Bao Wei Tang 爆味堂

Got to learn about 爆味堂 Bao Wei Tang that had also opened pretty recently within the ICON Link @ Club Street underpass that is situated beneath Mercure ICON Singapore City Centre that currently is linked with Telok Ayer MRT Station, with a upcoming link that would potentially bring one to Chinatown MRT Station as well — other establishments that had opened within the area includes an outlet of Hazukido, an outlet of Feng 丰, Teo Soon, Super Ngon, and an outlet of Luckin Coffee as well. 爆味堂 is actually located next to Masterpiece; a bakery that is also closer to the passageway leading towards Telok Ayer MRT Station. 爆味堂 shouldn’t be an establishment that is easy to miss when walking past the area; the stall sports an orange and black facade which is rather contrasting. Being a simple eatery, the establishment only features five (5) tables that can seat two (2) pax each; the stall itself not being particularly tight, though the limited number of seats does seem to be so in order for the dine-in space to not feel particularly claustrophobic. 爆味堂 is an establishment that primarily serves up Taiwanese cuisine; currently in its opening phase, 爆味堂 is only serving up a scaled back menu where limited items are available — the menu is sectioned into categories comprising of Rice Rolls, Bentos, Egg Crepe, Snacks and Desserts. Beverages available at the current juncture will include a variety of canned beverages.

爆味堂 was running an opening promotion deal on the day that we had made our visit during a weekday lunch service; the Popcorn Chicken Bento which is part of the opening promotion was an item that caught our attention whilst walking past the promotional banners placed outside of the establishment. While the menu at 爆味堂 does not exactly describe the elements that are featured in the Popcorn Chicken Bento; that being said, it can be observed from our order that the Popcorn Chicken Bento does come with braised pork drenched over rice that is accompanied with cucumbers and a marinated egg, as well as popcorn chicken that is seasoned with salt and pepper on the side. On first look, there isn’t a lot of braised meat that is being drenched over the rice; that being said, we were glad that there is actually a decent amount of braising liquid that came along with the small portion of meat — this helped to moisten the rice, and provided a savoury note that made the rice easier to down.

The bits of minced meat did feature a mix of fattier cuts and lean parts for a tender, melt-in-the-mouth, yet meaty bite. The marinated egg does come suitably savoury but at the same time also came with fully-cooked yolks; would have preferred it to come molten for a better texture with the soft whites. The inclusion of cucumber provides a refreshing crunch against the meats and carbs. The Popcorn Chicken are actually deep-fried fresh upon order; these came piping hot with a crisp exterior and are especially juicy and tender — very addictive to have on its own. The dusting of salt and pepper adds sufficient flavour to the Popcorn Chicken without making the entire dish feel particularly overwhelming, providing a saltish and slightly peppery hint of flavours that one would expect from Taiwanese-style Fried Chicken. There seems to be quite a number of Taiwanese dining establishments that had either already opened their doors or are in the midst of setting up shop in the Telok Ayer neighbourhood — all of them definitely adding to the diversity of the ever-evolving food scene in the Central Business District, though it would most certainty be interesting to see how these establishments would turn out to be in the longer run …