Was passing by Maxwell Food Centre and got to find out about a new establishment named Rustic Coffee & Bread that had recently moved into the food centre. Located around the second last row of food stalls situated nearer towards Kadayanallur Street, Rustic Coffee & Bread can be found right beside the notable Hock Lai Seng 福来成 that serves up stellar local Teochew-style minced pork noodles. Rustic Coffee & Bread is an establishment that follows the trend of local Nanyang-style Kopi & Teh stalls which are run by Vietnamese. With that being said, whilst most such stalls are limited to offering local Nanyang-style Kopi & Teh alongside some Vietnamese coffee offerings, local Nanyang-style breakfast toasts and Banh Mi, the menu (and especially more so for the beverages offered) served up at Rustic Coffee & Bread does seem to be much more extensive than stalls of similar nature that are found at other hawker centres — their beverage offerings are categorised into Coffee, Tea, Yuan Yang, Healthy Tea, Milo & Chocolate, Honey Series, Refreshers, Rustic Matcha and Espresso Bar (brewed using the espresso machine). The bread menu in the meanwhile comprises of the usual selection one would expect at stalls serving up Nanyang-style breakfast and a couple of more Vietnamese options.

The Pate Stick Baguette is one of the lesser-seen Vietnamese-style bread offerings that Rustic Coffee & Bread carries on their menu. Otherwise known as Banh Mi Que in Vietnamese, this would be a skinny bread stick that is thinner than that of the usual Banh Mi that is being toasted and spread with meat pate — something that is more commonly consumed as a snack and is especially affordable in Vietnam. The Pate Stick Baguette is priced at $2.20 ala-carte at Rustic Coffee & Bread; it is also freshly prepared upon order. Considering so, the Pate Stick Baguette is absolutely crisp and packs a crunch as one chews into it; there is this slight hint of garlicky aroma that lingers at the back of the tastebuds whilst one can taste the savouriness from the meat pate that is being spread on the stick baguette itself. The Pate Stick Baguette does go especially well with their Rustic Sapa Coffee on the side; something that feels creamy, almost frothy and rich and hints of a strong kick of coffee amidst the sweetness that was simply paradise for caffeine-lovers out there — definitely something that is not to be missed if anyone decides to give Rustic Coffee & Bread a try!

A few months has passed since the opening of Chick-fil-A’s first outpost in Singapore and it had since seen the opening of a second location in the island. Operated by a different owner-operator from its first outlet in Singapore, the outlet at Millenia Walk that takes over part of the premises previously tenanted by Meidi-Ya Supermarket for its dining hall section which also houses Hokkaido Dosanko Plaza and The Japanese Curry Shop is run by owner-operator Deborah Ku whom brings her expertise in managing her family’s restaurant (i.e. Penang Place) to the brand. Unlike the Bugis+ outlet, the Chick-fil-A outlet at Millenia Walk does feature an outdoor dining hall — this space used to be the beer garden within the Meidi-Ya Supermarket and is situated just beside the drop-off point at Millenia Walk along Raffles Boulevard. A unique decor feature for this outlet would be the partition between booth seats that makes use of Coca Cola bottles situated in the middle of the establishment. There are some exclusive items that are available at the Millenia Walk outlet — this would include their Frosted Lemonade and Frosted Coffee alongside their Coffee line-up; otherwise, do expect the same line-up of sandwiches, salads, sides and beverages that are already offered at Bugis+

Thought it would be good to go for the Grilled Chicken Sandwich since we have tried the Chick-fil-A Deluxe Sandwich a go during our visit to the Bugis+ in their early days. The Grilled Chicken Sandwich is mentioned on the menu to come with elements such as that of lettuce, tomato and a multigrain, brioche bun — this is also the only sandwich on the menu that features the multigrain, brioche bun. Honey Roasted BBQ sauce comes on the side in a packet rather than within the sandwich —a thoughtful touch taking into consideration of those whom intended to have a “cleaner” meal. Sinking our teeth into the sandwich, we did feel that the multigrain, brioche bun does provide a little more bite than that of the other bun that comes with their other varieties of sandwiches — it is still quite fluffy and light without feeling particularly carb-y nonetheless. The grilled chicken patty does seem particularly tender; sufficiently moist but also carrying a slightly smoky note similar to that of Burger King’s TenderGrill offerings. Adding the Honey Roasted BBQ sauce adds a note similar to Honey Mustard, but with a sweeter and smokier finish that corresponds to that of barbecue sauce. In between is where one would find the slice of tomato providing a fleshy, juicy and tangy bite to refresh the tastebuds, while lettuce adds that crispness of leafy greens for some balance in the sandwich.

One thing that has been all over social media for the past couple of months would probably be how Chin Mee Chin Confectionery is opening their second outlet at NEX — a brand that had pretty much become an icon in Katong for its old-school vibes, Chin Mee Chin Confectionery celebrates its 101st anniversary this year; the brand having been established since 1925 though a change of hands did occur a couple of years back with the original owners having sold the brand and the original shop to the folks of Ebb & Flow Group. Ebb & Flow Group also runs other dining concepts such as that of Willow, Casa Vostra and Carlitos — just to name a few. Situated right next to the entrance of NEX that leads up to the entrance of Serangoon MRT Station’s Circle Line wing, Chin Mee Chin occupies the premises formerly occupied by an outlet of Jinjja Chicken there. Offering patrons with a dine-in experience, Chin Mee Chin offers a menu that features quite a number of outlet exclusives at their NEX location; offerings such as their iconic Kaya Toast served before Ebb & Flow’s ownership and the Curry Chicken Rice that was introduced during Ebb & Flow’s ownership are being served up at their NEX outlet, though the food menu at NEX had expanded to include categories such as Toast Sets, Pastries, Buns, Choux Au Craquelin, Mains and Sandwiches. Apart from its standard line-up of Nanyang-style Kopi and Teh, they also do serve up a line-up of Specialty Drinks which sees modern flavour combinations much alike what is being found at other hipster cafes these days.

The Smashed Fried Chicken with Sambal Sandwich is or of the sandwich offerings that are exclusively available to the outlet at NEX — we went for the item considering how they were already sold out of both variants of Nasi Lemak when we had dropped by in the early evening. Whilst the menu does not describe the elements that come within the sandwich, it can be observed from our order that it does come with fried chicken, cabbage slaw and sambal in between the bread. The Smashed Fried Chicken with Sambal Sandwich is being served up in a cardboard sleeve which didn’t give it the best aesthetic, though the other items that we had (including beverages) seemed to have fared way worse than this. The bread does come crisp on the exterior without being too dense but still gives a good bite in terms of its consistency; this does help to work in the favour of the sandwich considering how the smashed fried chicken does seem to feel a little more soggy especially from soaking up a little moisture from the cabbage slaw and the sambal beneath. With that being said, the smashed fried chicken does come with quite a good flavour; the marination of the chicken using turmeric was pretty on point — pretty much akin to what one would expect out of Ayam Goreng Berempah served in some Malaysian-style Nasi Lemak establishments. The slaw did give a refreshing crunch, while the sambal did provide a slight hint of savouriness and a level of heat that should give a bit of a kick for those whom are tolerable to less than moderate levels of spiciness.

Was going around the MacPherson neighborhood recently and spotted a rather unfamiliar sight whilst passing by Blk 36 Circuit Road — whilst Wishes Cafe had ceased operations at the foot of Blk 36 Circuit Road for a while now, it does seem that a new tenant named 36 Wishes has taken its place. 36 Wishes does seem to have retained much of the decor alongside the furnishings and fittings of the space that was left behind by Wishes Cafe whilst adapting the space to suit their business needs — there is also some reconfiguration of the dining hall seating layout by these folks as well. Despite the slightly similar name and the recognisable decor of the space, 36 Wishes is an entirely different sort of dining establishment from Wishes Cafe — whilst Wishes Cafe primarily operated as an ice-cream parlour, 36 Wishes is an establishment that serves up Malaysian-style noodle offerings; the menu at 36 Wishes centres around fishball noodle, wanton noodle / Hong Kong-style roast meat noodles and curry noodles. Patrons looking for beverages can order them from the neighbouring Heong Hock Cafe and bring them over to 36 Wishes.

Being one who is usually intrigued by Malaysian-style Curry Noodle offerings, we found ourselves going for the Roast Pork, Char Siew Curry Noodle. For our order, we went with the Small-sized bowl, going for the Yellow Noodle option though patrons do get a choice to opt for Mee Kia, Mee Pok, Kway Teow, Thick Bee Hoon and Bee Hoon depending on their preferences. We also added Pig Skin for our order which was being charged at an additional dollar on top of the basic price of the Roast Pork, Char Siew Curry Noodle. 36 Wishes does not describe the elements that come with their various dishes, though it could be observed from our order that the Roast Pork, Char Siew Curry Noodle features elements like Roast Pork, Curry Noodle, Crispy Wanton Skin, Long Beans, and Tofu Puffs. One thing we liked about the Roast Pork, Char Siew Curry Noodle was how the curry gravy was very easy to consume; whilst coming with a strong hint of curry spices, we liked how it didn’t feel particularly greasy or laden with coconut milk — the result was a broth that was packed with flavour but without being cloying or too “lemak”. The level rosiness for the curry broth is pretty manageable for those whom are tolerable to moderate levels of spiciness. The yellow noodles was springy and came with a good bite and a slight alkaline-y note that quite complimented the curry gravy, while the roast pork and char siew came on the leaner side of things — slightly pedestrian but still more palatable than some others that we have had from certain stalls serving up Hong Kong-style roast meats around. The long beans added a crunch factor, while the tofu puffs absorbs the curry broth like a sponge for that flavour bomb that happens as one chews into it; the crispy wanton skin also being crackling crisp unless one chooses to excessively soak it with the curry gravy before consumption.

Having been going around trying different establishments for Filipino cuisine in recent times, it does seem that we are quite in the mood to explore such locations — got to know of Tara na! by Easy Eatz’s existence at Punggol East Container Park which has been operating for a period of time. These folks can be found around the area where one can find stalls such as that of The Smokhaus — other establishments operating within container units within Punggol East Container Park would include that of Idly Kadai and the Singapore outpost of Pho Thin 13 Lo Duc. Whilst establishments serving up Filipino fare has become a little bit more common these days as compared to the past, Tara na! by Easy Eatz falls into the category of halal-friendly Filipino fare that is slightly more difficult to get around. As with most establishments at Punggol East Container Park, most of the dining area for the establishment is located outdoors. The menu at Tara na! by Easy Eatz is being split into sections dedicated to Starters, Salad, Main Course (for sharing), Sizzling Plates, Noodles & Pasta and Desserts.

Tara na! by Easy Eatz does serve up a few dishes which does seem to accommodate to that of individual diners where the dish featuring a certain type of meat is paired with rice, sunny side-up and a salsa. Patrons do get to opt between white rice and garlic fried rice for the Chicken Tocino which we had went for — our choice would be for the Garlic Fried Rice. For those whom are not in the know, the Chicken Tocino is a pan-fried marinated chicken dish that sees the use of brown sugar, garlic, pineapple juice, soy sauce and white vinegar — this does give the dish a sweet and savoury note with a caramalised note that goes along with the savouriness of the chicken that is tender; all that whilst the pan-frying process gives it a slight smokiness as well. The Chicken Tocino works particularly well with the Garlic Fried Rice which hints of a soft note of garlic; all that whilst being enhanced with a more intense garlicky note coming from the garlic chips that also provided a bit of a textural contrast against the rice itself. The salsa does come with a mix of tomatoes and cucumbers giving a soft Brie and a crunch which was refreshing to have in between the rice and the Chicken Tocino, while the sunny side-up that came with the dish also was free from any undesirable odour from overused oil and came with crisp edges; also featured a runny egg yolk eagerly breaks as one pierces through it using the fork — goes particularly well with the Garlic Fried Rice which gives it a silkier, smoother texture apart from the eggy notes that it carries as well.

Those whom have been following the happenings around the Singapore F&B scene would probably have heard about an establishment named Thunder Tree / Fire Flies for a long while now. Fire Flies formerly operates a “health farm” at Lim Chu Kang prior to the closure of the organic vegetable farm due to the change of land usage of the plot which it was sitting on — Thunder Tree was the brand by the same family which runs food stalls with ingredients sourced from Fire Flies Health Farm. Fire Flies had since made their return to the local F&B scene; now being a food stalls situated at the same food court as where Thunder Tree used to operate from but just a few units down — they are now probably best known for their Hakka Thunder Tea (otherwise known as Lei Cha) offerings there. They have since expanded their operations to a new store situated at Quemoy Building at Upper Paya Lebar Road; this would be located across from Kensington Square with other establishments situated in the same stretch of shops including that of Fuel Kitchen. Being an establishment that serves up vegetarian fare, Fire Flies had also expanded the selection of dishes offered at their outlet in Quemoy Building — the menu is now split into sections dedicated to Rice, Noodles, Mains, Specials and Desserts, especially considering how they are operating within a independently-run space here rather than from within a stall in a coffeeshop / food court setting.

Stalls serving up Hakka Thunder Tea offerings are aplenty across the island these days — whilst still a rather niche offering, it had most certainly become a little more conventional over the years. Whilst most establishments served up their Hakka Thunder Tea offerings in the form of white rice or brown rice options rather than that of the same but with Kolo Mee. With this in mind, the Fire Flies X Enjoy Tea Leicha Kolomee (Top Grade Iron Goddess) was an item of choice for us when we were skimming through the menu here. The line-up of the Fire Flies X Enjoy Tea Leicha Kolomee is also available with rice, and this line-up would be one that is served with a curation of tea that is sourced from Enjoy Tea where patrons are encouraged to mix the tea into the Thunder tea paste. The menu describes the Fire Flies X Enjoy Tea Leicha Kolomee (Top Grade Iron Goddess) to come with elements such as Top Grade Iron Goddess, Natural Spring Water, Kolo Mee, Peanuts, Sesame, Black Eye Pea, Chye Poh, Leicha Tofu, Long Beans, Cabbage, Chye Sim and Manis Sayur. Adding the Top Grade Iron Goddess tea to the Thunder Tea Paste, it does seem that doing so does sort of intensify the umami notes of the Thunder Tea Paste — it also does give a slight bitter undertone that Iron Goddess tea is known to carry in its finishing notes as well. Pouring the Thunder Tea Paste into the bowl of noodles gives the noodles that same strong saltish and umami flavour; the Kolo Mee here does come springy with a good bite — all that whilst the addition of other elements like the peanuts, Leicha Tofu, Long Beans, Cabbage, Chye Sim and Manis Sayur adds different contrasting textures that either came with a crunch or a soft bite.

Those whom have been following us for the last decade would probably have recalled our visits to South Union Park in the past — situated along Jalan Kembangan in a shophouse unit that is located within a short walk away from Kembangan MRT Station, South Union Park is a favourite with us for quite a while best known for their handmade pastas that they had been serving up before other establishments with the local F&B scene had caught on with such fare. These folks celebrate their 10th anniversary of their establishment this year — South Union Park being where they had first started out their journey in the local F&B scene before expanding to other concepts such as that of Tombok Tombok and Eleven Strands over the years. With them marking their first decade in operations, South Union Park has also refreshed their menu to include new offerings whilst serving up familiar favourites over the years.

The Porcini Ravioli with Mixed Mushroom is one of the few new dishes that has been added to the menu of South Union Park in conjunction with their tenth anniversary celebrations — the dish can be found in the Pasta section of the menu. The menu describes the Porcini Ravioli with Mixed Mushroom as a dish that comes with elements such as mixed forest mushrooms, mushroom cream sauce, Arugula and Parmesan. South Union Park had established its name from their handmade filled pastas ever since its founding, and the Porcini Ravioli is a showcase of that finesse that they are already known for surrounding the handmade filled pastas as is an extension of what they already have been carrying on their menu. Shaped like dumplings, the Porcini Ravioli comes with pasta dough that carried sufficient bite, with the ravioli coming well-stuffed with porcini and cheese giving it a good balance of earthiness and a slightly more neutral flavour profile that gives a bit more depth of flavours to the mushroom cream sauce that accompanies the dish which carries a slightly more intense note of earthiness and creaminess here. Further supplemented by the mixed mushrooms that adds an earthy, bouncy texture. Whilst the addition of Arugula is the one that adds a hint of its inherent bitterness to cut through the cream and earthiness that comes with the dish, though it does seem to carry an extra note of basil that seems to bind all of the flavours together nicely.

Got to learn about the new Accompany Coffee that had just opened its doors at Joo Chiat Road — Accompany Coffee is the latest addition to the Katong neighbourhood, having taken over the former premises of the now-defunct Same Days Coffee situated within the Grafunkt store at 292 Joo Chiat Road right at the junction of Joo Chiat Road, Dunman Road and Koon Seng Road. The entire set-up looks more like a re-branding effort considering how the space could not be substantially redesigned or refitted with the master tenant being Grafunkt. There are two seating areas for Accompany Coffee; one being around the partition segregating the cafe element with the retail shop element where high chairs are lined along the partition to double up as a table, while there are also low stools and low tables located right in front of the counter. As with how things were with Same Days Coffee, the menu centres around its beverage offerings — the categories of drinks available at Accompany Coffee includes Coffee, Matcha, Others and House Specials. There is also a list of rotating House Bakes that are available for patrons whom wish to pair up their beverage orders with some light bites.

Despite the long list of House Bakes being listed on the menu at Accompany Coffee, only the Citrus Olive Oil Cake and the Chocolate Chip Cookie were available during our day of visit. We found ourselves going for the Citrus Olive Oil Cake — the menu at Accompany Coffee describes the Citrus Olive Oil Cake to be an item that comes with elements such as fresh cream and orange zest. The Citrus Olive Oil Cake comes in the form of a slice out of a loaf cake; coming with the fresh cream piped above with orange zest coming above the fresh cream itself. Thought the cake element itself here was pretty delightful considering how the Olive Oil Cake was sufficiently moist and easy to eat; not too sweet overall and does hint of a very very slight note of olive oil at the back of the tongue if one is really picking into the small details here. The fresh cream adds a creaminess to the Citrus Olive Oil Cake, while the orange zest gives it a slight zing to balance everything else out.

Got to learn about the new Xaroma Cafe whilst scrolling through social media — these folks are located at the foot of Blk 554 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5 which is a bus ride away from Ang Mo Kio Bus Interchange / MRT Station being tucked deeper into the heartlands, though those whom are familiar with the area would probably know that this is the same block which houses an outlet of 蔬方斋 SHU Vegetarian that is in walking distance away from Cheng San Food Centre. Located right beside a beauty and skin care parlour named Dermal, Xaroma Cafe is actually a concept by the folks behind Dermal as well. Xaroma Cafe should be rather easy to spot considering how the establishment has an outward-facing opened window that allows for quick takeaways of coffee from outside the establishment. The interior of Xaroma Coffee can be described as rather tight and cosy with small tables that mostly accommodate to patrons visiting the establishment in pairs, though there is an outdoor seating area that features bigger tables where it is more suited for groups visiting the establishment in groups of four (4) pax. Despite its small size, Xaroma Cafe serves up a good variety of food on its menu; the food menu is split into sections dedicated to Pasta, Sando, Snacks, Shokupan Dessert / Signature Shokupan, Bingsu and Gelato, while the beverages menu sees a line-up of Coffee, Signature Coffee and Tea & Refreshers being offered.

The Mentaiko Tiger Prawn Capellini is a dish that is being listed under the Pasta section of the menu; the menu describes the dish to feature elements such as grilled tiger prawns, Mentaiko mayo and premium Tobiko. One thing to note is how the dish actually does come with five (5) pieces of tiger prawns; this does seem quite value for money especially considering how the dish is priced at $14.90 — with that being said, it is noted that the tiger prawns does come lightly battered rather than actually grilled as per what is being described on the menu. With all that being said, the choice of Capellini does keep the dish pretty light overall; the Capellini comes with a softer texture than the usual spaghetti and is served warm here — mixing it up with the Mentaiko mayonnaise does help to rid the slightly watery feel caught by the strands of capellini and adds a hint of umami and a creamy texture to the pasta. Inclusion of Tobiko adds a popping sensation for more texture, while it does seem that cloves of garlic were also added to the Capellini to give it a savoury, garlicky note to provide a bit more depth of flavours to the Mentaiko mayonnaise. Meanwhile, the prawns do seem reasonably fresh and comes with a hint of crustacean flavor; the batter also being light and crisp, while the accompanying cherry tomatoes are seared and provides a tang to reset the tastebuds especially from the Mentaiko mayonnaise.

Was scrolling around social media and got to know about the opening of a relatively new stall situated at Taman Jurong Food Centre. Located at the second level of the food centre, Nomad Kitchen (not to be confused by NOMAD that serves pasta, pizza and salads at Depot Heights Shopping Centre) had recently found home there — these folks are situated right beside Butternut which should be fairly easy to find for those whom frequent the food centre. Nomad Kitchen sports a white signboard that contains its logo and simple text — should be relatively easy to spot since it is a stark contrast against most of the signboards of the stalls situated in the same row of stalls. Nomad Kitchen is a Muslim-owned establishment; the brand does adopt the slogan “Culturally Inspired” which does seem to hint of its menu offerings which comprises of cuisine from the Middle Eastern and Mediterranean regions. Offering seven (7) dishes on its menu, the food items available at Nomad Kitchen includes Rotisserie Chicken, Saffron Jujeh, Iskender, Shakshuka, Lasagna, Moussaka and Street Wraps.

Visiting Nomad Kitchen on a weekday dinner service, a number of the items on the menu at Nomad Kitchen were already sold out by the time we arrived in the early evening. Of the lot of dishes available, the Saffron Jujeh is the one that caught our eye — the dish is described to come with elements such as that of grilled chicken, persian rice, tomato, green chili, Mast-o-Khair and Salad. Nomad Kitchen usually serves the Saffron Jujeh in a portion size of two skewers; ours came with three at an additional cost as they were closing for the day and left with an odd number of skewers which they were not intending to keep in stock. The Persian Rice features long-grain basmati rice; came with a slight hint of saffron and a buttery note — light and fluffy on its own. The grilled chicken skewers were grilled upon order; moist, tender and firm with a good, chunky bite whilst being marinated with turmeric — flavourful with a slight smokiness from the grilling process. The tomato also comes grilled; juicy, refreshing and provided a tangy note to cut through the flavours of the rice and grilled chicken. The Mast-o-Khair can be described as a Persian Yogurt and Cucumber Dip; best paired with the grilled chicken skewers for a bit of creamy zing and tang with a bit of a refreshing crunch, while biting into the green chili adds a relentless burst of spiciness that tickles the tastebuds even for those with high tolerance to spiciness.

Those whom have been following us for quite a while would have probably seen us posting about an establishment named 2 Chefs Too Many not too long ago — whilst these folks are a relatively new addition to the local F&B scene that are operating from an independently-run shop unit at the foot of a HDB block in Changi Village, these folks had expanded their operations to several locations in recent times. Aside from expanding beyond the borders of Singapore into Johor Bahru, Malaysia within KSL Mall, they have also ventured into opening stalls at food centres such as that of MarketPlace@Expo (formerly Timbre+ Eastside @ Expo) and that of Hong Lim Food Centre as well. Their Hong Lim Food Centre stall is located along the same row of stalls such as that of the outlet of The Noodle Memories there. Such outlets are named Omu Place; they offer a more condensed version menu as compared to that of 2 Chefs Too Many and emphasises on their Omu Rice offerings whilst also serving up hot and cold Udons as well — they also do offer a few options for sides for those looking for something to supplement their meal with.

A dish that we were particularly impressed with during our visit to 2 Chefs Too Many at their Changi Village location was the Cheesy Wagyu Hamburg Omurice — we were glad that Omu Place does serve the same dish. Omu Place does not describe the elements that is included in the Cheesy Wagyu Hamburg Omurice, though it can be observed from our order that the dish does feature quite the same elements as the one served at 2 Chefs Too Many at Changi Village; a Wagyu Hamburg Patty, tornado egg, mushroom-infused short-grain rice, Demi-Glace sauce and a cheese-based sauce drenched over it. Digging into the dish, we did find that the quality of the dish is pretty consistent to what we have had at 2 Chefs Too Many as well; the Wagyu Hamburg Patty was juicy with tender meat that didn’t come with any fatty or veiny — savoury enough but also without any gaminess while the meat was easy to chew through without being too crumbly as well. The tornado egg itself was well-executed being soft yet slightly runny; carried an eggy note whilst the Demi-Glace sauce provided the slightly briny and savoury notes that not only brought the flavours of the rice, egg and beef together, but also enhanced the notes of the entire dish as well. The mushroom-infused short-grain rice was the element that added another dimension of flavours with a light earthiness that perfumed the tastebuds and gave complexity to the dish. The added cheese sauce gives it a creamy note to the Demi-Glace sauce and the Wagyu Hamburg a bit more depth of flavours. Whilst a little pricey for hawker fare at $12.90, the Cheesy Wagyu Hamburg Omurice does present itself as a pretty interesting choice to go for at a hawker centre to treat oneself to once in a while!

Was passing by Millenia Walk and got to learn about the opening of a new ramen restaurant within the shopping gallery named Toripaitan Ramen Torinosuke — these folks had takeover the former premises of the now-defunct location of Yoshinoya within the mall (more on this later). Toripaitan Ramen Torinosuke mentions that the brand is established since 2002 in Hiroshima Japan; the brand does seem to have multiple outlets located within Japan — the Toripaitan Ramen Torinosuke outlet at Millenia Walk is their very first outpost in Singapore. Whilst not immediately noticeable, we did seem to notice an affiliation between Toripaitan Ramen Torinosuke and Yoshinoya here considering how the congratulatory flowers placed outside of the restaurant during its initial opening phase had messages addressed to Yoshinoya. As one would have derived so from its namesake, Toripaitan Ramen Torinosuke is an establishment that specialises in their chicken broth shoyu ramen offerings; its menu is being split into sections dedicated to Ramen, Side and Curry Rice offerings — they also do offer desserts where ice-cream is being sourced from ice-creamery Udders.

The Waraji Katsu Toripaitan Kara Miso is actually the priciest offering at Toripaitan Ramen Torinosuke — the menu does not describe the elements that are featured in the bowl of ramen though it can be derived from its namesake that this would be a chicken broth ramen that comes with Miso — it also comes spicy as per the mention of “Kara” in its namesake. The Waraji Katsu Toripaitan Kara Miso is one out of three variants of Toripaitan Kara Miso Ramen that Toripaitan Ramen Torinosuke offers; the other two being the Toripaitan Kara Miso and the Ajitama Toripaitan Kara Miso. Whilst Toripaitan Ramen Torinosuke does not describe the elements featured within the dish, it can be observed from our order that the Waraji Katsu Toripaitan Kara Miso does come with elements such as Yasai (i.e. vegetables), Chicken Soboro (i.e. ground chicken), and Waraji Katsu (i.e. big, flat-shaped katsu). Going for the Toripaitan Kara Miso broth, we did find that the broth does carry a savoury note here — perhaps even a little salty for some palates; we did notice how the Toripaitan isn’t quite the rich and collagen-filled sort and is rather on the lighter side that isn’t too heavy on the tastebuds. With that said, much of the saltishness does seem to come from the inclusion of miso, whilst the broth does come with a spicy kick that should be manageable for those whom are tolerable to moderate levels of spiciness. The ramen noodles are done to a consistency where it carried a good bite, while the Waraji Katsu was crisp and not too greasy; there wasn’t much to shout about otherwise apart from how it does come with tonkatsu sauce piped over for a slight hint of sweetness and a light tang for some contrast. Meanwhile, the inclusion of Chicken Soboro adds meatiness and savouriness to the elements within the bowl, while the addition of Yasai and chopped raw red onions helped to add a refreshing crunch with the latter also giving slight zing to refresh the tastebuds.