[CLOSED] Sambae

Throwback. I'm so sad he's closed. Not the typical nanban sauce but still a great dish.

Throwback. I'm so sad he's closed. Eating a personal sambal stingray was a dream come true.

The 𝗦𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗮𝗲 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗥𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝘄𝗻𝘀 ($6.50) looked deceptively ordinary, but grains of rice were masterfully fried -- they didn't clump together and carried a slight hint of wok hei. The sambal was immaculately infused into the rice, making it ferociously fiery. The prawns, fresh and crunchy, were good too.

Definitely a must try!
@sambaesg

𝐒𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐚𝐞
Blk 721 Ang Mo Kio Ave 8
Singapore 560721

Back at Sambae again. Having been mightily impressed with its sambal stingray on my first visit, I picked the 𝗦𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗮𝗲 𝗦𝗼𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗕𝗼𝘄𝗹 ($7.50) this time. While the onsen egg could've been more molten, the sambal, once again, was the undisputed star. The fresh and chewy sotong rings were made more delicious by the savoury and spicy sambal, which instantly makes anything paired with it taste infinitely better.

𝐒𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐚𝐞
Blk 721 Ang Mo Kio Ave 8
Singapore 560721

I also ordered the 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗻 𝗡𝗮𝗻𝗯𝗮𝗻 ($4.90), which was chunks of fried chicken doused with a creamy white sauce. The chicken was very crispy outside, yet juicy inside. Together with the sweet, tangy sauce that amped up its deliciousness, it was absolutely addictive.

The items I tried were unparalleled, and diners in groups are also not left out with the sambal stingray, sotong and lala ($12 to $19 each) available for sharing. I’d definitely return to @sambaesg for sure!

𝐒𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐚𝐞
Blk 721 Ang Mo Kio Ave 8
Singapore 560721

We are all familiar with rice bowls of Japanese origin (e.g. pork katsu don) or protein bowls targeted at the health conscious (e.g. sous vide chicken breast grain bowl), but BBQ seafood rice bowls? The sambal stingray or sotong rice bowls from Sambae are so innovative I swore I had to try them.

I was immediately drawn towards the 𝗦𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗮𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘆 𝗥𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗕𝗼𝘄𝗹 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗢𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗻 𝗘𝗴𝗴 ($7.50). The centrepiece was obviously the large slab of grilled stingray, generously slathered with sambal and topped with onions, with pickled cucumbers on the side.

The spectacular sambal — sweet, savoury and not overly spicy — accentuated the flavours of the fleshy and smokey stingray, with the dash of lime providing a sour tang. The molten egg, when mixed with the rice, created a creamy carb that was immaculate. The salad with sesame dressing, served separately, was good too, but was a mere afterthought. This rice bowl was stupendously scrumptious!

𝐒𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐚𝐞
Blk 721 Ang Mo Kio Ave 8
Singapore 560721