New Great Gobi Mongolian BBQ in Taipei, Taiwan

All of that talk about Mongolian BBQ yesterday got me thinking about it tonight, so we went out to this one in Ximending, as I had never heard about it before (81 Chengdu Road 4F, 02-2311-5656). It was huge, and they even gave you hotpot and a spread of other items to go along with it. But I didn't really like any of the food. I struggled to get my Mongolian BBQ to taste right, as the lamb didn't taste like lamb, and I learned the hard way that I had to double up on the soy sauce. The hot pot broth was watery, and they used the same lousy beef for that too. Ultimately, it was basically just a big buffet, with quantity in place of quality. I don't need to go back.

Gangshanmiao Yangroumian in Taipei, Taiwan

That probably doesn't look like much above, but I liked it enough that I immediately ordered a second plate. It was just a random street stall in the alleys behind Sogo near 28 Da'an Road Section 1, but when I saw the characters for stir-fried lamb, my eyes opened up. He does plates of stir-fried lamb, beef, or pork in a variety of carb configurations, including noodles and rice and with spicy options. What captivated me so much was that these thin slices basically tasted like Mongolian barbecue with shacha sauce, which gave it a lot of depth. It was cheap and super fast and I'm so glad I ate here instead of the many yakiniku places in the surrounding neighborhood.

Fish Village at Maxwell Food Centre

There was another steamed fish shop that opened at Maxwell Food Centre a few months after Nian Nian You Yu closed. But I had yet to try it until tonight (1 Kadayanallur Street #01-32). The selection was a bit limited, but I was quite happy with that steamed seabass above, especially since it was only S$8.70 (US$6.80) inclusive of the rice. The fish was fresh, savory, and tender, not to mention easy to eat with so few bones. This was quite a steal; I honestly would have been willing to pay twice that amount, especially since it was so healthy too.

Osaka's Torikizoku in Singapore

A budget yakitori chain from Japan has opened an outlet at VivoCity (1 Habourfront Walk #01-104). Yes, the prices were affordable, and I left the place with a bulging belly. But nothing really got me that excited either. That liver special above was creamy, but it wasn't anything that I'll get again. Their signature skewer was gigantic yet over-sauced. The only thing that I liked was the grilled yamaimo mountain yam, although that's probably just because I've never had it before and have no basis for comparison. Either way, it was fluffy, delicate, and savory while getting some fun scorched bits underneath from the hot plate.

Yanhuo Restaurant in Chinatown, Singapore

I'm surprised that this place hasn't gotten more attention (22 Cross Street). Maybe that's in part because it's hard to notice despite being on a busy street with big glass windows on the street level. It's dark from the outside, but inside lies a rather quaintly decorated place.

The menu features modern upscale interpretations of Chinese dishes, like laziji with pineapple or my ganbian sijidou above with fried squid. I liked the way that the kitchen kept things nice and salty to help wolf down rice. It would've been great with some booze too, but I was trying to be healthy about it all.

I still don't know if I would want pineapple in my laziji, but I'm willing to try some of their other stuff, especially since the service is pretty fast and the decor was like a cozy hip place that you might find in places like Beijing. They even have yangrouchuanr.

ThunderBowl Lei Cha in Singapore

This leichafan stall has a couple of outlets in the west. And while my bowl above wasn't anything to get too excited about, it was interesting that they offered beehoon as an option, and even a "no carb" one. Perhaps the more memorable thing for me was the yong tau foo selection in the glass case; the bittergourd one that I got was surprisingly crispy, while the stuffed tofu was rather savory.

Flipper's from Japan in Singapore

This is another one of those chains from Japan that takes like 20 minutes to do pancakes because of their low temperature cooking technique. I didn't have that kind of time today, so instead I just grabbed that omurice above. I liked it more than I thought I would, especially since that cream sauce was accentuated with a fragrant amount of citrus. The meat and rice were dry in a couple places, but I still ate it quickly. Maybe one day I'll actually have the patience to try the pancakes.

Waa Cow! in Singapore

This local chain has been around for a number of years now, but I never went in since it looked rather commercialized. Tonight I went out of sheer convenience, and it was a lot better than I thought it would be. Thier basic wagyu bowl above featured firm and pearly grains of rice topped with some tender and tasty beef. There was a bit of sweet sauce on it, but it was managable as long as one went for the "less sauce" option. It came out quickly and I'd probably eat it again.

Pazonia Italian Street Food in Singapore

Across the street from Mamma Mia Focaccia and next door Smash Street lies another Italian sandwich shop (49 Amoy Street). It didn't look too encouraging at first given its nicely printed menus and seated table service. It was even more baffling that they provided awkwardly cling-wrapped plates of thinly-sliced bread with an effort to point out that it was complimentary. Fortunately, that panuozzo above wasn't as bad as I had feared, as it was well seasoned, and the pizza dough enveloping it was decently light. But I'd still rather go to Mamma Mia Focaccia.

Dirty Supper in Tiong Bahru

I finally made it over to Dirty Supper and found my new favorite place (78 Moh Guan Terrace #01-19). Everything about them just sings to me, including not just the dual-purpose venue after the noodle aunties finish in the daytime, but also the broader philosophy that they embrace.

They feature nose-to-tail sustainability, while their kitchen's techniques bring taste of the ingredients to the front. That smoked mackerel on fried chicken skin above was wonderful, as it was effusing savory and smoky tastes with just the right amount of salt, all while sitting on what was effectively a crispy fat-laced cracker. I also grabbed a plate of breaded nuggets, which were formed using tender pig head meat. Their food was accompanied by a nice drink list, inclusive of a citrus-laced house lager and even non-alcoholic kvass.

It's awesome that they're open on late Saturday afternoons with the doors wide open for a nice breeze with good music playing overhead. This was just from their limited afternoon snack menu, but the way. One day I'm gonna come back here for a full dinner. This place rocks.

Hong Kong's La Vache! in Singapore

That may look a little weird above, but it was the remaining portion of my steak frites up on the tealight-heated tray. And yes, this steak frites shop from Hong Kong oddly provided ketchup, presumably for the fries (40 Gemmill Lane #01-03). Not to worry though; there was also a tarragon-heavy béarnaise to use with that tender meat. And fortunately, the crispy shoestring fries were nicely seasoned. I enjoyed the food, and service was fast and attentive despite the rowdly lunch atmosphere. But the bill left a pretty big hole in my wallet, as this place wasn't cheap.

Bavarian Obazda from Paulaner Brauhaus

We were at Paulaner tonight and this sounded interesting enough to try: a Bavarian mixture of Brie, butter and spices put into those three scoops above. It was pretty good, with an indulgently creamy and rich mixture going great with that soft pretzel and beer. They had Spargel on the menu tonight too, but I was happy to get this.