Niu Dian's Spicy Pepper Beef Noodle

I'll admit that I got this mainly because the photo on the menu showed a pile of sliced white onions sandwiched between the beef and noodles. And yes, I definitely have some dragon breath now. But that was also because it was rather garlicky, in puree form, I think.

Anyway, the portion size of this bowl from Niu Dian was a bit small and I would have preferred a chewier noodle, but it was still good enough to eat quickly, especially when accompanied by a hearty bowl of beef broth on the side.

Menya Musashi NItoryu at Ngee Ann City, Singapore

I didn't even realize this until today, but the JFH people only have one Musashi outlet remaining in Singapore, and it is at Takashimaya (391 Orchard Road #B2-101). Even then, it's co-branded with Osaka Ohsho, so it's really just half of a store now. Anyway, tsukemen was on our agenda today. This rendition was pretty lousy though, as the noodles (underneath that pile of meat and lettuce above) were soft without much texture, while the broth was thin like what you'd find a normal bowl of ramen. That meat was hardly shabu shabu-thin either. We should go to Sanpoutei next time.

A Culiangyufen Stall in Singapore

On the surface, this chain of food court stalls looks like it's from China. But I think it's local, from what I can tell. Anyway, they serve rice noodles in a variety of broths along with your selection of protein. I went for their signature broth above, which was decently savory and rounded. Perhaps more interesting were the rice noodles, which included some black and corn varieites. They didn't really taste nor feel different (and one doesn't get to choose the colors either as they just use a mixed default). But at least it was a break from the usual white version.

JANCHI in Tanjong Pagar, Singapore

The people behind Market Blue have yet another restaurant in Tanjong Pagar (4 Craig Road) and it happens to serve those deulgireum makguksu noodles that I was trying to get last time. They definitely plated it very nicely above, but the taste of the perilla oil and the myeongnan roe were buried by a rather tangy dressing on those noodles. It got a bit tiring after a while, especially since a lot of the banchan today were also very tangy. At least that serving of roe was much more generous than the one that Hototogisu did with Yamaya.

Authentic Teochew Tradition Mushroom Minced Meat Noodle

I'm pretty sure that I've been to this stall at the Havelock Road Cooked Food Centre before, but I can't seem to find any record of it (22A Havelock Road #01-21). Anyway, it's one of the better bak chor mee shops around, with many elements not that different from Tai Wah, including a splash of vinegar as well as dried fish pieces (for the large bowl on the left at least). The tricky thing though is that these guys close at 2 PM, so one has to come here early.

Sodeng Opened a Second Outlet on Amoy Street

I never realized it until today, but Sodeng has opened a second outlet one street over (88 Amoy Street, 9615-8785). It features the same menu including duck, but for lunch they are now serving a beef-based gomtang.

And instead of spring onions, it was garnished with minari, which is like a Korean watercress, making it more conducive for afternoon meetings. The beef quality and broth were solid, especially when spiked with the salt and pepper that they now provide by default on each table. Yes, I liked it better than the duck-based one, and the banchan was better today too, with a very fresh kimchi similar to the one at Gagahoho.

It's interesting to see how quickly these guys are expanding in the area, with not just that second outlet of Um Yong Baek, but also another brand opening up on Stanley Street soon.

Jeonpo Meat Shop in Singapore

The people behind that Market Blue place in Tanglin Mall are on a tear. This time they brought in a Korean BBQ chain from Hong Kong, of all places (21 McCallum Street #01-03). They proudly display their meat in glass cases and yet also feature a humble retro decor, complete with banchan served on a big metal tray. And at lunchtime, they have cheap baekban sets, so I went for the jeyuk-bokkeum pork above. It wasn't anything that special, although it was cool to have rice served on a utilitarian metal plate, and the banchan spread was decent. Actually, there was quite a big lunch menu, so I'll likely be back for more.

Lynda Sandwich in The Shops at Vietnam Town

Right around the corner from Pho 90 Degree was this bánh mì shop (999 Story Road, 408-637-7777). I went straight to the top of the menu for their namesake Lynda Special Sandwich, featuring pork, shredded chicken, and chả lụa. It came out piping hot and crispy, and they seasoned it nicely too.

Trying Out Hủ Tiếu Bà Năm Sa Đéc

We were at Pho 90 Degree today when I figured that I should try something other than the usual #15. So I kicked it up thirty notches up to #45, which was this bowl of rice noodles done in the style of the southern Vietnamese city of Sa Đéc. I had no idea what it was and thus figured I'd give it a try.

To my surprise, that big scoop of red sauce wasn't spicy, but instead was like a tomato-based bolognese-like sauce with ground pork. It went on top of rice noodles with various proteins like shrimp and squid. Admittedly, I didn't like it too much though. This was not only because of the sauce, but because the rice noodles were all clumped together.

What was interesting though was that the plate of garnishes was different from what they provide for phở, with a different type of non-aromatic greens, while the chili peppers were pickled. The broth on the side was a bit sweet, perhaps from onions, but there was some marrow to suck out of that bone.

John's of Willow Glen in San Jose, California

If you're wondering what that is above, it's a beef gyro with fries as well as a side of roasted jalapenos from a place doing "American & Greek Food Since 1976" (1238 Lincoln Avenue, 408-998-1440). The salty meat and dense pita bread were not as good as I was hoping for, but it was still much better than that Nick The Greek place. The roasted jalapenos were also worth the extra three bucks. I won't be running back here for the food, but at least the prices were reasonable and the service was good.

Taqueria El Abuelo in San Jose, California

I've frequently seen others with these giantic protein-adorned michelada goblets before, but I only got around to trying one myself today. The shrimp were seasoned and even grilled to order at this shop (1005 Lincoln Avenue, 408-293-4470). It made for a nice snack while waiting for laundry next door, even if was a hefty $18. Next time I'd like to try their ceviche tostada and raid more of that big salsa bar.

Henry's World Famous Hi-Life in San Jose, California

This place is pretty cool in that it's a wooden relocated building that is over 100 years old and looks like it's straight out of a country western movie (301 West Saint John Street, 408-295-5414). We didn't even make it into the dining room as there was a surprisingly long wait tonight, but fortunately they served food at the bar, with the wooden menu posted right up on the wall in big letters.

Big also meant big prices, by the way. Like, an eye-popping $69 for a ribeye steak, and similar prices for other cuts of beef. I thus went for a burger at only a third of that price, and it was a decently generous half pounder above. I should have told them to cook it medium rare though, as that medium one above ended up being a bit tough and not as exciting as I would have hoped.

Their baby back ribs are decently fatty and tender at least, and there is something nostalgic about getting a cheap salad bowl with ranch dressing and a baked potato to go with dinner. Plus, they have a respectable range of taps from local breweries. That and the old school venue would be the things that would bring me back rather than the burger.