Maddie’s Kitchen – a new restaurant for affordable quality food

When a senior real estate lawyer suggested that we meet for lunch at a new restaurant in Far East Plaza I had to check if she really meant the old shopping centre at Scotts Road. She confirmed that we would be eating in Far East Plaza because she wanted to try the newly opened Maddie’s Kitchen there. She told me that the restaurant was owned and run by the spouse of a rather successful professional. I was expecting a trendy restaurant for the tais tais or a chic bistro. When I went to level 5 of Far East Plaza I saw a number of food kiosks and small cafeterias. Then I saw Maddie’s Kitchen. It looked like a stall selling economic rice and the place was full. We had to stand outside for a while to wait for a table to be freed up.

Maddie’s Kitchen in Far East Plaza

Maddie’s Kitchen’s interior decor is basic but still a notch or two better than most of the other functional eating places on level 5 of Far East Plaza. A large window in the rear lets in natural light to give the place a spacious and airy feel. The tables are reasonably well spaced out and the seats are comfortable. When it is not packed for lunch, one can imagine that Maddie’s Kitchen can be a cosy spot for a lazy afternoon tea.

Maddie’s Kitchen Menu

Maddie’s Kitchen essentially offers seafood soup, seafood white been hoon, Hainanese curry rice and a few side dishes. The Ngog Hiang is said to be very good.  It currently has a lunch set menu and a separate dinner menu. Below are photos of the menus.

Lunch at Maddie’s Kitchen

We ordered the Superior Seafood Soup ($6.80) and the Hainanese Pork Chop Curry Rice ($4.80) and a side dish of vegetables ($3.80). A kopi O was $1.50 and kopi was $1.60.

The Hainanese Pork Chop Curry Rice came with a  fried egg and vegetables. We thought it was even better value than a plate of rice with 3 dishes from your typical economic rice stall in a food court. The freshly fried pork chop had a very nice crisp and brown exterior that was not too thick. The curry was quite good.

The Superior Seafood Soup came with 2 large prawns and many other ingredients, including la la, fish and meat balls. We liked the freshness of the seafood and the clean taste. The soup was delicious. It was an excellent bowl of wholesome goodness.

We were told that the menu at Maddie’s Kitchen was rather limited currently because the owner only wished to serve dishes she was really passionate about. She also wanted to ensure that every dish would be a quality dish. The seafood used at the restaurant would all be specially selected and brought back from the wholesale fishery market every morning.

Quality Food at Reasonable Price

It must take real passion to give up the lifestyle of a tai tai to spend long hours six days a week in the kitchen of a small eatery in Far East Plaza. However, it takes more than heart and talent to succeed in the food & beverage business in Singapore. The chef-owner of Maddie’s Kitchen seems to have got most of the key factors for running a successful restaurant right. Her unpretentious restaurant where you can get good quality tasty food at very reasonable prices has built up a loyal following quite quickly. I think I too should be visiting Maddie’s Kitchen in Far East Plaza more often. I can’t afford to eat where the rich tais tais eat but at Maddie’s Kitchen I can eat where the tai tai cooks.

Ratings:
Food: 4
Service: 3
Value: 5
Atmosphere: 3
Overall Rating: 4 TOPs  

Maddie’s Kitchen
#05-26 Far East Plaza, (Relocated to Far East Plaza #02-10/11/12/13)
14 Scotts Road
Singapore 228213

Tel: +65 63650501

Opening Hours:
Mon-Sat: 11 am to 9 pm

Nearby MRT Station: Orchard

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The Ordinary Patrons | Real Dining Experience of Ordinary People
an independent Singapore food blog