fusion 🍽

Made a second visit within the week and decided to try something different! The braised pork bowl ($10.90+) is reminiscent of a Taiwanese lu rou fan. I found the meat a little too fatty, but the sauce was thick and savoury, balanced by the acidity of pickled cucumbers and chilli. Best part of a meal here is definitely the impeccable service - the staff is warm and attentive, which makes for a really great dining experience!

Greatly enjoyed the fusion flavours in this fried tofu bowl ($9.90+)!! The truffle scrambled egg is silky smooth and fragrant. The tofu had a crispy battered crust and was topped by some braised mushrooms!

Decided to give this new joint a shot and was very pleasantly surprised by the quality of its food! The beef bowl ($10.90+) features tender sliced beef simmered in shoyu sauce - whilst a little fatty, it was extremely soft and bursting with flavour! The broccoli was nicely roasted with some spices. It was balanced with the sweetness from caramelised onions and acidity from pickles!

Thought I had already found a good truffle beef bowl elsewhere, but Le Cow’s rendition easily tops the chart! The truffle beef yakiniku ($18+) comprises white rice with pickled daikon, an onsen egg and some vegetables. The truffle aroma is strong, but the highlight was definitely the beef itself! Marbled beautifully with a good ratio of meat to fat, the beef melts in your mouth and is chock full of jus. Would come back just for this dish!! 🌟

Definitely a cut above our local favourite! The Iberico Char Sui ($18+) features white rice topped with sous vide iberico pork, chinese vegetables and a shoyu egg. The char sui was a little too fatty for me, but that was to be expected given the cut of meat. I was very impressed with the glaze - it was intensely sweet and rich in flavour!! Also loved the super spicy chilli.

A staple in many cafes, Kindred Folk does a decent rendition - a tangy sauce with onions & garlic over linguine, with some prawns. Spice It Up ($15) could do with a stronger spicy sauce!

Mi-so Sexy ($15) features thin pasta in a miso-sesame sauce, with sautéed shimeji mushrooms and an onsen egg. Am hardly a fan of fusion food, but the flavours work surprisingly well: sweet nuttiness and savoury mushrooms. The egg was also perfectly cooked and runny all the way through!

Exclusive to the Scotts Square outlet is this linguine pasta doused in salted egg sauce and served with a whole soft shell crab ($23++). Was a bit apprehensive when ordering this but the sauce tasted exactly like how you’d expect it to, and the crispy crab cut through what might otherwise be a heavy meal. The goma furikake added some variation to the dish as well!

Populus has two lunch sets to choose from! This is the beef ramen ($22+), with thin noodles similar to u-mian. The “Asian sauce” had a tinge of oyster sauce and vinegar! The braised beef was tender and fell apart easily, and was extremely flavourful. Interestingly, the wanton was filled with bacon and mushroom! It sure is a twist from the usual local fare. The set meal is particularly worthwhile as you get your choice of coffee (+$1 for ice, some exclusions) :-)

Tried the highly raved soft shell crab curry ($17)! Wasn’t quite sure what to expect in this east meets west fusion dish, but it definitely grows on you. Served with toast, cauliflower and roasted potatoes, the dish is mildly spicy and has the pickled acidity similar to asam curry.

Scored this dish using the burpple beyond 1-for-1 which is unfortunately limited to mains and pastas, with exclusions. Would have loved to try some of the egg dishes! Also requested for the mains to be served after the wings, but they were served together and got cold whilst finishing the sides. Seating at fuel plus is quite limited too, so best to head down early!