Oriental Chinese Restaurant

Oriental Chinese Restaurant — '东方美食' on its signboard — is a long-running, value-for-money Northeastern Chinese (Dongbei) and Sichuan eatery spread across two shophouses in the heart of Chinatown, a minute from the MRT. It's a casual, no-frills sit-down place built for groups, with a sprawling menu of hearty sharing dishes rather than Cantonese dim sum. Order the crispy-chewy guo bao rou (sweet-and-sour pork), the mala la zi ji (Chongqing diced chicken), northern-style dumplings and dollar BBQ skewers. It stays open into the early hours, which makes it a favourite late-night and supper spot. Expect a buzzy, packed room on weekends — come hungry and order to share.