Shake Shack Singapore x Keng Eng Kee Seafood

Shake Shack been doing a series of local collaborations lately, and this one is with Michelin-listed KEK Seafood. They took cze char dishes like coffee pork ribs and white pepper crab and made burgers out of them. I had the latter, and it was pretty good, as rhe taste of the Sarawak white pepper shone through without overwhelming it. The big pile of Julienned green scallions was fun too. But it's been so long since I've last been here that I forgot that I don't like their boring fries. I should have opted for the special with white pepper sauce drizzled on top instead.

Zhengzheng Rishang (“AMS Steam Seafood Bee Hoon”)

It took me a while to figure out what "Ams" meant before I realized that it was an abbreviation for the Amoy Street Food Centre that it is located at (7 Maxwell Road #02-120). Anyway, I was delighted to find another hawker stall doing steamed seafood. And what was kinda cool about this guy was the fact that he served it on these curly rice noodles that I'd never seen before. The seafood was fresh and naturally sweet, and I ate it pretty quickly, even if it was still a far cry from Hee Hee Hee. The portions were pretty tiny too, so next time I might add some other proteins like fish and clams. If I read it correctly, this guy was a former corporate chef from Malaysia.

Jiaxiang Chuanhucai in Chinatown, Singapore

This was a random pit stop on the way home tonight (189 New Bridge Road #01-02). I wasn't sure if late night shops along the main drag in Chinatown were going to be any good, but what pulled me in here was the fact that they did shuizhuyu that was seasoned with jiaoyan peppercorn salt. It turned out not to be very salty nor spicy, but there was a cool-looking amber hue on the fish slices. It hit the spot, and it was nice that the fish wasn't muddy either.

Ingleside in Tanjong Pagar, Singapore

This place turned out a lot better than I thought it would (49 Tras Street). They emphasize dry aging, fermentation, and wood fire techniques, and it all came together nicely in the food. That kinmedai above, for instance, was dry aged for four days and was pleasantly savory, even without the fermented chicken sauce on the side. I was similarly happy with a pork cheek that they did with maitake and shio koji, not to mention a side dish of impressively meaty mushrooms. The service was a bit unpolished, but they were nonetheless friendly and attentive.

Baan Thai Noodle at International Plaza

This is maybe my third time here, and yet I have to confess that the food is a bit watered down and doesn't really get me too excited (10 Anson Road #01-73). The main reason why I keep going back though is because of the cool experience: it occupies a tiny little sliver of a unit in a hallway with bench seating that perhaps can only seat six people. Plus, the food is cheap, comes out quickly, and the staff is friendly. And with the array of condiments available on the counter, I can still spike my food with lots of chili peppers and vinegar as needed.

Annalakshmi’s Cauliflower, Yogurt, and Chili Uttappam

That was delicious. I mean, I've always liked uttappam, but this one from Annalakshmi had very small cuts of cauliflower in it. They scorched up nicely on the grill, while dried chili peppers provided an edgy accent to it all. I inhaled this thing in the blink of an eye.

The Aji Fry Teishoku from Katsu-An

I haven't been back to Katsu-An since the first time that I went. But it was one of the few things open this morning, and they incidentally happened to be offering aji furai as a limited special right now. It was crispy and edible enough, but also forgettable aside from the fact that it was only S$11.90 (US$9). So it goes back to the premise of Katsu-An: one goes for the cheap prices and convenience rather than the food itself.

Paik’s Noodle Serves Mapo Tofu

I never knew that Paik Jong-won did mapo tofu. But I guess that would make sense at his jjajangmyeon shop. It was rather heavily loaded with onion and garlic bits though, and wasn't particularly spicy either. I don't need to get this again as a result, but at least it was edible enough for me to finish, especially since I wasn't in the mood for noodles tonight.

The Suancaiyu Pianbao from Cailinji Singapore

It turns out that Cailinji also serves suancaiyu. One can tell just by appearances alone that this was nothing like Tai Er. But it sufficed today, and was quite filling with all of the veggies and tofu skin underneath. I also grabbed a pair of those fried half-bagel mianwo thingies; they still didn't get me terribly excited, although at least they came out of the fryer piping hot.

Heritage Pork Noodles at the Yi Ho Eating House

This stall serves that Sabah shengroumian above (5 Tanjong Pagar Plaza #02-04). I'm not sure what the differences are with Sarawak noodles, and I guess this is different from what that Sandakan stall serves. But this did the job, even if the broth was sweet. I liked that the cuts of meat were fresh and of decent quality.

Actually, it was the noodles that were the best part of it all. That was not only because they were cooked firmly with a nice bite, but also because of that dark soy sauce and shallot mixture that gave it a pleasantly earthy taste. I should have ordered a double portion of noodles.

Hokkaido's Kumachan Onsen Shabu Shabu & Yakiniku

I'm not sure how this place is pitched in Japan, but their outlet in the upper reaches of Orchard Central is rather confusing (181 Orchard Road #07-10, 6509-1176). I mean, clearly the cute frozen teddy bear broth above is the main draw, but then they appended a budget yakiniku part to it.

We twiddled our thumbs waiting for the bear to melt before we could eat. And that's when we realized that maybe that's where the yakiniku part came in: for you to grill your meat while waiting for the broth. But then people who ordered from the separate "set meal" portion had just a yakiniku tray without the broth. Everything is individually portioned here.

Well, the food itself was edible enough, and they even had a Haidilao-like condiment bar for you to raid, albeit with a pretty limited selection. Either way, the confusing setup and off-beat location were enough of a turn-off that we're not likely going back. It's one of those get-your-photo-once and that's enough kind of a place.

A Hainanese Chicken Cutlet Aglio Olio Set

This was from a random stall called Western Boy up at the top of Great World. It wasn't anything to get excited about, but I was nonetheless fascinated by the idea behind combining two separate "Western" dishes that have been so lovingly embraced locally. The chicken was thin and crispy but covered with a standard-issue sweet sauce, while the noodles featured dried chili but were heavy on the (slightly burnt) garlic. I still liked them enough to clear the plate, and now wonder how their standard chicken chop fares.