Those whom have been following us for quite a while would have probably seen us posting about an establishment named 2 Chefs Too Many not too long ago — whilst these folks are a relatively new addition to the local F&B scene that are operating from an independently-run shop unit at the foot of a HDB block in Changi Village, these folks had expanded their operations to several locations in recent times. Aside from expanding beyond the borders of Singapore into Johor Bahru, Malaysia within KSL Mall, they have also ventured into opening stalls at food centres such as that of MarketPlace@Expo (formerly Timbre+ Eastside @ Expo) and that of Hong Lim Food Centre as well. Their Hong Lim Food Centre stall is located along the same row of stalls such as that of the outlet of The Noodle Memories there. Such outlets are named Omu Place; they offer a more condensed version menu as compared to that of 2 Chefs Too Many and emphasises on their Omu Rice offerings whilst also serving up hot and cold Udons as well — they also do offer a few options for sides for those looking for something to supplement their meal with.

A dish that we were particularly impressed with during our visit to 2 Chefs Too Many at their Changi Village location was the Cheesy Wagyu Hamburg Omurice — we were glad that Omu Place does serve the same dish. Omu Place does not describe the elements that is included in the Cheesy Wagyu Hamburg Omurice, though it can be observed from our order that the dish does feature quite the same elements as the one served at 2 Chefs Too Many at Changi Village; a Wagyu Hamburg Patty, tornado egg, mushroom-infused short-grain rice, Demi-Glace sauce and a cheese-based sauce drenched over it. Digging into the dish, we did find that the quality of the dish is pretty consistent to what we have had at 2 Chefs Too Many as well; the Wagyu Hamburg Patty was juicy with tender meat that didn’t come with any fatty or veiny — savoury enough but also without any gaminess while the meat was easy to chew through without being too crumbly as well. The tornado egg itself was well-executed being soft yet slightly runny; carried an eggy note whilst the Demi-Glace sauce provided the slightly briny and savoury notes that not only brought the flavours of the rice, egg and beef together, but also enhanced the notes of the entire dish as well. The mushroom-infused short-grain rice was the element that added another dimension of flavours with a light earthiness that perfumed the tastebuds and gave complexity to the dish. The added cheese sauce gives it a creamy note to the Demi-Glace sauce and the Wagyu Hamburg a bit more depth of flavours. Whilst a little pricey for hawker fare at $12.90, the Cheesy Wagyu Hamburg Omurice does present itself as a pretty interesting choice to go for at a hawker centre to treat oneself to once in a while!

Was passing by Millenia Walk and got to learn about the opening of a new ramen restaurant within the shopping gallery named Toripaitan Ramen Torinosuke — these folks had takeover the former premises of the now-defunct location of Yoshinoya within the mall (more on this later). Toripaitan Ramen Torinosuke mentions that the brand is established since 2002 in Hiroshima Japan; the brand does seem to have multiple outlets located within Japan — the Toripaitan Ramen Torinosuke outlet at Millenia Walk is their very first outpost in Singapore. Whilst not immediately noticeable, we did seem to notice an affiliation between Toripaitan Ramen Torinosuke and Yoshinoya here considering how the congratulatory flowers placed outside of the restaurant during its initial opening phase had messages addressed to Yoshinoya. As one would have derived so from its namesake, Toripaitan Ramen Torinosuke is an establishment that specialises in their chicken broth shoyu ramen offerings; its menu is being split into sections dedicated to Ramen, Side and Curry Rice offerings — they also do offer desserts where ice-cream is being sourced from ice-creamery Udders.

The Waraji Katsu Toripaitan Kara Miso is actually the priciest offering at Toripaitan Ramen Torinosuke — the menu does not describe the elements that are featured in the bowl of ramen though it can be derived from its namesake that this would be a chicken broth ramen that comes with Miso — it also comes spicy as per the mention of “Kara” in its namesake. The Waraji Katsu Toripaitan Kara Miso is one out of three variants of Toripaitan Kara Miso Ramen that Toripaitan Ramen Torinosuke offers; the other two being the Toripaitan Kara Miso and the Ajitama Toripaitan Kara Miso. Whilst Toripaitan Ramen Torinosuke does not describe the elements featured within the dish, it can be observed from our order that the Waraji Katsu Toripaitan Kara Miso does come with elements such as Yasai (i.e. vegetables), Chicken Soboro (i.e. ground chicken), and Waraji Katsu (i.e. big, flat-shaped katsu). Going for the Toripaitan Kara Miso broth, we did find that the broth does carry a savoury note here — perhaps even a little salty for some palates; we did notice how the Toripaitan isn’t quite the rich and collagen-filled sort and is rather on the lighter side that isn’t too heavy on the tastebuds. With that said, much of the saltishness does seem to come from the inclusion of miso, whilst the broth does come with a spicy kick that should be manageable for those whom are tolerable to moderate levels of spiciness. The ramen noodles are done to a consistency where it carried a good bite, while the Waraji Katsu was crisp and not too greasy; there wasn’t much to shout about otherwise apart from how it does come with tonkatsu sauce piped over for a slight hint of sweetness and a light tang for some contrast. Meanwhile, the inclusion of Chicken Soboro adds meatiness and savouriness to the elements within the bowl, while the addition of Yasai and chopped raw red onions helped to add a refreshing crunch with the latter also giving slight zing to refresh the tastebuds.

For those whom have been following the happenings in the local F&B scene of the late, the expansion of OMMA Chicken Soup has been pretty aggressive to say the least. Whilst the establishment had only first made its entry into the local F&B scene with the opening of their Blk 216 Bedok Food Centre and Market location not too long ago, they had since opened multiple stalls in various hawker centres all over the island. Apart from operating from just hawker centre stalls, they had also made their entry into food courts in major malls and even hospitals. One of the most recent locations of which they had set up their stall at within a food court would be that of the Kopitiam food court at PLQ Mall — they can be found around the same stretch of stalls as the outlet of Palapa Express and Sing HK Kitchen there. As most would probably know by now, OMMA Chicken Soup is best known for their iteration of Korean-style chicken soup that comes with their very own twist — offering patrons with the Collagen OMMA, Ginseng OMMA and the Sesame OMMA, patrons get to pair it with either Short Grain Rice or Mee Sua. The outlets situated within food courts also features a line-up of Mandus that can be ordered ala-carte or as a part of a Value Set Meal at an extra cost.

Having tried the Sesame OMMA during our visit to their very first location at Bedok, we found ourselves going for the Collagen OMMA this time round during our visit to their PLQ Mall outlet after realising how the Sesame OMMA isn’t quite up to our liking. We opted for the Collagen OMMA to come with Mee Sua — it can be observed from our order of the Collagen OMMA that it does come with stewed chicken, while the soup itself also does come with jujube, goji berries and Gingko nuts. Going straight for the soup itself, it is noted that the Collagen OMMA comes with quite a clean and light savoury note — not quite like other collagen chicken soups that we had come across at other establishments. OMMA Chicken Soup’s main selling point would be how light and hearty their collagen chicken soup is; a formula that is easy to drink rather than one that is thick, rich and sticky to the mouth that could be too cloying and dense for some — the version of the collagen chicken soup at OMMA Chicken Soup being one that is suitable as daily fare. Coupling it up with the Mee Sua, the Mee Sua gives a silken texture with a soft bite, while the chicken flesh included in the soup with the bone-in came with fall-off-the-bone, tender meat that is juicy and skin that seemingly disintegrating into the broth itself. The inclusion of elements like the red jujube and goji berries adds a soft bite and provides a sweetness to the broth — adding to the wholesomeness of the soup.

While Warung Pojok Rasa Indo Yati’s Kitchen isn’t exactly a new stall that is located at Old Airport Road Food Centre at this current juncture, the stall is still a relatively young one as compared to some of the more seasoned tenants within the popular food centre. Warung Pojok Rasa Indo Yati’s Kitchen is located at the side of the food centre closer to Blk 39 Jalan Tiga; other establishments that is located within the vicinity of where Warung Pojok Rasa Indo Yati’s Kitchen is located includes that of Arabiano Kebab — a fairly new addition to the food centre serving up Turkish & Mediterranean cuisine. As one can probably figure out from the namesake of the establishment, Warung Pojok Rasa Indo Yati’s Kitchen is an establishment that serves up Indonesian fare — mentioned in the menu just below the signboard of the stall would be the variety of Nasi Ayam dishes alongside Nasi Beef Rendang and Nasi Lemak Chicken Set. Aside from those, Warung Pojok Rasa Indo Yati’s Kitchen also serves up a few noodle dishes, Lontong, as well as a few Nasi Padang dishes that are prominently displayed behind the display case at the counter.

One thing that is rather noteworthy about Warung Pojok Rasa Indo Yati’s Kitchen would be the availability of some renditions of Nasi Ayam that is less common in Singapore but could be found in Indonesia. Between the Nasi Ayam Kremes and the Nasi Ayam Kalasan, we picked the latter — patrons do get a choice to opt between chicken drumstick or chicken breast to be served with the order; we went for the chicken thigh option, while the dish is observed to come with elements such as Sambal Balado, Fried Tempeh, Fried Tofu, slices of cucumbers, cabbage and a bowl of soup on the side. Digging into the Nasi Ayam Kalasan, we did notice that the dish came a little less warm than we would have liked it to be especially given how we had made our order during lunch peak hours on a weekdays. With that being said, the fried chicken here does seem to come with crispy crumbs that is similar to that of the Serunding that typically comes with Ayam Goreng Berempah; light, crisp and not too greasy — all that with a slightly hint of spices. The fried chicken does come with crispy and light fried skin; even lighter than that of what one would expect out of Ayam
Goreng Berempah or even Ayam Penyet — the flesh of the chicken also being especially tender for a Nasi Ayam dish (at least the ones that we are exposed to thus far). It also carries hints of turmeric which is being used in the marination process. The Sambal Balado here is bright and spicy; tickles the tastebuds of those whom are tolerable to moderate levels of spiciness but also being slightly saltish enough to bring more flavour to the rice and the fried chicken. Both the the Fried Tofu and Fried Tempeh were good-to-have elements, that were executed above average here; the Fried Tofu managing to keep its moist and soft texture within while the Tempeh was actually quite easy to chew through as well.

Was scrolling around social media and got to learn about the existence of Homida | Korean Taste of Home in the Kopitiam coffeeshop situated at the foot of Blk 231 Sumang Lane — this would be one of the neighbourhoods that is situated slightly deeper within the Punggol area. As one would be able to tell from the namesake of the stall, Homida is an establishment that serves up Korean cuisine — whilst stalls serving up Korean cuisine are aplenty within food courts, coffeeshops and hawker centres all over the island, one thing that stands out about Homida to us would be the offerings that they carry. The menu at Homida is split into sections dedicated to Bibimbap, Noodle, Kimbap, Rice and Sides. Whilst a number of the more unique sides that are usually not served up by Korean cuisine stalls situated within food courts, coffeeshops and hawker centres in the heartlands have since been removed from the menu permanently, the availability of Kimbap is a noteworthy highlight at Homida.

Homida offers three different variations of Kimbap on its menu — this would include the Classic Kimbap, Bulgogi Kimbap and the Salted Egg Chicken Floss Kimbap; we went for the Salted Egg Chicken Floss Kimbap during our visit to Homida during a weekend dinner service. It was unfortunate that we were unable to give their variety of Korean Pancakes a try since those were sold out for the day during the time of our visit there. Homida does not describe the elements that comes with their various offerings; with that being said, the Salted Egg Chicken Floss Kimbap can be observed to feature elements such as egg, carrot, salted egg chicken floss, cucumber and yellow pickles — all wrapped with short-grain rice and seaweed. One thing we did manage to observe on first impression is how the Kimbap at Homida are sized smaller in terms of width but made longer to include more slices in one single portion as compared to the other Gimbap / Kimbap offerings we had come across at other establishments. Considering so, we did notice that the Salted Egg Chicken Floss Kimbap is rolled rather firmly; served warm, the rice does hold up to bites taken into the Kimbap. Whilst the portion of most of the elements within the Kimbap is smaller, there is no denying that the star is indeed the Salted Egg Chicken Floss where its savoury notes and saltish notes take precedence over most of the other elements in the Kimbap — the cucumbers and the yellow pickles providing an element of crunch with the former being a little more refreshing whilst the latter is more of a palate cleanser and delivers a tang to cut through the saltish-ness of the dish.

There has been quite a number of brick-and-mortar cafes that had been opened by the folks previously operating as a home-based business for quite a while — one of the latest establishments that had jumped onto this bandwagon would include that of Kin Joe Coffee. Whilst having been established as a home-based business previously, Kin Joe Coffee has now found new digs within a shophouse — they are located at 23 Eng Kong Terrace; this would be an area that is a bus ride away from Beauty World MRT Station. They had taken over the former premises of the now-defunct Le Dessert there. The space does seem rather tight considering how the shophouse had been split into two different units on the first level; the interior space sees a narrow walkway in front of the counter that flows all the way through to the counter seats at the back of the space — most of the seating space is located outside of the establishment instead. Whilst being an establishment that focuses slightly more on their specialty coffee offerings with beverages split into sections dedicated to Coffee, Non-Coffee and Seasonal Specials, they also do serve a variety of Bites that includes a selection of toasties, breads, Madelines and Croffins — just to name a few.

Kin Joe Coffee does offer its patrons quite a variety of different flavours for their Croffin offerings — think the Croffin as their version of mini muffins that are served in a croissant format with different cream fillings piped within. We went for the Lychee Croffin during our visit to Kin Joe Coffee, though we note that other flavours of Croffin offered includes Matcha Ganache, Passionfruit Curd and Choco Hazelnut. Patrons can order these ala-carte, though one can also in packs of threes or sixes. Sinking our teeth into the Lychee Croffin, we did find that the Danish itself seemed rather fresh; its crisp and flaky yet free from unnecessary grease — carried a light buttery fragrance but didn’t feel particularly jelak. The Lychee Croffin does come piped with a lychee-infused pastry cream within that carried a sweet and yet slightly floral fragrance that lingers around the tastebuds — all that whist not being particularly heavy on cream at the same time. Despite the relatively small size of the Croffin here, the pastry cream filled within the Cruffin seems to carry traces of lychee pulp that doesn’t only further enhance the flavours of the pastry cream, but also adds a different dimension of texture to the pastry as well.

Word does seem to have gotten around about the opening of Bouche that is located at Blk 40 Holland Drive at least over social media — for those whom are not in the know of its location, they are situated relatively close to the Chang Cheng Mee Wah Coffeeshop that is situated within vicinity from Holland Drive Market & Food Centre. Bouche should be quite easy to locate; the establishment bears a dark facade that features a slate grey signboard with tinted windows on the exterior. This dark and mysterious theme goes all the way towards the interior with the same elements seemingly consistently applied on the walls and floors of the interior; there is slight minimalistic theme going around with the industrial style of design that the interior sports, considering the use of some metallic elements especially for the side tables used for dine-in patrons. There is dine-in space dedicated within the establishment for patrons whom prefer to enjoy their offerings on the spot; these would be limited to the platform seating with padded areas with the metallic side tables slotted in between the bench. Bouche is an establishment that places an emphasis on its Matcha and Houjicha offerings; other beverages served up at Bouche would include that of the items listed in Coffee and Refresher sections of the menu, while they also have some Light Bites for those whom are feeling peckish and would like for some food to pair up with their beverages.

During our visit to Bouche, we found ourselves going for the Matcha Basque Cheesecake to pair with our order of the Cold Brew Einspanner — this would be an item that is listed under the Light Bites section of the menu. They also do have the standard version without the matcha element which is named the Creamy Basque Cheesecake. Whilst both basque cheesecakes are not prominently displayed at the counter, we did observe that they were served onto a disposable plate from a cake box from behind the counter — we aren’t quite certain about the case though it does seem like the basque cheesecakes are likely sourced from another vendor rather than being baked in-house. With all that being said, the Matcha Basque Cheesecake that we have had at Bouche comes in two distinct layers — beneath the browned layer on the top would be a layer coming with a green hue which sits atop a layer with a beige hue. Digging into the Matcha Basque Cheesecake, the top layer does exude a hint light hint of bitterness from the browning of the surface of the cake that had occurred during the baking process, while the consistency of the green layer was slightly crumbly whilst mousse-like — not quite as runny nor molten as some basque burnt cheesecakes that we had tried, though still carried a hint of inherent bitterness typical of the Japanese tea whilst still being reasonably creamy with a tang from the cream cheese without being overwhelming. It does seem that the cake does utilise a layer of light cheesecake at the bottom to carry a somewhat consistent texture to the layer above whilst holding up the weight of the elements above it — at the same time also enhancing the notes of the cream cheese within that layer as well.

There does seem to have been an influx of establishments serving up Filipino cuisine popping up all across the island recently; whilst the former tenant of the same stall that we are going to mention about was also used to be one that served up Filipino cuisine, the new tenant taking over the said stall serves the same as well. Located at Blk 932 Hougang Avenue 9 would be Second Serving Express; they had taken over the former premises of the now-defunct outlet of J&J Grill House within the Tastebud Eating House coffeeshop there. This would also be the same coffeeshop that houses other notable dining establishments like OK Chicken Rice & Humfull Laksa and Teenoy Thai Vegetarian. For those whom find the namesake Second Serving familiar; yes, this is a new concept from the same folks behind Second Serving that is located at Tai Seng Point — this is their very first Express concept that is run out of a coffeeshop stall. Second Serving is best known for serving up Filipino fare; the Second Serving Express location at Hougang serves up a more condensed menu of main dishes featuring rice sets, noodle dishes and snacks — they also do serve up their signature Taho offering here as well.

Considering how we have tried a number of Filipino soups and meat dishes in the past, we found ourselves gravitating towards the Palabok — a Filipino dish that we have yet to give a go during our various visits to several Filipino establishments around the island. Second Serving Express describes the Palabok as “Specialty Seafood Noodles”. Palabok is a dish that is known to come with elements such as that of prawn stock, pork bone broth and onions / shallots / garlic — the orange hue of the starchy gravy coming from the use of Annatto seeds. The gravy does come with a thick and starchy consistency that is rather similar to that of Mee Rebus / Mee Jawa / Pasembur; giving everything in the dish a mix, the gravy does come with a slight savouriness with particularly distinct but balanced notes coming from both the shallots and the prawn stock. The noodles that come alongside with the Palabok would be that of thick rice vermicelli that is rather similar to the ones that comes default with our local renditions of Laksa; slurpy and smooth. Addition of crispy pork lard does add another dimension of crunch to the dish, while the inclusion of prawns seem to compliment that of the gravy with its natural sweetness; the hard-boiled egg being an add-on that made everything seem a little bit more wholesome. Squeezing the lime does add a zing and tang to the entire dish — cuts through the savoury flavours of the gravy quite a fair bit which makes it an easier eat overall.

GRILLOTTE might be a name that is familiar to those whom are residing around the Yishun / Khatib area — with that being said, these folks had recently opened a second outlet in the East. Situated at the foot of Blk 264 Tampines Street 21, GRILLOTTE joins the likes of The Meowgical Scoop — both of which being independently-run F&B establishments that had found home at the above-mentioned HDB block; both establishments also being situated just right beside one another here. Taking up a shop unit that seems to be half the size of a typical HDB shop unit there, GRILLOTTE at its Tampines location does seem to be more tastefully decorated than its Khatib outlet — the establishment sees a more rustic-looking interior that seems to be inspired from some European setups; compact, but cosy and heartwarming with tables configured to suit those visiting the establishment in pairs or in groups of four (4) pax. It does seem that GRILLOTTE is trying to stray away from being an establishment identified as serving up Western fare at its Tampines location — the menu served up at their Tampines location features dishes with Italian names that are being split into sections dedicated to Soup, Salad, Combo, Appetisers, Sides, Sharing Platter, Pasta, Risotto, Italian Fried Rice, Beef, Lamb, Chicken and Fish.

It does seem that the line-up of Risotto is a rather new addition with the opening of GRILLOTTE’s location at Tampines — one of the items that had caught our attention whilst skimming through the menu would be the Risotto Con Pollo Fritto. The menu describes the Risotto Con Pollo Fritto as an item that comes with elements such as risotto, fried chicken, shiitake mushroom, Italian cheese and rich cream. On first look, the portion size of the Risotto Con Pollo Fritto does seem rather generous especially when it comes to the portioning of the risotto. Digging into the dish, we did find the Risotto done a little bit on the drier side especially as we were going halfway into the portion that was served to us, though this did not feel particularly bothersome considering it was still especially flavourful with the risotto still being reasonably creamy from the addition of rich cream and the slightly savouriness of Italian cheese going on in there. The inclusion of shiitake mushroom as an earthy bounce to the risotto as well. Meanwhile, the fried chicken cutlet does come crisp on the outside with juicy and tender meat within, though it does lack a little bit of flavour to match up against the risotto that came with it. These folks do seem to still need some time to adjust to its operations though — the experience wasn’t quite the smoothest considering waiting time for food for us was around an hour with other tables experiencing some hiccups along the way; hopefully they could get those issues ironed out as they ease into the workflow at their new space.

Was scrolling around the phone and got to learn about the existence of Sukhothai Grill that is located within Limbang Shopping Centre — this would be a neighbourhood mall that is situated within the heartlands of Choa Chu Kang / Yew Tee which also houses other dining establishments which was had visited such as Blue Ocean Kopi & Toast which we had previously dropped by. For those whom find the use of “Sukhothai” in the namesake of the establishment familiar — yes; Sukhothai Grill is a concept by the same folks behind the I Love Sukhothai brand that also operates outlets at both Limbang Shopping Centre at another shop unit, as well as at Plantation Plaza in Tengah. Sukhothai Grill takes over the shop unit formerly tenanted by Napolizz Pizza; the Sukhothai Grill concept differs from I Love Sukhothai by emphasising on its Meats, Pasta and Bingsu offerings featuring a Thai-Western fusion as opposed to Thai cuisine at I Love Sukhothai — the food menu having split into sections dedicated to Thai Style Steamboat, Thai Specialties, Braised Thai Style Noodles, Clear Soup & Dry Thai Style Noodles, Bistro Bites, Fusion Pasta, Harvest Salads, From The Grill, Seafood Selection, Rice Set, Bingsu Crafts and Shibuya Toasts.

Considering how Sukhothai Grill has its roots coming from an establishment well-known for its Thai cuisine whilst also being conceptualised as an establishment that serves up Thai-Western fusion cuisine with an emphasis on pastas, we did find ourselves gravitating towards trying out one of their Thai Signatures offerings in the Fusion Pasta section of the menu. We settled for the Green Curry Seafood — it is worth noting that Sukhothai Grill does allow its patrons to opt between having their pasta come with either Penne or Spaghetti for their choice of pasta; for our order, we went with the Spaghetti option. Sukhothai Grill does not describe the elements that comes with their various dishes in its menu, though it can be observed from our order that the Green Curry Seafood does feature an assortment Donald such as squid, prawn and mussel. The highlight with the Green Curry Seafood Spaghetti would probably be how the spaghetti is being tossed in a flavourful green curry sauce; it does carry the hint of sweetness, creaminess from the coconut milk and the notes of basil does seem to be especially prominent, with each strand of noodles being coated with the sauce without the pasta feeling particularly jelak — a common theme that typically comes with Thai green curry dishes. It also does come with mini eggplants that came with a soft bite, as well as some added basil leaves that gave further flavour to the pasta. Whilst the variety of seafood included in the dish seems reasonably fresh, they do seem to have been cooked separately from the pasta and the green curry sauce and only tossed together with them just before being served — there is a slight disconnect between the seafood elements and the pasta where both felt a little segregated, though shouldn’t be too much of a problem for those whom are not too particular about such things.

Was passing by the SG BOLEH @ 638 coffeeshop at the foot of 638 Veerasamy Road and got to learn about the opening of a new Western cuisine food stall in the coffeeshop. For those whom are unaware, this coffeeshop would be the one that houses a number of notable tenants which includes that of Johor Road Boon Kee Pork Porridge, Jin Xi Lai (Mui Siong) Minced Meat Noodle, the outlet of Tian Wai Tian Fish Head Steamboat and Victor Famous Fried Chicken Wing Rice and Hainanese Chicken Rice. Botak Western does sport a modern looking signage that does capture the attention of those whom pass by the coffeeshop; there are some details on the signage that does seem a little highlighted in a way as though they are lit by neon lights. The menu at Botak Western is fairly interesting, being split tho sections dedicated to Pasta, Meat / Chicken / Fish, Finger Food and Burger — there are a number of items in which sees Asian fusion elements into the dishes such as that of Spicy Salted Fish & Pork Slice Spaghetti, Thai Style Tom Yam Seafood Linguine and Ramlee Style Beef Burger.

The Sarawak Curry Chicken Shepherd Pie is one of the items that is listed under the Meat / Chicken / Fish; whilst the menu does not describe the elements that are included in the dish, one can observe from the version that was served to us that the Sarawak Curry Chicken Shepherd Pie does come with elements such as melted cheese, mashed potatoes, potatoes and chicken — everything beneath the melted cheese being drenched in Sarawak-style curry. Served in a dish that is reminiscent of baked rice, the melted cheese is gooey and stretchy as one digs into the dish and pulls the elements within out. The chunks of chicken comes pretty sizeable here; the chicken chunks being juicy and tender whilst the elements with the Shepherd’s Pie comes with a slightly orange hue from the inclusion of the Sarawak-style curry — the curry does hint of a good fragrance from the spices used while the inclusion of coconut milk to the curry made the curry sufficiently rich without being overwhelming. Meanwhile, the chunks of potatoes included in the Shepherd’s Pie came with a soft consistency that blends in well with the mashed potatoes that was smooth and not overly dense.

For those that frequent Tekka Centre for some time, PROUD is a stall that had opened up in the said food centre for quite some time now — these folks are one of the newer tenants that had found a space within the hawker centre in recent times. They are quite an easy establishment to spot, considering how they use a red signboard that is quite prominent with “PROUD” being stated pretty clearly in large font; they are also situated right next to 家传记 Chuan's Ladle as well. As one might have noticed from the signboard, PROUD uses the tagline “The Fusion Wok & Roll” — these folks are serving up a new genre of mixed economic rice here with their very own twist; the menu revolves around rotating dishes that consists of western and Asian (think more Chinese / Thai-inspired) dishes; each one being labelled clearly with the indication of its price tag behind the display at the counter. Patrons also get to choose their choice of carbs here, with the flexibility to go for White Rice, Porridge, Spaghetti and a seasonal fried rice offering (rotated weekly) to go with their desired dishes as well.

One thing that is noted about PROUD is how they serve up their dishes in disposable plastic ware that makes their food resemble the same from caterers somehow; PROUD does however do Mini Buffets and Bento Catering services as well. For our Mix & Match — Western or Asian meal, we found ourselves opting for the Spaghetti, Basil Chicken, Tomato & Eggs and Green Curry Chicken when we dropped by the stall on a Friday afternoon for lunch. Digging into the dishes that we had ordered, the Spaghetti is done Aglio Olio style here; the garlicky notes alongside the fragrance of olive oil for the Spaghetti does seem to be on the lighter side, though it does seem to be deliberately done so to be an accompaniment to their flavourful dishes that there serve. Basil Chicken does come with strips of chicken prepared in the same way as one would expect out of Thai-style stir-fried basil dishes; the strips of chicken flesh was tender whilst the fragrance coming from the sweet basil adds on that familiar flavour profile one would expect from such a dish. The tomato and eggs are reminiscent to that of mainland Chinese-style cooking where eggs are stir-fried with chunks of tomatoes to still achieve a soft, fluffy and moist consistency whilst carrying a refreshing tang from the soft, juicy chunks of tomatoes. Meanwhile, the Green Curry Chicken does come a little bit on the greasier side; coming with the same strips of chicken used in the Basil Chicken, the chicken still comes tender while the green curry also hints of a sweet note without being particularly spicy — rich and umami without feeling particularly heavy, while it also does come with the mini eggplants that gives a soft bite as well.