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 in there; there was 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.

Ameen Roti in Singapore’s Kampong Glam

I passed by a place selling "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. But there is a 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. That means the fillings, as well as 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.