Adam's Delights Combo Specialist

I probably wouldn't have even noticed this stall at Adam Food Centre had it not been for that discussion a couple of weeks ago about Dee Mee Combo House Mutton Soup. It turns out that this stall does "combo" plates too (2 Adam Road #01-11)...and in the corner of the menu was mee kuah. I finally had a chance to try it, but was a bit surprised to find it covered in a sugary red sauce instead of the brown savory reduction that I had thought it would be. It was a bit sweet, but I still ate it all. I can't help but wonder what it would have been like if it were based on the kambing soup from Bahrakath next door.

Tokyo's Sushidan at Raffles City Shopping Centre

That was impressively good...and surprisingly affordable. I mean, I've been to Sushidan in Japan where it was also decently good and cheap, but their Singapore outlet (252 North Bridge Road #B1-44C) left me with a better impression on both of those points. The quality of the ingredients was very prominent here, including not just the various pieces of fish, but more importantly, the firm and properly seasoned rice. The service was attentive with pieces delivered individually while still being efficient. And to think that my entry-level set was only S$19.90 (US$15.50)! Yes, this was better than that Teppei set, and was easier to get seated at too.

Super Simple in Singapore

It seems like there are a bazillion shops in the city center doing healthy build-your-own bowls for office workers these days. But none of them have gotten me too excited, even if they are healthy, fast, and cheap. This small chain, on the other hand, was a recent discovery that resonated with me a lot more.

In particular, their chicken thigh is so tender and tasty that I occasionally get cravings for it. I think I saw a footnote that said it contained dairy, so I wonder if they use yogurt or cream to tenderize it like a murgh malai kebab. True to their name, they season everything so simply that I like it much better than their competitors, particularly since Grain Traders tends to overdo the acidity on many of their items. The Daily Cut is more restrained, but its rotating menu can be a bit hit-or-miss.

Heybo had been my go-to until I finally found these guys. The availability of romesco sauce here plus their convenient electric salt and pepper mills are right in line with my tastes. It's like my stomach feels seen by these guys, and they are now my favorite.

My Lunch in Ang Mo Kio Today

I haven't been up to Ang Mo Kio in a while, but I was up there today and had a minute during my lunch break to check out Ah Jie Hokkien Mee (721 Ang Mo Kio Ave 8 #01-2811), which has gotten some attention for its young proprietors. The noodles were decently smoky with a potent chili sauce to boot. But the crackling was fried too long and that taste ended up being distracting for me. In that sense, I'd rather go to one of the Shiok outlets instead.



I still had enough time and stomach space after that to check out Heng Ji Traditional Teochew Noodles around the corner (722 Ang Mo Kio Ave 8 #8). This bowl was served by a very friendly proprietor and had decently firm noodles. It was tossed in a sauce that was not as processed as places like the 85 Redhill chain, but it was also a bit sweet. So similar to the other stall above, I was happy to eat it all but would rather go elsewhere.

Bonjour Ma Cuisine in Tanjong Pagar, Singapore

I didn't realize this until after I had looked it up, but this is a casual brunch offshoot of Michelin-starred Ma Cuisine (39 Craig Road). And it was delicious, with that quenelle above being better than the one that I had in Lyon. Granted, that was many years ago, but this one was wonderfully savory and textured like eggs or firm tofu, and it was covered in a deep and savory shellfish-based sauce that carried a hefty dose of white pepper. Even their side salad was wonderfully dressed and amusingly reassembled into a bulb in a glass bowl. The quality of the food here is so much better than lousy Les Canons place and I'm definitely returning.

Sio Pasta at Raffles City Shopping Centre

A pasta shop has opened up next to Wowodian in Singapore, and it's been getting some attention because of its Michelin lineage in Japan. Yet, the prices are quite reasonable and it's casual enough where they do walk-ins only (252 North Bridge Road, #B1-16). The ingredients were pretty good, with a super moist chicken in their karaage as well as some fun and wavy ramen-like noodles in that mentaiko pasta above, putting it a couple of notches above Yomenya Goemon. But the batter on the karaage reminded me of KFC in terms of its thick texture, and I wish the pasta were more buttery.

Trying a Plate of Ishidai from Meidi-ya

Nakajima Suisan still supplies Meidi-ya, right? Well, they had these plates of ishidai today, and they were pretty good with their super firm flesh and slightly rich finish. Apparently these fish consume uni and hard shellfish, so that explains a few things. Meidi-ya also had a nice yuzujime madai today. Those thick cuts were not as firm as the ishidai, but they were also cured with yuzu and interestingly didn't even really need soy sauce. It all went down easily with my cheapie Hakushika nihonshu cup.

Bashu Sichuan Restaurant in Singapore

This place is a bit like Xiang Xiang in the sense that it looks like it's a big chain from China, but it's actually local to Singapore. In this case, it started in Bedok and now has a big outlet at Plaza Singapura (68 Orchard Road #06-07, 8090-7553). I never went in because of how aggressively they marketed themselves with taglines like "Best Noted in Singapore" with little gold plaque-like icons underneath.

Well, the good thing was that the prices weren't too bad, and one got half-decent food in a convenient location and setting, kinda like what Crystal Jade provides. The snob in me though didn't like the fact that the mapo tofu was a bit sweet, the chicken in the laziji was fried too long, and the qingjiaoyu above was not as smooth nor aromatic as I would have liked. So I'd rather go to places like Wowodian instead.

Hong Kong's Mi Dian by Kwan Kee in Singapore

Kwan Kee was a Michelin-listed rice cake shop from Hong Kong that has since shut down, but was revived by an apprentice in Johor Bahru and now has a stand at 313@somerset's Food Republic in Singapore. They are known for both the bowl cake and sponge cakes above (in both white and brown sugar variants), and also have a rather wide range of other rice-based treats. To be sure, these are sweet, unlike the savory ones at Ah Kong Wan Kuih. And admittedly, the taste is mild enough that I wouldn't have known about that Hong Kong Michelin listing had no one told me. I suppose the appeal is the texture, as the rice cakes are smooth and bouncy.

Ha Noi Station Pho at Orchard Plaza in Singapore

I didn't even know this place existed until I walked by tonight on my way to Soshiji. And as luck would have it, I couldn't get into Soshiji, so I fell back on this place, where my food came out in a jiffy (150 Orchard Road #02-61). I can only assume that this place was riding off the coattails of the Miss Saigon folks around the corner.

Yes, the bowl hit the spot, with a clean salty broth and minimalist northern-style garnishes. I still prefer reconsituted noodles instead of these fresh ones, but that's just nitpicking. This place offered a nice array of condiments including pickled garlic, and the gỏi cuốn worked for me too.

Deen Mee Combo House Mutton Soup

That probably looks a bit odd above, but it's basically a huge bowl of sup kambing that was thick, spicy, and greasy...in a good way, especially when going down with that firm long grain rice in the background. I only realized afterwards though that the thing to get at this stall was the "mee kuah" or namesake "mee combo." If I understand it correctly, it's a plate of noodles and rice covered in a reduction of the soup, and hence probably why my soup above was so thick and punchy. This stall at Punggol Coast Hawker Centre (84 Punggol Way #02-K57) is apparently an extension of a stall called Deen Combo Special at Haig Road Market and Food Centre.

The Hongwan Wanzamian from Xiao Noodles

If you look closely on the left side of that bowl above, you'll see something that looks like yellow peas. It seems out of place in a bowl like this, but apparently this is typical of how it's served in Chongqing, featuring wandou yellow peas done to a consistency and taste like split pea soup or even Indian dal. And that smothering texture was a very nice complement to the super salty (and rather dried out) meat sauce to the right of it. One other nice twist at Xiao Noodles is the free kaedama that they do here. It's quite a good value, if only it were healthier.