Nanyang in Taguig: All-Time Singaporean Classic Comfort Food
It’s not every day that you get to dine at a cozy and homey Singaporean cafe-restaurant, so if you happen to drop by SM Aura in Taguig City, pay a visit at Nanyang and have a taste of Singaporean comfort food.
Nanyang, SM Aura Branch / IMAGE from Philippine Primer
A white and gray with a hint of gold welcomes you at Nanyang with its open space garden vibe. Tucked inside a mall is a small place where you can find serenity with just a cup of their coffee. Whether you’re in for a hot or cold drink after a long day of shopping, Nanyang has it here.
Torn between getting a coffee or milk tea? Try their Kopi Jelly Milk Tea—a milk-tea drink added with coffee jelly bits that gives the drink a bittersweet taste.
Kopi Jelly Milk Tea / IMAGE from Nanyang Philippines
Pair your coffee with eggs and toasts with Nanyang’s Traditional Kaya Toast that comes with a serving of butter and coconut jam, soft-boiled eggs, soy sauce, and pepper.
Curious as to what the other ingredients are for? The soft-boiled eggs, soy sauce, and pepper make a dip for your kaya toast. Crack the egg into a cup, pour a little bit of soy sauce and pepper, mix and dip your toast. The egg dip gives the toast a different flavor as the sweetness of the jam complements the not-so-salty dip.
Traditional Kaya Toast / IMAGE from Nanyang Philippines
After a hearty toast and a coffee fix, if you’re not much of a heavy eater, you can try the all-time favorite Laksa. This spicy noodle soup consists of prawn, coconut milk, half boiled egg, and rice vermicelli. This dish is perfect for kicking off the adrenaline as it is spicy but has a very creamy and rich base.
Laksa / IMAGE from Nanyang Philippines
Singaporeans are known for loving spicy dishes so if you love spicy food, you might want to try Nanyang’s Curry Chicken, made of tender chicken and a blend of spices. The rich and creamy sauce is best paired with rice to drown the spice down.
Curry Chicken / IMAGE from Nanyang Philippines
Of course, what’s an Asian meal without rice? Nanyang also has three rice servings, the Hainanese Chicken Rice, Hainanese fried Chicken Rice, and the Homemade Nasi Lemak.
Hainanese Chicken Rice / IMAGE from Nanyang Philippines
The Hainanese Chicken Rice comes with a chili dip and is served with bok choy or Chinese cabbage in sauteed garlic sauce. As for the chicken, it is poached to perfection to achieve the smooth and jelly-skin finish and the broth is used to cook the rice. To add flavor, it comes with a sauce on the sides. The same goes with the Hainanese Fried Chicken Rice but instead of poaching the chicken, it is fried.
Homemade Nasi Lemak / IMAGE from Nanyang Philippines
Aside from the Hainanese Chicken Rice meals, Nanyang also offers Homemade Nasi Lemak with rice cooked in coconut milk and is served with anchovies, toasted peanuts, fish paste, salted eggs, and cucumbers on the side. These rice meals deserve a sweet finish so try the Mango Sago Pomelo, a sweet, chewy and fruity treat perfect to end the meal.
Mango Sago Pomelo / IMAGE from Nanyang Philippines
The next time you crave for Singaporean dishes, head on to Nanyang and experience their brunch to dinner meals. They are located at the Lower Ground Floor of SM Aura, Taguig, City. Other branches of Nanyang are in SM City Pampanga and Greenbelt 5 in Makati City. They are open every day from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
This first appeared in Philippine Primer Japanese Magazine’s January 2019 issue.
