“Don’t count the days, make the days count.” – Muhammad Ali

Cheong Chin Nam Road is a popular supper place where most would associate with local fare, like Roti Prata, Teochew Porridge or Chicken Rice. There are even Korean BBQ restaurants now! But sitting in plain sight is a steakhouse that’s definitely punching above its own weight.

NOTE: Stirling Grill has changed to STIRLING STEAKS (website) and has relocated to 115 East Coast Road, all while still offering quality and affordable steaks. They even do wholesale and supply meats now!

Stirling Grill

Having been opened for a few years, Stirling Grill dutifully serves up charcoal-grilled meats and delicious desserts in a casual diner setting. The deliberately mismatched furniture and crockery, together with the colourful chalk drawings, emits that cosy ‘at home’ experience that owner Elwyn sets out to give to his customers. There’s both an indoor seated area (with a comfortable couch booth available for a bigger group) and an al-fresco area that screens football matches live sometimes!

A post shared by Stirling Grill (@stirlinggrill) on Jan 15, 2017 at 8:05am PST

What isn’t casual about the place though, is their steaks. Faithfully charcoal grilled, the meats retain more flavour and nutrients all while reducing all that oil and fats. What it results to is juicy, and tastier cuts of goodness! What surprised me was that the sirloin steak burger is in fact an full cut of sirloin, perfectly grilled to your liking, wedged between toasted burger buns! Usually you’d expect a minced beef patty (sometimes dubiously) labelled as Wagyu/Angus Ribeye/Sirloin, but Stirling decided to put their foot down to this disparity.

Thanks to the Entertainer app we managed to get a bigger portion of steak for less, so we didn’t manage to try the other specialties of theirs that are well-raved online: the Crispy King Salmon and stirling sliders, good for a quick bite with a pint from their selection of beer, including Archipelago Beer on tap!

We couldn’t agree more with @teojimmy 😀💯👍 #repost ・・・ Chunky salmon steak with skin pan-seared ’til chips-like crisp yet retaining its juiciness, served on mashed potatoes with creamy dill! . . . #stirlinggrill #stirlingsg #crispykingsalmon #norwegiansalmon #pansearedsalmon #salmonsteak #salmonfillet #mashedpotatoes #creamydill #archipelagobrewery #archipelagobeer #belgianwit #wheatbeer #tagsforlikes #foodgasm #foodphotography #foodporn #sgfoodie #sgfoodunion #sgmakandiary #singaporeeats #sgeats #setheats #burpple #burpplesg #hungrygowhere #whati8today #8dayseat #8dayseatout @stirlinggrill @archipelagobrewery
A post shared by Stirling Grill (@stirlinggrill) on Apr 22, 2017 at 1:56am PDT

It’s sliders galore this Easter Sunday! 😁 #charcoalgrill #stirlinggrill #medium rare #juicybeef #igfood #sgfoodie #burrplesg #tops #meatporn #grill #grilling #grillporn #sgrestaurant #beauty world #dtl2 #moo #sgfoodporn #whati8today #sgfoodies #sgfood #buzzfeedfood #eatoutsg #singaporeinsiders #8dayseat
A post shared by Stirling Grill (@stirlinggrill) on Apr 16, 2017 at 6:50am PDT

We’re not done yet after the main course! Stirling also serves a good selection of ice cream (yummy) and other desserts also served in-house by their sister brand DessertSplash. Don’t you find that holy union of a belgian waffle, ice cream AND a cone tantalising?

Unveiling our new sister brand @dessertsplash – specialising in super awesome desserts. Featuring here is our Over the Top (OTT) Waffles. It’s a must have! 😆😃😂 #sgfoodporn #whati8today #sgfoodies #sgfood #burrplesg #buzzfeedfood #sgfoodporn #justdessertsSG #eatoutsg #singaporeinsiders #8dayseat #DessertSplash
A post shared by Stirling Grill (@stirlinggrill) on Nov 10, 2016 at 6:24am PST

Verdict

hole-in-the-wall-ness: [star rating=”4″]
What used to be a relatively remote enclave for the west is now made more convenient with the Downtown Line, but the diner remains quaint amongst the hustle and bustle in the Cheong Chin Nam Road supper scene.

Price: [star rating=”4″]
Be prepared for a premium, but the prices here are still affordable for the quality of meat you are served. It helped that we got the Entertainer app too. Best if you go in a small group so that you can try more of their signatures!

Quality: [star rating=”4.5″]
Quality without compromise, at least that was what I felt. Good progress in his business will only help motivate the team to do even better!

Overall: [star rating=”4.5″]
Looking to wind down without breaking the bank, but still want some good meat and beer at that? Try this place out.

More Information

Stirling Grill (aka Stirling Bar & Grill)

15 Cheong Chin Nam Rd
Singapore 599739
(Nearest MRT: Beauty World)
Reservations: (65) 97882583
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When I’m not longer rapping, I want to open up an ice cream parlor and call myself Scoop Dogg.

-Snoop Dogg

With an annual average temperature in the tune of 26-27 degree Celsius and even more sometimes, it’s no wonder ice cream and other frozen desserts are much coveted here in sunny Singapore. From classic stalwarts like Swensen’s and Häagen-Dazs, to heartland favourites like Wall’s Cornetto Cone or King’s Paddle Pop, and even the newcomers like llao llao, Udders, and many other small cafes; the list is seemingly endless! It seems nothing out of the ordinary that another ice cream store joins the fray right?

Dofu Black Soy Ice Cream

Dofu is a pretty new entry into the dessert market, just opening August 2016. Tucked away in the temporary Yishun Bus Interchange, you may need a little bit of eye-power to spot it when you arrive. At first look, you will wonder what sort of concoction is being served. I mean, grey ice cream?!

Turns out the grey colour of the ice-cream comes from the bamboo charcoal added into the mixture. It has many claims of health benefits such as improved blood circulation and improving metabolism, with some studies showing that a diet including activated charcoal (i.e. what bamboo charcoal is essentially) reduced LDL (the ‘bad’ cholesterol) and improving HDL (the ‘good’ cholesterol) levels in the blood.

Dofu also prizes its ice cream as no added fats, no artificial colouring and flavouring. It also naturally contains (from the soy beans) alpha-linolenic acid, a type of omega-3 fatty acid essential for normal human growth and development, and is suggested to promote cardiovascular health.

Vegans rejoice, for their ice cream and pudding does not contain gelatin and is vegan-friendly!

So what do you get in a cup? The beancurd pudding (also grey) is filled at the bottom, followed by soft-serve ice cream made from premium dehulled Non-GMO soya beans. There are three ‘sizes’ available, which actually only varies in the number of toppings you get; from the more conventional chocolate products and other sauces to their signature flavoured ‘popping balls’, which burst into flavours when you chew on it. For the uber health buffs there are also granola and nut toppings, as well as fresh fruit bits.

Can’t make up your mind? Then you can try out any 6 of their ‘Dofu Creations‘ crafted for maximum pleasure!

For my creation, it has chocolate flakes, and mango-flavoured popping balls. The ice cream itself does not taste overly sweet and mixes well into the toppings’ flavours. So in my opinion it’s important that you have your favourite toppings on it!

Right now, they also have a promotion where you can choose to purchase a pre-paid loyalty card for $12, and they will give you additional $5 value! On top of that you get a FREE ice cream upon purchase of the card! Such dofu, much ice cream, so wow!

The Verdict

hole-in-the-wall-ness: [star rating=”5″]
A store smack in the middle of a temporary bus interchange, it takes a little bit of footwork to locate.

Quality: [star rating=”4″]
Ice cream is smooth and well-made with plenty of toppings to choose from. I probably should have picked more fruity and nutty options though.

Price: [star rating=”4″]
Prices start at $4.90 for just 2 toppings to $6.90 for a whopping 7 toppings. With big servings, it’s not your paddle pop pricing but definitely a good bang for the buck!

Overall: [star rating=”4.5″]
If you’re in Yishun, heck even if you live in the east like me (#eastsidebestside), come check it out!

More Information

Dofu
20A Yishun Central
#01-05
Yishun Temporary Bus Interchange
Singapore 768830
Open from 11:00am to 8:30pm daily.
Website: http://dofuco.com/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/dofu.sg/

Dofu’s ice cream and chilled pudding are labelled as vegan.

Author’s note: When you enter the bus interchange from Northpoint’s direction, turn right and walk along the path until you see Dofu’s store!