Monday, December 28, 2020

Mad Charcoal : Texas-inspired smoked meats

A friend left me a message stating that I need to try this as it is really good and is better than El Carbo as can really taste the charcoal flavor. He further mentioned that there is no reason for me not to do so since it is in Ang Mo Kio. It is located where the Singapore Driving Centre used to be, within walking distance from Yio Chu Kang MRT station and just a stone's throw from my house. I went on Christmas day, the food court was unusually quiet, only them and the other stall were opened. 


Kelvin Low, the owner was there and he took the order. He has been in the F & B industry for the past 20 years. He is serving Texas-inspired smoked meats using 3 kinds of wood charcoal, namely the compressed charcoal and the traditional charcoal together with the lychee wood. Some of their popular choices are beef briskets, beef cheeks, and grilled chicken. 

I decided to go with Mushroom Soup ($5.90), Pork Belly ($8.90), and Mad Spiced Chicken ($7.90). When choosing the side dishes, I asked for a recommendation. Kelvin replied, "You can try our Mashed Potato or Ratatouille. He continued to say, "Of course, our salad is good too." I decided on Ratatouille to go with the Pork Belly. There are also options to choose pasta as a side dish and I opted for Marinara pasta. I asked, "Do I have to come back to collect it?" He replied, "We will serve it to you."


The Mushroom Soup came first, brought over by Kelvin. The soup is served along with a piece of garlic bread. The texture was thick and creamy, I liked it. I could not say the same about the garlic bread as it did not have much garlic flavor. The Pork Belly and Mad Spiced Chicken were served together. 


The Mad Spiced Chicken consists of a price of chicken breast, the Marinara pasta, coleslaw, and a soft-boiled egg. The pasta reminded me of chilli crab pasta and it is tasty. The chicken was surprisingly tender for the breast meat. The soft-boiled egg is a nice addition acting as a dip for the chicken. 


My dining companion took a piece of the Pork Belly and he said, "I was expecting the skin to be crispy but it actually tasted quite chewy. The texture of the meat is tender with a distinct charcoal flavor." He did not touch the Ratatouille. He also said, "I would go with Mashed Potato or with the pasta. And, I prefer the Mad Spiced Chicken to this."


This stall has been around for about a year or so and it is getting popular for its smoked dishes. This is definitely worth a try if you happen to be in the vicinity. 


MAD CHARCOAL
3 Ang Mo Kio Street 62 #01-38 SINGAPORE 569139
Operating Hours: 12.00 pm to 9.00 pm (Closed on Sundays)

Wednesday, December 23, 2020

Yang Ming Seafood at Bishan

We were there on a Sunday for lunch. The coffee shop was quite crowded at that time and almost every table there was occupied. We decided to go ahead to order Yang Ming Special Chicken ($12), Cai Pu Beancurd ($10), and Stir-fried Prawns ($18). The ordering was done at the counter and paid right after. 

The waiting time was about 15 minutes and Yang Ming Special Chicken served first. After tasting, we agreed that it actually like the Gong Bao Chicken. Though it is stir-fried with dried chilli, it did not have much spiciness. I was expecting more from this dish as it is listed as one of their special dishes.


The Cai Pu Beancurd came next. The beancurd was served in a pool of sauce accompanied by a few chunks of broccoli, topped with preserved radish, also known as cai pu or chye poh.  It would be tastier if the cai pu is slightly saltier for a better flavor. 


The Stir-fried Prawns are one of their signature dishes. The prawns were relatively fresh and coated well in the tasty sauce, nicely done though but no surprises. 


Overall, it was quite an enjoyable lunch. 


YANG MING SEAFOOD
Block 150 Bishan Street 11 SINGAPORE 570150
Operating Hours: 11.00 am to 2.00 pm / 5.00 pm to 11.00 pm