Doesn’t the rainy weather make us all crave for the comfort of warm soup? Here’s my recommendation! I recently enjoyed Ya Ge’s seafood hotpot with my foodie friends and we had a nourishing and indulgent meal with the Live Mud Crab Set in Lemongrass White Pepper Soup.
In addition to the Mud Crab, the pot also came with an array of fresh seafood like Abalone, Prawns, Mussels, Scallops, Clam, Handmade Cuttlefish paste and Dace Fish balls, together with wild black fungus, baby cabbage, corn, kombu, rice cake, hotpot vermicelli, gluten puff, enoki mushroom, crispy beancurd skin, bamboo shoot, and broccoli. This was literally comfort in a pot! What really stood out for me was the super appetising and unique Lemongrass White Pepper Soup (think pig’s stomach soup with that extra zest from the lemongrass) which truly elevated the overall taste experience and complemented the seafood extremely well! Another available soup base is the Sugarcane & Imperatae Soup which sounds really good too!
Available till 31 Dec 2023, Ya Ge’s Seafood Hotpot series also includes 2 other choices:
~Tiger Garoupa (S$168++, good for 3-4 pax)
~Australian Live Lobster (500g) and South African Abalone (S$218++, good for 3-4 pax)
Was over at Daiyusan Sushi Bar for dinner earlier this week with my dining companion. Like my first visit, the overall food experience still feels pleasant and enjoyable. This time round, we tasted a different selection of food. The night’s menu consisted of:
~Deluxe Chirashi Don: Definitely the highlight of our meal. This indulgent bowl came with a fresh offering of assorted fish cubes, uni, and ikura, atop a bed of rice that was seasoned really well!
~The Kushiyaki Moriawase (Chicken Wing, Asparagus with Bacon, Cherry Tomato with Bacon, Chicken Thigh , Shitake Mushroom): Each skewer was nicely grilled, and my personal favourites were the Cherry Tomato with Bacon which nicely pairs sweet tomato with the savoury meat, and the lightly salted and juicy Chicken Thigh.
~Buta Kakuni Don: The braised pork belly slices were tender and packed with flavour! This was also served with a soft boiled egg which added a creamy mouthfeel.
~Chawanmushi of the Day (Uni Chawanmushi and Unagi Chawanmushi): Both versions of chawanmushi were good, but we both preferred the unagi one!
My dad and I had breakfast at this popular guay jub joint in Yaowarat during our recent Bangkok trip. We each got the standard Roll Noodles Soup, which came with crispy pork, sliced pork, minced pork, pork offals and tongue. The peppery broth was really comforting without being too overwhelming. The rice rolls were smooth and the pork ingredients were all fresh, yummy, and the offals were well cleaned too! To round up the meal, we got a plate of Deep Fried Crispy Pork to share. The skin was really crispy, while the meat was lean yet juicy. You can choose to enjoy the crispy pork on its own with the sauce or dip it into the soup to soak up the broth.
It’s funny, but I didn’t actually found out about HONBO during my last trip to Hong Kong. Despite them being a popular Hong Kong burger chain, I only got to know them through their outlet at Chjimes! 😂
Anyway, it’s been awhile since I had such a yummy and satisfying burger! The Honbo 1.5 had such juicy and flavourful smashed beef patties, that paired well with the potato milk bun. The beef to bun ratio was also really good!
The ambience here is casual and comfortable, and closer to an American diner. Not the cheapest burger, but I would say it’s worth a splurge if you are on the hunt for a good quality beef burger.
Butahage, the Hokkaido restaurant famed for its award-winning butadon (pork bowl), opened its flagship outlet at Suntec City earlier this month.
The star dish here is their signature Obihiro Meibutsu Japanese Pork Loin Don. The grilled pork slices were already thick and juicy, but it was the savoury 80 year old dipping sauce that elevated the whole dish. I’m salivating thinking about it now! There is also another option that comes with Canadian pork loin, but I would recommend going with the Japanese pork.
On top of the classic butadon, a selection of other Japanese dishes made with Hokkaido ingredients are also available. There’s Tendon, the Singapore exclusive Salmon Mentai Avocado Don, plus sides and dessert that are worth considering.
Kelim Dakdoritang, a popular Korean restaurant chain with close to 60 years of history, has opened its first outlet in Singapore (@kelim_sg) at Serangoon Gardens.
The star was the Dakdoritang (Signature Korean Spicy Garlic Chicken Stew), which came with a generous serving of garlic, chicken, potatoes, and rice cakes. It was my first time trying this unique dish. For a garlic lover like me, this was really enjoyable. The garlic added an extra oomph to the broth and the bone-in chicken pieces were really tender, alongside the QQ tteokbokki. Garlic breath don’t care! I’d recommend adding on the Kalguksu (knife-cut noodle), which has a smooth and chewy texture that paired well with the flavourful broth. Remember to save some broth for the Bocumbap (K-Style Fried Rice) too, to complete the deliciousness. Infused with the stew's essence and mixed with seaweed, soybean sprout, and diced radish kimchi, this was a comforting delight!
I visited Qiu Jin Xiao Chao at Harbourfront Centre for dinner with a friend recently. This is the brand’s first ever overseas outlet, after successfully expanding its presence across various regions of China, serving authentic Sichuan dishes. We tried:
~Stir-Fried Rattan Chicken ($15.80)
~Sour & Spicy Golden Beef ($15.80)
~Traditional Sichuan Stir-Fry Pork Belly ($14.80)
~Black Pepper Fried Rice ($7.80)
~Wagyu Mapo Tofu ($14.80)
~Fried Shredded Potato ($6.80)
~Poached Lettuce ($6.80)
First off, the food here were all really heavy in flavours (重口味), which suited me to a T! The highlight was their Wagyu Mapo Tofu, an interesting (and numbing) fusion dish with tender, marbled slices of Japanese A3 wagyu beef. Other dishes I liked were the Stir-Fried Rattan Chicken, the Traditional Sichuan Stir-Fry Pork Belly, and Fried Shredded Potato (I was genuinely surprised by how good this was). Would definitely revisit again if I’m in the area and craving for good Sichuan food that won’t break the bank!
The rich buttery flavours of the squid complemented the noodles really well. The noodles itself was cooked just nice, with a good noodle-to-gravy ratio, and portions were generous too! Another highlight was their sweet and spicy sambal chilli.
The Spring Acorn is made up of a green chocolate shell with 32% white chocolate that encases a layer of fromage mousse, pistachio dacquoise, pistachio crunch with soft pistachio praline, and a home-made red fruit compote finished with pistachio mousse. Its exquisite presentation aside, we loved how well-balanced the overall taste was!
The cod fish was soft and flaky, but it was the delectable dashi leek cream sauce that truly elevated this dish!
Tender and flavourful braised angus beef cheek, paired with creamy risotto that wasn’t too cloying! Yums!
The octopus was cooked perfectly, with a nice firm texture! Together with the creamy butternut squash puree, crunchy squid ink cracker and savoury smoked bacon ragout, everything combined delightfully!
