These 6 places in Singapore use robots to cook your food

F&B concepts are tempting your tastebuds with food cooked using automated processes aka robots.

Gimmicky? Maybe. But there’s no denying the advantages that using a robot can offer, especially in terms of consistency. Check out these spots with robots cooking up a storm.

1. Bowl & Bowl

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Nestled in Toa Payoh’s Gourmet Paradise food court is Bowl & Bowl, a cosy eatery that serves up fried rice cooked up by robots.

Boasting brightly-lit interiors, there’s an open kitchen from which you can watch the robotic frying pans at work – from scrambling an egg to tipping ingredients into the pan and the frying process.

It’s owned by Yang Ming, a Tianjin-born ex-chef who secured distribution rights for the cooking robots from Suzhou before opening the eatery.

The aim? To serve up fried rice with consistent quality. Choose from Salmon Mentaiko Fried Rice ($10.90), Smoked Duck Fried Rice ($7.90), and Prawn Fried Rice ($6.50). They come topped with an onsen egg as well as greens like tomatoes, edamame, and corn to add variety to the dish.

Apart from fried rice, there’s also fried porridge, and hearty, piquant bowls of pao fan, which get both our thumbs up.

Bowl & Bowl is at #B1-01, Gourmet Paradise @ HDB Hub, 480 Lor 6 Toa Payoh, Singapore 310480.

2. Crown Coffee

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If you’re headed to Plaza Singapura, keep an eye out for ‘Ella’.

It’s not a lady we’re talking about, but Singapore’s first robot barista, which brews and serves up cuppas from behind a transparent screen.

A concept by local company Crown Coffee, the fully automated machine can apparently churn up to 200 cups of coffee an hour (and up to four cups at one go), from espresso to Americano, cappuccino, and latte — or if those aren’t your cup of tea, it’ll even whip up teh tarik for you.

To order, download the Crown Coffee mobile app. Coffees are priced from $4 a cup.

Ella is at Plaza Singapura Level 1 Atrium, available 24 hours daily.

3. Tempura Tendon Tenya

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The Japanese dish of tendon (deep-fried tempura atop rice) often calls for the right technique by experienced chefs to attain a light crispy coating with insides that are cooked just right.

But tendon chain Tenya Tendon, which bills itself Japan’s number one, has since changed all that when it entered the scene using a patented automatic fryer that precisely and consistently replicates professional tempura-frying techniques — and in under two minutes.

Prices are wallet-friendly too, with the signature Tenya Tendon, loaded with tempura black tiger prawn, red fish, squid, pumpkin and French beans, priced at $8.50.

That’s not all. Once your meal is ready, it’ll be served to your table by a cute robotic waiter.

Tempura Tendon Tenya is at #B1-01 Orchard Central. Visit its website for more information.

ALSO READ: I tried kopi made by a robot and it tastes exactly the same as the kopitiam uncle's

4. Ratio Cafe & Lounge

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Over at Ratio Cafe & Lounge, it’s not just coffee that’s made by robotic baristas-cum-bartenders but cocktails and beers, too. In fact, all 50 drinks on its menu are made by the three robotic barista arms.

Sip on creative brews like Pandan Latte ($5) and Tom Yum Martini ($11), or even an authentic Nanyang Kopi while you watch the robots at work. Or if you’re feeling peckish, the cafe serves up bites like salads, sandwiches and cakes.

To get to the cafe, make your way to JustCo, a co-working space at level 5 of Centrepoint shopping mall, where it’s located.

Ratio Cafe & Lounge is at #05-06 Centrepoint, Singapore 238843.

5. Royal Caribbean

If you find yourself hopping on a Royal Caribbean Quantum of the Seas cruise, be sure to hit up the Bionic Bar. It’s manned by two robotic bartenders who’ll mix, muddle and shake up your evening tipple, whether it’s a Negroni, Old Fashioned, martini, or even a custom-crafted drink.

And while you’re waiting for your drink, check out the electronic display boards for fun stats about guest orders and a play-by-play of each drink that’s being made.

Bionic Bar is available on Royal Caribbean Quantum of the Seas. Visit its website for more.

6. M Social

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Prefer your eggs sunny side up or as an omelette?

Over at M Social hotel’s Beast & Butterflies restaurant, robot breakfast chef “Ausca” has been programmed to whip up your egg breakfast of choice, and even with the ingredients you prefer. It’s not the only robot in the house – there’s “Aura”, a front-of-house robot that attends to guests’ requests, from operating the elevator to delivering fresh towels and bottled water.

Beast & Butterflies is at M Social Singapore, 90 Robertson Quay, Singapore 238259.

This article was first published in The Singapore Women's Weekly.