Pizz Please ~

Hadn’t really been continuing on our hunt for mamak establishments all across the island but we did find ourselves stopping by Al-Afrose Restaurant on one fine day after going around Zion Road Food Centre only to realise there wasn’t anything much that we were craving for there. The initial train of thought was to swing by the always-reliable ZAMAS River Valley Restaurant, though little did we know that they were also at full capacity as well. Al-Afrose Restaurant has been around River Valley for the longest time; often seen as the establishment that is not quite as popular as the more well-patronised ZAMAS River Valley Restaurant that occupies the shophouse located right at the corner. If anything, Al-Afrose Restaurant has always looked slightly more tired than the other establishment that is situated along the same road; while the restaurant sports a blue signboard than attempts to attract the attention of passers-by, the interior decor does veer towards the more traditional mamak stalls that we know — wooden tables with plastic chairs that looked kinda worn out by now. Despite being well-lit, the yellowish lighting used by Al-Afrose Restaurant is also less eye-catching than that of the brighter lights that ZAMAS River Valley Restaurant uses. Al-Afrose Restaurant’s menu is pretty typical to that of any other mamak establishment around — the menu comprises of a large variety of dishes which includes Prata, Murtabak, Dosai & Vadai, Soup, Chops & Steaks, Goreng, Chappathi & Poori and North Indian Cuisine which includes Naan, rice, poultry, seafood and vegetable dishes that works best as communal dishes to be shared across the table. Beverages include the usual suspects; think cordial-based drinks, coffee, tea and fruit juices — just to name a few. Al-Afrose Restaurant does operate another outlet at Bishan, if those staying near the area does find some familiarity in the name.

Since it was our first visit to a mamak establishment after a really long time, we seemed to be really excited to go a little bit crazy with the choices of Prata that we were going to order. Truth to be told, the Prata offerings at Al-Afrose Restaurant aren’t too out of the ordinary like the ones that one can find at establishments such as Springleaf Prata Place, Casuarina Curry or Prata Lahhh! at Hougang; that being said, there are still quite a number of variations of Prata served up here including those that involve the use of cheese, butter and Milo. It wouldn’t be fair not to give their savoury prata a go when we usually would do so at other locations; our choice would be the Chili Onion Prata. It seems that Al-Afrose Restaurant does their filled Prata with a soft and fluffy Prata base that still comes with plenty of tension to tear apart. Filled with slices of green chili padi within, biting on the seeds would evoke a slightly spicier sensation that is likely to send one sweating, though it should not be particularly intimidating to those whom are accustomed to moderate levels of spiciness; the onions adding a zing amidst the crunch that they gave. The curry, despite being a little more watery than we thought, came with a good flavour — also carrying a level of spiciness that would do well with those whom are able to take moderate levels of spiciness. Meanwhile, the Cheese Milo Prata that we had went for came slightly savoury from the slice of processed cheese that was strewn all around the Prata — there was evident traces of mill powder sprinkled atop though the malty cocoa sweetness didn’t quite pull through here perhaps due to the lack of condensed milk; probably not too different from their rendition of the Cheese Prata here. All in all, perhaps we would still prefer ZAMAS River Valley Restaurant when it comes to the Prata — though to be fair, we hadn’t had the Plain version at Al-Afrose Restaurant, and that we were not too impressed by the filled Prata that ZAMAS River Valley Restaurant dishes out as well. No harm trying them out whilst in the neighbourhood nonetheless.

Was supposed to be dropping by yet another F&B establishment within the Tanjong Pagar Plaza vicinity, though we found ourselves going around Tanjong Pagar Plaza Food Centre since the initial spot that we wanted to visit was closed for the day. Found this relatively new stall at Tanjong Pagar Plaza Food Centre which we had not noticed in our prior visits to the food centre in recent times. Located towards the middle of the entire food centre near the Korea Cuisine stall, 卤肉饭 Sky Kitchen does seem to be a relatively new addition to Tanjong Pagar Plaza Food Centre. As it seems, 卤肉饭 Sky Kitchen is a stall that has an emphasis on serving up Taiwanese fare; the wooden planks hung from the signboard of the stall states many of the Irene which are available in the menu here — these would be ala-carte rice bowls such as the likes of Braised Pork Rice, Braised Pork Rice and Chicken over Rice. That being said, 卤肉饭 Sky Kitchen also serves up their rice bowls in sets — this would see the rice bowls accompanied with a saucer of braised cabbage on the side. All ala-carte rice bowls at 卤肉饭 Sky Kitchen are priced between $4.50 to $6.50 depending the meat option that one goes for — the only exception to this would be the Iberico Pig’s Cheek Rice that is priced at $9.50; the prices of the sets being at $1.80 above the stated ala-carte price of each item.

Since the stall already carries the words “卤肉饭” in its namesake, it goes without saying that the Braised Pork Set was the item to go for here at 卤肉饭 Sky Kitchen — possibly a signature item of theirs. The actual serving of the Braised Pork Set that we have had does come with all the elements which 卤肉饭 Sky Kitchen had illustrated in its menu — the rice bowl coming with some greens, coddled egg as well as pickled cucumbers; all of which with a bed of rice at the bottom. It is needless to say how the Braised Pork Rice at 卤肉饭 Sky Kitchen does seem especially Taiwanese — the braised meat being almost in a consistency of a sauce and drenched over the bed of rice. This differs a little from the ones that some establishment would serve up — think the likes of Eat Three Bowls and many others which serve their Taiwanese-style braised pork rice that comes with tender chunks of meat for an additional bite; the one from 卤肉饭 Sky Kitchen isn’t quite close to this. That being said, the sauce-like consistency of the braised pork here does carry a stronger note of spices here, and the sauce goes around all of the rice for a good flavour; there is also ample meat sauce to go around all of the rice as well. The coddled egg was well-executed; soft egg white with a creamy molten egg yolk, while the pickled cucumbers provided a tangy, light crunch that refreshes the tastebuds from the savoury notes and the carbs. The braised vegetables that is served as part of the set was well-executed; featuring a mix of cabbage, black fungus and carrots, everything was cooked till a soft consistency — the vegetables being well-flavoured from the liquid that it was braised in. Overall, a pretty good eat that does not break the bank — an establishment where one can tell the effort placed by the folks behind the shop in the food; looking forward to be back soon to give their Chicken over Rice a try some day.

It seems that the West is finally buzzing again when it comes to its game in the local F&B scene — whilst Jurong West Hawker Centre had previously closed down under the previous operator, the hawker centre is now known as JW50 Hawker Heritage after its operations have been taken over by Chang Cheng Mee Wah; a rather familiar name in the local F&B scene considering the number of coffeeshops which the name runs all across the island. Whilst the revamped Jurong West Hawker Centre has seen familiar chains opening up stalls in the hawker centre itself (think names such as Bai Nian Niang Dou Fu 百年酿豆腐 and Shi Nian Pig Leg Rice 石年猪脚饭, as well as GoPizza just to name a few, there are also some rather interesting tenants that are new in the local F&B scene in general. One such stall would be Xiangyu Pan-fried Bun 香遇生煎包; a stall that is located at the second level of the food centre just right beside the dessert stall. There does seem to be an uprising of establishments serving up Chinese pan-fried buns of the late; this includes stalls that are located in Maxwell Food Centre, the Food Republic food court at Parkway Parade, and Chinatown Complex Food Centre. Much like other establishments that serve up Pan-Fried Buns, Xiangyu Pan-fried Bun also serves up a good variety of other dumplings and Chinese-style noodles — some Irene include Xiao Long Bao, Chives and Pork Dumpling, as well as Prawn Wanton in Chilli Oil Noodles in both dry or soup format.

Being a Sheng Jian Bao junkie, it is needless to say that it was the Pan Fried Pork Bun and Pan Fried Prawn Buns that made us decide to dine from Xiangyu Pan-fried Bun during our visit to JW50 Hawker Heritage during our visit there. Some disclaimers that we should probably include is that we did spend quite a while waiting for our order; from the queueing to us getting buzzed to collect our food, we spent a good 1.5 hours to get our Pan Fried Pork Bun and Pan Fried Prawn Bun. The waiting time can be attributed to how there is typically a waiting time involved for the preparation of an entire batch of Pan-Fried Buns, and the extreme crowd level that was visiting the hawker centre on the very first weekend that they had opened their doors. The Pan Fried Pork Bun and the Pan Fried Prawn Bun are best to be had when they are still piping hot — we noticed how the skins for both the Pan Fried Pork Bun and the Pan Fried Prawn Bun are actually pretty thin and delicate; leaving them out for a while would see the skin absorbing much of the broth in the filling itself. Taking a bite into the Pan-Fried Buns, the broth instantly squirts out of the bun; the buns being really well-filled broth. Between the Pan Fried Pork Bun and the Pan Fried Prawn Bun, it was hard to make an accurate call on which would be the better one out if the two — we liked how the Pan Fried Pork Bun comes with a good portion of meat filling; the broth carrying a savoury bite with a gingery undertone which made it really refreshing and easy to have. On the other hand, the Pan Fried Prawn Bun seems to consists of a mix of fish paste and prawns; its broth carrying a significant hint of sweetness that was also cleaner and lighter tasting in comparison. Truth to be told, the Pan Fried Buns from Xiangyu Pan-fried Bun are some quality stuff with consistency that is able to rival that of other establishments serving the same in town; that being said, perhaps it is best to probably give them a try only after the hype of the entree hawker centre had died down to skip on the long waiting times which we experienced.

It does seem that the phase for Hong Kong-style Chee Cheong Fun hadn’t quite ended all these while; with multiple of such establishments having been set-up in the last couple of years from the hype first generated by Chef Wei HK Cheung Fun, we had pretty much been thought that the market for Hong Kong-style Chee Cheong Fun had become really saturated in recent times. There has been some mention of a particularly new stall serving up Hong Kong-style Chee Cheong Fun which had opened around in recent months at Bukit Merah Central Food Centre named Dong Heng Chee Cheong Fun — the stall having its operation hours from Mondays to Saturdays, and operating exclusively in the day till mid-afternoon. The stall is located in one of the middle rows of the Bukit Merah Central Food Centre that is located closer towards the HDB blocks within the same neighbourhood. Being a stall that specialises in Hong Kong-style Chee Cheong Fun, the stall only serves the said item — there are five (5) different variants of Chee Cheong Fun being offered here; a Plain Roll, Vegetable Roll, Char Siew Roll, Fresh Prawn Roll and the Smoked Duck Roll. All Hong Kong-style Chee Cheong Fun on the menu are priced below $5.

After skimming through the menu board to have a look on what they have to offer, we found ourselves going for the Smoked Duck Roll. As with all stalls that specialises n serving up Hong Kong-style Chee Cheong Fun, the Smoked Duck Roll is prepared upon-order; the rice slurry being poured into the tray and going into the steamer as one places their order. Having tried a number of variants of Hong Kong-style Chee Cheong Fun that is served up by other establishments, Dong Heng Chee Cheong Fun’s variant of the dish can be said as a little bit forgettable. Whilst the entire package can be said as pretty decent, one thing which we did not particularly like about the Smoked Duck Roll that we have had is how easily the roll seems to unravel as one picks them up using the chopstick. The Smoked Duck Roll was otherwise decent; the Chee Cheong Fun being smooth and silken — there was also a prominent note of savouriness from the light soya sauce as well. The smoked duck is pretty much similar to what is typically sold commercially in supermarkets; adds a savouriness to the dish that veers towards being umami. Overall, a decent attempt on the trendy Hong Kong-style Chee Cheong Fun, though one that is probably worth considering if one is around then neighbourhood.

Katsu-An had pretty much opened to quite a bit of hype in recent times — it has been a pretty interesting time for Japanese food in the local F&B scene since there have been multiple openings of almost the same nature all in the heart of town; this includes Butahage’s return to the local F&B scene with its new location also at Suntec City, as well as Tori Sanwa which had recently opened its doors at Suntec City. Katsu-An is located at the basement of Suntec City; situated at a spot that is near to Kebabchi Charcoal BBQ and the outlet of Tre Caphe there. Being positioned as a quick-service Japanese diner, the interior sees the large use of wooden elements and matching hues of orange and maroon for its interior decor. Katsu-An is a brand that hails from Japan; this is also their very first outpost outside of Japan as well. That being said, one might be able sense some vibes that are rather similar to that of SUKIYA (the Japanese brand that is most notable for serving up affordable Gyudon and Yakiniku Don; not to be confused with the similarly named Suki-Ya that is known for being a hotpot restaurant) in terms of how the menu is structured and how the entire establishment is being operated; this is also because Katsu-An is a concept run by the same folks behind SUKIYA. That being said, Katsu-An is a concept that focuses heavily on Katsu offerings — think items split into categories such as Katsu Don, Teishoku, Combination and Japanese Curry; the variety of Katsu comprising of different cuts of pork and even protein / seafood options to choose from. Examples of the types of Katsu available at Katsu-An includes Tenderloin, Chicken, Calamari and more. Katsu-An also serves up a Homemade Mont Blanc Cake and a variety of ice-cream for desserts, while the drinks available at Katsu-An most revolve around a variety of soft drinks.

Looking through the wide variety of items which they have to offer on the menu, we were more attracted towards their Katsu Don section of the menu — these would be the items that are priced at a really affordable price point as opposed to the items from the Teishoku, Combination and Japanese Curry sections of the menu which may tend to veer towards that of a casual Japanese restaurant; the Katsu Don being reasonably priced here with all items priced well below $10 for the M-sized Katsu Don. Much like at SUKIYA, patrons can opt for either M, L or XL sizes for their Katsu Don, while one can also choose to have the item ala-carte or as a combo set with the flexibility of going for a soft-boiled egg, salad or Chicken Karaage with soup or drinks.

We opted for the Tenderloin Katsu Don in M-size — the item being served in the style of an Oyakodon with eggs and onions seemingly simmered in mirin, dashi and soy sauce; all with 80 grams of Tenderloin Katsu served along with it. Simple yet comforting, it seems like the folks at Katsu-An had pretty much gotten things right here with how their Katsu Don goes — there is sufficient sauce to go around all of that short-grain Japanese rice that makes the entire bowl of rice absolutely umami and easy to finish; the egg being soft and fluffy while the caramalised onions delivered a soft crunch. The Tenderloin Katsu was also absolutely on-point; there wasn’t much chew required for the Tenderloin for how it was melt-in-the-mouth — the breaded exterior being all crisp without feeling greasy nor carried undesirable stench of overused oil. Another item we had tried was the Homemade Mont Blanc Cake; this follows the trend of Mont Blanc featuring “threads” of chestnut paste that is piped over what seems to be castella cake and ice-cream. Whilst sounding really sweet on paper, the earthiness of the chestnut paste helped to cut through all of the sweetness from the other elements; each element also carrying a different texture for a good contrast as well. All-in-all, Katsu-An probably answers to the same audience that would find SUKIYA appealing; a concept that serves up affordably-priced Katsu Don that delivers in terms of quality — despite the low price point of the dishes here, we are left satisfied by how well-executed their items are. Needless to say, Katsu-An is a concept which we think is likely to expand into a few more locations all across the island in due time like what SUKIYA has become, though it is also one that we would drop by again if craving for a good Katsu Don without the frills.

This one is probably an oddball that those working in the Central Business District are likely to recognise — located in the recently re-branded Kopitiam food court (previously NTUC Foodfare) at Marina Bay Financial Centre, the Fishball Noodles stall probably stands out for its rather odd signage that indicates “Bubble Tea” instead. Indeed; this stall used to be operated by a certain tenant called Ju Fu De Cha which had vacated the stall sometime back. This said stall also once housed the short-lived outlet of the I Like Chicken concept — a brand name that serves Korean fried chicken, fries and burgers after the move from its previous stall within the same food court. Now a stall that serves up Fishball Noodles, it is interesting to note that it is still run by the same folks whom are behind Ju Fu De Cha — these folks apparently also run other brand names such as Frank's Western Kitchen and Ju Fu Mala Kitchen as well. The poster at the stall makes references to its incredibly weird identity; refers to themselves as MBFC Bubble Tea Stall #13, and serves up quite a limited menu — one would only find Fishball Noodles, Minced Meat Noodles and Laksa here for noodle dishes, while those going for soup can go for Meatball Soup or Fishball Soup as well.

We found ourselves visiting the stall since we had been holding ourselves back on visiting the location itself; the Kopitiam food court had never been an attractive location for how crowded it is during weekday lunch hours, though we went on an occasion where we were tight on time and was having quite a craving for Minced Meat Noodles anyway. As with most other establishments, the Minced Meat Noodles at MBFC Bubble Tea Stall #13 comes with the choice of dry or soup — noodle options are limited though, considering how we did overhear the staff informing a patron that they do not have Mee Kia here. As one would expect, the Minced Meat Noodles at MBFC Bubble Tea Stall #13 comes with Mee Pok by default; comes with pork slices, minced pork, fish cake, meatballs and some mini Ngoh Hiang to go along with the noodles. One can call the Minced Meat Noodle here pricey — $6.50 is indeed not cheap for such a dish, but this was one bowl that comes chock full of meat; we hadn’t quite seen a stall that serves such a generous portion of meat with their minced meat noodles. Going for the noodles first after giving them a toss around the sauce, the sauce mix isn’t too heavy in flavours here — the lightly savoury notes from the soy sauce was well-balanced with a slight tang from the vinegar; even the spiciness from the chilli was rather mild here. The noodles itself was springy — done just about right. Amongst all the different types of meat here, the pork slices were a little lacklustre; carried a slightly heavier porky note than we had expected, but all the other elements worked well and especially so for the mini Ngoh Hiang that added a contrast of flavours from all the other porky elements. Another thing which we felt that the bowl here was missing out on was the lack of pork lard; certainly could have done slightly more to the dish if included. With all that being said, the Minced Meat Noodles is a decent eat at $6.50 — one that comes with a good portion size for those who aren’t too picky with their food in general; something fuss-free which we wouldn’t mind having again.

Went around People’s Park Food Centre recently and noticed a number of stalls that we hadn’t quite paid attention to before in the past — one stall that stood out rather prominently from the rest for us would be the stall labelled Indonesian Cuisine • Nasi Lemak 印尼美食 · 椰浆饭. Occupying one of the units along the same row as Ah Gong Traditional Hainanese Curry Rice 海南咖喱剪刀飯, Indonesian Cuisine • Nasi Lemak sports a black signboard with a brightly-lit signage that comes with multiple colours to entice hungry patrons to check out what they have to offer. Being a stall that serves up what is being described in its namesake, one can opt to go for the various rice sets which they have to offer featuring a good variety of choices of meat — think items like Sotong Kering, Sweet Sauce Chicken, and Green Chili BBQ Chicken amongst a few others, or more basic Nasi Lemak offerings such as the Nasi Lemak Chicken Wing, Nasi Lemak Rendang Chicken or the Budget Meal just to name a few of the options they have. With all that being said, one can also decide to pick and choose from the various dishes which they have to offer that one can view from the display shelf at the counter as well.

Skimming through the menu to have a look through the various items which they have to offer, we found ourselves being enticed by the Ayam Masak Merah — a dish which we felt was not an easy find around. Priced at $5.50, the Ayam Masak Merah Set served to us at the counter looks pretty much the same as what is being illustrated on its menu board — we had requested for our order to come with Nasi Lemak rice instead which they had kindly obliged to at no cost; the rice comes accompanied with a chicken leg for the Ayam Masak Merah, whilst also coming with a side of long beans that has been fried with scrambled egg that adds on to the wholesomeness of the dish. The folks at the counter also added a dollop of sambal chili on the side as well.

Digging into the Nasi Lemak rice, we were pleasantly surprised by how they had executed the Nasi Lemak here — using regular rice grains rather than that of basmati rice that has become quite the norm for more artisanal Nasi Lemak specialty stores to use, the grains does come with a distinct note of coconut-y aroma which wasn’t too gingery; one that was better made than most hawker stalls out there. The Ayam Masak Merah came with a chicken leg that did not particularly stand out, though the Ayam Masak Merah itself was otherwise quite decent — prominent notes of the tangy sweetness of tomato with a slight hint of spiciness that tickles the taste buds; works well even for those whom do not have a high tolerance to spiciness. The sambal chili on the side was similar to that to the variant often found with Nasi Lemak which we are all familiar with, though this variant does come with a stronger earthiness without being too savoury amidst the sweet notes that it comes with — itself carrying a slightly spicier note then the Ayam Masak Merah itself. The addition of the long beans was a great call — adds a refreshing crunch with a slight egginess from the scrambled eggs stir-fried eggs that gives the dish a good balance. Not a bad choice to go for whilst at People’s Park Food Centre without having to resort to mainland Chinese cuisine that certainly dominates the food centre.

For those whom have been passing through Raffles City Shopping Mall often enough, one would probably have noticed the hoardings of Kenangan Coffee for a while — a brand that has its roots from Indonesia, Kenangan Coffee is also known as Kopi Kenangan from where it had originated from. The brand had since expanded its operations into Malaysia some time back, with aspirations to extend its reach to the rest of Asia based on what is being mentioned on their corporate website — while the Raffles City Shopping Centre outlet had just opened its doors, there is also another outlet they is currently in the works based on their Instagram bio; the second our post in Singapore is slated to open at Changi Airport Terminal 2. Its Raffles City Shopping Centre space is located in the basement of the mall, occupying the area that used to be occupied by a number of small kiosks around where Omoté Raffles City and the outlet of XW Western Grill there. Whilst conceptually being more of at takeaway kiosk considering how Kenangan Coffee serves up their coffee in disposable ware, the outlet of Kenangan Coffee actually comes with a sizeable dine-in space that comprises of small tables with stools or cushioned seating. While the space adopts a largely monochromatic interior featuring black and white elements, there are splashes of pink around that provides a contrast of colours for a visual appeal. Kenangan Coffee is big on their specialty coffee offerings — the menu comprising of sections dedicated to Coffee, Non-coffee and Ice-blended drinks for the beverages that they have to offer. For those feeling a little peckish, there is a good variety of supplied cakes and savoury bakes that would cater to their craving for something light to go alongside their coffee.

Being a specialty coffee joint originating from Indonesia, Kenangan Coffee seems to place a heavy emphasis on the use of Gula Aren in their coffee offerings. For the uninitiated, Kenangan Coffee describes Gula Aren to be “a premium palm sugar derived from the sap of the Arenga Pinnata palm in Java” — one can liken it to that of the Gula Melaka that we are all familiar with in local context. Whilst Gula Melaka Layer Kopi is an item that is not too much of a rare find in local context, there are not too many places that would serve up Gula Aren with specialty coffee. Considering so, it was without doubt that the time which we had deducted to go for at Kenangan Coffee would be their Kenangan Latte — we opted for the iced version considering how we visited them after having a run. Kenangan Coffee describes its Kenangan Latte to come with elements such as espresso, milk and Gula Aren; think of it as a Gula Aren Latte. This isn’t our first exposure to a Brown Sugar-infused Latte; we did recall one which we were really impressed with in recent times during our trip to Bali, Indonesia from Makite Coffee House. In retrospect, the Kenangan Latte (Iced) was less rich; but perhaps more well-tuned to local tastebuds here considering how it focuses on the earthy notes of the Gula Aren with a slight hint of sweetness in its finish. The latte itself was pretty well-balanced despite the addition of palm sugar; a cuppa with evident nutty notes without being too milky and with a medium body. Overall, a considerably good cuppa especially given how it is from a commercial brand name; looking forward to giving their Avocado Coffee a go sometime soon!

Have been passing by the new Spicelios whilst going around Amoy Street Food Centre quite a number of times — whilst we had made a mental note to check them out, we had been pretty distracted by other newly-opened establishments which had sprouted up around the hawker centre and had ended up only giving them a try until now. Not an extremely new opening at this current juncture, though still one that has opened fairly recently in the last couple of months at Amoy Street Food Centre is the new Spicelios. Located at the ground floor of the food centre, Spicelios is situated closer to the end of the food centre that is nearer towards Tanjong Pagar MRT Station — they are neighbours of Naakin; a Muslim-friendly Thai food stall that had recently moved into the hawker centre as well. Spicelios does have quite an eye-catching shopfront — the signboard being coloured in bright yellow, while it also sports a display case where the various toppings and condiments are stored; something quite akin to a salad bar. Being a Chinese-run stall, it is interesting to see how they had taken the approach of being a no pork, no lard establishment; they also seemingly serve up quite a variety of Indian and Middle Eastern fare as well — think Briyani, Wraps and Naan Sets that are being served up here apart from salads. For those looking for something to share across the table, Spicelios does serve up chicken wings in three-piece servings as well.

We were actually rather intrigued with their wraps — the reason why we had actually made our way down to Spicelios for. That being said, we found ourselves behind drawn towards their Fried Chicken Thigh Briyani given how good it just looked from the display case where they had stocked all of the fried chicken thigh to be sold during lunch. Spicelios describes their Fried Chicken Thigh Briyani to come with elements such as chicken thigh, basmati rice, egg, Pappadum and yogurt salad. For those whom are not so into fried food, Spicelios offers a rendition which also comes with a curry chicken thigh as well — we couldn’t resist to have the best of both worlds, which was how we found ourselves requesting for a bowl of their curry to come on the side. Digging into the fried chicken thigh since that was what we were really aiming for, the fried chicken thigh was absolutely on-point; all crisp with tender and juicy meat within — the chicken thigh wasn’t greasy, yet coming well-flavoured considering how it has been marinated with turmeric. The basmati rice was done well above our expectations — the rice being soft, light and fluffy with a very prominent note of spices; very flavourful and very easy to eat. One would think that splashing the curry sauce on the wonderfully made basmati rice would have ruined the entire experience — little did we expect that the curry was pretty rich despite its consistency; adds on to the rice even further. We liked how care was taken with the Pappadum here; the Pappadum still being crisp — nothing limp and soft here from being left out in the open for too long, while the curry potato was cooked till soft and didn’t require much bite. The addition of the Yogurt Salad adds a Middle Eastern flair to the dish; really enjoyed how it came with a refreshing tang and crunch that resets the tastebuds from all of the spices, carbs and meat. Overall, quite a delicious plate of Briyani at $6.50; this is especially considering how they are run by Chinese folks after all — definitely looking forward to give their wraps a try next time.

Patisserie Woo is probably a name that one would probably have heard of it one has been following on the happenings of the local F&B scene for the past couple of years. Initially starting off as Patissier Woo, they have first started more as an online-based business in 2019 operating from a small space that also acted as their kitchen operations at Jalan Jurong Kechil. Since then, Patissier Woo had opened two other locations — both of them being takeaway only stores at Everton Park and within the HDB estate of SkyParc @ Dawson; the former being a hole-in-the-wall kiosk retailing various bakes, while the latter is bigger shop that carries a wider variety of items. 2023 marks a whole new beginning for the brand; the first being the re-branding of Patissier Woo into Patisserie Woo — the name change reflecting the reference of the name of the baker to the operations of the shop rather than the baker herself; they had also since moved out of their very first shop space at 76 Jalan Jurong Kechil into a bigger space at Guthrie House that is just a short walk away from Sixth Avenue MRT Station along the Downtown Line. The opening of their Guthrie House location also meant that their first time operating as a dine-in cafe — occupying a shop unit beside the outlet of The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf in the shopping gallery there, Patisserie Woo is decked in a look that is almost Parisian with the use of white wooden panels and mosaic floor tiles of monochromatic tones. These are all matched with furniture and fittings of bright and joyful tones such as yellow, pink and turquoise — gives the interior a lively look. Patisserie Woo’s outlet at Guthrie House carries an extensive selection of bakes, danishes and gelato — all of which being on display at various points at the counter. Beverages served up at Patisserie Woo at Guthrie House includes specialty coffee using beans roasted by Nylon Coffee Roasters, tea, fruit juice, drinking chocolate, Matcha / Houjicha latte and spritzers.

We were initially quite spoilt for choice when deciding on which of the items should we be going for when we were looking at the display case, shelves and chillers to see what are the items being offered during our visit made to Patisserie Woo at Guthrie House. The Matcha Azuki Tart was an item that had caught our attention very early on due to its tidy and unpretentious aesthetic — a tart that came with a green dome on the top, whilst being piped with matcha along the sides. Based on the description card being placed in front of the item in the display chiller, the Matcha Azuki Tart is said to have comprised of elements such as Japanese Azuki, Almond Sponge, and Uji Matcha mousse. As far as how the tart went, we really enjoyed the flavours and the textures brought out by all the elements here; the Uji Matcha mousse that formed the dome was especially smooth and creamy — also carried quite a good punch of that distinct bitter undertone of the Japanese tea without any distracting notes / aftertaste that came with it. The entire tart bore a rather consistent texture all the way down to the tart base; there are two textures of Japanese Azuki as one goes down the tart further — a layer that is more mousse-like, as well as one layer that is more paste-like; both being not too sweet and carried a light earthiness that perfumes at the back of the tongue. The addition of the almond sponge helped to add a bit of fluffiness to the tart — it also ensures that the tart base did not absorb all that wetness from the mousse elements on the top, while the tart base itself was delicate without being brittle; crumbles neatly as one cuts through the tart whilst holding up all the elements above well. At no point did it feel stale or limp either. This isn’t our first time hitting Patissier Woo; had made visits to their Everton Park and SkyParc @ Dawson locations in the past — still quite impressed with the quality of the bakes we have had from them thus far though their coffee requires a little bit of work. Nonetheless, a spot which we would be revisiting to give more items a go in time to come, and an opening which we think Sixth Avenue residents would be excited about!

Kaisen 8ar is one place that we have had caught wind of a couple of months ago and looking forward to its opening — located at the third floor of Fortune Centre, Kaisen 8ar takes over the former premises of the now-defunct Gyosen; itself being another Japanese restaurant serving up Donburi and Omakase set menus for lunch and dinner within the building. Kaisen 8ar is yet another concept by Chef Kevin Wee; a name that probably one would find familiar if they had been following the happenings in the local F&B scene in the past couple of years — for those whom are unaware, Chef Kevin Wee had previously been worked in establishments such as Syun and Kaunta, while other establishments that he had been involved with in the past includes House of Chirashi which is located at East Village, the now-defunct Chirashi Sora at The Venue Shoppes, as well as Age-Ya at Far East Plaza. He also does run a hawker centre stall named Hinoyama at Golden Mile Food Centre which serves up his stellar salmon miso soup which we visited some time back when they had just opened their doors. The space of Kaisen 8ar hadn’t seen much change ever since its days of being Gyosen; the entire space being decked in a rather dark theme that sees a large use of black in its fittings. That being said, we did notice that there is quite an impressive mural on the wall of the main unit featuring Japanese Koi fish, while the wooden furnishings do help to provide some contrast against the dark interiors of the space. Occupying two shop units that we are located across the aisle from each other, patrons can either pick to sit at the main unit which comprises of mainly bar counter seating or the adjacent unit that comes with proper dining tables and chairs. The food menu at Kaisen B8r sees items being split across categories such as Appetizers, Bara, Sashimi, Sushi, Kaisen Chirashi, Tempura (deep-fried), Yakimoko (grilled), Donburi and dessert.

We have previously written about the various Chirashi Dons which Chef Kevin Wee had served up at the various establishments which he had been involved with in the past ever since his days at House of Chirashi — all of them being having left a strong impression considering the price and the quality of which it comes with; his Kaisen and Bara items are not to be missed. The menu at Kaisen 8ar describes the Salmon Don to come with elements such as Trout Sashimi, Trout Belly, Tamago, Ikura, Tobiko, Furikake, Tempura bits, Sakura shrimp and Cucumber — the Salmon Don also comes accompanied with a bowl of their Salmon Miso Soup on the side as well. As always, the Salmon Don comes in a really dramatic aesthetic where the item is served in a two-tiered platter; the main components of the Salmon Don occupying the top-most tier of the plating, while the salad comes at the base. Having tried so many variants of Chirashi Dons from Chef Kevin Wee, the Salmon Don at Kaisen 8ar isn’t too unfamiliar to those whom had tried his creations before — going straight for the slices of trout sashimi, these were thickly cut to ensure one can get a good bite of the fish to enjoy its textures; the fish being absolutely fresh at the same time. In retrospect, the Trout Belly comes with a light torching from the blowtorch to achieve that slight smokiness akin to Aburi salmon belly; this one being thickly-sliced like the Trout Sashimi to give it a good bite as well. Since this is pretty much a Kaisen item (as opposed to Bara), this meant that the other elements such as the Tamago, Cucumber, etc. are not chopped up and mixed into the rice just like how the Hana Bara is. That being said, the other elements all play well to provide a harmonious blend and contrast of flavours that enhances the flavours of the dish; a little sweetness here, a bit of crunch there, and a popping sensation that provides for a umami note — everything is just as well-balanced. The mushroom-infused sushi rice served at room temperature is a hallmark of Chef Kevin Wee that should not be forgotten as well; provides an additional touch of earthiness to the Salmon Don for a flavour unique to his very own.

From all of the previous concepts that Chef Kevin Wee had been part of all the way to Hinoyama and Kaisen B8r, one thing is definitely constant here — the concepts which he had been involved with have shared one thing in common. There has always been a disparity between well-priced Bara Chirashi Dons that often feature marinated fish slices / cubes as opposed to the ones that seemingly coin on the natural flavours of the fish which usually comes charged at a premium price tag — Kaisen 8ar attempts to bridge this gap rather reasonably; despite the higher price of the Bara and Kaisen items at Kaisen 8ar as compared to that of what House of Chirashi, Chirashi Sora and Age-Ya used to charge, we do still think that Kaisen 8ar had achieved what seems to have been a constant theme across all the concepts that came before it. Food quality has also remained rather consistent all these whole with Chef Kevin Wee behind the counter as well; there had always been a consistent emphasis on the freshness of the fish, while the execution of the dishes exudes attention to detail — right from the way the sashimi slices / cubes of assorted raw fish are being sliced, all the way to the other elements that are included in the dish to further elevate the entire experience further. There is also a lot of care placed in the presentation of each dish; every dish featuring a multitude of colours with an eye-catching presentation — usually in a format featuring multiple tiers, which is a feast to the eyes to the patrons. Case-in-point, the Hana Bara was exactly what we recalled it to be as per our visit to Age-Ya just months before where we last had it; still as colourful and flavoursome with a myriad of textures that just keeps one going. The same could also be said about the Salmon Miso Soup as well; not overly salty, while the salmon chunks (which they were also generous with) was melt-in-the-mouth tender — very delicious. Prices of the Bara and Kaisen items at Kaisen 8ar range between $20.80++ to $78.80++ — pretty much dependant on how “premium” one wishes to go; still a place that those whom have yet to check out Chef Kevin Wee’s rendition of the Chirashi should add to the list of places to go. We were still able to make walk-in visits when we dropped by on a weekend afternoon for lunch service; best to check it out before the crowd finds out about their existence in time to come!

Was going around Maxwell Food Centre the other day and found yet another newly-opened stall that is operating in the hawker centre — located at the corner row where the aisle faces Kadayanallur Street right across from the stall which Hock Lai Seng 福来成 occupies is the new Jia Le Jia 佳乐家. The stall is a fairly noticeable one, considering how it sports a black signboard with photos of the items served on its menu filling up both corners of the signboard. Jia Le Jia is pretty much a mom-and-pop sort of hawker stall; it seems that the folks here chose to serve up items that would likely appeal to a younger audience as well as tourists alike. The menu at Jia Le Jia broadly comprises of two types of items in general; the once-trendy Din Tai Fung-style egg fried rice, as well as Japanese curry rice which they dub as curry rice. Both types of items comprises of variants served with multiple meat options; for the fried rice, one can choose from pork cutlet, chicken cutlet and shrimp, while for the curry rice, there are options for chicken cutlet, fish cutlet and breaded prawn. For those whom wish to try all meat options available for the curry rice in one single plate of curry rice, one can opt for the Special Curry Rice; Jia Le Jia also offers its chicken cutlet, fish cutlet and breaded prawn, as well as a bowl of curry as a side that can be shared across the table or for individuals craving for something lighter than a normal-sized meal.

We weren’t craving for anything too substantial even despite us wanting to go for something that is closer to a full-sized meal that is good for a single individual to go for — that is how we found ourselves going for the Chicken Cutlet Curry Rice when we made our visit to Jia Le Jia on a weekday evening for dinner. Overall, the Chicken Cutlet Curry Rice was nothing too out-of-the-ordinary, though is most certainly a comforting option to have considering how it seems to stay on the safer side of things. There were no particular standouts in terms of the elements here; the Chicken Cutlet Curry Rice coming with deep-fried breaded chicken cutlet, curry roux, Japanese short-grain rice and shredded cabbage with a bowl of egg drop soup coming on the side — but the elements were decently executed and stayed pretty much on the safe side of things. One thing which we did find definitely worth commending is how the folks here don’t seem to scrimp on the curry roux here — there is sufficient curry sauce that is being plated such that there is actually enough to go around all of the rice and even the breaded chicken cutlet itself. We also noted that the fried chicken cutlet was crisp without being greasy; also does not reek of any unpleasant note of overused oil as well — pretty decent in its own right. There wasn’t much to mention about the curry roux, though it was certainly decent without being overly sweet not salty — wished that it comes with a better portion and mix of root vegetables for a more balanced feel considering how the only root vegetable included was that chunk of carrot near the breaded chicken cutlet. The cabbage on the side helps to provide a crunch — gave a refreshing break from all the meat, curry roux and carbs. At $6.50, the Chicken Cutlet Curry Rice is quite a substantially-sized meal and a decent eat — just do not expect anything gastronomical out of it.