Seeing as to how it was our first time and coincidentally our anniversary (lel), my girlfriend and I opted for the 7-course menu which included a series of snacks, mains and unforgettable one-biters.
Simply put, every course had us mesmerized. Service was excellent and they even took the trouble to explain every dish to us and educate us on how to best enjoy it. Every bit deserving of their Michelin Star back in 2018, it’s a pity they shut their doors soon after. Now under the moniker, Cheek Bistro, their new casual dining concept takes on a whole different concept, offering exciting sharing plates and a la carte dishes.
Hailing from their old stall previously located at South Buona Vista Road, this legendary boneless duck rice stall—now run by the original founder’s brother-in-law—impresses with its super tasty and immensely tender duck.
The ‘lor’, or thick gravy, is sticky-sweet and packed full of flavour. The duck is cut thinly allowing for maximum sauce coverage and goes very well with either porridge or rice (I usually get both).
Taking it up a notch from the conventional Mexican food truck-style taco, the Beef Bulgogi Taco sees adopts Korean flavors and even comes topped with a spicy, tangy kimchi mayonnaise. The elements of sweet, spicy and meaty all intermingle nicely making for one heck of a solid taco.
Other taco options that were pretty good too include the Pork Carnitas ($12++) & Citrus & Miso Tofu ($10++). The vegetarian latter might sound unappealing but on the contrary, the flavors on there are EXPLOSIVE (in a very good way).
A dish that I simply cannot do without when having Sichuan food is a fried mutton. Every place has their own version of preparing it but what I particularly love about Dong Fang Mei Shi Fan Din’s is that they season their mutton with lots of cumin and chili powder which really amps up the savoriness of the dish.
The sweated onions provide sweetness which nicely balances out the saltiness of the mutton and the handful of cilantro tossed in towards the end lends an element of freshness. Pure meaty bliss, that is.
The mala fever is at an all-time-high but what if I told you that mala xiang guo is literally only the tip of Sichuan’s diverse array of delicacies?
Located along North Bridge Road, Dong Fang Mei Shi Fan Dian occupies 2 shophouse spaces and dishes out a full-on array of dishes spanning North-Eastern China. Their menu boasts more than a hundred items but the one thing I always, ALWAYS return for is their Shao kao. Their Shao kao (a barbecued meat on a stick variant) is heavily seasoned in spices and is an excellent snack to have with beer, if not, an accompaniment to your main meal. Pictured here is pig’s intestine, mantou, chicken hearts and chicken thigh meat.
While many might disagree, I love their unique version as they nail the texture of the chicken as well as the flavorful soy and sesame-based sauce perfectly.
What makes their chicken unique is that it is poached rather than steamed. Poached in a mixture of aromatics, the chicken is removed at just the right time and dunked into an ice bath soon afterwards. The post-treatment in ice does two things—it stops the cooking process, preventing the meat from over cooking and it also shocks and tightens the skin and the meat, allowing the juices to stay intact. The result? Quite possibly one of the best plates of chicken rice around.
There was some news recently about their cook, Benson, leaving, but it has been confirmed that while he may be operating in another stall moving forward, the stall will still take up residence within the same coffee shop. So yay for that!
This corner stall located along Syed Alwi Road is famous for 3 things, their Hakka Beef Ball Bee Hoon Soup, Hakka Yong Tau Foo and Hakka Beef Kway Teow.
Although I’ve never tried the latter, I must admit both their Yong tau foo and homemade beef balls are seriously good. Their beef balls are dense with a nice chew to it. The flavour is legit and tastes miles better from what you typically get from factory-made ones. For one, you can actually taste the beef in the ball. They’re also really massive which is a major plus too!
Braised to tender, flavorsome perfection, the duck here is worth braving the queue and the heat for.
Masterfully prepared, the layer of fat in between the skin and the meat is mostly rendered out so what you’re left with is succulent meat with just a teeny weeny layer of buttery fat to give it that ‘shiok’ appeal.
While then braised duck alone is great, I usually get the full kit that includes a braised hard boiled egg, tau pok and tau gua. The braising liquid or sauce, while thinner than many others, goes very well with the rice which is sometimes a problem because I often find myself opting for an extra plate of rice. If you have the stomach for it, definitely go for their pig’s stomach soup, which boasts a peppery flavour somewhat similar to bak kut teh but not quite.
This humble chee cheong fun stalls commands a consistently long queue and for good reason. Their steamed rice rolls are fresh, silky smooth and dressed with a savory-sweet soy sauce. There are only 4 options on their menu—plain, char siew, prawn and scallop.
I loved everything about this from the textures to the clean yet comforting flavors. The prawns were crunchy and fresh, and the char siew was nicely caramelized with prominent charred flavour. I did, however, prefer the version with prawn as the char siew was too finely minced up. If you’re asked whether you’d like sambal to be added, don’t decline. You’ll be sorry if you did.
It took me quite a long while before I finally learned how to enjoy their version of one of Singapore’s most iconic breakfast items.
What sets them apart from most is that their uniquely prepared cai po is more savory than sweet, to the extent that it tends to feel too salty. Still, it’s mad addictive on its own although I usually pair it with a sweet cup of kopi to offset the saltiness.
Aptly named ‘Sleepy Nonna’, this sandwich sees a mishmash of sweet, decadent fillings.
What you get is a sweet, mushy banana, Nutella, crushed Oreos and a slather of melted Swiss cheese, all compactly stuffed between two golden slices of buttery French toast. Balancing sweet, salty, creamy, cheesy and chocolaty all in one, this has everything my inner glutton could ever desire, and you best believe this induced one hell of a coma too—hence the name.
Fresh and expertly prepared ingredients from their assorted braised delights to their wonderful soup, this is one stall I always find myself returning to—especially on mornings when I’m severely hungover and in need of proper, nourishing comfort.
The body of their soup is robust and full-flavored with a strong pork flavour underscored beautifully with aromatics such as fried garlic, tomatoes and preserved vegetables.