After perhaps my 3rd bowl of rice, my admiration for the humble grains of rice soon turned into one of deep reverence. Despite lowering itself with its light flavour profile, the tiny grains of pearl still won me over as I sub-consciously filled my bowl repeatedly with ladles more of it. It was thin and small, like Taiwan's 珍珠米 (Pearl rice), allowing it to soak up all the other flavours packed within that pot. It was firm and crunchy providing an addictive bite. It was sufficiently moist, perhaps due to the sesame oil, leaving me fascinated and bewildered on its impossibly good texture. So enchanted was I by the rice that I promptly asked the staff if I could be enlightened on the type of rice used. Thankfully, their chef came out thereafter and told us that it was 老米 (Literally, old rice) and that it was required to ensure that the rice be cooked all the way without being charred as unlike typical steamed rice, it's required to withstand the intense heat within the claypot after it has been steamed. While the chef claimed that I could find such rice in the supermarket, I have yet to verify that myself.
Full review at: https://liveeatbless.wordpress.com/2020/02/28/hawker-review-east-village-traditional-claypot-rice-engs-char-siew-wantan-mee-novena-regency/
More pictures at: https://www.instagram.com/p/B9HUMG1n4ob/?igshid=ndqhs1tn6mgv
In stark contrast to the Hei Zho tried at Le Coq, these had a chewier texture, akin to eating a thick fishcake. The skin was thin and crisp and was not overly oily as well. Despite being on the other end of the spectrum in terms of texture, I still highly enjoyed their version of the Prawn Roll which came with visible chunks of mushroom and orange bits (Which may be carrots or prawns?).
Full review at: https://liveeatbless.wordpress.com/2020/02/21/restaurant-review-westlake-queens-road-farrer-road-best-kong-bak-pau/
More pictures at: https://www.instagram.com/p/B80tA0UnwUK/?igshid=1lvasye43ejyk
My next personal favourite goes to another in-house specialty for their ability to make a simple combination of ingredients go extremely well with one another and for its unique factor as I’ve not encountered this at any other restaurant. It came with circular pieces of Beancurd (Tau Huay) where you could taste the subtle sweetness from the beancurd itself, similar in taste to a hot Tau Huay without sugar found at a local hawker centre. It's immersed in a mixture of partially and fully cooked egg whites topped with small bits of sweet prawns and salted egg yolk before being surrounded with a lining of spinach. As mentioned, the ingredients used are simple but somehow paired excellently with one another - The more savoury sauce and salted egg yolk contrasting with the sweeter prawns, egg white and beancurd. A light and comforting dish that I highly recommend.
Full review at: https://liveeatbless.wordpress.com/2020/02/21/restaurant-review-westlake-queens-road-farrer-road-best-kong-bak-pau/
More pictures at: https://www.instagram.com/p/B80tA0UnwUK/?igshid=1lvasye43ejyk
The slabs of pork may look thin for some but to me, it allowed the pau, cabbage and the parsley to complement the flavourful, juicy and tender pork. I’ve tried countless braised pork buns prior to this, including homemade ones, but most certainly not from a place which specialised in it. Through looks alone, the sauce spotted an intense dark hue and gave off a thick glossy sheen which accentuated the bits of minced meat embedded within, tempting one to explore the flavours packed within. Still not expecting much though, my first few bites had me thinking, “Okay, this is unique. Not exactly mind-blowing but I can see why it’s their specialty.” After a while though, especially after savouring their sweet, savoury and umami dark pork sauce on its own, I got hooked. In fact, writing this now, several days after my encounter, I’m still salivating at the thought of it. Flavourful in a more subtle kind of way, if that makes sense.
Full review at: https://liveeatbless.wordpress.com/2020/02/21/restaurant-review-westlake-queens-road-farrer-road-best-kong-bak-pau/
More pictures at: https://www.instagram.com/p/B80tA0UnwUK/?igshid=1lvasye43ejyk
(Yes, that's the English name on their menu)
The pastry seemed like that of a thick crispy roti prata, but less oily. There was comparatively less beef compared to the store next door but it was definitely bigger. As usual, it was satisfying on its own and more so with the soup.
More information & pictures at: https://www.instagram.com/p/B8nVetAHztV/?igshid=8qww9v2rmtd6
The difference between this and the signature beef noodle would simply be the beef. Drenching the beef in a 'special sauce' that had notes of peanut and was overall very umami, it was piled high onto a tray of its own, hence the higher price. On their menu, it's shown that 'premium beef shin' is used but I can't quite comment on the difference in beef quality between the 2 bowls. Meanwhile, '15-spice blend soup' is also stated beside the dish and it probably refers to the sauce that the beef is immersed in as if it's for the soup, I can confirm that it's exactly the same as the one found in their Signature Beef Noodles.
More pictures & information at: https://www.instagram.com/p/B8nVetAHztV/?igshid=1xcpb2q7qrthr
Hunting down the last of the Chinese restaurants in Grantral Mall, we filled our bellies with some hearty bowls of beef noodles.
For first timers, you'll be recommended by the staff to stick to their Signature Beef Noodles which isn't a bad idea. Offering 6 different types of noodles, we tried both the 'normal' and 'flat'. The flat noodles easily won me over here as they were firm, provided a nice bite and allowed plenty of soup to cling to its huge surface area. Located in the same mall as at least 2 other Chinese restaurants, Grantral Mall has come to become quite a safe bet to satisfy one's Chinese cuisine cravings (And work out a sweat) in the West of Singapore.
Signature Beef Noodles ($7.90)
The broth was clear and light. While enjoyable, it's definitely not one of those rich beefy broths you may find in popular beef noodle joints in Taiwan. To give it an even more robust flavour, feel free to add unlimited amounts of vinegar and chili paste at the side.
More information & pictures at: https://www.instagram.com/p/B8nVetAHztV/?igshid=1ej623ae5orxq
(Part 3 of 3)
The pancake here was honestly more fluffy and airy than some that I’ve tried in Japan. As it was not overly eggy, I would have been more than happy eating this piece of cloud on its own. However, this stack of soft pillowy goodness, is not one to rest on its laurels. Smothering itself with fresh vanilla whipped cream that was unbelievably airier than itself, it more than sufficiently ensured that it was on a whole other league of desserts. Undeniably, this was the best thing that day and would make for a great dessert, tea break or… heck, breakfast, lunch and dinner. Your stomach will definitely not protest, at least not immediately. 🙂
For those in a hurry, do note that there’s a 25min waiting time though.
More pictures at: https://www.instagram.com/p/B8jOFkknxav/?igshid=mtwjisuhqpkg
Full review at: https://liveeatbless.wordpress.com/2020/02/14/restaurant-review-walking-on-sunshine-orchard-central-somerset/
(Part 2 of 3)
Another interesting dish that seemed to be a fusion between Korean pancakes and the American cornbread. Relative to the other dishes, it tasted more flat with its interior being dense and chewy. It would have been great if its exterior was more crisp.
More pictures at: https://www.instagram.com/p/B8jOFkknxav/?igshid=mtwjisuhqpkg
Full review at: https://liveeatbless.wordpress.com/2020/02/14/restaurant-review-walking-on-sunshine-orchard-central-somerset/
(Part 1 of 3)
A cut from the head of the pig’s cheek, pork jowl is typically made into bacon through smoking and curing. The ones done here though seemed to be cooked as it is and as a cut of meat not found in most other restaurants, it may take awhile to get used to its more rubbery and chewy texture. The chili paste provided at the side though was both fresh and aromatic.
More pictures at: https://www.instagram.com/p/B8jOFkknxav/?igshid=mtwjisuhqpkg
Full review at: https://liveeatbless.wordpress.com/2020/02/14/restaurant-review-walking-on-sunshine-orchard-central-somerset/
(Part 4 of 4)
Paired with the spread of dishes that night, I had one of their specialty cocktails. Containing Rum, Bailey's and loads of Milo, this was chocolatey, decadent and provided much needed sweetness in between the savoury dishes. It tasted just like your traditional Milo Dinosaur but much more 'gao' (thick), creamy (Likely due to the Bailey's) and of course, alcoholic. The roasted marshmallow atop was hard and chewy when I finally ate it at the end. However, it still had that distinct caramelised taste reminiscent of a well roasted marshmallow. Hence, it may perhaps taste much better if you eat it soon after it's served. While Le Coq may not offer any desserts, this is definitely a worthy substitute.
All in all, I had a fantastic dining experience filled with great food and company. Contrary to some google reviews, the ambience that day was quiet enough for conversation. However, this may partly be due to the current viral outbreak, leaving the restaurant surprisingly vacant. My tastebuds were blown away consistently throughout the meal with the top dishes going to the Hot Uni Spaghetti ($22++), Beef Crispy Rice ($28++), Dry Laksa ($16++) and signature Roast Chicken ($16++). Yes, there are this many top dishes and I will more than gladly, devour all of them if given the chance.
Full review at: https://liveeatbless.wordpress.com/2020/02/12/restaurant-review-le-coq-church-street-telok-ayer/
More pictures at: https://www.instagram.com/p/B8d1ILAHMzL/?igshid=1q44cpgcl0jf9
(Part 3 of 4)
Placed on a shallow hotplate, this dish was prepared to resemble the charred crispy rice bits found along the walls of a Claypot Rice. While the rice was enjoyable on its own, the slab of beef laying discreetly at one side was beautifully marbled and immensely satisfying as well. As the beef was thinly sliced, it had that melt-in-your-mouth texture. However, still being significantly thicker than the ones found in hotpot dishes, it provided a strong beefy flavour and was devoured quickly. I'm still not entirely sure about the contents of the yellow sauce atop the beef as it was thicker than melted butter and wasn't all that buttery to begin with. The brown bits though were likely fried garlic bits that provided even more crunch to the dish. Unsurprisingly, this would also be another must-try dish.
Full review at: https://liveeatbless.wordpress.com/2020/02/12/restaurant-review-le-coq-church-street-telok-ayer/
More pictures at: https://www.instagram.com/p/B8d1ILAHMzL/?igshid=1q44cpgcl0jf9
