King of Laksa at The Central, Singapore

When I first saw this Katong laksa stall at the Sinfoodie food court, I was worried that it was trying too hard (6 Eu Tong Sen Street #B1-31). They put up a big Michelin logo with a star, but they were only a Bib Gourmand. Still, the food really was good. It wasn't because it was "healthier," but because of the quality of ingredients and the bowl's overall balance.

Despite them pouring a copious amount of coconut milk in there, it wasn't excessively rich, and instead was just the right amount of thickness and spiciness, not to mention a bit of grittiness from dried seafood or something. The best part was the cockles, which were amazingly delicate yet briny. That was wonderful and I'm definitely going back.

Leila in Singapore's Chinatown

On the former grounds of Takeshi Noodle bar is this Middle Eastern and Balkan place (12 Teck Lim Road). It's got vibes and dishes a bit like North Miznon, including engaging service and an upbeat tempo. And the food was pretty good, including a pillowy Yemeni brioche called kubana that went nicely with some pickled peppers. We were happy with some of their other items too, including their artichoke on labneh as well as "Moroccan sashimi." To be sure, that fish above didn't get me too excited, while their green chili shrimp were not the freshest, but they did the job. My preference is still for North Miznon.

Korea's Dolpan Hwajoo in Singapore

This shop from Busan has taken over the Seoul Noodle Shop outlet next to Grilled Fish Keisuke (99 Tanjong Pagar Road). As with a lot of Korean places, they focus on shared group meals and alcohol at dinner time, but fortunately they do individual portions at lunch.

I went for this braised chicken and beef intestine dish at the top of their menu, and it was pretty good. The stew was mildly thick and sweet, in a good way, with just the right amount of spiciness to go with the tender boneless chicken and large intestines.

I liked it better than Kelim Dakdoritang, even if they aren't quite the same thing. This shop also does things like cheese-toppped pork ribs that even come with some big blowtorch theatrics at dinner time, along with some flavored makgeolli. That's not really my thing, but I'll go back for the lunch.

China's Chang An Ji at Lau Pa Sat in Singapore

Chang An Ji is a chain from Xian that has an outlet down here at Lau Pat Sat (18 Raffles Quay #01-24). But it's quite different given that they do full-blown sitdown restaurants up there, whereas this was a mere hawker stall limited to dumplings and noodles. And if my information is correct, they don't even have niuroubing on their China menu, even if they offer it here. This one was rather dense and lifeless compared to Ameen Roti. Those shrimp and crab roe dumplings above looked rather sloppy, but at least they came out faster than I expected. I ate it pretty quickly either way.

Saikyo Pasta at Icon Village, Singapore

This is a cute little Japanese pasta counter that was apparently a home-based business previously (12 Gopeng Street #01-86). They have a limited selection of three different pastas on the menu, like the mentaiko one above. The good thing was that they kept the noodles super firm. But it was also rather heavy on the garlic for me, and I am not entirely sure if I'll go back.

Sin & Savage Bakehouse at Stirling View

This place is pretty cool in that it's tucked away in an unassuming housing estate near Mei Ling Market (169 Stirling Road, #01-1153). It's run by fine-dining alums, and it shows in the food, like the texture and taste of those scrambled eggs above. Next time, I'm going for the Rösti, which looked impressive.

The Yuzu Shio Ramen from Mensho Tokyo

I grabbed Mensho's yuzu shio bowl tonight. All of the ingredients were of good quality, but there were too many of them in there, even without the egg and duck that I added in for more protein. I was surprised that there were so many garnishes pulling the taste in different directions, especially the garlic, tomato, and lime. Frankly, there was way too much garlic, with a giant clump of it sitting at the bottom. If I get that bowl again, then I have to request the no-garlic option.

En Yeoh’s Bak Kut Teh in Singapore

I scratched my head when I first saw this place. See, they have signage boasting about being "Singapore's BEST Bak Kut Teh" and having a "recipe well-loved for more than 35 years." It made them sound like a storied name like Founder, Song Fa, or Ng Ah Sio, but I had never heard of them.

What was even weirder was that the menu featured Malaysian bak kut teh instead, and it also featured Japanese ingredients including gindara, ramen, and paitan. It turns out that this was a partnership between the EN Group and a shop from Klang called Yeoh's...and hence the name. They have a few outlets in Singapore now.

I enjoyed the food either way. The meat was both tender and generous, and was seasoned with just the right amount of dark soy sauce, spices/herbs, and dried squid, making it easy to shovel down rice. I'd go back for that. They have an interesting obsession with alcohol here too, but I'll stick to the food.

Gamja Korean Soul Food in Singapore

A chef from Korea has opened up a shop down here specializing in this pork neck soup called gamjatang (21 Boon Tat Street). They do individual portions at lunchtime, and it was pretty good. The pork was tender and fatty, and went nicely with the sharp broth and veggies. They have a boneless option available if you wanted it, but I went for the bone-in version.

The meat was tender enough to come off the bone pretty easily using the tongs that they provided; gloves were also available if you really wanted to get into it. Now that I think of it, I completely forgot to suck out the marrow while I was at it. That just means that I'll have to go back for it again, even if it can be quite a messy and hands-on experience.

Nice Noodle at Oxley Tower in Singapore

The team behind Nice Rice has opened up a noodle offshoot that gets some pretty long lines, in part because the tiny venue can hardly seat many people (138 Robinson Road #01-08). Anyway, you configure your bowl with your choice of protein and noodle type, some of which come in a broth but otherwise are mostly dry.

Yes, the noodle quality was good, as it was chewy without being overcooked. Just as with the rice shop, they really know how to do their protein here, including not just the pork above, but also an incredibly tender and moist chicken option despite its off-puttingly drab appearance.

But the seasoning is very similar to the rice shop, with a tendency to lean into truffles, onions, and garlic. Fortunately it's not overwhelming, although my bowl above today got borderline bitter. The line here gets better closer to 2 PM just before they close at 2:30 PM; I'll just go to the rice shop instead.

My Protein-topped Yamakake Natto Soba from IKI

Healthy Soba IKI has both a protein bowl and a yamakake natto bowl, and I wanted both. So I ordered the latter but topped up with two of the cheapest protein options available: an egg and some chicken breast. They managed to put the egg in there, along with the raw one that it was already supposed to come with, while the chicken breast was on the side, naked. Yep, it was slimy yet healthy, and delicate yet savory. And best of all, it was completely guilt-free.

Fried Oyster from Ah Huat Hokkien Mee

I got this fried oyster from Ah Huat today in the interests of protein. It didn't come with any fish sauce though, and it was just too greasy. The sour chili sauce helped cut through it, but it just got rather tiring after a while. I didn't bother to finish.