New restaurants at Jem
Unless your usual train ride home takes you past Buona Vista, when it comes to satisfying your rumbling belly, a trip to the West isn’t even an option. Jurong has been so shrouded in the shadows of its stereotype, that many of us are missing out on all the food gems they hold secret to – and we’re not talking about another out-of-the-way hipster cafe.
Think super pimped chirashi dons, honey butter fried chicken, and DIY gelato popsicles. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself betraying the food scene in the East every now and then – it’s worth being the black sheep for. Here are 8 must-eats in Jem that made the butt-numbing train ride over worth your while!
1. Crunch on chicken larger than your face at Cheers Cut
Source: Cheers Cut
Say hello to Cheers Cut, the reason why you won’t need to buy a plane ticket to have a taste of Taiwan. Presenting the Ninja Crispy Chicken: a cutlet that’s bound to mess up your dinnertime. Chicken cutlets come big, but this mother of all cutlets will put other XXL chicken cutlets to shame.
Cheers Cut also gives you the option to pick from their range of homemade sauces like Honey Mustard, Teriyaki, Thai Sweet and Sour, and Sichuan Chilli to amp up the flavour.
Instead of bite-sized chunks in a bag, your monster cutlet comes in a paper sleeve that will let you feel like a real barbarian shreddin it with your teeth.
Not the entire animal is used in the Monster Squid ($8.90), but it’s still a challenge to stomach
Fried with garlic and doused generously with teriyaki sauce, the Monster Squid puts an Asian twist on this Mediterranean snack, catapulting it into my fried hall of fame. Crisp yet tender with the right amount of chew, one box won’t be enough to satisfy you.
For a safer, but equally tasty option, go with their Chicken Chunks ($5.50) and wash it down with their Calpis Sour Soda ($4.20).
Cheers Cut
Location: Jem #B1-06, 50 Jurong Gateway Road, S608549
Opening Hours: 10.30AM – 10PM Daily
2. Watch Mount Fuji erupt at Tonkotsu Kazan Ramen
If setting food on fire is a little too hardcore for you, take things down a notch and try a ramen that resembles a near erupting volcano. You’ll be safe from any naked flames. Served in a hot stone bowl and heated to an incredulous 300-degrees, the Hinomaru Tomato Ramen ($15.80) is a tomato based ramen stocked chock-a-block with beansprouts and capsicums served in a rich tomato base.
Cooked right before your eyes in under a minute, if you believe in the phrase “Life’s about the journey, not the destination” – this is one ramen journey you don’t wanna miss. When you’re done, throw in a free bowl of rice and turn your leftover soup into a porridge!
Tonkotsu Kazan Ramen
Location: Jem #03-09, 50 Jurong Gateway Road, S608549
Opening Hours: 11AM – 10PM Daily
3. Nom on 15 different types of sashimi all in one bowl at En Sakaba
En Sakaba is that one over-achieving friend we all love to hate. While normal chirashi dons come with a mixture of 5-6 types of sashimi, they throw off the competition with 15 different variations of raw seafood in their signature En Kaisen Chirashi Don ($28).
It’s not everyday you see premium ingredients like sea urchin, baby scallops and caviar atop special pink rice, so the main challenge will be resisting the urge to inhale the whole thing once it’s served.
Crab lovers, this is your calling. Besides mains, En Sakaba also serves up small tapas like Zuwai Kani Miso Koirayaki ($13) – delicate slices of crabmeat and ikura on a bed of miso.
Prepare for an umami party in your mouth
And if your perfect version of Jap food doesn’t include seafood at all, you’ll love their Kurobutu Niku No Hoho Yaki ($13) – good enough to be bakkwa version 2.0.
En Sakaba
Location: Jem #01-04, 50 Jurong Gateway Road, S608549
Opening Hours: 12PM – 11PM Daily
4. Take your honey butter game to the next level at Chir Chir
It looks like the honey butter flavour is here to stay, and for a good reason. If you haven’t already tried the chip version, you’ll fall head over heels in love with Chir Chir’s Honey Butter Chicken ($28). Chicken cubes, potato wedges, and tteokbokki (rice cakes) are piled into a pan, fried to sweet, honey butter perfection, and topped with a sprinkle of almonds and dried cranberries.
Slather it in honey garlic mayo dip for an extra oomph
Chir Chir wasn’t joking when they named Nest Snow ($32.90). With a molten cheese-mash potato base, chicken tenders topped with whipped cream, order this and you’ll be like a little birdy flocking home.
Like bread and butter, fried chicken isn’t complete without beer. The Lady Killer ($16.90) is perfect for those who want a little buzz but aren’t big fans of the taste of beer.
Chir Chir Fusion Chicken Factory
Location: Jem #04-13/14, 50 Jurong Gateway Road, S608549
Opening Hours: 11AM – 10PM Daily
5. Tuck into a premium all-you-can-eat Japanese grill or hot pot buffet at Shaburi & Kintan Buffet
With their all-you-can-eat grilled meat buffet starting from $12.80 for lunch and $27.80 for dinner, and their solo pot shabu shabu starting from $12.80 for lunch and $24.80 for dinner – Shaburi & Kintan Buffet will be your go-to for your hot pot/bbq cravings on days you’re running low on dough.
Don’t judge a buffet by its price tag either. Kintan, their yakiniku-style grilled arm serves up quality cuts flown in from the U.S. and Australia, whilst Shaburi delights hygiene freaks with their own personal hot pot with bases as exotic as their Chicken Collagen Paitan and their Soy Milk Miso.
Shaburi & Kintan Buffet
Location: Jem #03-11/12, 50 Jurong Gateway Road, S608549
Opening Hours: 11:30AM – 3:30PM, 5:00PM – 10:00PM on Weekdays, 11:30AM – 10:00PM on Weekends & PH
6. Create the salad of your dreams at Simply Wrapps
You know what they say – getting a bikini bod is 80% diet and 20% exercise. With a vast assortment of fresh ingredients at Simply Wrapps, you can come up with hundreds of different combinations for customisable salads and wraps.
Nutty Fruity (wrap at $10.90 and salad at $10.50) – perfect for a detox after a particularly sinful week.
If you don’t know where to start, pick from their chef creations to have a better idea of what goes well together. Dishes are available in both salad and wrap form!
Mexicana Fiesta (wrap at $10.90 and salad at $10.50)
It might’ve been the jalapenos, the crushed corn chips, or the toasted spinach wrap – whatever it was, this wrap was so legit, it had my tastebuds doing the cha cha.
Fun fact: All their wraps are made from wholegrain flour, naturally-flavoured, and shipped to them from their HQ. You can pick from five flavours – plain, tomato basil, spinach, wholemeal and lemongrass.
Simply Wrapps
Location: Jem #02-19, 50 Jurong Gateway Road, S608549
Opening Hours: 8AM – 9.30PM Daily
7. Spice up your senses with Song Fa Bak Kut Teh
Pork Ribs Soup ($7)
Song Fa Bak Kut Teh is not new to locals. Dating all the way back to 1969, their formula of a simple yet flavourful broth paired with meaty ribs has kept customers coming back for more. If you’re a sucker for BKT soup, you don’t have to hold back because they don’t charge for their refills.
Give their newest Spicy Pork Belly ($8) a try – but a cautionary note: the heat on this one will have you polishing off your entire bowl of rice.
I’d recommend saving your stomach for side dishes like their Braised Pig’s Trotters ($7) and Kai Lan ($4) too!
Song Fa Bak Kut Teh
Location: Jem #B1-09, 50 Jurong Gateway Road, S608549
Opening Hours: 10.30AM – 9.30PM Daily
8. Dress up with your popsicles at Poppy Pops
Move over soft serves, popsicles are sticking it to their icy competitors with their DIY gelato sticks. With more than 10 unique combinations to choose from, it might be a challenge locking down your choice for dessert.
Tailor your base and toppings anyway you like – dunking the entire stick into the chocolate pit or shaving off the calories with a light drizzle.
The ‘naked’ Salted Honey ($4.80) popsicle that was gorgeous enough on its own
A blend of salty sweet milkiness, Salted Honey has chunks of slightly burnt honeycomb to heighten the flavours. They’re even debuting two spooky flavours just in time for Halloween, so you’re in for no trick but a treat.
Poppy Pops
Location: Jem #06-03, 50 Jurong Gateway Road, S608549
Opening Hours: Sunday – Thursday, 11AM – 10PM | Friday & Saturday, 11AM – 11PM
Jem: The crown jewel of the west
It’s starting to look like living on the edge of Singapore sure has its perks. With a plethora of nosh that’ll burst the buttons on your jeans, the only worry you’ll have is hiding that food belly after. With brands like Cheers Cut and Poppy Pops who have made the mall its first home, it’s only a matter of time before Jem’s foodscape has Easties eating their own words.
Image courtesy of Jem
The first of its kind in the West, Jem is a hub that combines entertainment and shopping at Jurong East. You’ll even be able to find town favourites like H&M, Kinokuniya, Sephora, Robinsons, alongside stores like Adidas Originals, Mango and Topshop, complete with Cathay Cineplexes and a FairPrice Xtra outlet. Westies can rejoice as the rest of us make our way down to get a slice of Jem. Check out their full directory of stores here.
Plan your Jem food trail today!
This post was brought to you by Jem.