Next Chapter Eating House 樂膳房

Got to learn about the existence of Next Chapter Eating House 樂膳房 that is situated at the foot of Blk 304 Ubi Avenue 1 during our previous visit to Ubi some time back — these folks were still undergoing some form of renovation works back then; they are a dining establishment that should be fairly easy to locate considering how they are situated quite nearby to the Ubi DMQ Eating House coffeeshop that houses the notable DMQ Ban Mian. Next Chapter Eating House takes over the former premises of a mom-and-pop style dining establishment previously — it does seem that these folks had attempted to spruce up the interior of the space a little bit with a slight change of shop layout; that being said, the dining establishment is still being decked in a more functional look where its furniture and fittings still follow a rather coffeeshop-style appearance with the use of some foldable tables and stools amidst proper dining tables with plastic dining chairs with a seat backing. There are some playful touches such as the use of neon signages within the establishment, while there are both indoor and outdoor dining areas for dine-in patrons — mostly comprising of tables that are able to seat diners visiting in pairs of in groups of up to five (5) pax; there is also an area with high tables and chairs that would work well for single diners as well. Next Chapter Eating House is an establishment that loosely follows the theme of a Nanyang coffeeshop-style eatery that has since become quite an evergreen trend in the local F&B scene; the main offerings at Next Chapter Eating House being their Hong Kong-style roast meats and Hainanese chicken that are prominently hung in the display at the counter. The menu is being split across sections which are dedicated to Value Set Meal, Rice Items, Unique Sauce Noodles, Signature Curry Noodles, Sharing Plates, Other Sides and Homemade Toast Set. Beverages that Next Chapter Eating House offers would include Nanyang-style Kopi and Teh, as well Chinese Tea, Ginger Tea, Milo, Sour Plum, Homemade Herbal Tea and a variety of canned beverages — just to name a few.

Between the two food items that we had decided to go for, it does seem that the Crispy Fried Chicken Cutlet Curry Noodles from the Signature Curry Noodles section of the menu would be the standout item amongst the dishes that we had managed to try during our visit to Next Chapter Eating House. Next Chapter Eating House does not describe about the elements that comes with their dishes on the menu; that being said, it can be observed from our order that the dish does come with elements such as beancurd puffs, fried chicken cutlet, leafy greens and yellow noodles — all swimming in a curry gravy that comes in an orange hue. Digging into the entire bowl, it is noted that the curry gravy here does come similar to what one would typically associate with Malaysian-style curry noodle dishes — one that doesn’t come too heavy with coconut milk and comes with more emphasis on the mix of curry powder used; not too jelak nor oily at the same time. The use of yellow noodles seem to help to add a bit more of a complimenting note to the curry gravy; the noodles carrying a good bite whilst at the same time adding an alkaline-y note that gives the dish a bit of a contrast of flavours. Those tofu puffs helped to absorb the goodness of the curry gravy pretty much like a sponge; only to squirt out the gravy for a burst of flavours as one takes a bit into it. The crispy fried chicken cutlet here seems to be pretty much on point; despite being doused in quite a fair bit of curry gravy, the batter of the fried chicken still comes with a bit of crispness while the fried chicken comes tender and juicy — we also do suspect the use of fermented beancurd as an element in the preparation process of the fried chicken that provided a umami note that came along with it. The only qualm with the Crispy Fried Chicken Cutlet Curry Noodles is how the item can be considered a little salty for those whom generally do not like very heavy-tasting dishes in general; the level of spiciness being pretty suitable for those whom are tolerable to moderate levels of spiciness.

We had also managed to give the Charcoal Roasted Char Siew Wanton Noodles a go during our visit to Next Chapter Eating House; an item that is being listed under the Unique Sauce Noodles section of the menu. It is noted that Next Chapter Eating House offers both a dry rendition and a soup rendition of the Charcoal Roasted Char Siew Wanton Noodles; we found ourselves going for the dry variant. It can be observed from our order that the Charcoal Roasted Char Siew Wanton Noodles does come with the usual suspects such as that of egg noodles that is being tossed in a sauce; there is also stalks of greens that come with the dish, while the bowl of noodles also come with deep-fried wanton skin alongside with the Charcoal Roasted Char Siew that is mentioned in the namesake of the dish. The dry rendition of the Charcoal Roasted Char Siew also sees a small bowl of soup with three (3) soup wantons that is being served on the side. Giving the noodles a little bit of a toss before consuming the dish, the noodles does come springy — the “Unique Sauce”does seem to come across as a bit of an in-between of the sauce mix that comes with Singaporean-style wanton noodles and that of Malaysian-style wanton noodles that is slightly zippy and savoury; not too skewed towards either side though also did not leave an especially strong impression at the same time either. The Charcoal Roasted Char Siew does come with a sweet honey glaze that one would expect from stalls serving up Hong Kong-style roasted meats; nothing like the generic ones coming with the red dye that Wanton Noodle specialty stalls tend to serve up instead — the cut of meat used being on the leaner side. The fried wanton skin comes with a light crisp and isn’t particularly greasy; provides a contrast of textures to the dish, while the soup wantons does come adequately filled with meat within. Overall, a decent bowl of wanton noodles in general.

We also went for the Kopi (Iced) which comes with that frothy aesthetic as one would expect out of such beverages that are being served by establishments themed after Nanyang-styled Kopitiams. This was a decent attempt on such style of Kopi, though we did find our preferences would be for something thicker with a bolder kick of caffeine that also comes sweeter to balance everything out. Whilst most Nanyang Kopitiam-themed establishments around the island are more fancy, air-conditioned outlets that serve up local fare priced slightly at a premium, Next Chapter Eating House does feel more like a mom-and-pop eatery more than the typical Nanyang Kopitiam-themed dining establishment considering its open-air nature and prices. The prices of the dishes from the Value Set Meal, Rice Items, Unique Sauce Noodles and Signature Curry Noodles sections of the menu are within the range of $4.80 to $6.80 — very wallet-friendly in this day and age which does make its pricing pretty competitive to the other coffeeshop stalls that are operating within the same neighbourhood. We do feel that the food at Next Chapter Eating House are pretty decent in general; probably not the best when compared to some other more notable stalls serving up Hong Kong-style roast meats and Nanyang Kopitiam-themed establishments — but considering how they are priced, they do work out as a very worthy contender for meals that do not break the bank for those residing around the Ubi neighbourhood.