Fourscore and two Fridays ago, I had the pleasure of previewing @shakeshacksg latest special at their groovy Disco Night. For many, the news that Shake Shack & @kengengkee had collaborated on The Shack’s newest special was a total surprise. For me it came as no surprise, as I do remember Keng Eng Kee running a short-lived burger concept at their main Alexandria outlet. ⠀
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This collab special might be Shake Shack’s biggest special to date, as they introduce the White Pepper Beef Burger ($15.70 nett for a double), the Coffee Glazed Chicken Burger ($11.80 nett), Coffee Glazed Chicken Bites ($9.10 nett). The White Pepper Beef takes two of The Shack’s fabled smashed patties, tucks them in with a blanket of Monterey Jack cheese, tops them with caramelised onions & fresh scallions, before everything gets saucily sauced up with the special Sarawak white pepper sauce. ⠀
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It sounds utterly weird coming from me, but I think the chicken has the beef beat here. I don’t mean to glaze, but The Coffee Glazed Chicken Burger was a divine revelation. Even though the burger I had was a chicken breast, the inherent dryness of it was completely ameliorated by the sweet & savoury coffee glaze and the moist & tangy coleslaw. The batter on the chicken was also amazing, as it stayed creditably crispy even with the sticky coffee glaze on it. The Chicken Bites were more of the same, albeit without the carbs & the ‘slaw.⠀
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If this review has piqued your interest, you have until 31 December to get these brilliant burgers into your belly. Go on then son, get some.⠀

Fourscore and two Fridays ago, I had the pleasure of previewing @shakeshacksg latest special at their groovy Disco Night. For many, the news that Shake Shack & @kengengkee had collaborated on The Shack’s newest special was a total surprise. For me it came as no surprise, as I do remember Keng Eng Kee running a short-lived burger concept at their main Alexandria outlet. ⠀
⠀
This collab special might be Shake Shack’s biggest special to date, as they introduce the White Pepper Beef Burger ($15.70 nett for a double), the Coffee Glazed Chicken Burger ($11.80 nett), Coffee Glazed Chicken Bites ($9.10 nett). The White Pepper Beef takes two of The Shack’s fabled smashed patties, tucks them in with a blanket of Monterey Jack cheese, tops them with caramelised onions & fresh scallions, before everything gets saucily sauced up with the special Sarawak white pepper sauce. ⠀
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The white pepper sauce is a stroke of genius, as the creaminess of the aioli base keeps the burger moist & saucy, while the heat of the white pepper restrains the burger from feeling too greasy. However, the sauce isn’t too peppery and it won’t trigger any intractable coughing fits, which is perfectly fine by me.⠀
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If this review has piqued your interest, you have until 31 December to get these brilliant burgers into your belly. Go on then son, get some.⠀

This isn’t my first time at @ajummasg , but their food is always a hit with me. From appetisers like their Fluffy Steamed Eggs ($6.90++), to their Fried Chicken & Crispy Toppoki with Sweet-Spicy Sauce ($11.50++), to mains like their Crispy Samgyeopsal with Creamy Scrambled Eggs & Soy-Yujia Sauce ($14.90++), I haven’t had a disappointing dish at Ajumma’s.⠀
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Their Fluffy Steamed Eggs truly live up to their billing, as the steamed eggs were impossibly fluffy & jiggly, yet were still quite dense inside. Additionally, the eggs were unusually umami, and I suspect that they poured some dashi stock into the egg mix before steaming to maximise flavour. Tack on the pleasant aromatics of the sesame oil, and you have a phenomenally piquant bowl of steamed eggs.⠀
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The Fried Chicken & Crispy Toppoki with Sweet-Spicy Sauce, while classed as an appetiser, could theoretically be an entrée on its own. Juicy, crispy deep fried boneless chicken chunks are thoroughly tossed in a spicy & subtly sweet glaze along with lightly fried toppoki (Korean rice cakes, shaped into tubes). The chicken managed to assimilate the sauce well, making every chicken chunks a slightly crisp, joyfully juicy and superbly spicy & savoury experience. The toppoki had a little crisp crust on the outside that shattered easily to reveal the chewy interior that is just so texturally satisfying to bite down on.⠀
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And of course, the Crispy Samgyeopsal with Creamy Scrambled Eggs & Soy-Yujia Sauce is no stranger to me, but Ajumma’s has certainly improved upon it since my last review. The slices of crispy pork belly are now thinner, making for a much easier chewing experience. Everything else is unchanged, and it is even more delectable than before.⠀
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Thank you for the warm hospitality, @ajummasg!

This isn’t my first time at @ajummasg , but their food is always a hit with me. From appetisers like their Fluffy Steamed Eggs ($6.90++), to their Fried Chicken & Crispy Toppoki with Sweet-Spicy Sauce ($11.50++), to mains like their Crispy Samgyeopsal with Creamy Scrambled Eggs & Soy-Yujia Sauce ($14.90++), I haven’t had a disappointing dish at Ajumma’s.⠀
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Their Fluffy Steamed Eggs truly live up to their billing, as the steamed eggs were impossibly fluffy & jiggly, yet were still quite dense inside. Additionally, the eggs were unusually umami, and I suspect that they poured some dashi stock into the egg mix before steaming to maximise flavour. Tack on the pleasant aromatics of the sesame oil, and you have a phenomenally piquant bowl of steamed eggs.⠀
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The Fried Chicken & Crispy Toppoki with Sweet-Spicy Sauce, while classed as an appetiser, could theoretically be an entrée on its own. Juicy, crispy deep fried boneless chicken chunks are thoroughly tossed in a spicy & subtly sweet glaze along with lightly fried toppoki (Korean rice cakes, shaped into tubes). The chicken managed to assimilate the sauce well, making every chicken chunks a slightly crisp, joyfully juicy and superbly spicy & savoury experience. The toppoki had a little crisp crust on the outside that shattered easily to reveal the chewy interior that is just so texturally satisfying to bite down on.⠀
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And of course, the Crispy Samgyeopsal with Creamy Scrambled Eggs & Soy-Yujia Sauce is no stranger to me, but Ajumma’s has certainly improved upon it since my last review. The slices of crispy pork belly are now thinner, making for a much easier chewing experience. Everything else is unchanged, and it is even more delectable than before.⠀
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Thank you for the warm hospitality, @ajummasg!

I’m pleasantly surprised to find that @ajummasg has brewed up a trio of tantalising craft makkolis, and I’m even more pleasantly surprised to discover that every flavour is stellar. Starting with the Yuja, or Yuzu ($32++ a bottle), this was the mildest makkoli amongst the trio. A hint of yuzu flitters over your palate as you sip on the slightly sparkling makkoli, which is simultaneously refreshing & rich due to the natural viscosity of the drink. The Yuja is quite mild, and will pair effortlessly with any of Ajumma’s delectable dishes.⠀
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The most fragrant makkoli was, without doubt, the Melon ($32++ a bottle). It is alluringly aromatic with the pleasant pungency of ripe, sweet melon, and my first sip made me think of melon milk, but slightly sparkling. It’s sweet, effervescent and has all that natural melon flavour, making it a delight to drink by itself or when paired with dishes like their famous Crispy Samgyeopsal With Scrambled Eggs & rice or their Jjajangmyeon.⠀
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And last but not least, the brilliant Byeolsan Odi Berry ($34++ a bottle) absolutely blew both of us away. Made from Korean mulberries, this makkoli reminded me of mixed berry yogurt for some reason. I thoroughly enjoyed it though, and would definitely order a bottle of berry makkoli & pair it with something as intense as their kimchi stews. The berry makkoli is fantastically flavourful, and it’s robust enough to be pairing with any dish & still shine.⠀
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Thank you so much for the invite @ajummasg!

A majestic meal is incomplete without a divine dessert to end it, and that’s where @langelus.sg Clafoutis ($24++) steps in. Clafoutis is a rare dessert in Singapore, and I think L’Angelus is the only French restaurant I’ve seen that serves this old school French dessert. Clafoutis is essentially a crustless tart, as the eggy custard is studded with cherries and baked till gloriously golden brown. Every order of clafoutis is baked to order and it does take fifteen minutes to bake, so you gotta order it along with your entrées.⠀
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Clafoutis has the texture of an extra fluffy pancake crossed with flan, and I enjoyed every bite of the eggy & sweet custard. Topped with vanilla ice cream, this could’ve gotten way too sweet way too fast, but the bitter & sour cherries that have been soaked in brandy injected that sharp contrast to the uniform sweetness of the clafoutis & ice cream. The cherries, besides releasing some of the brandy that was absorbed into it, also injected fruitiness into the dessert in bursts. ⠀
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Even though L’Angelus’ clafoutis is only comprised of three elements, all three elements are excellent and it was assembled by highly skilled hands. L’Angelus is definitely the place to be if you’re looking for some fantabulous French fare, and you bet I’ll be back sometime in the future.

Boeuf Rossini, also known as Tournedos Rossini, is a classic French dish that’s as French as baguette, La Marseillaise and snobbish people. Of course @langelus.sg serves it, and of course I ordered it without so much as a second glance at the rest of the menu, sixty six dollar price tag be damned.⠀
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Boeuf/Tournedos Rossini is a decadent dish that calls for a filet mignon to be pan fried in butter, served on a crouton and topped with a slice of foie gras before everything gets garnished with slices of black truffle & a drizzle of Madeira demi-glace. L’Angelus does take it slightly further with the addition of a mushroom duxelles and combining the truffle with the Madeira sauce, and it works wonderfully.⠀
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Filet mignon tends to be a less flavourful cut due to the lesser fat content running through the filet, but this steak had no such problems. It was seasoned spectacularly, and the addition of the savoury Madeira sauce made sure the filet was phenomenal. However, just like with the red wine sauce, the Madeira sauce was a little too runny and should’ve been reduced more.⠀
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Slightly subpar sauces aside, the other accompaniments to the filet were flawless. The mushroom duxelles was unarguably umami with a charming chewiness, and the flawless foie gras was just as good here as it had been on the appetiser: perfectly seared & a hedonist’s heaven. ⠀
Perhaps the most exceptional element on the plate is the crouton, the foundation upon which everything was built upon. It was skilfully toasted and it retained its crustiness right till the very end, with the last bit still staying slightly crisp. It withstood the moisture from the mushrooms, juices from the steak and the Madeira sauce excellently. Trying to load the foie gras, steak and duxelles onto the crouton for a one biter is logistically challenging, but the effort is well worth the breathtaking bite into heaven.

The French know their way around a steak, and @langelus.sg are steak savants. They have three different cuts of steak, and my father couldn’t resist the allure of the 300 gram Black Angus Entrecôte (Ribeye, $60++). I mean, can you blame him after looking at this beautiful beef?⠀
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The steak sports the aesthetically pleasing diamond grill marks on top of a satisfactory sear, and it was served medium rare, flirting dangerously close to rare territory. That was some masterful work from the chef, and the Black Angus steak certainly impressed. Seasoned superbly yet simply, the beef was tremendously tender and required minimal effort to cut & chew.⠀
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The accoutrements were a fantastic fit for the steak. The sautéed mushrooms were outstanding with their salty, meaty chewiness, and were a capable complement to the stellar steak. The potato gratin was superbly seasoned, and it was soft and fluffy right down the middle of all those layers. Each layer is breathtakingly buttery too, so this little rectangle of potato is utterly piquant.⠀
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Unfortunately, even though the French are renowned for their saucy sensibilities, the red wine sauce served along with the steak was a disappointment. It was too thin and was lacking in salt, and sure I fully understand that it’s no bordelaise sauce, I was expecting a bit more flair from the sauce.⠀
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Even though the sauce was sadly subpar, the entrecôte was still exquisitely enchanting. Sixty bucks is quite pricey, but the unquestionable quality is most certainly worth the splurge for a special occasion, or as an extravagant indulgence.

Classic French haute cuisine isn’t that common in Singapore these days, but @langelus.sg has withstood the test of time, dishing up authentic & fantastic French fare since 1998. How authentic is L’Angelus, you ask? Well, for starters, we had Escargots ($23.50++) served in little individual pots, and Foie Gras Poêlé ($26.50++ for 60 grams).

As for the Foie Gras Poêlé, this cut of foie gras might just be the most perfectly seared piece of liver I’ve ever had. The exterior is seared sublimely and the inside is cooked just enough, taking on a texture akin to slightly softened butter. An incredibly delicious and slightly gamey butter, that is. The hawthorn purée adds some tartness to attempt to balance out the incredible richness of the liver, and the pickled plums add even more balance to the foie gras. Perhaps the most interesting element of this appetiser is the bak kwa sauce, which is sweet and smoky, an interesting and uncommon pairing with foie gras that works unexpectedly well. The little bak kwa bits in the sauce are unfortunately burnt though, and definitely have that burnt bitterness.⠀
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Still, with a start this stellar, there’s no way you can lose at L’Angelus.

Classic French haute cuisine isn’t that common in Singapore these days, but @langelus.sg has withstood the test of time, dishing up authentic & fantastic French fare since 1998. How authentic is L’Angelus, you ask? Well, for starters, we had Escargots ($23.50++) served in little individual pots, and Foie Gras Poêlé ($26.50++ for 60 grams).⠀
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Seeing the escargots served in little pots individually was a curiosity to me, as I am used to seeing them served in their shells or in those dimpled serving dishes. The Burgundy snails are baked with a generous pat of gloriously garlicky butter and some cheese, and the pot the snails bake in is capped with a crouton. It’s the perfect hors d’oeuvre, as the well cooked and mildly chewy snail takes on all the flavour from the garlic butter and cheese, and it contrasted & complemented divinely by the crisp crouton. It’s the perfect one-biter!⠀
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Still, with a start this stellar, there’s no way you can lose at L’Angelus.⠀

I’m convinced that there are more smashburger merchants than there are regular cheeseburger merchants in Singapore these days, but I’ll still smash the heck outta every burger I can. Meet @smashedsg_ , one of the newest folks to throw their hat in the ring that is the crowded burger market in Singapore. You may remember them from somehow managing to get an endorsement from Speed on his stream, but it was a bit of a ‘right place wrong time’ situation.⠀
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Livestreamer endorsement aside, is Smashed’s House Smashed ($10 nett) any good? The short answer is yes, and the longer answer is yes, they’re a smash hit. Even though the burger is haphazardly tossed together without much care, it is a mouthwatering mess. The double smashed patties are a bit more loosely packed than most other places, and they tend to crumble into smaller bits as you bite into them. They are seasoned superbly and they boast that coveted crust from being seared hard & fast, and the patties are somewhat held together by the melted American cheese.⠀
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While the beef is brilliant, what really makes this burger a smash hit are the caramelised onions and the House Sauce. The buttery, deeply sweet & savoury onions break up the monotony of the delicious cheese & meat, adding a little extra oomph to the burger. As for the House Sauce, this was the element that pushed the House Smashed into being a truly tasty burger. The Sauce is essentially a Thousand Island that got spiced up with chili, and it is creamy, savoury, slightly tangy and startlingly spicy. Matter of fact, it was spicy enough to completely distract from the natural greasiness of the smashburger, and I definitely started sweating as I munched away on the House Burger.⠀
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If you’re looking for a smashing burger that won’t leave your wallet smashed, look no further than @smashedsg_.

One thing I really like about @fuzaienterprise is how their menu isn’t just limited to noodles, they even have pao fan for the homies who love rice. Their Magic Pao Fan ($6 or $8 nett). At first glance it seems to be completely mundane, with rice, prawns, pork meatballs and sliced lean pork submerged in a savoury soup, but once you take your first spoonful, you’ll experience the magic.⠀
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The secret behind the magic is the inclusion of the fried eggs into the rice. That egg has been imbued with an obscene amount of wok hei, and the eggs impart that stellar smokiness to the entire bowl. Most pao fan stop at just being fairly flavourful, but Fu Zai works their magic by adding extra smokiness & depth to the soupy rice bowl.⠀
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If you’ve polished off a whole bowl of that magical pao fan but still can’t hit your protein, Fu Zai has you covered with their Sesame Oil Chicken, priced very affordably at $5.50 a serving. Lots of tender chicken chunks are cooked in a sapid sauce consisting of oyster sauce, Hua Diao cooking wine, shredded ginger and of course, sesame oil. It is a little oily, but it’s not egregiously so, and the heat from the ginger helps to cut down on the greasiness. It’s a simple chicken dish, but there’s no denying that it’s rather tasty.⠀
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Thank you for having us, @fuzaienterprise , and thanks for inviting me @eatwithkeat!