The quiet street of hotels and tour buses probably isn’t where you’d walk down to look for food if you’re not a tourist staying there. But perhaps there is now a reason to turn that corner from High Street Kensington for a taste of Singapore at Bugis Kitchen.
Tucked inside Copthorne Tara Hotel, Bugis Kitchen is a refreshing modern look against the hotel’s dated interiors after its recent renovation. The white marble tabletops and large mirrors brighten up the space against the antiquated brownish tones of the hotel. Each table comes with a brass table lamp which is always a nice accessory.
*Disclaimer: This meal was complimentary but all thoughts are our own.
Bugis Kitchen: Mod-Sin Cuisine Inspired by the Urbanisation & Cultural Charm of Singapore’s Bugis Street
The name “Bugis Kitchen” came from Singapore’s very own Bugis Street. Albeit a notorious reputation in the past, today, Bugis Street is known for its lively hub of shopping, fine dining, trendy cafes and bars. The restaurant takes inspiration from Bugist Street’s urbanisation & cultural charm to develop a Mod-Sin food concept, i.e. a modern approach to Singapore’s heritage cuisine. The menu isn’t particularly huge. But it was sufficient to showcase Singapore’s most classic and iconic dishes.
Yes, chicken & beef are halal at Bugis Kitchen. Pork & alcohol are served at the restaurant.
Food Review at Bugis Kitchen (what we ordered)
Date of visit: June 2024
Drinks
One thing I look forward to at a Singaporean/Malaysian restaurant is enjoying a nice cup of Teh Tarik or Kopi with the food. Unfortunately, Bugis Kitchen’s drinks menu doesn’t offer them. They do have Singapore Sling (alcoholic) on the menu so I would’ve expected to see some classic Southeast Asian drinks as non-alcoholic options. There are, nonetheless, a few mocktail options, which hubby found refreshing. As for myself, I eventually went for a pot of jasmine tea.
Chicken Satay (£15.50)
We have had plenty of chicken satays in London and I will cut straight to the chase to say that these ought to be the best chicken satay we’ve had so far! Firstly, the chicken itself was succulent to taste and was laced with a nice chargrilled touch. Secondly, all flavours came alive with that moreish satay sauce which featured a really good kick of spice and offered a tantalisingly delicious flavour depth. Its robustness truly reminded me of my travels to Singapore.
Mongolian Prawn (£12)
The starters continued to impress with the Mongolian Prawn. It came with four pieces of prawn, each nicely velvetised to be plump & succulent to taste. The light batter offered a subtle crispiness and we adored that tangy sweet sauce coating over the prawns. We can only say these were gone too fast and left us wanting more.
Singapore Laksa (£18)
For mains, we had our eyes set on the Singapore Laksa, which came loaded with shrimp, king prawn, fish cake, chilli, beansprout, and fried tofu. It was a sufficiently delicious one, with flavours as vibrant as it presented and deserving a spot on the list of London’s best halal laksas. Despite the spicy sign on the menu, the heat was mild for this one. What would’ve been the cherry on top is a wedge of lime to cut through that enriching spiced coconut-y broth. Though we must say, as enjoyable as it was, looking at £18 a bowl, we do find it a tad pricey for what it is.
Chilli Crab (£39)
Then we had the Chilli Crab, a well-loved iconic Singaporean staple that you don’t often see on the menus in London – of course, I had to try it out here. Featuring a whole crab, braised in a spicy-sweet egg gravy, the dish was certainly quite a sight. I believe the crab pieces were lightly battered and offered a very light crisp & fluffy texture to bite. However, there wasn’t actually much meat in the crab other than the claws. As for the gravy, it was savoury with a hint of sweetness. However, it was missing a touch of zing & tanginess, in my opinion, to really perk up the flavours. Regardless, it was still nice to mop it all up with a side of fluffy fried mantous.
Red Bean Sago (£6)
Last but not least, I opted for the Red Bean Sago for desserts. I was a tad bit surprised with this on the menu as it is a rather niche traditional Southeast Asian dessert that doesn’t gain much popularity in the West. Moreover, with the lack of traditional drinks as mentioned above, this is the last thing I would’ve expected to see on the menu, to be honest. Anyhow, the dessert soup was decent to taste. It wasn’t as rich as I would’ve liked but it does the job.
Bugis Kitchen Restaurant Review Summary
The food was reasonably good at Bugis Kitchen and we certainly enjoyed ourselves there. However, we do feel the price point is overall a tad bit high for what it is. Considering Malaysian food in London is typically quite affordable, we personally felt a little more of a wow factor is needed to really draw the crowd with its prices.
Looking for more halal-friendly Singaporean / Malaysian restaurants in London? Check these out too:
- Normah’s Place
- Rasa Sayang
- Med Salleh Kopitiam
OUR RATING
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Food
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Ambience
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Value for Money
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Service
Halal Status
Chicken & beef are halal.
Bugis Kitchen Restaurant Info
Nearest station: High Street Kensington
Tel: 020 7872 2888
Restaurant Website | Instagram
