italu

This hole-in-a-wall zi char stall on the second floor of Sim Lim Square is a popular lunch spot for students and office workers in the area. Despite being probably the best salted egg chicken rice dish out there, it doesn't get much coverage on social media. That's good for you, because you don't have to fight the crowds to order their signature Salted Egg Chicken Rice ($5). While you might be tempted to go with the pork, this is the one place you should opt for chicken — it is far more tender and soaks up the salted egg sauce very well. Burpple Tastemaker Xing Wei Chua loves how the dish is served in a mini metal wok, "drenched in a creamy flavourful sauce, and that the chicken chunks are completely covered with salted egg goodness". Complete your meal with an addition of a runny sunny-side up egg ($0.50). There are two adjacent stalls solely dedicated for seating, but to secure a seat fast, we recommend coming in a small party — some to reserve the seats while the others order.
Avg Price: $10 per person
Photo by Burpple Tastemaker Xing Wei Chua

The first place that would probably pop into any Burpple Tastemaker's mind when you mention Bugis would be Ah Bong's Italian, purely because the food is hearty and the prices affordable. It looks small from the outside, and it's almost always packed, but there are additional outdoor tables to accommodate bigger groups. Come with your carb-loving friends and plan to eat chef-owner Chris's amazing pastas like the Fresh Pesto ($12) and the signature Birthday Pasta ($9). The latter, described in Burpple Tastemaker Russell Leong's words, features "roasted broccoli pesto that is earthy, hearty and bursting with fantastic flavor". If you're a regular patron here, or "superfans", as Chef Chris calls the Burpple Tastemakers, you'll find yourself sampling his experimental dishes pretty often, like the Almost There Pork Belly ($12) that comes with melt-in-the-mouth fat and perfectly crackling skin — a dish that has been in the works since last July. Pro tip: Swing by at lunch to enjoy any pasta, a drink and a small dessert at only $12!
Avg Price: $15 per person
Photo by Burpple Tastemaker Russell Leong