Eating My Way Through Paya Lebar and Joo Chiat

I took the train to Paya Labar today on my way down to Joo Chiat. It was only when I stopped at SingPost Centre did I realize that a chain of Lanzhou noodle shops from China called Niuyizui has been here for a while under the name Nuodle (10 Eunos Road 8 #01-136, 6747-1588). And it was better than I thought it would be, including the taste of the noodles, broth, beef, and chili oil. Granted, Xibu Mahua's fatty beef is still my favorite, but I'd still like to come back here to try their dumplings.



Then I made my way to the 1925 Brewing Company (261 Joo Chiat Road, 6909-1425). Billed as a Teochew gastropub, it reminded me of Orh Gao: a craft brewery that also does modern takes on local cuisine, with this one doing Teochew dishes in particular. Granted, that Chaoshan ceviche above is arguably just a fancied-up yusheng (and there was a lot going on in there, including huajiao). But it was exactly the kind of small plate that I wanted along with their brews. I'd like to go back to try their smoked pomfret.



Finally, I noticed a small shop called 233 Banh Mi on my way back to the train station and figured that I'd give it a try (216 Joo Chiat Road #01-07, 6694-8109). I'm glad I did: not only was that bread lighter than air, but the chili peppers that they used were deceptively potent. Bami Express had better watch out because I'm starting to like these guys better.