Both Ye Shang Hai & Ye Lai Xiang are in the business of peddling tasty, tantalizing Teochew porridge, they’re in the same approximate post code, and they’ve even got similar names! So of course, comparisons will be drawn, and blood will be shed-yeah, maybe not the blood part.

I’m just gonna come out right now and say it: Ye Lai Xiang’s dishes are better. The texture of Ye Shanghai’s meatballs were a bit odd and a bit too loose, and there was less flavor in those balls. The braised intestines were a touch too salty, and the pig liver was overcooked. However, the curry vegetables were insanely indulgent and seriously sumptuous, and of course, one can never go wrong with chye poh omelette.

But the one department that Ye Shanghai has Ye Lai Xiang utterly vanquished was in the wallet department. You see this spread of six dishes with two bowls of porridge right here? Ten bucks. That’s right, one red Yusof Ishak covered the cost of this dinner. I’m gonna be honest here, I did a double take when the cashier told me the price of the meal. Thrice.

So, the final verdict on Ye Shanghai! Good? Eh, a little debatable but I’m going with a yes. Cheap? Oh hell yeah.