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.

Courtallam Border Rahmath Kadai in Singapore

The very long name of this place near Mustafa may sound a bit odd (83 Syed Alwi Road, 6970-0596), but apparently it is due to its original location on the border of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. And that fluffy "border parotta" above is what they are known for. It was slightly crispy and came with a super thin yet peppery salna gravy that was refreshing along with that earthy onion relish alongside it.

The other thing to get here is that shredded chicken dish in the background called pichu pota nattu kozhi. It wasn't as dry as it looked and was pleasantly peppery. Apparently the original location is known for using firewood for smokiness as well as self-raised country chickens. I don't know if all of that carried through over here at the Singapore outlet though.

The Seven Piece Sushi Set from Teppei

It's been so long since I've been to Teppei's original outlet that I've forgotten what he served here. Well, this sushi plate was on his list of specials today and I'm glad that I had it, as it featured good quality products and it was more interesting than the sets from those two Kuro Maguro shops nearby. Granted, the rice was a bit heavy on the vinegar, and some of these pieces were dressed up a little too much (the rolls at the top were covered in roe and also had crunchy tempura bits inside). Nonetheless, it came out quickly, and I was happy when I left.

Finally Trying Basil King in Singapore

This chain of hawker stalls in Singapore was apparently inspired by a social media dude's venture in Bangkok. There was an outlet near me today, so I went in to give a try.

The thing that gets everyone's attention is the eggs, especially since you have the option to get up to four of them in one go. They used chicken eggs here instead of duck eggs, but they were still the most distinctive thing on the plate. Yep, it made a visual impact, and it was also fun to eat because it was fried with so much oil that it was crispy yet gooey while also being tightly packaged.

The pad krapow itself wasn't that special; I wish it were more salty and less sweet, but it was still edible enough to eat quickly. Next time I need step up to level 4 on the spicy scale, as 3 was just too tame.

Torasho's Refreshed Takashimaya Outlet

The Torasho dude hit the reset button on his Ngee Ann City stall this past weekend with a new Japanese name and a new shoyu-based menu that apparently reminds him of home. And it was pretty good, as it was one of those old-school style bowls, where the broth was not just deep and salty, but had a bone-centric funk to it as well as a tasty layer of insulating oil on top. The meat was decently tender and fatty, and the noodles were passable, although I'll skip the overcooked egg next time. He also does a tsukemen version of this that might be worth trying.

Ramen Soshiji at Orchard Plaza in Singapore

I've gone to this place at least five times without getting in, usually because there was a long line or because I went on one of the days that it was closed, like a Monday or Tuesday (50 Orchard Road #03-42). Fortunately, they have since expanded with extra seating next door, as well as operating hours that include late nights as well as lunch service. I thus got a seat today, although I still had to wait 25 minutes for my bowl to be served.

So what's the big deal here? It's from a guy who spent time at Sanpoutei as well as Yakiniku Jan Jan. Just like Sanpoutei, he serves Niigata ramen, inclusive of those metal-rimmed bowls. In particular, he specializes in that ginger shoyu ramen above, where ginger goes into the broth, soy sauce, and as a topping. The taste reminded me of a steamed Cantonese chicken where you get some delicate notes of soy sauce and ginger in a very thin liquid. That might be a turnoff for some people, but I like ginger, so it suited me just fine. I liked that the noodles were firm and that there was some savory seaweed topping too.

Interestingly though, the broth was hardly salty enough for me. There was soy sauce available at the counter, but I felt bad about destroying his creation. Either way, it just wasn't edgy enough to get me excited, and the pork wasn't very tender either. So I'm not going to bother with it again. But there are other bowls available, and these expanded operating hours mean that I'll probably be back again late one night.

Le Perroquet Hassouna in Perpignan, France

I wasn't planning on stopping here; it was just a random place that I saw from the bus when approaching the train station (1 Avenue Général de Gaulle, 4-6834-3436). Its online reviews weren't particularly enthusiastic, but I was quite happy to find so much character in this old school place with its paper napkins and simple lunch sets that included a small carafe of wine.

My set had a salad consisting of iceberg lettuce with raw onions and hard boiled eggs, as well as a Catalan sausage that was smoky and went down nicely with mustard and mayonnaise. Sure, the fries were frozen, unlike the nice ones from last night, and the bread basket was rather sad-looking. But this place was single-handedly run by a kind gentleman who didn't speak much English, which gave it all the more charm.

L'Assiette Catalane in Perpignan, France

A very interesting thing about Perpignan is that it's Catalan despite being on the French side of the border. To add to that, it's North Catalan or Roussillon, and thus there are dishes here that you can't really find in Barcelona. Those snails above were a good example.

They are done in a perky tomato and wine sauce, and are still attached to the shell. That makes them a little hard to extract, requiring a toothpick and hands-on action like the way the Vietnamese do it. But the exposed section of the snail meat is seared, which gives it a slightly crispy texture, and a pleasantly greasy taste too. Still, it's a messy and slow affair, and perhaps why it's served more at festivals and family banquets rather than restaurants. This place serves it nonetheless (9 Rue de la République, 04-6834-7762); the restaurant was filled with families once the clock struck eight tonight.

Other local dishes that I snagged included boles de picolat meatballs that were served in a tomato sauce with white beans and pork. The meatballs were heavily garlicked, but the fries that it came with were just the way I like them: soggy and greasy, with the added bonus of being unsalted yet naturally sweet.