I love HUGE DUMPLINGS, and couldn't resist getting their 红油抄手 Poached Sichuan Dumplings in Spicy Sauce despite being full. The wrapper might be a lil thick, but these wontons are packed to the brim with flavourful chives and pork filling & bathed in the spicy and tangy concoction of Lao Gan Ma/vinegar.
IS THIS LIKE BISHAN'S BEST (not-so) HIDDEN GEM? Heard rave reviews on the handmade noodles Shi Xiang Ge 食香阁 @shixiangge on the 2nd floor of Bishan Bus Interchange and decided to try their Braised Pork Knife Shaved Noodles 刀削面. The portions here are HUGE, but these freshly made knife-shaved noodles are springy with a beautiful chew! Even on 小辣, their mala broth was numbingly spicy and addictive enough to get me slurping together with their noodles on a rainy afternoon. If you are more spice tolerant, there's more lao gan ma at the counter for that extra heat.🔥🍜 There are other variations like the Tomato and Egg version (which Friend A ordered), but I prefer having these thicc cut noodles with soup.
Dropped by Kuey Chap 大佬粿汁 as recommended by a friend and was surprised by the long queue even at 8pm! Added more meat & pig skin and a side of salted vegetables to my single portion, and everything costs ONLY $6.30! Their braising sauce is the deliciously savoury, old-school type I have been craving for! The innards and pork belly are flavourful yet clean-tasting without the weird gamey funk, but my favourite would be their pig skin, stripped clean of fat and braised to a QQ toothsome texture.👍🏻 I think it makes sense that the accompanying kway is plainer in taste, so you can enjoy slurping the smooth & delicate rice sheets with the braised flavours of the ingredients!
The chilli here is a 10/10, with the mild heat and extra tang satisfying your kway chap cravings even more! And the auntie is super polite and friendly - she will take her time to explain to each customer which ingredients are sold out ("对不起，今天没有**") rather than your usual curt "没有"(NO).
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📍Address: 93 Lor 4 Toa Payoh, #01-40, Singapore 310093. Open 5.30-11pm. Closed on Mondays and Thursdays.
Their Sesame Oil Chicken was decent, but we felt the characteristic sesame oil aroma was too subtle for our liking. 😅 The boneless chicken chunks were tender and savoury - saucy enough to pair with the generous amount of scorched rice crispies (锅巴) from the claypot rice towards the end!
Raise your virtual hand if you enjoy a yummy CRACKLY CLAYPOT RICE like we do! 🙌🏻 Chanced upon this pretty solid Claypot Rice from Bao Fa Traditional Food 宝发传统小食 at Bukit Batok while running errands. Noticed that only drumstick meat was used here, so the chicken meat was tender and well-seasoned whilst mostly deboned (aside from some slight bony pieces). The rice was well-cooked, neither too dry nor too lumpy, punctuated with the smoky umami from the salted mackerel bits and sizable lup cheong slices. The chilli reminds me of chicken rice chilli, but it's punchy and spicy enough.👍🏻 There's a notice on their signboard saying that the waiting time can take up to 20 minutes, but good things are worth waiting for, right?
WHOLE STEAMED SEABASS ONLY AT $9?! Popped by Toa Payoh Palm Spring Market at Lorong 4 for lunch, and Hee Hee Hee Steamed Fish & Seafood caught my attention with its punny signboard (might have chuckled a lil hee hee) and affordable steamed fish/seafood sets! The portion of the fish is generous and value-for-money for one person but still sufficient if shared amongst 2 people with sides included! I liked the fish meat was supple and fresh without any 土味, enhanced by the fragrant and savoury aromatics drizzled on top. They also offer thai seafood dipping sauce, though not necessary (unless u want to add some tang and heat) given the freshness of the seafood. Depending on the catch available for the day, they have other options, such as Grouper and Golden Pomfret!
You can pair your steamed fish sets with sides like Lala or Otah Steamed Egg!
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📍 Address: 93 Toa Payoh Lorong 4, Singapore 310093. 11am to 8pm, closed on Mondays. Other outlets include TPY Lorong 7 and Circuit Road.
Their Special Shio Ramen is well-balanced - flavourful yet clean with a nuanced saltiness that doesn't overwhelm your tastebuds or leave you thirsty. It goes really well with their toothsome noodles, and I cleared the entire bowl without realising it. 😅 More importantly, these thick char siu slices adorning the bowl be BUSSIN' HARD! Every slice is not overly fatty and takes on a soft, melt-in-the-mouth consistency, with the rich meaty flavours intensified by a smoky caramelisation from the blowtorch. It's so SHIO-k that I wouldn't mind dropping by for a 2nd bowl despite being a Westie! 🍜
TL;DR: Pair this with Dark Chocolate Sorbet & Triple Biscuit Crunch! 🧇🍨
Spotted their new seasonal Churros Mochi Waffle on their menu. As someone who loves churros very mochi (ok terrible pun bye yall😆🤪), I would have happily wiped the entire waffle with the chocolate sauce even if there was no gelato! Hot and crisp on the outside, fluffy on the inside.
Close friends are going to call me out for this but I love a good Dark Chocolate Sorbet. After Hours’ rendition exceeded expectations with an intense (though not overwhelming) dark chocolate decadence and velvety smooth mouthfeel. 🍫While essentially just vanilla ice cream, the Triple Biscuit Crunch gelato adds a textured crunch and a savory treat from the crushed potato chips, pretzels and nestum. 🍪
The Xiao Long Bao was decent which bb enjoyed, though BB felt that the aspic was slightly sweeter than he would have preferred. Skin thickness was alright, and the meat filling texture was among the better ones we have tried thus far.
These baos in the Shanghai Tan Pan-Fried Bun Platter are LEGIT JOOOOICY! Both the pork and prawn buns are packed with well-flavourful & QQ meat filling and brimming with stock like a xiao long bao (which we also ordered), so we were careful not to spurt the broth onto our clothes. We liked the prawn variant more because of the fresh prawns incorporated into the meat filling. Also enjoyed the contrast between the softer & thinner texture of the wrapper and the thicker & crusty base (where the knot is fried) that tasted like a fried mantou.
You can also mix and match the appetiser options in their Appetizer Platter. Their Shanghainese Drunken Chicken features bite-sized pieces with supple skin and subtle tones of Shaoxing wine, and the Black Fungus in Vinegarette is a good option if you want something tangy and spicy!
Unfortunately, I couldn’t say the same for the Tiger Red Bean Paste Bun. While I enjoyed the cosrser texture of the red bean filling, my experience was sadly hampered by the drier bun texture, which clung onto my teeth after a few bites.
