It seems that establishments specialising in Taiwanese cuisine is sprouting up around various corners in Singapore pretty recently — Big Mouth Eat 大口吃 is one of those recent openings that is hidden within the basement of Havelock II; a rather non-descript spot considering how the mall isn’t particularly filled up with tenants even at the ground level.

Just going by the minced braised pork belly, the Braised Pork Belly Rice is something worthy of a mention — the cuts used for the meat here comes with a good proportion of lean and fatty parts; all that coming together for a good texture that doesn’t require too much bite, yet melt-in-the-mouth. Really enjoyed how the meat has absorbed all that goodness from the braising liquid that is exceptionally savoury and rich — very flavourful without being overly salty. The only qualm here is how the rice feels like it could do with more of that sauce — no doubt it may seem to be served this way to circumvent the issue where the rice may get overly salty, but we felt that the rice felt a tad dry and could do with more flavour from the braising liquid; probably just a small douse would help. Really liked the preserved vegetables that they add to the bowl here which provided a contrast of texture by adding a crunch in between morsels of minced braised pork belly and rice, whilst also providing a light hint of spiciness that tickles the tastebuds. The braised egg was also decent; feature a solid yolk within, though some may yearn for the molten egg yolks typical to that of ramen egg that some places do serve up.

Whilst operating as a kiosk with a rather simple set-up featuring IKEA plastic chairs and metallic outdoor tables as their dine-in furnishings within the basement of a quiet mall, Eat Big Mouth is a hidden gem for those who love their Taiwanese cuisine — pretty authentic iterations of favourites ranging from the Braised Pork Belly Rice to more uncommonly found dishes such as the Taiwan Egg Pancake Crepe (would recommend the Ham variant which we also had), the Homemade Vegetarian “Blood” Cake and the Taiwanese Style Meatball. While there are still areas of improvement to be made for the Braised Pork Belly Rice, the setup does feel earnest and non-pretentious; something which we loved for how they seemingly focus on the food itself — itself being off for a good start. Looking forward to return for the Shredded Chicken Rice and other items some day too!

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