Eating with Tod’s “Best Singaporean Restaurant in London”
A TikTok from 11 November by UK food content creator ‘Eating With Tod’ has caught the attention of Singaporeans worldwide, after he reviewed Singapulah — a London restaurant styled after a ‘1970s casual Singapore diner.’
In the clip, Tod praised everything from the smoky satay skewers to the deep-fried chilli crab tossed in spicy tomato gravy.
He even highlighted how the waiters encouraged diners to “dig in with your hands”, calling it an “authentic” way of eating.
His enthusiasm over the bone-in beef rendang and nasi lemak only fuelled the excitement, with the creator describing the dishes as “divine” and “outstanding”.
Comment Section Turns Into A Pride Parade — With A Bit Of Chaos
Once Tod’s video went up, Singaporean viewers quickly flooded the comments with pride — and predictably, the occasional food-heritage debate began simmering.
One viewer simply declared:
“Singapore 🇸🇬 the best food in the world ❣️”
But others were more amused than surprised when arguments about culinary origins resurfaced.
One comment fired back at the critics:
“All these people saying it’s Malaysian food… bruh Singapore was LITERALLY part of Malaysia.”
Some viewers urged everyone to take it easy:
“Bound to have others finna say this and that about origin… like chill. Food is food.”
Others used the chance to share tips, because no Singaporean or ex-Singaporean can resist adding their personal recommendation:
“If you go… ask for the off-menu spicy level. Game-changer.”
And of course, someone had to defend the universal truth:
“Eating with hands is always the best and most satisfying way to eat. Full stop.”
For many Singaporeans overseas, the video simply stirred a familiar homesickness.
“Thank you for featuring Singapulah. I always miss my SG food when in London.”
What Tod Tried
Tod’s review covered some of the more recognisable dishes: smoky satay skewers, a whole deep-fried crab tossed in spicy Singapore chilli sauce, fluffy fried mantou.
He featured the £25 Singapore sharing platter, bone-in beef rendang, nasi lemak with crispy batter and pork floss, and a shaved ice dessert drenched in condensed milk, sure to give one a brain freeze if not enjoyed slowly!
About Singapulah
Singapulah is the brainchild of Singaporean restaurateur Ellen Chew, a familiar name in the UK’s Asian dining scene. According to a @cooksafe.global interview, after moving from Singapore to London in the mid-2000s, Ellen quickly realised that the city lacked the warm, hawker-style comfort food she grew up with. That search for a “nice bowl of noodles” became the spark that launched her first restaurant in Chinatown in 2008 — long before Southeast Asian cuisine became trendy in the UK.
Today, Ellen helms the Chew On This group, which has grown into an 11-restaurant collective across the country. Singapulah is one of her newest ventures, designed as a love letter to 1970s Singapore. The multi-storey space features details inspired by HDB chessboard tables her uncles once gathered around, and uses ingredients sourced from trusted Singapore distributors to keep the flavours as true to home as possible.
@singapulahlondon highlights in a video that, for Ellen, signature dishes like bak chor mee, Singapore chilli crab, and true-blue Malay-style nasi lemak are memories, and not simply items on the menu. And for many Singaporeans abroad, Singapulah has become exactly what Ellen once longed for: a place to taste home.
Watch videos here:
@eatingwithtod BEST SINGAPOREAN RESTAURANT IN LONDON 🇸🇬 @singapulah Literally feels like being back in Singapore 😮 BUT THE BEST PART… I’ve partnered with the guys at @Uber Eats to help support independent busineeses in London and they have kindly given a crazy deal – 50% of the Nasi Lemak and Laksa ! 🌶️ AD 🌟 If you can’t take a date, take a mate! Tag tag tag x Only available for a limited time, so be quick! Just head to the Uber Eats App to claim your order! AD #foodie #food #singapore #london #londonfood
@singapulahlondon Meet the mastermind behind Singapulah 🤝 Ellen Chew tells us where her passion for sharing Singaporean cusine comes from and what her three must-try, can’t-live-without dishes are. This September is East and Southeast Asian Heritage Month. If you’re new to Singaporean cuisine, this is your sign to give it a go – and you can’t go wrong starting with one of Ellen’s superb suggestions. #singapulah #londonrestaurant #singaporeanfood #singaporeancuisine #eseamonth #singaporeculture
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