For 11 years, Food Republic has been serving food from well sought-after brands, as well as creating new brands with unique characters. In recent months, the brand has brought in new and exciting flavours to the various outlets. Here are 5 new stalls you should try in Food Republic! In celebration of Food Republic’s 11th year, we are rewarding MissTamChiak.com readers with food vouchers as well. Read till the end to find out more!

Peramakan is a play of words from the word ‘Peranakan’ meaning ‘local-born’ and ‘makan’, a Malay word to eat. Marrying two great cultures together, Peranakan cuisine comes the preparation techniques of both traditional Chinese and Malay cooking, hence the taste is distinctive and filled with exciting flavours made from local herbs and spices.

Chef Kathryn Ho is a true-blue Nyonya and the brainchild behind PeraMakan. Bring back the food from her childhood days, all dishes are made from fresh ingredients, without preservatives and food enhancers. Good news is, they have opened an outlet at Food Republic VivoCity so you get to try a whole range of delicious Peranakan dishes at food court prices!

Mention “Peranakan” and the image of “Ayam Buah Keluak” immediately jumps up in your head. The tender chicken in PeraMakan is bathed in a rich “rempah” (pounded spice paste) gravy and is a natural companion to the soft and succulent flesh as you “dig” into this hard nut. Kathryn’s rendition of Babi Pong Tay didn’t disappoint as well. Fatty and decadent pork belly is stew with dried mushrooms and winter bamboo shoots flavoured with bean paste till it is melt-worthy. Other signature dishes that you can find in the new Food Republic stall includes Ikan Garam Assam, Nyonya Chap Chye and Sambal Bendi. Not forgetting the whole range of nyonya kuehs and buns!

Counting over 750 outlets across China, Shi Miao Dao (十秒到) specialises in one of Yunnan’s most famous heritage dishes – “crossing-the-bridge rice noodles”. Here, bowls are heated to 250 degree celcius so that assorted ingredients are cooked rapidly within 10 seconds when tossed into the bubbling soup stock rendered from simmering chicken and pork bones.

You can choose from different soup base such as Original ($7.80), Mala Soup ($8.50), Tomato Soup ($8.50) and Pickled Cabbage ($8.50). Each soup and noodles is accompanied with a spread of ingredients such as chicken drumlet/wing, tofu skin, black fungus, ham, corn, quail egg, spring onion, vegetables, old vinegar peanuts and seafood.

Their stock base is made with pork and chicken bones simmered for at least 6 hours. I like the Tomato Soup where fresh, crushed tomatoes are added to give that tangy and rich flavor. The Pickled Cabbage soup also impressed me. Made with finely grated cabbage and green chilli pickled in aged vinegar, the soup is sharp with moderate spiciness. Noodles are added at the last to absorb all the flavours from the ingredients and soup. To pair with the noodles, you can also enjoy some Sweet and Sour Radish and Old Vinegar Black Fungus.

Part of Food Republic at the basement of Shaw House has been redeveloped to include five new Japanese concepts, all of which aim to provide quality Japanese cuisine at pocket-friendly prices. Choices are endless, from Sushi to Teppanyaki to Tendon, it’s really a heaven for Japanese food lovers.

We are definitely in love with the hearty Tendon ($11.80). Deep fried till perfection, you get eight crispy tempura with a bowl of Japanese rice and a delicious sauce. The taste isn’t as strong as it looks, but rather light and easy on the stomach. The star in the food court is the beautiful box of Unagi Seiro Mushi ($28.80). The steamed Japanese rice is nicely stacked with sliced teriyaki eel that gives a sweet hint to the meal.

If you like Teppanyaki like me, try the US Angus Beef Lemon Steak ($18.80) from Gyu Tetsu Teppanyaki. The perks of eating Teppanyaki is, you get to watch the chef in action and enjoy freshly cooked dishes! The thinly sliced beef is cooked on the Teppanyaki hotplate before putting it in the flat iron and drizzling with their homemade citrus sauce to cut the oiliness from the meat.

I eat the Food Republic frequently but I haven’t visited the 313@Somerset outlet. The space here is really spacious and airy, which makes dining enjoyable. I have always supported young F&B entrepreneurs and this time round, I met 24-year-old Chef Tan who was trained under many popular restaurants in Singapore and then opened his first outlet here – Tan’s Pasta.

I am always attracted to the colour of pesto. The gorgeous green colour speaks the vivid flavour we can get from the herbs. Made with basil, pinenuts and grana padano Italian cheese, Pesto Linguine ($7) is a delicious combination of textures and flavors. For something creamy, the Carbonara Pasta ($7) uses a blend of cream, cheese and black pepper. I like it when some truffle oil adds aroma to the dish.

Tan’s Pasta not only serve pastas; they also have a good variety of western food such as the Roasted Chicken Chop ($8) where the chicken is marinated in spices and roasted in a salamander oven to its crispy skin and tender meat. Drizzled with mushroom sauce, it is then served with salad and potato wedges.

A brand created by Food Republic, Capitol Bak Chor Mee started from Capitol Piazza and has now opened another outlet at Manulife Centre, Level 1! Sink your teeth into the bowl of Bak Chor Mee with noodles cooked till al dente and tossed with generous amount of chilli, soy sauce and vinegar. It’s one fiery bowl of noodles to start but the vinegar helps to tame it a little. I like to request my BCM with more vinegar.

The unique salted fish bits adds a nice crunch, complemented with pig’s liver, sliced pork, dumplings and pork lard. As part of their opening special, you can enjoy a bowl of Minced Meat Noodle (small) for only $5.00 (U.P. $5.50)!

GIVEAWAY

In celebration of Food Republic’s 11th year, they are giving away $20 dining vouchers to 5 lucky winners! Simply share with me your favourite dish at Food Republic under the comments to win! Closing date: 14 November 2016. Good Luck!

GIVEAWAY CLOSED! Congratulations to Leonardo, Liling, Charlotte Goh, Irman Yazid and Goh Cher Shin!

Also, from now till 6 December, Food Republic is giving away many attractive prizes! Log on to www.foodrepublictreats.com to find out more!

This post was brought to you by The Food Republic.