Ameen Roti in Singapore’s Kampong Glam

I've seen signs for "beef roti" up in Malaysia in the past year, but I had dismissed it at that time, figuring that it was just a local name for roujiamo. It turns out that it's more of a fully-enclosed pastry called niuroubing instead, and it is pan-fried in oil. This shop (674 North Bridge Road) was so good at making theirs that I immediately bought more after trying one.

All of the components rocked, including the flaky pastry, the grease that it was soaked in, the fatty diced beef and onions inside, as well as the salt and huajiao spices that went into it. It was served piping hot, and was much better than another stall that I came across at Lau Pa Sat the other day. That was one of the best things that I've had in a while.

BayBay Yunnan Cuisine Bistro at Esplanade Mall

Somehow I never realized until now that Yunhaiyao doesn't have any outlets in Singapore anymore, even if its downscale spinoff Yun Place is still around. At least there is another Yunnan restaurant at the Esplanade, of all places (8 Raffles Avenue #01-09). I saw porcini mushrooms on the menu and went straight for it.

This one came out like laziji, with the mushrooms drowning in dried chili peppers. Normally that'd be a good thing, but it was so difficult to extract the thin (and very limited) mushroom slivers from the chili that it got a little frustrating. I liked the one at Yunhaiyao better. I just wish that this dish weren't so expensive.

I was also a bit bummed to find that the big craft beer selection from China that they advertised was mostly unavailable tonight, and I didn't see single pours of their rice wine available either. Well, at least things like their heisandou were cheaper, so maybe I'll get that next time. The food still tasted good at least.

Mee Rebus from Selamat Datang Warong Pak Sapari

I don't eat mee rebus frequently enough to make any decent comparisons. But the one from Warong Pak Sapari was thick and certainly presented nicely, with the noodles underneath being scaldingly hot. The garnishes provided accentuation, along with that dark and spicy soy sauce. Too bad the begedil that I added wasn't hot from the fryer though.

Japan's Schau Essen at Snap!! Hot Dogs

I had forgotten that I had tried this brand before, but Schau Essen is from Japan, doing arabiki pork hot dogs that are impressively snappy yet mild. This stand along the waterfront at Esplanade Mall was selling them with these soft buns (8 Raffles Avenue #01-K8), and I wolfed it down quickly. I could eat that again if I'm nearby.

Onigiri Gon at Fortune Centre

I guess that this is becoming a Fortune Centre blog. This shop is pretty cool though (90 Middle Road #01-18); it is a small counter that makes onigiri to order. The seaweed gets soggy when wrapped around warm rice, but the ingredients are proper. I'm not just talking about the fillings, but even in things like the pickles and soup, which had a nice depth to it. This place is on par or even better than some of those onigiri-ya chains in Japan. Yes I'd be happy to go back, although one must avoid the packed lunch hour. There wasn't much of a wait closer to 3 PM today, but it's too bad that he closes at 4 PM.

Revisiting Thunder Tree ("Fire Flies") in Chinatown

OK, I guess this is unintentionally becoming a leichafan blog after all. I wasn't intending to come here today, but I was nearby and there is a stuffed bittergourd special on Thursdays that I wanted to try. It's the brown thing in the bottom right corner above, and came out piping hot. I also grabbed their kolomee option in my bowl on the left, which certainly made it more interesting, even if the toppings generally weren't as fun as Living Wholesome from yesterday. I'm not sure if they use fermented tofu like I mentioned last time, but the thick and rich broth is the standout thing here.

Living Wholesome Vegetarian Thunder Tea Rice

No, this isn't meant to be a leichafan blog, nor is it one about restaurants at Fortune Centre. It's just that these guys (190 Middle Road #01-23) had a rather interesting take on this dish, particularly in that it's caffeine-free.

Yep, that meant that they didn't use tea leaves but rather other herbs. I liked it. The broth was a bit more acidic than it was bitter, but more importantly, each of the individual ingredients were sautéed and seasoned with care, like those small cubes of tofu that they generously put inside. That's separate from the big piece of tofu on top that I added; they fried that to order so that it was piping hot yet delicate.

The care that they put into it all made it good. Next time I want to try their beehoon to see if it's better than LoveLei's version. And I might not pour the soup in to let the individual components shine.

Hao Lai Wei at Fortune Centre, Singapore

I noticed this shop (190 Middle Road #04-16) last time I was up here to get ramen. I guess it was hard to miss given all of the loud signage plastered on the outside. Even on the inside, there's wall-to-wall signage that creates some sensory overload. Anyway, there's basically just one thing on the menu, which is that fish soup above, along with options for tofu on the side.

They were pretty generous with the fish, which was fresh and firm. But the broth was simmered with scallops and shallots in there, if I tasted it correctly. That overcomplicated it for me (as did their tendency to sprinkle furikake over so many things). I think they were trying to do a Cantonese take on it, but I prefer a crisper broth instead.

The DeLEI Bowl from LoveLei Food

Here's that grilled chicken bowl from LoveLei Food, and as promised, I got the green leicha paste as a salad dressing. And it was pretty good! The paste was savory and the right thickness, and they actually provided a good amount of vegetables. But the bee hoon noodles were mushy, the chicken was tough and covered in a sweet sauce, and the yong tau foo on the side was also sweet. I wonder if I can ask them to use the green paste on the chicken next time instead of that sweet stuff.

Serangoon BBQ & Curry (SBC1983) in Singapore

I got pulled into this place by their branding pitch: it's an old family business that has moved around and is now modernized. The ayam bakar above was their signature dish; the chicken was tender, yet crisp and piping hot. But that was the only thing that I liked. The default sambal that they provided was a yawner, while the achar was rather sweet. At least they gave butterfly blue pea rice, which was cool. If I go back, then I should pay extra to have them put the curry on the side, not to mention find a punchier sambal.

Took Lae Dee is Still in Singapore

Do you remember these guys? I had such high hopes for them, but they closed their original location and I thought they had left the country. It turns out that they have one outlet remaining here in Singapore, and it's at Gardens by the Bay, of all places (18 Marina Gardens Drive).

It seems that its local operator runs this entire Jurassic Nest FoodHall and filled it with some of their other brands like Tsuta and Hawker Chan, and even pulled Bismillah and Ayam Taliwan to the mix.

It's also interesting that they offer boat noodles here, as apparently it is not something that they offer in Thailand. Actually, it wasn't very good. But I'm happy to have found this place again. It may be in a tacky dinosaur-themed food hall filled with tourists, but at least I know I can come here to get it.

Fifth Season's DIPU in Singapore

I didn't realize this until after I sat down, but this place (8 Club Street #B2-37) is from the people behind Fifth Season. I'd otherwise would have thought that it was just some random no-name shop featuring odd menu items like burgers and wraps. But this chelow kebab bowl was better than I thought it would be; the meat was piping hot yet moist, while the rice was decently fluffy. The gravy and yogurt were a bit sweet, so it's not something that I'd go running back for. But it was all only S$10 (US$8) and it was fast.