Must Try

Sequestered in a sleepy hole-in-corner coffeeshop off French Road is the unlikeliest of places. Nice Rice, helmed by a 25 year old former fine dining chef with a pedigree the likes of Bacchanalia and Vianney Massot, is a hidden gem delivering outstanding rice bowls at accessible prices in a not so accessible location.

Their signature Cow Bowl is a must-try, with a fan of roast rump cap beef slices encircling a runny onsen egg in the center. Each glistening, saucy piece is succulent yet retains a good bite, and the rosy blush in the middle tells me the meat was cooked by someone who knows their craft.

Every single ingredient in this bowl was meticulously prepared - from the bed of seasoned rice, to the thoughtful garnishes of shiny eggplant and garlic confit which conferred an added dimension of flavour and texture to the dish. Most definitely worth the trip down at least once to savour this goodness.

Taste: 3.5/5

A KL franchise that arrived on our shores more than 2 years ago, the simply yet aptly named Chilli Pan Mee may perhaps serve the best version I’ve tasted here so far.

Half the fun is in thoroughly mixing the bowl laden with a mass of fried shallots, crisp ikan bilis, spring onions, minced meat and poached egg into the pleasingly al-dente and toothsome noodles to create a melange of utmost umami that’s greater than the sum of its singular parts.

The egg yolk, chilli oil and lard make a great makeshift sauce to coat the noodles in, and the jar of dry chilli mix on every table means you can tailor the level of spiciness to your own liking. A little goes a long as the aromatic chilli packed a tongue-tingling punch.

Of note as well was the bowl of wolfberry leaf soup on the side that serves to cleanse the palate and extinguish the heat between slurps of noodles.

Taste: 4/5

Was it serendipitious that I chanced upon @mr.kneadys sourdough loaf first at The @thecheeseshop, and then their magnificient sourdough pizza at their bakery in Bedok Marketplace, on the same day?

The owner’s passion for baking is only superceded by the irony of him being quite allergic to flour. Thankfully he’s stuck to his guns through stints in America and Iceland, returning to these sunny shores to gift us with an undeniable talent for producing really beautiful bread and pizza.

The best pepperoni in the y-east is a beast –
Light, thin, slightly chewy, topped with a garlicky housemade tomato sauce and perfect ratios of pepperoni, salami and mozzarella.

Besides this, they also have 3 other pizzas including an interesting dessert one topped with creme fraiche and bananas, as well as a selection of breads.

#BurppleTakeaways

Taste: 4/5

Seldom does the occasion seize me to order burrata even though I enjoy it, as what is oft-presented is more or less similar everywhere. Fortunate for us then, that my friend decided to have it at @habibisansg, because this was a maximum flavour bomb!

No doubt the creamy burrata in itself was très good, but all the magic came from those very smoky cherry tomatoes, a piquant and umami yuzu daikon salsa and lush basil oil. I totally recommend getting an extra side of pita to mop this up.

Taste: 4/5

Some very canny recipe decision making here worthy of commendation, with a clever balance of taste relative to ingredient cost and selling price. You wouldn't notice it at first by sheer dint of how freaking addictive and delicious it is, but that there is the humble crab stick tossed in mayo and topped with tobiko and chives. The broad rice crisps on the side make perfect scoops for shoveling this insanely lip-smacking dip into your mouth hole.

Thanks @burpple for the invite and @lecoqsg for the hospitality!

Taste: 3.5/5

Mui Kee is every bit as good as it’s made out to be. Their silky smooth congee is redolent with dragon’s breath, studded with generous chunks of charred, succulent fish and slices of crunchy, freshly fried dough fritters. Almost delicious enough to finish an entire bowl on your own, but the large portions are better shared so you can try more.

Taste: 4/5

While I was ecstatic to finally have a chance at trying Gastrosmith’s new private dining concept, I was also saddened to hear that this will be their final month at their current location in Katong i12. The good news is they intend to open in town sometime in the future.

Their exclusive Burpple set dinner has got to be one of the best quality and value-for-money #burpplebeyond deals around, with 3 sharing plates for 2 and a substantial main each, all for the princely sum of $62+. Chef Dillon is the sole cook in the kitchen, and still he manages to execute astoundingly flavourful and well-balanced dishes across a broad spectrum of cuisines, all in a very timely fashion.

First dish to hit the table is an absolute stunner – achingly sweet vine-ripened tomatoes over silken Japanese tofu, languishing in a bath of olive oil and barrel-aged balsamic vinegar. The sweet tartness of the the latter and richness of the former worked well with the lighter main components, with hints of citrus and the crunch of pine nuts adding delicious complexity.

Taste: 4/5

I’m always impressed by chef Dillon’s ability to consistently take Asian classics and successfully add his own personal twist to them. Who would’a thought of chicken siew mai, and that it would taste this good? The dumpling is so tender and meaty and is wrapped in a paper-thin skin. That would have been good enough for me, but here at Gastrosmiths good enough ain’t enough. The kicker is the deeply earthy porcini and truffle sauce that unexpectedly works amazingly well with the siew mai.

This was the second third plate of Gastrosmiths’ exclusive Burpple set menu for 2, which is a steal for only $62+ for #burpplebeyond subscribers. Hurry before they shut their doors at the the end of May!

Taste: 5/5

The undulating sheets of handmade pasta proved to be the perfect carrier for the luxuriously cheesy and earthy cacio e pepe sauce, made from porcini butter, parmesan and pepper, complemented by the deep flavours of hen-of-wood and chanterelle mushrooms.

This was 1 of 3 mains from Gastrosmiths’ exclusive Burpple set menu for 2, which is a steal for only $62+ for #burpplebeyond subscribers. Hurry before they shut their doors at the the end of May!

Taste: 3.5/5

The intoxicating aromas of pork and brandy hit you the second the lid is lifted off the claypot, making your mouth salivate in anticipation. Flavourwise, this is very good, and the chestnut-fed duroc pork practically melts in your mouth, but I would have preferred the beehoon to have more bite as the uniformly soft textures of all the components gets a little one dimensional.

Taste: 3/5

Of all the multitudes of cauliflower starters I’ve had, this has got to be one of the best. Every floret boasted a smoky char, yet retained their crunchiness. The egg and smoked paprika puree below doesn’t look like much, but is an inspired stroke of genius, possessing an addictively creamy moreishness that paired excellently with the cauliflower. Cutting through the richness are the sweet tang of raspberry pickled onions and the salty burst of capers. Simply delicious.

Taste: 4/5

Impressive how something as innocuous as mortadella is rendered so tasty with dobs of umami tuna aioli and lashings of olive oil, chilli and orange honey. The salty meatiness of the ham is tempered by the sweetness, spiciness and richness of the aforementioned ingredients, working harmoniously together. Even the humble arugula has it’s place on the plate, contributing crunch and peppery herbaceousness.

This was the second sharing plate of Gastrosmiths’ exclusive Burpple set menu for 2, which is a steal for only $62+ for #burpplebeyond subscribers. Hurry before they shut their doors at the the end of May!

Taste: 3.5/5