Hadn’t visited Empress Porridge thus far, though I have heard of how good their food is; needless to say I got pretty excited when I heard about Hoàng Hâu — their latest concept which had opened its doors just a couple of weeks ago at Blk 146 Jalan Bukit Merah. Taking over the former premises of now-defunct Momo Kitchen, their newest venture serves Vietnamese cuisine, ranging from Pho to Bun Cha and even rice dishes — they do intend to offer more items in their menu such as Banh Mi in the future as well.

One of the dishes that clearly stood out from the rest in their menu here is the Freshwater Eel Porridge — a Vietnamese dish that is rarely found in Singapore and a clear choice given how porridge is also pretty much the specialty of Empress Porridge. Not sure what to expect especially given how I have never actually tried such a dish prior to this, but this was something which turned out pretty satisfying by surprise. The porridge itself was congee-like in texture; not too watery and is pretty smooth without being too grainy — what we found really intriguing was how flavourful it was, being savoury-sweet with a slight zippiness from the chili which gives a slight tingle to the taste buds that makes it really easy to eat. The Freshwater Eel comes in thin strips; provides a briny note though does carry some bone-y bits (not an issue to us, but just so you know!) whilst giving a good bite. Pretty comforting overall; something which I really enjoyed despite being one who is not into porridge usually — the medley of flavours certainly made this one that was very easy to finish. Pairs up well with the Sea Salt Lemonade — my all-time favourite saltish and sourish iced beverage that is a great thirst quencher that is refreshing to have with the warm porridge.

Must say that we left Hoàng Hâu pretty impressed; love the Crispy Spring Rolls that they have here which comes with a shattering crisp exterior whilst well-stuffed with pork, mushroom and vermicelli within — one of the few variants around that comes with a balance of flavours from the ingredients without one overpowering the other. Will be back to try the other items someday!