I have known Bugis Singapore Street Food in The Grand Towers Manila along Pablo Ocampo, Vito Cruz, near De La Salle University-Manila for three years now, but I have not actually looked in its direction and tried its food. My boyfriend took me last Sunday to the branch in Banawe, Quezon City, and we had a hearty Singaporean meal. Bugis Singapore Street Food serves up some crazy good plates in a chill, laid-back space that lets you leisurely eat and get what you pay for.
Review of Bugis Singapore Street Food (Banawe, Quezon City)
Ambiance: β β β ββ
With buzzing environment, Bugis Singapore Street Food in Banawe is that type of hole-in-the-wall restaurant that fits the description of most hawker-style stalls comfortably. Its interior design is simple and seamless, with splashes of bright orange, yellow, and green on walls and seats.
The place looked unassuming but not pale. It was surprisingly still full even when it was already 9PM when we visited for late dinner, an hour before closing time. I figured that this was a good indication that dishes are really palatable and in demand. (I took pictures when almost everybody left, so you won’t see the large heaps of customers I’m talking about.) π
There’s an unfussy arrangement of reading materials for customers who would like to be entertained with magazines at one corner.
Service: β β β ββ
Service was passable but less than ideal. The waiters looked quite stressed out and hurrying all the time while serving and cleaning one table after the other. In fairness, it was a busy night, so it’s understandable how it took time before servers responded when called.
Food: β β β β β
From their must-try list on the menu, the Buttered Squid Rings (PhP 140) seemed mediocre at first glance, but we were sold at the very first bite. Fried with light and crunchy batter, the squid rings were not chewy or gummy. We loved that each piece was tender and flavorful. While the squid ring was great on its own, vinegar with red onions worked well as a complementary dipping sauce which added a kick without being overpowering.
Spicy and legitimately awesome, Bugis Singapore Street Food’s Singapore Laksa (PhP 180)Β is not to be missed. It’s super tasty and almost life-changing. Simmered to perfection, this hot pot of laksa had an explosion of flavors, served in a coconutty fish broth that’s rich, thick, and creamy. It had the full worksβtenderly poached shrimps, hard-boiled eggs, fish cakes, and fish balls. The good news? Refilling the soup by request does not come with additional cost. π It’s a nice treat indeed for our hungry stomachs.
Price for Value: β β β β β
If you are looking for a place to host a casual meal with family or friends who are fond of Singaporean cuisine, Bugis Singapore Street Food will surely not let you down. For the price-conscious, we felt that the items are appropriately priced in accordance to the portion and quality of food. With that, we’ll consider putting this restaurant in our heavy rotation. π
I recommend everyone to check outΒ Bugis Singapore Street Food in either this branch in Banawe (known as the “second Chinatown”) or that one near DLSU. Get ready for some delicious Singaporean dishes without having to hustle for it. π
Other exciting and interesting entrees are as follows: Fish Soup and Mushroom Noodles (PhP 180), Bah Kut Teh (PhP 180), Char Kuey Teow (PhP 120), Fish Curry (PhP 180), and Nasi Goreng (PhP 155).
Operating hours: Mon-Sat (8am-12am), Sun (10am-10pm)
About Rochkirstin Santos-Sioco
Health and technology freak. Food and lifestyle blogger with a large appetite for food and travel.
Interesting. A real hole in the wall resto,
I can forgive the less than ideal service but having rated 5 stars for the food, I am sold! Hmmmm… one of your late night dates Roch ah! Hahahah! … See you dear.. P.S. I super duper miss SG food.
Yup, I super duper miss Singaorean street bites, too! Eating here reminds me of my nice food trip experiences in Singapore. Bugis Singaporean Street Food in Banawe certainly carries a flare of a by gone era. π
What a great place and that food looks amazing. We don’t have any place like the Bugis Singapore Street Food here in our small town, actually we don’t even have a restaurant so I’m always envious when I see restaurant reviews, lol. I need to spread out more to the larger cities in Georgia and see what I’ve been missing. I love that photo of y’all BTW.
Thanks, Terri! π This has to be one of my favorite restaurants in Banawe. Go there before or after peak hours to avoid long queues and frustration when finding seats. π
The food sounds great there. I love cozy little places like this.
It’s summertime now in the Philippines. This place may be quite warm especially if it’s crowded, so be prepared to get “roasted” especially during a hot day. π
Looks like a nice cozy place to grab a bit, a delicious bite that is! Wish there’s places like that here.
I like the green color on the wall but the yellow would throw me off, that would probably give me a migraine. I like your description “hole-in-the-wall”, gives me a giggle. The food looks delicious though even though the ambiance is not that great.
Totally. I love the fair prices of food. This is something you can’t really find in the states. Hehe. π
Yeah, I also wish for the same. π
Hmm okay, now i am the one salivating while reading this post hahaha. I absolutely love Singapore laksa and we don’t have a decent eateries that serves them in our town! The place seems very no-nonsense and humble, this proofs that good food doesn’t always have to come in a fancy, frilly restaurant!
Lots of yumminess!!! π There is something for everyone. Oh, you can also try their fruit juices.
Wow it looks like a great little spot! A little nook in the wall but sounds like a great place to eat – the food looks super good. Can’t say I’ve ever seen or heard of these dishes, but I would for sure love to try!
Whatever popular Singaporean food you can think of, I’m willing to bet you can find it here. Yes, everything is worth a try at Bugis. π
This looks like a nice place to dine. It is very clean and the dΓ©cor is lovely. The food looks delicious too. I would definitely give this place a try if I were in the area.
Yeah. You will love the balance of price and variety of food at this place, definitely better than the other local restaurants specializing in Singaporean cuisine.
I’d love that food! I could forgive the service totally looking at everything you had!
The food has much value for money. If you like fried street food and stuff, you can just order the nomnoms and enjoy. π
This food looks amazing. You always review the best places. Even the bad reviews still have food that looks delicious.
Haha, thanks, Stacie. π This one is just plainly a great restaurant but not a touristy kind. Bugis is a good place to grab a quick bite, come and chill.
What a great taste of Singapore right at home in the Philippines! I only had three short days in Singapore (and I got injured there so I couldn’t even explore the second two days!) … but the food we had was amazing! Some of my favorite anywhere.
It’s fortunate that we have it here! The food we had were flavorful and substantial. We’re definitely going back again and again. π
I can honestly say that I’ve never had squid rings. I guess I can say that I’ve never had squid period, but they do look interesting. Bummer that the service wasn’t the greatest. But it looks like you enjoyed the food! And free refills sounds like a great bargain.
What? Haha. Squid rings are quite a common item in restaurants’ menu, regardless the type of cuisine. But this one is really good. You should try it son, Amy! π You will also enjoy the food.
Those squid rings look really delicious. But I’m also a huge fan of fried squid- would love to try those sometime!
Bugis Singaporean Street Food is a fun spot for dinner and you can definitely get some good food here. π
Oh yum the Laksa looks sooo good! I really enjoy calamari.I’ve never had it anywhere that I didn’t like it.
The standard of the food is pretty authentic and you get all the staples of Singaporean food fare. It’s easy to get to! Come and stop by next time. π
I love food posts! The squid rings look really good! I love fried calamari so I think I would enjoy this. I’m not sure if I would like the vinegar dipping sauce, but it’s worth a try.
For calamari, we usually dip it with mayonnaise or ketchup. Vinegar makes a good difference and we appreciate the contrast in flavor. It was actually a nice new discovery. π
I don’t know why I read food blogs, but I continue to come back and I continue to salivate while reading and lusting to go eat at said places. This one looks like a fun spot to grab a quick bite to eat, or even sit down and enjoy yourself.
Thanks for reading all the way, Nancy. π The options for food here are great. I have a strong sense that I will love absolutely everything on the menu. <3
Wow that is amazing looking food! I would eat at this restaurant any day of the week.
Yeah, I wish it’s near to my office! With cheap and delicious food, what more can you ask for!? π
I have heard about the street food and hear it is absolutely amazing. I would love the chance to visit and try it for myself.
What you’ll get is not fancy food or ambiance, but it’s not why you’ll come. You’ll be seated on plastic stools and plain-looking tables, but the highlight has to be the food. OMG you will love this place and realize as well that it’s worth seeking out. π
We’d love to try the food there. My boyfriend would be all over those squid rings.
Oh yeah, I bet he will not only love the squid rings but also a couple of dishes more. π Eat like there’s no tomorrow.
Sorry to hear the service wasn’t so great. The food looks good though, and I know it is fun to try new places, I’d love to try here.
This can be a great foodie adventure, Rosey. Schedule one day with your family to dine here. π
Good food and nice ambiance! I hope they open up a branch here in Cebu. I definitely must try Singaporean food! π
Hope they plan to expand to more places in the Philippines! π
Having a food from Singapore in Philippines that’s cool!! Well, this year I’d love to visit there in Bugis Singapore Street Food.
It’s like giving me a free ticket to be in Singapore while still in the Philippines. Yes, the feeling is awesome. π
The food looks amazing!! My husband would love all of this food!! I swear food is his favorite thing to new when we travel. That stinks the service was not as great but good the restaurant was busy!
We also love trying out local food when traveling to other countries. I think eating is really one of the best things to do and knowing if the food suits your palate. Service and the overall experience we had was okay. π
Eating is totally my favorite thing about traveling. This looks like a nice place to take in the culture. The food looked really good! I will keep this on my vacation list. π
Trying out and learning how different food tastes is a great experience. Bugis Singaporean Street Food rocks for all the right reasons. π
The food looks really good. If I ever get to vacation outside of my country I will add this to my list!
You should definitely add it to your list. π Presentation of the plates is great and the food aroma is one that makes you immediately drool.
This is so cool! Would love to go visit there someday- I love trying the foods of other cultures.
The portions on those two dishes were a good size. You can share them with two to three people, so it’s a good idea to come with friends for a fun and yummy meal. π
Everything looks yummy! Might drop by the one near DLSU π
Yay for the plan. π It’s just walking distance from DLSU.
Oh my gosh- I always love reading your food reviews but it makes me so jealous that there aren’t places like this in my area. That soup looks amazing and the refill without cost is just an added plus!
Haha, thanks, Alysia! Eat with your eyes. π The free soup refill is definitely a big plus!
Sorry to read about the service but glad the food was ok. The free soup refills sounds awesome!
Yup, there are other customers who request for soup refills and ask the leftover food to be packed home. π Smart!
The food sounds great. I love how you share posts about different places to eat.
Aw, thanks, Bonnie! π It’s hard to find a local restaurant serving great Singaporean food so I’m just happy to share with you this one. Hope you can drop by and try their awesome food finds. π
Oh that looks so great! I have to admit I have never had any type of street food before but I wish they had some around me!
Oh yes, you will be very pleased with Bugis’ food. I’m actually excited for our return visit for another solid experience. π
Although I would never eat squid (the thought doesn’t appeal to me), those Buttered Squid Rings look really really tasty. I love how the crispy coating looks.
Yup, they’re best to be eaten immediately when served. You should def try it out and see for yourself how crispy and tasty those squid rings are. π
You got me craving for Laksa, Roch! We will drop by there one of these days. We’re near Banawe lang eh.
Waa you are so lucky! π I hope your kids will also love the food here.
This looks like a nice casual place to eat. It sounds like the food was amazing. I would probably try the squid rings because I have never had squid before. Thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome, Rebecca! The menu does pretty much follow the same concept as Singaporean hawkers with tapas style (small plate) dishes reflecting popular Asian cuisine. π
Nice review! π Where is banawe in QC exactly? I’m actually working in Quezon City, but I’m still clueless of all the places, especially the Morato area. Hehe. π
Made me wanna try this one too!
Haha, it’s a short drive from the Morato area in QC. If you’re commuting, take a jeepney or FX bound to SM north, Proj.6 or 7, Fairview or commonwealth, and alight at Banawe. π
Wow!Everything looks so good. I would love to one day visit a place like this, but I have to wait till my kids get a little older.
Oh yes, kids that are too young might not be able to appreciate the food, but I think they can try the fruit juices Bugis also serves. π
Wonderful review of a restaurant. I would try this food so so much!
Yup, definitely check this place and eat to your heart’s content. π They got pretty tasty and authentic Singaporean dishes.
street food is the best!! All this food reminds me of walking around NYC π
It reminds me of Bugis. π I used to shop around in that area in SG and eat some street food. Oh, those good times!
That looks so tasty. I will have to look into trying some of these foods.
Usually calamari leaves you feeling greasy and heavy, but their version was really light and extra flavorful maybe because of the spices used. It even had a hint of sweetness to it. π
Street food can be very delcious or really bad. The setting and food at this place looks good. Of course, the real answer comes from eating it.
Yes, you really have to try it for yourself. It’s a nice place for a quick causal dine in. π
Its great to eat at dome of these little shops. They have a nice selection of food to enjoy.
Everything was good and decently priced. This restaurant is a gem. π
Some cities have the best street food. This all looks so amazing!
Yeah. Asian street food are great! π
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In behalf of Bugis singapore street food, thank you. and im inviting you all for Bugis is transferring to a bigger and more spacious space to accommodate you all and a spacious parking to keep you safe, just a few steps away across .. 78 N. roxas near Infinitea infront of e-games. please email me your contact number so we can give you the exact date.
Thanks, Ana. π I have just visited the branch in Vito Cruz last week and found out that it’s already closed. We’ll check out Bugis in its new location once it opens.
The one in vito cruz is not ours. Our branch is in leon guinto infront of bagnet
Having read this I thought it was really informative.
I appreciate you taking the time and energy to put this information together.
I once again find myself spending way too much time both reading and posting comments.
But so what, it was still worth it!