Who doesn't like some local Western food once in a while? But as the years go by, prices grew, portions shrank, and in some cases, even the taste doesn't quite match the expectations. For just $5 flat, $5 Western easily puts things right for all these issues.
The restaurant version of Western food is often not something that's universally affordable to all and sundry. Fortunately, here in Singapore, we have the local version of Western food, which is much more affordable and are available across food centres, coffee shops, and food courts. Interestingly, this version of Western food has its unique flavours — though some don't exactly taste very "Western" — and they can be quite a delight to chow down on.
But as time goes by, many of these affordable local fare grew pricier, and portions became smaller; some are even a letdown when it comes to taste. $5 Western tackles all of these concerns effortlessly at a wallet-friendly $5 (as the name suggests) and the food actually tastes surprisingly good!
I've to admit that I paid them a visit with the casual mentality of trying out an Internet sensation, but I was left quite impressed in the end.
Chicken, fish & shrimps on the menu
Above: The menu primarily consists of various renditions of chicken and fish
To be fair, being wallet-friendly naturally puts a limit on the variety of meats you can expect. For $5, you can be sure that you won't see beef or lamb on the menu; so chicken is the default land animal meat you'll find here. But it when comes to seafood, you can easily afford some breaded or grilled fish, and even some breaded shrimps, and some carbs to go with.
And to make it available to a potentially wider audience, the business owner has consciously excluded pork from his menu, even though the food stall is not certified Halal.
Lip-smacking black pepper chicken chop
Above: Tender, moist, and really flavourful black pepper chicken chop, with surprisingly tasty Spaghetti Aglio e Olio
The Black Pepper Chicken Chop with Spaghetti Aglio e Olio appears to be calling out to me when I was browsing through the vibrant-coloured LED-lit menu board, and that turned out to be a great choice.
The chicken chop was very well marinated, and it was perfectly charred on the outside and very tender and juicy on the inside. And the black pepper sauce was spot on! While the stir-fried spaghetti looks simple, it was really flavourful, with an obvious taste of Cajun seasoning mixed with some dried Italian herbs, accentuated by the Maillard reaction — better known as "wok-hei" locally.
It's a real steal
There's no doubt about it. At just $5, this is great taste and value for money. And even though my limited stomach space limited me to only a single dish on this visit, I'm quite sure that a few other popular dishes on the menu can be quite delish too (as I can see many patrons chowing down on them).
I'll be back for more, for sure.
Locate it
Address:
$5 Western
5 Upper Boon Keng Road
#01-01 Wufu Coffeeshop
Singapore 380005
Operating Hours:
Opens daily,
11 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.; 5 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Call:
8508 4855
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