Mala Tonkotsu Ramen V2.0 from Ippudo

Here's Ippudo's Mala Tonkotsu Ramen V2.0 which is on a limited run on their menu. Never tried V1.0. Not bad tasting mala tonkotsu broth which I'm gonna say hovers around 小辣. Pretty oily, savoury and there was also a sweetness in it. There were carrots in it so that might have been the reason.

Noodles were thicker like Chinese yellow noodles instead of the thin Hakata type. Texture was firm and had more bite like those found in tsukemen. What made me want to try this bowl was the motsu that they also had in it. Those were tender, chewy and beefy at the same time - a much better experience than the ones we previously had from the motsunabe at Motsunabe Goku.

Chicken rice from Wee Nam Kee @ The Hainan Story Chapter One

Another itch scratched. I've been wondering how the chicken rice at The Hainan Story was because it looked good at the neighbouring tables. That stall was also Wee Nam Kee, a known local brand which also left much to be desired from my last experience with them years ago. So, that brown coloured chicken rice. Unusual looking for chicken rice. Decent tasting.

Chicken was disappointing. It's not tough but neither was it tender enough to be slurped off the bone. Tasted chicken-y though. Breast meat was dry and the rest of the bird felt a little boney. We've definitely had much better so it was forgettable to say the least.

Boiled livers were just that. Not bad tasting but nothing else worth mentioning as well. Ditto for those eggs. I had expected better.

So we had a yuan yang from The Hainan Story while at it. It's obviously not from the chicken rice stall. This was kinda nice. Sweet and milky concoction with a good balance of flavour from the local coffee and tea.

$10 mee kia 白 from Ah Ter Teochew Fishball Noodles

Trying Ah Ter's mee kia today for the first time. The noodles weren't overly soft but they're not exactly wiry as well. Pretty generic tasting. I prefer the mee pok.

Revisiting No Menu

It's been a number of years since we were last at No Menu. I think I over ate today to compensate for that. 😂

This was definitely true for their house focaccia which we got seconds of. So nice with their fruity olive oil and......

......their spicy nduja.

Prosciutto di Parma with seasonal fruit. The current seasonal fruit being peaches. These were easily the best peaches we've had in restaurants. Aside from the sweetness, it was the fragrance that made them outstanding.

There's some honey on the side as well.

Pumpkin soup's okay. Won't be getting them again the next time.

Saffron risotto was pretty good. Nice flavour from the Abruzzo saffron and salt from the cheese.

No Menu has a pretty well done tagliatelle bolognese. The quality of the noodle was apparent from its texture and the I loved how the meaty ragu wasn't dominated by tomato. I don't mind eating this again.

Green apple cake for dessert. Pretty expensive slice but hell yeah it was good. Loved the eggy taste in that coarse and moist crumbly texture of the cake with the crusty top. Loads of tangy apple inside as well. 

Affogato's not bad.

Some meringues which came with the bill. Sweet.

Tsukemen from Brothers Ramen

Brothers Ramen (一, 二 , 三, 四, 五, 六, 七) has tsukemen on menu now. It used to a limited time bowl but has evolved into a limited availability item available on Wednesdays and Saturdays. 20 bowls for each of those days. I got the spicy bowl which came with roasted chilli and oil on the side.

Thick chewy noodles as expected with a round slice of chashu, a sheet of nori and some menma. Noodles were pretty hefty and as filling as their megamen.

I'm getting bonito and yuzu peel in the smoky broth which was rich but didn't have any of the viscosity I was expecting. A thicker consistency would allow it to cling better to noodles as well methinks. In it were also bits of pork fat and chashu. Liked it, especially after the heat from the roasted chilli and oil.

88 Hong Kong Roast Meat Specialist (88 香港燒臘), Far East Square

We've heard about 88 Hong Kong Roast Meat Specialist for some time now and have never gotten to try their roasts until today. The media, relatives and friends. Have not yet heard a bad thing about them. This was their relatively new branch at Far East Square (19 China Street, tel : +65 8225 2495). 

Pretty impressed with their fatty char siew and tender roast pork with the crunchy crackling. It's as good as what people are claiming. Duck's decent but not outstanding compared to their pork roasts. Egg's okay. Haven't tried their original stall at Tyrwhitt Road to be able to determine if there are differing standards but perhaps it's not going to matter for now. This location was much more accessible 

Wanton's decent too. Again, nothing outstanding but I wouldn't mind having them again. Check out those pieces of fried lard in the soup.

The gravy was delicious. Sweet and full bodied without being starchy. Each mouthful of rice was a decision between gravy, roasted chilli or both. Will definitely be back.