Ex-Hotel Manager Opens Stall With Lesser-Seen Dishes From 7 Countries: Here’s Our Review

Nomad Kitchen is a new stall at Taman Jurong

Finding quality Middle Eastern fare in Singapore isn’t always easy. But a stall serving dishes from Iran, Turkey, Italy, Greece, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, and Afghanistan? That’s even harder to come by. So when we came across Nomad Kitchen, we knew we had to check it out. 

Located in Taman Jurong Market and Food Centre, the new stall has already earned itself a solid reputation, reportedly selling out daily. Its founder, Fuad Salim, a self-professed F&B nomad, picked up the recipes throughout his 30-year career in hospitality, where he worked as an F&B and hotel manager. 

Food at Nomad Kitchen

The menu consists of Afghan Chicken (from $6) from Afghanistan, Saffron Jujeh ($8) from Iran, Iskender ($12) from Turkey, Shakshuka ($7) from Morocco, Lasagna ($8.50) from Italy, Moussaka ($8) from Greece, and finally, rotisserie chicken and street wraps inspired by Saudi Arabia. 

Chef Fuad prepares everything from scratch daily, including handmade Lavash flatbreads, grilled meats, kabuli rice, saffron rice, and lasagna.

We started with the $6 portion of Afghan Chicken. For an extra $2.50, you can get another quarter of the rotisserie chicken, which we thought was extremely generous in this economy. 

While I tend to find roast chicken too dry for my liking, this one was juicy, moist, and expertly cooked. The seasoning was flavourful too, with a blend of spices that added depth without being overly salty. However, we found the white meat slightly bland, as most of the seasoning was concentrated on the skin and hadn’t penetrated the meat.

According to the chef, raisins and carrots are integral to an Afghan kabuli rice dish. I could see why: they added a burst of sweetness to the aromatic rice, making for a complex and layered flavour profile. 

The Saffron Jujeh was probably my favourite dish—it came with two chunky grilled chicken kebabs, saffron rice, roasted tomatoes and peppers, and a yoghurt sauce. Again, the generous portion size was a pleasant surprise. 

The kebabs had a similarly intense spice blend to the rotisserie; however, they were thoroughly marinated, so every bite was full of flavour. The yoghurt-based sauce was tangy and refreshing, but more subtle, which worked well to highlight the kebab rather than overpower it. 

The roasted vegetables were smoky and juicy, and good enough to stand alone as a side dish. Traditionally, though, Persians would mash the juicy tomatoes into saffron rice, turning them into a flavourful “sauce”. 

Lastly, we tried the lasagna. Most faux-Italian places I know of put an ungodly amount of cheese on their lasagna (I’m not complaining). This one was more well-balanced, with all the elements complementing each other rather than overpowering the dish. 

The pasta sheets were quite thick and satisfyingly chewy. They made for a great vessel for the layers of beef ragu, Neapolitan sauce, and bechamel. The dish was savoury and hearty, with hints of sweetness and acidity to balance it out. 

Ambience at Nomad Kitchen

Nomad Kitchen is tucked away in the corner of Taman Jurong Market and Food Centre. We arrived around 12:30pm to a short queue and a steady stream of customers. 

The market itself was huge and happening, with three stories worth of food and retail stalls. It was relatively well-ventilated, with multiple fans working overtime to combat the Singapore stuffiness. 

The market is a 10-minute bus ride or 18-minute walk from Lakeside MRT Station.

Nomad Kitchen – Eatbook Review

I visited Nomad Kitchen with high expectations, knowing Chef Fuad Salim’s hospitality background, and was still pleasantly surprised. Every element of the food was well-cooked and flavourful. The dishes also seemed to stay true to their cultural roots, with ingredients and flavours recreated as authentically as possible. 

As a Westie, I will definitely be revisiting to try the rest of the menu.

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If you’re on a hunt for more unique hawkers, check out our pork rib prawn mee review, which features a 90-year-old hawker. And while you’re in the area, here are the best Jurong East food places to visit. 

Address: Yung Sheng Road, #02-109 Taman Jurong Market & Food Centre, Singapore 618499
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 10am to 3pm
Website
Nomad Kitchen is Muslim-owned.

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Photos taken by Marcus Neo.
This was an independent visit by Eatbook.sg.