Singapore’s Food Pride: Home-grown Brands

It’s National Day and to celebrate Singapore’s 47th birthday OpenRice-style, here’s a little run-down of some local F&B brands that have made it big – both locally and abroad! TWG Tea

Yup, believe it or not, TWG Tea is 100% made in Singapore! This fine luxury tea brand was actually established in celebration of our nation’s great history as a trading post for fine teas. Also, did you know that TWG Tea’s collection is the largest in the world, featuring over 1,000 different single estate harvests and exclusive tea blends from every tea producing country in the world? To meet the ever-changing tastes of tea drinkers, TWG Tea tasters travel all over the world each year, sampling hundreds of teas in search of the best harvests direct from source gardens. As attractive as its teas are, TWG is also known for its exquisite selection of handmade patisseries. From fancy tea cakes to light, fluffy crepes... all this accompanied with that oh-so-fine cuppa, how could one resist spending a relaxing Sunday morning at TWG? BreadTalk

I’m sure you associate BreadTalk with one thing and one thing only – its signature cream-filled pork floss bun aka Flosss (yeah, that’s not a typo). BreadTalk is currently in 16 countries with more than 400 boutique bakeries; what was established in 2000 has now become a confectionery empire. Well, with one Flosss sold every 10 seconds worldwide (32 million and still counting), that isn’t hard to believe at all. Classics aside, BreadTalk stays Number One simply because it’s constantly reinventing itself and it never seems to be short of culinary ideas. "Dragon Fruit Danish", "Ba Kwa Delight", "Curry Naan", these are just some creative creations for us locals to chew on and be very proud of. Sushi Tei

You probably wouldn’t have guessed this, but the Sushi Tei chain of restaurants has been around since 1994! Since opening its first outlet in Holland Village, the Japanese eatery has been dedicated to serving the freshest and the best quality of food, while ensuring tip-top service and impressive culinary presentation all the time with every single dish. Sushi Tei proves to be a cut above the rest because of its extensive menu, which draws inspiration from pure Japanese delights and hot local favourites. Another reason why many flock to Sushi Tei? The ambience. Each and every outlet is uniquely designed with its own concept but with the ambience, they all seem to have one thing in common and there’s only one word to describe it – ‘Zen’. Once you take a seat and fill your stomach, you won’t feel like leaving! ThaiExpress

Operating on the principle of serving authentic Thai cuisine at affordable prices, ThaiExpress is inspired by the needs of patrons who want to dine amidst a relaxed yet contemporary ambience. The casual chic dining restaurant’s menu comprises of Thai evergreen dishes and its very own specialties conceptualised by its own talented culinary team. Here, you can find a mean bowl of clear tom yum soup and one of the best mango sticky rice desserts (Khao Niao Mamuang) in Singapore! Kopitiam

It’s every Singaporean’s favourite – Kopitiam will always be the classic heartland food court with the best local dishes all under one roof! In 1988, Kopitiam Investment Pte Ltd was set up in Singapore, and together with that, the Kopitiam Group pioneered the popular 24-hour food shop concept in 1988, setting off a trend that has now become a norm in Singapore. They were also the ones who brought Lau Pa Sat back to life, with a revamped food mall concept back in 1996. Looks like Kopitiam really has A LOT to be proud of! See Also: Chill at these other cafes Check out here for more new restaurants to try