Warm & Fuzzy in the Belly

So on a rare, cool evening, we capitalised on the opportunity to get some fish steamboat for an early dinner. I loved that there was a wide variety of ingredients– vegetables, seaweed and yam and a generous portion of fish. The latter was really fresh and lent its sweetness to the soup, which was nice and light. You can also choose to have your hotpot without the fish head, which was what we did! We easily finished the soup, but did feel thirsty afterwards (even though we ordered drinks as well).

Be sure to come early because they get packed really fast. Everyone in the party must be present before they'll serve you, which is understandable considering how busy they can get, even on a weekday.

First HDL experience after hearing so much about it, and frankly quite underwhelmed.
Sure, the extra services (aprons, bag & phone covers etc) were plenty and amazing, but food wise, I think I've been spoiled by so many amazing hotpot restaurants in Singapore. I left the ordering to my seasoned friend who comes here every other week, and of those that we had, I especially liked the wintermelon which soaked up all the soup and the chewy noodles which came with a performance the restaurant is also known for.
As for the soups, the mala soup was incredibly intense, which I'm not a fan of because it was just a little too much for me. But my friend is crazy about it precisely because of the mala intensity, so I'm sure it all boils down to personal taste. I will admit however, that there is nothing more comforting than downing the hot chicken soup after a night of drinking at Clarke Quay. 😉

The meat wasn't the best to be honest (too fatty even though I picked lean) but the soup is enough for me to yearn for more! It didn't have the strong peppery kick which I usually love, but best thing is that it didn't make me gulp gallons of water after consuming bowls and bowls of it. Definitely one place I would recommend for a simple good ol' bkt.

Not as peppery as I remembered it to be, but still comforting on a rainy day. Meat had just the right amount of fattiness for the texture and taste, and even better with the sweet juicy red chillis in the dark soya sauce.

A taxi uncle once told me, bak kut teh was once breakfast food for coolies because it was cheap and nutritious food for them. And yes, I do feel like I can take on the world now. Ahh, the true strength of good ol' comfort food.

Disclaimer: I haven't had Penang Laksa in Penang before.
BUT if this tastes anything like it, I'm hooked. The noodles were slippery and smooth while the broth had an amazing balance of sweet and sour. The soup reminds me of the Indonesian "Sayur Asem" so I know achieving that perfect balance of flavours is hard. Sliced onions, bits of meat and assam were swimming inside the soup, making every mouthful a delight. Add in the provided sliced fresh chilli padi for a kick, and this is fresh comfort food at its best.