The Singapore pippies are my new favourite vehicle for chilli mud crab sauce. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
Singapore is considered one of the best destinations in the world for food enthusiasts. A cultural melting pot of street food and hawker stalls fill every nook and cranny in this tiny Asian country. Eating out is a national pastime, and the street food is legendary. Lion City Restaurant in Franklin takes this culinary tradition and runs with it, offering Canberrans the opportunity to taste just a little of what Singapore has to offer.
I visited on a weeknight, and the place was buzzing with families sharing big dishes, couples tucking into bowls of soup, and solo diners slurping noodles. The bright, casual space showcases a range of chef’s specials on the screens behind the counter, and we took our time perusing the lengthy menu.
It was a real trial to cut down our wish list to just a few dishes. The beef rendang looked incredible, and the thought of slippery char kway teow noodles was making my mouth water. Readers of Region will be familiar with my long-time laksa obsession, and I was sorely tempted to give this one a try, but I decided instead to branch out.
We settled on a Singapore classic: Hainanese Chicken Rice. To make this dish, chicken is poached in an aromatic broth, and that liquid is then used to cook the rice. Served with chilli and ginger sauces, the meat is fall-apart tender, and the rice is elevated from side starch to umami bomb. And the Lion City Hainanese chicken was no exception! Tender, flavourful and comforting, this is a dish I just can’t get enough of. You can order it as a set for one person, or as a half or whole chicken, with the option to add more rice, soup and sauces as needed.
How many ways can I describe something as juicy? Photo: Lucy Ridge.
We also ordered Singapore pippies cooked with Lion City’s signature chilli crab sauce. I love chilli crab, but often find that the work of cracking the shell and extracting the meat can become tiresome after a while. My gluttony wants to indulge without inconvenience! But with pippies, the work is minimal: just pick up a shell and slurp to your heart’s content. The sauce was the perfect blend of sweet and spicy, creating a pleasant warmth on our lips and tempting us back for more. The sauce was delicious spooned onto the chicken rice, too.
We also ordered kang kong spinach in belacan as a side, which was surprisingly punchy. Shrimp paste undertones gave way to a proper chilli kick! While we enjoyed it, the large size of the dish would be better suited for sharing among four or more people, as a little goes a long way.
To cool down my palate, I enjoyed a tall glass of lemon iced tea, which was sweet but not too sweet. We also crunched our way through a couple of crispy seafood net spring rolls.
Lion City is a casual affair serving extraordinarily good food. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
On a relatively quiet weeknight, there were just a couple of staff members who were busily pumping through dine-in and takeaway orders, so there was a small wait on a couple of things, but it wasn’t too long in the scheme of things.
I’m looking forward to going back to try more of the menu, and I’ll bring extra friends to share more dishes with. There’s a large seafood platter on the menu – also served with that moreish chilli crab sauce – which would be a fabulous centrepiece for a laid-back, convivial meal (and you can bet I’ll be back for a laksa).
We headed home with satisfied bellies and the warmth of chilli still buzzing on our lips.
Lion City Restaurant is located at 87/275 Flemington Rd, Franklin, just near the light rail stop. They are open Tuesday to Sunday for lunch between 11:30 am and 2:30 pm, and for dinner from 5 pm to 9 pm.
