AsiaLIFE

Never before have we repeated a Bargain Bucket, but this place is so good we felt it deserved another shot. Also, it has recently moved to a new location – to the west of Monivong Boulevard.

Specialising in classic Singapore hawker food, the new improved Kitchen has a more relaxing atmosphere than its previous incarnation. Gone has the basic working-man’s-cafe interior, to be replaced by the feel of a traditional Chinese inn.

 But, don’t worry the food is still the same high quality, with the same Singapore-Chinese chef.

While the laksa (US$3) is the classic dish – full of wholesome ingredients and with a great spicy, creamy sauce – those wanting a more subtle flavour could do worse than trying the Hainanese chicken rice (US$3). This simple dish comes with a clear broth to cleanse the palette. Our favourite dish was the Hainanese pork chop. Though, at US$5, slightly outside the bargain bucket price bracket, the boneless chop came in a tangy tomato sauce with onions. A slight letdown was the carrot cake, which was a bit on the stodgy side, although it tasted much better when dipped in the hot chilli sauce.

One small tip, if you bump into the chef, tell him how much he looks like Al Pacino and he’ll be your friend for life. Open from 11am to 9.30pm, the Kitchen does delivery as well.