Beef Up : Halal-certified Taiwanese food

This stall is started by Jeremy, Ronald, and Rohaizzatd using a recipe from Jeremy's mother who is a Taiwanese. This is probably the only halal-certified Taiwanese food in Singapore. It is located at Grains & Hops Food Court Bistro in the industrial area of Toa Payoh North. I ordered the Beef Noodle ($6.50/$8.00) and I was asked to choose between the 2 different types of handmade noodles, the thinner type and the broader type like those noodles at the ban mian stalls. I also ordered Chicken Cutlet Rice Set ($7.00) and Chicken Bits ($3.00). I was asked to choose between Black Pepper, Seaweed and Plum which I opted for Seaweed. I am not adventurous enough to try their Braised Chicken Lu Rou Fan, which is different from the traditional Lu Rou Fan that is using the pork belly.

I was not informed that I will have to look out for the number on LED panel and match it against the number on the receipt for collection. I actually waited at the counter for a bit before realizing it. I waited for close to 25 minutes before the Beef Noodle was ready. I was told to come back later for the Chicken Cutlet Bento and the Chicken Bits. I waited for another 10 minutes or so and it is still not ready. I chatted with another customer that has also waited quite long for her order. There was only 2 of them manning the stall, one was doing the cooking and the other was attending to the customers. 

Those beef chunks were a bit too lean thus it did not taste as soft as I liked it. My dining companion used to work in Taiwan and he felt that the Beef Noodle has a certain resemblance to what he used to eat there. He said, "It is quite nice. It would be even nicer if the beef is slightly fattier." 

The Chicken Cutlet Rice Set was quite disappointing. The chicken cutlet tasted quite bland. My dining companion, said, "I would expect them to sprinkle some chilli powder like how it usually served the chicken cutlet in Taiwan." He also said, "They are using the normal rice and not the more expensive pearl rice." It was served with pieces of carrot and cucumber together with preserved radish that did not have much taste. 

The Chicken Bits have already turned cold when it was served. It tasted equally bland as I could not taste the seaweed seasoning that it was supposed to have.

I do not think I liked it enough to come back again soon.

BEEF UP
Block 978 Toa Payoh North #02-01 SINGAPORE 319001
Operating Hours: 11.00 am to 8.00 pm (Closed on Sundays)

The Chinese Kitchen : Taste of Taiwan

Chen Shucheng (陈澍城), 72, after launching Teochew City, his Teochew restaurant,  he then partnered chef Austen Ong, 51 to start a stall in the S-11 coffee shop in Ang Mo Kio central serving contemporary Taiwanese food. Chef Ong previously worked as chef de cuisine at Grand Hyatt Singapore for 16 years before opening The Chinese Kitchen, a modern Chinese restaurant at Cavan Road in October 2017.

Their aim is to offer restaurant standard food at hawker prices. Chef Ong tasted a lot of recipes to come out with the menu which includes 8 set meals, priced under $10. The 8 sets are Passion Fruit Sweet & Sour Pork, Pearl Rice ($6.80), Grilled Salmon Fish Fillet, Mild Spicy Coriander Sauce, Pearl Rice ($9.80), Pan-seared Beef Sirloin, Orange Juice Pineapple Sauce, Pearl Rice ($9.80), Grilled Lemongrass Chicken, Green Chilli Marmalade Pearl Rice ($6.80), Soft Shell Crab, Thai Garlicky Dip, Lu Rou Fan ($9.80), Miso Lu Rou Fan ($4.50), 13 Spices Crisp-Fried Tofu, Lu Rou Fan ($5.80) and Miso-Chilli-Garlic Organic Okra & Mushroom, Lu Rou Fan ($6.80). Chef Ong will be based at the stall for the time being while he is looking to hire and train a new chef. 

I ordered the Soft Shell Crab with Lu Rou Fan that served with the Thai Garlicky Dip. There is a number on the receipt and it is served according to that number. The set consists of a braised egg with a small side of kimchi and preserved cucumber as well as a bowl of soup. The braised pork is braised with Japanese red miso paste instead of the usual Chinese fermented bean sauce. It is more savory and not as sweet as the Lu Rou Fan found in Taiwan. It would be nice if a bigger portion of braised pork is given as I left with a lot of rice after the first few mouthfuls. The short-grained pear rice was cooked to a fluffy texture. 

The soft shell crab was perfectly fried to the desired crispiness and it remained so till the very last bite. It is nice to eat it on its own. The Thai Garlicky Dip is not spicy, not as garlicky as it was overwhelmed by the sourness and tanginess from the plum sauce and lime juice. It did not really go well with the fried soft shell crab. 

The braised egg tasted quite bland, did not have much of the soya sauce and 5-spice powder that supposed to be a part of the marinade as mentioned during their interview with the 8 DAYS Magazine. I would rather have more preserved cucumber then kimchi as it seemed quite out of place and did not go too well with the set. They might want to consider replacing it with salted vegetable or even braised cabbage. 

The creamy soup somewhat reminded me of the broth for ramen, there was kombu in it. 

Other than the Miso Lu Rou Fan at $4.50, the rest of the sets are priced on the high side and not as pocket-friendly. It might be a challenge for such a stall to actually survive in the heartland. 

THE CHINESE KITCHEN : TASTE OF TAIWAN

Block 711 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 8 S-11 Coffee Shop SINGAPORE 560711

Operating Hours: 11.00 am to 9.00 pm (Sun to Thu) / 11.00 am to 9.30 pm (Fri & Sat)

San Lor Bak Png : cheap and good Braised Pork Rice set

I got to know about this stall through Martin Goh, a friend on Facebook. He went on their opening day and he enjoyed what he tasted, he then shared it on the Facebook. This newly opened stall is run by the same folks behind Chop Chop  Western Grill just right next to it, in the same coffee shop.

The lady at the stall came out when she saw me taking pictures. She asked, "You are taking pictures of the stall?" I smiled then said, "A friend recommended your stall on the Facebook." She asked, "Do you want to try?" She pointed to a poster and said, "We have this super value meal for just $6.80." This is the set that recommended by Martin and I decided to go with it. I was given a buzzer for collection later. The set consists of a bowl of braised pork rice, a plate of stir-fried long beans and fried tomato egg with a bowl of ABC soup. 

The braised pork rice came with a good portion of rice with tasty braised pork belly and a handful of chopped spring onions was sprinkled on it. It was accompanied by a piece of mushroom and half of a braised egg with slices of pickled cucumber. I was told by the same lady at the counter to try having it with the chilli as she said some of their customers think it brings forth the flavor.  I tried it without the chilli first then added a bit of it to the braised pork and rice, I actually prefer to have it without. The braised egg did not have much flavor. 

The long beans were deep-fried then stir-fried with minced garlic, the texture was slightly hard but was acceptable to my dining companion. The fried tomato egg was nicely done too, those pieces of tomato were soft and added flavor to the egg. I actually enjoyed it quite a bit.

The soup was specially mentioned by Martin, he said it was quite good which I agreed. The flavor was quite intense, I would think it was much better than those available at the stalls serving soup. It must have been simmered for a relatively long time to be that flavorful. You could find chunks of carrot, potato and sweet corn in it, there was also a piece of meat. 

This set is definitely value for money.

SAN BRAISED PORK RICE

Block 63 Geylang Bahru Food Cheery Coffeeshop SINGAPORE 330063
Operating Hours: 11.30 am to 9.30 pm

Mei Meng Taiwan Delicacy : the first 大肠包小肠 in Singapore

Zen Tan, 30s, the owner, started this stall in January 2018. I was the only customer when I went for early lunch. Zen seated at the table in front of his stall and stood up immediately when he saw me. I asked, "Are you a Taiwanese?", which he replied, "No." That is quite obvious actually as he does not speak with the Taiwanese accent. There are currently only 2 items on the menu, 卤肉饭 ($3.80), humble Braised Pork Rice, and 大肠包小肠 ($6.60), a popular street snack. I decided to try both. I have been a big fan of the Taiwanese Braised Pork Rice and it got me really excited when I got to know about this stall in Ang Mo Kio, they are located in a coffee shop near Mayflower Food Centre. 

Zen was telling me that he is in the midst of launching some braised items. He said, "These braised items are just like those that can be found at the night markets throughout Taiwan." He mentioned that he tried the 卤肉饭 at Macpherson and in AMK Hub before starting this stall. He said, "An elderly couple at Tainan taught me how to cook 卤肉饭." I asked, "What were you doing before starting this stall?" He said, "I was in the construction industry." He continued to say, "My friends were surprised when I decided to set up this stall as they did not expect it."

While eating, he came over and asked, "How was it?" I replied, "It is not saltish enough." He said, "I adjusted the level of saltiness a little as most of the customers find it to be too salty." I also mentioned that the rice was a bit too mushy. He said, "I am already using good quality rice and if I go any better then I would be left with little benefits." It is a common challenge amongst the hawkers to stay competitive by keeping the costs low. 

I said, "It would be nice if there is more flavor from fried shallots." He shared that the elderly couple was really patient when they taught him how to fry the shallots. I mentioned, "There is a popular stall at Seah Im Food Centre serving 卤肉饭. I think you should give it a try as their 卤肉饭 is the closest to what I had eaten in Taiwan."

When preparing the 大肠包小肠, he said, "You would not be able to get this in Singapore other than here. I handmade those glutinous rice rolls and it is very time-consuming. I have to be here as early as 6 am to get it going."  He asked whether I want to have it cut into smaller pieces. I replied, "No. I am taking pictures." He made an effort to wrap it nicely in the wrapper before handed it to me. 

I only tried 大肠包小肠 once at Feng Jia Night Market in Taichung but it was not quite memorable. I mentioned to Zen that the price seemed a bit on the high side. The grilled glutinous rice roll was sliced at the centre, it was topped with ground peanuts, salted vegetable, shredded carrot and slices of cucumber before placing the grilled Taiwanese-style hot dog on it then garnished with coriander. You could choose to have it plain, or with sauces. As mentioned by Zen, this is likely to be the only one that you could get in Singapore. 

Zen is still in the midst of perfecting the taste for both items. We should give him more time to work on that. Nonetheless, it is heartening to see a new hawker in doing his part to preserving our hawker culture.

MEI MENG TAIWAN DELICACY

Block 159 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4 SINGAPORE 560159

Operating Hours: 11.00 am to 8.00 pm (Daily)

Eat 3 Bowls : Taiwanese fare in Food Centre

They started off as a mobile stall in February 2015 at the street market, which is commonly known as Pasar Malam, at different locations before moving to Seah Im Food Centre on 15 January 2016. Lim Pei Tang and Ng Jie Wei, both at 30, are the 2 earnest owners and they named their stall as "呷三碗" in Taiwanese Hokkien, it simply means "eat 3 bowls". Their menu includes Braised Pork Rice ($2.50) and Intestine Mee Sua ($3.50) with sides like Fried Fish Fillet ($4.50), Fried Intestine ($4.00), Salted Crispy Chicken ($4.00), Fried Squid ($4.50), Braised Intestine ($3.50), Braised Chinese Cabbage ($3.00), Boiled Vegetable ($3.00), Bittergourd Pork Ribs Soup ($3.00) and Braised Egg (0.60 cents).

Their signature dish is the Lu Rou Fan, which is also known as Braised Pork Rice or Minced Pork Rice. This is a Taiwanese-style rice dish commonly seen throughout Taiwan, particularly at those night markets. This particular one consists of diced pork belly that is first stir-fried then braised in soy sauce and served on top of steamed rice. If you have ever tried the famous Jin Feng Minced Meat Rice (金峰卤肉饭) in Taipei, the taste is quite close though. The braising sauce was a little light and not as fragrant but the texture of the meat was meltingly tender. They are using Japanese premium short grain rice with rice wine and black vinegar from Taiwan. This is one of the best in Singapore and its authenticity is unquestionable. 

Their Intestine Mee Sua is a must-try. It tasted like the famous Ay-Chung Flour-Rice Noodle (阿宗面线) at Xi Men Ting (西门町) but they only serve it with braised big intestines and not the oysters. They are using the special "red mee sua" that is commonly used in the Taiwan. The "red mee sua" is developed through steaming the white mee sua over a long period of time to cause it to lose its springiness and elasticity thus become tolerant to subsequent cooking. It has rather good texture and consistency, its taste is enhanced by drizzled a dash of the Kong Yen Black Vinegar from Taiwan. 

Their Salted Crispy Chicken (盐酥鸡) is another must-try dish. This Taiwanese salted & pepper chicken is a popular Taiwanese street food that can be found at their night markets. The well-seasoned chicken pieces were lightly coated with a layer of flour for deep-frying and when it is ready, mixed it with the fried basil leaves then sprinkled with pepper salt and dried chilli powder before serving. The basil leaves are part of the key ingredients and if without it, the taste would somehow be compromised and will not taste quite right and authentic. This dish can be quite addictive. 

EAT 3 BOWLS

2 Seah Im Road #01-21 Seah Im Food Centre SINGAPORE 099114

Operating Hours: 9.30 am to 8.00 pm (Closed on Sundays)

LeNu Taiwan Beef Noodle Bar 樂牛 by Paradise Group

I have always been looking forward to having an authentic bowl of Taiwanese style Beef Noodle as good as those i used to eat in Taiwan. 

I have tried many and disappointed as many times too. I was lucky to be selected amongst the food tasters from the facebook of Paradise Group Holdings to be invited for a food tasting session. After submitted the personal particulars, we were given the flexibility to drop by any time within a given period. I was there during lunch though there were quite a few tables occupied but it was not as crowded as expected. 

A particular waiting staff was rather friendly. She explained on what to order though she did not tell us that we were required to order it at the counter. That gotten us to wait for quite a while before i decided to walk to the counter and check it out. I presented my NRIC for them to do a quick verification then followed by presenting the already filled up order chit. 

I was not told that i have to collect the side dishes from the station so i waited again, i did not get it even after the 2 bowls of beef noodles were served. I got to walk to the counter and asked again then picked it up from the station just right next to it.

Our choices of side dishes were Century Egg served with Chilled Tofu and Preserved Cucumber. Both tasted quite good.

We selected Braised Fresh Beef Noodle ($8.90) and Braised Beef Brisket Noodle ($10.90). There are a total of 3 types of noodles: Thin Noodles, Broad Noodles and Rice Noodles for selection. We opted the broad noodles for both spicy and non-spicy version. The spicy version did not taste as spicy as expected, it might have adjusted to better suit the taste bud of locals as its spiciness is actually quite mild. 

We were asked to fill up a set of questionnaire at the end of the session.

It was generally a good experience as we enjoyed the authentic tasting Taiwanese beef noodle. A special thanks to Paradise Group Holdings for the invitation.

LeNu Taiwan Beef Noodle Bar 樂牛
1 Harbourfront Walk #02-91/92/93 Vivo City SINGAPORE 098585

5 Little Bears : Authentic Taiwanese Street Foods

We were there for a quick dinner before the movie premiere of 'Non-Stop' at Shaw Lido at about 6 pm. The place was rather packed then but there were quite a few of empty tables available.  We proceed to the first counter to place our orders, paid up and given a number tag. I was told to look out for the number on the LED display panel for collection. 

We decided on Set A and Set B. Set A consists of the famous Taichung Braised Pork Rice （台中滷肉饭） and a drink for $5.90 and Set B consists of X Large Chicken Chop （超大鸡排）, Sour Plum Sweet Potato （甘梅薯條） and a drink for $8.80. We wanted a Wintermelon Tea （古早味东瓜茶） and Coffee Black Tea （咖啡红茶） to serve along with the sets. 

The number was flashed in a few minutes to pick up the Braised Pork Rice together with the 2 drinks. The Braised Pork Rice was served in quite a big bowl topped with a generous portion of braised pork, salted vegetable, stalks of vegetable and half of a braised egg. Such a bowl of Braised Pork Rice is reasonably priced at $4.80 by itself.

The braised meat though slightly fatty but it did not taste too oily with just the right texture at desired softness. The perfect way to enjoy it is to eat it with the salted vegetable in every mouthful. Though it might not be as nice as the one by Shin Yeh but this is amongst one of the nicest that i ever eaten in Singapore. I do hope such a standard is to be maintained.

The X Large Chicken Chop and the Sour Plum Sweet Potato were served together to our table by a friendly Auntie.

The chicken chop was nicely deep-fried to give it the delightful crispiness and not overly greasy as well. Though it is likely to pre-fried and re-do it again just before served but it has done well to not compromising its texture. It was served with a pile of chilli powder aside to complement and further enhance the taste of the chicken chop. The level of spiciness was just right for me but was a bit too spicy for my dinner companion.

I would think the Sour Plum Sweet Potato was a good choice too. The chunky pieces of sweet potato were coated lightly with the batter and deep-fried well to give it the crispiness then placed it on the pile of sour plum powder to serve. The sweetness of the sweet potato went along perfectly with the sour plum powder.

The overall experience was quite a pleasant surprise. I am already looking forward to coming back to try the others on their menu.

5 LITTLE BEARS 五隻小熊

14 Scotts Road #01-07 Far East Plaza SINGAPORE 228213.

8 Degrees Taiwanese Bistro

Taiwanese foods are always my love. I have heard and wanting to try this Taiwanese Bistro for quite a while.

I went on a weekday for late lunch.

This Bistro seems to offer an extensive menu of classic and contemporary Asian and Western Cuisine. 

Their main feature has to be the Taiwan Street Favourite like the Oyster Mee Sua, Braised Pork Rice and different types of Bubble Milk Tea. 

Their main theme is around Jay Chou though never a fan of him but still find it to be quite acceptable. 

The cafe was rather quiet when we were there slightly after 2 pm. We were first greeted upon enter and ushered to a table for 3 right after then presented with the menu rather quickly. An order chit was given to indicate the orders. A friendly waitress approached our table and offered her assistance.

After some thoughts, we decided to have Stewed Pork Belly Rice 卤肉饭 ($3.80), Braised Beef Noodle 牛肉面 ($9.80), Salted Crispy Chicken 盐酥鸡 ($6.80) and Bubble Milk Tea 珍珠奶茶 ($4.80). 

Some of their recommended dishes are XO Sauce Spicy Beef Fried Rice ($13.80), Golden Salted Yolk Prawn Balls ($14.80), Fried Shitake Mushroom ($8.80) and Taiwanese Meat Ball Soup ($5.80).

The Bubble Milk Tea came first. Though not the best one that i ever tasted but it was generally alright. It has an acceptable level of sweetness with a good handful of tapioca balls in it. These tapioca balls were slightly smaller in size but with a delightful chewiness at just the right level of softness. The fragrant of tea and milk was rather well-balanced to give it just the desired taste. 

The Braised Beef Noodle was delightful. This was the best dish amongst all that we tried. It might not be as good as what i had in Taiwan but i would think its taste was rather close and pretty authentic. It was braised well with few Chinese herbs to give it the aromatic fragrance together with the right seasoning to acquire the flavor. It tasted slightly spicy as the spiciness was enhanced by the dried chilli added. 

It was served with a few chunky pieces of beef. It would definitely be nicer if the texture of these beef was slightly softer. It was slightly more chewier than expected too. Though the texture was not as desired but it was flavorful. The noodle was cooked well to give it the likeable softness and springiness. It was one of the better bowls of Braised Beef Noodle that i tasted in Singapore. 

The Braised Pork Belly Rice served last. A small portion of rice was served in a bowl covered with the braised pork belly then garnished with pickles and coriander. Perhaps it was the high anticipation that left me feeling disappointed. It did not taste as authentic as the one i had in Taipei and not even close to the one served by Shin Yeh in Singapore. The taste was rather mediocre with no distinctive fragrance of the braised sauce though the level of softness was a spot on.

The Salted Crispy Chicken did not fare as well as expected. It was slightly over deep-fried thus the color was a little darker with its taste slightly compromised. The taste of salt and pepper seemed missing. It tasted like normal fried chicken pieces. The good thing was its texture was rather dry and not overly greasy. It served with 2 sticks of Japanese cucumber. 

Though foods are not too impressive but the friendly service has left a good impression. 

8 DEGREES TAIWANESE BISTRO

359 Beach Road SINGAPORE 199575.