Yakiniku Daidomon: BBQ Meat Galore

I first learnt of Yakiniku Daidomon from a TV programme, Buffet Buffet. Because it is rather pricey, I never really got around to trying it. The buffet costs $43++ for weekdays, and $48++ for weekends. Diners have the option of adding $10 for additional sashimi and tempura items, and $25 for wagyu, scallops and oysters. Recently, the restaurant was having its anniversary promotion, where the complete menu can be had for $60++. That's $18 cheaper for weekdays, and $23 cheaper for weekends!

My dining partner and I decided to go to the United Square outlet, which is in Novena. We initially had trouble finding the place, because the storefront within the shopping centre is only a small, unassuming doorway. It is more accessible from the outside of the centre. We arrived shortly after six, and were the first customers for dinner. One thing that surprised me was that the service staff did not bother to explain the menu and price or the buffet items. We had to ask to confirm that the $60 promotion included the additional sashimi, tempura and wagyu items. We also had to ask if the buffet included the cooked items laid out buffet style around the restaurant - these included salads, chawanmushi, salmon head, clams, baby octopus and others. Other than this, service was excellent and attentive. Shortly after we were seated, a staff brought a bucket of flaming charcoal to our table, followed by a grill. A ventilator around the grill prevented any smoke.

We started off with sashimi and tempura. My favourite, ika (squid), was not available. The tako (octopus) and shiro maguro (butterfish*) were delicious, though the salmon wasn't as fresh as I had expected. The tempura was very well done, the batter was light, but not too light.

Next, we ordered the various wagyu beef cuts, and scallops and oysters. The wagyu beef were absolutely amazing - tender and tasty.

We also enjoyed the scallops and oysters.

One thing we had an issue with was the portion of meats. They are rather large, as you can see from the pictures. These were what we were served for two diners. Also, we made the mistake of ordering the wagyu beef first, because when we ordered the normal beef cuts after that, they paled in comparison. It wasn't that the normal beef cuts were not good, it was just that the wagyu was a lot better.

We were quite full by then, so we skipped a number of items, including the chicken, pork cuts and sausages. However, I read about the yukke (marinated raw beef) on His Food Blog, so I had to try it. It was... certainly interesting. The seasoning certainly complemented the beef, and there wasn't any strong beefy or bloody taste one might expect from raw beef. The meat was chewy and springy, but not overly so, making it easy to chew and swallow.

Out of curiousity, I also tried the gyutan (beef tongue). It actually tastes better than it sounds, as long as it isn't overcooked (then it becomes tough like a piece of rubber).

We also ordered ika for grilling, which was available. This was a pleasant surprise for me because it showed that the chef knew that ika sashimi had to be very fresh, and would not serve them if they weren't, unlike several local Japanese restaurants that actually dare to serve not-so-fresh ika. We finished off our dinner with ice cream, which was a refreshing end to our meal.

Overall, we had a great experience at Yakiniku Daidomon. Service was excellent and the food was delicious. We loved the use of charcoal, which made the experience all the more authentic. We only wished the portions were smaller so we could have tried more food. For $60++ with sashimi and wagyu beef, I think this is great value, and I will certainly be back if this promotion is still on in future.

Yakiniku Daidomon (website)
101 Thomson Road
#01-14/15
United Square (map)
Singapore 307591
Phone: 6356 7577 / 6356 7277

Also,
371 Beach Road
#01-07
Keypoint (map)
Singapore 199597
Phone: 6295 2077 / 6295 3077

Links: HungryGoWhere | Yum.sg

* According to Wikipedia and various sources on the Internet, this fish could be the Escolar, which has a known laxative effect, especially if consumed in large quantities.

Underrated Wanton Mee and Fish Head

After the disappointing outing for Singapore's "best" wanton mee, it was time to return to a presently underrated wanton mee stall at Dunman Road Food Centre. There were two rather famous wanton mee stalls at this food centre: Eng's and Seng's. Now, there is only one stall left, called Dunman Road Char Siew Wan Ton Mee (德明叉烧云吞面). It is at the stall location of Eng's, so perhaps this might be Eng's, though regulars might want to verify that.

Wanton Mee (云吞面) - $2.50

The wanton mee here is unlike any other wanton mee. This is definitely classified as Singapore-style, but it isn't like any Singapore-style wanton mee you might have eaten. The highlight of this stall's wanton mee is the fiery chilli. Yes, fiery. Now, I am what you would call a "chilli person" - I take lots of chilli padi with my bak chor mee. But the chilli here is hot. The first thing that hits is the raw-ness of the chilli sauce, followed by the burning sensation. But if you are not a chilli person, take heart. The chilli has definitely been toned down quite a bit, and doesn't leave a fiery sensation in the mouth. I expect some would find the chilli too hot, but I thought the chilli went well with the noodles. The friendly stall owner lady even tells every customer to help themselves to the chilli sauce if they want more.

Chilli aside, I liked the noodles as well, which started off a little hard, but shortly became the perfect consistency. For $2.50, there was a generous portion of char siew (叉烧), though they tasted pretty average, and a few small wantons. I thought the portion was actually pretty decent for the price.

Next to the wanton mee stall was one selling steamed dishes, called OK! 蒸好味. This stall's steamed fish head was recommended to me by a relative, so we decided to give it a go. We ordered several dishes from the friendly stall owner.

Mushroom Chicken - $6

I thought this dish of Mushroom Chicken was alright. Taste-wise, there wasn't anything particularly outstanding, so perhaps more mushrooms would have made it a more memorable dish.

Soya Sauce Pork Rib - $6

The Soya Sauce Pork Rib dish was a disappointment. I love pork ribs, but these were bony and tough. The soya sauce seasoning was something different for steamed pork ribs and I would have enjoyed it more were it not for the tough meat.

Soya Sauce Fish Head - $13

The Soya Sauce Fish Head was the star. The name, though, is somewhat of a misnomer, since it is actually steamed with tau cheow (fermented soya bean paste; 豆酱) and tau see (fermented black soya beans; 豆豉). I thought the fish head was steamed just right, and the flesh was soft and, I don't know if this is the right word, silky. It was too bad the fish had a slight "fishy" taste to it that day (I had just gone a few weeks before and it didn't have that taste). I'm no food connoisseur, but I think the added tau see gave an extra "oomph" to the seasoning - well, that and the spicy chilli padi too. The seasoning was a little salty for my taste, but I think it would go well drizzled over a bowl of rice. If you want something different from the steamed fish head available at Chinatown Market (to be precise, Smith Street Market and Food Centre), you should consider this.

I really enjoyed myself that day. The wanton mee from Dunman Road Char Siew Wan Ton Mee more than made up for that disappointing meal at Fei Fei Wanton Mee. I am not really a fan of the Singapore-style wanton mee, but if I really had to have it, this would be it. OK! 蒸好味 offers several steamed dishes, but the highlight is definitely the steamed Soya Sauce Fish Head. Note that the stalls only operate from 3pm.

Dunman Road Char Siew Wan Ton Mee (德明叉烧云吞面)
#02-19
Closed Mondays and Thursdays

OK! 蒸好味
Blk 271 Onan Road
#02-20
Dunman Road Food Centre (map)
Singapore 424768

Paper hot pot noodles and red bean dessert

Buangkok. This place will always remind me of the White Elephant Incident. Step out of the Buangkok MRT Station now, and you will be faced with Kopitiam City (well, unless you got off at the other exit, then all you will see is an empty field). Kopitiam City can be considered a mini-town centre, and is managed by Kopitiam Group, which own the Kopitiam chain of food courts around Singapore. There are two food courts there (one non-air conditioned), as well as two restaurants and several retail shops.

I'd originally wanted to try the mee rebus at the non-air conditioned Kopitiam, but the stall was shut. My dining partner then suggested the air-conditioned Kopi Food Court. The place definitely looked a little classier than the average food court. And I liked that it felt pretty spacious too (a vast difference from the non-air conditioned one just several steps away). After surveying the food stalls, I decided to go with the popular vote, and ordered from the noodle stall called 唐人街 Noodle House. I had the Hot Pot Noodles (唐人锅面) for the novelty of it. Unlike mini pot noodles (小锅面), this was served in a paper hot pot, like the Japanese kaminabe.

Hot Pot Noodles (唐人锅面) - $4.50

There was quite a variety of ingredients, including a dumpling and a slice of abalone(?), as well as the usual sliced pork, minced meat and pork liver among others.

The noodles was served with a fried dumpling and a strip of pork chop.

Unfortunately, I think my noodles had too much chilli paste. After stirring my noodles, they looked a very dark brown colour (whereas my dining partner's noodles was not that dark). I can stand spiciness, but not saltiness, and the saltiness was the problem for me. It was a waste, really, because it could have been a good bowl of noodles if the amount of chilli paste was cut down.

The novelty of the paper hot pot, and the ingredients used differentiate this from the usual mini pot noodles. And at $4.50, it is no more expensive than mini pot noodles sold in food courts. I'd like to return to the stall again some day to try the other dishes. And hopefully with the right amount of chilli in my noodles.

For dessert, I ordered a bowl of Red Bean Milk Ice (红豆奶冰).

Red Bean Milk Ice (红豆奶冰) - $1.90

It didn't really look like what was shown on the signboard, but, wow. I absolutely loved it. The red beans were soft, but not overly so. And they tasted great, not like the tasteless mush or overly-sweetened type that some dessert stalls use. The shaved ice was drenched in evaporated milk, and went perfectly well with the red beans. This is such a simple dessert, yet just so delicious. I can't believe I've never eaten this before! I have a new favourite dessert!

This was my second trip to Buangkok, and it was certainly a worthwhile trip. The Hot Pot Noodles was an interesting alternative to the usual mini pot noodles, and I suspect my overly-salty noodles was a genuine mistake and not the norm. But I'll definitely be back for the Red Bean Milk Ice, which, at $1.90, is actually rather good value.

唐人街 Noodle House

The Dessert Shop
Blk 277C Compassvale Link
#01-13 (map)
Kopi Food Court
Singapore 543277

Fei Fei Wanton Mee - Money fly away

There are two kinds of wanton mee (云吞面) you can get in Singapore. The first is local style, with the thicker, softer noodles and thick, dark soya sauce or tomato ketchup and red chilli sauce. The second is the Hong Kong noodles style, with the translucent, springier noodles and a light, watery sauce. Personally, my preference is for Hong Kong-style noodles, perhaps because I have been eating local-style wanton mee from young and have grown tired of it.

A while back, I read that Fei Fei Wanton Mee (飞飞云吞面) is a "must-try" for any wanton mee lover, and yet I had not eaten from there before, so one day, we headed to Joo Chiat to see what was so great about this Fei Fei Wanton Mee. Now, it is important that if you want to go on a food hunt, that you do your research carefully first. Unfortunately, we didn't, so instead of going to 62 Joo Chiat Place, we ended up at 72 Joo Chiat Place, simply because we passed that first. The shop at 72 is actually called 炎記飛飛雲吞面大王 (simpl.: 炎记飞飞云吞面大王). Like Dr. Leslie Tay of ieatishootipost, we were actually at the franchised stall, and not the original.

Of course, we didn't know that at the time. And since we went all the way to Joo Chiat for the famed wanton mee, we ordered the big portion.

Wanton mee (云吞面) - $3.50 (big)

This was what was served to us. It doesn't look like much. I gave my noodles a stir.

No, it certainly isn't much. First, the noodles. No, I didn't think it was all that great. Yes, it's better than most of the local-style noodles, that's for sure. But it wasn't that much better. The chilli sauce is supposed to go with the noodles, of course. But again, I didn't think the chilli was all that great. I actually thought it was a little too salty, and being a chilli lover, I felt it lacked the spicy "oomph". So, chilli plus noodles didn't help too. Next, the wantons were tiny. It would not be an exaggeration to say they were the size of, say, macadamia nuts. They tasted alright, but there were just too few of the tiny wantons. And the char siew (barbecued pork / 叉烧) was not even barbecued. I guess my opinion of this bowl of wanton mee is pretty clear by now. There wasn't a single redeeming factor. Above average noodles and an average chilli sauce do not make outstanding noodles. That, coupled with the meagre and substandard ingredients makes this $3.50 bowl of noodles a rip-off.

We also ordered a portion of hei zho (fried prawn roll).

Hei zho (fried prawn roll / 虾枣) - $6

This has got to be the most expensive hei zho I've eaten. The photo shows the portion. If the hei zho were good, it would have been money well spent. Unfortunately, it wasn't. The hei zho was (re-)fried after being cut into pieces, which I really dislike because it usually results in the filling being overcooked, and it was the case. It also destroyed the taste of the filling, and so I felt like I was eating flour instead of meat and prawns. I have eaten better and cheaper hei zho.

When I started this blog, I wanted to be different, to be objective. I wanted to be fair as well. Perhaps I went on a bad day. Perhaps I had too high expectations. Perhaps it was simply because I wasn't at the original stall. I certainly did not enjoy my meal at all, and I have absolutely no reason to return. I am even hesitant of trying the original stall. Instead, I might just stick to my usual stall in Dunman Road Food Centre.

Fei Fei Wanton Mee (炎記飛飛雲吞面大王)
72 Joo Chiat Place (map)
Singapore 427789

Also, the original:
Fei Fei Wanton Mee (飛飛雲吞面)
62 Joo Chiat Place
Sin Wah Coffeeshop (map)
Singapore 427785

Links: HungryGoWhere

Koo Kee Dumpling & Ramen House

I find it surprising that good Chinese cuisine - and I mean the China stuff, not local - hasn't made much progress into our food centres and coffee shops. Sure, once in a while, there's a stall that sells Chinese la mian (拉面), or maybe a stall that sells xiao long bao (小笼包) and guo tie (pan-fried dumplings, 锅贴), but if you really want to go Chinese, you'd have to step into a restaurant. (Maybe I just haven't discovered such a food stall yet.) Din Tai Fung (鼎泰丰) is, of course, a rather well-known restaurant. Granted, the food there is pretty decent, but my experiences have always been ruined by the "fast-food" feel that the waitstaff exude. You take a number to enter, place your order while waiting, get ushered to a table, and hurriedly finish your food. At least that's how I felt with the waitstaff running about and quickly clearing the dishes the instant you're done.

Of course, my whole rant about Din Tai Fung is merely a set up for one of my favourite places for a nice, quiet (generally), relaxed Chinese meal. I first discovered Koo Kee Dumpling & Ramen House (高记饺子拉面) a few years ago when a friend brought me there. Later on, they underwent a menu change, and it was then that I discovered, and fell in love, with the Ramen with Double Boiled Ginseng Chicken Soup. Some time back, I suggested this place to another friend, and so, two weeks ago, we finally had our dinner at Koo Kee.

My dining partner had a hearty appetite, so we ordered some dim sum (点心) in addition to our noodles. We settled on the xiao long bao and guo tie.

Steamed Juicy Meat Bun (小笼汤包) - $6

Pan Fried Pork & Chive Dumpling (三鲜锅贴) - $6

Both the xiao long bao and guo tie were good, though maybe the skin of the xiao long bao was a little drier and tougher than Din Tai Fung's. I guess it really depends on how you like it, and to me, I liked Koo Kee's all the same.

My dining partner ordered the Ramen with Spicy Seafood Soup, which she said she enjoyed.

Ramen with Spicy Seafood Soup (辣汤海鲜拉面) - $8.80

I ordered my usual, of course.

Ramen with Double Boiled Ginseng Chicken Soup (人参鸡汤面) - $8.80

And I wasn't disappointed at all. The soup tasted great, with a strong, but not over-powering taste of ginseng and herbs. The chicken was smaller than I remembered, but there were also pieces of pork in the soup, probably to give it a meatier "oomph". The noodles were great too, not too thick, and cooked just right. After I finished my noodles, I continued drinking the delicious soup. Two-in-one! A good bowl of noodles, finished with ginseng chicken soup.

Although we were having dinner at the "peak" dinner period, the place was only about three quarters full. It was also rather quiet, except for the pounding sounds by the chef making the noodles (yes, the noodles are hand-made). The atmosphere was also very relaxed, which is the way I like it. Who likes being rushed through a meal, after all?

Koo Kee remains one of my favourite places to go for Chinese la mian. The good food and decent prices (it would even be fair to consider the food cheap) makes this an appealing place to go to. Yes, I would definitely be back again, and yes, more ginseng chicken ramen for me please!

Koo Kee Dumpling & Ramen House
2 Tampines Central 5
#B1-27 Century Square (map)
Singapore 529509
Phone: 6782 6338

Other outlets:
159 Rochor Road
Bugis Village (map)
Singapore 188434

80 Marine Parade Road
#B1-125 Parkway Parade (map)
Singapore 449269

Links: HungryGoWhere | Yum.sg

Xin Wang Hong Kong Kitchen

Despite the cha chan teng (茶餐厅), or Hong Kong café, craze that hit Singapore a few years ago, I haven't actually caught on to it. So when my dining partner suggested Xin Wang (新旺) Hong Kong Kitchen at White Sands shopping centre, I agreed.

There weren't the usual Hong Kong café food items like pastas and baked rice. Instead, this outlet sold mostly Hong Kong cuisine. We both ordered the Shrimp Dumpling Noodles in soup (水饺面汤), Iced Milk Tea and a Strawberry Snow Ice.

Iced Milk Tea - $2.90

Our iced milk teas came first. It was actually quite a small cup, and filled to the brim with ice cubes. But the taste... oh... the taste... This was probably the best iced milk tea I've ever had, and beats one of my favourites from a coffee shop in Simpang Bedok.

Shrimp Dumpling Noodles in soup - $6

It doesn't look like much, nor taste like much either. Still, it really isn't their fault since there's really little you can do with soup and noodles. The noodles were good, as they should be - the springy HK-style noodles. The shrimp dumplings tasted pretty good, but I thought the skin was a little on the thick and soggy side, which was a bit of a let-down.

Strawberry Snow Ice - $5.90

This gigantic abomination arrived at our table. You can see the cup of iced milk tea behind on the left. Yes, this thing is huge. Shaved ice packed very tight, drizzled with generous amount of strawberry syrup and condensed milk, plus a scoop of ice cream placed precariously on the top, and "garnished" with jelly and attap chee (attap seeds). This is a really sweet dessert (well, duh...) so consider yourself warned. I did enjoy it, because the strawberry syrup was really good. Don't attempt to eat it by yourself though. Unless you have a really good appetite and are immune to brain freeze.

It was an enjoyable meal, and I especially enjoyed the iced milk tea and strawberry snow ice. Service was generally good - the waitstaff were courteous and seemed friendly enough. I don't think I'd really crave to return to this place, but I sure wouldn't mind returning if the opportunity arises.

Xin Wang Hong Kong Kitchen (website)
1 Pasir Ris Central Street 3
#01-14 White Sands Shopping Centre (map)
Singapore 518457
Phone: 6583 3611

Links: HungryGoWhere | Yum.sg

Nihon Mura - Not for the sushi

My first review is for Nihon Mura. Nihon Mura first appeared on the scene with a very hot deal - $0.99 sushi. Of course, this was a good deal. Where else can you find sushi for under a dollar a serving in a resturant? Even supermarket sushi cost $0.60 each at that time (and they probably cost more now).

While more outlets have opened, Nihon Mura has, unforunately, gained a rather bad rep, if online reviews are to be believed. But in my search, few people, it seems, have tried their tea-time buffet.

This is my second time to Nihon Mura at Tampines Swimming Complex for the buffet. Since my last visit, the price has gone up by a dollar, to $17.90++ ($15.90++ for students), with a slight menu change. Soft drinks are also included in the buffet, as are iced and hot green tea. There is also ice cream for dessert. The grilled enoki wrapped in bacon is no longer offered though.

Service was pretty much excellent. While we were still standing outside, a waitstaff promptly went to the door and opened it for us. The waitstaff were attentive, friendly, patient and polite. With the exception of a server who just dumped our food on the table. We placed a first round of order, and then headed to the sushi conveyor belt. I picked a salmon sushi and unagi (eel) sushi.

Salmon sushi

I felt that the salmon was sliced too thin, and didn't look particularly fresh. Of course, if you consider that plate of sushi cost $0.99, well, then you get what you pay for. The unagi sushi was alright - better than the salmon, but nothing extraordinary.

Next came our ordered food. We started off with each of the six types of sashimi: salmon, maguro (tuna), kisu (sillago), tai (red sea bream), ika (squid) and amaebi (pink shrimp).

Assorted sashimi

The sashimi were all pretty good and tasted fresh. This is especially important for the ika, which must be fresh. Unfortunately, I have had bad experiences with the ika sashimi at Hanabi and Sakura. I am a big fan of ika, amaebi and salmon sashimi, and I had a few more rounds of those!

Assorted sashimi: amaebi, salmon and ika

Soft shell crab hand roll

The soft shell crab handroll was rather good too. It was definitely wrapped upon ordering. The crab and seaweed were crispy. I felt there was a good balance of rice, mayo and crab. Later, I also had the ebi tempura handroll and unagi tempura handroll. Yes, you read it right. Unagi tempura. I'm pretty sure this is my first time eating unagi tempura. It was interesting - the soft unagi with a crispy tempura coating.

Chawanmushi

I loved the chawanmushi. It wasn't too "eggy", and I feel is comparable at least to Sakae Sushi's. Among the grilled dishes, we also ordered teriyaki chicken, shiitake mushrooms, shishamo and iwatako mentai (grilled octopus with roe).

Teriyaki chicken

The shishamo was disappointingly small, shriveled and dry. The first bite of the shiitake mushroom was quite a surprise, because it was hard and chewy. But the remaining two (of a stick of four) were perfectly grilled. I think the grill was hotter at the tip, resulting in the mushrooms at the ends to be overcooked. We also got this for the octopus and the chicken wings, where the ends were significantly more burnt. Otherwise, the grilled items were quite good, especially the octopus.

Iwatako mentai

Next were the fried items. Some of what we ordered included ebi fry (breaded fried prawns), tako yaki (octopus balls), ebi yaki (prawn balls), karaage (fried chicken) and squid.

Tori karaage, ebi yaki, tako yaki, ebi fry

Squid skewer tempura

They were all freshly fried and absolutely delicious.

To end our meal, we had the ice cream - ordinary ice cream, but topped with a bit of fresh cream, a small piece of cherry, and a stick of strawberry love letter.

Overall, it was a very satisfying meal at Nihon Mura, and the really friendly waitstaff made it even better. I would definitely be willing to return again for the buffet. But really, don't go for the sushi.

Pricing
Tea time buffet
2.30pm to 5.30pm (last order at 5pm)
Adult: $17.90++
Student: $15.90++
Child: $10.90++ (less than 10 yrs)

Nihon Mura (website)
Tampines Swimming Complex
505 Tampines Ave 5 #01-03/04 (map)
Singapore 529652
Phone: 6260 8197

Other outlets: See website

Links: HungryGoWhere | Yum.sg