[NEW] HEYTEA introduces legit local flavours of soft serve!

It’s been a week since @heyteaofficial opened its doors on our shores and introduced us to its awesome beverages and now they’re finally selling its soft serve treats ($2.4/4.8)!

Its offering of frozen treats come in classic flavours like Tea King (Oolong) and Mango but it also offers exclusive Singapore favourites such as durian and salted egg yolk.

The local exclusives taste legit. The salted egg yolk ice cream is exactly what you’d find in your dishes but in frozen form. One can expect the same richness and savouriness. It even has that grainy texture which derived from yolk sediments.

For the durian, I’m unsure which type they use but I think it’s D24. The flavour is so authentic, you’d expect to find bits of durian flesh inside but to no avail. (It’s soft serve!)

My personal preference would be durian. It definitely comes off more as a dessert whereas for salted egg yolk, as true as it is to its taste, feels like it belongs on a savoury dish.

Mentaiko always hits the spot.

After navigating the labyrinth which is Chinatown Complex Food Center, I’ve found @sutachi.sg.

Sutāchi is a Japanese-Italian food concept, providing restaurant quality food at hawker centre prices. On the menu, one can find a selection of rice bowls, noodle bowls or even bar bites that go well with the nearby craft beer stalls. What caught my eye was the salmon mentaiko pasta.

The pasta was definitely a looker with its vibrant pink hues of the salmon, golden runny yolk and that torched brown mentaiko. Couldn’t wait to dig in! After mixing everything, the spaghetti dish oozed with goodness as one could smell and taste the char of the mentaiko sauce. The salmon chunks were light and cooked well. Overall, it was a well-balanced dish in terms of taste and intensity as eating something this creamy, didn’t make one feel too glutted.

I’d definitely back for my mentaiko fix or even try the gyu donburi next!

Mentaiko always hits the spot.

After navigating the labyrinth which is Chinatown Complex Food Center, I’ve found @sutachi.sg.

Sutāchi is a Japanese-Italian food concept, providing restaurant quality food at hawker centre prices. On the menu, one can find a selection of rice bowls, noodle bowls or even bar bites that go well with the nearby craft beer stalls. What caught my eye was the salmon mentaiko pasta.

The pasta was definitely a looker with its vibrant pink hues of the salmon, golden runny yolk and that torched brown mentaiko. Couldn’t wait to dig in! After mixing everything, the spaghetti dish oozed with goodness as one could smell and taste the char of the mentaiko sauce. The salmon chunks were light and cooked well. Overall, it was a well-balanced dish in terms of taste and intensity as eating something this creamy, didn’t make one feel too glutted.

I’d definitely back for my mentaiko fix or even try the gyu donburi next!

Who needs a nasi lemak burger when you can have this over-the-top rendang burger?

Numerous people have recommended me to try the “Redman” burger. The burgers at Three Buns are named after musicians so Redman is most probably named after the iconic rapper from the 90’s. I’m not sure why though. Probably it’s because his most famous hit was Christina Aguilera’s “Dirrty”, which would be how I’d describe your hands and mouth after eating this scrumptious burger.

The Redman does bear a heavy price tag of $28++ but a lot of tender loving care had gone into this burger. It had an authentic rendang base made with chilis, spices, toasted coconut, turmeric leaves and even gula malaka, which was cooked and simmered down for six hours. That aromatic base was then smothered over a soft and tender beef cheek which has been marinated and sous vide for 24 hours. Coconut mayo, pickled mooli (a type of radish), cucumbers, chilis and scallions were slapped on the beef to enhance both the flavour and texture of the burger. The rendang goodness was encased in a beautiful toasted coconut demi-brioche bun.

Choose from a range of delectable gourmet soft serve ice cream together with crunchy but fluffy waffles. A perfect dessert to end off your meal in the Holland Village area.

It took me years but I’ve finally tried Matchaya and it’s so good! The matcha flavour for the soft serve is so rich and intense! One serving is $5.90 but there’s a #BurppleBeyond 1-for-1 promotion for a soft serve + drink which is a saving of $10.

HEYTEA 喜茶, China’s most popular tea brand with over 110 outlets, is finally opening its first overseas outlet right here on our shores TODAY! It’s reported that people queue for hours just to have a sip of its beverages. What’s so special about them I wonder?

HEYTEA is actually the original inventor of cheese tea. Now it does sound like a mismatch. Cheese and tea? Cheese and fruit juice? Little did I know that these seemingly unconventional pairs actually work like a dream.

There were so many options available that many customers (myself included) might stumble at the counter contemplating their choice. I had the Ever Spring ($5.50) from the cheese tea category. Upon first taste, my friends and I simultaneously let out an “ooooh” sound, a physical tell that we were concordant that it was awesome. The tad saltiness from the cheese foam complimented the classic earthiness of oolong while the matcha dust and floral fragrance of the tea elevated the drink. It was like nothing I’ve ever had before.

I’d also recommend the matcha cheese tea for similar enjoyment.

Going bananas over this dessert.

“Banana” is a new addition to Porta‘s offerings and is available for a limited time only on both its festive menu or a la carte menu. The caramelised banana is reminiscent of the insides of a goreng pisang (fried battered banana), gooey yet firm. A rum infused vanilla ice cream sits on top which balances the bitterness of the dark chocolate shard with sweetness. On the side is a Victoria sponge which adds texture to a rather velvety dish.

Going bananas over this dessert.

“Banana” is a new addition to Porta‘s offerings and is available for a limited time only on both its festive menu or a la carte menu. The caramelised banana is reminiscent of the insides of a goreng pisang (fried battered banana), gooey yet firm. A rum infused vanilla ice cream sits on top which balances the bitterness of the dark chocolate shard with sweetness. On the side is a Victoria sponge which adds texture to a rather velvety dish.

My favourite Japanese quick fix in Chinatown.

Whenever I’m near Chinatown Complex and craving Japanese, I’m sure to come to Kazan. It offers a whole range of bento boxes that’s really bang for your buck.

One of the top sellers is the chicken teriyaki set. In the set, you get a sizeable portion of crispy fried chicken doused in a sweet teriyaki sauce on a bed of shredded lettuce, julienned Japanese pickles, a potent miso soup, a dollop of kewpie mayo and of course, Japanese rice. I’m also amazed at how fluffy and loose the Japanese rice was that I could just eat it on its own. For $5, that’s really insane value.

My favourite Japanese quick fix in Chinatown.

Whenever I’m near Chinatown Complex and craving Japanese, I’m sure to come to Kazan. It offers a whole range of bento boxes that’s really bang for your buck.

One of the top sellers is the chicken teriyaki set. In the set, you get a sizeable portion of crispy fried chicken doused in a sweet teriyaki sauce on a bed of shredded lettuce, julienned Japanese pickles, a potent miso soup, a dollop of kewpie mayo and of course, Japanese rice. I’m also amazed at how fluffy and loose the Japanese rice was that I could just eat it on its own. For $5, that’s really insane value.

[NEW MENU] Looks can be deceiving.

The salmon tiradito ($25++) may look simple but don’t let looks fool you. The complexity of flavours in this dish is astounding.

Tiradito is similar to its more popular Peruvian counterpart, the ceviche, in which both are raw fish served with a sauce. The difference is that for tiradito, fish is sliced rather than cubed and the sauce is served upon service rather than used as marinade.

The freshness of the salmon is accentuated with the addition of the yuzu lemon sauce. Under the salmon lies finely chopped peaches which adds a tad of tanginess. The dish which could be potentially sour was balanced out by rounded it up with a drizzle of coriander oil. It’s really a taste extravaganza.

The salmon tiradito is a new addition to Akira Back’s menu that was relaunched in early November 2018.