Kodawari Katsuya, East Coast Road

Kodawari Katsuya (85 East Coast Road, tel : +65 6344 8183) has been around for around a decade or so. I've heard about them from their earlier days and have been intrigued by their lamb katsu - possibly the only one of its kind here. And it's not even on the menu anymore. Now that I may have gotten your attention...

The lamb katsu teishoku came with two ribs of meat. There's rice, some julienned takuan and a delicious red bonito miso soup. I'm not so sure about the bonito from the last item but it tasted like just aka miso soup.

Underneath the crispy panko, the meat was like fatty steamed lamb. It wasn't marinated nor did it have any salt and pepper so it was just pure flavour from the little sheep that gave its life for this. Even the usual caramelization normally associate with the meat wasn't present because this meat was cooked beneath the breading; breading which wasn't as golden brown as I was hoping for. Not a deal breaker that.

I should have asked for some salt to go with the mustard. I now know better. Like I mentioned, the lamb's fatty so one has got to enjoy the lamb-y flavour to like this.

Tried some oyster curry rice. Oysters were not bad. Curry's a little salty. Their rice didn't taste like those that Tonkatsu by Ma Maison serves. Oh yes, I kinda use them as a yardstick these days for tonkatsu teishoku. These were dryer...less starchy.

Nasi kerabu from La Porpo

Came back to try La Porpo's nasi kerabu which was a different rendition from Kantan by the SIB'S. This plate featured a less smashed up fried chicken with not much of the salad and there was a lemak gravy ladled onto the rice along with a red sambal on the side. Quite a bit of flavours going on from the gravy, sambal and salted egg. I can't tell if this was equally as spicy as the sambal ayam geprek plate but both were pretty satisfying. 

Yat Ka Yan (一家人), Fortune Centre

We came by to 一家人 (#02-08 Fortune Centre, 190 Middle Rd, tel : +65 9631 2359) for desserts one evening. The name yat ka yan translates to "whole family" in Cantonese. Business appears brisk and these guys looked like they are about to give shops like Ah Chew and Mei Heong Yuen a run for their money.

We had a black glutinous rice with ice cream and durian. It's pulut hitam if anyone is wondering. Chilled and so good with the durian pulp.

This was a refreshing ice jelly dessert with soursop and passion fruit. I had assumed that the ice jelly was 愛玉 - or what some older folks might know as ogio. It's not. The jelly was pandan flavoured. Still good though with the citrusy fruit sweetness of the toppings.

Dickson Road Chicken Rice, Jalan Besar

Although the name is Dickson Road Chicken Rice, the address of the coffeeshop Shing Boon Hwa Food Centre in which they're located is Jalan Besar (43 Jalan Besar). Technically, both are correct since the location is the junction of Dickson Road and Jalan Besar. 

This stall is also neighbour to Hock Prawn Mee (福蝦麵). Remember me mentioning then, that this place was also the coffeeshop that used to housed the stall that sold Hainanese chicken rice balls? That unit that used to do the chicken rice balls has been taken over by Dickson Road Chicken Rice. Said chicken rice ball business has shifted across Dickson Road and is now literally facing their old premise.

Not a bad plate of chicken rice. This was a plate of 白鸡尾 with livers and both were competent. I liked that the livers were tender, creamy and not overcooked. Flavour from the rice was a little light but was compensated with the generous squeeze of light soya sauce and sesame oil. That and also their tangy chilli.

La Porpo, Jalan Besar

I read about La Porpo (29/31 Jalan Besar) some time ago. Said to be endorsed by a local chef of a restaurant named after the edible flower buds of a type of thistle. I was curious and ordered their sambal geprek - basically ayam geprek slather with both their sambal merah and sambal ijo which featured respectably tender fried chicken on a plate with green pandan rice, some fried triangles of tofu and crispy bits of stuff.

I liked it. The heat was perspiration inducing yet got me spooning mouthful after mouthful. Now I'm curious about their nasi kerabu.

&Joy-ing more ramen & pizza

It's been a while since we've gotten food at &Joy. I've always wanted to try the cheese-less tomato broth ramen from Ramen Kiou and now that I'm ready, it's no longer on the menu. That had always been on the menu for the longest time and I never expected that it would get "rotated out".

Anyways there was a green chilli tonkotsu bowl. Didn't see this coming and it was actually kinda good. The heat from the sliced green chilli seeped into the broth after a while and also added spikes of heat. That green chilli sauce at the corner contributed more flavour than heat. All in all, I enjoyed it.

The snow crab ramen sounded like it might be good. It was...unsettling and disjointed. The tonkotsu broth had obviously been flavoured with a crustacean flavour which in no way paired well with those paltry minced crab meat. Not to mention those small candied crabs they threw in. Those were awkward and added sweetness to the broth. Not in a way I liked. Didn't understand how the strips of carrots made this bowl any better.

In other news, there was a seasonal shirasu & sakura ebi pizza at Pittarino. Nice garlicky and umami flavours on this one. 👍🏼