Pizz Please ~

One of the establishments that we have been hearing in some social media groups for quite a bit recently would be a certain Panda Bee that operates as a stall within a coffeeshop in Yishun; these folks do seem to be a recent addition to the Yishun neighbourhood – having located within the coffeeshop there is at the foot of Blk 761 Yishun Street 72. These folks are not exactly obvious on first sight; that being said, do look out for its white signboard with illustrations of its menu items which we found to be rather striking when compared to the signboard of its neighbours; one being an Chinese-style economy rice stall, and the other being a Fish Soup / Ban Mian stall. Occupying a space that is equivalent to the size of twice a typical stall unit within the coffeeshop, Panda Bee is an establishment that primarily serves up western fare. Though the stall does have its own menu board, Panda Bee is serving up a leaner menu at this current stage due to limited manpower — the temporary menu is one that is printed and laminated, and can be found plastered over the original menu board that can be found at the stall. The list of offerings available during the period when we had made our visit to Panda Bee includes the standard grills and chops that one can find at other stalls serving up western cuisine in hawker centres, coffeeshops and food courts, as well as pasta, burger dishes and baked rice as well.

One of the items at Panda Bee which had been highly raved about by netizens would be the British Fish & Chips; an item that is also illustrated on the signage of the establishment, Panda Bee describes their British Fish & Chips to come with elements such as Tartar Sauce, Crispy Fish, Crispy Fries and Fresh Coleslaw. On first look, one can already tell how the portion size of the British Fish & Chips at Panda Bee is already quite generous — the fish fillet is sized bigger than the plate, with the fish being already beyond the edges of the plate as well. Digging into the crispy fish itself, it is clear that Panda Bee’s British Fish & Chips delivered on the “British” aspect; the golden-brown fried batter being of the same style as the better-battered fried fish and chips rather than that of the ones that comes with panko crumbs — freshly-fried upon order, the batter is surprisingly light and crisp without feeling particularly greasy, all that whilst the flesh of the fish was moist and flaky. Our portion of the British Fish & Chips also comes with a surprisingly thick fish fillet so there’s definitely quite a fair bit of chunky fish to dig into; the fish fillet itself also tasted void of any undesirable muddy notes as well — a squeeze on the wedge of lemon and spreading of that tartar sauce on the side would add on to the flavours really well. Fries were crisp and not too greasy — all that whilst adequately seasoned; a crowd-pleaser. The accompanying coleslaw was served chilled just the way we like it to be — not being overly milky in flavour, yet sufficiently creamy whilst delivered a refreshing crunch which was a respite from all of the fried elements that came with the dish.

During the same visit, we had also managed to give their Meatball Pasta a try — same case as it is with the British Fish & Chips, it seems that the folks at Panda Bee are pretty generous with the portion size of the Meatball Pasta considering the amount of pasta that came within the pan that they had chosen for their choice of dining ware to come with their pasta dishes here. This was something closer to that of the pasta dishes that one would expect out of a stall serving up western cuisine in a coffeeshop / food court / hawker centre setting — a simple tomato-based pasta that comes with a sprinkle of powdered Parmesan cheese that comes with chicken(?) meatballs with a cheese filling within that seems to be similar to that of nacho cheese.; the meatballs being similar to that of Old Chang Kee’s Chicken Cheese Balls but served in a way that is non-fried.

Panda Bee is one of the very few Western cuisine stalls that serve up British-style Fish & Chips at a coffeeshop / food court / hawker centre setting — this, coupled with their wallet-friendly prices, big portion sizes and great execution of the British-style Fish & Chips does make them stand out from other similar establishments around; the British Fish & Chips being priced at $7.90 which is rather insanely value-for-money when one thinks about the portion size of the fish here along with the way the dish has been done. That being said, Panda Bee does seem to be a little bit overwhelmed by the demand with its tight manpower at the point of time when we made our visit there; whilst items like the British Fish & Chips require a longer waiting time, our order of the British Fish & Chips was missed — the folks were quick with their service recovery offering to serve our order to the table rather than to have us collect it at the stall; they had also offered the Meatball Pasta that we have had on the house as well to make up for it. Overall, Panda Bee does seem like an establishment that is sincere in wanting to serve its patrons the best that it can despite the manpower crunch; though the British Fish & Chips is undoubtedly the star of the show here that is totally worth making the visit for — as long as the queues remain manageable and when these folks manage to get the manpower to handle the increasing demand whilst maintaining the quality of their fare in the longer run!

One of the cafes that had been featured quite a number of times around social media in recent weeks will be TO:YOU — these folks are actually located in a spot that is slightly off the beaten path even for folks whom are fairly used to visiting off-the-radar cafes. Located at Jalan Senang, TO:YOU is located within a stretch of shophouses in the middle of a private housing enclave — those whom are familiar with the area would also identify the address with the Boon Kee Kway Teow Noodle stall that is situated within the coffeeshop at the corner-most shophouses in the same stretch where TO:YOU is located. TO:YOU should be fairly easy to locate, considering how the facade of the shopfront is painted in a shade of dark green. One key feature about the space is how the entire space seems to have been segregated into two areas; the outdoor dining area is viewable from the outside of the shophouse — the space being a pet-friendly zone where owners can bring their furry friends alongside for a meal, while the entrance to the indoor dining hall can be found hidden towards the left. Entering the cafe, one will find a space that is well lit towards the end of the shophouse — natural lighting floods into the space from the sky roof from above, while the interior does feature a somewhat industrial interior design scheme with the use of metallic tables and chairs with green cushions and metallic accents; the use of some flora and fauna also helps to inject a bit of life into the space to help it look less sterile. The use of a turquoise counter for its cashiering area and espresso bar also provides a bit of a colour contrast to the space as well. The food menu at TO:YOU is segmented into categories such as To Share, All Day Brunch, Full Plates, and Sweets, while beverages are segmented into TO:YOU Iced Coffee, TO:YOU Iced Matcha, Coffee, Iced Signature Coffee, Matcha and Others.

Considering how TO:YOU was still in their soft launch stage when we made our visit there, it was noted that quite a number of the items that were listed on the All Day Brunch section of the menu was unavailable during the visit — with that in mind, we found ourselves gravitating towards the Ochazuke that is an item listed on the Full Plates section of the menu instead. The menu at TO:YOU describes the Ochazuke to come with elements such as grilled salmon, grilled short grain rice, pickles, Tamago, Yuzu Matcha Dashi, crispy rice puffs and Nori flakes. The Ochazuke does come in a fairly interesting aesthetic where the grilled short grain rice is presented in the form of an Onigiri; the Yuzu Matcha Dashi is also served in a separate flask that allows the patrons to pour in as much as they would prefer as well. We liked how the grilled salmon was done just right being flaky whilst carrying a somewhat crisp skin that carried a little bit of a smoky and savoury note apart from the fish’s natural flavours. Pouring the Yuzu Matcha Dashi over the rice, the short-grain Japanese rice does end up being pretty much distinguishable from each grain — the texture having softened a little from absorbing a bit of the Yuzu Matcha Dashi, while the Yuzu Matcha Dashi also adds a bit of a zing and umami savouriness from both the elements of matcha and Dashi for a flavour contrast that we found to be pretty comforting overall. Elements like the Tamago adds a sweet note with a fluffy, spongey texture that is sufficiently moist, while the pickles held to add a bit of crunch and zing for a textural and flavoural contrast.

Other dishes we have tried at TO:YOU during the same visit will include the Mentaiko Puffs — these were described on the menu to comprise of crispy potato puffs, Mentaiko sauce, Tobiko and Nori Flakes. We did find that the description of “crispy potato puff” to be a little over-exaggerated here considering how they turned out to be chunks of hashbrowns — all that drizzled with Mentaiko sauce and sprinkled with Tobiko and Nori Flakes above. We did feel that these were slightly over-fried; a little too crunchy and missing of the slight fluff and bite that the chunks of soft potato within would have come with if it were to be executed just about right — one thing that is worth commending would be how these folks had also included a saucer of the Mentaiko Sauce so that patrons can dip the hashbrowns into more Mentaiko Sauce if they so wish to. We also noted that the hashbrowns didn’t feel particularly greasy as well — a good thing for us. One of the things that have been mentioned for quite a fair bit about TO:YOU would be their range of croissants; we made our visit to TO:YOU during its weekend lunch service and found that they were only left with two (2) croissants sitting in the display shelf — these would be the Matcha Croissant and the Cream Cheese Croissant. We found ourselves going for the latter, which the menu describes to come with elements such as cream cheese and onion, mozzarella and parmesan. The only qualm about the Cream Cheese Croissant is how it was being served as-is — we did feel that this item would have likely done quite well if it was to be consumed warm especially considering the nature of it being a savoury croissant; a little cheesy on first taste, but we really liked the slight garlicky note that it carries in its finish that kept us going for more. We also opted for the Okinawa Cuppa which is an espresso-based specialty coffee item that is listed in the “Coffee” section of the menu — this cuppa comes with slight sweetness akin to adding brown sugar to a latte; the cuppa otherwise coming with an earthy flavour profile with a light body.

TO:YOU does seem like one of those specialty cafes that does have a slight Japanese influence in the dishes that they have to offer on its menu which has been seen in other specialty coffee establishments of the late; the Ochazuke was an item that we were pretty satisfied with based on how it was executed and the quality that it came in. Despite being a newly-opened establishment that seems to be dealing with some teething issues, we do feel that TO:YOU has managed their problems that they are tackling rather well — they are also also seemingly apologetic to the patrons whilst at it; an establishment that does seem to be keen to delivering a smooth dining experience to its patrons while getting used to their operations at the same time which we found to be commendable. Main dishes on the menu in the All Day Brunch and Full Plates sections are priced between $16 to $24; the lowest-priced being the Ume Shakshuka and the highest-priced being the Creamy Truffle Udon. Being hidden away in a private residential estate whilst featuring a small pet-friendly area outside, TO:YOU is likely a spot that pet owners from both within the neighbourhood and outside the neighbourhood would appreciate having as a spot to check out; somewhere that is worth visiting once just to see what they are all about whilst exploring a part of Singapore that very few would have likely to have visited at the same time.

It does seem that Chinese-style Tang Shui is pretty much a rising trend in Singapore recently — there has been quite a number of such establishments that had opened up across the island of the late; we had covered on shops / stalls such as that of Yut Yun Tong Sui, LANTINE, Yun Ji and DuoDuo Dou of the late, though there seems to have been yet another one that had opened in the Neil Road area within walking distance away from Maxwell MRT Station along the Thomson-East Coast Line. Yuen Yeung is the newest addition to the neighbourhood; these folks should be fairly easy to spot with how it is situated along the same stretch of shophouses where notable cafes such as fieldnotes., Acoustics Coffee Bar, The Coffee Code etc. can all be found. There seems to be quite a fair bit of work done by the folks behind Yuen Yeung here; it has adopted a design scheme that features earth colour tones with a minimalistic vibe with a touch of oriental flavour — a move that is perhaps to make the establishment look the part of what it has to offer. That being said, we did feel that the designer of the space does make Yuen Yeung blend in to the aesthetics that is already adopted by fieldnotes. and The Coffee Code. Most of the seatings within the indoor dining area at Yuen Yang are catered to pax in groups of four (4) or larger — the tables catering to larger groups being the circular tables, though one can still find tables catering to groups of two (2) pax situated towards the end of the entire shop. The menu at Yuen Yeung is split into “Hot” and “Cold” desserts similar to what other establishments serving up Chinese-style Tang Shui would typically do, though the Chinese-style Tang Shui offerings at Yuen Yeung can be described to come with a little bit of a modern twist. It is noted that no beverages are being listed on the menu of Yuen Yeung.

The Handcrafted Rice Mochi with Red Bean Paste was one of the few items that caught our attention likely due to the mention of mochi in the namesake — unlike most renditions of Red Bean Paste served elsewhere where the Red Bean Paste is being served as-is or with tangerine peel, the folks at Yuen Yeung had added handcrafted rice mochi and Osmanthus to the dessert; at least these were the elements that we had observed being served up in their Handcrafted Rice Mochi with Red Bean Paste, though the menu does not describe on the elements that comes with each item. It is pretty interesting to note how the addition of Osmanthus helps add a rather complimenting floral note that is a little bit of a twist to the usual addition of tangerine peel that usually would add a more tangier note to give the Red Bean Paste a bit of a flavour contrast; the floral aroma of the Osmanthus definitely made things pretty refreshing amidst the sweetness of the Red Bean Paste that was suitably dense and sweet on its own — all that whilst featuring red bean that is cooked to a soft consistency. The handcrafted rice mochi does seem to comprise of grains similar to the texture of cooked barley that is laced with a runny mochi element that helped to bridge those grains with the red bean paste altogether.

We also managed to try the Classic Grand Slam Brown Sugar Milk Snow during a separate visit to Yuen Yeung. It can be observed from our order that the Classic Grand Slam Brown Sugar Milk Snow is a cold dessert that is served with elements such as tapioca pearls, sweet potato balls, taro cubes, red bean, grass jelly and vanilla ice-cream; there is also a syrup and milk that is drenched over the ice as well. To be honest, we do feel that Yuen Yeung seems to do better in their hot desserts than their cold desserts. The shaved ice used for the Milk Snow felt a little bit on the coarser side, and we weren’t quite a fan of the type of red beans that they used for the Classic Grand Slam Brown Sugar Milk Snow. Otherwise, the classic combination of syrup and milk was difficult to go wrong, while the tapioca pearls and sweet potato balls provided an element of chew to the dessert with the former enhancing the dessert with yet another dimension of sweetness at the same time. The grass jelly adds a soft texture amidst all of the elements that is included, while the taro cubes does come with a bit of bite — we did feel that these could also be cooked a little softer for a texture that is more consistent with the elements within the same bowl. It is interesting to note that the red beans do come with a bit of a floral note here much like how the Red Bean Paste was; traces of Osmanthus can be found atop the red bean as well. The Vanilla Ice-Cream that came atop the was smooth and creamy and wasn’t overly sweet whilst carrying a lingering note of vanilla that paired well with the Milk Snow.

Given our experience with both the Handcrafted Rice Mochi with Red Bean Paste and the Classic Grand Slam Brown Sugar Milk Snow, we would feel that Yuen Yeung’s hot desserts are more of a catch as compared to the their cold ones. With that being said, these folks do seem to frequently run out of items early on in the day given its current level of popularity — many of its signature items such as the Pistachio Paste and Double Layer Milk Pudding items are sold out in the early afternoon, while the lack of indication that several of its cold dessert items are available only during the evening onwards would leave a lot of patrons with very few options remaining if they were to drop by Yuen Yeung for post-lunch desserts; something that doesn’t do well in Yuen Yeung’s favour since a lot of its patrons would likely not be able to experience the full Yuen Yeung experience anyway. Would probably help if they can look into ramping up production in the long run. Otherwise, the desserts served up at Yuen Yeung are actually pretty reasonably priced; the lowest priced being at $4.30 for the Freshly Cooked Tangyuan with Green Bean Soup, while the priciest is the Fresh Strawberry Coconut Snow at $9.80. Yuen Yeung is certainly a spot with potential, though there is some work needed in addressing its shortcomings in operations that would hamper on the experience that they intend to bring to their patrons; still hoping that we would get to try the Pistachio Paste and Double Layer Milk Pudding once the dust settles and that these items would hopefully be available for longer hours during its operations.

Got to learn about the new Heritage & Taste that had silently opened at the basement of GR.iD (formerly PoMo / Paradiz Centre) whilst scrolling through social media recently — the basement of the shopping gallery had seen quite a number of establishments move in and out ever since the mall’s revamp; the space that Heritage & Taste is located being one that was previously occupied by TRE CAFÉ not too long ago. Located within the same line of shop units as Mom's Hand Mini Bowl Kitchen, Heritage & Taste occupies a fairly small hole-in-the-wall shop space. It does seem that the folks at Heritage & Taste hadn’t changed the space too much after it has been vacated by TRE CAFÉ; the space still seem to have kept much of its furniture and fittings with only some slight changes that includes the mirror covering up the namesake of its former tenants, as well as some metallic grilles around the counter that gives it a familiar local old-school vibe. Despite the size of the shop space it occupies, one can find a small dine-in area comprising of a communal table that seats around eight (8) pax, while there is a high table on the other end that accommodates for another three (3) pax. The menu at Heritage & Taste surrounds around familiar local cuisine that aims to bring a taste of heritage in the flavours that they try to create — the items that Heritage & Taste offers are serving is limited to the Heritage Fried Hokkien Mee, Heritage Famous Chicken Curry, Char Kway Teow, Fried Carrot Cake (Black), Heritage Kaya / Peanut Butter Toast and the Heritage All Day Breakfast. Beverages available at Heritage & Taste would surround around Nanyang-style Kopi & Teh, Traditional Milo, Gourmet Coffee, as well as canned drinks.

We are probably on a phase on hunting for good fried Hokkien Mee and it was the availability of the Heritage Fried Hokkien Mee (Regular) at Heritage & Taste that drew us over to the establishment. Despite being an establishment that looks pretty much like an indie-run cafe, we liked how Heritage & Taste has served up their fare with purple melamine dining ware that pretty much replicates the way that the dishes are being served up at a hawker centre. Whilst Heritage & Taste does not describe on the elements that come with any of their dishes, it can be observed from our order that the Fried Hokkien Mee (Regular) comes default with thick Bee Hoon, thin Bee Hoon and Yellow Noodles that has been simmered in stock, as well as spring onions, crispy pork lard, sotong, egg and prawns — it also comes with chili on the side as well. The stock here seems to have been reduced to a point where the noodles have absorbed most of the sauce; the variant being one that some would classify as the “drier” variant with the stock being sufficiently thick and carrying an umami note. The ratio of thick Bee Hoon, thin Bee Hoon and Yellow Noodles also seemed to have been pretty balanced to keep things from being overly heavy as well. This version of the fried Hokkien Mee also seemed to work particularly well if the chili was to be mixed into the stock — the chili itself carrying a good savoury note to further enhance the umami stock with a slight zing and a kick of spiciness that should be fairly manageable for those whom are tolerable to moderate levels of spiciness. Other elements of the fried Hokkien Mee were also done well — the huge chunks of pork lard being all crisp, while scraps of egg provided a slightly fluffy texture; the seafood such as the prawn and Sotong were also pretty fresh with the latter done to a texture that did not feel particularly rubbery as well.

One of the dishes that we found to be pretty surprising to be served up at Heritage & Taste would be the Char Kuay Teow — a dish that some have speculated to be a dish facing extinction in the near future in the local F&B scene which very few new hawkerpreneurs had attempted to serve whilst older hawkers retire from their trades. The Char Kuay Teow here comes with Kway Teow and Yellow Noodles that is wok-fried with dark sauce, cockles and Chinese sausages. We liked how the Kway Teow and Yellow Noodles are consistently coated in that sweet dark sauce that it is being wok-fried in; there is a little bit of wok-hei with the noodles though we do reckon that it would have been really hit the right spot should it be wok-fried a little more for a stronger hint of the smokiness. The Kway Teow and Yellow Noodles does come with a savoury yet slightly sweet note; all that whilst being complimented with the slices of Chinese sausage that gives a bit of a bite and a different dimension of the sweetness to the dish. We usually dread the cockles that comes with Char Kuay Teow especially if they do turn out to be too raw and fishy; we liked how the ones at Heritage & Taste were done just fine maintaining the bounce without feeling too slimy and sloppy nor carrying a strong aftertaste. The Heritage Kaya Toast was another one of the items that we had tried during our visit to Heritage & Taste — Heritage & Taste uses white bread that has been toasted for their Heritage Kaya Toast, whilst the toast comes spread with the Hainanese-style Kaya with a brown hue and also comes with a slab of butter in between.

The Heritage Kaya Toast was another offering that didn’t appear to be as strong as their Heritage Fried Hokkien Mee and the Char Kuay Teow; we did feel that the notes of the salted butter in the Heritage Kaya Toast to be a bit overwhelming in some parts, while the slicing of the toast can be a bit more even as well. Going for the Kopi, the Kopi was suitably sweet whilst coming with a roasty body; quite a balanced cuppa that exceeded our initial expectations for an establishment of its type. Heritage & Taste is a pretty unique establishment where few had attempted the route it has taken — we rarely see indie-run establishments located outside of food courts, hawker centres and coffeeshops serving items like fried Hokkien Mee, Char Kuay Teow and Fried Carrot Cake. Not only did Heritage & Taste attempted to head into the unknown, but we were really impressed with the quality of its offerings that exceeded what most average food courts, hawker centre and coffeeshop stalls would serve up — something that is pretty commendable to say the very least. Prices are still considered reasonable though can be described as being slightly higher than one would expect at food courts, hawker centres and coffeeshops — the regular size option of its Heritage Fried Hokkien Mee, Heritage Famous Chicken Curry, Char Kway Teow and Fried Carrot Cake (Black) are all priced at $6.80 ala-carte, with the set that comes with a drink would be priced at $7.80. With such quality in the food that they serve at such price points, Heritage & Taste does seem to be a pretty promising establishment even despite it being still early days for them — we do hope that they will be able to maintain or even further improve on the strong foundations that they have set thus far; definitely a spot that those working / studying in the Selegie / Rochor / Dhoby Ghaut area will appreciate having to their convenience!

Got to learn about Dan Curry Rice 单咖喱饭 that seems to have opened fairly recently at Mei Ling Food Centre; these folks are located fairly close to Ah Pang Steamboat Seafood stall that is situated at one of the corners within the food centre. While Mei Ling Food Centre is a location perhaps more notable to operate during the day, some of the stalls such as Ah Pang Steamboat Seafood do also operate during the evenings — Dan Curry Rice is also one of such establishments as well. Dan Curry Rice should be a stall that isn’t too difficult to locate; the stall is fitted with a bright yellow signboard that features simply the namesake of the stall. Being a stall that focuses on serving up curry rice as its main offerings, Dan Curry Rice serves up four (4) variants of curry rice in its menu — the Chicken Wing Curry Rice, Beef Shabu Curry Rice, Pork Cutlet Curry Rice and Chicken Cutlet Rice; the former two (2) being the variants of the curry rice which does not involve fried items. Patrons also have the option to opt to go for a variety of Add Ons, which also include items like Tau Pok (2 pcs) apart from the various elements that are already featured in the four variants of the curry rice dishes on their menu.

Dan Curry Rice does not describe about the elements that comes with their curry rice sets on its menu; however, one can observe from our order of the Pork Cutlet Curry Rice that the dish does come with white rice, deep-fried pork belly cutlet, braised cabbage, scrambled eggs — all of which bring drenched with a curry sauce above it. Whilst one would likely be quick to call Dan Curry Rice a stall serving up Hainanese curry rice on first sight, Dan Curry Rice does not serve up Hainanese-style curry rice — the namesake of the stall also tactfully avoids the mention of “Hainanese” as well. For one, the Pork Cutlet Curry Rice that we have had lacked the drizzling of braised sauce that one would expect for Hainanese-style curry rice. While some would be concerned about the flavours of the curry rice considering the lack of the braised sauce, the Pork Cutlet Curry Rice from Dan Curry Rice is still flavoursome in its own way; it seems that the curry has been stewed for long enough for the potatoes to be disintegrated into the curry — there is a slight starchiness in the curry that seemingly gives the curry a lot of depth of flavour whilst being earthy, yet not being as jelak as it would be if the curry rice were to be doused in both braised sauce and curry gravy like how Hainanese-style curry rice would be. The curry also carried a rather bright and tangy note; all that whilst carrying a slight hint of lemongrass which we found to be rather uplifting — the level of spiciness being pretty manageable for those tolerable to moderate levels of spiciness to accept.

The fried pork cutlet seems to feature pork belly here; what we really liked was that thin, crispy crust that was biscuit-y crisp — all that whilst coming with juicy meat that is a good balance of fatty and lean parts without any undesirable porky stench and provides a meaty bite without much of an effort required to chew. It is also not particularly greasy as well. Another unique point about the standard curry rice sets at Dan Curry Rice is how they are served with scrambled egg rather than sunny side-up or omelettes; this would be similar to the scrambled eggs with tomatoes that sown mainland Chinese eateries would serve up sans the tomatoes — quite an interesting twist to the norm. The braised cabbage carries that soft crunch being not too wet, yet carried an underlying sweetness that cleansed the palate from the savoury flavours. Considering how these folks have priced their variations of their Curry Rice Sets from $4.50 to $6.50, Dan Curry Rice does seem to be one of those establishments that have shown its sincerity in providing its patrons a unique experience with their fare — one can feel the effort that went behind the scenes in the design of their offerings to achieve their desired results, and it does show in the quality of the food that they serve to its patrons. Definitely a spot that we will be thinking of if dining around the Queenstown area.

Had been noticing these folks setting up shop in the area for a while — located at 23 Baghdad Street is the new Lemak Pandan; these folks should be a relatively easy find considering how they are situated right beside Smashed; yes, the same exact Smashed by The Halal Corner that serves up smashed burgers that was once featured by ishowspeed during his visit to Singapore not too long ago. One thing that is noticeable from outside is how Lemak Pandan does look very similar to Smashed with an almost identical layout of the shop space and the use of rather complimentary colour tones in its shop facade — whilst Smashed adopts a yellow colour scheme for its shop facade, Lemak Pandan uses an orange colour scheme for its colour theme. With that being said, the folks at Lemak Pandan had told us that there two stalls do not share any relations and are simply neighbours. Despite the bright colours used to bring out a seemingly hipster vibe, Lemak Pandan is decked rather simply inside; the interior features a long counter table that is paired with plastic stools that cater for individual diners, while dining tables good for two (2) pax using the same plastic stools and foldable tables can be found within the space as well. One can possibly tell the specialty of Lemak Pandan just by the namesake of the establishment; the menu at Lemak Pandan features Nasi Lemak as its core offerings, while there is a number is side dishes available where one can add on to their choice of Nasi Lemak sets as well. For beverages, Lemak Pandan serves up soft drinks from the dispenser, whilst they also do offer Fruits Cup for those looking for a dessert to end the meal with.

Wanting to go for something on the smaller side, the Nasi Lemak Wing was the one item on the menu that appealed to us — the other Nasi Lemak offerings that Lemak Pandan has to offer would be its Nasi Lemak Fish, Nasi Lemak Leg Meat, and Nasi Lemak Cutlet. Lemak Pandan describes its Nasi Lemak Wing to come with elements such as chicken wing, egg, anchovies (seemingly replaced by long beans and salted fish for our order) and peanuts. Patrons will be given a receipt with an Order Number being stated after making their order at the counter — the LED display will indicate the order number to be collected from the pick-up point once the order has been processed and ready for collection. One thing that had caught our attention very early on with the Nasi Lemak Wing that we have had ordered was the Pandan-infused basmati rice; it seems that the folks at Lemak Pandan had opted to go with serving their Nasi Lemak with its rice bearing a green hue. With that being said, it is interesting to observe that the rice here does come with a duller shade of green as compared to the neon green hue that most Pandan-infused rice tend to come in — these folks had mentioned that this is due to the use of actual Pandan juice in the making of the rice. The results do show in the flavours of the rice; wafting of a Pandan and coconut-y aroma, while the choice of using Basmati rice meant that the rice remains fluffy and light — very easy to eat despite all the flavours that it carries. The other star of the Nasi Lemak here is undeniably the Chicken Wing — one thing that we found to be especially prominent with the chicken wing here would be its marination with turmeric as well as the flavours of the spices such as the lemongrass; we also loved how the chicken wing didn’t feel particularly greasy, yet coming all tender and juicy whilst also being served piping hot as well being fried only upon order.

Meanwhile, the long beans does seem to have come with salted fish as well as caramalised onions; the long beans delivering a soft crunch while the other elements provided a slight saltish-ness and sweetness that gave the element a bit of a flavoural contrast. The sambal chili that came with the Nasi Lemak Wing was one that we found pretty familiar; the sweet sambal went well with the Pandan-infused rice — all that whilst not being spicy and should be pretty manageable even for those whom are less tolerable to spiciness in general. With their Nasi Lemak Wing priced only at $4.80, it is needless to say that the Nasi Lemak offerings from Lemak Pandan is absolutely value-for-money; this is especially considering the level of detail placed in the Nasi Lemak that they have to offer — very few places would go to the extent of serving up their Pandan-infused basmati rice with actual pandan juice, while their chicken wing was also especially stellar. Considering how they have priced themselves in a manner that is even competitive against Nasi Lemak stalls situated within hawker centres / coffeeshops / food courts, the Nasi Lemak Wing is perhaps the best Nasi Lemak out there for the quality it brings at its price point — something which we will most certainly go for if craving for Nasi Lemak whilst in the Kampong Glam neighbourhood and on a tight budget!

Bao Bao 宝包 is one of those establishments that do not need much of an introduction for those whom have been following up on the latest news with regard to the various F&B establishments that had opened up in Singapore in recent times. Located at basement 4 of ION Orchard, Bao Bao is an establishment that had garnered long queues subsequent to the media coverage during their official opening. These folks might be new entrance to the local F&B scene; that being said, they are also a brand that is from the Surrey Hills Grocer Group that not only runs the Surrey Hills Grocer brands which has since grown to a brand operating out of five (5) locations around Singapore, but also the Mensho Tokyo, MoVida Original and Bon Broth brands at Raffles City Shopping Centre. Bao Bao differs from the other set-ups by the Surrey Hills Grocer Group where it is operated as a grab-and-go takeaway kiosk, and is also focused on local Chinese-style cuisine; a deviation from the group’s line-up of brands thus far. Bao Bao’s location within ION Orchard is relatively easy to find; one of its neighbours being the only Hang Heung 恆香outlet in Singapore at the point of writing — both of which being located close by to the Hawkers' Street food court there. Despite being a takeaway stall, Bao Bao is decked in a style reminiscent to an old-school shop; the various offerings that it has on the menu being displayed prominently in the display warmer right at the shopfront. The menu of Bao Bao is segmented into a “Traditional Range” and a “Signature Range” for its Bao offerings, with the items being listed under the Sides section of the menu comprising of the Siew Mai, Glutinous Chicken Rice and Fan Choy.

Quite a number of the items that were being listed in their “Signature Range” section of the menu were unavailable during our visit made to Bao Bao on a weekday afternoon — we did find ourselves ending up trying quite a number of the Baos listed in the “Traditional Range” instead. One of the Baos that we usually would not miss when giving a new dim sum establishment a go would be the Roasted Char Siew Bao or the equivalent of such an item at other establishments. Surprisingly, it is also the Roasted Char Siew Bao that turned out to be our favourite of the lot of the Baos that are being offered at Bao Bao. One thing worth nothing about the Roasted Char Siew Bao at Bao Bao is how old-school the fillings taste. Sinking our teeth into the soft and fluffy bun, the Baos at Bao Bao does come without feeling particularly clumpy or dense — that being said, they are still better to be enjoyed as soon as possible out of the box before the condensation sets in. The buns sold at Bao Bao are sold in smaller sizes — something similar to that of what Teochew Handmade Pau at Toa Payoh West Market & Food Centre serves up. The filing of the Roasted Char Siew Bao features a good balance in the texture of the meat that wasn’t too fatty nor too lean; all that smothered in the red honey bbq glaze — the glaze lends a sweet note to the savoury Char Siew whilst the Char Siew still comes with a bit of its meatiness though without any undesirable hints of porky-ness.

Coming in second for us would be the Orh Nee Bao that is listed as an item under the “Signature Range” section of the menu at Bao Bao. The Orh Nee Bao is sized slightly bigger than the Roasted Char Siew Bao that we have also written about above — the Orh Nee Bao can also be distinguished from the other Baos that Bao Bao has to offer with the dusting of purple powder above the surface of the bun; whilst creating an aesthetic that sets it apart from the usual Yam-infused Baos available elsewhere, we aren’t too big a fan of how it looked nonetheless. Interestingly, the approach to the Orh Nee Bao is slightly different from other Yam Pau that we have had thus far — the addition of Gingko Nuts and the inclusion of shallot oil in the fillings of the Bao were the main difference that Bao Bao has to offer. The fillings do come with a darker hue of purple; one can also observe a dark green lining on the bun just where it meets the fillings within. By far, the Orh Nee here is by far the richest, yet smoothest that we have come along in Baos thus far; it actually bears the right density that allowed it to carry an adequate depth of flavours — the inclusion of scallion oil giving a savoury and umami note to the inherent earthiness of the yam whilst not being overly sweet. The inclusion of Gingko Nuts gave a soft bite that provides a contrasting texture to the other elements of the bun as well.

We also managed to give the Rabbit Bao a try. These are essential Baos stylised into a shape of a rabbit that comes with lotus fillings within. One thing to note about the lotus fillings is how they are a little more dense as compared to the other fillings of the Baos that we have had. The notes of the lotus definitely comes with more depth than what one would typically expect out of the commercially-made lotus buns which also tend to be on the sweeter side. When it came to the Coffee Bao, the Coffee Bao came with an all-familiar aesthetic of dark brown. Considering the infusion of coffee in the bun of the Bao itself, the bun of the Bao is slightly drier than the other Baos that we have had — that being said, we did feel a stronger note of coffee within the coffee-infused red bean paste; this is quite unlike others that we have had before where the flavours of coffee within the filling tends to fade off and gets overwhelmed by a note of red bean paste as one goes further into the bun. We also noted that the Coffee Bao wasn’t overly sweet at the same time either.

Bao Bao’s efforts in preserving the local Bao-making heritage is one that we found to be pretty commendable especially considering how the group does not have any prior experience in serving up local cuisine — it does seem that the folks are making quite a risk with the move, though they do seem to also know what they are doing at the same time. Their Baos can be described as one that is done with a more artisanal touch, though we do feel that we preferred a few of the items a lot more than the rest; the Coffee Bao and Rabbit Bao did feel like they pale a little bit in comparison with the Roasted Char Siew Bao that was pretty stellar, and the Orh Nee Bao that comes with its very own twist unlike what we typically see around elsewhere. We still do think that there are some things that Bao Bao can further refine especially coming to the Coffee Bao and Rabbit Bao, though one thing they can definitely work on would be on the service at the counter where the staff just felt rather annoyed in general — not that we are expecting top-notch service at a takeaway kiosk, but the level of hospitality is still atypical from what one would usually expect at establishments operated by the Surrey Hills Grocer Group. Prices of their Bao offerings range between $1.20 to $2.90 a piece, which works as a rather affordable tea-time grab-and-go / light breakfast to go for should there not be a queue for the Baos.

No Ordinary Chicken might be a brand that is seemingly unheard of by most, but perhaps those working around the PSA Complex at Keppel Road might find it especially familiar — having established their presence in the local F&B scene with their location within Tanjong Pagar PSA Complex, we did manage to find out that No Ordinary Chicken had recently opened within Beo Crescent Food Centre; it remains unclear if this is a move out of their previous stall at Tanjong Pagar PSA Complex, though it is worth noting that both locations still exist on Google Maps at the very least (the latest reviews for its Tanjong Pagar PSA Complex location is however a few months back during the writing of this post). No Ordinary Chicken has taken over the former premises of the now-defunct MASALA CANTEEN by PasirPanjangBoy within Beo Crescent Market & Food Centre — the set up of No Ordinary Chicken is fairly simple though there are attempts to draw the attention of patrons with the use of coloured LED lighting surrounding its menu board. Whilst not quite obvious from its namesake, No Ordinary Chicken is an establishment that serves up Indonesian-style grilled chicken and curry chicken dishes; the menu is split into categories such as Grilled Chicken Set and Braised Chicken Set, while there are also the availability of some ala-carte sides as well — for those familiar with their menu at Tanjong Pagar PSA Complex, the offerings of the various curry chicken items in the Braised Chicken Set section of the menu at their location at Beo Crescent Market & Food Centre replaces the Fried Chicken Set line-up that is offered at the Tanjong Pagar PSA Complex location.

It is worth noting that the items that come with the Grilled Chicken Set at their Beo Crescent Market & Food Centre also differs from their Tanjong Pagar PSA Complex outlet — whilst each set at their location at Tanjong Pagar PSA Complex comes with rice, soup and sambal, the various Grilled Chicken Set items at Beo Crescent Market & Food Centre comes with rice, salad and sambal instead; patrons can also opt for the Briyanj Rice over white rice at an additional charge of $0.50 if they fancy so as well. Amongst the various sambals that they have to offer with the Grilled Chicken Set, it was the Shallot that stood out for us — it is worth noting that almost every element of the dish is actually made from scratch when we made our visit to the stall in the late evening on a weekday; there would be some waiting time involved with the preparation of each order, though considering how there wasn’t much patrons opting to dine from the stall, the waiting time was minimal and reasonable for those wanting their food to be freshly-prepared upon order.

What drew us to ordering the Shallot rendition of the Shallot Grilled Chicken Set was how it was seemingly done in the style of Sambal Matah that typically comes with Balinese grilled meats. The fragrance of the grilled chicken could already be detected the moment the dish was being prepared in the kitchen; we really like how lightly savoury the grilled chicken is with its slightly crisp exterior — there is also a very light hint of smokiness that one could detect that is similar to Balinese-style grilled chicken, while the flesh remains especially juicy and incredibly tender and the same time. Thought that the Shallot sambal wasn’t particularly spicy as what one would experience with the Sambal Matah served at Bali — guess these folks might have tuned the level of spiciness down to better suit local tastebuds here. The Shallot sambal adds a bit of a zing whilst also comes with the aroma of the other elements such as lemongrass and lime leaves further adds on for a refreshing note.

The various elements in the Shallot sambal also provided a crunch that adds on to the textures of the dish. Meanwhile, the salad that came on the side comes with diced cucumber, carrots, tomatoes and onions which are served chilled; these seem to have been seasoned with a bit of sugar that gives it a bit of a sweetness — all that without being a slightly spicy zing that tickles the tastebuds from the raw onions. Despite its unassuming looks in the way that it is plated, the Shallot Grilled Chicken Set is an item that felt big on flavours — we were most certainly impressed with how the grilled chicken was executed; absolutely tasty and quite different from how one would expect from a typical grilled chicken dish that one can find in the hawker centre. All of the elements are also designed with quite a fair bit of thought; as evidently so with the accompanying salad that was especially simple, yet creative and pairing with the grilled chicken so well. At $5.80 for its Grilled Chicken Sets, No Ordinary Chicken has also priced its offerings pretty affordably to be considered as an everyday meal option for most — definitely intrigued enough to give their other grilled chicken sets like the Curry, Dry Chilli and Green Chili a go when we return!

The success of Legacy Pork Noodles at its Potong Pasir location has not only brought upon more outlets of Legacy Pork Noodles around the island, but also in general more dining establishments that dedicates itself to serving up Malaysia-style pork noodles around the entire island as well — think stalls like New Ocean 新海 KL Pork Noodle and Fish Head Noodle that is located at the Blk 93 Lorong 4 Toa Payoh Market & Food Centre for example. There seems to be yet another establishment that specialises in serving up Malaysian-style pork noodles that has recently opened around the island in recent times — named Malaysia Pork Noodles, the stall can be found sharing a stall unit with the wanton noodle stall within the coffeeshop named Meng Soon Huat Eating House at the foot of Blk 359 Bukit Batok Street 31; a short walking distance away from Bukit Gombak MRT Station. The stall is one that shouldn’t be difficult to find considering the image of a pig that appears on its signboard; the menu of Malaysia Pork Noodles is also kept rather simple being comprising of only Pork Noodles that are available in soup or dry format.

We like how the folks behind the stall does allow for patrons to opt for the Pork Noodle to come without pig liver or innards; something which they do ask the patrons when they are making their order at the counter. Malaysia Pork Noodles does allow their patrons to choose from a variety of noodles for the noodles that is to be served with their order of the Pork Noodle. We went for the Dry version of the Pork Noodle; the choice of noodle that we went for was the Mee Tai Mak, though other types of noodles available would be the Yellow Noodle, Kway Teow and Bee Hoon. With us opting out of the innards, our bowl of Pork Noodle (Dry) came with a bowl of soup that comes with pig liver, pork balls, pork slices and clusters of minced pork — the accompanying bowl of noodles that came on the side having been tossed with dark sauce, chili and comes with lettuce and crispy fried pork lard. One look at the soup and one could tell how the soup here comes with all of the minced pork disintegrating into the soup — the soup comes with a cloudy appearance and is immensely flavourful being all savoury on a warm and comforting manner. The pork slices and minced pork were all immensely tender and easy to chew — pretty fresh and did not come across as being rubbery; not carrying any hint of undesirable porky stench. The pork balls provided a firm, meaty bite, while the pig liver were not too grainy with its flavours being not too intimidating for those whom do not necessarily like pig liver in general.

The Mee Tai Mak comes all slippery, smooth and savoury — coated in dark sauce whilst also carrying a hint of spiciness that should be manageable for those whom are tolerable to moderate levels of spiciness; all that while crispy fried pork lard adds an element of crunch and a fragrance to the noodles when chewed upon. At $5 for the Regular portion size and $6 for the Large portion size, the Pork Noodle at Malaysia Pork Noodles are definitely considered wallet-friendly enough to be considered as an everyday meal option — one that we felt they also provided us with quite an authentic taste of Malaysian-style pork noodles based on the various renditions of the same that we had tried around the island thus far. One that we would consider dining at especially if we were to be craving for some good Malaysian-style pork noodles when around this part of town.

Three Little Coconut isn’t an entirely new name in the local F&B scene here — with already three (3) locations that are in operations all across the island, one can only wonder where they are going to sprout up next; these folks are actually a brand that is by the same folks behind Mr. Coconut, and the Three Little Coconut brand first started out with its outlet in One Punggol Hub before it had further expanded to one in Downtown East in Pasir Ris, and one in Plantation Plaza at Tengah. The outlet at Plantation Plaza is actually located right beside Brunch & Co. at level 2; a brand that is by the folks of The JellyHearts, and is one that is decently-sized to include a dine-in space for its patrons. The Three Little Coconut location at Plantation Plaza is decked in a style that is reminiscent to old-school coffeehouses with mosaic tiles used for its floors and counters, whilst featuring wooden dining furniture that blends in well within the environment for a coherent look throughout the entire space. There are some differences between the menu served between the Three Little Coconut outlet at One Punggol Hub and the one that is situated at Plantation Plaza — the Plantation Plaza outlet is notably missing on the Cheesecake section of the menu, though the menu still otherwise features desserts spread across the Coconut-Flavoured Snowy Ice, Signature Coconut Tang Shui, Chendol & Sago series, Traditional Coconut Dessert, Classic Coconut Dessert, Croissant, Coconut Macarons and Croffles. For those looking for the coconut shakes that Mr. Coconut is famed for, one can also find the same range of beverages at Three Little Coconut as well.

Got to learn that they have an entire section of the menu dedicated to filled croissants and that pretty much caught our attention enough to head down to a Three Little Coconut location to give them a try. Three Little Coconut serves up four (4) variations of their croissant; the Plain, Pandan Coconut, Coconut Cream Cheese and the Orh Nee. Being fans of the Yam Paste as we are, we found ourselves going for the Orh Nee Croissant. We aren’t expecting a lot for the Orh Nee Croissant considering how Three Little Coconut / Mr. Coconut isn’t an establishment that is known for its bakes and truth to be told, the croissant as is wasn’t something that is particularly impressive – that being said, it does carry some form of a buttery not; all that with a light and flaky exterior though does appear to be on the flatter side as compared to the more artisanal versions served at other establishments would typically be. That being said, we did find that the croissant is actually fairly well filled with Taro filling despite not being seen to be so when we first sliced it into half — it actually does ooze more Orh Nee with every single bite taken into it. We found the Orh Nee filled within the croissant to be one that surpassed what we had initially expected — smooth with a bit of graininess considering the density of the paste; all that whilst carrying an earthiness that has an underlying savouriness, yet with a fragrance of coconut milk without being particularly sweet.

Meanwhile, we had also tried the Coconut MSW Chendol during the same visit to Three Little Coconut at Plantation Plaza — this item is described in the menu to come with elements such as coconut-flavoured snowy ice, Mao Shan Wang meat, Nyonya Chendol, Red Bean, Gula Melaka and Coconut Cream. The coconut-flavoured snowy ice seems to be the same as what they would serve with their Coconut-Flavoured Snowy Ice series of items; the texture being similar to that of the milk ice that is found in Korean Bingsu. The mix of Gula Melaka and Coconut Cream comes with an earthy sweetness and coconut-y fragrance that further complemented the coconut-flavoured snowy ice to bring it closer to what one would expect out of a typical bowl of Chendol; the Red Bean providing yet another dimension of earthiness and sweetness and came with a paste-like texture being a little soft and lumpy — going well together with the other elements within the bowl. The scoop of Mao Shan Wang flesh comes with a pungent note of durian that one would expect — sweet, buttery and with bitter undertones; all that whilst being fibrous and should do well for those whom love durian in general. The only qualm with the Coconut MSW Chendol was the Pandan jelly; the Pandan jelly served with the Chendol offerings at Three Little Coconut is of the more commercially-made sort with a neon green appearance — lacked of a Pandan fragrance that would have added on nicely to the Coconut MSW Chendol otherwise.

Mr. Coconut is an establishment that has formed a solid foundation in its fairly short run in the local F&B scene thus far; their coconut shakes are famed for being particularly refreshing in our tropical climate, and is well-loved amongst locals looking for a thirst quencher whilst going about. Three Little Coconut further expands on what Mr. Coconut has to offer, and is an establishment that manages to successfully integrate its specialty in coconut into its menu to remain cohesive to their branding. No doubt that there are some elements that we feel could be better executed to provide for a more well-rounded experience with their food items, though considering the type of brand that Mr. Coconut is, their attempts are still fair enough and do satiate if one manages their expectations well where some of the details are of concern. Considering the lack of variety of dessert options at Tengah at this current juncture, Three Little Coconut is a spot that Tengah residents would appreciate having around in their neighbourhood!

Got to learn about the new Myeongdong Korean Cuisine that had opened fairly recently within the basement of Bukit Timah Plaza — the Beauty World neighbourhood is an area where there are quite a number of Korean dining establishments that have found home at within the island. Myeongdong Korean Cuisine is situated right beside Sherwood Snack Bar, having taken over the former premises of the now-defunct Prologue By C’rius Bake. Despite occupying a rather modestly-sized shop space, Myeongdong Korean Cuisine is still able to provide its patrons with a dine-in area within its premises; it seems that there is a fair bit of work being done within the interior where the space is decked in a slightly more colourful manner than before — while mostly a vibrant pink aesthetic for its space to match against the wooden accents for its furniture and fittings, one can also find traces of yellow, blue, orange and purple that provides a good contrast for the wallpaper that they have chosen. The dining furniture seems to be carried over from its former tenants however. Being a casual Korean establishment, Myeongdong Korean Cuisine serves up both Korean street food as well as freshly-cooked dishes — somewhat following the trend of Korean establishments such as Mom's Banchan & Food located in the nearby Bukit Timah Shopping Centre and Koryo Jeong at the ground floor of International Plaza. Some of its pre-cooked food packed in plastic containers, as well as Kimbap, Tteokbokki and Cup Fish Cake can be found displayed prominently beside the entrance of the establishment for grab-and-go, while the Banchan and Kimchi that they have to offer are kept in a display chiller right across on the other side of the entrance as well. Otherwise, the menu at Myeongdong Korean Cuisine is split across categories such as Tteokbokki & Fish Cake, Noodles, Kimbap, Bulgogi, Pancake and Stew.

Speak about Korean street food and one thing that cannot be missed would probably be the Cup Tteokbokki.
Myeongdong Korean Cuisine keeps its stock of the Tteokbokki within a metallic container on a table at the front of the establishment around the entrance — the same area as where one can find its pre-packed cooked food offerings in plastic containers, and is pretty much the same as what one would find at street food stalls in Korea. Myeongdong Korean Cuisine does not describe on the elements that one can find in their dishes on the menu; that being said, it can be observed from our order of the Cup Tteokbokki that the dish comes with elements such as fish cakes and rice cakes and a boiled egg — all that with Gochujang (i.e. Korean chili paste). There really isn’t anything that is out of the ordinary with the Cup Tteokbokki that Myeongdong Korean Cuisine serves, but it definitely does still hit the spot for those whom are itching to resolve their cravings for Tteokbokki in general. The Gochujang here does come a little bit more on the sweeter side than actually being spicy — probably one that even those whom are tolerable to lower levels of spiciness would be able to manage. The rice cakes are done with a chewy consistency, while the fish cake comes thin with a bit of a bounciness for a variation of textures — the elements all being pretty sufficient to hit the spot for us to satisfy our cravings for Tteokbokki which we had been having for a while.

During the same visit to Myeongdong Korean Cuisine, we had also decided to give one of their Kimbap a try — something which we usually would go for if we do notice it being served up at Korean dining establishments that we are visiting. Offering quite a variation of meats / seafood for their Kimbap, we found ourselves going for the Tuna Kimbap. One can observe from the Tuna Kimbap that it comes with fish cake, pickles, crab stick, omelette, carrots, tuna in mayonnaise, and beetroot(?) — all wrapped within rice and dried seaweed. The Kimbap comes with a firm bite; some elements like the carrots, beetroot and pickles did provide a crunch, while the tuna in mayonnaise does come with sufficient flavour without being particularly fishy — a good balance of flavours with the rest of the other elements within the Kimbap, while the pickles a tang that cuts through all of that giving a refreshing note to reset the tastebuds. The Black Bean Noodles at Myeongdong Korean Cuisine would essentially be the Jajangmyeon offering here — the version served up at Myeongdong Korean Cuisine would feature noodles, black bean sauce, minced meat, pickles, cucumber and half of a hard boiled egg within the bowl itself. Giving everything a slight toss before digging in, one thing that we noted about the Black Bean Noodles here would be how the noodles seemed to have been done with a softer texture while the black bean sauce itself came being a bit more savoury and less sweet when compared to most other renditions of the Korean Jajangmyeon that we have had elsewhere. Overall, Myeongdong Korean Cuisine does seem to be that sort of establishment that is more about serving up a rendition of Korean fare that feels fuss-free — sure; its offerings are not particularly gastronomical and do not attempt to change the wheel, but they do seem to still turn out well enough to satisfy the cravings at a decent price point with most of its individually-sized offerings being below $15. Its offerings do also make Myeongdong Korean Cuisine a spot quite suitable for individual diners as well; a niche since most Korean dining establishments are positioned for communal dining experiences. Overall, a decent spot that we wouldn’t mind dining at in Bukit Timah Plaza again.

If anything, Kovan seems to be putting itself back on the map when it comes to being the hotspot in the local F&B scene of the late; there has been quite an number of dining establishments that had sprouted out in the vicinity of Kovan MRT Station in recent times including that of Today Restaurant 日日茶室 at Upper Serangoon Road. Located right across the road taking over the former premises of the now-defunct The Bread Shop / Jie Traditional Bread Bakery at 953 Upper Serangoon Road is the new Yut Yun Tong Sui 月圆堂. The whole shophouse has been reworked with Yut Yun Tong Sui taking over its premises — the works done had been pretty extensive from its facade all the way into its interior; the facade features geometrical elements that gives the shop space a unique look, while the interior exudes a look that is close to that of a modern Hong Kong-style tea room with the use of tiled walls, booth seats with rattan-esque and wooden accents and cushions in the shade of royal green. The dining environment is well-lit, and pretty welcoming despite the slightly raw looks when it comes to the half-height stone walls and concrete floors. Being an establishment that serves primarily serves up Chinese-style Tang Shui, the menu at Yut Yun Tong Sui is split across categories such as the Paste Series, Traditional Series, Collagen Series, Coconut Series, Milk Pudding Series, Icy Desserts and Snacks. It is worth noting that there are no beverages being listed in the menu at Yut Yun Tong Sui.

The Durian from the Milk Pudding Series was also one of the items that had caught our attention when we were skimming through the menu to see what Yut Yun Tong Sui has to offer. Unfortunately, we found the Milk Pudding itself to be a little lacking to say the least — the Milk Pudding seemed to have come in a jelly-like texture rather than in a form that is runnier which some would describe to the more alike soya beancurd. This also meant that the milk pudding didn’t really carry that exact milky and creamy flavours that we had expected per the usual milk pudding offerings that other establishments tend to serve up. Nonetheless, the scoop of durian flesh is pretty much on point; this came with loads of fibrous durian flesh and would definitely satisfies those whom are looking for that pungent, sweet and buttery note of durian though it doesn’t really blend into the milk pudding considering the consistency of the milk pudding itself.

We had the “Mixture of either 2 above”in the Paste section of the menu, which we opted for the Black Sesame Paste and the Creamy Custard Paste to be served half-on-half in a single bowl. Digging into the Creamy Custard Paste, one can find that the texture of the Creamy Custard Paste to be pretty smooth and a little runny with a bit of density without being overly starchy at the same time — this keeps the paste from being too heavy to have. Interestingly, the flavours of the Creamy Custard Paste is considered to be pretty milky without the usual sweetness and eggy notes that one would typically associate with custard; quite decent for those looking for something that isn’t overly sweet whilst still of the milky sort — something which we found to be more like the usual double skimmed milk pudding that one would expect as compared to the Milk Pudding Series that they have to offer. The Black Sesame Paste is the meanwhile is smooth yet reasonably dense and comes with a roasty and nutty note; the texture being what some might prefer. When combined to be enjoyed with the Creamy Custard Paste, it adds a milky fragrance that provides a slightly richer note to the Black Sesame Paste without being particularly sweet.

The Watermelon Aiyu with Sago is one of those items that is being listed in the “Coconut Series” section of the menu — this dessert is observed to have come with cubes of watermelon, sago, Aiyu Jelly and a splash of coconut milk. This is one of the more refreshing desserts here that we have had during our visit to Yut Yun Tong Sui; the watermelon cubes are sliced in chunks that allow one to actually have a bit of sago and Aiyu Jelly to go along with it — this allows one to get that refreshing sweetness of watermelon that gives a light, fibrous bite to go along with the slippery smooth Aiyu Jelly, as well as the slightly chewy sago that all in one spoonful. The addition of coconut milk further thickens the juices of the watermelon, providing a depth of flavours of all else that comes within the bowl.

We had also given the Handmade HK Egg Tart a go during our visit to Yut Yun Tong Sui — it is noted that the Handmade HK Egg Tart is sold as a single piece here. Coming with a cookie crust, we did note that the tart base of the Handmade HK Egg Tart at Yut Yun Tong Sui does hold up the egg curd above it pretty well and crumbles rather neatly as one takes a bite into it. The egg curd within baked egg tart does come soft and jiggly — pretty on-point when it came to the texture, though it also felt that it quite lacked the eggy fragrance and that bit of sweetness that would help bring out the flavours better perhaps in an attempt to manage the overall level of sweetness that the Handmade HK Egg Tart would carry.

Meanwhile, the Durian Mochi is an item which seems to be misnamed in its menu; the Durian Mochi turned up at our table being a durian crepe, whilst we do note that there is no durian crepes listed on the menu at Yut Yun Tong Sui anyway. The insides of the durian crepe also does not feature any mochi elements though it does come with the usual suspects of a dessert crepe served up by establishments serving up Chinese-style Tang Shui — fresh cream and fibrous durian flesh. A classic combination that never goes wrong, the crepe is stuffed with quite a good load of fresh cream and durian flesh within, with the durian flesh carrying a pungent note and a fibrous texture much like the scoop of durian flesh served with the Durian Milk Pudding that would be bound to satisfy the fans of the King of Fruits. Having tried a good number of what Yut Yun Tong Sui has to serve up, it does seem that there are quite a few hits and misses with the dessert items that they have to offer — some just seemingly falling short of what one would reasonably expect like the Milk Pudding, while some like the Durian Mochi comes misnamed and therefore misaligning with what its patrons would expect. That being said, elements like the durian flesh, as well as the Paste and Coconut Series offerings were pretty satisfactory. With prices of most of its desserts from $3.80 to $8.80 (the Icy Dessert series ranging from $12.80 to $16.80), Yut Yun Tong Sui is one spot that would likely see a healthy crowd seeking a sweet treat to end their meal off in the area that has an abundance of late night establishments to dine at!