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Stumbled upon this Vietnamese stall hidden in a Bukit Batok coffee shop which serves pretty legit Vietnamese cuisine. The first time we passed by, they were already sold out for quite a few iconic items on the menu. The second time we came by, we were told to wait for about 30 mins for a bowl of Bun Thit Nuong even though the coffeeshop wasn’t packed and there was no queue at the stall. Guess the popularity was a result of food delivery.

Bun Thit Nuong, or Rice vermicelli noodle with grilled pork, is somewhat similar to its Northern Vietnam counterpart Bun Cha, except that the grilled pork shoulder slices are served in the bowl of rice vermicelli noodle and separated from the sauce which is drizzled atop just like what we did. The pork shoulder slices were grilled till tender with a nice char, and usually known to be marinated in lemongrass, shallot, fish sauce, garlic, sugar and paprika to give a caramelic flavour. I especially enjoyed the sweet glaze on the pork. Drizzling of the sweet and sour sauce helped to cut through the meat’s greasiness. There’s also cut chili, chopped peanuts, shallots, fresh sliced cucumber and carrots to enhance the flavour of this hearty bowl of rice vermicelli.

Owner wasn’t really friendly but it’s worth the trip to seek for some authentic Vietnamese food. Do be prepared for the long wait.

Few of the Bun Chas in Singapore has ever made me feel transported to Hanoi until I have tried this one by Hanoi Cuisine. Definitely a hidden gem as it is also affordably priced with an authentic Vietnamese taste.

Consisting of charcoal-grilled pork slices and home-made pork meatballs doused in a bowl of dipping sauce which reminded me strongly of the Vietnamese fish sauce (something that the locals cannot do without!), vinegar and sugar. The pork slices were thinly sliced, releasing an intense smokiness and caramelic sweetness with each bite especially those charred edges. Also in the dipping sauce were some pickled papaya and carrot slices.

Dip the vermicelli along with the pork, complemented with some of the fresh lettuce, perilla leaves and mint leaves for a wholesome experience. On a return visit, I felt that the dipping sauce was less oily than the previous time. I would also be happy if they could offer a plethora of fresh herbs like what the Vietnamese would usually serve in Hanoi. Now I know where to head to, for a bowl of authentic Bun Cha.

•HOSTED TASTING•

This Northern Vietnamese signature dish that’s made of mainly grilled pork and rice noodles was a unanimous favourite of the night. Resemblance of the actual dish in Hanoi as it was made from Chef Linh’s family recipe. I really enjoyed the grilled pork and minced pork patties that were marinated with fish sauce and lemongrass, as they exuded smokiness and were flavorful. Served with pickles, shredded vegetables and herbs. However, I would have preferred if they served a plethora of fresh herbs, just like what’s being served in Vietnam.

Thank you @burpple for the invitation and @mrspho for hosting us!

•HOSTED TASTING•

An unassuming dish, the Tonkin Jasmine turned out to be one of my favourite dishes of the night! We heard that we almost couldn’t have tasted this dish as the Tonkin Jasmine shoots had to be flown in from Vietnam. I was told that only the Tonkin Jasmine buds are used for this dish, which were really crunchy. Especially fragrant with the crispy fried garlic!

Thank you @burpple for the invitation and @mrspho for hosting us!

•HOSTED TASTING•

Do you fancy some quails? These cute-looking quails were almost just as big as a chicken drumlet, but it is the preparation that makes a difference. Prepared in a French method with a butter bath, these locally farmed sustainable quails were then marinated with Vietnamese five spices before grilling. This dish kinda reminds me of the Chinese roasted chicken with salt and pepper which is also served on the side with calamansi for an extra kick of flavour. Pretty bony without much meat as you might have already guessed. Served with a medley of fresh vegetables.

Thank you @burpple for the invitation and @mrspho for hosting us!

•HOSTED TASTING•

One of the Vietnamese specialties served was this lemongrass chicken in claypot, which was a close resemblance to the Chinese sesame chicken. Equally saucy that makes a good pairing dish with rice, although the lemongrass sauce marination was pretty mild. We heard from Chef Linh that this is one rare yet special dish that she would only have as a celebratory dish when she did well for exams as a kid. Same goes for my Vietnamese friend, this must really be of certain significance! The only downside was that the boniness since chopped wings were used.

Thank you @burpple for the invitation and @mrspho for hosting us!

•HOSTED TASTING•

Those who have been to Hanoi will probably be familiar with this dish, especially at the famous Cha Ca Thang Long in Hanoi. Oh how I miss traveling! I honestly haven’t found a place in Singapore serving this dish until I came to @mrspho.

That sense of familiarity was triggered when I saw the chunks of boneless sturgeon fish that had already been grilled and being served on a hot plate with herbs and fresh dill. While it is not our practice here to have plenty of fresh herbs in our dishes, it is symbolic of the Vietnamese cuisine and dill was definitely one that I enjoyed for its citrusy, tangy notes. The fish was similarly marinated with turmeric and served alongside a springy rice noodle made with Chef Linh’s own homemade 3-year-old rice starter. A splash of fish sauce was perfect for the savory kick. If you can’t get to Hanoi, then this shall be the place to go for a Cha Ca fix!

Thank you @burpple for the invitation and @mrspho for hosting us!

Score 50% off all soup bases in the authentic Vietnamese traditional charcoal hotpot @mrspho as they mark the opening of Mrs Pho House Takashimaya S.C. From 8 Sep to 8 Oct 2021!

Embarking on a new concept that celebrates authentic Vietnamese heirloom recipes, Mrs Pho House is also designed to resemble a Vietnamese house with traditional lanterns and Vietnamese style furnishings. As the staff who was dressed in traditional South-Vietnamese attire served us the crab bisque hotpot, I was already feeling excited as it was the perfect broth on that rainy day. We heard from Chef Linh, that it was created using the same crab paste recipe by her mother used in her famous crab noodle soup recipe back in Saigon, which people fly in intentionally just because they crave for that flavour! In fact, we are lucky to be able to taste it here without having to queue for 2-3 hours.

At the first sip, the word that popped up in my mind was lemak. Somewhat like laksa (except the usage of Vietnamese herbs), with a similar milkiness and consistency, but also exuding a natural seafood sweetness that reminded me of the crustacean. The meat selection boasts of Japanese wagyu and other prime cuts, along side the mushroom platter including enoki, cordyceps and shimeiji that were had. I enjoyed the meticulous creation of condiments and dipping sauces that came along; such as the green chili seafood sauce and calamansi sauce for seafood, while the fermented beancurd sauce for meats. Don’t forget the crispy rice puffs that definitely go well in the broth too!

The other broths include the Nourishing Collagen Pepper Soup ($23/regular, $28/large) which very much tastes like the pepper pig stomach soup, Herbal Chicken Mushroom Soup ($23/regular, $30/large), and Vietnamese Perilla Mutton Soup ($23/regular, $28/large). For a taste of Vietnam, I’d highly recommend this for its strong green, minty illustration of the herb.

Thank you @burpple for the invitation and @mrspho for hosting us! Congratulations on the new opening of Mrs Pho House!

We really underestimated the size of the Bánh Xèo, or crispy pancakes, served here. This must really be a group sharing size, and justifies the price for an appetizer.

These are Vietnamese style pancakes made with rice flour, tiger prawns, sliced pork, mung beans, bean sprouts and mushrooms, served alongside a dipping fish sauce and some fresh greens. I got a little confused at first as to whether the greens should be used to wrap the pancakes or to be sandwiched in between the pancakes since the greens were relatively smaller than each slice of the pancake. But it’s entirely up to you how you wanna eat it.

The overall flavour was rather complex to me; it actually felt like a murtabak with lots of different ingredients, especially stuffed with mung beans and bean sprouts. The mung beans were a little mushy, that created a soft texture that I felt was conflicting with the crispy pancake. Similarly, I couldn’t taste evidently the prawns as everything was masked underneath the taste of mung beans. It’s a little greasy too and gets jelak after a while, hence highly recommended to eat with those fresh greens and to enjoy as a sharing plate.

A warm bowl of fresh rice noodles served in a fragrant beef knuckle broth with bean sprouts, scallions, white onion and fresh Vietnamese greens. There are choices of toppings like sliced beef, brisket and shank, beef meatballs of mixed. We went for the simplest, sliced beef, hoping to have a replication of the taste in Hanoi.

Unfortunately the Phở here, in my opinion, was just average. The beef knuckle broth itself seemed to be lacking of flavour, and doesn’t quite hit the spot. Though the ingredients were quite generously added, I don’t appreciate being served the rice noodles that had already clumped up into a big chunk. I like the freshness of the greens and the tenderness of the sliced beef. I wouldn’t mind drinking the broth but it’s a far cry from the really good ones in Hanoi.

You can now enjoy 1-for-1 main dishes on #burpplebeyond at Mộc Cottage!

If you have ever been to Hanoi, you would know that Bún Chả is a traditional dish which originated from Hanoi. Here at the 3-week old @moc_cottagee along Tanjong Pagar Road, you can find a Bún Chả that resembles closely to the original dish in Vietnam. We heard that the owner is a Vietnamese, who also owns Mộc Quán at UE Square.

Served on a large bamboo tray, there’s a small portion of Há Nội style rice vermicelli to pair with the grilled fatty pork, grilled meatball made of minced pork in a side dipping fish sauce,and a plethora of fresh herbs. First bite into the grilled pork belly hits the spot immediately; smokiness on point with a sweet saucy coating, just like the way they have it in Hanoi. Do take note of the amount of cartilages though. However, the meatballs were a little tough and seemed to be under-grilled. Personally I love the fresh herbs in Vietnamese cuisine that helps to cut grease, and I appreciate the fact that the portion here was rather generous.

Thanks to @eatigo_sg, we bagged a 50% deal! It’s also on #burpplebeyond, so I am definitely coming back on days with cravings for Vietnamese food!

Perfect choice to tide me over on a rainy day. Authentic Vietnamese cuisine is rare in Singapore but thanks to someone’s recommendation, this hidden gem at Bugis street serves pretty rustic Vietnamese cuisine, both northern and southern, as well as seafood dishes.

We tried the Bún Mắm, or the Mekong seafood vermicelli soup, here by chance since the initial plan was to have Bún Riêu which was sold out. Originating from South Vietnam, this bowl includes thick rice vermicelli, seafood, roasted pork belly, lots of vegetables and herbs, that’s so typical of the Vietnamese cuisine. The vermicelli had a good consistency that made it easily slurped up. But the most prominent ingredient was the fermented fish used for cooking the dark, murky broth. Could get a little fishy, metallic or even pungent, yet it was also sweet at the same time. A squeeze of lime would be wonderful. Perhaps they should serve a plethora of veggies alongside, like what it’s usually done in Vietnam. By the way, they sell western food too.