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.

The new Whampoa Drive Food Centre

Whampoa has quite a few well-known food stalls in the food centres (spanning across two blocks). The food centres were recently renovated, and are now cleaner, brighter and more airy. When I visited the new Whampoa Food Centre, I was pleased to note that several of the famous stalls were still around. Some of the stalls maintained the same storefront, like the Hokkien Mee stall, and so was instantly recognisable. Of course, the queues in front of the popular stalls made them much easier to spot as well.

I didn't have any particular stall in mind, but I not in the mood to queue. I saw that there were quite a number of people ordering from the Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee/Fried Kway Teow stall. Even better, there wasn't a queue because the stallholder would deliver the food to the table. I decided to order a plate of char kway teow (炒粿条).

Char kway teow (炒粿条)

The char kway teow didn't look particularly attractive, because it was just all brown. But I thought it tasted pretty decent. It wasn't really good, but it was a good, satisfying plate of char kway teow. And I know there are many stalls that could have done much worse. The char kway teow is the sweet, local version, and is served with cockles, squid, prawns and beansprouts. The seafood used were fresh and cooked just nice, so they definitely helped make this plate of char kway teow rather enjoyable.

While looking around for dessert, I found a new stall called Sugar O/甜品. The Mango Tango looked interesting, so I decided to give it a shot.

Mango Tango

The Mango Tango was nice, but it really could have been better if it had been served with more mango syrup. As it was, part of the ice were just plain ice shavings, and even after mixing the ice, I thought it was a little bland. The ice cream, though, was good. It was smooth and creamy and had a pleasant mango flavour. The ingredients were also substantial, so it was quite value for money, though maybe a little expensive for "hawker food". I'd definitely like the try some other creations by the friendly lady boss.

Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee/Fried Kway Teow
#01-59

Link: HungryGoWhere

Sugar O/甜品
Blk 90 Whampoa Drive
#01-18
Whampoa Drive Food Centre (map)
Singapore 320090

Teochew Street Bak Chor Mee - Authentic or Bland?

I love bak chor mee (肉脞面), the modern variation with the vinegar, chilli, pork slices and liver. Thankfully, I have access to decent bak chor mee nearby to satisfy my cravings. Shortly after the Smith Street Market and Food Centre (more commonly known as Chinatown Market) reopened after a two-year renovation and upgrading, I read of this very popular bak chor mee stall that commanded a queue at all times of the day.

Indeed, during my initial few visits to the food centre, I saw, to my dismay, the long queue at the stall, Teochew Street Mushroom Minced Meat Noodle (潮州街香菇肉脞面). During one visit, however, I set my heart on trying the noodles, queue or no queue. The problem was not with the number of people, in fact, there were only about ten people in the queue. The problem was the time and effort the stall owner took to cook each and every bowl of noodles, which resulted in an over 30-minute wait. Since I had spent all that time waiting, I went for the $4 bowl.

Bak Chor Mee (肉脞面) - $4

Closer view of the soup

It sure looked delicious and substantial. There was a lot of ingredients: minced pork, dumplings, fish and meat balls, a big prawn and a generous serving of lard. Taste-wise, however, it was, well, disappointing. I always believe that the chilli is important to a good bowl of bak chor mee. But this bowl of noodles tasted bland and muted. Perhaps this is indeed authentic Teochew noodles, because Teochew cuisine is lightly seasoned to bring out the quality and freshness of the ingredients. This, I certainly do not deny. The ingredients were definitely good, and the prawn was fresh.

As authentic as it may be, the bak chor mee from Teochew Street Mushroom Minced Meat Noodle is definitely not my cup of tea. I prefer more "oomph" to my bak chor mee, and this is the complete opposite. Perhaps this would be a healthier alternative, if you can be bothered queuing for it.

Teochew Street Mushroom Minced Meat Noodle (潮州街香菇肉脞面)
Blk 335 Smith Street
#02-023 (Yellow Zone)
Smith Street Market and Food Centre (map)
Singapore 050335

Boon Kee Prawn Dumpling Noodles: Cheap & Good

Between wonton mee (云吞面) and shui gao mee (prawn dumpling noodles/水饺面), I actually prefer the latter. I prefer the meatier and crunchy shui gao to the aneroxic wanton. But good shui gao is hard to come by. Some food hawkers cut costs by putting more vegetables (chestnuts?) or flour, or mincing up the prawn. But once in a while, I come across a good shui gao, with a meaty bite, the right amount of crunch, and that delicious chunk of prawn inside.

Boon Kee serves the local-style noodles with the dark sauce. The shui gao mee looks deceptively plain and ordinary - a plate of noodles in dark red sauce and some vegetables on top, and a bowl of soup with the shui gao and some spring onions sprinkled over.

Shui gao mee (Prawn dumpling noodles/水饺面) - $3.00

I ordered the larger, $3 portion, and it came with a generous portion of noodles, and five shui gaos. The noodles were cooked perfectly, and the sauce went well with the noodles, although I would have prefered more chilli. The shui gaos were a good size, and tasted pretty good, and yes, there was a chunk of prawn in each one. The soup, too, was delicious, and not MSG-delicious.

I really enjoyed the shui gao mee here, and, yes, it's true. You can get cheap and good together.

Boon Kee
Blk 448 Clementi Ave 3
#01-36
Clementi Market & Food Centre (map)
Singapore 120448

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