Tam Chiak Kopitiam

@nasilemakayamtaliwang has hopped over onto Singapore’s shores to hawk their Michelin recommended nasi lemak, but it wasn’t until they set up shop outside the open air mental asylum known as Yishun that I finally got to try their food. I got the Nasi Lemak Ayam Sambal Kecap ($7.50, additional $1.50 for begedil) because it was spice rated at two chilies instead of three chilies, but I soon found out how woefully under equipped I was to take this plate on.⠀
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The Sambal Kecap on the grilled ayam (chicken) leg was murderously violent, and I found myself having to throw in the towel & scrape it off the chicken after a few bites. I really should’ve turned up with a bottle of milk, but hindsight is twenty twenty. Although the sambal kecap was shockingly spicy, it was still pretty flavourful. The chicken leg was supremely smoky, but a little dry in some parts. It wasn’t too bad when dipped into the more mellow regular sambal served on the side, and the less spicy sambal had a nice subtle sweetness to it.⠀
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The coconut rice was aromatic and noticeably fragrant, and the grains were well cooked and appealingly fluffy. The fried ikan bilis & nuts were incredibly crisp and delicious, but what really got my attention was that perfect fried egg. Look at that subtle white colouring. The tasteful crisp edges. Oh my God, it even has a runny yolk…yeah that settles it, Nasi Lemak Ayam Taliwang fully deserves the Michelin recommendation and the Netflix hype.

Speaking of second chances, @flakyhaus also managed to pull off a redemption arc with their appealing Apple Turnover ($3.50 nett). It was everything the croissant failed to be: airy, flaky and downright enjoyable. The apple filling within earned the ultimate Asian accolade of ‘not too sweet’, with the sweetness accentuated by the cinnamon mixed into the sweet & tart apple mix. Down it with a remarkably excellent coffee from the Yeo Yeo Huat coffee stall, and you have yourself a delightful dessert.

I’m all about second chances when it comes to F&B vendors, and I’m glad to announce that Ru Ji Fishball Noodles at @tamchiakkopitiam has bounced back from their lacklustre first impression to leave me satisfied. I’d like to think that they shaped up after reading my last review, but they probably just served me fishballs from the day before on my initial visit.⠀
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This time I got the Combo Set ($6.50 nett), which is just bak chor mee (minced meat noodles) with Ru Ji’s famous balls. The fishballs are finally as superb as I remember them to be, with a decent bounciness to each ball without being rubbery like the last time. I’ve never had the meatballs before, but they were decent & inoffensive tasting, and had a nice loose texture that proved their handmade status. The minced meat & mushrooms were seasoned well with the spicy & savoury sauce, and at six bucks a bowl, this was decent eating.

Front: fish & chick set @ $8.90
Back: full house set @ $10.90

It was not bad, quite average and nothing that shouts out in particular. So the price point feels a bit steep for the quality.

Between the two sets we got, the only difference is the full house has an extra prawn. So a prawn for $2? Quite a big difference in our opinion.

There are five types of curry to choose from: Singapore Hainan, Japanese, Thai yellow curry, Malaysia Spicy Tumeric and Indonesia rendang. We wanted Singapore and Japanese, but they didnt have Japanese anymore. And it was only 12.45pm, or maybe they didn't prepare that at all?

It's a fancy coffee shop, a bit too fancy for our liking. Feels strange that the drinks stall is tucked away in a corner unlike traditional coffee shops. And no caifan stall, which is like a staple in most coffee shops cuz they are meant to be economical right? Also don't understand why need so much lights when it's daytime. A bit waste electricity eh?

scrambled egg is moist and flavourful.
luncheon meat is normal. smaller cubes may be better.
rice is just plain rice. maybe fried rice would alleviate the dish

kpt has a hipster vibe and extravagant lighting that may hinder the eating experience
most stalls are manned by young folks.

As for @flakyhaus butter croissant, it was a bit of a letdown. While the croissant was well layered, the flakiness was completely absent. It was kinda dense and stodgy, and for almost three bucks a croissant, I expected it to live up to the marketing hype. Oh well, maybe next time.