This week, we had the great privilege of getting to know Rachel Xie, a writer and foodie who never fails to amaze Burpplers with her food experiences (we’re a little envious)! With her love for food and talent for writing, Rachel is most definitely an Awesome Burppler.
Read below to find out more about Rachel and her recommendations for ramen, Eggs Royale, lemon tarts and many more !
Hey Rachel! Tell us a little more about yourself.
I’m Rachel, a die-hard foodie who is lucky to make a living by eating. I’m the resident lifestyle writer at Simply Her, a local women’s magazine, so a lot of the pictures that you see me posting on Burpple are actually taken at media food tastings and events that I attend. I was the beauty writer for the same title for 17 months before switching to the lifestyle beat in October 2012, but I’ve always been into food and love checking out new eateries for leisure - I also kept a blog detailing my gastronomic experiences, though that has now been side-lined because I already do so much writing at work. To me, food is more than sustenance; it has the ability to turn me into Little Miss Grumpy (just try feeding me an overdone eggs Ben), or it can give me satisfaction like nothing else can.
Describe a significant food memory from your childhood.
I loved to read about food in storybooks. Enid Blyton’s works were my favourite; I lapped up every word she wrote about the scones and biscuits that fairies and children in her books would savour at fairy tea parties and English picnics. I never thought that I’d be the one wielding the pen some 10-15 years later, but maybe that’s where my penchant for writing about the food I eat stemmed from.
What do you like about Burpple?
It’s a community of people who love food as much as I do. Good things are meant to be shared; I like sharing my food experiences and discovering new places to visit through the pictures that people share.
What are some of your favourite places to eat in Singapore? The kind of places that you just keep returning to.
I like trying new places all the time, so there are things that I eat once but remember the taste forever even though I may not return soon after.
The strawberry cheesecake at Relish is one such dish - I’ve only had it twice ever, once in 2007 and once in 2012, but it tasted exactly the same on both occasions and is still my #1 cheesecake in Singapore. The deconstructed lemon tart at MAD (Modern Asian Diner) is also remarkable - I’ve only had it once but I have a feeling it’s gonna be hard to beat.
But one place that I have returned to time and time again since I was 12 or 13 (I’m turning 24), is Creation at Shaw Towers. Their seafood laksa cream sauce is rich and bursting with flavour, and the pasta is nicely al dente. A meal there is not complete without their warm chocolate brownie topped with vanilla ice cream. Their sets are incredibly affordable - you can get a soup, pasta, dessert and drink for about $17.
Ah Loy Thai, also at Shaw Towers, serves up a mean fried butter calamari - the buttery sauce is super fattening, but hey, I always say, eat first, worry later. Santouka at Central is my favourite for ramen - I can’t get enough of their creamy shio tonkotsu soup and melt-in-the-mouth pork cheek slices.
Toby’s Estate at Rodyk Street is my go-to for Eggs Royale because the eggs are always impeccably poached, and their espresso hollandaise is a unique twist. Boss BarBQ at Clarke Quay has the most amazing fried chicken and the softest dukbokki I’ve had in Singapore. Al Azhar at Upper Bukit Timah Road, I’ve been to countless times for butter chicken masala and cheese naan.
A few places I’ve been to just once so far, but will most likely return to are The Fabulous Baker Boy, Amuse, Mikuni, Saveur, and Kilo at Pact.
Thanks for giving us such awesome recommendations Rachel, it’s been great getting to know another Awesome Burppler!
Find her on Burpple @Rachel Xie to follow her food journeys.
Get the free app at www.burpple.com/getapp today :)