Xing Hua (兴化), Tiong Bahru Plaza

This shop is located next to Nana Curry. We've noticed them (#02-110 Tiong Bahru Plaza, 302 Tiong Bahru Road) for a while now. Curiosity prevailed and we wanted to know if they were good. 

Their sweet & sour pork with lychee was competently done. Some of the pieces were fatty pork belly and others were lean meat but they all had a good crusty surface from the deep fry. Easily one of the better sweet & sour pork we've had in recent times. My only gripe was that the lychees weren't stir fried with the pork. I know because they were the only items on the plate that was slightly chilled. 

The short of it was they did a pretty tasty and savoury Heng Hwa bee hoon. Flavour was much more intense than the one from Putien Delights but the quality wasn't the level which Putien is at. Then again, neither was the price. They also didn't use those Duotou clams here. That being said, I'd happily eat this again. 

Never had Mazu mee sua before so I haven't any comparisons. This was essentially the broth-y version of the Heng Hwa bee hoon with mee sua instead of bee hoon. That broth had a similar taste profile with a cabbage-y sweetness like the white lor mee we've had at Old House. Not bad.

Another go at Traditional Hainanese Curry Rice (中国街海南咖哩饭)

I mentioned giving Traditional Hainanese Curry Rice another try minus the stewed cabbage the last time. Well, it looked like the stewed cabbage didn't look so soup-y today and couldn't have diluted the curry much. I noticed what was mixed with the curry from the pot at the back was the braising sauce that they cooked the pork belly. Anyways I didn't get the cabbage, they're good and I liked that the plate didn't sit heavy.

Golden Brown at Akashi

Word out was that Akashi started selling burgers trying to beat the poor business during the pandemic. That burger business, Golden Brown, was initially on Oddle just for delivery but you can order them at the restaurant and eat there now. 

Can't be sure if this was the first time we were having their pitan tofu but they were not bad. Savoury sweet with the century egg yolk flavour prominent in the sauce.

I haven't had many ebi katsu burgers but this ebi katsu baga from Akashi was likely the best one I've ever eaten. Frills free with nothing but Kewpie mayo. In between the brioche, that thick ebi katsu patty was made with both minced and whole prawns. Crisp on the outside, tender and moist on the inside. One could taste the sweetness from those prawns. Freshly made on order. 

That's their double cheese hambaga. Served with a beef bone broth instead of fries. What I've read about the meat was "minced Aussie chuck roll and strip loin with a 15 percent ratio of wagyu fat". The patty had a nice char and was delicious so maybe that wagyu fat had something to do with it. The sauce and pickled vegetables distracted the flavours from the beef which was a pity. I know it's suppose to be a hambaga but I couldn't taste the cheese so I'm not feeling this. It's not a bad burger, just not one I'll eat again. 

Wouldn't have known that this was a beef bone broth if I hadn't read about it. There's some sweetness and doesn't otherwise have much flavour or salt.

You won't believe the crazy order that this person made at Ginza Kamo Soba Kyudaime Keisuke!!!

Scroll down to see what this crazy person asked of the server at Ginza Kamo Soba.

"This crazy person" refers to me if you haven't already caught on. Us. We went a little crazy today, just a little and summoned forth the eight suns. Actually, it was just four aji tamago in their regular hybrid duck broth bowl. Man it sure was good. Or should I say, shiok!

Gyoza were okay. Now I'm just curious if these were the same type as the ones they do at their Gyoza King since it's all Keisuke but I kinda have the impression that it's tastier over there.

Pongal and more ghee podi idli for breakfast from Murugan Idli Shop

This pongal from Murugan Idli Shop was nice. Buttery and rice-y with cumin and the occasional burst of flavour from the black peppercorns. Yes those were the ghee podi idli on the side which I couldn't get past too. None of these were exactly the picture of health but what the health right? We came here for something delicious and comforting, not to saddle ourselves with unnecessary guilt.

Ooh wee! McPepper's back!

Why was this mention worthy? Well if you didn't know, McPepper was the progenitor, if you would, of the current Prosperity Burger from McD which is available for a limited duration during the Chinese New Year period. The last time we had a McPepper was before the birth of this blog. That's more than 15 years ago. Enough of history.

I had the impression that the pepper sauce had changed for the Prosperity Burger throughout the years. I recall them being spicier - having more of that peppery kick than the ones in recent years which appear to be sweeter. But I cannot be sure. The resurrected McPepper has that same sweet-ish black pepper sauce which the beef patties are "enrobed" in. 

So it's pretty much as saucy/messy as the Prosperity Burger. What's different with the Prosperity Burger from the McPepper is that the latter uses the diced onions that McD uses for their hamburger/cheeseburger rather than the chunky strips of onions that the former has. The meat/sauce/onions are sandwiched between what appears to be their soft plain steamed buns like the one for Filet-O-Fish. 

This used to cost $2 in the past. Now it's $4.50. While it makes sense to use some necromancy for an old favourite which many probably still like, it kinda lessens the appeal of the Prosperity Burger because it's no longer that one time of the year to get these pepper sauced sandwiches. Also, that $4.50......