Ichikokudo Hokkaido Ramen in Singapore

This chain has been around for a number of years now. Yet I never bothered to go there, mainly because their signage features gigantic red prawns in their bowls, and frankly it just looked like way too much of a hassle to have to shell.

Upon closer inspection of the menu though, they had bowls that didn't feature prawns. So I went for their original shoyu, whose only protein was chicken (this place is halal), and whose broth was based on chicken and fish.

The quality of the ingredients, including the skinny noodles, were better than I thought they would be. But the broth had a sweet finish to it. It wasn't so annoying that it deterred me from finishing the bowl, but I won't get it again. I wonder how their orochon bowl tastes though.

Big Winners from The Vegetarian Butcher

I bought the box on the left out of sheer amusement with the cheeky name. But what I failed to realize was that I've tried The Vegetarian Butcher before, and I didn't like it. This time was no different: those sausages were spongy and slightly bitter, and not very cheap either. Impossible is still the one to beat. I won't even bother trying those Little Peckers on the right.

Hi Noodle (Haiyiwan Miandian) at 313@somerset

I'm not sure where this place is from (313 Orchard Road #B3-19). On the surface, it looks like it's from mainland China, especially with a condiment bar that looks like it's from a hotpot shop, as well as things like suancaiyu and mala xiaolongxia-topped noodles on the menu. But I couldn't find anything online about it, and the menu features local items like bak chor mee and chili crab noodles too.

My egg noodles turned out very soft, but it was still edible with that salted egg yolk and fish skin topping. I was more excited about the "Western Mixed Vegetables" in the foreground, as it was basically a salad with a respectable mala dressing. I'd come back more for that salad, and perhaps also the novelty of their automated soft serve ice cream machine that dispensed a cone in exchange for returning your tray.

My Kosong Bowl at Newton Tian Xiang Big Prawn Noodle

I love prawns, but it's hard to get in the mood to peel those darned things. So I've been searching for a shop that does a kosong version, and this shop (500 Clemenceau Avenue North #01-60) was happy to oblige.

To be sure, that was probably because they still charged me the same price as a prawn-adorned version. But it was affordable, and the the dark broth was nice and savory with a pleasant prawn-based aroma.

Still, it was sweet...like sugary sweet. So were the noodles. The dry chili flakes helped, but I definitely preferred the firm (non-sweet) noodles from their neighbors XO Minced Meat Noodles instead.

A9 Noodle Dumpling at Fortune Centre

I never realized that there were so many things to eat in this old building beyond vegetarian restaurants. Anyway, here is a Chinese shop that has gotten some attention lately for its prices in particular (190 Middle Road #02-26, 9667-1550). That plate of 15 dumplings above went for just S$4 (US$2.90).

To be sure, the dumplings themselves weren't anything special; I'd rather go to Zhong Guo La Mian Xiao Long Bao or Shenyang Feng Wei. But this guy has gigantic tubs full of chili oil, julienned ginger, and picked garlic, which was a big plus in my books.

Likewise, the noodles here were way too soft for me, and those fried items were rather limp and sad. But the bowl was seasoned with a tasty oil, and also came topped with chopped white onions, reminding me of Enishi. By the way, does anyone know what those savory white crumbs were that he topped it with?

Pondok Jawa Timur at Far East Plaza, Singapore

I kinda had a hunch that I would like this place given that the menu started with Indonesian soups (14 Scotts Road #05-22, 6884-5853). Sop buntut was at the top, followed by soto ayam. Third on the list was something that I hadn't tried before: rawan, or that dark soup above. It was dark because it was based on not just beef, but also keluak. The taste of the latter was subtle, while the texture of the former wasn't anything special, but I liked how they weren't afraid to make it salty. Indeed, the best part about this place is how deliciously savory things like that kangkung were. It was the best item that I had today.

Nuodle’s Lemon Beef La Mian

The thought of putting sliced lemons in a bowl of Lanzhou beef noodles sounded so strange to me that I couldn't get it out of my head. But that's what Niuyizui was advertising at one of its food court stalls, so I went back to gave it a shot.

It wasn't as weird as I thought it would be. After all, citrus works well with phở, sop buntut, menudo, and even the occasional bowl of ramen, so why not Lanzhou beef noodles? I happily ate this along with a couple of short yangrouchuanr that they threw into a paper sleeve.

Miznon’s “Fresh Golden Bag of Calamari”

We needed a late dinner tonight, and Miznon was conveniently nearby. They had their artichoke on the menu, as well as that calamari above. It hit the spot with all of its refreshing lemon, aioli, and herbs. Miznon rocks.

Wu Wang Guo Hot Pot at Chinatown Point

Another hotpot place opened earlier this year on the upper floors of Chinatown Point (133 New Bridge Road #03-09, 6227-0309). Like Haidilao, they are open until the wee hours of the morning, and also have lunch specials running at S$18.80 (US$13.70) with a quarter pot of broth.

The food was fine, but my cheap-bastard-hack of not paying for dipping sauces had its limits: it took a while for me to coax the taste of pork and vegetables into the plain water, and I still had to spike it with sodium from my selected mala broth.

Moreover, the money that I saved from the dipping sauce was offset by them upselling me on a big plate of pork that was on sale as part of a National Day promotion. I'd rather go to downstairs to Taikoo Lane for an easy hot pot lunch, but this place might come in handy when avoiding the huge crowds at Haidilao at night.

Putien’s Doutou Clams from China

Despite it being August already, Putien still had those Doutou mud clams from China in stock today, so I grabbed a couple of plates to see what all of the fuss was about.

These Pepperidge Farm Milano-shaped things were plump and (naturally) sweet, if mild. I liked the salt-baked preparation above better than the wine-simmered version, as the former retained some of its savoriness, whereas the latter's was extracted out into the wine broth.

And while I won't miss these when they are gone, I'm glad that I tried them. I also need to remember to come back for those yellow croakers since they are going for half-price through the rest of the year.

The Home Grown Salad from SaladStop Singapore

I don't know if I've ever gone for a pre-configured bowl at SaladStop! But today I noticed a big sign for this Home Grown Salad, which as the name suggests, features locally sourced products, like kale, romaine, cucumber and pea sprouds, all tossed a tamarind vinagrette. And yeah, I generally liked it, even if those barramundi patties were colder and denser than I was expecting. I may very well end up getting it again, especially since I rather enjoyed the mushroom medley in there.

Cipta Rasa Cafe Ria at Lucky Plaza in Singapore

I learned the hard way today that the Rabbit Brand shop at Lucky Plaza was closed on Sundays, so I made my way downstairs and found this little stall (304 Orchard Road #01-75). I was pretty encouraged given how they spoke Bahasa first, and the good thing was that the chili sauce in my mee soto was pretty potent. I wasn't a huge fan of the broth nor room temperature begedil, but I'd like to come back to try their bakso one day.