The Seafood Pao Fan from Hup Lok

I tried the paofan at Hup Lok today, which came out in a rolling boil. But that broth got so quickly absorbed and evaporated that by the time I finally ate it, it was more like a paella marinera, complete with squid, clams, and prawns. But it still had a sinfully greasy fried egg in there to make it rich. I was happy to eat it with a side of their clams in white wine, even if the two dishes were quite similar.

The Ayam Buah Keluak from Gem of Nonya

I went back to Gem of Nonya, and fortunately both the ayam buah keluak and otak were still available today. The preparation was quite different on both though. The chicken was a complete leg sitting in a sauce rather than having the original nuts to scoop from; that made the taste much more mild, but I still happily ate it. Their otak wasn't wrapped in a leaf-wrapped parcel, but instead in a claypot. More importantly, the texture was more tender, like a steamed tofu, rather than a solid fish cake. Interesting that they approached both so delicately.

The Healthy Larb Salad from Folks Collective

I really haven't given Folks Collective enough attention, as the food is pretty good. I guess the awkward name always threw me off. Anyway, this was the pork larb, which was potent and had lots of gritty toasted rice powder. I was quite happy with it and intend to go back for more.

The Gem of Nyonya at ICON Link @ Club Street

This quaint little place on top of the blue train line does some fast and cheap Peranakan meals at lunchtime (8 Club Street #B2-13). And that braised pork above was better than I thought it would be, as it wasn't as sweet as it could have been, and was also sliced into relatively thin strips that didn't make it overwhelming. The clean-tasting sambal and butterfly pea flower rice kept it fun and pretty too. Next time I should go earlier before they sell out of their buah keluak chicken.

Hot Burg at the Star Vista in Singapore

It's interesting how quickly successful concepts get replicated here. This one (1 Vista Exchange Green #02-17) is jumping onto Japanese hanbaagu, but more specifically Niku Niku Oh!! Kome in the sense that they featured everything from colored counter magnets to grilled broccoli and cheese grated in front of you. It looks like this one is from those Gyushi takeout bowl folks.

The meat itself was very tender, but wasn't particularly tasty. There was a huge array of sauces and condiments on the counter, many of which were slightly sweet. Even the seasonal soup today was a little sweet, as it was based on pumpkins, if I tasted it correctly. None of it was so sweet that I couldn't finish, but presumably it was done that way to appeal to a wider palate.

Qiannan Bites in Singapore

A place serving Guizhou cuisine has opened at CityLink Mall (1 Raffles Link #B1-63A), and these "silk roll dolls" were probably the most unique thing on the menu. They even had a small plaque on each table with assembly instructions.

Yes, one basically makes little tacos using the various ingredients in the box. But one is also supposed to fold one end in and leave the other open to scoop in some of the broth, which one is separately supposed to mix with fire-roasted chili powder.

It was surprisingly filling, and I hardly even used those fishmint roots in the box on the left. I kept trying to eat a piece or two in the hopes of acquiring a taste for it. But I stopped after about five or six tries, as it really did taste like biting into a bar of soap (or at least, how I imagine biting into a bar of soap would taste like).

NiKU iKU in Singapore

The Wok Hey folks opened this yakiniku-in-a-box chain a couple of years ago. Similar to Wok Hey, they cook to order, so it can be pretty slow. And yet somehow I've been willing enough to go back a few times to wait for either their chicken or beef box; and that's despite the fact that it's borderline too sweet and garlicky too. I guess I just like the straight up meat and veg piping hot from the grill, including those signature zucchini slices.

The Yong Tau Foo from Bai Jia Le

One thing that I failed to get on my first visit to Bai Jia Le was the yong tau foo add-on, and it was only after returning this week did I realize how absolutely ginormous these pieces were. It wasn't just the cut of the vegetables, but the huge amount of meat filling inside. That photo isn't doing it justice because you can't see the vertical height of how thick those things were. They also did a shiitake mushroom that was super plump, both from the meat as well as the mushroom itself. This place is awesome.

Chef Lai's Cafe at the Adelphi in Singapore

This is a tiny basement spot from a former Chatterbox chef (1 Coleman Street #B1-16). And the Chatterbox genes showed, with not just that tray-and-dish layout above, but also in the moist boneless meat with a bit of sesame oil. It was nice that the rice wasn't overcooked and the chili oil wasn't too garlicky. If I am here again, then I should give the curry chicken a try, as it looked promising.

Nekobushi at Orchard Plaza in Singapore

The Yet To Name Ramen shop has hit the reset button and is now called Nekobushi, doing udon in collaboration with the dude from Hearth Irori & Oden. That tofu bowl above featured a crispy garnish on top that I rather enjoyed, as it was fried and seasoned just right. The noodles were slippery and almost like local kway teow, but with the added surprise of a super wide cut hidden in there too.

The thing that they emphasized though was the broth, which was savory and of good quality. But it was also a little sweet. There were a bazillion condiments on the counter to adjust it with, but I couldn't quite get it right. It was high-caliber cooking, but it just didn't resonate with me emotionally. I would nonetheless like to come back to try the beef version, as he does it with aburakasu.

Long John Silver's in Singapore

This is a place that I haven't eaten at in like 20 years. But a lot of their stores in Singapore have been closing recently, so I figured I'd try it again before they're completely gone. To my surprise, it was a little more sophisticated than I remembered it to be. They now provide a choice of fishes, including dory, rockfish, and pollock, the latter two of which were my selections. The rockfish was the better of the two given that the much cheaper pollock was concerningly frail. They still provide those "Crumblies" bits of batter, but the batter was also surprisingly salty.

Berempah Bros in Singapore

This small chain of ayam berempah shops is not halal given that pork features prominently on the menu. Nonetheless, it's from a MasterChef contestant, and the techniques used are pretty good. There was a bit of a wait because they cooked to order, but it meant that the chicken was incredibly moist inside yet crispy on the outside, making it better than the average hawker stall. But the seasoning was a bit excessive, with that typhoon shelter topping being candy-like sweet. Granted, I can see why people like it, and perhaps that's the selling point, but that's the thing that would keep me from getting it again.