Tag: fusion food

This Hawker Stall In Bedok Run By 3 Young Dudes Serves Ume-zing Japanese Fusion Food For Under $7

Fusion food is a rather ingenious concept that gives us the best of both worlds, but it more often than not comes with a premium price tag as well.

The much-hyped Lobster Nasi Lemak, for example, costs a whopping $22 — a price point higher than some restaurants, mind you — while hawker chain Fish & Chicks charges $12.90 for their chilli crab and salted egg fish & chips.

The folks at Plum & Rice, however, have flipped that idea on its head, and the result is an incredibly satisfying meal at an even more satisfying price.

Small Menu, Big Flavours

Occupying a humble corner stall at Bedok North Street 1 Market and Food Centre, Plum & Rice serves Japanese-inspired rice with Singaporean-inspired dishes.

The concept is the brainchild of three friends who graduated from the Culinary Institute of America (Singapore) — they discovered the titular combination of Umeboshi and rice while searching for inspiration in Japan, and decided to adopt the fusion angle to better suit the Singaporean palate.

The menu, while small, is all about choices — right from the get go you can choose between rice or porridge, both of which are infused with an Umeboshi paste.

Unfortunately, the porridge was sold out by the time we got there (a testament to how popular it is, perhaps), but the rice is definitely something to write home about.

Thanks to the addition of house-made furikake, cereal, curry leaves, dried shrimp and seaweed, everything comes together to form an extremely flavourful bite, and I could have seriously ate a bowl of it on its own. The owners have also recently added red rice into the mix, making it as healthy as it is tasty.

On the meat side of things, you have three choices: braised pork belly, braised pork shoulder, and fish. Both pork dishes are prepared in the same dark soy sauce and are therefore rather similar in taste, but the belly is ultimately is the one to get thanks to its silky smooth texture.

Breaking apart at the slightest touch, every slice quite literally melts in your mouth. There’s also a rather…homely feel to the taste, which forms a nice juxtaposition with the Japanese rice.

The fish was also sold out (pro-tip: go early), but co-owner Raphael tells us that it’s cooked sous-vide style, which makes it very, very tender. Judging by how smooth the pork belly was, we wouldn’t doubt it.

Each meal also comes with a side and (refillable!) soup, both of which change every two weeks. We were served bean sprouts and peanut soup, and their lighter tastes balanced out with the savoury meat and rice perfectly.

One personal recommendation I have to make is the house-made chilli —it provides a decent kick of spice without going overboard, and adds a whole new dimension of to an already-flavourful meal.

Cheaper Than You Think

You might think that all this would be pretty expensive, but a meal at Plum & Rice will actually cost you less than $7.

Yup, that’s right — you’re getting rice, meat, a side and free-flow soup for the unbelievable price of $4.90 ($6.90 if you’re going for the fish, which is still very reasonable), which honestly might be the best deal we’ve seen in recent history.

One caveat, however, is that the stall closes at 2pm, which might be a problem for office workers and those not living in the east.

Those willing to put in the effort to try them out, however (there’s always the weekend), will not be disappointed.

Plum & Rice
Address: 216 Bedok North Street 1, #01-45, Singapore 460216
Opening Hours: 8am – 2pm (Closed on Mondays)

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Also Read Tsukiji Fish Market Restaurant Is Pretty Close To The Real Deal — Serves Fish, Ramen, Yakiniku All In One Place

(Header Image Source: Discover SG)

This New Korean-Western Cafe At Tampines Serves Dishes Like Kimchi Mac & Cheese For $9

Why do the Easties always get the good stuff?

First it’s Seoul in a Sandwich, then A&W and Shake Shack, and now, Two Hana.

Two Hana is a cafe in Century Square serving up Korean-Italian fusion food.

Korean-Italian Fusion

Korean food has become very popular in Singapore and many Korean restaurants have popped up over the years. The problem, however, is that they all serve pretty much the same things.

Two Hana stands out from the rest by taking traditional Italian dishes and giving them a Korean twist.

Like the Korean Seafood Cioppino ($12). A Cioppino is a Italian-American fish stew that also includes other seafood such as crab, clams, shrimp, scallops, squid, and mussels.

You can choose to have your Cioppino with tofu or a bread roll.

Another dish to look out for is the Braised Gochujang Lamb Shank ($24). The lamb shank is fork tender due to the long braising, and the accompanying gravy uses gochujang, resulting in a slightly spicier variant of the classic lamb shank gravy.

Also, this lamb shank comfortably feeds 2, so be careful not to over-order.

For sides, go for the Kimchi Mac and Cheese ($9), Korean Cauliflower Fritters ($8), and the Seafood Mandu with Tteokbokki Cheese Sauce ($8).

If you’re looking for a traditional Mac and Cheese, you’re looking in the wrong place. The one served here comes as a fried cube of kimchi-flavoured mac and cheese.

If you find this too jelak to finish, try it with the accompanying chilli sauce which is a sucker punch to your throat because of the chilli padi. Try it. I dare you.

Now I love Cauliflower Cheese, or any form of Cauliflower, so these Korean Cauliflower Fritters make me very happy. Each pale florette is covered in dakgangjeong sauce, giving them a sweet, spicy flavour.

Lastly, the Seafood Mandu with Tteokbokki Cheese Sauce. For those who are unfamiliar, mandu is the korean version of a gyoza. It’s basically a dumpling.

The ones here come served with cheese sauce and topped with tteokbokki. It’s a lot of textures, so take your time to chew.

Prices at Two Hana are rather affordable, with nothing beyond $24. And the best part is that the prices are already inclusive of GST and there’s no service charge because everything is self-service.

Two Hana also has plenty of lunchtime and afternoon tea promotions available. Do check their Facebook page for any ongoing promotions.

You can view their full menu here.

For our Muslim friends, don’t worry. Two Hana is in the midst of finalising their Halal certification, so hang tight!

In the meantime, I’m going to plan how to move to the East side because I’m getting district envy.

Two Hana
Address: 2 Tampines Central 5, #01-21 Century Square, Singapore 529509
Opening Hours: Daily: 8am – 10pm
Contact no.: 6260 4321
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Also read A&W And Shake Shack FINALLY Come To S’pore – To Open At Jewel Changi Airport In 2019

(Header Image Source: @spadely and @travlim)

This Restaurant Deep Fries Their Chicken Rice Balls And The End Result Is Super Shiok

Chicken rice is a dish that has a special place in all our Singaporean hearts.

Our national dish, ask any Singaporean where their favourite chicken rice stall is and you will see people fiercely defending their favourites.

Enter Roost, a restaurant that focuses on the iconic dish, and that celebrates it by reinterpreting it in a variety of interesting ways!

Located at The Centrepoint, in the heart of Orchard, this is the place to go for a plate of your favourite chicken rice after a whole day of shopping in town!

A Unique Spin On Chicken Rice

One of the most inventive dishes sold here is the Chicken Sushi ($4.90 for 4), Roost’s signature soya chicken and chicken rice assembled in sushi-form, and glazed with Teriyaki Sauce. Perfectly bite-sized, these are great for popping into your mouth!

Another is the Crispy Chicken Rice Balls ($4.90 for 4), a chicken rice ball that is coated with breadcrumbs and deep fried. Served with a saucer of homemade chilli sauce, the crispy chicken rice balls are lightly battered and deliver an explosion of flavour when you bite into it. Can’t fully enjoy your chicken rice unless there’s chilli? Dip it into the sauce for a spicy kick!

Torn between Poached and Soya Sauce Chicken Rice? Get the best of both worlds with the Yin Yang Chicken Rice ($8.90), a must try at Roost. Serving up a tasty rendition of Soya Sauce Chicken, this is definitely our pick of the two.

Yin Yang Chicken Rice (Image Credit: Time Out)

Machine-Cooked Chicken

A unique feature you’ll notice about this restaurant is the cooking method employed here. The chickens at Roost are cooked using an automated poultry machine called the ‘iKook’.

Inspired by the automated machines Krispy Kreme uses for the production of their donuts, the iKook is the world’s first automated poultry machine. It can poach, braise, and sous-vide chickens, ensuring the chicken is of a consistent quality!

So, onto the million dollar question: How does machine-cooked chicken taste?

The answer is not bad, not bad at all. With a silky skin and flesh that is tender and moist, the all-important chicken at this chicken rice restaurant fares decently. Not the best, but definitely decent.

Here, the standout dishes are undisputedly the starters – especially the Crispy Chicken Rice Balls! Crispy on the outside, packed with chicken flavour on the inside, and with a great chilli sauce to go along, this was definitely a unique taste experience for us chicken rice fans.

The next time you’re feeling peckish when in town and have no idea where to eat, make a stop at Roost for their unique spins on everyone’s favourite chicken rice! With both an unusual way of cooking their chickens and an unusual array of chicken rice-related dishes, Roost is a unique food spot worth checking out!

Roost
Address: 176 Orchard Road, The Centrepoint #B1-17/18/19, 238843
Opening Hours: Daily, 11am – 9pm
Contact no.: 6909 0411
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