104 Jalan Besar first caught headlines when it became the first traditional shophouse to be reconstructed according to conservation guidelines when Jalan Besar Station was being built. As one of the oldest buildings in the country the integrity of this structure is intricately retained with its foundation strengthened. For architecture and heritage buffs alike this is already a gem in itself. Big Street, the first tenant to moved into this heritage space pay its ode by offering some local fare with a twist like the Chilli Crab Coin Pratas and Salted Egg Yolk Prata Bomb, both of which are my personal favourites.
The new Big Street menu promises to continue this style of offering. Many might not be familiar with Pani Puri, a vegetarian Indian snack. Over here, The Chilli Crab Pani Puri ($15) aims draw bites with its creative combination of crab meat, curry paste, assam juice and tomato ketchup.
The Signature Old Ginger Noodles ($12) felt a little too monotonous for my liking. It would not seem out of place to be a noodle dish served on Air China; bland and uninspiring. The oyster sauce used was strong but did little to elevate the other components.
As part of the interactive dining experience offered at Big Street, we get to learn to make our own Singapore Sling and flip our own Pratas with techniques shared by the master (for more information check out http://events.bigstreet.sg).
Essentially the Singapore Sling uses the same mixes as the version at the Long Bar though 2 more ingredients were added! I am not going to let you in on what makes the version here better. You got to find it out yourself. After the session, we tried our own Singapore Sling, ate our Pratas and were each presented with a certificate as well as a goody bag.
Their Prata Pizzas were definitely conversation starters. The Pratas were first pan fried then baked with whichever ingredients you would pick out of 4 combinations. The Salted Egg Prata Pizza ($15) was an unique choice. It came with salted egg sauce, three different kinds of cheese and salted egg powder. One do not need to think far to imagine how heavy this combination is.
Not withstanding its solid crust, I would need at least 3 cups of Teh Tarik ($4) to wash it down.
I prefer much the Vegetarian Prata Pizza ($15) which had an assortment of pepper chilli and onion replacing all things salted egg. I could also better appreciate the buttery crust this time which was unfortunately masked in the former. This was a more balanced option, in terms of taste and nutrition. I suggested adding some portobello or shiitake for some textural crunch.
As I do not eat durian, I left my share of the Prata Profiteroles with Durian Cream ($8) untouched but soon I was besieged by volunteers, akin to vultures albeit in a polite manner asking for a second helping. They say it was one of the best thing ever made. I trust them.
Big Street is also one of the few places in Singapore that made it a point to be inclusive to Muslim diners, Vegetarians and the physically disabled. Truely a place where we can all come together to feast together no matter what is our race or creed. It is not my first and definitely won’t be the last time back at Big Street Restaurant!
The above article is written by @ramenking2017. You can find him on instagram where he shares his love for food and travel.
Big Street Restaurant
104/106 Jalan Besar, Singapore 208828
Tel: +65 6100 2661/ 6100 8853/ 9229 2796
Operating hours: 11am-12am Sunday-Thursday
11am-3am Friday-Saturday
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