I love myself a hot bowl of noodles, and am always on the search for a good one. This one at Vivocity, called LeNu Taiwan Beef Noodle Bar, has made my list!

Owned by the Paradise Group, LeNu is relatively quiet on weekdays, which makes it a peaceful place to have a quick lunch when you have kids in tow. Service is very efficient, and food arrives within minutes after you make and pay for your order at the counter.

The menu is very straightforward:

1. Pick your soup base
2. Pick your noodles
3. Pick your meat

I’ve tried almost the whole range – and they’re all delicious!

LeNu have a secret Beef Dipping Sauce that is delicious. I dunk my beef in the sauce, smother it, and gobble it right up!

This is the thin noodles, with Beef Brisket. I was impressed by how soft and tender the beef brisket is, and there was very little fat or ‘weird bits’ through it.

And the broth, oooo!! It’s watery yet tastes full of richness. It may be a tad salty for some, but it suited me just fine. Both my kids slurp up the soup as-is.

This is what the broad noodles look like, with the original soup base and beef brisket. I’m not as fussed with this, as I don’t like thick/fat noodles, but the others liked it!

My personal favourite, the rice noodles! It’s not as thin and, well, rice-tasting, as Vietnamese rice noodles. It’s delicious though, with a lovely bite and slight chewiness. The Sliced beef was incredibly tender, with a sweetness to the beef. Loved it!

 
Last Bite: LeNu Taiwan Beef Noodle Bar serves an incredibly tasty bowl of noodles at reasonable prices. We loved the beef brisket rice noodles!
 
Highchairs: Yes
Easy access: Yes
Change tables: Yes (in the mall)
Kids’ menu: No

LeNu Taiwan Beef Noodle Bar
Vivocity
1 Harbourfront Walk
#02-91/92/93
Singapore 098585
Phone: 6376 9039
Prices: $$
Hours:
 
 

We’ve been to Tung Lok Signatures at Vivocity a few times, and each time, have left really impressed.

Service is prompt and attentive, the restaurant is brightly lit with sunshine streaming in, and their yum cha dishes are fantastic. They’re especially patient with the kids, and are quick to bring out kids cutlery without being asked to.

Their dim sum baskets range from $4-$5, which is pretty reasonable. The kids will pretty much eat everything at Tung Lok Signatures, save the spicy stuff. We usually order a storm of dim sum baskets, but I only managed to take photos of a handful – it’s all snapped up too quickly most of the time!

The char siew bao is a favourite of my kids’. The bun is fluffy and soft, and the BBQ pork meat encased inside is not too sweet, so I’m happy to give them the entire thing to eat.

I’m not sure what the correct Chinese name for this is, so I simply call this the crispy yam yumcha dish. The swirls on the outside make this a very pretty dish to look at, and is conveniently bite-sized for little fingers.

I thought this bowl of noodles with fish puffs was a bit strange, but my kids lapped it all up, so I’d order it again next time for them! The silky noodles come in a fine broth, and the soft airy puffs fascinate the kids. It’s a pretty plain dish, but it’s satisfying.

I adore their spicy dumplings. The tender pork dumplings are juicy and moist, and generously laced with minced garlic and chillis. Admittedly, I push the chili aside (I’m a bit weak and can’t hold my spice), but the soy sauce mixture they come sitting in is spicy enough for my taste buds and gives the dumplings a real kick of flavour. It’s a must-order dish for me!

No yum cha lunch is complete without liu sha bao, otherwise known as Salted egg yolk and custard buns. I only recently discovered that these buns exist, and have been ordering them at every single yum cha joint around Singapore. They’re AMAZING!!!

And this is what’s inside. Molten, gooey, creamy custard mixed with egg yolk. It sounds like an odd combination if you’ve never had them before, but it works oh-so-well. It’s the perfect mix of sweet and salty, and I haven’t met anyone that doesn’t like them (except those that are health conscious, because these babies pack serious calories!).

 
Last Bite: Tung Lok Signatures can always be counted on for excellent yum cha and attentive service. Their spicy dumplings are a winner!
 
Highchairs: Yes
Easy access: Yes
Change tables: Yes (in the mall)
Kids’ menu: No

Tung Lok Signatures
#01-57, VivoCity
1 HarbourFront Walk
Phone: 6376 9555
Prices: $$$
Hours:
Mon – Sat: 11:30 – 15:00
Sun & PH: 11:00 – 15:30
Daily: 18:00 – 22:30
 
 

Located on Singapore’s only private island, Keppel Bay, Prive was a favourite spot of mine to hang out with friends back when I was still living in Australia and visiting Singapore. And now, with two kids in tow, Prive is still one of the top spots for a meal.

Prive’s location is often confused with being in Sentosa. It’s not hard to see why. Situated right at the water, it offers lovely views of the yachts and a lovely walk by the water.

There was an incredibly sexy Maserati parked… right in the lobby. It was a show car, I believe. I’d sure buy it if they discounted it by 99% 😉

The calling card of Prive is the expansive space by the water outside (where kids can run/scooter/bike around), as well as their playground. It’s small and simple, but it’s a hit with the kids and enough to keep them occupied whilst waiting for the food to arrive.

Only downside? The playground is placed exactly where the sun hits. It is boiling hot if you’re there at lunch time. Many of the tables are situated in the shade, so I am flummoxed as to why the playground is in the direct sun.

The food is generally good. The price point is slightly on the higher side, but presumably due to their killer location and views. Their Norwegian blue mussels 300g with white wine, shallots, garlic and basil ($24) was delicious, with tender, soft mussels. Our only complaint was that the mussels were so teeny tiny it felt like you were eating… nothing, with each bite. It was a shame, as the white wine sauce was delicious (albeit a tad salty) and I enjoyed the tomatoes and fresh basil scattered through the dish.

I got the Ultimate fish & chips ($22) for the kids, but the beer battered dory was far too deep-fried for them. It was a high batter ratio, so it was difficult to scrape off the oily batter and give the kids the fish inside. It was fine for adults though, and tasty, though really oily.

On the positive side – the fish came lying on a bed of fries, enough to fill you right up 🙂

I saved the best for the last – the Sticky finger baby back ribs ($26) was a STUNNER! Easily their best dish and the kids gobbled it all up (Hunter the picky eater that dislikes meat, and Carter with his two barely-there bottom teeth). The with pomegranate molasses on top was a little odd (I scraped it off), but the meat was incredibly tender and could be cut with a fork. The ribs were chunky with meat and absolutely satisfying.

It was served with colesalaw and a delicious cajun-maple glazed hokkaido corn on the cob.

I requested for the Homemade brioche french toast ($12) to have toppings on the side, and it was a good move so the kids could eat the bread without all the sugary stuff.

The brioche was fluffy and light, with the eggy exterior crisp and fragrant. I was impressed with the sticky caramelised bananas ad roasted walnuts, which was very rich and sweet, but paired well with the plain french toast.

We were actually there for a family lunch to celebrate my birthday, and I’d also ordered a Red velvet cake so the kids could blow out the candle (what is it with kids and blowing candles on birthday cakes?!), but I think they forgot my order as after 15 mins it still hadn’t arrived despite it being a no-cook item. I cancelled it since we were already pretty full. So, unfortunately, no nice candle-blowing pics!

 
Last Bite: Prive @ Keppel Bay offers a kid-friendly playground and expansive area by the water outside for running/scootering/biking. Their ribs are a must-order!
 
Highchairs: Yes
Easy access: Yes
Change tables: Yes
Kids’ menu: Yes

Prive @ Keppel Bay
2 Keppel Bay Vista
Singapore 098382
Phone: 6776 0777
Prices: $$$
Hours: Mon – Sun: 9:00 am – 12:00 am
 
 

It’s funny, the power a new restaurant can have in Singapore. Actually, more like the power food has in Singapore.

When Jamie’s Italian first opened at Vivocity a few months ago in July 2013, it was MADNESS. I was kinda amazed (mostly freaked out) and the psychotic rush to eat there. The restaurant boasted that they were booked-out for months (!) and the queue outside made me wonder if food was being served for free.

But last week, 3 months after they opened, Chris and I walked straight in at dinner time on a weekday. The restaurant was about 70% full. No queue.

What surprised us were the number of children dining at the restaurant. 2 out of every 3 tables had kids there. Being a “celebrity chef restaurant”, I’d expected it to be relatively unpopular with families, but I was wrong. It’s VERY popular with the kids!

The restaurant obviously knows this, and caters well for the children. The kids menu is presented in a Viewfinder toy.

I’ll repeat myself.

THE KIDS MENU IS PRESENTED IN A VIEWFINDER TOY.

How cute is that?!?! Obviously this interests only older kids (Carter was only interested in trying to eat it), but it is a super cute concept and, to be honest, the kids menu photos looked really really enticing.

We got the Crispy squid ($11.50) which came in such a tiny portion I thought the empty half of the plate was empty because a waiter had accidently tipped half the food out. Unfortunately, that really was the size of the dish. That said, the squid was fried to perfection. The squid was tender and easy to chew (I cannot stand rubbery squid), and the batter was delicious crisp and the seasoning was so tasty. A lovely little snack.

The Crispy stuffed risotto balls ($11.50) were more filling, but I thought something in the crispy exterior made the whole thing taste…. raw. Almost like crispy uncooked rice, or something like that. There was very little flavour in the rice and exterior crust, so it relied solely on the stuffing to bring out the flavour, which wasn’t sufficent. Fortunately, it came with a small saucer of salsa which was a refreshing change of taste.

I’d heard complaints that their pasta portions were tiny, so I was a bit wary when we ordered the Jools’ Favourite Silician Tuna Fusili ($21). This was the larger size, you can opt for a smaller size at a cheaper price. It definitely wasn’t a large serving, but it wasn’t teeny tiny either. Sufficient for an average eater, if you order an appetizer or a dessert as well.

The pasta was well-cooked, and I liked the chunks of tuna tossed through the dish. The breadcrumbs were a nice addition and brought texture to the dish. I enjoyed the tomatoes and garlic in the sauce, which wasn’t overpowering but blended well with the flavour of the tuna.

We were undecided about my Basil Iced Tea. I was alright with it, but Chris said something about the flavours just didn’t agree. That said, it was pretty 🙂

 
 
Last Bite: Jamie’s Italian is a must for all Jamie Oliver fans. The ambience is casual, it’s popular with families, and food is small-portioned but does hit the spot.
 
Highchairs: Yes
Easy access: Yes
Change tables: Yes (in the mall)
Kids’ menu: Yes

Jamie’s Italian
Vivocity
1 Harbourfront Walk
Singapore 098585
Phone: 6733 5500
Prices: $$$
Hours:
Mon – Thu: 12:00 pm – 10:00 pm, Fri – Sat: 12:00 pm – 11:00 pm, Sun: 12:00 pm – 10:00 pm