Shoryu, Tonkotsu, and the like for the best ramen restaurant. I had the classic tonkotsu ramen (£11) which boasts a mean pork bone broth that holds loads of flavour from being cooked for 20 hours. That being said, I found the broth a tad too salty for my liking. This small restaurant is very popular, so expect to queue!

This restaurant along Wardour Street may seem like just another Chinese restaurant. What sets them apart, however, is probably the LSE fried rice on their secret menu. There's no need to fear that the waiters won't know what you're talking about. Created and made famous by a student of LSE (or so I've heard), this dish comprises a hill of egg fried rice topped with a fried egg, and a side of black pepper pork in egg sauce, which can be substituted for salted egg yolk pork (which, of course, was what I did). This generous portion comes at £9.50. Its location makes it a convenient place to have dinner before heading to see Les Miserables or Matilda at theaters nearby. As it closes at 4am, if makes for a great supper spot as well (oh, they also have yakult green tea)!

Eat Tokyo boasts a large range of authentic Japanese food at very reasonable prices. Their Japanese dishes include sushi, sashimi, bento boxes, and set menus, amongst many others. This is the perfect place to satisfy cravings for all things Japanese without bursting your budget.

With friends back home flooding your social media feeds with Ippudo and Yoshimaru ramen taste tests, it seems logical to want to have your own share of tasty ramen here in London. Situated in SOHO, Shoryu's signature ganso tonkotsu ramen is a great way to end your day of shopping - by immersing your taste buds in a very good bowl of flavourful ramen. They don't accept reservations, so go early, or the dinner rush would have you waiting outside in the cold. Prices range from £9 for basic tonkotsu ramen, to £12.50 for their Fire and Ice Salmon Tsukemen.

You don't have to go all the way to New Malden (Korea Town) to get a taste of yummy Korean food in London. Assa is just a short walk from Oxford Street's Primark, and has 2 restaurants side by side. One serving Japanese food, and the other Korean. The latter branch serves up all your Korean favourites from the classic bibimbap and spicy rice cakes, to hot pots and delicious kimchi pancakes. Prices range from £7 for a kimchi pancake, to up to £24 for a hot pot (to share). Complimentary Korean tea is served upon arrival, and is open to unlimited refills.

At the prices they are in London, bubble tea has almost become a luxury, and consumption is warranted only when some sort of celebration is in other. At £3.25 (small)/ £3.75 (large), equivalent to about SGD$7, you probably have to think twice about having a cup on a daily basis (as I did at one point back in SG). Situated in the heart of the perpetually busy Chinatown, Chatime has been said to be one of the better bubble tea shops in London. Though pricey, I can assure you that it's legit stuff.

This small Chinese restaurant located near the Old Vic Theatre on Waterloo Road offers speedy service to swiftly satisfy your Chinese food cravings. Prices range from £4.50 for their house special fried rice (with chicken, char siew, and prawns), to £6 for sweet and sour pork with boiler rice. Other dishes include chicken & mushrooms in oyster sauce, ma po tofu, and various kinds of noodles. If you can't make up your mind, just order the house special fried rice. As food arrives within 5 minutes of ordering, this place is ideal for quick meals between classes for King's College students.