Got to know about GCB whilst passing through the area around Bencoolen MRT Station; located within Sunshine Plaza (the building also houses notable tenants such as that of the original location of Victor’s Kitchen and Thai Gold Food, amongst others), one can find GCB located at the ground level of the building. Taking over the former premises of a now-defunct bubble tea shop, GCB can be found at the path leading towards UOUO within the mall — the shop unit that GCB occupies enjoys a dual frontage, though is pretty much a tight, hole-in-the-wall space. Interestingly, GCB has managed to include some dine-in seatings within the mall space that they operate out from; the seating being bar counter seats by the window that faces away from the area designated as the food preparation area. One can say that GCB is rather tastefully designed, with a rather clean look that sees the use of wooden elements against a largely white-coloured space, giving it an neat and modern look that is easy to the eyes especially with the lack of clutter within the space. Skimming through the menu, GCB seems to be a grilled cheese sandwich specialty shop — the menu that consists of their grilled cheese sandwiches is being split up into two (2) sections; one being the Favourites, and the other being the Build-Your-Own where patrons can pick and choose their desired type of cheese to go with three (3) types of fillings to have a unique combination customised to their palates. GCB does also offer a small menu of side dishes for patrons looking to share a dish across the table, while the list of beverages available at GCB comprises of a selection of Nanyang-style Kopi & Teh.
We were a little bit spoilt for choice when skimming through the Favourites section of the menu to decide on the grilled cheese sandwich that we would like to order when we made our visit to GCB on a weekday dinner service — we did find ourselves eventually settling on The Greek after being told that the Stinker that features a combination of four (4) types of cheeses was unavailable during the day of our visit. GCB describes The Greek to feature elements such as Mozarella, Tyrokafteri (a Feta dip) and chopped spinach. Considering that all of the grilled cheese sandwiches are only made upon order at GCB, this also means that there is some waiting time involved with the food here — this is to ensure that the grilled cheese sandwiches come at a consistency that they had intended it to have. Taking a bite into The Greek, The Greek simply checks off all of the boxes that determines how a good grilled cheese sandwich should be — for one, the bread already comes all toasted to a brilliant crisp; the texture was simply on-point and consistent throughout the entire sandwich. The melted mozzarella that comes within the sandwich achieves that “cheese pull” effect apart from being just savoury; melty and incredibly stretchy — yet also being not too dense at the same time. A quick search online on Tyrokafteri reveals that the element is a spicy Greek feta dip — this can be further substantiated by the fact that the bread comes lined with a dip with a reddish-orange hue with some specks of chili being observed as well. While there wasn’t really much of a spicy kick going on in here, the Tyrokafteri did add a bit of moisture that somewhat helped to bring all the elements together.
Given how GCB does also serve up Nanyang-style Kopi, it was needless to say that we would give the Coffee (with Condensed Milk) a try. Whilst the colour of the coffee does look the part, we did wish that the coffee itself could have come with a little bit more depth for a more caffeinated kick for a better balance against the condensed milk. GCB does seem like a rather neglected spot within the building that it is situated at — the small shop space does mean that it can be easy to miss, not to mention how its name just simply isn’t quite indicative of what they actually sell. That being said, our experience with The Greek at GCB definitely surpasses what we had expected — one of the more well-made grilled cheese sandwiches that we have had in recent times; definitely a product where a lot of attention has been placed in the R&D process. A hidden gem that is waiting to be uncovered, we wish the folks behind GCB all the best in what is to come!
Was going around CIMB Plaza during weekday lunch hours and found yet another new establishment that had opened their doors in the said building — CIMB Plaza had been seeing quite a number of new F&B establishments opening up in recent times. Located at a corner of the building behind where one can find Wai Cafe is the new Little Glass Stand. For those whom are familiar with the local F&B scene, Little Glass Stand is an establishment that is opened by the same folks as Glass Roasters — Glass Roasters being a cafe-cum-microroastery that had first opened their doors within the a space known as Cloud Faber at Faber Drive. Little Glass Stand reflects the location’s concept as more of a takeaway coffee shop as opposed to their standard brand — while Little Glass Stand can be said to have occupied a space larger than that of the Glass Roasters at Tiong Bahru, the concept’s direction in being more tuned towards takeaway operations had likely been influenced by the fact that they are located in the Central Business District. Little Glass Stand takes on a rather clean and minimalist look here; those whom are familiar with Glass Roasters at their Tiong Bahru location would notice the large use of wooden accents in its decor — this would remain consistent at the Little Glass Stand alongside the vast use of blue elements that is the main colour scheme adopted for the brand. Elements of pink are introduced such as in the font of its menu and espresso machine to provide a visual contrast. As with the standard Glass Roasters locations, the focus at Little Glass Stand would be the espresso-based specialty coffee; they do have interesting concoctions that are listed under the “Specialty” category of the menu, while non-coffee drinkers can opt for matcha and tea. The only item on the Bakes section of the menu would be the Banana Bread that is served at most of Glass Roasters’ locations as well.
The Banana Bread at Little Glass Stand is something that we are already fairly familiar with, considering how we have had the Banana Bread previously during our visits to several of Glass Roasters’ locations over the years. As with how it is being served at the other locations, patrons can choose to have the Banana Bread to be served as-is or heated up at Little Glass Stand. We opted with the latter for our order. One thing to note about their Banana Bread is how light their Banana Bread actually is — while some would usually associate Banana Bread to come with a dense texture and sometimes even coming with slices of soft, caramalised banana embedded within and a crusty exterior, it is worth noting that the Banana Bread from Glass Roasters had all along felt closer to being a Banana Cake instead. The texture of the Banana Bread felt light and fluffy; almost close to even being somewhat springy — there are no slices of caramalised banana that can be found here, though there is definitely a light but lingering hint of sweetness that one would expect out of a banana cake here. We had also decided to switch things up with our cuppa during our visit to Little Glass Stand; whilst we would usually be ordering the White during our visits to Glass Roasters, we went with the Macadamia Latte (Hot) that is listed in the “Specialty” section of the menu. This is a flavoured cuppa that comes with a light body; carried slight nutty notes and a bit of sweetness from the infusion of macadamia-flavoured syrup. With so many establishments located in the Central Business District serving up specialty coffee and Nanyang-style Kopi, Little Glass Stand is yet another trusted option that adds on to the scene here that those working in the area whom prefer Glass Roasters’ specialty coffee can look forward to visiting at their convenience.
Salt X Hebrews was one of the establishments that we had previously posted about here — these folks had made their return to the Central Business District with the opening of their CIMB Plaza outlet a while back; their location at CIMB Plaza being located at the basement of the building near where an outlet of Brotherbird Bakehouse can also be found. We made our visit to Salt X Hebrews at CIMB Plaza previously when they were still in their soft launch phase — this was a period of time where Salt X Hebrews were only serving up their lineup of Korean chicken wings from Salt’s branding herbal soups from the Hebrews’ branding. They had since moved into their full launch a couple of weeks after we had made our very first visit, and are currently also serving up a range of bentos featuring rice for that would suit those like us whom do not necessarily like soupy dishes in general. The rice bowl dishes are part of their Signature Bento Box series at their CIMB Plaza location, and comprises of three (3) items — the Signature Soy Garlic Sous Vide Chicken, the Korean Hot Sous Vide Chicken and the Signature Chicken Cutlet.
Interestingly, all of the Signature Bento Box items listed on the menu at Salt X Hebrews at CIMB Plaza come in two different sizes — Small and Large. Our order was for the Small serving size of the Korean Hot Sous Vide Chicken Bento, which is priced at $8.90 Patrons would also be asked for their choice of dressing upon ordering — between the Roasted Sesame dressing and the Yuzu Wasabi dressing, we decided to go for the latter; we did find out later that the dressing would be for the greens that comes on the side. Salt x Hebrews does not describe on the various elements that comes served along with their Signature Bento Boxes — that being said, it can be observed from our order that the Korean Hot Sous Vide Chicken Bento does come with other elements such as cauliflower, broccoli, carrots and Ajitsuke Tamago. First impressions of the Korean Hot Sous Vide Chicken Bento was how generous the portions are even despite the item’s price tag of $8.90 — the pricing of the Korean Hot Sous Vide Chicken Bento is definitely wallet-friendly when compared against other takeaway salad / grain bowl specialty shops that are located around the Central Business District (talk about feeding their patrons well, just like how they also offer complimentary tea at the self-service area that patrons can help themselves to); the portion size of the different elements are also bigger than what some of such places would serve up for a higher price tag. We went for the Korean Hot Sous Vide Chicken first and was pretty impressed with its flavour — most would usually relate Sous Vide Chicken to this rather bland-tasting white meat that would appeal to bodybuilders more; that being said, it does seem that Salt X Hebrews went the way of grilling the chicken for a bit more flavour whilst maintaining the texture of the meat to be juicy and tender.
The addition of Korean Hot sauce does give it a spicy note with a slight sweetness and savouriness similar to Gochujang. The level of spiciness wasn’t too intense; pretty manageable for those whom are tolerable to moderate levels of spiciness to tickle the tastebuds. The Korean Hot Sous Vide Chicken sits atop short-grain rice that comes pearly and a little sticky; here, they have sprinkled all of that Furikake that helps to give the rice an umami note that makes it really easy to eat. The Ajitsuke Tamago was a crowd pleaser on its own; soft egg whites with a runny, molten egg yolk that comes with a hint of savouriness from the marination in soy sauce, while the greens such as the cauliflower, broccoli and carrots carried a soft texture but retained a crunch to refresh the tastebuds. Drenched with a Yuzu Wasabi dressing, the dressing seems like one that featured a vinaigrette base but comes with a slight tang from the infusion of Yuzu; what is really intriguing is that it does carry the earthy notes of wasabi that slowly gets intense over time — the numbing sensation creeping in as one goes further (you have been warned!). We have previously mentioned how Salt X Hebrews seems to be an establishment that places a lot of emphasis on feeding their patrons well through food that comes right from the heart — the Korean Hot Sous Vide Chicken Bento does feel like a creation that stays true to this statement. No doubt that the Signature Bento Box line-up can be described as a little run-off-the-mill, but Salt X Hebrews does make their rendition feel hearty amidst the many generic dining establishments in the Central Business District at a good price. Considering the difference that Salt X Hebrews bring to their creations, this is one spot which we would be likely to return to again for something comforting and filling for lunch during the work week.
Those whom have been following us on our social media accounts for a while would probably known that we have been following the folks of Waa Cow! for quite a while across the opening of their various locations all across the island — Waa Cow! Should not be a brand that is too unfamiliar for most; this is considering how they have been around for quite some time ever since their inception at the NUS location at Stephen Riady Centre. The brand has since grown quite a fair bit since then, with the brand even further introducing sub-brands such as that of Waa Cow! Yakiniku and the latest of the lot — Waa Cow! Innovation Kitchen. Being its latest concept born out of the Waa Cow! branding, Waa Cow! Innovation Kitchen is situated at CityLink Mall; Waa Cow! should be quite an easy find, considering how they are located right beside Platypus Cantina. The look of this location at CityLink Mall can be described as one that comes with a more simple look; perhaps even basic as compared to their other locations such as their Marina One or CIMB Plaza outlets that generally have a louder aesthetic. Waa Cow! Innovation Kitchen adorns the same blue and gold decor scheme that is familiar to the brand; there is lesser use of motifs and neon lights — there is also some use of wooden accents amidst all the blue and gold that exudes a more homely vibe with the space. There is also a generous amount of space dedicated for its dining area; the bar counter being located in the middle with access between both sides available from the back for staff to serve both areas with ease. Waa Cow! has been known for their Signature Wagyu Beef Sets and Waa Cow! Innovation Kitchen still carries those items in their menu; other categories of the menu at Waa Cow! Innovation Kitchen includes Premium Seafood Dons, Appetisers, Oishi! Chawanmushi and Sashimi. There is also a Innov! Kitchen section in the menu that comprises of dishes that are exclusively available at this location. Beverages available at Waa Cow! Innovation Kitchen includes non alcoholic options like the Karma Cola, House Yuzu Lemon Barley and Hot Green Tea — just to name a few, as well as beer on tap.
Considering how the items in the Innov! Kitchen section of the menu are exclusively available at Waa Cow! Innovation Kitchen, it was needless to say that we were drawn towards ordering something that is listed in this section of the menu during our visit made there on a weekday evening. The item that caught our attention whilst we were skimming through their menu was the Dashi Cream Tonkatsu Don; Dashi is an element that would be familiar with most whom have enjoyed Japanese cuisine before but the infusion with cream definitely sounded interesting here. Waa Cow! Innovation Kitchen does not describe on the element that are being featured in their menu items; that being said, one can observe that the Don does come with elements such as Japanese short-grain rice, sous-vide egg, kimchi, cucumber, pickles and a Japanese deep-fried pork cutlet that is drenched in the said “Dashi Cream” and topped off with fresh scallion. Excitedly digging into the Dashi Cream Tonkatsu Don, we quickly found out that the Dashi Cream does seem pretty much like a cheese sauce here; this isn’t the average cheese sauce however, considering how it has been done to a more liquid consistency and doesn’t really come with the stretchiness that would make for that cheese pull effect that was considered “trendy” some time back. That being said, it does add a hint of savouriness and tang almost similar to heavier-tasting cheese; we were actually glad that they went pretty light with this considering how things could have easily become overwhelming just by this one element — this is even despite there being a little Dashi Cream being drenched on the rice itself. The short-grain rice was pearly and a little sticky — done just the way that it should be; there is also seemingly a bit of teriyaki that is being drizzled on the rice that helped add a bit of sweetness, providing the rice with an interestingly sweet, savoury and tangy note especially on parts already drenched with the Dashi Cream.
The Tonkatsu itself is on-point; it does seem that Waa Cow! Innovation Kitchen went with a slightly leaner cut of pork here so that the deep-fried pork cutlet came with a meaty bite — the golden-brown panko batter gives it that light crispiness that Tonkatsu is usually associated with; all that without being particularly greasy while the Dashi Cream further provided flavour and a creamy texture to go along with it. The sous-vide egg comes all runny; the egg yolk eagerly flows as one pokes the egg with the chopstick. Our favourite element amongst the secondary component would be the kimchi; the kimchi here does provide a good crunch and a tang that cuts through the heaviness of the fried pork cutlet and the carbs — all that whilst the cucumbers provided a refreshing crunch. All Dons do come served with a salad and a bowl of Miso Soup on the side; the salad served on the day of our visit being one that featured kelp, cherry tomatoes and Goma dressing. During our visit, we had also went for the Grilled Miso Eggplant — there are the half and full portions that one can opt for this item and we went for the former. The grilled eggplant interestingly comes with other elements apart from the the miso paste — think Ikura, Rice Krispies and Spring Onions; the spring onions are most likely added for the aesthetics, though the Ikura further adds on to the earthy and savoury flavours with its umami notes and gave it a popping sensation while the Rice Krispies provided a crunch factor. One thing about Waa Cow! has always been the consistency of their offerings; the quality of their dishes have largely improved from the time when they had just started out at NUS, and they have managed to maintain so across their different locations across the island. Whilst other concepts like Waa Cow! Yakiniku can be argued as being vastly different from Waa Cow!’s core brand, one can still tell that the food served is still of a standard that is familiar to its core concept. Prices of their Dons start from $14.90 to $30.90; the items listed on the Innov! Kitchen section being priced on the lower end of the range. Considering the selection of more inventive creations exclusively available at Waa Cow! Innovation Kitchen, this is one location that Waa Cow! fans should not miss.
The Raffles Place neighbourhood has been seeing quite a bit of a refresh of the F&B tenants that are operating within the vicinity of Raffles Place MRT Station of the late — there has been several new tenants that have moved into shop spaces around CIMB Plaza, Republic Plaza and One Raffles Place in recent times. One such new addition to the F&B scene around the Central Business District would be Giòn Giòn, which had only moved in to the kiosk that it occupies at the basement of One Raffles Place in March 2024; Giòn Giòn can be found located close to the outlet of Old Tea Hut there, with Whiskdom being its immediate neighbour. One can most definitely tell that Giòn Giòn is an establishment that serves up Vietnamese fare; the lanterns or vibrant colours being used as ceiling lamps and the stall adopting the aesthetic of a mobile food pushcart being rather obvious signs of a Vietnamese influence going around its decor. Given the space that Giòn Giòn occupies at One Raffles Place, the establishment is operated more like a takeaway kiosk than a dine-in establishment — that being said, there is an area dedicated for dine-ins, though it only features a small foldable counter that is hanging on the wall that would act as a standing bar. Giòn Giòn primarily focuses on their Banh Mi offerings — patrons can get to choose between the various Signature Banh Mi that sees a fixed selection of ingredients coming with the Banh Mi, or opt for the DIY Your Banh Mi that allows patrons to pick between their desired base, veggies, main and sauce for their Banh Mi order. Apart from Banh Mi, Giòn Giòn also does offer noodle salads for those whom prefer something apart from the Vietnamese baguette, as well as Vietnamese spring rolls that would compliment their offerings of noodle salads and Banh Mi.
We had been going for the Banh Mi featuring various types of ham when visiting establishments that have an emphasis on their Banh Mi offerings — thought we would like to switch things up a little and go for the Signature Beef Banh Mi instead. There was an ongoing 1-for-1 promotion during the point of time of our visit in lieu of their launch; this also meant that there was some waiting time required for the Banh Mi to be prepared even despite most of the ingredients already being prepared in advance and stocked up in the display shelf, with the staff also trying to get used to the operations of the stall as well. Giòn Giòn describes their series of Signature Banh Mi to come with elements such as pate, butter, cucumber, pickle, coriander, Giòn Giòn sauce and chili sauce — the protein that is included in the Banh Mi would be dependent on whichever Signature Banh Mi that the patron had opted for. Sinking our teeth into the Signature Beef Banh Mi, the Signature Beef Banh Mi features a baguette that is crisp; we did notice that the baguette that came with our order was a little more charred towards one side, though we were glad that it wasn’t burnt. The baguette carries quite a crunch, though we do note that it does lack that bite from the tension of the bread that some other establishments would carry in their Banh Mi. It does seem that they are pretty generous with the spread of pate here; the pate coming with a noticeably savoury note that runs at the back of the tongue — the inclusion of coriander which provided its distinct hint of flavours actually cuts through the pate and the meat, helping to refresh the palates a little.
The slices of beef here were pretty tender; provides a little bit of a meaty chew without being too tough nor required much effort to chew through — we also noted that the slices of beef were not particularly gamey as well. The pickles did help to add a bit of tang and crunch to the Banh Mi, though the Giòn Giòn sauce was a little less obvious here with the chili padi and chili sauce giving a slightly fiery kick to tickle the tastebuds. Being at a spot that primarily serves up Banh Mi also meant that we wouldn’t give their Iced Milk Coffee a miss — we found the Iced Milk Coffee at Giòn Giòn to have checked off all the right boxes; one that is as intense as what we would have expected, being almost chocolate-like and all roasty and nutty with a good balance of sweetness. The surge of Banh Mi establishments that have sprouted up all across the island over the past year does mean that the masses are gradually exposed to the various types Banh Mi that each establishment has to offer — we wouldn’t really call Giòn Giòn’s rendition the best; after all, Banh Mi Saigon is one establishment that’s tough to beat. Giòn Giòn does serve up a rather respectable variant of the Banh Mi; prices for their Signature Banh Mi starts from $8.90 and goes up to $9.90, while their coffee is priced from $3.90 to $4.70 — one can say that it is a little steep, though likely due to the case of higher overheads being located in the Central Business District as compared to those located in the heartlands. Still, a seemingly reliable establishment that settles the craving if one does not mind the price point and the slight waiting time for the Banh Mi here.
If anything, Taste Orchard is most likely upping the supermarket game in the Orchard neighbourhood — run by the folks behind HAO mart, the location has been a pretty ambitious venture that integrates dining and shopping into one; apart from being a spacious supermarket that also incorporates mini restaurant spaces for various F&B brands to operate out from. Since the opening of Taste Orchard, the space had already seen the opening of an outlet of BHC Chicken, an outlet of Killiney Kopitiam, an outlet of Wine Mansion and an outlet of Yole operating within the supermarket — recent additions include that of an outlet of O.BBa Jjajang Express and an outlet of Chirashi King Kong; the former sharing a space with Onikimbap. Tucked in a corner near the location of Chirashi King Kong within Taste Orchard is a rather interesting kiosk that is operated by YUGO Marshmallow Biscuits 小玉雪Q酥; its specialty and only item on the menu being marshmallow biscuits (better known as Chewy Snowflakes in Taiwan) thga are se in various flavours. Flavours are all classed into two categories; Normal and Special flavours, and that the marshmallow biscuits are retailed in 75 grams or 100 grams boxes.
Since the Marshmallow Biscuits are all sold in boxes by weight, YUGO Marshmallow Biscuits allows patrons to have the flexibility of opting for multiple flavours in the same flavour category (i.e. Normal or Special Flavour) to form part of their order. We opted for the 100 grams box, and went with all of the flavours that are being listed in the Special Flavours category — the flavours available under the category includes the Orange Matcha, Coconut Latte, Milo Chocolate, Original with Cranberry and Oreo Milk Flurry. The texture of the various flavours of marshmallow biscuits were actually largely similar; these can be said as tidbits that feature some form cookies being mixed into a nougat — the biscuits give the otherwise chewy “marshmallow” a firm bite and given how the nougat and cookies have been layered, it does also have a loose resemblance to a Mille-feuille. Between the various flavours that we had opted for, the more memorable ones were likely the Original with Cranberry and the Orange Matcha — perhaps being due to the fact that both flavours are less sweet when compared to the rest and felt a little more inventive as well. For instance, the Orange Matcha Marshmallow Biscuits does come with a slight zing that comes before the ending note of Matcha — really refreshing and interestingly considering how the bitter undertones aren’t the first thing that hit our taste buds; instead being part of a rather well-rounded transition that works. The Original with Cranberry Marshmallow Biscuits on the other hand comes with a slight tartness after the sweetness of the nougat; yet again providing a good contrast of flavours to the tastebuds. Given the rarity of Marshmallow Biscuits in Singapore, YUGO Marshmallow Biscuits definitely has something special to offer — that being said, it remains to be seen if such items would be well-received by the locals here. That being said, they do work out as a decent dessert option to try if one were to be dining at Taste Orchard’s various F&B establishments.
Got to early about the opening of Tsuki Ramen whilst we were scrolling through social media one day; Tsuki Ramen is a fairly new addition to the local F&B scene, being one of those stalls that seemingly wants to bring an alternate choice of cuisine to the heartland coffee shops at a wallet-friendly price. Located at the coffeeshop at Blk 87 Bedok North Street 4, Tsuki Ramen occupies half of a stall unit there; Tsuki Ramen co-shares the stall with their neighbour, which serves up fish soup. For those whom find this address particularly familiar, this is because the coffeeshop is the same exact one that King of Cheong Fun 广式肠粉王 is operating out of; in fact, Tsuki Ramen is neighbours with King of Cheong Fun. Tsuki Ramen is not considered difficult to find; while the name and logo of the stall hides in a small corner of the signboard, one is likely not to miss the bowl of Signature Tonkatsu Ramen that is depicted in the signboard that takes up all the space in the middle. As the namesake of the stall suggests, Tsuki Ramen is a stall that heavily focuses on their Ramen offerings — Japanese Ramen is the only item available at Tsuki Ramen apart from the side dishes that they offer, and all of their Japanese Ramen dishes feature a Tonkotsu broth. Sides available at Tsuki Ramen included the Edamame, Ebj Tempura, Pork Gyoza and Chicken Karaage — all of which being rather predictable but good-to-have items nonetheless.
Being folks whom would typically order either the dry ramen or spicy broth ramen at Japanese ramen establishments that we visit, it is needless to say that we went with the Spicy Tonkotsu Ramen during our visit made to Tsuki Ramen on a weekend dinner service. Tsuki Ramen does not describe in its menu the elements that are included in their ramen dishes; that being said, we did observe that the Spicy Tonkotsu Ramen comes with elements such as Char Siew, Ajitama, Naruto Maki and Memma Bamboo Shoot. The type of noodles used for their ramen would be the thin Hakata-style ramen noodles, and the Tonkotsu broth comes with a slightly orange hue from the inclusion of the pepper paste that gives it the spicy element. Going straight for the broth, we were caught pretty much off-guard with the spiciness coming from the broth itself — this was one Tonkotsu broth that really did not shy away from being particularly fiery despite it being a Japanese dish; the level of spiciness probably being further amplified by the inherent creaminess of the Tonkotsu broth itself. Considering how spicy the broth itself was, much of the original flavours of the Tonkotsu broth base does seem to have been covered up; this does make the broth a little easier to have, if one may. The noodles were done just about right; carrying a good bite without being too hard, while the Ajitama does come with a molten egg yolk.
The Char Siew comes tender; while some Japanese Char Siew served in the round form tend to be a little dry and too lean, the Char Siew comes with a bit of bite form the tension of the meat. The Memma Bamboo Shoot provided a contrast of textures, adding a bit of a crunch while the Naruto Maki was pretty much a good-to-have.
During our visit to Tsuki Ramen, we had also given the Pork Gyoza (3 pcs) a go; it comes with some greens on the side, which interestingly serves as a bed for the mayonnaise sauce that is to be had with the Pork Gyoza. The Pork Gyoza came with a golden-brown fried exterior, and was crisp and well-filled with meat within; not too greasy as well. While the Spicy Tonkotsu Ramen at Tsuki Ramen would likely appeal to those whom love spicy food, we do feel that the item may not be the best to order especially for the purists whom would like to have a taste of Tsuki Ramen’s Tonkotsu broth in its most basic form. Prices of the Japanese ramen at Tsuki Ramen are pretty wallet-friendly, being priced from $6.90 to $7.90; no doubt still higher than the typical coffeeshop fare but still at a price that is comparable to pricier fare within air-conditioned food courts in the Central Business Business District. Tsuki Ramen is likely a spot that Bedok residents would appreciate having in the neighbourhood considering the fare that it serves and the price point; one that avid ramen lovers might want to keep in mind to check out if in the area.
Shiok Burger has been a name that had been popping up on social media a fair bit of the late — these folks had been opened for quite some time, with their very first store being situated at Paya Lebar Square. They had since expanded their operations with a second outlet at Raffles City Shopping Centre not too long ago, though we had made our visit to their Paya Lebar Square location just shortly after the brand had opened their second location. Their Paya Lebar Square location can be found at the ground level of the mall; the shop unit in which it occupies is in the same row where one can also find the outlet of J.CO Donuts there that is only accessible from outside the mall — in fact, the shop unit that Shiok Burger had taken up used to be part of the outlet of Delibowl there, which has been scaled down to accommodate for Shiok Burger. Interestingly, Shiok Burger is a brand that is operated by the same folks behind Nuodle and Delibowl. Shiok Burger’s shop facade is rather attention grabbing, considering how the shop features an almost entirely red appearance as one approaches the shop; the space within the shop can be described as rather tight and mostly functional with the use of wooden furniture and fittings — the walls adorned with posters of promoting their various food items. The menu is rather straightforward at Shiok Burger; Shiok Burger mainly focuses on serving up burgers that come with a Chinese influence; think of a hybrid of a conventional burger and a Rougamo — there are several variations of burgers to choose from but mainly comprises of beef and chicken options, while side dishes include variations of fries and tater tots. Beverages available at Shiok Burger include soft drinks, and a small variety of espresso-based coffee.
Considering how Shiok Burger serves up burgers with a Chinese influence, it was needless to say that the Mala Wagyu Burger was something that we were looking forward to give a go here. Shiok Burger does not describe the elements that comes with their burgers on their menu; that being said, one can observe that the Mala Wagyu Burger comes with elements such as the burger bun, processed cheese, a house-made Mala sauce, Wagyu beef patty, and a slice of lettuce — fairly basic components that one will be able to find in a conventional American cheeseburger item. The simplicity of the burgers at Shiok Burger is a running theme throughout all of their burger offerings. Taking a bite into the Mala Wagyu Burger, it was already evident that Shiok Burger is a little different from the average fast food burger that one is able to find at other establishments — the difference here mostly lies in the burger bun that comes across as a hybrid of the Chinese Rougamo and the conventional burger bun. While the Chinese Rougamo is usually light, crispy and flaky almost akin to a being a pita bread-meets-danish sort of situation, the burger bun at Shiok Burger maintains the soft, fluffy and light textures of the standard burger bun, but also retaining the bite of the Chinese Rougamo. Otherwise, the entire Mala Wagyu Burger felt close to what one would expect out of a simple American cheese burger; the processed cheese coming with a savoury note while the Wagyu patty was pretty decent — comes all meaty without all the fatty / veiny parts that may be difficult to chew and not particularly gamey as well. The Mala sauce was the highlight that really gave the Mala Wagyu Burger a burst of flavours — the sauce is sufficiently rich almost akin to that of an aioli; provided that aroma of Sichuan peppers that is both savoury and comes with a slight hint of spiciness to tickle the tastebuds, accompanying with a hint of numbness that gradually takes over the tastebuds but surprisingly not too intense while at it.
The Ebiko Burger on the other hand was in fact a burger featuring a fried chicken patty; it comes with similar components that comes with the Mala Wagyu Burger but without the processed cheese — this has been replaced by an Ebiko Mayo that seems to replicate that of a Mentaiko Mayo but is in fact just mayo topped with ebiko. The result was this burger that is a little heavy on mayo; but the creaminess was essential in amplifying the umami notes of the Ebiko further and gel it with the fried chicken patty that was juicy and tender — not particularly greasy as well. We had also opted for sets for our burgers, of which we opted for Potato Tates and Beef Cheese Fries as sets to go with the burgers, while our choice of drinks were the Lemon Coke and the Passion Fruit Soda. The Potato Tates were nothing too much to shout about — essentially just tater tots though these were crisp and not particularly greasy as well; the Beef Cheese Fries looked great being shoestring fries drizzled with nacho cheese sauce and mayonnaise, and coming with scraps of beef. The beef that came along with the Beef Cheese Fries did feel a little dry and stiff, while the shoestring fries weren’t the best being a little soft and limp. Shiok Burger does seem like an establishment focused on their fusion-style burgers and they do seem set to impress — the burgers are especially simple, though at the same time does carry that experience that they intend to bring pretty well. The affordability of the burgers are also a key focus, with the burgers being priced at $4.99 to $8.95 with the set being priced at an additional $3.20. Considering its level of affordability and the quality of their burgers, Shiok Burgers does present itself as a great and affordable meal option especially if one is near to its locations around the island.
It does seem that there is a particular trend of Chinese-style dessert soup establishments opening around the island of the late — while we had just written about Yat Ka Yan 一家人 Dessert’s new location situated at Tan Quee Lan Street, there has been some talk about 思源 Si Yuan that had also recently popped up in the local F&B scene as well. Si Yuan is situated at King George’s Avenue which is a short walk away from Lavender MRT Station; the stretch of shops where one can find Si Yuan is the rather prominent row of warehouses that one can also find the now-defunct The Refinery previously — other F&B establishments that are currently located there includes The Venue Skewers & Grill and the outlet of Soi 47 Thai Food there. Si Yuan takes up half a shop unit here, co-sharing the space with a dressmaker named Studio HHFZ 辉煌纺针 that specialises in gowns and cheongsam — both spaces seemingly being linked up via a door at the back of the shophouse. One thing that can be described about the interior decor at Si Yuan is its design language that exudes nostalgic and oriental elements in a way that is classy and chic; not too over-the-top whilst at it. Being an establishment that focuses on their Chinese-style dessert soup dishes, the menu seems to be kept rather lean when compared against the more established names serving the same within the local F&B scene; the desserts also being classified into two categories, being Warm Desserts and Chilled Desserts with more items listed in the former than the latter.
We usually would be more keen to give the Walnut / Almond / Sesame Paste a go whenever we visit a Chinese-style dessert soup establishment a go for the very first time. Quite happy to have found that Si Yuan does serve the 3 Mini Bowls which would allow patrons to try out all three (3) types of pastes that they have to offer in one single seating — all three (3) pastes coming in a smaller bowl than the individually-portioned ones to allow patrons to sample the pastes without overwhelming themselves. While other establishments like Yat Ka Yan Dessert does allow patrons to opt between a selection of pastes to form the three mini bowls that they would like to go for, Si Yuan’s 3 Mini Bowls comes with a standard set of Almond, Sesame and Walnut Pastes that cannot be swopped out with their other offerings. All three small bowls of the pastes come on a single platter, and all of them can be said to be well-executed. The Sesame Paste is one that we think would appeal to the purists whom prefer their sesame paste to highlight the heavy, roasty and slightly nutty (to the point of being albeit bitter) notes of black sesame — one thing to note on their Sesame Paste is how unadulterated it felt; not much use of sweetness to mess around with the flavours of the sesame. The Almond Paste is probably one of the more memorable ones that we had come across thus far; there has always been a chance for almond pastes to be a little bland and sometimes even diluted due to the lighter-tasting nature of this item amongst the three — we were pretty glad that the Almond Paste here came with a rich note that hit the spot for us.
The Walnut Paste is also pretty well-executed; sufficiently nutty and earthy with a slight sweetness to lift the flavours a little. All the three pastes come smooth, thick and creamy — suitably dense and definitely the right texture that it should be. During our visit to Si Yuan, we had also tried their Mango Sago; the Mango Sago does not come with any description on the elements included, though one can definitely observe mango mousse, mango cubes, sago pearls and coloured tadpoles included in their rendition of the dessert. The mango mousse came sufficiently dense and rich; aptly sweet while the cubes of mango provided a good bite and further enhances the flavour of the mango mousse with the usual of actual fruit; the sago pearls and coloured tadpoles provided an element of chew that created a good contrast against the mango mousse as well. We visited Si Yuan without much of an expectation on their Chinese-style dessert soups but left with a good impression — for one, the establishment does have quite a unique dining environment that is undeniably retro yet with a modern touch that exudes an oriental vibe; while the space can be a little tight especially considering the rather big pieces of furnishings that they opted for, the set-up does feel elaborate without being too intimidating at the same time. The same level of detail has also gone into the curation of the Chinese-style dessert soups that they have to offer; while the items come across as rather predictable for an establishment of its type, their Chinese-style dessert soup do feel like thoughtful creations made with passion and loads of effort — pretty commendable to say the least. Prices of their desserts are also pretty reasonable; the highest-priced item being the Cheng Teng with Peach Gum listed at $5.50. With quality desserts, tasteful decor and desserts priced at a good price point, Si Yuan is a spot we are most likely to revisit; also a name to keep an eye out for in the local F&B scene in time to come!
Dim Sum King 粤心聚 is one of those places that we got to hear about by chance whilst scrolling around social media — the establishment is probably one that folks would not likely know about unless one stays or works in the area considering how it is located a bit of a distance away from the closest MRT station. Situated in the Kim San Leng coffeeshop at Northpoint Bizhub, Dim Sum King is located within the industrial estate area in Yishun; the building being a light industrial complex considering its vicinity to a HDB estate that is located just right across the road from the complex. Dim Sum King can be found at the back of the entire coffeeshop, occupying a corner unit that is next to an outlet of Hong Style Fried Rice 四哥炒饭 at the coffeeshop itself. Considering how Dim Sum King’s set-up is like, the variety of dim sum that is served up at Dim Sum King can be described as pretty decent — the menu here features dishes spread across several categories such as one for steamed items, one of congee, one for pan-fried / fried dim sum, one for Paus and one for desserts. A selection of their pan-fried / fried dim sum can also be found being displayed prominently at the counter in a display case which shows the various pan-fried / fried dim sum still available to order for the day.
While the dim sum menu at Dim Sum King may be less extensive than what some other dim sum stalls situated within food courts, coffee shops and hawker centres around are offering, what Dim Sum King does seem to have a focus on would be the range of Paus — apart from the more standard Paus such as the Big Bun and BBQ Bun on their menu, Dim Sum King also serves up a variety of buns that are shaped in the form of cartoon animal characters which gives their buns a visual appeal. We found ourselves settling for the Ducky Custard Bun; shaped just like a duck, the buns comes with a yellow aesthetic with eyes and a beak to complete the look — all along with “wings” attached to the side. All of the animal character Paus come in a portion of two buns per serving; it is also noted that the size of the buns are a little bigger than what some would expect based on similar offerings that one can usually find at more upscale dim sum restaurants. Considering how the bun is being sized, it comes with little surprise that the bun itself can be a little thick — the bun could also have been a little more fluffier to match our preferences, though all these wouldn’t be too bothersome for those whom aren’t looking into the textural details of the dish that much. They have gotten the main star here right though; the custard lava is molten and flowy — just like how one would expect things to be so in the typical molten lava custard bun. The filling leaned closer to being sweet, though there is definitely an undertone of saltishness coming from the salted egg coming through that provided some balance — the filling also being quite rich and creamy; definitely hit the spot for those looking for a decent molten lava custard bun out there.
Other items that we had tried at Dim Sum King that are worth mentioning included the Trio Egg Congee; one could definitely find chunks of salted egg and century egg amidst the porridge that added a note of saltishness — then congee also done really well being thick, smooth and velvety texture that was totally on-point and got us yearning for more despite not being fans of congee in general. The pieces of fried dough fritters also do not reek of any undesirable notes of overused oil nor had absorbed the grease; the chunks of chicken meat found within also being incredibly tender at the same time. The Black Truffle Siew Mai came with a rather confusing aesthetic on first impression; rather than coming with the usual yellow Siew Mai wrapper on the outside, the Black Truffle Siew Mai at Dim Sum King came with a green-coloured wrapper that is usually associated with Otah Siew Mai at some establishments — something that Dim Sum King also serves. Topped off with Ebiko, one can say that it comes with a good proportion of pork and shrimp that both provides a bite and a crunch; the shrimp also adding a hint of natural sweetness to the Siew Mai as well — all that whilst a hint of truffle runs at the back of the tongue to provide that note that one would expect out of the namesake of the dish. We liked how the truffle here wasn’t overwhelming — just enough to taste without throwing the entire item off-balance. We weren’t expecting too much with the Orh Nee initially considering how it comes in a plastic container but this was yet another well-executed item.
There was enough oil to go around to give the Orh Nee a smooth texture while the Orh Nee itself came all earthy and sufficiently sweetened — all that accompanied with Gingko Nuts that provided a bit of a bite and a slight bitterness for a flavoural contrast. The Fresh Shrimp Chee Cheong Fun was the only item thus seemed to be overshadowed by the quality of the rest of the items that we have had during our visit to Dim Sum King — we must say that the Fresh Shrimp Chee Cheong Fun at Dim Sum King is probably better than most of the rice vermicelli rolls that most dim sum stalls at old-school coffeeshops and generic food court stalls dishes out; definitely decent on its own right. That being said, the Fresh Shrimp Chee Cheong Fun just lacks that finesse that we had found in their Trio Eggs Congee, Black Truffle Siew Mai and the Orh Nee; it did feel a little thick for our preferences, though we did like how there was ample soy sauce provided a good sweet-savoury note to the entire dish anyway. Dim Sum King is one of those establishments that we have felt that they surpassed our expectations for a dim sum stall situated in a coffeeshop; its offerings does seemingly feel a little more quality than the generic items that some similar stalls serve up — the fact that Dim Sum King is located within a coffeeshop in a light industrial building making it a rather hidden find that one would not quite expect at such a location. Prices for its dim sum items on the menu are mostly kept below $4 per dish; the only exceptions would be the Hong Kong Egg Tart (priced at $4), the Orh Nee and the Almond Tea with Peach Gum (priced at $4.80). Their congees are priced from $4.50 to $5.50; the only exception to this being the Abalone Congee priced at $8.80. With quality that somewhat exceeds its price point given the settings of its location, Dim Sum King is a spot in the North which we will gladly revisit if craving for some affordable and reasonably well-executed Dim Sum!
Caught wind of yet another food stall that had recently sprouted up in a neighbourhood area; whilst Myanmar cuisine can be considered quite a common find in areas like Clementi and Peninsula Plaza, there have been some establishments that had recently opened its doors outside of those areas — an example would be Mother's House Myanmar Cuisine that is located a little off the beaten path at Woodlands Bizhub. The Xiang Kao Cafe coffeeshop at Senja-Cashew Community Club had also recently seen the opening of Agape Authentic Myanmar Cuisine; the stall takes up a corner stall unit within the air-conditioned coffeeshop — the neighbouring stalls situated beside Agape Authentic Myanmar Cuisine being a vegetarian stall and a zichar stall. Agape Authentic Myanmar Cuisine seems to focus its offerings around their mixed economy rice; the dishes available for the day are being displayed prominently at the display cabinet at the counter much like what one would expect at a stall serving Nasi Padang / Chinese-style mixed economy rice. That being said, Agape Authentic Myanmar Cuisine does serve up a range of tea leaf salad / rice noodle salads and noodle dishes — all these would be rotating specials where the availability would be announced on their Facebook page alongside the dishes available for their mixed economy rice for the day; unlike Mother's House Myanmar Cuisine however, Agape Authentic Myanmar Cuisine does list most of the dishes available for the day on their Facebook page with English descriptions — this makes it easier for potential patrons to better understand the dishes that they have to offer.
We initially were intrigued to give the noodle dishes that are being served at Agape Authentic Myanmar Cuisine a go; that being said, the folks behind the counter had informed us that they had already run out of all noodle dishes that they were serving up as specials for the day when we made our visit to Agape Authentic Myanmar Cuisine on a weekday dinner service; we found ourselves going straight for the mixed economy rice as a result. The way that the mixed economy rice at Agape Authentic Myanmar Cuisine is being priced is similar to that of Chinese-style mixed economy rice where dishes are classed as meat or vegetable dishes — the prices charged would be dependant on how many meat and vegetable dishes one opts for with the portion of rice. Matching the dishes that we have had along with what is being listed as available for the day on their Facebook page, we went for the Pork Curry with Bean Paste, Mushroom with Kang Kong, and Braised Eggplant; the guy behind the counter also gave us a sample portion of what seems to be the tea leaf salad for us to try. Despite us being especially unfamiliar to Myanmar cuisine still, we did find the dishes they were went for being rather acceptable to our tastebuds.
The least intimidating of the lot was the Mushroom with Kang Kong; the Kang Kong being done in a way to retain some crunch whilst interestingly was wok-fried with Shimeiji mushrooms that added a bouncy texture and an earthy note amidst the light savouriness that the dish already brings. The Braised Eggplant was also more akin to the eggplant dishes that one would be able to find at Chinese-style mixed economy rice stalls; the eggplant being cooked to a soft texture and the remnants of the dish does suggest that there is some element of chili oil used jn the dish — there was also a note of rendang / curry-like flavours that lightly runs at the back of the tongue though not obviously so. Meanwhile, the Pork Curry with Bean Paste isn’t quite the literal curry that the namesake suggests for us locals; again, the remnants of the dish does suggest that the use of an element that comprises of chili oil — the dish being closer to a typical braised pork dish that is slightly greasier and with an element a very light element of spice that only gets evident for those with very low tolerance to spiciness after a long while. It is however notable that the chunks of pork belly are rather thickly-cut here; the pork coming with a balance of fatty parts and lean meat, with the texture being one that carries about of bite and also requiring a bit of chew especially when one gets closer to the fatty parts that can be described as really gelatinous.
The tea leaf salad would probably be something more suited for the more adventurous wanting to try an element that is distinctively Myanmar here; this is essentially fermented tea leaves (the stall owner describes it as “sour vegetable”) and does seem to be that element that most would associate with Myanmar cuisine given the aroma that it comes with. The texture could be best described as being similar to that of Taiwanese / Teochew-style preserved vegetables, while the flavours would be the same but also meeting that of Sichuan-style preserved vegetable; a slight tang being all zippy with just a slight note of chili oil that lingers at the back of the tongue – should be manageable even for those whom have lower tolerance to spiciness. Overall, our experience of the various dishes which we had opted for our mixed economy rice at Agape Authentic Myanmar Cuisine do not feel particularly intimidating to have; that being said, it is also likely due to the fact that we have kept our choices to the safer side of things by opting for dishes that are seemingly more familiar to us. During our visit, we did note that there is a stream of patrons of Myanmar origin that were patronising the stall for dinner as well; not sure if it is a testament to how authentic their fare is or due to the scarcity of Myanmar cuisine across the island — that being said, prices for their mixed economy rice is kept rather affordable at $5.50 for 1 meat dish and two vegetable dishes with rice which seems reasonable. Looking forward to make our return to trip to give their noodle dishes a go.
There has been quite a fair bit that has been happening in the local F&B scene of the late, though one of those areas that hadn’t really seen things done differently for a while now seems to be within the gelato / ice-cream parlour space. Had been scrolling around social media recently and found out that Vanda Botanical Dessert had released a new Matcha Noodle Gelato — for those whom are not aware, Vanda Botanical Dessert is a takeaway gelato kiosk that had been operating at 313@Somerset for quite a while; whilst they did operate a location at Takashimaya some time back alongside the 313@Somerset outlet, that location had since closed its doors. Vanda Botancial Dessert is also noted for being an establishment that serves up their gelato with the ability to opt for mochi skin as an add-on; something which was also trending at the point of time when Vanda Botancial Dessert had entered into the local F&B scene.
For the Matcha Noodle Gelato, the marketing collaterals created for the item describes it to come with elements such as matcha noodle gelato, granola and chocolate sauce all in a butterscotch cone — what we had found out whilst ordering the item at the counter was that the matcha noodle gelato is also available as an add-on to a scoop of gelato, while the Matcha Noodle Gelato that comes as-is does include a topping of the patron’s choice (choices include granola, lotus biscoff crumbs and cornflakes) that comes as part of the item. For our order, we went for the Matcha Noodle Gelato as-is, and opted for the granola as our choice of add-on — this is despite the Matcha Noodle Gelato already coming with granola over the top as well. The Matcha Noodle Gelato from Vanda Botanical Desserts seem to have been inspired by the “chestnut noodles” that one would have come across in a Mont Blanc cake — the noodle aesthetic is being made using an apparatus that would dispense the matcha gelato to achieve its intended look much to the same that is used to create the chestnut noodles in a Mont Blanc cake.
Apart from the look of the gelato, Vanda Botanical Dessert hadn’t really changed the wheel here with the item; the matcha noodle gelato carried quite an intense flavour of the Japanese tea — the gelato coming with the bitter undertones that one would associate with the tea without a distinct hint of sweetness nor being too milky. The granola does add an element of crunch to the matcha noodle gelato, while the butterscotch cone was surprisingly light and crisp — probably coming slightly thinner than most cones that we have come across though still holds up against the wet elements pretty well. At $6.80 a cone, the Matcha Noodle Gelato does sound a little pricey for dessert on first impression — this is especially since the Matcha Noodle Gelato is all about the aesthetics. That being said, one does get quite a fair bit of ice-cream if they opt for the Matcha Noodle Gelato as-is; this is considering how the entire cone gets filled with gelato (except the granola and chocolate sauce forming the base within the cone) as opposed to scoops of gelato where larger gaps do exist — something worth trying for the curious.