Swensen’s American Diner and Prima Taste Kitchen

Part Western bistro, part ice cream parlour and part Asian eatery, this place aims to cater to everyone.

The second branch of this chain restaurant (the first is at Wangfujing) sits on the former premises of elegant Spanish restaurant Mare, but with its multicoloured acrylic walls and mounted television playing a Singapore Tourism Board advertisement on loop, you’ll feel as if you’ve stepped into a Changi Airport lounge.

Food-wise, though, Prima Taste’s laksa (42RMB, chicken; 45RMB, prawn) is the best in town. It’s made with the right proportions of coconut milk, spice and a pinch of laksa leaves, often overlooked in other places, giving the rice noodle dish anauthentic taste.

The Singapore chicken rice (42RMB) comes with generous servings of tender chicken, whch sits on a bed of cucumbers, but the rice, while fragrant, tastes fl at (despite its infusion with pandan leaves).

Other decent Singaporean dishes include prawn noodles (35RMB) that are flavourful despite their watery broth and fish paste dough fritters (22RMB) that go well with the accompanying sweet chilli sauce.

The Asian dishes are all fairly good and authentic – at the very least, they come served with the right condiments.

A word of advice: don’t bother ordering Swensen’s Western dishes; the sirloin steak (92RMB) is a sliver of beef doused in an unsatisfying sauce and the basic ham and cheese toastie (32RMB) needs more time on the grill.

Yet, if you must, the mega burger (52RMB), with its beef patty topped with bacon, a sunny-side-up egg and lots of greens, is gooey but good.

End the meal with one of Swensen’s many ice cream combinations (from 16RMB per scoop).

The Earthshaker (130RMB), eight ice creams with eight toppings, is good for groups, or gluttons; and the sticky chewy chocolate – all fudgy and rich – is the top pick if you’re restricting yourself to just one scoop. Kenneth Tan