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Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
11 best food spots in Upper Thomson to eat your way through this tasty hood
The Upper Thomson area is a bustling enclave for foodies in the know — a stretch with fresh finds, classics and everything between. Packed with late-night supper spots, trendy bakery-cafes and comforting local joints, it's the kind of neighbourhood where brunch, dinner and dessert all have their moment. Whether you're after handmade pasta, a hearty bowl of fishball noodles at midnight or some cake that rivals the best in town, here are 11 best food spots in Upper Thomson to eat your way through this tasty hood. Starting us off strong is 42 Pasta is the Answer, where you can find handmade pasta for just a wallet-friendly S$15. This quaint eatery in Thomson Plaza is helmed by an ex-NUS physics professor, and has become a bit of a hotspot despite being barely four months old. C'mon, it's pasta. The coolest thing has got to be how their pasta menu features just one dish: =Pasta of the Day (S$15). From unique pasta shapes to clever fillings and sauces, the offering changes daily depending on the chef's whimsy. Talk about the element of surprise! You could be getting the Sweet Potato Caramelle with Brown Butter & Balsamic Vinegar (pictured above) — an al dente candy-shaped pasta stuffed with creamy sweet potato filling, dressed in a nutty, tangy glaze. The only other entrée you can find on the menu is Roast Pork with Waldorf Salad (S$12/S$18), featuring smoky, tender pork belly paired with a refreshing salad of mayonnaise-dressed celery, apples, raisins and nuts. Sides include Bruschetta (S$2 per piece) and Potato and Cheese Bites (S$2), while the Basque Cheesecake (S$6) for a satisfying finish. 301 Upper Thomson Road, Thomson Plaza, #01-43, Singapore 574408 Tue & Wed, Fri to Sun: 12pm – 2pm & 6pm – 8pm Closed on Mon & Thu Instagram | Website Not to be confused with the prolific Wee Nam Kee, Nam Kee Chicken Rice Restaurant is an Upper Thomson stalwart with humble beginnings dating back to 1968. This family-run establishment has long cemented itself as a go-to for authentic, traditional Hainanese chicken rice — beloved by generations of regulars. Nam Kee Chicken Rice Restaurant's Chicken Rice (S$7+ for Single Pax) comes with a simple plate of fragrant rice crowned by about 6 pieces of chicken, several cucumber slices and a bowl of clear soup on the side. It's admittedly not the cheapest around, but we promise it delivers on flavour. The rice is cooked to perfection, each grained lightly perfumed with ginger, pandan and spices, pairing beautifully with the tender chicken. And of course, no chicken rice experience is complete without the holy trinity of condiments: dark soy sauce, ginger and that fiery chilli. Hungry? You can also order a Quarter, Half and Whole Chicken for S$12, S$15 and S$30 respectively. Beyond chicken rice, the eatery serves up a variety of zi char staples like Curry Fish Head (S$30), Fu Rong Egg (S$10) and Sambal Sotong (S$15/S$20). 201 Upper Thomson Road, Singapore 574343 +65 9637 9168 Daily: 10.45am – 8.30pm Facebook | Instagram | Website If you're in the mood for a delectable snack or a light meal, Mr. Onigiri is the place to hit up. This hole-in-the-wall takeaway kiosk specialises in Okinawan-style onigiri — a compact, sandwich-like spin on the rice balls we're more familiar with, ditching the usual triangle or circle for something a little heartier. Mr. Onigiri offers 9 types of onigiri, each stuffed with its own unique combination of fillings. Classic selections include the Spam with Cheese (S$5), crabstick-packed Mentaiko Kani Kama (S$6.50) and the Double Yummy Double Ebi (S$7). Top picks include the Signature Melted Cheesy Crispy Chicken (S$7) and the indulgent Truffle Aioli Chicken Karaage Onigiri (S$8). My personal favourite is the Otakotak Onigiri (S$8), a flavour bomb loaded with spam, tamagoyaki, a juicy slab of Muar otah, cucumber slices and mentaiko sauce, all sandwiched between Japanese rice and crisp seaweed. The contrast between the creamy, spicy otah, smoky mentaiko and salty spam is honestly to die for. 215P Upper Thomson Road, Singapore 574349 Thu to Tue: 10am – 8.45pm Closed on Wed Facebook | Instagram Unwind at Filo Bistro, a cosy Western-local fusion restaurant perfect for laid-back brunches and intimate dinners. At its helm is Chef Brian Yeo, who brings years of fine dining experience to the table — so you're in for a classy treat. A real head-turner on Filo Bistro's menu is the Hokkien Mee Paella (S$28) — a fusion of our beloved local Hokkien mee and the Spanish staple, paella. Instead of noodles, it features saffron Carnaroli rice simmered in a robust broth of pork bones and prawn heads, then topped with prawns, clams and unctuous nuggets of pork lard. Another standout is the Carrot Cake Fries (S$12), a toothsome appetiser of golden-brown fried carrot cake fingers served with fiery sambal aioli and savoury chye poh, lending the dish an umami pop. We can't list everything here, but trust us: there's so much more to uncover. Gunpowder Lamb Char Siew (S$28), Kaya Butter Panna Cotta (S$10), Buldak Mac & Cheese (S$22)… and that's just scratching the surface. 265 Upper Thomson Road, Singapore 574392 +65 8347 5888 Mon to Fri: 11am – 3pm & 5.30pm – 10pm Sat & Sun: 10.30am – 3pm & 5.30pm – 10pm Facebook | Instagram | Website Taiwanese food fans, you're in luck. Whether you're itching for your next lu rou fan fix or craving that rustic taste of Taiwan, look no further than 饗好吃 Xiang Taiwanese Desserts and Food. Owned by a Taiwanese boss, the restaurant even imports its ingredients and rice from the motherland — authenticity, check. The Braised Pork Belly Rice (S$9.80) is a must-try. This glorious dish features a warm bed of fluffy pearl rice topped with hefty slabs of tender, well-marinated pork belly with an impeccable meat-to-fat ratio, along with a jammy egg that adds a creamy richness to the savoury braise. The classic Taiwanese Minced Pork Rice (S$5.90) is another great pick. Now, how about a comforting bowl of Braised Intestine Mee Sua (S$7.90)? This bowl of smooth, silky and utterly slurp-worthy mee sua topped with gelatinous braised intestines is sure to transport you right back to Taiwan. Beyond mains and sides, the restaurant also serves an array of refreshing drinks and desserts. Highlights include the nutty Sesame & Almond Paste (S$3.50), Cooling Aiyu Jelly (S$5.20) and Xiang's Signature Dessert (S$5.50) — starring silky grass jelly and beancurd topped with chewy sweet potato balls, tapioca pearls, jelly, red beans, yam and the like. 224 Upper Thomson Road, Singapore 574356 +65 9749 4047 Wed to Mon: 11am – 10pm Closed on Tue Facebook | Instagram Save on that flight ticket; no need to travel all the way to Bangkok for Jay Fai's legendary crab meat omelette when you can get it right here at Nummun Thai Kitchen in Upper Thomson. Nestled in Thomson Imperial Court, this humble Thai eatery was kickstarted by a native Thai owner in 2020 and has been thriving ever since, now with a second outlet in Yishun to boot. If you could only have one dish, make it the star of the show: Nummun Thai Kitchen's Crab Meat Omelette (S$28). This pillowy creation is chock-full of huge crab meat chunks that pair wonderfully with the fluffy egg, satisfying enough to enjoy with just a bowl of White Rice (S$1). Needless to say, another crowd favourite is the Tom Yum Seafood Soup (S$14), available in both clear and creamy versions — the latter enriched with a splash of coconut milk. Tangy and bold, the soup is loaded with king oyster mushrooms and a medley of fresh seafood, including squid, prawns and even octopus. 200 Upper Thomson Road, Thomson Imperial Court, #01-03, Singapore 574424 +65 8886 8699 Daily: 11.30am – 2.30pm & 5.30pm – 9pm Facebook | Instagram 11 best hawker stalls at 724 AMK Market & Food Centre Hear me out: fishball noodles at 2 a.m. Sounds good? Ming Fa Fishball Noodles is the one and only spot in Upper Thomson where you can satisfy those cravings around the clock. Yep, it's open 24/7 — and honestly, you wouldn't want to miss out on one of the most iconic Teochew noodle brands in Singapore anyway. Ming Fa Fishball Noodles' signature Fishball Noodles (S$5.80/S$8) is nothing short of satisfying. Choose between a savoury broth or noodles tossed in a moreish mix of chilli and vinegar, accompanied by fishcakes, minced meat and their ultra-bouncy fishballs — made with 100% fish meat. Level up your meal with the Fuzhou Fishball Soup (S$6), featuring those same delicious fishballs, except with a tasty pork filling within. The stall also serves up Laksa (S$6/S$8.20), Curry Chicken (S$6.50) and Mushroom Minced Meat Noodle (S$6/S$7.50/S$8.50) among many other dishes. 246B Upper Thomson Road, Singapore 574370 +65 6455 4890 Daily: Open 24 hours Facebook | Instagram | Website If you're all for lazy mornings fuelled by comforting brunch fare, Hello Arigato will have you at hello (pun fully intended). This popular cafe is the ideal spot to kickstart a chill day, whether you're romanticising life over a cup of coffee or dining with your furkid. With an al fresco area and even pet utensils provided, it's as pet-friendly as it gets. Hello Arigato is best known for its Sandos — thick, satisfying stacks of freshly-breaded ingredients nestled between sweet, toasted shokupan (Japanese milk bread). Foolproof picks include the Spam & Egg Sando (S$18) and the creamy Tamago Sando (S$15), made with Japanese-style egg mayo and a whole aji tama. For something more indulgent, splurge on the Gyu Sando (S$28), featuring a juicy beef tenderloin katsu cooked to a perfect medium rare. Matcha fans, you're in luck; especially with the current hype. Get your fix with options like the Iced Dirty Matcha (S$8), Matcha Latte (S$6/S$7 iced), or one of the viral favourites: the Strawberry Matcha Cloud (S$6) or refreshing Coco Matcha Cloud (S$5). 227 Upper Thomson Road, Singapore 574359 +65 8772 3778 Tue to Fri: 9am – 4pm & 5.30pm – 9pm Sat & Sun: 9am – 9pm Closed on Mon Facebook | Instagram | Website Woodlands Sourdough… in Upper Thomson?! Yep, you're at the right place. Famed for their sourdough bread and bakes, this quaint Muslim-owned bakery cafe in 183 Longhaus is where you can grab a quick, quality pick-me-up. Be sure to visit early if you want to snag one of their signature Sourdough loaves (from S$8), which come in Country, Whole Wheat and Daily Special variations — and sell like hotcakes. Beyond loaves, you'll find a variety of other sourdough-based bakes, including the classic Butter Croissant (S$4), Big 'Ol Cinnamon Bun (S$6) bedecked with cream cheese frosting, Kardemummabullar (S$4.50) AKA Swedish cardamom buns and even Shio Pan (S$5.50), sandwiched with azuki beans and French butter. 183 Upper Thomson Road, 183 Longhaus, #01-03, Singapore 574332 Thu to Sun: 8.30am – 4pm Closed on Mon to Wed Facebook | Instagram If you could only get chirashi don from one place for the rest of your life, let it be Omoté. This popular Japanese restaurant has called Thomson Plaza home since its humble beginnings as a 12-seater sushi joint in 2019 — and it's since become one of Singapore's most trusted spots for high-quality bara chirashi and other donburis that won't burn a hole in your wallet. A must-try is the Truffle Roasted Garlic Chirashi (S$23.80), featuring a bed of warm sushi rice crowned by a generous heap of fresh salmon, tuna, squid and prawn sashimi cubes tossed in a white truffle-infused blend, then topped with ikura and crispy garlic chips. The combination works, we promise. Traditionalists can opt for the classic Omoté Chirashi (S$17.80) — which, believe it or not, has sold over a million bowls to date. And if sashimi's not your thing, Omoté also offers a range of quintessential donburis like the Tokyo Gyudon (S$12.80), Salmon Mentaiyaki Don (S$15.80) and Unagi Kabayaki Don (S$25.80), featuring a colossal slab of barbecued, kabayaki-glazed eel. 301 Upper Thomson Road, Thomson Plaza, #03-24A, Singapore 574408 +65 9450 1020 Wed to Mon: 11.30am – 2pm & 5.30pm – 9pm Closed on Tue Facebook | Instagram | Website Last but not least: Salted Caramel — because there's no better way to end a meal than with a sweet treat, right? This charming local-born cafe has specialty coffee, fresh waffles and, not to mention, hand-crafted ice cream made with only quality ingredients. A Single Scoop goes for S$5, while a Double Scoop is priced at S$9.50. Salted Caramel offers a neat lineup of flavours, including the likes of Ispahan (lychee rose), Lemon Cheesecake, Espresso & Caramel Biscuit and more. My personal favourites are the creamy, nutty Roasted Pistachio and earthy Genmaicha — both of which I used to splurge on weekly. Want to level up your scoop? Add S$1 for a fresh, buttery waffle cone or, better yet, go all in with their crispy, fluffy Waffles (S$6.50). 246F Upper Thomson Road, Singapore 574370 +65 9732 6731 Mon to Thu: 12pm – 11pm Fri: 12pm – 1am Sat: 11am – 1am Sun: 11am – 11pm Facebook | Instagram | Website 16 best dessert spots in Singapore to turn your frown upside down The post 11 best food spots in Upper Thomson to eat your way through this tasty hood appeared first on
New York Times
06-02-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
‘Apple Cider Vinegar' Is a Scammer Docudrama With Bite
'Apple Cider Vinegar,' on Netflix, is the latest scammer docudrama, another galling true story zhuzhed up for maximum bingeyness. This one is about two scams, though: an Australian woman perpetrating a cancer fraud, and the wellness industry more broadly. Kaitlyn Dever stars as Belle Gibson, who rose to fame as a cancer and food blogger. The show weaves her story together with that of two other characters who actually do have cancer: Milla (Alycia Debnam-Carey), Belle's blogger idol, who is convinced she can heal her own cancer, and later her mother's, with juicing, and Lucy (Tilda Cobham-Hervey), a breast-cancer patient desperate for alternatives to the brutality of chemotherapy. Presumably 'Coffee Enema' was not as enticing a title as 'Apple Cider Vinegar,' but that pseudoscientific practice occupies a lot screen time here. A lot. The story unfolds in jumbled timelines, mostly between 2009 and 2015. The size and gnarliness of the lesions on Milla's arms situate where she is in her prognosis, and Lucy grows increasingly wan. Belle's 'journey,' in contrast, is told by the state of her veneers — the brighter and shinier, the more recent. Belle's grifts began in her teens, but she started honing her cancer story on mommy message boards as a young mother. 'One of the worst things that can happen to a person happened to me!' she declares, lapping up each molecule of pity she can wring from others. 'Vinegar' has more depth and bite than many other scam stories, with more hypotheses about what might motivate someone to perpetrate social frauds: bad mom, absent dad, rapacious need for attention — the same things that lead a lot of people to a life on the stage. Alienation and desperation are powerful motivators, and Devers's performance makes Belle just sympathetic enough to reel you in. For those who want more from the world of cancer frauds, the documentary series 'Scamanda,' based on a podcast of the same name, airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. on ABC. (Episodes arrive the next day on Hulu; the series debuted on Jan. 30.) Amanda Riley lied for years about having cancer, blogging about it and giving talks at her church, scamming friends and community members out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Where 'Vinegar' focuses on the perpetrator, 'Scamanda' is more concerned with the victims, with their humiliation and revulsion over being had. It's a mediocre doc, but the story is wild.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Apple Cider Vinegar' is the alternative medicine scammer story we need right now
USA TODAY and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article. Pricing and availability subject to change. It turns out the moon isn't made of cheese, Santa isn't real and you can't cure cancer by eating a special diet an influencer is hawking on Instagram. But at the moment, there's nothing to stop anyone with a social media following from claiming diet, juicing or miracle pills cured their cancer. And that's exactly what happened with disgraced Australian influencer Belle Gibson, who faked brain cancer and then falsely claimed she was cured by a special diet that she happened to be selling. It's a despicable story that likely had real-life consequences: Gibson's extremely popular "The Whole Pantry" app was part of the Apple Watch launch in 2015. If not for our collective desire for "scammer" stories (see Netflix's "Inventing Anna"), it would seem almost too lurid to re-create the salacious tale for entertainment. But Netflix's new six-episode limited series "Apple Cider Vinegar" (now streaming, ★★★ out of four) makes the story a vital and shockingly relatable cautionary tale about the dangers of "alternative medicine" and the experience of being a young woman navigating an uncaring health care system. With a quartet of superb actresses to tell the tale, led by Kaitlyn Dever as Belle, sharp scripts and a middle finger pointed at Belle and her ilk, "Vinegar" stumbles onto something very emotional and profound. It's unnecessary to know anything about Belle or the world of Australian "wellness" Instagrammers before watching "Vinegar," although the stranger-than-fiction series will likely have you googling along the way. Told using an unnecessary time-hopping chronology, the series details Belle's evolution from unhappy teen mother and telemarketer to rich "personality," earned by fabricating a cancer diagnosis, understanding Instagram early and manipulating everyone in her life, in person or online. Belle's story is contrasted with that of Milla (Alycia Debnam-Carey) and Lucy (Tilda Cobham-Hervey), two women who do have cancer. Milla, young, willful and turned off by condescending doctors and what she sees as extreme treatment options, dives into alternative medicine like juicing and coffee enemas, convinced they will keep her cancer at bay. She blogs about it all along the way, making her a peer/enemy of Belle. Lucy accepts all the surgeries and chemotherapies her doctors suggest but is left feeling dehumanized and broken. The smaller chemo makes her feel, the more she's drawn to Belle's promise to diet your way out of cancer. But it's Lucy's husband Justin (Mark Coles Smith) who eventually exposes Belle's fraud, with the help of the scammer's former friend and manager Chanelle (Aisha Dee). Dever, long a shining star among her generation of actresses, does some of her most complex and compelling work in "Vinegar," with an Australian accent that never wavers. She is more than matched by Debnam-Carey and Dee, each playing strong, forceful women without falling into tropes and stereotypes. Beyond its strong performances, "Vinegar" excels in bringing to life many aspects of health care, and particularly women's negative experiences, that aren't often illustrated outside of knowing TikTok videos. Milla and Lucy are attracted to unproven "cures" and away from traditional medicine because of how they're treated by doctors. It's not just the fear of death and hope for a miracle; everyone has those emotions, no matter their gender or age. But there is a way young women are spoken to by some members of the medical establishment that ranges from patronizing and infantilizing to downright dismissive and dangerous. When Milla sits at a hospital conference table, surrounded mostly by older men, who tell her the only way to save her life is to cut off her arm and ‒ in her eyes, cut off her life ‒ you can feel their disdain for what they see as a silly, emotional little girl who doesn't know any better. Compassion, understanding and respect are missing from the "Vinegar" has no illusions about the effectiveness of the so-called cancer treatments Milla tries and Belle hawks. Milla, a composite character based on several alternative medicine advocates by series creator Samantha Strauss ("Nine Perfect Strangers"), isn't cured by coffee enemas. What seems from the trailer like a kicky thriller uncovering a scammer is instead a deeply sorrowful tragedy about what happens when we disregard science. More: The TV shows we can't wait to see in 2025, from 'White Lotus' to 'Apple Cider Vinegar' And in a world in which the nominee for this country's secretary of Health and Human Services is hawking raw milk while the bird flu breaks out and the $6.3 trillion wellness industry pulls in a bigger market share than the pharmaceutical industry ($1.6 trillion), it's important to remember that anyone offering a miracle cure is probably trying to cash in on our desperation and hope. If it looks like snake oil, it probably is sold by snakes. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Apple Cider Vinegar' review: The dangers of fake cancer cures
USA Today
06-02-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
'Apple Cider Vinegar' is the alternative medicine scammer story we need right now
'Apple Cider Vinegar' is the alternative medicine scammer story we need right now Show Caption Hide Caption The most anticipated TV shows of 2025 USA TODAY TV critic Kelly Lawler shares her top 5 TV shows she is most excited for this year It turns out the moon isn't made of cheese, Santa isn't real and you can't cure cancer by eating a special diet an influencer is hawking on Instagram. But at the moment, there's nothing to stop anyone with a social media following from claiming diet, juicing or miracle pills cured their cancer. And that's exactly what happened with disgraced Australian influencer Belle Gibson, who faked brain cancer and then falsely claimed she was cured by a special diet that she happened to be selling. It's a despicable story that likely had real-life consequences: Gibson's extremely popular "The Whole Pantry" app was part of the Apple Watch launch in 2015. If not for our collective desire for "scammer" stories (see Netflix's "Inventing Anna"), it would seem almost too lurid to re-create the salacious tale for entertainment. But Netflix's new six-episode limited series "Apple Cider Vinegar" (now streaming, ★★★ out of four) makes the story a vital and shockingly relatable cautionary tale about the dangers of "alternative medicine" and the experience of being a young woman navigating an uncaring health care system. With a quartet of superb actresses to tell the tale, led by Kaitlyn Dever as Belle, sharp scripts and a middle finger pointed at Belle and her ilk, "Vinegar" stumbles onto something very emotional and profound. It's unnecessary to know anything about Belle or the world of Australian "wellness" Instagrammers before watching "Vinegar," although the stranger-than-fiction series will likely have you googling along the way. Told using an unnecessary time-hopping chronology, the series details Belle's evolution from unhappy teen mother and telemarketer to rich "personality," earned by fabricating a cancer diagnosis, understanding Instagram early and manipulating everyone in her life, in person or online. Belle's story is contrasted with that of Milla (Alycia Debnam-Carey) and Lucy (Tilda Cobham-Hervey), two women who do have cancer. Milla, young, willful and turned off by condescending doctors and what she sees as extreme treatment options, dives into alternative medicine like juicing and coffee enemas, convinced they will keep her cancer at bay. She blogs about it all along the way, making her a peer/enemy of Belle. Lucy accepts all the surgeries and chemotherapies her doctors suggest but is left feeling dehumanized and broken. The smaller chemo makes her feel, the more she's drawn to Belle's promise to diet your way out of cancer. But it's Lucy's husband Justin (Mark Coles Smith) who eventually exposes Belle's fraud, with the help of the scammer's former friend and manager Chanelle (Aisha Dee). Dever, long a shining star among her generation of actresses, does some of her most complex and compelling work in "Vinegar," with an Australian accent that never wavers. She is more than matched by Debnam-Carey and Dee, each playing strong, forceful women without falling into tropes and stereotypes. Beyond its strong performances, "Vinegar" excels in bringing to life many aspects of health care, and particularly women's negative experiences, that aren't often illustrated outside of knowing TikTok videos. Milla and Lucy are attracted to unproven "cures" and away from traditional medicine because of how they're treated by doctors. It's not just the fear of death and hope for a miracle; everyone has those emotions, no matter their gender or age. But there is a way young women are spoken to by some members of the medical establishment that ranges from patronizing and infantilizing to downright dismissive and dangerous. When Milla sits at a hospital conference table, surrounded mostly by older men, who tell her the only way to save her life is to cut off her arm and ‒ in her eyes, cut off her life ‒ you can feel their disdain for what they see as a silly, emotional little girl who doesn't know any better. Compassion, understanding and respect are missing from the room. But "Vinegar" has no illusions about the effectiveness of the so-called cancer treatments Milla tries and Belle hawks. Milla, a composite character based on several alternative medicine advocates by series creator Samantha Strauss ("Nine Perfect Strangers"), isn't cured by coffee enemas. What seems from the trailer like a kicky thriller uncovering a scammer is instead a deeply sorrowful tragedy about what happens when we disregard science. More: The TV shows we can't wait to see in 2025, from 'White Lotus' to 'Apple Cider Vinegar' And in a world in which the nominee for this country's secretary of Health and Human Services is hawking raw milk while the bird flu breaks out and the $6.3 trillion wellness industry pulls in a bigger market share than the pharmaceutical industry ($1.6 trillion), it's important to remember that anyone offering a miracle cure is probably trying to cash in on our desperation and hope. If it looks like snake oil, it probably is sold by snakes.
