Recently found a hidden gem for good zi char??
I had a group dinner at West Lake recently, and it was located quite hidden among the older HDBs in Farrer Road. Known for their Kong Ba Pao, it was indeed one of the best renditions I've had. The pork belly slices were braised till they almost fell apart when I tried to pick them up, and they had so much flavour. Neither too salty nor too sweet, the sauce was rich with umami and just perfect for the bun. Talking about that, the bun was so soft and fluffy and especially sweet after chewing it for a while! Definitely a lovely dish to get for sharing. 1 is definitely not satisfying enough for me 😂
Their Chicken Fried Rice was surprisingly good as well. The rice were in individual grains but not oily, and it had good savoury flavours while the wok hei was subtle. The chicken pieces were tender too! Very lovely.
Their Fried Baby Squid was a joy to have as well, as each baby squid piece was tender and well coated with a light flavourful batter. Best with some beer!
Didn't manage to take a pic of their Beef Hor Fun, but that was satisfying as well, as not only the Hor Fun noodles were cooked perfectly due to its silky smooth texture, the beef slices were flavourful and tender as well. Don't expect great wok hei here, but their dishes were still well executed.
Can't wait to bring my family here! 😍
I recently had the pleasure of dining at Westlake and their Hor Fun is highly recommended. the noodles had just the right amount of chewiness, and the sauce was a blend of harmony that left my taste buds dancing with delight. Portion was generous, ingredients were large, ensuring a satisfying experience.
However there is room for further improvement with the service provided from the staff. Nevertheless, quality of food was tasteful and pleasant enough to warrant another visit in the near future.
Westlake is a old school 40+ year establishment located at the 2nd floor of a HDB flat located near Farrer Road MRT. This is an old HDB estate and the feel here is like I was transported back to the early 90s. The interior of the restaurant is also very old school with a sense of nostalgia that I may have came here for a meal once when I was still a kid.
The signature and most famous dish here, is the Kong Bak Bao. There are 2 types, the normal braised pork or the iberico pork. The sauce is the same, just that the Iberico is much more fatter and much more tender.
I had both before, and taste wise, it's equally good. The normal braised pork itself is already soft and tender. The Bao itself was also faintly sweet and just so compatible with the savouriness of the braised pork.
This is definitely the best Kong Bak Bao I ever had.
One of the best hor fun I had.
Wok Hei very evident in every bite.
A must have the next time I come here.
Comes to 18.8 after everything, usually comes w 5 pcs of buns
Predominantly sweet sauce with enough savouriness as well, dark and sticky enough. Pork belly was tender too, so good! The buns weren't soft/soggy (heard the jpoint branch isn't as consistent wrt the bun texture, but they allow ordering of one piece only iirc)
Westlake has a special place in my heart because this is where I ate my first kong bak pau and fell in love with it. The braised pork here is consistently tender and well-marinated in its thick, sweet sauce. The steamed buns are also extremely soft and fluffy, the perfect vehicle for the meat. However, there could be more vegetables to balance out the strong meatiness of this DIY burger.
In stark contrast to the Hei Zho tried at Le Coq, these had a chewier texture, akin to eating a thick fishcake. The skin was thin and crisp and was not overly oily as well. Despite being on the other end of the spectrum in terms of texture, I still highly enjoyed their version of the Prawn Roll which came with visible chunks of mushroom and orange bits (Which may be carrots or prawns?).
Full review at: https://liveeatbless.wordpress.com/2020/02/21/restaurant-review-westlake-queens-road-farrer-road-best-kong-bak-pau/
More pictures at: https://www.instagram.com/p/B80tA0UnwUK/?igshid=1lvasye43ejyk
My next personal favourite goes to another in-house specialty for their ability to make a simple combination of ingredients go extremely well with one another and for its unique factor as I’ve not encountered this at any other restaurant. It came with circular pieces of Beancurd (Tau Huay) where you could taste the subtle sweetness from the beancurd itself, similar in taste to a hot Tau Huay without sugar found at a local hawker centre. It's immersed in a mixture of partially and fully cooked egg whites topped with small bits of sweet prawns and salted egg yolk before being surrounded with a lining of spinach. As mentioned, the ingredients used are simple but somehow paired excellently with one another - The more savoury sauce and salted egg yolk contrasting with the sweeter prawns, egg white and beancurd. A light and comforting dish that I highly recommend.
Full review at: https://liveeatbless.wordpress.com/2020/02/21/restaurant-review-westlake-queens-road-farrer-road-best-kong-bak-pau/
More pictures at: https://www.instagram.com/p/B80tA0UnwUK/?igshid=1lvasye43ejyk
The slabs of pork may look thin for some but to me, it allowed the pau, cabbage and the parsley to complement the flavourful, juicy and tender pork. I’ve tried countless braised pork buns prior to this, including homemade ones, but most certainly not from a place which specialised in it. Through looks alone, the sauce spotted an intense dark hue and gave off a thick glossy sheen which accentuated the bits of minced meat embedded within, tempting one to explore the flavours packed within. Still not expecting much though, my first few bites had me thinking, “Okay, this is unique. Not exactly mind-blowing but I can see why it’s their specialty.” After a while though, especially after savouring their sweet, savoury and umami dark pork sauce on its own, I got hooked. In fact, writing this now, several days after my encounter, I’m still salivating at the thought of it. Flavourful in a more subtle kind of way, if that makes sense.
Full review at: https://liveeatbless.wordpress.com/2020/02/21/restaurant-review-westlake-queens-road-farrer-road-best-kong-bak-pau/
More pictures at: https://www.instagram.com/p/B80tA0UnwUK/?igshid=1lvasye43ejyk
❤ Waiter came back twice to confirm that we're getting the 10pcs and not the 5.. no judgment please 😂 Loved their Sweet & Sour Pork and their Red Bean Pancake too! 😋
#burpple
This place’s been around for over 40 years and their Bak Pau’s still been good.
It got better actually, when they introduced their Iberico pork Kong Bak Pau. Think dark intense flavours on succulent Iberico pork, wrapped in light fluffy steamed bun.
This CNY period would probably be a good reason to check it out with some other tasty traditional dishes.
I love traditional food. Like a Chinese version of the hamburger, but you get to decide how much meat and veggies you want in the bun. The pork belly is braised till such tenderness that it literally melts in the mouth. It's so soft that while I was trying to position for a good photo, the meat has already collapsed. 😂 Mopped up the copious thick gravy, cooked using various spices such as cinnamon and cloves (though a little too sweet), with the fluffy steamed bun! A dish that even for the amount of fats, I am willing to heck those calories after a good swim.
#burpple #burpplesg #sgfood #sgfoodies #foodporn #westlakerestaurant #西湖小吃 #kongbakbao #扣肉包
Simply simply nice.
This is a classic example of a dish simply made and simply nice.
Although most would think of the braised meat buns at Westlake , I came all the way to Westlake especially for this Beancurd dish.
Steamed Beancurd topped with chopped shrimps bits and salted egg yolk bits and then drenched with an egg white and salted egg white sauce.
Sometimes it is the simple things in life that show us that contentment is great joy :)
Melt in the mouth slab of pork belly simmered in a sweet, savoury and umami broth stuffed in between warm, fluffy buns. ❤️ I'd come here just for this!
Still think my mum makes a better braised pork, but this one's quite decent with sweet, caramelised sauce and soft fats.
Simply delicious at westlake restaurant. The meat falls off the shell so easily, and the noodles are so flavorful! Have you eaten there with your family before?
