Joo Chiat has a disproportionately high concentration of Vietnamese eateries, and the newest one to join their ranks isn’t entirely Vietnamese. @joochiatcaphe fuses Singaporean elements into the Vietnamese classic of banh mi, and even though they’re not halal certified yet, they are definitely Muslim friendly.⠀
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Not gonna lie, the Battered Crispy Fish Fillet with Honey Mustard at seven dollars nett is neither Singaporean nor Vietnamese in particular. It’s definitely delicious, however, and it’s a terrific twist on banh mi. A beautifully battered, thick fillet of fish is slightly seasoned & deep fried to a glorious golden brown shade. Then it gets liberally drizzled with honey mustard, and into the freshly baked banh mi it goes very carefully.⠀
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As you might expect of any half decent deep fried fish, the batter is brilliant. It’s just thick enough to produce that distinctive, highly sought after crackle, but thin enough to not be an oil sponge. The fish fillet inside was startlingly stellar, and I was utterly floored by just how fantastic this fish fillet was. It isn’t the most well seasoned fried fish in town, but it is one of the flakiest and moistest fillets I’ve ever had. I’m not even kidding, there was an impossible amount of moisture being secreted by the pearly white fish.⠀
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The honey mustard dressing was equally awesome, and it flavoured the entire banh mi. It’s sweet, a little zesty, and it was a matchless marriage for the fabulous fried fish. The lettuce & cucumbers this banh mi was garnished with added a huge hit of freshness and crunch to complement the crusty Viet baguette. The iron heavy flavour of the chicken pâte spread on the bread is an acquired taste, but I rather enjoyed the smooth, strongly flavoured spread.⠀
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Joo Chiat Caphe might not be even remotely traditional, but it is remarkably, tremendously tasty. No cap, bro.