Fortune Centre does seem to be a spot that keeps seeing interesting F&B tenants moving into the building — while the fourth level of the complex had recently seen an influx of Japanese dining establishments of the late, we did notice the opening of a new Nasi Lemak specialty store situated at the corner in the same row of shops as where one would find an outlet of Miss Saigon there. Little Pandan Nasi Lemak is one of the newer F&B tenants to have moved into Fortune Centre; these folks do occupy quite a cosy space that seats two tables of four (4) pax within the establishment, while they do also have provision for dining tables and chairs situated outside of the shop as well. Little Pandan Nasi Lemak serves their Nasi Lemak in Set Meal format where patrons can opt for their Nasi Lemak Set Meal to come with Chicken Wing, Chicken Cutlet or Ayam Merah, though patrons are also free to pick the items that they desire to have to go with their Nasi Lemak just like how it is being served up at some stalls selling local Chinese-style economic Bee Hoon as well.

Little Pandan Nasi Lemak does mention on its menu that all Nasi Lemak Sets does come with elements such as Fried Egg and Ikan Bilis — optional items that are non-chargeable that accompanies their Nasi Lemak would be elements such as the sambal chili and cucumbers. The Nasi Lemak itself at Little Pandan Nasi Lemak does exude a lightly green hue; a shade in which suggests that there is the use of Pandan in the preparation process of the Nasi Lemak here. Whilst the rice does come with a light green hue and comes suitably moist, the aroma of coconut milk and even Pandan doesn’t seem to be particularly evident here. One thing that is worth noting about their Ayam Merah is how it is being served boneless for the convenience for their diners; this is opposed to how most establishments would serve up their Ayam Masak Merah in the form of a chicken leg with the bone in. The spicy tomato gravy here seem to be gravitate towards savoury notes with a tang rather than carrying a sweetness; the chicken does seem to have been fried though much of the batter has also absorbed the moisture coming from the gravy — still something we found to pretty reasonable compared to what we are used to having from other establishments. We weren’t a fan of the fried egg to be honest; the version here felt like it was covered in a layer of “plasticky” film which impacted the textures a fair bit. Meanwhile, the Sambal Chili does come on the sweet side that is pretty aligned with the Singaporean version of the Nasi Lemak sambal; the move to serve anchovies only instead of a mix of anchovies and peanuts does seem like a thoughtful touch that considers patrons whom might have peanut allergies. Not a particularly outstanding plate of Nasi Lemak to make a trip down to Fortune Central for, though one that should do just about right for those whom aren’t too fussy about their food in general.

Word has seemingly gotten around the opening of yet another Sushi Zushi outlet around town — these folks had become pretty much the talk of the town when they had first made their debut in the local F&B scene during the opening of their very first location at Funan. The brand had since opened a second outlet at Westgate for a while now, and their latest outpost can be found at the basement of Bugis Junction. The outlet of Sushi Zushi at Bugis Junction takes over the former premises of the now-defunct Expressteppanyaki — this would be around the small vicinity in which one would find other dining establishments such as the likes of LeNu Chef Wai’s Noodle Bar, Monster Curry and The Soup Spoon Union there. The hype around Sushi Zushi is all about their operating model where the set-up is pretty much like an Omakase concept — bar counter seats surround the food preparation area where the chef works in full view of the patrons, preparing the sushi, sashimi and all other dishes upon order; the Bugis Junction outlet seeing three such distinct zones to better manage the dine-in crowd here. The menu at Sushi Zushi’s outlet at Bugis Junction consists of sections dedicated to Appetisers, Sashimi, Sushi, Handrolls and Desserts — this is more aligned to that of its location at Funan rather than the newer Westgate outlet that incorporates a Charcoal Grill concept.

There are a number of monthly special items that are being offered by Sushi Zushi and one of such items was the Negitoro Uni Monaka when we had made our visit during its initial days of opening — these is also an item which can be found under the Sushi section of the menu. Sushi Zushi does not describe the various elements that are included with the item; with that being said, it can be observed that the Negitoro Uni Monaka does include elements such as Negitoro (minced raw tuna), Uni (i.e. raw sea urchin), Black Tobiko(?), Ikura, spring onions and a very small portion of sushi rice that sits within a wafer “case”. The best way to enjoy it is to fold the top “lid” of the Monaka down and take a bite into the Negitoro Uni Monaka — akin to that of a sandwich if one would put it that way. Sinking our teeth straight into the Negitoro Uni Monaka, the Monaka comes with a light, crispy and airy crunch that really showed the freshness of the wafer — checked all the right boxes there. Considering the load of other elements sitting atop the small mound of rice that lines the Monaka at the bottom, not much could be felt about the rice, though we did like how it was sticky enough to hold itself together; the rice does also seemed to have been seasoned to carry a light savoury note as opposed to the sweet-ish note that most vinegared rice in sushi tend to taste like. The Negitoro is fresh and gave a fibrous texture that adds a contrast to the smooth and buttery Uni and the Ikura that gave a popping sensation when it is chewed upon, though the Uni’s inherent brininess and the umami flavours of the Tobiko and Ikura certainly turned the Negitoro Uni Monaka into a flavour bomb that we just cannot get enough of!

SSS Cafe is one of those establishments that we had learnt its existence whilst scrolling through social media recently — these folks are situated at the ground floor of The Promenade @ Pelikat around the Kovan / Lorong Ah Soo neighbourhood. This would be the very same building that also houses that of notable dining establishments such as JM (Sisters) Noodle House Traditional Ipoh Hor Fun and Bandit’s Joint — SSS Cafe takes up a space along the same stretch of shops where Bandit’s Joint is also located with its frontage facing that of Jalan Pelikat itself. SSS Cafe’s namesake does seems to be the abbreviation of Sip Savour Smile — this itself also being prominently mentioned on the decal that was applied to the windows of the shop as well. Being a simply but tastefully decked cafe, we did find that the interior decor is unpretentious whilst warmly lit and welcoming; all that without any visual clutter that makes the space look cosy and comfortable despite the dining area being a little tightly-packed to maximise dine-in seating. SSS Cafe is an establishment that focuses on serving up Burmese cuisine; the menu comprises of sections dedicated to Snacks & Small Plates,
Main Course and Desserts.

The Coconut Noodle Soup is one of the items that is listed under the Main Course section of the menu at SSS Cafe — whilst SSS Cafe’s menu does not describe the elements that are being featured in the Coconut Noodle Soup that they serve up, it can be observed from our order of the same that the dish features elements such as thick rice vermicelli, chopped hard-boiled egg, chicken chunks, fried fritters and coconut milk broth. Also known as Ohn No Khao Swe, the dish can also be sometimes referred to as Burmese Laksa. Digging into the Coconut Noodle Soup, we did find that the gravy of the coconut noodle soup has been thickened by that of chickpea flour — a very commonly-found ingredient in the various Burmese dishes that we have been exposed to thus far. The gravy does carry a thick and creamy consistency that is almost akin to westernised cream soups, though the density thus seem to come from the starchiness of the chickpea flour slurry instead — intensifying the notes of turmeric and onion within the gravy itself. The thick rice noodles do come chewy and slurpy; a good consistency to match up against the gravy of the Coconut Noodle Soup, while bits of onions and chunks of chicken create a crunch and a meaty bite; the chopped up hard-boiled eggs coming with soft whites and a solid egg yolk that further adds on to the dish as well. Definitely a spot that would work out well for those whom are staying in the North-East that are keen to find an easy spot to give Burmese fare a try!

There has been an ongoing trend about Shio Pans recently being it establishments serving up the item popping up all across the island — Hara Hetta is a new addition to Katong Shopping Centre which falls under the category of such establishments as well. These folks are not exactly new the local F&B scene here, having been operated as a home-based business at some point of time in 2025 before becoming a brick-and-mortar establishment. These folks are situated at the basement of Katong Shopping Centre; their frontage is within the “sunken” level of Katong Shopping Centre that faces towards Mountbatten Road fairly close to where establishments like Hidden Thai, SUMO BAO BAO and Katong Gourmet Centre (the food court housing establishments such as Katong Delicious Chicken Rice) are situated within the building. As mentioned, Hara Hetta does specialise in their Shio Pan offerings, whilst the menu also has sections dedicated to categories such as Ice Cream Soda & Desserts, as well as Matcha & Coffee.

The Nori Shio Pan is one out of the four (4) different flavours Shio Pan in which Hara Hetta has to offer on its menu; the others being the OG, Truffle and Garlic Cream Cheese. The namesake of the Nori Shio Pan is fairly self-explanatory; being the Shio Pan here that features Japanese seaweed. Taking a bite into the Nori Shio Pan, the Shio Pan at Hara Hetta does come with a firm bite; not too dense, but does provide a bit of tendon to chew apart which we found to be rather ideal. Spread within the middle would be the Nori and butter (?) spread that does give it an umami and lightly saltish note that really gets us yearning for more. Whilst the undersides of the Shio Pan here isn’t as crackling crisp as some others that we had come across (especially in comparison with the likes of the one that we have had at Yunma Bakehouse), we did find the exterior of some parts of the Shio Pan to still be relatively crisp for a variance of textures for the bread.

Those whom have been following the happenings in the local F&B scene around social media might have probably heard about Madeline’s which has been going (and likely still be) around the various social media sites recently — Madeline’s marks the return of Madeline’s Original Portuguese Egg Tarts which had been founded in 1998 with their location at Tanjong Katong Road having closed in 2024. Madeline’s is now located within a shop unit at the ground floor at Aperia Mall which is just a short walk away from Lavender MRT Station; occupying a space in a wing that is recently extended out, Madeline’s is neighbours with the outlet of Nana Original Thai Food with some part of its shop unit having a facade that faces the main road of Lavender Street. With its return, Madeline’s is said to have aspirations to reposition itself as an established inspired by Cha
Chaan Tengs in Macau — now being run by different owners whom used to loved the brand. Apart from the familiar Portuguese Egg Tart offerings listed under the The OG Portuguese Egg Tart (the Pandan Kaya rendition is however replaced by a Gula Melaka version), Madeline’s now serves up a hot food menu with sections dedicated to Bakes & Buns, Sides & Sharing, Mains and Dessert.

The Pan Roasted African Chicken is an item that is being listed under the Mains section of the menu; the menu at Madeline’s describe the dish to feature elements such as that of cous cous, spicy coconut glaze and sunny side-up that is being served alongside the slab of chicken. This does seem to be inspired from a dish named Galinha à Africana which translates to Macanese African Chicken, though it does seem that the inclusion of cous cous could be a twist by the folks at Madeline’s to incorporate a carb element as an individually-portioned main. To put it across very simply, the slab of Pan Roasted African Chicken does somewhat replicate that of Peri-Peri Chicken that some establishments serves up; the chicken carrying a slight hint of Cajun-esque flavours from the way it is marinated and was lightly smoky from the pan-roasting process — juicy and tender. The use of Cous Cous does seem to be a choice made by the folks at Madeline’s to keep things lighter and “healthier” for the dish; the Cous Cous having seemed to have included aromatics such to carry a refreshing zing which makes it tasty to have even on its own. The spicy coconut glaze does carry a creamy, coconut cream-esque aroma with a slightly savoury-sweet note; all that accompanied by a kick of spiciness that would tickle the tastebuds for those whom are tolerable to less than moderate levels of spiciness. Meanwhile, the sunny side-up is void of any undesirable stench of overused oil; features fluffy and soft whites with a runny egg yolk that one can have alongside the slab of Pan Roasted African Chicken and the Cous Cous.

For those whom are familiar with local F&B scene over the years, Yuen Yeung 鸳鸯 is probably a name that one would have heard before — these folks did cause a bit of a stir in the F&B scene when they had first opened the premises to their Neil Road location being new players into the local F&B scene back then. One year on since their founding, it does seem that the brand is ready to head towards an expansion to second location — these folks had opened their new outlet at The Star Vista recently. Located at Level 1 of the mall, these folks had taken over the former premises of the now-defunct Bingz Singapore 西少爷肉夹馍, being neighbours with the outlet of HariAnns Nonya Table there. Their new space is smaller than that of their very first location at Neil Road; this one being located with the shopping aisle in the middle which segregates the counter plus the food preparation area away from the dine-in seating space allocated for the stall. Considering this in mind, there are some small differences between what is offered by Yuen Yeung at its Neil Road store and its The Star Vista outlet — the menu at The Star Vista comprising of sections dedicated to categories such as YuenYeung Crafted Ice, YuenYeung Milk Pudding, Milk Desserts, Soya Beancurd, and Warm Pastes.

Skimming through the menu, we found ourselves going for the Fermented Rice & Taro Paste Soya Beancurd which is being listed under the Soya Beancurd section of the menu. Yuen Yeung does not describe the elements featured in their various dishes in the menu; with that being said, we did observe that the Fermented Rice & Taro Paste Soya Beancurd does feature elements like a scoop of taro paste, soya beancurd, fermented rice, glutinous rice balls and Osmanthus petals — a packet of soya milk also does come accompanied with the dessert separately which patrons are encouraged to consume with the dessert by pouring over all of the other elements that comes within the bowl. Digging into the Fermented Rice & Taro Paste Soya Beancurd, it is noted that both the soya milk and soya beancurd that comes with the dessert are unsweetened — the soya beancurd coming all smooth with a pudding-like consistency where the spoon easily glides through as one digs in using the spoon. Most of the flavours for the dessert seem to come from the taro paste and fermented rice elements; the former does add an earthy note typical of Yam Paste / Orh Nee with a very light hint of sweetness to bring on the flavours of everything else in the bowl, while the fermented rice does come with a light tang and an evident note typical of rice grains that runs at the back of the tongue. The addition of Osmanthus petals does add a floral note that further adds on another dimension of flavours for the dessert, while the inclusion of glutinous rice balls give an element of chewiness to everything else in the bowl.

Rogue is one of those establishments that we have had visited quite some time back — these folks were previously situated within a shophouse unit located at the foot of 20 North Canal Road, though they had recently made a move just a few steps away to 18 North Canal Road fairly recently. Whilst the new space does seem to be sized rather similarly to its previous, the current space of Rogue does seem to reflect the growth of the brand over the years — the industrial rawness that formed part of its vibe previously in the old shop unit had been replaced by one that sees a slightly more rustic vibe with a touch of playfulness in its new space; most of its dine-in space being made out of bar counter seating, though there are some seatings that sees the use of proper dining tables and chairs catering to small groups as well as for communal seating space. Best noted for their Sandos for their brunch operations since its founding, Rogue’s hot food menu is categorised into sections dedicated to House Snacks, Sides, Mains and Sandos.

One of the items that caught our attention whilst skimming through the menu at Rogue would be that of the Chicken Little which is listed under the Sando section of the menu. The menu describes the Chicken Little to come with elements such as that of deep-fried chicken thigh, pickled vegetables and lemongrass hot honey. One thing that is worth noting is how this particularly Sando is presented in a format that some would call a chicken sandwich more than that of a Sando — also worth noting would be how all Sandos do come default on their own and the addition of fries would be a chargeable add-on if $1. Digging into the Chicken Little, we did find that the buns that came with the Sando to be pretty soft, light and fluffy — the undersides being sufficiently crisp whilst the insides being a little airy which was fairly adequate given the heft of the deep-fried chicken thigh that came along with it. The deep-fried chicken thigh is being fried to golden-brown perfection; crisp on the outside whilst tender and juicy within — all that whilst being drenched with the lemongrass hot honey that provides a sweet, lightly spicy note with a bright and citrus-y aroma from the lemongrass which should be manageable for those whom are tolerable to moderate levels of spiciness. There are a mix of pickles that come in between the top layer of the bun and the slab of chicken thigh which adds a sour-ish tang to cut through the meat and carbs whilst delivering an additional crunch for another dimension of textures as well. The add-on of fries sees the addition of shoestring fries which are crisp without being greasy; adequately salted for flavour as well.

BLACKGOAT may have had previously closed its doors with the founders posting up the recipes for some of their dishes on their social media pages — with that being said, the stall had recently seen a revival under the father of the original founder whom is also working with the team members of the previous iteration of the brand. Still situated within the very same stall unit at Jalan Batu Food Centre, BLACKGOAT has now pivoted its operations to serve up Malay cuisine by the current team operating the stall. This iteration of BLACKGOAT sees the stall serving up a menu with lean offerings — their only main dish would be the Nasi Lemak which is sold as-is with egg, sambal, anchovies and peanuts; patrons can choose to add Berempah Chicken Wings to their order, while the only other offering on the menu would be Beef / Chicken / Mutton Satay that comes with Ketupat if being ordered as a set.

As mentioned earlier, the Nasi Lemak at BLACKGOAT does come with elements such as sunny side-up, sambal, anchovies and peanuts, and slices of cucumbers — for our order of the Nasi Lemak, we had also added a single piece of the Berempah Chicken Wing as well. At $6.50, the Nasi Lemak at BLACKGOAT does seem teen comparable to that of the more premium ones that are run as independently-operated establishments. Digging into the Nasi Lemak, the coconut-infused rice was executed very well here — it does seem that BLACKGOAT’s choice of rice grains here are that of regular rice as opposed to that of Basmati that some Muslim-run establishments tend to use. The Nasi Lemak is especially fragrant with the aroma of coconut milk that wafts throughout the entire portion of rice; the rice being soft and fluffy and goes well with the sambal that carries a kick of spiciness amidst the sweetness — the level of spiciness being rather manageable to those whom are tolerable to lesser than moderate levels of spiciness. The addition of the Berempah Chicken Wing was also pretty worth it; the Berempah Chicken Wing being freshly fried-upon order to be served hot on the plate of Nasi Lemak. Marinated with turmeric and other spices, the spiced notes are pretty evident with the flesh still being juicy — not too greasy as well which is pretty delicious on its own. The accompanying sunny side up comes with a runny egg yolk that eagerly oozes out with a poke of the fork; the fluffy whites also void of any undesirable stench of overused oil, while the anchovies still carried a crunch being adequately stored before serving.

Despite being in the local F&B scene for a relatively shorter period of time as compared to most other “veteran” cafes out there, butter tgt has pretty much become quite a notable establishment especially when it comes to the bakes that they serve up. These folks had started out being a home-based business named You Knead Cakes before they had turned into butter tgt with their very first physical cafe that is located at 76A Duxton Road. They had most recently moved out from the said premises and is now located in a larger space with a prominent road-facing frontage within a shophouse unit situated at 55 Neil Road within walking distance from Maxwell MRT Station along the Thomson-East Coast Line. The space was formerly occupied by Sinchon Singapore; a Korean restaurant that had since ceased operations. It does seem that butter tgt has done quite a fair bit of work to revamp its space to partially replicate the vibes of its former location, though the entire vibe is fresher and brighter that results in a pretty warm and inviting space with a Japandi vibe. With the bigger space, butter tgt seems to have expanded their menu past their usual selections of Bakes & Sweets; available on the menu now would also be Brunch dishes served only from 9am to 3pm, as well as Mains and Pastas from 12 noon onwards. They also do serve up side dishes for sharing under the To Share section of the menu.

The Garlic Maitake Spaghetti is an item that is one of the few items that are being listed under the Pasta section of the menu — served from 12 noon, the Garlic Maitake Spaghetti is described in the online POS system to come with elements such as Maitake mushrooms, Togarashi (i.e. Japanese chili powder) and Parmigiano. Digging into the Garlic Maitake Spaghetti, it does seem that the Garlic Maitake Spaghetti is their iteration of an Aglio Olio offering with their own twist. The spaghetti noodles was done al-dente with a good bite — all of it being tossed in a mix of olive oil and garlic for silkier texture and quite a garlicky note that provides much of the aromatics for the dish; we did feel that they could go easier on the olive oil as it does feel a little greasy after a while. Whilst the folks at butter tgt didn’t use bird’s eye chili for the Garlic Maitake Spaghetti, they did go with the use of Togarashi — this does not provide that much of a spicy kick to the pasta as it would be if they had used bird’s eye chili, but it does certainly add an aesthetic touch with the chili powder adding specks of red to the pasta for a visual impact. The Maitake mushrooms are soft with a good bite with edges being slightly crisp as though it was blow-torched before being plated onto the pasta; provides a hint of earthiness, while the shreds of Parmigiano adds a touch of savouriness to the pasta.

Have been noticing Yunma Bakehouse in the works for quite a while when passing by Purvis Street — these folks have had quite a long stint of renovation works before its soft launch where they had only been opened for weekends; with all that being said, these folks had finally opened their doors to patrons on weekdays as well. Yunma Bakehouse is located in the very same shophouse that houses Tanoke — Yunma Bakehouse takes up the space of the ground floor of the shophouse. Inside, the cafe is decked in a manner that is very similar to some Chinese-owned dining establishments that features a raw yet minimalistic and close-to-nature look that is soothing to the eyes — free from unnecessary clutter, and welcoming whilst being aptly lit with lighting of a slightly yellow hue. As one would have caught from the namesake of the establishment, Yunma Bakehouse is pretty a bakery — all of its offerings are prominently displayed in both the display fridges and the display cases at the front of the shop; the former would be where the cakes are being stocked while the latter is where one would find the various Focaccia, buns and even entire loaves for retail. Beverages offered at Yunma Bakehouse seem to revolve around espresso-based specialty coffee and canned drinks; the former of which seemingly being brewed using beans sourced from Guerilla Coffee.

We visited Yunma Bakehouse during weekday lunch hours and there is a small variety of bread and cakes already on display in the display case and display fridge; the Garlic Cheese Shio Pan was the only Shio Pan offering that we had found inside the display case until a subsequent batch of Shio Pan offering of another variety was being stocked in the middle of our meal. For those whom are unaware, Shio Pan can be translated as Japanese Salt Bread; while Yunma does not provide any description about its offerings on its description cards placed in front of the items in the display case / fridge, it can be observed that the Garlic Cheese Shio Pan does come with minced garlic topping the Japanese Salt Bread. Taking a bite into the Garlic Cheese Shio Pan, what we really liked is that crusted bottom that comes crackling crisp — definitely hit the right spot there for us. The bread comes served warm and toasted upon order — the hint of garlic immediately hits with the buttery flavours and saltish notes of the Shio Pan itself. The inclusion of cheese here isn’t the stringy, melted and gooey sort, but is the type that comes baked on the surface of the bread — just about right considering how flavourful the Garlic Cheese Shio Pan is already by itself, while the bread still remains light with a firm bite for some tension to chew apart. At $4, this does present itself as a pretty reasonably-priced snack for those looking for something light to have to pair along with a cuppa on the side!

There has been quite a fair bit of talk about dignus amoris for a while now when they had opened their doors some time back at Pearl’s Hill Terrace — these folks had however recently made their move to larger premises at South Beach. Located in the shop unit situated in the corner of the entire complex near to War Memorial Park, dignus amoris had recently opened theirs doors at the same shop unit which was previously tenanted by Lady M before the brand had temporarily exited out of the Singapore market. It does seem that there has been quite a fair bit of work done by dignus amoris with the space especially considering how the layout of the shop unit had also changed; there is definitely an effort in incorporating a zen vibe amidst the clean and almost Japandi-esque decor that decks the entire space — the centrepiece here being the communal dining table with ornaments and plants lining up the middle of the table. Known for their cakes during their tenure at Pearl’s Hill Terrace, dignus amoris serves up sliced cakes, Coffee, Berry Soda and Apple Juice at their new location at South Beach space that is also designed for dine-in operations; a move that would be welcomed for those whom previously hoped to be able to enjoy their cakes on the spot whilst seated down comfortably in air-conditioned comfort.

dignus amoris describes their Yuenyeung Longan Slice to come with elements such as that of black tea, Bailey’s coffee and longan on its menu. The cake is presented pretty aesthetically in the way that it has been decorated, though the price tag of $15.80 before service charge does make it feel a little exorbitant nonetheless especially given how this is a sliced cake rather than that of an entremet. Digging into the cake, we did notice how the cake itself does come soft, moist and fluffy; nothing too try nor cloying while the cake carries a very light whiff of sweetness and the aroma of Hong Kong-style Yuan Yang — the combination of milk coffee and milk tea that subtly runs at the back of the tongue. The light chantilly cream that serves as the icing for the cake does carry evident notes of milk tea, though this was left unsweetened and seemed to focused more on the milkiness of milk tea to still be creamy enough to bind all of the elements together — the texture being consistent to the mouthfeel of the sponge cake as well. Much of the sweetness does seem to come from the longans atop and bits of longan in between the sponge cake layers; this does also add a bit of bite as one chews into the flesh of the longan, while releasing the sweetness of the fruit at the same time. The coffee jelly does add a soft and gelatinous texture to the entire cake; thought it could work better if the coffee jelly was sweetened however especially considering how the flavours of the coffee jelly felt particularly stark and jarring to the lighter flavours of the other elements included within.

Got to learn about the opening of the a new stall at One Punggol Hawker Centre whilst scrolling around social media recently; this would be that of noōu which is located in the spot formerly occupied by the now-defunct Happy Pot 锅锅了. They can be found in a stall situated in a corner that is along the same stretch of stalls as where Canton Claypot Rice is located. Whilst we did not confirm if there are any relations between the stalls, we did note that nōou does use a SGQR that might suggest that it is being run by the same people that operates PokeQPan Teppanyaki Bento within the same hawker centre. As one would notice, noōu’s signboard suggests that the establishment serves up Japanese-inspired Minced Pork Noodle — this isn’t the first time we had come across such a statement, considering this is very much the same concept behind establishments such as Li Yuan Mee Pok (previously Ah Li Mee Pok) and nooodon (previously 51 Noodle House). Patrons would opt for the noodle set featuring the combination of condiments that they would like to go for, before opting for the type of noodles (i.e. Mee Pok or Mee Kia) that they would like to have; there is also no spicy, mild spicy and spicy spiciness levels to choose from, and patrons can also order Add-Ons for their order as well.

noōu does not describe the elements that comes with their various noodle dishes on the menu; with that being said, it can be observed from our order of the Chashu Bak Chor Mee that the dish does feature elements such as pork meatballs, pork slices, pork liver, minced pork, crispy pork lard and braised mushrooms apart from the Japanese Chashu slices as mentioned. We had specified for our order to come with Mee Pok, whilst we had opted for the spiciness level to be Spicy. Giving the entire bowl a toss before digging in, we did feel that the Mee Pok was done to a springy consistency whilst lacing the mix of vinegar and chili to provide a savoury and tangy note which comes at a spiciness level that should be manageable for those whom are tolerable to less than moderate levels of spiciness. Thought the various pork elements were pretty decent including the pork liver which didn’t carry any undesirable stench — does seem pretty clean to us. The Crispy Pork Lard does come in fairly huge chunks without being particularly greasy; still very crisp as promised in its namesake and adds an element of crunch to the bowl of noodles; the braised mushrooms also added a soft, bouncy bite as well and were pretty flavoursome on their own. Meanwhile, the Chashu does seemed to have been marinated, torched and drizzled with sauce for flavour — mainly featuring lean meat, the Chashu provides a meaty bite; all that whilst coming with a savoury note and a contrast of sweet-savoury flavour similar to what can find in Teriyaki sauce without any undesirable porky stench.