Zi Char Zingers

Bakwan Kepiting (pork & crab meatball) soup is a Peranakan staple soup, so I was pretty surprised to see it on @enjoyeatinghouse menu going for just twelve dollars before tax & service charge. What surprised me even more was just how tremendously tasty Enjoy Eating House’s bakwan kepiting soup was.⠀
⠀
The massive meatballs are packed a bit looser than the average meatball, which gives a lighter, easier to chew ball of meat that’s simply but sufficiently seasoned. This time, I could taste & feel the crabmeat added into the mix, and the subtle & lighter flavour offset the richness of the pork excellently. The broth is also sublime, as it is supremely sapid, yet it is light & clean and so easy to drink. I was happily scooping up every last drop, and although the bakwan kepiting soup might not be the water of life, it’s pretty close.⠀
⠀
As for the Silky Egg Crispy Hor Fun ($19++), a thick & satisfyingly salty gravy coats the copious amounts of deep fried flat rice noodles, as well as the plentiful portion of pork, prawns and squid. In theory the crispy hor fun should soak up the viscous gravy & soften up slightly while retaining some crunch, but in practice the deep fried flat noodles only soaked up some gravy and gained a texture akin to that of stale crackers. Not soft, not crisp, but an odd cross of sort of crunchy and chewy ⠀
⠀
The hor fun not exactly doing what Enjoy Eating House had hoped for isn’t their fault, and the fab flavours alone were enough to carry the dish. One suggestion I do have is that Enjoy could cut the hor fun into shorter strips for easier edibility, and for the extra enjoyment.

This was my second time dining at @enjoyeatinghouse, and while I certainly appreciated the food once more I didn’t know what category to put it into. Mod-Sin? Modern Zichar? Peranakan fusion? The Jumbo Kurobuta & Crab Ngoh Hiong ($17++ a roll) certainly says Peranakan, but the Sautéed Asparagus with Mushrooms & Truffle ($22++) is a lot harder to pin down.⠀
⠀
Enjoy Eating House wasn’t tooting their own horn when they labeled their ngoh hiong as ‘jumbo’, it’s truly titanic to match the price. The texture of the pork mince combined with the crab is on the looser, less dense side, which does give a lighter mouthfeel that complements the thin, crisp beancurd skin wrapper. I didn’t pick up on the crab in there, but the meat mix was interspersed with a delightful amount of crunchy & fresh water chestnut chunks. ⠀
⠀
The flavours of the five spice powder were in full force, but I think that Enjoy could benefit from adding in more salt into the seasoning. The kicap manis dip actually revolutionised the ngoh hiong, adding a sweet & savoury note that not only made the ngoh hiong richer & weightier, but more conplete flavour wise.⠀
⠀
The Sautéed Asparagus with Mushrooms & Truffle is a massive stir-fry loaded with fresh, snappy asparagus that’s been baptised in a holy moly amount of truffle oil. Despite the description, the dish was about thirty five percent asparagus, thirty five percent assorted mushrooms, twenty percent carrots & ten percent cashews. It was a harmonious blend of contrasting textures that keeps you engaged & interested to the end, and it’s healthy yet hearty.⠀
⠀
While the food here is not revolutionary or utterly mesmerising, you’ll still definitely enjoy a hearty family meal at @enjoyeatinghouse.⠀

(PARTIALLY SPONSORED) @yupavilionsg meats were mouthwatering, but I got that carb craving. Enter the Fragrant Egg Fried Rice with Crab Meat & Black Truffle ($17.80++ for the small), which is quite the mouthful to say. The fluffy grains of rice fit right in with the fluffy bits of egg, and the delicate bits of crabmeat. All of that was pleasantly perfumed by the ambrosial aroma of truffle and just adequately salted so it would be the perfect carby complement to any item on the menu.⠀
⠀
Thank you for the invite @scalemicroinfluencers, and thanks for hosting us @yupavilionsg!⠀

(PARTIALLY SPONSORED) Mondays are miserable enough as it is, so why not dispel some of the blues by making it a Meaty Monday at @yupavilionsg? Hidden on the third floor of the perpetually dead Kovan Heartland Mall is Yu Pavilion, a snazzy little Chinese restaurant. I won’t lie, my expectations were very modest, but Yu Pavilion managed to thoroughly impress me & my dad.⠀
⠀
We got the Hotplate Venison Meat ($23.80++) in ginger & spring onion sauce instead of black pepper, and it was downright delicious, albeit a tad too salty after a while. Unlike many other places that overdo it with the meat tenderiser when it comes to game like venison, Yu Pavilion tenderises it just enough to avoid excessive chewing but retain the satisfaction of biting into meat. The spring onions & ginger added an ambrosial aroma to the proceedings, and the sizzling hotplate elicited even stronger aromatics from them.⠀
⠀
The meaty selections from Yu Pavilion were a strong start to our dinner, and I’m glad it continued being superb all throughout. Thanks for the invite, @yupavilionsg, and thanks for setting it up @scalemicroinfluencers!

(PARTIALLY SPONSORED) Mondays are miserable enough as it is, so why not dispel some of the blues by making it a Meaty Monday at @yupavilionsg? Hidden on the third floor of the perpetually dead Kovan Heartland Mall is Yu Pavilion, a snazzy little Chinese restaurant. I won’t lie, my expectations were very modest, but Yu Pavilion managed to thoroughly impress me & my dad.⠀
⠀
They pride themselves on their Signature Marmite Spare Ribs ($18.80++ for the small), and deservedly so. The tinfoil bowl felt tacky & a mismatch with Yu Pavilion’s refined feel, but the ribs themselves were world class. Most marmite ribs tend to be awfully salty, but Yu Pavilion gets it just right. The marmite does most of the flavouring for these tender ribs with it’s deep saltiness, and it provides and extra umami dimension due to the yeast extract in it. The marmite is definitely mixed with a few extra ingredients, as there is a little sweetness to counteract the natural bitterness of the marmite. As for the meaty pork ribs, they were encased in a thin, crisp batter layer, and every last rib was tastefully tender.⠀
⠀
The meaty selections from Yu Pavilion were a strong start to our dinner, and I’m glad it continued being superb all throughout. Thanks for the invite, @yupavilionsg, and thanks for setting it up @scalemicroinfluencers!

Considering how tremendous @tuckkeeson noodle offerings were, the fact that their side dishes were worthy of being side pieces to them is quite impressive. The fried items included the superbly seasoned Homemade Fried Chicken Wings ($5 for 4 wings). They were simply seasoned, but they were simply sumptuous, succulent and meaty. Flying without wings? No, fly with THESE wings my friend. As for the indulgent Ipoh Spicy Fried Meat ($7 nett), it’s addictive, delicious, sumptuous and rich in the way that only deep fried pork belly can be. However, due to the fact that it’s deep fried pork belly, it does get quite surfeiting after a while. You’re definitely going to have to share this one, unfortunately.⠀
⠀
Thank you so much for letting us sample your fantastic food @tuckkeeson, and thank you to @shiokafoodie for organising this tasting!⠀

I’m starting to notice a trend where many of my best food finds in a year tend to come in December. @tuckkeeson follows this trend, as they thrilled me with their Yu Kong Hor, or 月亮河粉 as it is known everywhere else. At just $9.30 flat for this big plate, not only are you loading up on quantity, you’re also getting a plate loaded with quality.⠀
⠀
My number one for 月亮河粉 has been KEK for many years, and Tuck Kee Son is the only one that can go toe to toe with them. Pitting Tuck Kee Son against KEK is the culinary equivalent of having prime Mike Tyson fighting prime Muhammad Ali. Two superstar heavyweights with punch, and both are legends in their own right.⠀

Tuck Kee Son’s Yu Kong Hor is incredibly delicious, with oodles of kway teow fried together with lots of sliced pork, prawns and some veggies in a stellar soy sauce mix that turns all the components into a sapid superstar. Additionally, there is a fair amount of wok hei in the dish that’s been imparted during cooking, resulting in a sensually smoky plate of flat rice noodles. But wait, it gets even better! Mix in the raw egg that inspired the name of this dish of extra creamy, rich and silky noodles, and savour every sublime slurp of smoky, savoury & slick hor fun.⠀
⠀
Oh man, I’ve just given myself an intractable craving for this marvellous Yu Kong Hor. Thank you so much for the invite, @shiokafoodie & @tuckkeeson!

@wanhelou isn’t just all lobster porridge, they’ve got a bevy of zi char classics to complement you lush lobster porridge. Nothing screams zi char more than the iconic Prawn Paste Chicken ($11.90++ for a small portion), and Wan He Lou’s chicken smells stellar. They put a whole lotta prawn paste and love into the marinade of these chicken wings, and it sure smells & tastes like it. ⠀
⠀
The heady aroma of har jeong gai constantly wafts into your nostrils, goading you to munch on another wing. The sapid prawn paste marinade has penetrated deeply into the chicken, and each bite is a supremely savoury one. The batter encasing the chicken is moderately thick and exceptionally crunchy. Unfortunately, in the pursuit of maximum crunchiness, Wan He Lou has sacrificed the juiciness & tenderness of the wings. The meat was a tad dry and notably hard in some spots.⠀
⠀
I will be mad with my iPhone until the day it dies, as it completely failed to take a picture of my favourite dish of the night, the Crispy Shrimp Roll ($11.90++ for a small portion). The shrimp rolls were crispy, chunky and jumbo sized in both flavour and satisfaction. The prawn paste that went into these rolls were chunky and divinely delicious, and the savouriness was enhanced by the sweet mango sauce drizzled on the rolls. The little tobiko (flying fish roe) carefully spooned over each roll added brilliant briny umami pops with each earth shatteringly crunchy bite of shrimp roll.⠀
⠀
Even if you don’t feel baller enough for a lobster porridge, do come to Wan He Lou for their zi char zingers. It’s reasonably priced, and superbly sumptuous. Many thanks for having us @wanhelou , and thank you to @thestephaniebenedetti for organising!

The third of five wines to be paired with zi char zingers at @newubinseafood was Brigaldara’s 2017 vintage Cavolo Amarone which can best be likened to a Cabernet Merlot blend from Australia. The Cavolo possesses a heavy & silky body, and delicate flavours of ripe cherries & plums, cocoa and vanilla. I would’ve paired this indulgent wine with a succulent ribeye, but New Ubin were thinking outside the box and paired it with two unexpected dishes instead.⠀
⠀
The other dish selected to pair with the stellar Cavolo was the Crispy Egg Noodles with Egg Sauce. The squid & clams were fantastically fresh with the texture to prove it. Unfortunately prawns were a little soft & limp, but the crispy noodles held their crunch well in spite of the egg sauce drenching it. Speaking of the egg sauce, it’s what made this otherwise ordinary noodle dish into a sublime one. It’s deeply umami, almost as if the thick egg enriched sauce was made with a base of seafood stock. It’s a supremely slurp-able sauce that will satisfy every last tastebud on your tongue, and it was the luscious lifeblood of this noodle dish.⠀
⠀
Despite these pairings coming slightly out of left field, the cracking Cavolo brought out the best of both dishes, and added a touch of luxury to both.⠀
⠀
Thank you for the warm hospitality, @newubinseafood!

Pairing red wine with non meat dishes feels like sacrilege, but @newubinseafood has pulled it off perfectly. Pairing this Brigaldara Valpolicella with Lup Cheong Egg Fuyong & Popiah Chai was an inspired decision. This light bodied red wine was an excellent palate cleanser with its notes of cherry, oak, and a bit of pepper, making it suited for sipping between bites of food.⠀
⠀
First up was the ethereal egg fuyong, which was imbued with a stunning sapidity and a wondrous wok hei that few, if any, other egg fuyongs possess. The lup cheong’s salty smoky qualities further emphasised the unbelievable umami of this egg, and added an enjoyable chewy & meaty texture. Speaking of textures, the egg fuyong was more of a scramble than an omelette, and had a very interesting texture that was a cross between scrambled eggs & pork floss. Load this eggs-quisite fuyong into the lettuce leaves on the side for extra crunch & freshness, and you get an egg-ceptional lettuce wrap.⠀
⠀
Thank you for hosting us, @newubinseafood!

My first time dining at @newubinseafood was a craft beer pairing collab with Rye & Pint about eight or so years ago, and I was quite pleasantly surprised to discover that New Ubin is still pairing their mouthwatering modern Singaporean zi char with a bevy of booze. On this particular Saturday, we were treated to a nine(!) course wine pairing experience with some incredible Italian wines.⠀
⠀
We started out with the Brigaldara Soave, which can best be described as the love child of chardonnay & Sauvignon Blanc. Soave is an Italian white wine made from Garganega grapes, and possesses a light body like sav blanc, but carries a delightful rich silkiness that feels like a good chardonnay. The Brigaldara has alluring aromas of peach, citrus zest and honey melon with the light body and dry, short finish. It’s a perfect pair with seafood, or just by its lonesome on a sweltering afternoon.⠀
⠀
The takoyaki balls with salted egg that was selected to go with the stellar Soave were terrific. The springy octopus were encased in a batter layer that was thick enough to satisfy, and cooked expertly. However, the real stunner here was the salted egg paste that truly thrilled me, and I haven’t been wowed by anything salted egg since 2016 at the latest. It’s DUMMY THICC, it’s unbelievably umami thanks to the abundance of salted duck egg yolks that went into this paste/sauce, and has the graininess to prove it. Needless to say, we gobbled down these balls real quick and washed our palates clean with a swig of the brilliant Brigaldara.⠀
⠀
Thank you so much for the invite, @newubinseafood!

While the title for the best dish of the night was hotly contested, the Crispy Fish With Chef Joel’s Red Curry Sauce emerged victorious. At $38++ for a whole barramundi, this is a great trade deal in the history of trade deals. Plus, you get sick shots for the ‘gram. @enjoyeatinghouse has actually taken the effort to fillet the fish, and then make the skeleton presentable enough to be the centrepiece of dinner tables.

However, the presentation is only merely the tip of the iceberg of impressiveness when it comes to this Crispy Fish. Like all the other fish served, it is delivered to the restaurant daily for maximal freshness, and the texture of the flesh was proof positive. It’s firm and pleasantly flaky, breaking apart with minimal effort from either your fork or your teeth. The batter was of optimal thickness, but was otherwise as expected of a decent batter coating.

Chef Joel’s Red Curry Sauce is stunningly sublime, and that sauce was what curried favour in our hearts & our tongues. The nyonya inspired curry possessed everything expected of an excellent rendition: spice, lemongrass notes, and a whole lotta coconut milk for that all important richness. Chef Joel’s Red Curry turned that redolent richness up to eleven, and every marvellous mouthful was creamy, spicy, herby & and about as rich as Elon Musk. The curry doesn’t really flow due to the weight & thickness of it, and it’s a thick gravy that coats everything. The only downside of this was that there wasn’t enough of that curry for our liking, and we were scraping the plate clean for just another bit of the red curry.

With fish dishes this good at Enjoy Eating House, the only fishy business here is good business. And business is a boomin’ with sensational offerings like this. Thank you for your hospitality, @enjoyeatinghouse & @burpple!