TASTE by Chef Pung

Throwback. I suspect they've closed. Pity. It's so good and better than many wanton mees or chef ventures. And where do you get wantons, fatty char siew and curry chicken together?

Taking over the former premises of the now-defunct Sweetelicious at Bukit Timah Shopping Centre is TASTE by Chef Pung; if that name rings a bell, that is because the establishment is opened by the very same Celebrity Chef Pung Lu Tin who makes frequent appearances on television — other concepts by Chef Pung includes Tasty Loong by Chef Pung, Pung Pung Kitchen and Tasty Court by Chef Pung, which are establishments that feature Chinese cuisine as well tze-char fare (in the case of Pung Pung Kitchen). TASTE by Chef Pung is more of a casual, self-service eatery — there are only three items to choose from here in terms of mains; the Wanton Noodles, Braised Phoenix Claw Noodles, and the Salt Baked Spring Chicken (Half). Set menus featuring the Wanton Noodles and the Salt Baked Spring Chicken (Half) are also available here; named Set A and Set B respectively, patrons have the flexibility to opt for either dry or soup wantons for both sets, and the set does include a maximum of two drinks at an additional top-up of $1.50/drink.

Opting for the Wanton Noodles (Dry) since the half portion of the salt baked spring chicken sounded a little bit huge for us, we felt that the Wanton Noodles (Dry) was pretty decent especially for its price at $5.80 for the ala-carte portion — each serving comes with noodles, blanched vegetables, Char Siew and a bowl of soup that also includes three boiled wantons. On first look, one will be able to notice how the noodles look a little different here as opposed to that of usual noodles that other establishments serve with their wanton noodles; other patrons have previously remarked that the noodles here seem to similar to that of the Malaysian Sibu Kampua Mee and we found that to be true as well — the noodles being softer despite carrying a bite though not as springy. That being said, giving the noodles a toss and it does cost up the savoury sauce base here pretty well; we would recommend adding the chili sauce that is available at the self-service counter which really brings up the flavours of the sauce — the chili sauce here is fairly similar to that usually served with the Eng’s style of wanton noodles that emphasises on the fragrance of the chili pepper, though at a very manageable level of spiciness as compared to the rendition at Eng’s that could work even for those who are not too tolerable to spiciness overall. The Char Siew here was actually fairly commendable — no doubt nothing like the Malaysia-style roast meats that are absolutely fatty and beautifully glazed (i.e. our favourite), the Char Siew does come more savoury and meaty here; also can be said to be fairly tender without being totally lean. Quite surprising was the inclusion of pork lard here — something that is usually missing in Wanton Mee but the ones here were well-fried carrying a golden-brown hue and were absolutely crispy; the blanched greens meanwhile provided a refreshing crunch amidst all the other elements here. While we were not expecting much from the soup, we were actually impressed with how clean it tasted; there doesn’t seem to be MSG included, nor did it feel particularly watered down. The boiled wantons were also actually pretty good; well-packed with meat, the skin of the wantons were silky smooth and the meat filling provided a substantial bite — we also noticed a hint of ginger within the wantons here that made them seem to replicate those flavours of Xiao Long Bao somewhat. Overall, a pretty commendable bowl of Wanton Noodles that is largely familiar, yet with a dash of creativity to create its own character unique to TASTE by Chef Pung.

Having tried other sides that they have to offer such as the Fried Prawn Roll and Shrimp Paste Chicken, we found that TASTE by Chef Pung does serve up some hearty and satisfying dishes overall — we found the fried prawn roll being particularly old-school being all crisp and pretty free from grease whilst featuring a meat filling infused with prawns and chestnut, while the marination of the Shrimp Paste Chicken was on point and served with a house-made chili that felt like their very own rendition on the favourite McDonald’s garlic chili sauce. While Wanton Noodles is a dish that we would personally find it difficult to make a special trip all the way out for, we would say that TASTE by Chef Pung is a spot that residents would likely appreciate having in their neighbourhood — I would certainly not mind making this an affordable meal option if I am in the ‘hood.