Gourmet Trip

Fortune Center has a whole slew of vegetarian diners, but @enseeds_healthyfood stands out from amongst them by being the only protein & grain bowl place. Choose from a Vegan Bowl, a Power Protein set that has chicken as the protein, or select the Seabass Set like I did for $13.80 nett.⠀
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For $13.80, I got a sizeable slab of seabass slathered in a tangy herb cream sauce that was rather addictive. The fish was fresh, firm & still moist, making it a healthy yet hearty bulking option. Besides the sterling seabass, I was entitled to three side dishes and a carb option. I elected to take baked pumpkin, Shuka Shuka (basically just shakshuka without the egg) and Ol Reliable, steamed broccoli.⠀
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The baked pumpkin was oven roasted till soft, and the pumpkin was superbly sweet. It definitely needed a sprinkle of coarse sea salt to really make it pop, but it was still sufficiently tasty enough. The Shuka Shuka, however, was tremendously tasty. I am an eggplant hater, but I quite enjoyed this grilled eggplant & capsicum in tomato paste. Sure, I’m still not a fan of the mushy texture of eggplant, but the tangy, heartwarming sapidity of the tomato paste that the eggplant was in won me over.⠀
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I never expected an old place like Fortune Center to house such a modern grain/protein bowl concept, but I’m certainly grateful that EN Seeds is going strong this close to my office.

@charliesgrill.com.sg is a new halal diner that’s been in operation for a few months, but the they are a timeless, classic American diner. From grilled chicken and steaks to big ol’ burgers and pastas, Charlie’s has ponderous portions for all. Of course, their appetisers go big too, as evidenced by their iconic Appetiser Ferris Wheel ($29.90++).⠀
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You’ve probably seen Charlie’s showpiece on insta a couple of times at least, and it certainly gets people staring & talking when it lands on your table. It is a little gimmicky for the kids, but the appetisers were undeniably enjoyable. Start with the impossibly stretchy mozzarella sticks, and @foodiecouplecm was stunned by just how much he could stretch that cheese! For the carb addicts, the onion rings & the sweet potato fries will do you right, especially when you dip them into the spicy mayo provided. ⠀
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The chicken spam fries were a little bland, to my surprise, but a quick dip in the sauce fixed that. I was not expecting to enjoy the fried broccoli as much as I did, but it was superbly seasoned and deep fried. Quite irresistible, and probably the only way you’re gonna get kids to eat broccoli. If you’re looking for something to warm your belly, Charlie’s Cream of Mushroom Soup ($3.90++ a bowl) fits the bill. It’s creamy, deliciously sapid, loaded with diced mushrooms, thick, and more importantly, served scorching hot.⠀
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Thanks for having us @charliesgrill.com.sg, and thanks for the invite @eatwithkeat!

If you’re seeking something a little more muted but no less delicious, the Spinach & Fried Tofu Salad ($9++) will do right by you. Fresh, crunchy spinach is dressed in bountiful amounts of wasabi mayonnaise, and garnished with cherry tomatoes and fried tofu puffs. The raw spinach is a great palate cleanser with its vegetal, peppery flavour profile, and the strips of tofu puffs provide a nice, airy chew. However, the wasabi mayo dressing is what makes this salad delicious.⠀
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The wasabi mayo is creamy, salty and spicy, and it you get enough of it in a bite, you’ll feel the signature burn of wasabi right in your sinuses. Better yet, there’s more than enough of the wasabi mayo to go around, so don’t be shy about getting stuck into the awesome sauce.

And finally, the Caesar Salad ($11++). While most would scoff at the notion of ordering salad, the crisp & fresh lettuce was amply dressed in a deliciously umami anchovy dressing, and mixed in with crunchy croutons, crispy parma ham bits, a big ol’ hardboiled egg and lots of grated parmesan. I would’ve preferred the hardboiled egg to be a soft boiled one with a runny yolk for extra richness, but this crisp & fresh salad is a surprise tool that’ll help us later against the ridiculously rich mains.⠀
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Thanks for the invite, @picolino.sg & @burpple!

@picolino.sg has a big bevy of appetisers to kick off your meal, and you’ll be spoilt for choice even before you get to the mains.

The succulent Sous Vide Baby Back Ribs ($22++) were fall off the bone tender and were glazed in a peppery & sweet pink peppercorn BBQ glaze that struck a fine balance between sweet, salty and peppery. A little expensive at twenty two bucks, but you won’t regret it.⠀
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Thanks for the invite, @picolino.sg & @burpple!

@picolino.sg has a big bevy of appetisers to kick off your meal, and you’ll be spoilt for choice even before you get to the mains. The most outstanding appetiser of the night were undoubtedly the Deep Fried Sprats ($16++ for 8 pieces), managing to narrowly beat out the exquisite calamari. Sprats are basically mini sardines, and they’re oily fish as well, so you can rest assured that every crispy bite of well battered fish is moist and supremely savoury. Dip it into the sweet & smoky charred tomato & caper dip on the side for an exquisite culinary experience, and you’ll concur with me that these fishies are a must order.

Next up is the delectable Deep Fried Calamari ($16++). Ultra fresh squid rings are comprehensively coated in a thin, crispy batter and deep fried perfectly. Even though I couldn’t discern the paprika & rosemary salt that these squid rings were seasoned in, these tasty crustaceans were still absolutely addictive.
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Thanks for the invite, @picolino.sg & @burpple!

Friday, Friday, gotta get fried chicken on Friday, lookin’ forward to the weekend-oh sorry, I simply had to sing the praises of Kongsee’s Fried Chicken ($32++). What appears to be half of an abnormally colossal chicken is coated in a fabulous prawn paste batter and deep fried to absolute golden perfection, and served with sriracha mayonnaise on the side.⠀
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Despite being one of the simplest sounding dishes on the menu at The Kongsee, it was arguably the best. Each part of bird, from the breasts to the thighs, was deep fried to perfection. The breast cut was astonishingly moist & supple despite being the breast, and the the wing was unusually large. The entire bird had been fully permeated with the delicious, savoury aromatics of the prawn paste marinade. As addicting as the chicken is, the sriracha mayo just propels it to an awesome new level. Subtly spicy, ridiculously rich and charmingly creamy, this stellar sriracha mayonnaise would be excellent with absolutely anything.
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The result was an insanely delicious chicken, loaded with the umami of the prawn paste and coated with a terrifically thin and crunchy batter. And that is the reason why the Kongsee Fried Chicken (KFC) is absolutely amazing: the supple, juicy chicken is juxtaposed against the crunch of the batter, and every last morsel is full flavoured with the savouriness of the prawn paste. The Kongsee’s KFC is the yin & yang of food: crispy yet juicy, flavourful yet restrained, savoury yet not surfeiting. A masterful masterclass in deep fried chicken, if you ask me.⠀
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Many thanks for (over)feeding us, @thekongsee.sg & @kevin._.ngan, and thank you for hooking me up @wobblethebui!

@thekongsee.sg has their appetiser game on lock. The Barramundi Ceviche ($22++) proves that Chef Partner Willin Low’s magic isn’t limited to Singaporean cuisine, other cuisines can get it too. Cubes of raw barramundi are meant to be eaten with a bit of savoury ice cream that might be coconut, pickled onions, cherry tomatoes and fried capers from a crunchy papadam. ⠀
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The savoury ice cream flavours the firm fish with its rich, creamy savouriness as it melts, while the capers provide pops of intense saltiness and the pickled onions bring the acidity. All of those soft textures are contrasted with the crunch of the papadam, and the ceviche hits every single possible flavour & texture combo, making for a deeply satisfying opener.⠀
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With appetisers like these, you can’t lose. Thank you for hosting us @kevin._.ngan & @thekongsee.sg, and thanks for the jio @wobblethebui!

Urban Beer Fest on Friday & Saturday was BEYOND LIT. Of course, I was there primarily for the beautiful booze, but the food offerings were pretty fabulous too. @kubo.sg was serving up A5 wagyu beef tongue that day that had my tongue wagging in anticipation, and I KNEW I had to have it. With a beer of course, it is a beer festival after all. Do excuse the garbage tier blue light though.⠀
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Urban Beer Fest went on a token system, and fifteen tokens set me back fifty four dollars. This wagyu beef tongue cost me five tokens, which works out to…eighteen dollars. Eighteen bucks for A5 wagyu ain’t bad at all! And of course, A5 wagyu tongue is absolutely guaranteed to lavish your tongue with lots of love.⠀
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The meat is seared spectacularly and seasoned sparingly with salt, allowing you to fully appreciate the luxuriousness of this premium bovine in all its splendour. The texture is akin to that of gelatinous butter, and exposure to the heat of your mouth will melt it ever so gently. The flavour is like that of butter, but far more refined & much, much more intense. I’m guessing that the emulsion on the bottom was a spicy mayo or something equivalent, but it definitely needed more spice to stand up to the mind blowing awesomeness that is the beef tongue.⠀
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The salad on the side was absolutely perfect though. It was sharp and zesty, more than powerful enough to cleanse your palate of all the rich, beefy sinfulness of the A5 wagyu tongue. The fresh salad was also incredibly excellent even if it were to be a standalone dish, with the zesty Yuzu dressing, crunchy vegetables and that addictive round white disk that may or may not have been fishcake.⠀
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If Kubo has this breathtaking beef tongue on their permanent menu, you’re god damn right that I’ll be back.

@shakeshacksg Black Truffle Fries ($8.90) marks a return to form for the Shack’s renowned fries. The last time round, I ordered the Steakhouse fries and got stale, stodgy spuds and a distressing lack of sauce. This time, the fries were nearly fresh out the fryer, and they’re sauced to the socks.⠀
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Just like with the burger, the fantastic fries were doused with black truffle mayo and garnished with crispy fried shallots and scallions. The gratifyingly crisp fries got an extra boost from the shallots, and that truffle mayo turns the excellent fries into godly fries. The intoxicating essence of truffle permeates everything, turning the spuds into an amazingly aromatic experience, while the rich creaminess of the mayonnaise turns the lusciousness up to eleven.
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However, there is such a thing as too much of a good thing, as the mountain of fab fries combined with the hedonism of the truffle mayo and the fried scallions got too much to bear after the halfway mark. These breathtaking Black Truffle Fries demand to be washed down with a pint of four of Shake Shack’s Shackmeister ale, and to be shared with friends (may or may not come with benefits). Tis the season of giving after all, no?

I’ve been a @yeastside.sg supporter when they first opened at King Albert Park, and I was only too happy to hear that they’ve expanded into a second, swankier premise closer to home. Not only that, but their menu has also expanded from their stellar sourdough pizzas to include small dishes like this Crabcake with Coleslaw ($18++).⠀
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You only get a solitary crabcake for more than eighteen bucks, but it is a chonky crabcake. This is most definitely large enough to warrant a fork and a knife, and you’ll definitely want to slowly savour every bite of this cracking crabcake. The shredded crabmeat is mixed in with what feels like heavy cream for a creamy filling, which is shrouded in a delicate shell of breading before heading off to the deep fryer. This crabcake mix is plenty heavy on the spices, as I could taste whiffs of lemongrass, ginger and a few others within that creamy, salty crab filling.⠀
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The compelling crunch of the thin shell of breading is contrast enough to the soft, mushy crab mix. However, the crunch factor here is upped with the inclusion of a remarkably fresh coleslaw. The ‘slaw is incredibly zesty and quite spicy, and definitely has Thai flavours as its inspiration. It’s a very forceful palate cleanser, and it’s probably is overkill for this delicious crab cake, but I rather enjoyed it. The tobiko didn’t make much of an impact tastewise, but it still happily came along for the ride, occasionally chipping in with a few small pops to keep everything interesting.⠀
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With this crabcake, Yeast Side have gone full beast side when it comes to food. This crab got cake, and imma clap that cake.

Besides shucking fresh oysters, @goodmangroupsingapore does have a small selection of cooked food. Considering that their Kinex outlet is quite a small place, I think we can excuse their lack of entrées on the menu.⠀
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Out of the half dozen or so mains, the Goodman Classic Fish & Chips sounded the most appealing to me. At $12.90 nett, these fish & chips were decent enough for the price of admission. Two fish (probably dory) fillets are seasoned lightly, battered, and deep fried till they attain a glorious golden hue. The fish is decent enough, with just enough moisture retained and a sufficiently crispy batter. However, it does rely very heavily on the tartar sauce for sufficient flavouring.⠀
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Truth be told, this ain’t really fish & chips, but just fish & fries. Still a decent chippy though, and I liked the coleslaw which was leaning towards the sweet end of the spectrum as a palate cleanser. With $1.90 oysters, affordably priced entrées, and nine buck pints of beer from the tap, the good lads at Goodman are doing some seriously good work.