There are very few places in Singapore that serve old school push cart dim sum, but Red Star Restaurant has been doing so for decades. The decor looks like it hasn’t changed very much, you dine in absolute cacophony, and even the food is less refined than the dim sum standards commonplace today. But that’s what many Singaporeans grew up with, and that nostalgia is what packs this place to the brim, especially on weekends. Red Star Restaurant is at 54 Chin Swee Road, #07-23, Singapore 160054 (tel: +65 6532 5266). Open daily 7.00am – 3.00pm for breakfast and lunch, and 6.00pm – 10.30pm for dinner.
Alice has been working here since the restaurant’s inception in 1979. She is probably one of the few
Come early and watch these push carts piled high with steaming hot morsels trundling along, weaving their way towards whoever summons them. You can, of course, ignore the romance and simply rush up to the cart and pick out your own favourites before they get
Not all the carts are roving ones. This large congee
Cantonese roasts hang proudly in a display window.
It’s a veritable trip back to the 70’s and 80’s the minute you step into the restaurant.
The dim sum is decidedly old school, or what one would refer to kindly as
Not everything here is small and dainty. There is this enormous meat bun, which they will cut into six portions. The waitress tells us when they first sold this at S$3.80, a taxi driver would come in and buy them by the dozens. They found out he was selling them to fellow drivers for S$5! The price now at the restaurant is S$4.80.
One of the highlights here for many people is the egg tart. It’s got a flaky crust and eggy custard filing. However, I personally feel the crust was too thick. The durian pancake was a much better choice.
Of course, what’s dim sum without some Chinese tea? Tea cups are given in a bowl of hot water that not only helps to sanitize but also make the cups warm.
The predecessor of Red Star Restaurant was Ruby Restaurant (prior to 1979). You can still find its chopsticks at Red Star today.
Even the bill is delightfully old school – literally the menu with stamps given for every order delivered. It’s all tabulated at the cashier who fortunately does take electronic payment.
Whether you love it or hate it, it’s still a piece of historical Singapore. The ones who keep Red Star running are no less than the great chefs Sin Leong and Hooi Kok Wai – the only two remaining of the four Heavenly Kings of the culinary scene. And judging from the queues at this place during peak hours, this restaurant’s star shows no sign of waning.
