Tuesday, May 27, 2025

Mojaban from Jeju Sanghoe in Singapore

Mojaban

I went back to Jeju Sanghoe and finally tried that seaweed soup this time. It wasn't really a soup though, as it was so thick that it was more like a sauce. And it was a bit underseasoned at that, although maybe that was intentional given the big tubs of salt and pepper on each table. The slices of pork were tender and it all mixed up nicely together with rice. Plus that gigantic tray of banchan meant that I left this place stuffed to the brim, all without carrying much guilt either.

Saturday, May 24, 2025

Wang's Broth (Xiaowang Zhugua) in Taipei, Taiwan

Luroufan

The name of this chain sounds a little weird, but this is a Michelin Bib Gourmand known for that luroufan above. It was really good with those ultra tender and fatty bits of pork on top of firmly-cooked rice. It was mildly seasoned, but was indulgently rich and savory. That clear fish soup on the side was refreshing with those shreds of ginger, although that egg was surprisingly leathery.

This is actually a shop in Huaxi Street Night Market, but fortunately they have an outlet at Taoyuan Airport Terminal 2. It's not in the upstairs food court area where Moon Moon and Simple Kaffa are, but instead down at the gate level, sitting in a big food court near gate C4. There are quite a number of other respectable-looking shops there that I'm definitely gonna hit up next time.

Friday, May 23, 2025

Qiaozhiwei Shougong Shuijiao in Taipei, Taiwan

Dumplings

Those dark-looking dumplings in the middle might look a bit hideous, but they were actually the best of the bunch, as they were filled with a savory yet textured scallop filling, and was wrapped by a firm and moderately thick skin. The normal dumplings and chive dumplings in front of it were fine too, even if the dipping sauces and hot and sour soup were a bore. I don't know why Google Maps calls this small chain Takumi Dumplings, but the green scallop ones are worth going back for.

Linjia Beef Noodle Restaurant in Xinyi, Taipei

Beef Noodles

A local teammate brought me to this beef noodle shop after a meeting, saying that it was very local because of it being a bit difficult to reach (9 Wuxing Street Lane 281, 09-2216-3609). And it was really good, with not only ultra tender cuts of meat above plus thick noodles that were fun to eat, but also that broth was fragrantly accentuated with star anise. That dark chili oil paste was deceptively spicy, and the plate of sides like kelp, egg, tofu, and tripe were easy to eat too. Thumbs up.

Thursday, May 22, 2025

JIN-ZHU Taiwanese Delicious Food in Taiwan

Sanbeiji

This chain of local restaurants was pretty good. It was a lot like Shishixiang from the other night with its big set meals, but the food was seasoned in a more delicate manner. I particularly liked the sanbeiji above, especially with all of the basil and ginger in there, not to mention the firm bloodcakes. There was a stir-fried oyster dish that was pleasantly briny, and a pot of daikon pork soup was refreshing too. Surprisingly, one of the prawns wasn't very fresh, but it came with big chewy noodles at least. And yes, I wolfed down multiple bowls of rice with all of this. This place is good, even if Shishixiang would be my preferred choice.

Wednesday, May 21, 2025

Keelong Noodle House in Taipei, Taiwan

Goose meat noodles

This is a random noodle shop that I went to out of convenience (7-3 Qingdao East Road, 02-2393-8278). Those goose meat noodles above were at the top of the menu, so I grabbed one of those as well as a plate of those fried fish cakes that I saw a lot of other tables getting. The noodles were chewy without being overcooked and the broth was comfortingly hearty and accentuated with fresh shreds of ginger. I didn't like that the goose was lean and had bone fragments attached, while those fish cakes didn't get me excited either. But if I find myself here again, then I should try the fried rice that I saw a few tables getting.

Tuesday, May 20, 2025

Tokyo's Due Italian in Taipei, Taiwan

Cheese Ramen with Parma Ham

We needed a quick bite before our next meeting today, and this stall at Shin Kong Mitsukoshi hall A4 was conveniently nearby (19 Songgao Road B2, 2720-3369). I ate at their pop-up in Singapore many years ago and am not sure if the recipe changed to feature a fragrant mushroom-y broth, but this one was deliciously salty and crisp with firmly-cooked skinny noodles. The gooey cheese and Parma ham draped on the sides were fun and unconventional garnishes, although they were not important in the grand scheme of things. It was the broth and noodles that really made this bowl work. I'd like to come back to try their coriander and lemon bowl one day, as well as their chilled cherry tomato one.

Monday, May 19, 2025

Shishixiang ("Shann Rice Bar") in Taiwan

Signature Spicy Deep Fried Shrimp

That might not look like much in the photo, but this chain across the island was impressively good. Most of what we had in their set meal was excellent, including not just those prawns above accentuated with refreshing sprigs of ginger and herbs, but also some delicious vegetables in a savory doufuru, some spicy thin slices of pork, or even just the sauteed cabbage. The key was how most things were savory and even a bit funky without overdoing it, which incidentally also helped fuel multiple bowls of rice intake. I'd be happy to go back, although I'll pass on the mapo tofu next time. That's wasn't because there was anything off-putting about the duck blood cakes that they included (they were very mild), but just that I prefer the dish to be edgier.

Saturday, May 17, 2025

The Spicy Salami from Bad Habits Provision

Spicy Salami With Honey Pizza

We had a not-so-satisfying dinner nearby and felt the need to redeem ourselves by getting a slice of pizza here at Bad Habits. They said that their spicy salami above was something that they were known for, especially since they drizzled honey on top. It was fine; the honey added a nice touch, and the dry but crunchy crust was fun in its own right. But the beer was rather pricey, and we were still a bit miffed from that buzzkill earlier.

Thursday, May 15, 2025

The Chimi Carne from Boronas by Fernando

Chime Carne

This is maybe my second or third time eating the steak sandwich from Boronas, as it's pretty good. That's not just because of the impressively tender meat, but more importantly, the crisp yet chewy texture of the bread. It's also dressed up nicely with gooey mozzarella cheese, rucola leaves, and a punchy chimichurri sauce. I liked this better than the pork sandwich as well as that pretty mushroom bread thing.

Monday, May 12, 2025

A Few Items from Tapas,24 in Singapore

Tortilla, gambas y pulpo

Here were a few snacks from Tapas,24 at Robertson Quay, with that tortilla being the nicest of them all being velvety smooth when eaten piping hot. The octopus behind it came in disappointingly small slices, but was edible enough. The gambas were the least exciting of them all, not because they tasted bad with all of that garlic and olive oil, but simply because the prawns weren't those wonderful morsels from Spain. The service was a bit spotty tonight, and the sweltering heat made the texture of things like cheescake a bit soft too.

Sunday, May 11, 2025

Lead General Hot Pot (Shuaijiangjun) in Singapore

Hot Pot

This new hot pot place at Tiong Bahru Plaza (302 Tiong Bahru Road #02-11) pitches itself as being from China, but I couldn't find much about it online.

Anyway, it featured a contemporary decor not unlike Haidilao, albeit without all of the frills and "happy birthday" signage everywere. The food was comparable on the surface, with most of it doing the job for us. Yet there were oddities like the tiny cuts of beef, small veggie basket, and limited condiment spread that kept this place behind its large competitor. They seemed to be understaffed tonight too.

Well, they had some attractively-priced combo deals that may be worth going back for, but my preference is for Malubianbian, especially now that Da Long Yi is gone.