Hai Nan Xing Zhou Beef Noodles 海南星洲牛肉粉 (Kim Keat Palm Market & Food Centre)

Beef Noodle (Dry) $5

Hai Nan Xing Zhou Beef Noodles 海南星洲牛肉粉 has been operating for close to 70 years. The stall used to be located at Cuppage Centre before moving to its current location at Kim Keat Palm Market & Food Centre.

 Tip: Visit during off-peak hour as the queue is known to be slow moving.  

The beef noodle is served in either dry or wet version for $4 or $5.

Beef Noodle (Dry) $5

This bowl of Beef Noodle (Dry) $5 came with generous slices of beef meat.

Beef Noodle (Dry) $5

I felt that the slices of beef were overcooked as they were on the tough end and not as tenderised (or melt in the mouth) as what I hoped for. Thankfully, the dark, rich, gooey sauce made up for it. The sauce was not salty and had hints of beefy flavour. The sauce complemented the beef slices and thick bee hoon well. 

The bowl of accompanying cloudy brown soup was tasty with hints of beefy flavours too. 

Hai Nan Xing Zhou Beef Noodles 海南星洲牛肉粉 (Kim Keat Palm Market & Food Centre)
22 Lor 7 Toa Payoh
#01-06 Kim Keat Palm Market & Food Centre
Singapore 310019
Opening Hours: Tue to Sun 8.30am to 3.30pm
                           Closed on Mon

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Yuba Hut (Northpoint City)

Champion Floss Maki $9.90

Yuba Hut is a fast causal Japanese restaurant. Interestingly, the restaurant has expanded quickly since its inception, opening its third outlet at Northpoint City, Yishun. The first two outlets are located at Heartland Mall and Hillion Mall.

Menu

Yuba Hut serves modern Japanese fusion cuisine such as Aburi-style Makis, Don and Sashimi.

Champion Floss Maki $9.90

This is its signature Aburi-style Maki; Champion Floss Maki $9.90. This Maki is full of ingredients. The sushi rolls are wrapped with aburi-styled (torched) salmon slices and topped with mayonnaise sauce, chicken floss and fish roe. With the ingredients, they provided different dimensions in taste and texture. You get to taste the crunchy roes followed creamy sauce and the soft salmon slices and sushi roll in one mouthful. Oishi!

Beef Steak Don $15.90

The Beef Steak Don $15.90 consists of beef steak slices with onsen egg on top of rice. The steak was surprisingly soft and tender although it was well done. The addition of the onsen egg enhanced the creaminess and flavour of the don.

Salmon Aburi Don $14.90

The Salmon Aburi Don $14.90 is another signature dish at Yuba Hut. It is essentially aburi-styled salmon slices with fish roe on top of the rice. Light sauce was also added into the rice bowl and also used as decoration along the sides of the bowl. I was not blown away by this don. In fact, I was disappointed that it was so salty. Even though I was cautious not to mix all the light sauce with the rice, the don was just too salty for my liking. The Beef Steak Don $15.90 definitely tasted way better.

Yuba Hut is worth a try. If you are someone like me who dislike salty dishes, I would advise you to either avoid ordering the Salmon Aburi Don or make a request for them not to add light soy sauce. 

Yuba Hut (Northpoint City)

#B1-186 Northpoint City South Wing

930 Yishun Avenue 2

Singapore 769098

Opening Hours: Daily 10am to 10pm

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Kim Dae Mun Korean Food (Concorde Hotel)

Spicy Beancurd Soup (Soondubu Jjigae) 순두부찌개 $7.50

Kim Dae Mun Korean Food is located in Concorde Hotel; previously known as Le Meridien Hotel. If you are wondering where is Concord Hotel, it is located along the Orchard Shopping Belt, in between Dhoby Ghuat (Plaza Singapura) and Somerset (Orchard Plaza) MRT stations.

Menu

As it's name suggest, Kim Dae Mun Korean Food specialises in serving Korean cuisine. They order quite an extensive variety of dishes ranging from soup, meat, rice, ramen and side dishes. In a short time span of 4 years, the eatery has shifted located 3 times times; from the food court at level 1 to level 2 and then back to another standalone bigger unit at level. I doubt they will move further as the sitting capacity that they have now is huge!

The kitchen and counter is manned by Koreans. This is the Ahjumma who always takes the order at the counter. After taking the order, she would always relay the order to the kitchen through a mike.

Although there is always a queue, they are perfectly trained to handle the crowd. They moved with clock work precision. I waited just 10 minutes and the food was ready. Upon collection of the food, customers could choose between kimchi, anchovies or cucumbers as sides.

Spicy Beef Soup Set $8

The Spicy Soup Set is one of their most highly raved dish online. This time round I ordered the version that comes with beef; Spicy Beef Soup Set $8. The set consisted of a big bowl of spicy beef soup served with a bowl of rice and a side dish.I chose anchovies.

Spicy Beef Soup $8

The Spicy Beef Soup Set was filled with generous amounts of ingredients such as slices of beef, beancurd, vegetable, Korean (thick) vermicilli, spring onion, egg and onions. The soup was spicy and tasty - not salty (I doubt MSG was added). The combination of soup with rice was perfect. In terms of the price, it was reasonable considering the quantity and taste of the food.

Bibimbap 비빔밥 $8

The Bibimbap 비빔밥 $8 was served in traditional stone bowl.

Bibimbap 비빔밥 $8

This is the Korean's version of mixed rice, that comes with a variety of vegetables, an egg, rice, meat (in this case I had beef) and the hot chili pepper paste (also know as gochujang).

Bibimbap 비빔밥 $8

Give it a good mix to ensure that each grain of rice is well coated with  the hot chili pepper paste. With each mouthful, you would be able to to experience different texture and taste due to the assortment of vegetables (some are crunchy whereas some are soft).

Spicy Beancurd Soup (Soondubu Jjigae) 순두부찌개 $7.50

This is the Spicy Beancurd Soup (Soondubu Jjigae) 순두부찌개 $7.50. It comes in two versions, with or without the spiciness.

Spicy Beancurd Soup (Soondubu Jjigae) 순두부찌개 $7.50

Personally, I thought that the taste was just average. It was spicy but lacked flavour.

Tender Sliced Beef $10

The Tender Sliced Beef $10 is their most expensive item on the menu. This dish is also highly raved about.

Tender Sliced Beef $10

The beef was well marinated and tasty. However, certain pieces were hard and tough. At $10, I thought that the price is on the higher end (i.e. not so value for money).

Did you know that their hotplates items are cooked with water instead of oil? Yes, you heard me right!

I will certainly be back at Kim Dae Mun Korean Food to try out other dishes. I have been wanting to try their ramen. Their food is quite the tasty and authentic. Moreover, it is now no longer tough to find seats!

Kim Dae Mun Korean Food (Concorde Hotel) 

100 Orchard Road #01-03D

Concorde Hotel And Shopping Mall 

Singapore 238840 

Tel: 9112 5910

Opening Hours: 11am to 8.30pm

                           Closed on Mon

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Shang Pin Hot Pot 尚品火锅 (Rendezvous Gallery)

Tomato Soup and Mushroom Soup $12

I am sure most of us have heard of Hai Di Lao 海底捞火锅, the popular steamboat chain from China which has opened a few outlets in Singapore. But have you heard of Shang Pin Hot Pot 尚品火锅? I have heard from several groups of friends that the food at Shang Pin Hot Pot is as good as Hai Di Lao and its price is cheaper.

The steamboat restaurant is located at level two of Rendezvous Gallery next to Rendezvous Hotel. Given its location, I would have never known that there's such a place if not for word of mouth. This restaurant is located 5 minutes walk away from Dhoby Ghuat MRT station. If you are lazy to walk, you can take the Circle Line and alight at Bras Basah MRT station. The restaurant is located just 1 minute walk away from this station.

Condiments - Sauces and Fruits

There is a wide selection of sauces and fruits available for $3 per person. The sauces range from sesame, soya, peanut, leek flower, chilli, fermented bean paste, beef, mushroom to seafood. There are also sugar, salt, peanuts etc. Such a wide variety!

We chose the multi-flavour soup base consisting of of Mushroom Soup and Tomato Soup for $12. Personally, I like the Tomato Soup as it was well balanced in terms of sweetness and sourness. However, the tangy taste overwhelmed the sweetness towards the end of the meal. As for the Mushroom Soup, we found it on the salty side at the start. Towards the end of the meal, the it tasted more pleasant, complementing the Tomato Soup.

We also ordered the free flow drinks at $2 per person. The homemade barley was real thick and good. Totally justify the price tag.

Pork Slices $8, Shang Pin Beef $14

We ordered the Pork Slices and Shang Pin Beef for $8 and $14 respectively. The quality of meat was good and they were sliced thinly making them easy to cook via shabu shabu style.

Dumplings $5

Although the Dumplings $5 consisted of just chives and meat, it was surprisingly delicious!

Baby Cabbage $4, Fresh Tofu $4, Mushroom Platter $14

These were the other dishes (i.e. Baby Cabbage $4, Fresh Tofu $4, Mushroom Platter $14) we ordered.

We also ordered the Shang Pin Kongfu Noodle $3 which we waited a very long time for ... more than half an hour. It was essentially a flatter version of ban mian and more expensive considering the portion. The two of us had just 4-5 short strands of noodles each. If you come in a big group, be prepared to eat just 1 to 2 strands. I would advise that you cook the noodles for a long period of time for it to become soft. The texture of the noodles was surprisingly smooth and slippery. In terms of taste, it was like the good old days when qui lian ban mian noodles taste awesome! 

For the record, I have visited Shang Pin Hot Pot twice. The first was during dinner on a Friday. The restaurant was fully booked. Thankfully, we made reservations. The second visit was during lunch on a weekday. During lunch time, the restaurant was not full. But in terms of service, it was way better at night when they had full staff strength. The post content and photos are all based on the second visit. 

As for the question whether Shang Pin Hot Pot 尚品火锅  or Hai Di Lao 海底捞火锅 is better? Well, I am in no position to compare as I have not tried Hai Di Lao before. So far, I like the food at Shang Pin Hot Pot =)

Shang Pin Hot Pot 尚品火锅 (Rendezvous Gallery)

9 Bras Basah Road

#02-02 Rendezvous Gallery 

Singapore 189559

Tel: +65 6238 7666

Opening Hours: Daily 12 pm to 12 am

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Yong Kang Beef Noodles 永康牛肉麵 (Taiwan, Taipei)

Braised Beef with Noodle in Spicy Broth 红烧牛肉麺

Yong Kang Beef Noodles 永康牛肉麵 opened since 1963 is known to be one of the best beef noodles restaurant in Tapei especially for their Spicy Broth 红烧 variety. Yong Kang Beef Noodles is located at Yong Kang Street 永康牛, a dining destination in Taipei with restaurants, cafes  and carts selling all types of food that cater to all budgets. This is also the place where the original Din Tai Feng restaurant is located at.

We arrived at the restaurant for lunch at around 2 pm as we got lost along the way. Despite the late timing, there was still a queue in front of the stall.

Menu

 This is the menu for tourist with translation of the dishes in different languages.

Wanton with Hot Chilli Sauce 红烧抄手

When we saw that they had the Wanton with Hot Chilli Sauce 红烧抄手, we knew that we just had to order it. As you can see from the photo, the wantons are placed on top of the chilli oil and pepper. It is extremely spicy and addictive! Not for the faint hearted.

Braised Beef with Noodle in Spicy Broth 红烧牛肉麺

This is the signature Braised Beef with Noodle in Spicy Broth 红烧牛肉麺 which is raved to be one of the best. The Australian beef servings are generous and so tender with a melt-in-the-mouth sensation. As for the noodles, they were decent, smooth and chewy. The spicy broth was a winner. It was spicy but so flavourful. No doubt one of the best beef noodles we ate in Taiwan!

Braised Beef with Noodle in Clear Broth 清燉牛肉麺

As for the Braised Beef with Noodle in Clear Broth 清燉牛肉麺, the only difference was that the broth was not spicy. It was still flavourful nevertheless. I prefer the one with spicy broth, this version would be good for those who cannot take spicy food.

This name card shows the location and address of the restaurant. The beef noodles definitely made this trip worthwhile. A must try!

Yong Kang Beef Noodles 永康牛肉麵 (Taiwan, Taipei)

台北市金山南路二段31巷17號 

No. 17, Street 31, Jinshan South Road Section 2, Taipei

Tel: 02 2351 1051 

Opening Hours: Daily: 11am to 9.30 pm
Directions: From Dongmen MRT 東門 (Tamsui-Xinyi Line - Red), Exit 4, walk straight and turn right immediately into the small road. Walk straight till you see Jinhua Primary School. Take a right turn and you will see the restaurant a few units away.  
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Must Try Grilled Pork Ribs from Jobakjip 조박집 (South Korea, Seoul)

Grilled Pork Ribs (Galbi) 돼지갈비

If you are a fan of BBQ / Grilled Pork Ribs, the best place to have it in Seoul is in Mapo 마포 at Mapo's Dwaeji Galbi & Dwaeji Jumulleok Alley. In the 1950s, the Mapo port was busy with cargo boats that carried timber and grains down the Han River to the many sawmills and granaries in Mapo. There were many hungry seamen and workers looking for cheap filling food and booze to get over their strenuous day. With a growing demand, many eateries started popping up selling grilled pork and Makgeolli (Korean rice wine). Even after the port closed down, the blue collar workers were replaced with white collar workers (e.g. office workers). The office workers would frequent these eateries for the Makgeolli and Soju after a stressful day at work. The youngest employee in the group would normally be tasked (arrow-ed) to grilled the meat. Today, there are many barbecue restaurants (some having been opened before the dock was closed) along this particular alley.

My Korean friend brought us to this particular eatery known as Jobakjip 조박집 at the Dwaeji Galbi & Dwaeji Jumulleok Alley (aka Mapo BBQ Alley). Along the way, we spotted several barbecue restaurants and in fact, there was a hint of smokey barbecue smell in the air in this alley! Jobakjip 조박집 is 5 to 10 minutes walk away from Mapo Station (subway line 5) Exit 1.

When we entered the eatery, I was surprised that the eatery was nearly full (considering the competition). 

Menu

Focus on the menu, not the guys... The menu was mainly in Korean and English language. It was also simple and straight to the point. There was just two mains in it; (i) Hanwoo Grilled Seasoned Meat (Beef Jumulleok) 한우 주물럭 and (ii) Grilled Pork Ribs (Galbi) 돼지갈비. There were also Rice,  Radish Water Kimchi Noodle (DongChimi Noodle) 동치미국수 and Alcoholic Beverages. 

Interestingly, this is a non-smoking eatery. The eatery is well-ventilated and the place is not smokey unlike some other barbecue restaurants. But do note, your clothes will still definitely smell. 

All the wooden tables in the eatery had a charcoal fire pit in the middle as all the customers here would definitely be here for the barbecue food.

This was the spread we ordered, some food items are not shown in this photo. As usual, there would always be complimentary side dishes.

Each person would be served a bowl of salad.

Another side dish for sharing. There was also preserved radish.

Grilled Pork Ribs (Galbi) 돼지갈비

I was told that this eatery is well known for its Grilled Pork Ribs (Galbi) 돼지갈비. No need to worry about the fats as they would melt in the heat and help ensure that the meat is tender. The excessive fats would drip down into the grills.

The meat is normally marinated in a concoction of soy sauce, sliced scallions, garlic, ginger juice, sugar, sesame seeds, sesame oil and pepper. It would typically be scored to allow the meat to adsorb the marinade easily. 

Grilled Pork Ribs (Galbi) 돼지갈비

The Grilled Pork Ribs (Galbi) 돼지갈비 was indeed delicious. It was well marinated and succulent, of great quality and flavour. The smokey flavour from the charcoal stove was locked in the meat too. This is a must try! 

The garlic can be grilled too. The sauce at the left is the gochujang sauce. Not too sure what the sauce at the top is.

The locals would normally not eat the meat alone. They would take a piece of lettuce, spread the gochujang sauce on it, add a grilled garlic on top.

Then they would take the piece of cooked Galbi and drip it into this special sauce before adding the meat onto the lettuce and wrap it up. This is how they would eat this.

Radish Water Kimchi Noodle (DongChimi Noodle) 동치미국수

We also ordered a bowl of Radish Water Kimchi Noodle (DongChimi Noodle) 동치미국수 each. This is water based, non spicy kimchi and is traditionally consumed during winter. Today, koreans consume this all year round. It was served chilled. The broth was clear and was refreshing while the radish was crunchy.

Hanwoo Grilled Seasoned Meat (Beef Jumulleok) 한우 주물럭

We also ordered the Hanwoo Grilled Seasoned Meat (Beef Jumulleok) 한우 주물럭. Compared to the Galbi, this is normally lightly marinated in a concoction of sesame oil, salt, garlic and pepper. Instead of scoring the meat, the concoction would be rubbed over the meat.

Hanwoo Grilled Seasoned Meat (Beef Jumulleok) 한우 주물럭

The staff would change the grills before this is grilled. The marbling on the meat looks great. However, looks can be deceiving. The appearance and price of the Beef Jumulleok, mismatch the taste. It was not as tasty and flavourful as the Galbi (which was way cheaper). 

Fermented Soybean Paste Stew (Doenjang jjigae) 된장 찌개

Towards the end of the meal, we were given a complimentary small pot of Fermented Soybean Paste Stew (Doenjang jjigae) 된장 찌개. We place it on top of the charcoal stove and heat it up further. This was tasty and delicious. We really enjoyed the soup. 

It was worth our time travelling down specially to Mapo to try the Grilled Pork Ribs (Galbi) 돼지갈비 from Jobakjip 조박집. This is worth a visit if you are in Seoul. Do not miss this!

Namecard

This is the name card of the eatery.

Jobakjip 조박집 (South Korea, Seoul)
Yonggang-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea
서울특별시 마포구 용강동 40-1번지
Tel: +82 2 712 7462

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