Fire In Your Mouth

Supposedly helmed by a Michelin Star chef, Chen’s Mapo Tofu is a really good place to try the Michelin awarded mapo tofu. That gooey spicy sauce is accompanied by chunks of fluffy tofu and drenched onto a mountain of Japanese rice. It’s a great mapo sauce I admit, however it just got a little too oily towards the end.

We had the signature half and half set for $11.90.

The Tom Yum soup was packed with just the right amount of sour and spice. Among the best tom yum soups I've had (yes, it's way better than Nakhon Kitchen and very much comparable to the one from Nana Thai at Golden Mile), expect a fresh serving of seafood such as hugeass tiger prawns and fresh lala clams. I would definitely pay $18 to have this all for myself!

Kin Kin made the news some time last year, drawing a 2 hour long queue for this famed bowl of Pan Mee. I finally got down to trying this and if there is one word to describe this, it's shiok! I loved how the concoction of shallots, lard, minced meat and anchovies added a nice crunch to the springy noodles. I also liked how the broken yolk brought together the seemingly differing components of the dish. Most of all, I loved the hot hot Pan Mee chilli.

Easily my favourite ma la store in Singapore- what I really love is the fragrance of the spices, freshness of the ingredients and generosity of portion. Spice level can be adjusted according to your preference. Best accompanied with a cold glass of sugarcane (:

For Ma-la fans, I recommend to try this bowl of Beef Brisket Noodles in Chilli Oil. The soup was literally an explosion of spices- the fragrance of Chilli oil, smell of 麻豆... I considered this to be 中辣 ( of medium spiciness), but my friend thought it was only 小辣 (of small spiciness). The noodles were firm yet tender, signs that it's not overcooked nor undercooked. Beef briskets were simply oozing with goodness. $9 for a whole bowl of adventure and I think it's damn worth every cent of my money. (This store is located in the new wing of Marina Square, right beside Manhattan Fish Market)

Located on Level 2 of Hong Lim Complex, Ah Heng Curry Mee definitely has one of the longest queues. Totally digging the oh-so-tender chicken chunks (yes chunks, not slices) and tau pok that soaked up the yummy spicy curry base. Totally worth the wait and the $4/$5/$6 off your wallet!