May Pho Culture Has Cut Back On Its Herb Basket

It was bound to happen: May Pho Culture has cut back on that giant pile of herbs that they used to give out, presumably since most people barely touched it. I'm still happy to come back here precisely for the herbs that they still give though, as it's better than anywhere else around here. Their mildly sweet and hearty broth is growing on me too, even if it isn't the clear aromatic kind that I prefer. It helps when they load up on the black pepper as well as offer pickled garlic and chili oil on the side, not to mention providing super potent fresh chili slices.

The Naengmyeon from Kelim Daktoritang

I went back to Kelim Daktoritang today, but instead opted for their naengmyeon above. It took a while to come out, and the broth was more frozen than it was savory. The main reason why I won't likely go back for lunch again isn't because of the taste of the food, but instead because the smell of the food was all over my clothes when I left, despite the fabric spray that they keep at the cashier.

Haidilao's Instant Cup Rice

We saw these Haidilao-branded items at Scarlett and decided to give one a try. The taste itself wasn't anything special, as the sauce that went with it was more sweet than it was spicy. But this cup was literally just some dry kernels of rice that didn't even fill up a sixth of that paper cup. One then adds some hot water and it cooked itself over eight minutes, after which one stirred in the thick sauce. I was more amused by the packaging and process than the food itself.

Trying the Tantanmen from Kageyama

I finally made it back here to try their tantanmen, and it was indeed garnished with hazelnuts, giving it a uniquely buttery finish. The broth wasn't spicy but it was very citrusy, which was kinda nice after getting a free scoop of rice to throw into it at the end. It's too bad that Nakiryu sadly is no longer an option down here anymore since I still like them better, but this was still better than Kageyama's normal tori paitan, which (speaking of citrus) I noticed finally had lemon wedges adorning many diner's bowls today. I'm not sure why mine lacked one last time then.

K’s Keria in Singapore's Kampong Glam

These little things were awesome. They're miniaturized versions of Malay kuih keria doughnuts, which are made from sweet potato and thus have a slightly sticky texture. But what's cool is this shop (42 Bussorah Street) glazes theirs in gula melaka, giving it not just an earthier caramelized taste, but also a crispy exterior. I could've easily eaten a good number of these if I didn't exercise more self-control.



BTW, Mahumud's Tandoor has opened a brick-and-mortar stall around the corner from K's Keria. Or rather, they occupy a corner of the Curbside Crafters collection of small pop-ups (730 North Bridge Road, 8849-9182). They are doing these little sampler boxes featuring slider versions of their original and crispy burgers along with fries and wings. I'd rather have more fries though, so I'll just opt for full burgers next time.

SOTPOT at Suntec City Sky Garden

Sitting on the former grounds of Xiaoweiyang is a shop serving Korean sotbap potted rice (3 Temasek Boulevard #03-304). I grabbed the cockle version above, which tasted like it looked, but was a bit heavy on the sauce and hence wasn't as good as the briny bibimbap from Magal. It might have been nice if the rice here were more fully scorched at the bottom too, but I think they passed on that because of the time required. Actually, the thing that looked more interesting were those shared wooden steam boxes; if I can't bring a companion next time, then maybe I can try to eat the "1.5 pax" portion on my own.

Meeshay and Pennywort Salad from Mandalay Style

I was at Peninsula Plaza tonight and figured that I'd hop downstairs for a bite. My favorite was that pennywort salad in the background. I have no idea what kind of plant it was, but it was a bit parsley-like in terms of both texture and taste, all while being dressed in a refreshingly acidic, spicy, and earthy mixture. The rice noodles, on the other hand, were not as exciting, and in fact was a bit weird with a clear gel sitting on top; I guess it was used like corn starch to create texture and body when you mixed it in. I'll pass on the noodles next time but I just love Burmese salads.

HK's Mashi No Mashi at Singapore's Guoco Midtown

This shop from Hong Kong is very ostentatious not just with that loud porcelainware and signage, but also attention-getting dishes like wagyu ramen and even wagyu bak kut teh on the menu (124 Beach Road #01-04). I was concerned that they were trying too hard, but nonetheless the thought of wagyu ramen got me curious enough to see what it was like.

The good thing is that they were able to cook the noodles nice and firm, and the broth was better than I was expecting too. But the meat, despite being wagyu, was suprisingly tough in some spots. The bowl wasn't anywhere as elegant as Hototogisu's version either. The gyoza was filled with a giant wad of beef in there but wasn't exciting enough to be worth it.

The Grilled Seabass from Bakalaki

Last time we came here, we had their sea bream. This time, we got their sea bass. I honestly don't remember the last one enough to make a valid comparison, but this one was tender and delicious enough. But that hefty S$72.90 (US$54) price tag is steep enough that this won't be a regular thing, even if it fed quite a few of us.

Enjoy Eating House and Bar at Novotel on Stevens

I know that they intentionally made this place look retro in a nod to old school cze char establishments, but I really wish that they had made it look more elegant instead, especially since it was out of sync with the upscale nature of the food (30 Stevens Road #01-07, 8511-1478).

See, the food was pretty good, both in terms of selection and quality. This was seen in Grandma's Te Kah Bee Hoon, which is not only something that one doesn't often find at restaurants, but is also a dish that featured nicely tender and fatty off-the-bone pig trotters. The Ugly Cabbage in Fish Sauce was deliciously savory and smoky with a mild degree of sweetness to round it out, while my favorite was the Hakka Claypot Red Rice Wine Chicken, which was wonderfully aromatic from that rice wine and was impressively moist at that.

But you paid a price for it all, like S$26 (US$19) for that otah above. Multiply that by several dishes and the bill added up quickly. Sure, one got quality ingredients for that price, but sitting in that multi-colored room just didn't make me feel good about spending that kind of money.

PhrikThai KuaiTiaoKai at Chinatown Complex

I went to this Thai chicken noodle soup stall (335 Smith Street #02-150) in part because they were supposed to have a bunch of fresh veggies for you to load up on. Well, it turned out that it was more of a garnish, but I was happy enough with all of the crunchy bean sprouts, bitter gourd, and cilantro that I threw on top, even if it wasn't quite the pile of leafy greens that I had envisioned. The rest of the bowl was fine, including the chicken, broth, and noodles. But I was really after the veggies.

Qinghuajiao's Signature Sichuan Peppercorn Fish

I made it back to Jingyuerong today, particularly to try the suancaiyu from the other side of the house. I was a bit puzzled when I ate it though, as the broth wasn't sour, but instead tasted of chicken broth. It was only then that I realized that there was a difference between their huajiao and suancai versions, the former of which I ordered because it was their "signature" namesake item. That might've been OK on its own right, but the quality of the fish in there was lousy, and the rice was horribly mushy. This was a far cry from Tai Er and Yao Yao.