The Canteen by Enjoy

@canteenbyenjoy are starch savants, as both of the carb dishes we sampled were our favourites of the meal. The Canteen Rice was a sinful but sensational starch source, and this Hokkien Mee ($15.80 for the small) was less hedonistic but no less fantastic. It comes in strong tooting its own horn, proclaiming itself as the ‘most epic Hokkien Mee in Singapore’.⠀
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While I can’t confirm that claim, I can confirm that it’s pretty high up there in the Hokkien Mee rankings. The wok hei here isn’t particularly pronounced, allowing the broth the noodles are cooked in to take centrestage with good reason. The broth is stunningly sapid, and if I had to guess, I would say that Canteen has incorporated some pork bone broth into the prawn broth, as the broth is exceptionally flavourful & weighty.⠀
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The breathtaking broth amply flavours all the other elements of the dish, and even the abundance of ingredients that Canteen has thrown into the mix aren’t enough to dampen the deliciousness of the broth. The prawns were pretty fresh & plump, while the squid was equally fresh & delightfully snappy. The usual recipes for Hokkien Mee call for sliced pork shoulder, but Canteen ups the ante with the inclusion of roast pork belly. The roast pork belly adds a little extra savouriness & fat to the plate of noodles, but unfortunately the delicious broth had softened the crispy skin. Still damn delicious though.⠀
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Thank you so much for the invite, @canteenbyenjoy!

@canteenbyenjoy exclusive signature dish is the White Pepper Crab ($38.80++), which sees chunks of crab fried with a white pepper sauce and served with four slices of deep fried mantou. While you won’t get a whole crab for under forty bucks, there is certainly more than enough crab to satisfy most reasonable men.⠀
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The last time I had a a seafood dish at Enjoy (the one on Stevens Road) I was truly thrilled by the freshness & quality of the jumbo prawns, but was less than impressed with the sauce. With the White Pepper Crabs however, it was the exact opposite. I’m normally not a fan of pepper sauces as they tend to trigger my cough, but Canteen has done it sensationally here. The sauce is piquantly peppery, yet it’s smooth & rich, and loaded with deliciously savoury flavours. The mantous are definitely an excellent vehicle to savour the sauce with, and you’ll find yourself getting mildly addicted.⠀
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The crab meat, however, was not the freshest, but it certainly wasn’t bad at all. The crab meat is a little too soft, but it is free from any fishy odours, and its mild umami is elevated by the wonderful white pepper sauce. Canteen By Enjoy’s crab isn’t the most conventional, but it’s definitely expertly executed.⠀
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Thank you for having us @canteenbyenjoy!

Another one of @canteenbyenjoy signature dishes that fits in perfectly with their ‘Singapore of yesteryear’ theme is the Te Kah (Hokkien for pig trotter, $16.80++). A classic Chinese dish, the recipe is reportedly from head chef & owner Joel’s grandma, and he’s definitely made Grandma proud here with this bowl of tender trotters, braised tofu & half boiled egg.⠀
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The pig trotters have been stewed till the meat has turned tremendously tender, and all the excess fat under the skin has been rendered out with the braising process. The low & slow braising has thoroughly injected every morsel of meat & gelatinous skin with the fragrance & umami of the soya sauce & spices used to braise the pig’s leg, and each bite is delectably delicious & eminently enjoyable. The braise is notably sweet, which is an oddity for braised pig’s trotters, but it is most definitely not a bad thing.⠀
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The egg & jiggly tofu greatly benefitted from the sapid soy sauce mix, and I was sorely tempted to order a bowl of white rice just to fully appreciate that delicious braise with the tender trotters, slightly jammy egg & surprisingly soft tofu. Grandma would be pretty proud of this for sure.⠀
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Thank you for having us, @canteenbyenjoy!

Enjoy Eating House’s original location at Jalan Besar has rebranded to @canteenbyenjoy, and their menu is slightly different now.

As devilishly delish as the Canteen Rice is, its richness does get overpowering quickly. Balance that out with an order of otah ($11.80++) to light up your meal with some spicy heat. This otah is most certainly handmade by Enjoy and stars chunks of mackerel inside, and the entire otah is superbly spiced to perfection. The only drawback is that this otah is most definitely the boniest otah in Singapore, and I was consistently picking out bones. Proceed with caution indeed. Also, don’t forget an order of coleslaw ($5.80++), which comes in clutch to cleanse your palate with its crunchy, sweet & slightly sour tanginess from all the sinfully delicious dishes Canteen by Enjoy has to offer.⠀
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Thank you so much for the invite, @canteenbyenjoy!

Enjoy Eating House’s original location at Jalan Besar has rebranded to @canteenbyenjoy, and their menu is slightly different now. Canteen’s eponymous Canteen Rice ($4.80++) is deceptively simple in name, but it is the most sinful & heart stopping dish in Canteen’s lineup by a clear margin. Plain ol’ steamed white rice is sauced up with the same braising sauce that another of Canteen’s signature dish is braised in, and turned utterly sinful by adding fried pork lard cubes & a fried egg on top.⠀
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Canteen has masterfully deep fried the lard cubes, rendering most of the fat out & leaving behind a cube of crisp, airy gluttonous goodness. Tack on the savoury & slightly sweet soya sauce based braising sauce and the oozy fried egg, along with lashes of dark soya sauce, and you have a cardiologist’s worst nightmare in a bowl. Oh it tastes so good to be bad, my greed was screaming yes while my heart was screaming for mercy. There’s no way you can solo a bowl of Canteen Rice, so spread the heart attack with a friend or family member.⠀
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Thank you so much for the invite, @canteenbyenjoy!

I don't think you can purchase this separately but their chilli deserves a post of its own.