The Melting Pot

Clockwise: Panfried dumplings, Three egg spinach, Live prawns with garlic, lamb ribs with cumin and coriander seeds and braised lion's head meatball. I really enjoyed how these dishes were prepared - light on the salt and oil, but still very flavourful. The live prawns ($28) were a little small but very fresh. The lion's head meatball here ($6 per serving) was not the giant meatball I imagined - a pleasant surprise! The presentation is super cute and the meatball did not disappoint. It was tender and the braising gravy was really fragrant. I'll be back to try the Peking duck which requires 30min to prepare!

This was from a French grill stall at Alibabar the Hawker Bar. The ribs were done quite nicely - tender and meaty, and very flavourful. I liked the BBQ sauce, which wasn't too sweet. This came with 2 sides of mac & cheese and corn and peas succotash.

A lighter alternative to the Truffle Short Rib bowl, this came with two meaty pieces of salmon and diced zucchini. The salmon was lightly seasoned and the yuzu flavour was subtle. It tasted really healthy, but wasn't satiating for me as the portion was quite small.

Finally dragged myself to Yuhua market to try the western food that many have raved about. Was a tiny bit disappointed when the grilled pork chop I wanted to try sold out. So I opted for this pasta. It was not bad! The pesto here is not the creamy sort, and it is quite a potent pesto with strong herby grassy flavours. I love it but if you don't like grassy aromatics like parsley/coriander, you might want to give this a miss. Salmon was wonderful - crisp skin and soft flesh. The portion seemed small at first but it was actually quite a lot.

This must be the meepok that is most generous with its toppings! At just $5 (it also comes in a smaller $4 portion), there were meatballs, sliced pork, minced pork, mushrooms and three tender slices of abalone. The meepok was wonderfully al dente, nicely coated in chili sauce and vinegar. No clumps of noodles at all. The sauce was sweeter than the usual meepok, but I liked that the vinegar wasn't too pungent and overpowering. The pork was lean yet tender; no grisly bits were found in the mince as well. The coffeeshop isn't the most accessible by public transport, but it's worth a visit. There was a queue at lunchtime but you can order in advance via their website. Also, if you are planning a meepok party (and honestly, why not?), they offer delivery too (min. order of $40 and delivery charge of $10). Catch Ah Hoe Mee Pok here: http://japanesemeepok.getz.co

I can't believe I've never shared about prata in all my 3 years of Burppling! This one is my fave right now. I love how it's so crisp but also very fluffy and chewy on the inside. Best eaten on the spot so you'll be glad to know that ENAQ renovated their restaurant recently and it seems a lot airier. ENAQ's prata is served with a piquant sambal with ikan bilis (I love em) that adds such depth of flavour when eaten with the curry. The half eaten state of my food when photographed is testament to just how tasty it was. This was also after inhaling a huge plate of Nasi Goreng. No regrets~ $1 per a plain prata.

This was an amazing plate of Nasi Goreng, packed with LOADS of crisp, salty ikan bilis! I love how Nasi Goreng has random bits of vege thrown in and this one had chye sim, cabbage and carrot. It was super duper fragrant, the grains were nicely separated and it wasn't mushy or too dry. Best of all, this was not in the least bit oily. Only $4.50 for one generous serving of deliciousness. 😋😋😋

Huge burrito with juicy cubes of grilled steak!! The spice rub for the steak is amazing, and the meat is grilled just right - very succulent. 🌯

A humongous bowl of tortilla chips, smothered in guacamole, sour cream, salsa and tasty minced beef ($13.50)!! It's so yummy but also HUGE so do order a small main if you are planning to stuff your face with this. Also, eat fast because the generous amount of guac makes the chips go soggy quite quickly.

Probably my favourite Indian dish - chicken cooked in a velvety sauce containing ghee (hehehe) till extremely succulent! The sauce could do with a bit more sweetness, but it was still a delight to slurp up with the fragrant garlic naan we had on the side.

Assorted vegetables like chili, potato and onion are coated in batter and deep fried. The batter was light and tasty, and this was a pretty nice appetizer, but it's nothing extraordinary.

Chicken rubbed in a tasty marinade and baked in a wood/charcoal-fired oven, which infused the entire chicken with a delicious robust smoky flavour. The chicken was a tad dryer than I'd have liked, but the great flavour made up for it.