Singapore!

 After a few failed attempts to visit Dang Good Foods - sold out, vacation, hours changing - I decided to visit a place in Coventry instead, Pacific East. I'd been there before for sushi and had a good experience, so I was excited to try their Malaysian menu, which is the closest thing the East Side has for the food of Singapore. Pacific East has a few locations - Coventry, Crocker Park, and Eton - but the Coventry location is the only one that features the Malaysian menu. Lucky me because I live nearby AND love the quirky Coventry Village strip full of independent shops, restaurants, and bars.

The full menu at Pacific East is a catalog and the Malaysian menu is impressive on its own. This was a meal I wished that I had companions for because I had a really hard time narrowing it down to just a couple of things. 

I ended up choosing the Roti Chanai and a heaping bowl of Laska.

Order in, time to research!

Singapore is a city-state located at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula and includes around 60 small islets. Singapore is the largest port in Southeast Asia and one of the busiest in the world. 

The history of Singapore dates back to the 14th century when there is evidence of a significant trading settlement on the island. In 1819, the British negotiated a treaty to allow a trading port on the island, ultimately leading to the establishment of a crown colony in 1867. During World War II, Singapore was conquered and occupied by the Japanese from 1942-1945. When the Japanese surrendered, it returned to British control. Singapore joined the Federation of Malaysia in 1963, but due to social unrest and disputes, Singapore was booted from Malaysia and became an independent republic in 1965. 

By the 1990s, the country had become one of the world's most prosperous nations. Its economy is driven mostly by electronics  manufacturing, financial services, tourism, and the world's busiest seaport. 

Singapore is a diverse nation with influences from its Chinese, Indian, Malaysian, and Indonesian residents. It's known for its street food and hawker centers are a very popular way to get an affordable, delicious meal. This ain't your average mall food court.

Let's eat! 

I started with the Roti Chanai which is described as a griddle-fried unleavened ghee pancake, but I'd describe it as literal heaven. It was flaky, crispy, yet somehow still chewy. It was hot as hell when it arrived and I still grabbed bits of it to dunk into the accompanying chicken curry despite burning myself. That's when you know it's good - you risk second degree burns!

They gave me two large roti and I could have easily eaten four more. The chicken curry disguised as a dip was flavorful and a nice addition, but let's be honest: it's all about the roti here. 

Next up was the giant bowl of Laska - a slightly creamy soup with egg noodles, coconut milk, shrimp, boiled eggs, tofu, chicken, bean sprouts, chili, and spices. It was ramen-esque in its presentation, but the flavors were definitely more of a curry. The tofu was bubbly and a perfect texture, which can be difficult to pull off with tofu and even harder with tofu in a soup. There were tons of plump shrimp and chunks of chicken as well. I ate A LOT of this soup and still went home with a full container of leftovers. And I gotta say, as with most soups, the leftovers were even better the second day. 

I'll probably attempt Dang Good Foods again because I'm curious about their street food style menu, but Pacific East was a great place to try a few dishes and I'm DEFINITELY going back for that roti! 

12 down, 40 to go! 

Pacific East Coventry

1763 Coventry Road

Cleveland Heights, OH 44118
Website

Operating Hours

SUN | 3:00 - 9:30pm

MON - THURS | 11:00 - 3:00pm, 5:00 - 9:30pm

FRI  | 11:00 - 3:00pm, 5:00 - 10:30pm

SAT | 12:00 - 3:00pm, 5:00 - 10:30pm