Shiok Shiok Singapore Food at N. Roxas, Quezon City

shiok [adj.] : Singlish word used to describe a dish that's satisfying, good or delicious.

While the Philippines is literally a foodie melting pot with a wide array of restaurants specializing in all sorts of cuisines from all over the world, Paul and I can't help but notice that there seems to be a shortage of Singaporean/Malaysian restaurants around. It's quite mind boggling though given the number of locals who travel to these two countries on a regular basis plus the huge population of Filipinos residing there too. If you ask me, Singaporean/Malaysian cuisine has a very close taste profile as our local Filipino cuisine perhaps with just more heat and the use of a lot more spices. So imagine how happy I was when we recently discovered Shiok Shiok Singapore Food along Nicanor Roxas street in Quezon City.

Coincidentally, we dined there on the 9th of August, Singapore's National Day. What a great way to celebrate our second home's special day. Together with Mommy and Kongkong, we went there for lunch and were so surprised that the restaurant was jam-packed! So packed that we're so lucky to get the last available table in the house.

A quick scan on the menu and we were all so impressed that the dishes were priced so reasonably. Of course, we were somehow worried that it may be priced low because the size may be small but looking at our neighboring tables, that doesn't seem to be the case. We started our meal with a piping pot of Katong Laksa (Php. 235). Normally served on individual-sized bowls, this one came in a huge boiling pot that sits on a mini burner. Serving was big that it was enough for all 6 of us. I got to say that the spice level was spot on but if you want it milder, you can simply request for that too. I was really craving for Laksa since we left Singapore and this one surely hits the spot.



Next, we had the Cereal Prawns (Php. 330) which was conveniently de-shelled for us. This is just awesome! Perfect for lazy prawn eaters like yours truly. I also want to get as much sweet cereals as possible and my main gripe with the traditional cereal prawns is that a lot of those delicious cereals gets wasted as it's stuck to the shell instead of fully coating the meat. I love Shiok Shiok's version of the Cereal Prawns. In Singlish, I'd say, this one is truly shiok!

We also tried their Curry Chicken (Php. 180). This is one of Paul's favorite hawker picks and he would make it a point to cover his rice with curry. Once again, Shiok Shiok has nailed the authentic taste of the Singaporean-style Curry Chicken and we were so happy with this choice. Note also that the serving was very generous as we ended up with a lot more leftover chicken and sauce which we brought home to enjoy the next day.

Lastly, we had a plate of Satay Barbecue (Php. 150 / 6 pieces). This was the last to be served and to be honest, the only thing which we felt was ho-hum. The meat was tiny and so thin that we could barely taste any of the chicken, beef or pork. Meat was a bit too dry as well. The only thing I liked about this dish was the peanut sauce which was pretty good. This is probably the only dish that we'll skip on our next visit.

Nonetheless, we were impressed with Shiok Shiok's dishes as the taste and presentation is very close to the real thing. So happy that we discovered this as we now know where to head to anytime the craving comes about.

Check out Shiok Shiok Singapore Food at 81-A Nicanor Roxas Street, Quezon City. Visit their Facebook page for more details.