While City Hall is no short of good food, you may want to prioritise a visit to this food court.

The Food Place by Food Republic in Raffles City, which recently underwent renovations, is back with a bang. 

Amongst the 20 food stalls, there are a number of Michelin-recognised and cult-favourite brands like Smash by BurgerLabo, Li Xing Teochew Fishball Noodles, and the highly anticipated Mon Kee Cafe. 

I was invited to the media launch of The Food Place by Food Republic on Friday (July 11) - and I was raring to go as I was curious about the hype and wanted to taste test some of the options.

Despite opening only a few days ago, the place was packed like sardines. So if you plan on having a meal here, do come early or during an off-peak time so you don't have to jostle with the crowd. 

The stall everyone has been raving about is Mon Kee Cafe, a brand that was brought to Singapore in collaboration with Ken Loon, the founder of The Naked Finn and BurgerLabo. 

I was told that Mon Kee Cafe's food was so popular that on some days, several of their menu items would be sold out by lunchtime. 

Thankfully, their award-winning Char Siew Scrambled Egg Rice with Homemade Sweet Soy Sauce ($10) was still available during my visit so I got to try it for myself. 

And I can see the hype — the scrambled egg which blanketed the rice was light, fluffy and creamy, just like the ones you would find in a Hong Kong diner. This was topped with a generous serving of roast pork.

My only gripe is that the pork was on the leaner side but that is a personal preference — it still was really good pork. 

If pork isn't your thing, there is also the Beef Scrambled Egg Rice with Coriander and Homemade Sweet Soy Sauce ($9) option. 

When I was there, the Tomato Egg Fried Rice ($6.50), Macaroni with Sliced Ham in Cream of Chicken ($5) and Mon Kee Quartet Pineapple Bun Sandwich ($8) were not available but I was told that these will be back on the menu soon. 

Apart from Mon Kee Cafe, Ken has also brought Smash by BurgerLabo to The Food Place, another stall that many, including myself, were eager to patronise. 

I tried the double patty Smash Burger with Salted Fries ($16.80), which certainly lived up to the hype. 

To me, what makes or breaks a burger is the patty and Smash by BurgerLabo does a really solid one. Despite having been flattened — hence the term 'smash' — the patty was still pretty thick and sizeable. It was also oozing with juices and marinated well.

The fries were excellent too — crisp and seasoned with just the right amount of salt. It was hard to just stop at one and before I knew it, I had already polished off half of the pile on my plate. 

Another brand many were looking forward to was Ju Xing Fish, a Michelin Bib Gourmand establishment which, like Mon Kee Cafe, hails from Hong Kong. 

Its stall at The Food Place is its first-ever express outlet and sells Ju Xing's Signature Sauerkraut Fish with Crunchy Grass Carp ($13.80), made from the exact same recipe as the original Ju Xing Home. 

Sauerkraut fish is one of my all-time favourite Chinese dishes, so I'm happy to report that the ones sold here are as good as the ones I've had in China.

In fact, it tastes healthier. This is because Ju Xing's recipe features a lighter, less oily Sichuan-style broth that is made from boiling a whole chicken over a large fire. 

Another popular Hong Kong brand at The Food Place is Kam's Roast Express, a name that many Singaporeans would already be familiar with thanks to their main outlet at Jewel Changi Airport and express outlet at Ion Orchard's Food Opera. 

The food here was admittedly quite disappointing for me, especially since I've tried the food from not just the brand's Jewel Changi Airport and Ion Orchard branches, but also the original store in Hong Kong. 

I got the Five Treasure Rice ($17.90), which comes with roast duck, soya chicken, BBQ pork, red sausages and salted egg. 

I found all the meats pretty dry, with some cuts lacking seasoning. However, I may have just been unlucky with my serving and wouldn't mind patronising them once more to see if it was just a one-time incident. 

As a typical Singaporean who enjoys spending my free time in Malaysia, I love myself a mean plate of char kway teow. 

When I don't have time to cross the border, I think I will be satisfying my cravings with the Char Kway Teow with Big Prawn ($12.90) from Penang Jiak. 

True to its name, the dish came with three massive, meaty prawns. The dish also nailed the wok hey element and had a beautiful char. 

I'm a loyal fan of Li Xin Teochew Fishball Noodles and I always order the same thing — The Folk's Favourite Noodles with kway teow. 

So, I was admittedly a little hesitant to sample their new creation, the Sambal Mushroom Meat Dumpling Noodle ($7.80), which is exclusive to The Food Place outlet. 

Thankfully, I came out of my comfort zone to try it because I think this is my new favourite dish from Li Xin Teochew Fishball Noodles. 

The kway teow noodles were tossed in a sweet and spicy sambal sauce and garnished with mushrooms, pork lard and fishcakes. It also came with a bowl of soup and meat dumplings. 

Thick and chewy, the kway noodles soaked up all the sambal sauce so every bite was packed with flavour. I also loved the meat dumplings, which were stuffed with delicious filling. If I had to come back to The Food Place for just one dish, it would be this. 

Apart from all the food I've tried, there are also a mix of both local and international options that will leave diners spoilt for choice. 

For lighter meals, there are Koo Kee Yong Tow Foo Mee, King Grouper Fish Soup and Spinach Chef. 

If you prefer bolder Asian flavours, go for Kinzo Japanese Cuisine, Penang Jiak, Hankang Pocha Express, Piao Xiang Mala, Shanghai Gold Heritage Duck and Padang Lezat by Java Kitchen.

Craving Western fare instead? Check out Wikedo Western and PepperGrill.

There are also halal-certified picks like Fitra Chicken Rice and Go Teppan Go teppanyaki. 

Address: 252 North Bridge Road, #03-15/16/17 
Opening hours: Daily, 10am to 10pm 

melissateo@asiaone.com

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