Welcome to Central, Singapore.

“Guan’s Mee Pok” in the basement of Capitol Piazza is well known for their eponymous Mee Pok Tah but I actually like their Kway Teow Soup ($6.50) more. You’ll need to ask for it as it’s not shown on the menu.
Each serving includes two really juicy large meatballs that aren’t too firm, lumps of minced lean pork, a vegetable dumpling and half a stewed egg. Even the rice noodles are deeply flavourful from having absorbed the rich yet clean and tasty pork broth.

$41.80 (4 pastas, 2 burpp deals) *all nett prices
ragu $25.90 x2
truffle cacio e pepe $22.90
pasta alla vodka $18.90

all of us thought that the pasta alla vodka was the best and had the most amount of ingredients/ most substantial haha not a fan of bacon but it was p good w/ the pasta!! would come back for the pasta alla vodka 😋

only 2 ppl cooking, so be prepared to wait (i think we waited for ~30-45 min?) but the cashier lady was very nice and attentive

Though the Sweet and Sour Pork stole the show, their Noodle with Black Bean Sauce ($11/ ala carte) was also really decent. Light and slippery, the noodles were rather thin, had a nice chew, and were not too jelat. The sauce well studded with bits of meat was not too strong with a gentle sweetness and a delicate black bean taste. The portion was substantial as well, good for sharing. And at MukJja, to get the best of both worlds, they have a couple of Sweet & Sour Pork Sets to choose from!

Having tried a handful of Tangsuyuk, I must say MukJja’s Sweet and Sour Pork ($24/ small, ala carte) was one of the better ones. Firstly, the batter wasn’t too starchy or too thick. Served piping hot, the deep-fried pork strips had a great bite, partly due to the coat of batter and the way it was sliced in my opinion. Cut into relatively thin strips, it made eating more enjoyable with the bite-size pieces and that each was able to get just the right dose of sauce. Secondly, even after they cooled, the pork retained a good amount of crunch. Lastly, the flavourful sauce which came with onions, carrots, black fungus, and red cabbage had a great consistency. There was a good balance of savoury, sweetness, and sourness; the tanginess being sufficient to counter the heaviness of the protein. Also, if you are like me and like to enjoy Tansuyuk with the sauce on the side, be sure to tell them in advance while ordering. 

I also had Leckerbaer’s Hazelnut Cake ($7.50) which was a real nutty number. Baked with lots of ground hazelnut, the spongey base was crowned with thick swirls of chocolate mousse, crushed hazelnut, and halved hazelnuts. A tad dry in my opinion, the cake was denser than I expected. But flavour-wise, it was pretty standard and not too sweet.

Skipping their signature Smäkagers (dainty Danish butter cookies), I was looking forward to having Leckerbaer’s Dark Chocolate Tart ($8.50) and I am happy to report that it didn’t disappoint. Featuring a crisp chocolate tart shell filled with tangy cherry curd and brownie, the decadent treat is really one for the chocolate fans. The swirl of dark chocolate hazelnut namelaka (translating to “smooth” or “creamy”) piped atop was rich, delicately nutty, and bittersweet. And balancing that darkness from the ganache was the hidden layer of cherry which offered a pleasant bright tartness, acidity as well as moisture. There was also a myriad of textures, with the firm-crumbly shell, dense brownie, slightly chunky fruit curd, and bits of hazelnut and caramel pearls studded atop.

Yet another tendon restaurant hailed from Japan (not that I am complaining), Tempura Makino’s lunch sets were pretty decent though a little steep in price. Having their Makino Special Tendon ($25) which comes with miso soup, I liked that the portion of rice was on the smaller side but overall the bowl was still really substantial with all the items. Stacked with battered Kisu Fish, Anago, Ika, Maitake Mushroom, Butternut Pumpkin, Eggplant, French Bean, Egg, and three pieces of Ebi Tempura; the tendon had quite the selection. The ingredients tasted fresh, especially the seafood. With the light batter, the flavours, and most importantly the textures of the items were able to shine, even the more delicate ones like the saltwater eel and squid. The Maitake Mushroom and Butternut Pumpkin were really sweet as well. I also enjoyed the fact that their signature tare sauce was more savoury than sweet and was mainly found drizzled on the rice instead of the tempura. However, it was definitely a little cloying to have it all in one seating for me - all the tempura plus the richness of the yolk. The complimentary yuzu daikon certainly helped in countering the heaviness.

Very hungry? Get a side dish to share and their Takoyaki fared pretty well. Filled with minced octopus and covered with lots of bonito flakes and mayo, the tender morsels were served piping hot. A classic done right.

Thank you Kanada-Ya for the invite and the warm hospitality!

A surprisingly light blend, Kanada-ya’s Tonkotsu Mix Ramen ($17.90/ Regular) combines the familiar creamy pork bone base with a savoury chicken paitan broth. Not too thick and very palatable, the bowl was really decent and a relatively safe option. The belly chashu slices were sufficiently thin, a good ratio of fats to meat, and not too ‘pork-y’. Topped with wood ear fungus, spring onion, perfectly marinated hanjuku egg, and 2 pieces of nori; the ramen noodles were also pretty well-executed - slurpy and al dente.

Thank you Kanada-Ya for the invite and the warm hospitality!

If you only have space for one bowl, I would highly recommend their Spicy Yuzu Ramen ($19.90/ Regular). My favourite between the two, the splash of citrusy yuzu flavour and the mild heat from a dollop of chilli miso paste was super shiok. I really appreciate the refreshingly tart and spicy profile that gave the bowl that oomph. There was a good dose of savoury-sweetness as well, making it a well-rounded dish. As for the ingredients, expect tender leanness of the pork collar chashu paired with crunchy beansprout, spring onion, pickled onion, a beautiful hanjuku egg, and 2 pieces of nori.

Thank you Kanada-Ya for the invite and the warm hospitality!

Beautiful latte art and it tasted more bitter than milky! However, the staff strongly encouraged us to get the large cup to start our day on the right note and we slightly regretted doing so as we were slightly bloated from the big cuppa in the morning! We will be sure to get the regular cup in future 😁

One of our favourite pastries at any Tiong Bahru Bakery restaurant. We went at 8 am in the morning and the warm croissant came with a buttery fragrance. The croissant was crispy on the outside and really buttery on the inside and this is exactly what we love about TBB's croissants. The almonds were really generous although we always feel that the green tea powder could be more concentrated to give the croissant that distinct slight bitterness characteristic of green tea. Nonetheless, for $5.50++, it is still pretty worth it especially given that the pastry is pretty big!

The Tiong Bahru Bakery at Raffles City can get pretty crowded towards 9 am so don't be surprised to find that you have to queue to get a seat, especially on weekends!