EAT & DRINK NEW EATS Specialty noodles t can be said that what Singapore lacks in size, I it makes up for with food. Being native to the sunny island ourselves—specifically to the food haven of Katong, home to laksa and the location of a decades-long (and ongoing) chicken rice war— we visited the second branch of Singapore Koo Kee Restaurant in World City with high standards and even higher expectations. While chili crab often claws its way into the national dish spotlight, a far more common and unassuming dish (and one consumed far more fre- quently) is Hainanese chicken rice (¥39). Served with dark soy sauce, grated ginger, and chili, the chicken rice took us right back to after-school lunches, packed with as much flavor as nostalgia. Mixed with its accompanying condiments, the rice is good enough to eat on its own, with no discred- it to the steamed and soy-soaked chicken. Koo Kee offers multiple-person portions and cuts of chick- en as well, from a ¥49 plate of dark meat to ¥208 for the entire bird. Another subtle star comes in the form of the Koo Kee Specialty Noodles (¥38). Thin egg noodles topped with minced meat are paired with yong tau fu, a Hakka Chinese dish made up mostly of tofu stuffed with minced meat or fish paste, and served with sweet sauce. This relatively oil-free combina- tion is one you don’t often find in Singapore: deli- SINGAPOREAN cious and yet somewhat healthy. Koo Kee Next on the menu was mee siam (¥38)—a Malay dish made of rice vermicelli, spicy gravy, and a dash ★★★ ✩ Classic chicken and rice of lime—which provided the tangy taste we were seeking. The only disappointment came in the form of laksa (¥38) with its coconut base overpowered by fishy flavors, and noodles too thick to easily slurp up. Koo Kee quite literally flies the Singapore flag high with the nation’s red and white flags flutter- ing from the ceiling, the service politely cheer- ful and informed, and all the makings of being Best Lah! authentically Singaporean. Loretta Marie Perera A TASTE OF ISLAND FLAVOR Find it: B105A, Block E, World City, Jinhui Lu, 金汇路世界城商业 街E座地下一层B105A, Tel: 65992687, www.kookee.com.sg 16 www.cityweekend.com.cn.