[REVIEW] Affordable rooftop dining at Suntec City with beautiful natural sunlight and ambience

Newly opened at Suntec City, True Cost brings a novel pricing concept to Singapore. As its name suggests, the restaurant claims to serve food at cost price without markups! This means you get to enjoy restaurant fare at a similar cost as if you were to buy the ingredients and cook the meal at home yourself.

What’s the catch? You pay an entrance fee to enter the restaurant, which starts from $5 for weekday lunches to $15 during peak periods like Friday night dinner. The entrance fee is waived during lull periods from Mon-Fri 3-5pm.

Natural sunlight streaming in through the glass roof and floor-to-ceiling windows provides beautiful lighting and a great backdrop for photo-taking. Overall, the restaurant gives off chic and casual vibes perfect for a casual first date or gathering with friends.

The location and ambience of the restaurant is great for experiencing the high life without breaking the bank. The food and their presentation is of good quality for the price.

We were invited for a media tasting and tried a few of True Cost’s recommended dishes.

We were off to a good start with BURRATA WITH GRAPES ($10.96). The creamy white insides of the burrata oozed out temptingly when we plunged our fork into it. Paired with the slightly sweet grape syrup, this makes a simple sweet and savory appetizer. When a small plain burrata costs upwards of $5 at grocery stores, this can be said to be a reasonably priced dish.

Chewy and lightly charred, this aromatic arm of the octopus paired well with the light and satisfyingly seasoned mashed potato.

A highlight of the menu is the HEH STYLE HOKKAIDO SCALLOP ($10.57). The scallops were delightfully tender and clean tasting, the condiments neither added nor subtracted from this dish.

The HUMMUS WITH KIM CHI CUCUMBERS ($5.95) is a very healthy and wallet-friendly option for those on a clean-eating diet or budget; it can serve as a main if one is not particularly hungry.

The crab salad ($14.56) is another clean and light meal, although the price may be a little on the higher side.

The CRAB LINGUINE PASTA ($12.75) is slightly spicy from a sprinkling of chilli padi and features decent morsels of crab meat.

Meanwhile, another pasta dish, the PAPPARDELLE BOLOGNESE ($10.95) makes for a very filling and hearty meal with earthy aroma from the beef strands and tangy tomato sauce.

Verdict

We loved the chic and casual vibes of the restaurant and found the food to be decently priced. True Cost is great for gatherings given its city central location, quiet air of exclusivity and abundance of natural lighting for photo taking.

True Cost

Address: 3 Temasek Boulevard, #03-302/303 Suntec City, Singapore 038983

Nearest MRT: Promenade MRT station

Opening hours:
Sunday – Thursday from 12pm to 11:00pm
Friday – Saturday from 12pm to 11:30pm