The grass is always greener on the other side, but there are just some things I wish Singapore had. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate what we have here, but a few extra implementations will make our lives even more colourful.
So read on and see if you agree with me and be more convinced why we should have them here.
“Patience you must have, my young padawan.”
In-N-Out Burger is a regional fast food chain originating from the American Southwest. It has slowly expanded eastward over its 65-year lifetime to Arizona, Utah, Nevada and Texas. The company has also been holding up “pop-up shops” around the world, where burgers tend to sell out within minutes.
Some might think it is overrated but honestly I will be stoked if it does land itself in Singapore. Based on the overwhelming response from the two times In-N-Out Burger was in town for a day, it will definitely be a hit here.
Best Seller: Double double with grilled onions and animal style fries
Chipotle Mexican Grill is a restaurant chain started in the United States that expanded to the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, and France. They specialize in burritos and tacos.
Chipotle is known for their sustainable practices and organic products. Steve Ells, the founder of Chipotle claims that “Food With Integrity” is a commitment that the company made. They promise to run their business in a way that doesn’t exploit animals, people or the environment. It is the philosophy that guides every decision they make.
I truly admire them for the way they treat animals with dignity and I am all in for any shops that take into account the environment and does ecological farming. This is a great example for other shop owners to follow and do a part to help the earth that we live in.
Best Seller: Chicken / Beef Burrito
Take a look at this award winning ad to understand why I love Chipotle. This ad garnered close to 14 million views and till this day, still positively influences their customers.
IHOP (International House of Pancakes) is a United States based restaurant chain that specializes in breakfast food. They are most famous for their pancakes, while other breakfast foods include French toast, omelettes and there is a menu for lunch and dinner items as well. The company has 1,500 locations in the United States and Canada. Recently, it opened its first franchise in Dubai and Kuwait as part of a major expansion into the Middle East restaurant market.
True to their slogan- “Everything You Love About Breakfast” is right here, it will be taking over the Hot Cakes in Mcdonalds and the overly overrated Strictly Pancakes. Check out their menu and you will find an indecisive part of you. They will spoil and tempt you with mouthwatering images of fluffy and rich cakes.
Best Seller: New York Cheesecake Pancakes and Rooty Tooty Fresh ‘N Fruity Pancakes
A&W Restaurant is a chain of fast food restaurants from Lodi, California in 1923. Their company name was taken from the surname initials of founder Roy W.Allen and co-founder Frank Wright.
Today their franchise locations could be found throughout much of the world, serving a typical fast food menu of hamburgers, french fries and hot dogs. One thing unites them all: the root beer float. That perfect combo of sugar and frothy ice cream.
Just the thought of it makes me feel nostalgic about this ‘All American Food’ we once had and the memories made enjoying it. Lets vote for them to bring A&W back to Singapore. Some Corn Dog Nuggets and Polar Swirls on the side sounds like a plan too.
Best Seller on the menu: Root Beer Float, Curly fries
Taco Bell was founded by Glen Bell, who first opened a hot dog stand called Bell’s Drive-In in San Bernardino, California in 1946. They serve a range of Tex-Mex foods including tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nachos, and other specialty items. Today, Taco Bell has more than 6,500 restaurants mostly in the U.S. And for awhile, they were in Singapore as part of a hybrid store with KFC and Pizza Hut.
What always amaze me are the flavours of beverages and array of dessert they have that can’t be found in Singapore. If you are still not convince why we should bring this amaze-balls Mexican food into our island, feast your eyes on this- a kind soul compiled an exhaustive list of the best 20 greatest taco bell menu items.
Best Seller: Crunchwrap Supreme.
Pret a Manger is a fast food chain based in the United KIngdom. The first shop was opened in Hampstead, London in 1984 by Jeffrey Hyman. The name Pret a Manger was morphed from the title prêt-à-porter, meaning “ready-to-wear”. The outlet specialised on gourmet, ready-to-eat food which was inspired by what the traiteurs of Paris served; design of the store was inspired by steel and chrome sandwich bars in New York City.
The menu includes sandwiches, baguettes, pots and desserts, cold drinks, hot drinks, crisps and bakery items, as well as sushi, salads, soups, and cakes. Yes, SUSHI! Another plus point is their emphasis on using natural ingredients and food left unsold at the end of the day is collected by charities. These small actions impact the environment in a big way and attitudes like this should be encouraged here.
Best Seller: Banana and Porridge pot.
Portillo’s is a chain of restaurants specializing in Chicago-style food such as Chicago-style hot dogs and Italian beef sandwiches. It was set up in Villa Park, lllinois since 1963 by Dick Portillo. Their menu also includes hamburgers, ribs, salads, desserts, as well as beer and wine.
While Portillo’s are best-known for their hot dogs, stay for the desserts too. I have heard and read up so much about their amazing chocolate cake shake, they literally blend in pieces of cake. A genius decided to combine cake and shake and then an orgasmic cake shake is produced. YUM.
Best Seller: Hot Dog and Chocolate Cake Shake
Hokkaido Dairy Farm was a restaurant launched in 2009, with a fusion of Hong Kong and Japanese restaurant cultures. It not just a place for dining but for friends and family to socialise in a cosy and artsy atmosphere that reflects a modern take on the traditional ‘Cha Chaan Teng’, fused with Japanese simplicity.
The star ingredient to their flavourful, creamy dishes is found in the 3.6 Hokkaido Milk- highest quality milk. They offer a range of tea sets, dinner selections and desserts from 12pm onwards.
Best Seller: 3.6 Hokkaido Milk scrambled egg sandwich
CREAM (Cookies Rule Everything Around Me) was opened by the Jimmy and Gus Shamieh family in Berkeley California in 2010. It began as a family venture that was rooted in the Shamieh children’s childhood experience. CREAM’s cookies were inspired from Mrs. Shamieh’s secret cookie recipe.
Both cookie and ice cream sound sinful but at CREAM, you can choose the gluten free or vegan cookie options. Another reason for their long line of customers is due to its affordability – you can get cookies and ice cream flavor of your choice all for $2.99.
After watching this video, I am more convinced to have CREAM in Singapore. This will be a temporary cure to the hot weather we have.
Best Seller: Chocolate chip with cookie dough ice cream
After You is an extremely popular dessert cafe founded by a Kulapat “May” Kanokwatanawan, in Bangkok, Thailand in 2007. Items include their signature Shibuya Honey Toast, Crepes, Lava Cake, Apple Crumble, Pancakes, Hot & Cold beverages, and freshly baked pastries.
The toasts cost $6.50 – $7.50 for regular sizes and $7.50 – $9.50 for the larger size. The prices are considered normal cafe standard but it is quite pricey in Thailand’s context, since you can easily get a bowl of noodles at $2.
May said: “Initially, I wanted to do something new with a whole different concept, but in the end I decided just to focus on After You. I have some plans to expand the franchise to places like Dubai, Korea and Singapore. I’ve had some interest, but I’ll have to find the right person who really understands the concept.”
I do hope she meets the right person who will encourage her to bring After You to Singapore.
Best Seller: Shibuya Honey Toast
For some like world famous brands After You, the dream may not be that far away. All it needs is the right push! And we can always hope for the day A & W makes its reappearance. All people need to see is demand, so let’s show it to them!
Have a favourite in this list? Comment below and let us know! What other brands would you like to see in Singapore?
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