Qiu Rong Ban Mian -Great noodles, great price

Intro:

While most of the food we typically cover on this blog fall within the mid-range price category, there is an undeniable case to be made for enjoyable food on a budget. Singapore is blessed with its hawker culture, making great-tasting food accessible to all, regardless of socio-economic background. Although hawker food usually lacks the more refined presentation and sophisticated taste of more expensive options, they do not detract from their core strengths of deliciousness. This is definitely the case with Qiu Rong Ban Mian, a humble ban mian store in the basement food court of Roxy Square II.

This way to great ban mian!

Ambience:

Being located in a small food court, Qiu Rong Ban Mian doesn’t have much of an ambience to speak of. At times, I do feel that the food court is an extension of the stall instead of the stall being the food court’s component, upon looking at the sheer percentage of customers eating from orange or pink bowls of noodles, which signifies its popularity. During peak periods, this stall enjoys long queues, while the rest of the food court’s stalls appear to be looking forlornly on.

Sterile food court environment

Quality and Taste:

Mee Hoon Kuey ($3.00)

What’s most striking about this bowl of noodles is its deceivingly simplistic exterior. It really doesn’t look like much. The cloudy soup (a hallmark of a well-done bowl of ban mian) however is the first indicator that beneath its unassuming façade lies a dish of truly potent proportions. The ikan billis is flavourful, strong and crispy, and remains crunchy for a surprisingly long time while submerged in the soup (do try to eat it as soon as possible though –nobody wants soggy ikan bilis). I particularly enjoy digging for the egg yolk, and with its similar colour, find it akin to digging for gold. Indeed, it’s one of the highlights of my meal, with its tendency to explode in mouths of hungry customers, filling them enjoyably with warm eggy goodness infused with a fair serving of tasty broth.

My mee hoon kuey looking good for the camera

It’s a rarity these days to find stalls making their own noodles, with most preferring to buy them from suppliers. Qiu Rong Ban Mian does this however, with their own noodle-making machine in the stall. The noodles (or in my case, mee hoon kuey pieces) turn out nicely supple and soft (which isn’t to be confused with the effects of overcooking them).

Freshly-made noodles

Although it’s unelegant-looking, the minced pork meat is well-marinated, and has a nice texture to it. That being said, it does taste much better the longer it’s left in the broth, as it soaks up its flavours as well as lends the broth its own. Consequently, I like leaving mine alone until the end of the meal when it’s at its best, flavourwise.

The soups of ban mian stalls tend to belong to either of two extremes –being rather diluted and flat (some of which are barely differentiable in taste from tap water), or having copious amounts of MSG added to them. Qiu Rong Ban Mian’s however is extremely robust, tasting like a hearty blend of what I’m guessing to be pork, anchovies, tapioca, and a whole lot of ingredients undiscernible to me. It has an undeniable character to it, one which thankfully isn’t derived from MSG. While it’s understandably not as heavy as the broth of a good Ramen, I’d rate it right up there in terms of taste.

Murky soup, a hallmark of great ban mian

I also ought to mention that in the 5 years or so of my patronage, the ban mian’s taste has not changed one bit, which is an impressive testament to the dedication as well as masterful cooking of the China owner-chefs.

Value:

If you can look past the lack of a classy ambience, I’d say that $3.00 is money very well-spent, considering the sumptuous meal you get at this very low price. I often leave the food court feeling very satisfied and bloated even, with the generous portion of ban mian.

Conclusion:

Qiu Rong Ban Mian is one of those fabled hidden gems, being located in the basement of a shopping mall that has seen better days, and a gem it truly is, with its unpretentious, delicious ban mian. I’d go so far as to say (and I’m sure that its band of loyal patrons will agree) that it is the quintessential ban mian, worthy of anybody’s visit.

FOODIE’S RATING
Quality & Taste(75%)	8.0	Tasty and filling, this is definitely a meal worth having
Value (15%)	8.5	A true steal for the price
Ambience & others (10%)	5.0	At least the food court looks reasonably sterile
Total	7.8	Great taste, great price, it's tough to ask for more

Address:
#B1-01, Roxy Square, 50 East Coast Road

Opening Hours:
Daily, 9:30am to 9pm

Wing Stop @ Bedok Mall: A worthy stop in anyones fast food journey

Intro:

Bedok Mall has been semi-open for a while now and in it hosts a variety of delectable eateries.  Some are established and some are newly opened franchises I'm eager to try all of them.  On the menu today is Wing Stop, a popular franchise from the states that has just started its first outlet in Singapore. 

Ambience:

There isn't much to say here about the ambience.  Wing Stop's design is typically fast food place like and as expected, it has a well maintained and clean image.  The place is rather small though be prepared for a long wait for seats on busy days or opt for take-away instead.  

Simple fast food styled furniture

Decent lighting and wooden theme

Quality and Taste:

Wing Stop serves fresh, made to order (you guessed it) chicken wings that come in both boned and boneless variations. There is quite a wide variety of marinates to choose from and as far as I've experienced, most are quite good. 

You gotta wait for good food!

Wait over, time to eat.

I tried 2 different marinates that day:

Original and Garlic Parmesan 

The chicken served were extremely tender and chock full of natural juiciness.  There isn't too much oil used which but rest assured, the wings are indeed properly fried for drool inducing purposes. They were also served pipping hot for maximum goodness although allowing it to sit for awhile will allow for a more collected flavour due to the numbing effect when there's too much heat on our palates. 

So hot there's mist on my camera

Natural oils and juices~

Smells and tastes great

The original marinate is your bona fide buffalo wing, carrying a lightly spicy-sour taste with a hint of buttery goodness.  The spiciness here shouldn't be too much of a kick for most Singaporeans but the lingering sweetness will likely be enjoyed by most. 

The Garlic Parmesan rub was especially fragrant.  The mix of the cheese and crispy chicken skin was irresistibly appetizing and the garlic helped to add a subtle zing to the food.  If you are not adversed to garlic or Parmesan cheese, I would highly recommend this marinate. 

The set I ordered also came with a potato salad which was better than average but not any better than that.  It was fresh and was seasoned with some spices and herbs but still lacked the punch to make it stand out amongst the potato salads I've had at other places.   

Looks a little messy

Value:

I spent a total of $10.95 for 6 wings that came with a ranch sauce dip (which was pretty standard) , a large potato salad and an iced tea drink. Some might say that this is overpriced but I disagree.  In terms fullness alone I can safely said that I left with a sufficiently filled stomach and although some might consider 6 wings (the mid joint and drumlet are considered 1 wing each) too little for an ala carte price of around  1.20, the marinate they use and the freshness of the wing do help to justify its value a little.  Whilst Wing Stop wont win any super savings awards, its pricing is still quite satisfactory.

Conclusion:

Overall, Wing Stop is a great fast food joint serving specializing in something that most other fast food places do not have in Singapore.  Whilst the likes of KFC, Popeyes and Texas Chicken serve up heavy meals of big chicken cuts which are cooked in bulk, Wing Stop offers a more personal serving of fresh, made to order wings with a good variety of marinate choices that is overall more snack like than feeling like a full meal.  It can be filling though.  Just go for the set with six wings and more with a side.  

I would recommend this place to anyone looking for a quick bite, loves chicken wings or simply want something different from their fast food experience.

FOODIE’S RATING
Quality, Taste and Presentation (75%)	7.5	Great wings with a variety of equally great marinates
Value (15%)	6.5	Decent value
Ambience & others (10%)	6.5	Ambience is standard as with most Fast Food places
Total	7.2	Good addition to the fast food scene

Matsuri Ramen: A celebration of good, light tastes

Intro:

Despite the prevalence of pork broths here, I’ve always had a soft spot for chicken-based Ramen, created by the now-defunct Gensuke’s unforgettable take on it, along with my grandmother’s home-made chicken soup. At that point in time (mid-2012), Singapore was just not ready for anything other than Tonkotsu Ramen, which caused Gensuke’s mournful departure from Ramen Champion. Two stores serving chicken Ramen have popped up since then, one being Matsuri Ramen and the other being Keisuke’s Tori King, of which I will be reviewing the former today.

Matsuri Ramen's cosy interior

To rehash a little on the nature of the chickens used at Matsuri Ramen (you can read more here), they are of the Sakura variety, which are reared using more humane methods and are supposedly healthier by extension (and more expensive, doubtless). While I’m not entirely convinced by the touted health benefits of Sakura chicken, I definitely welcome the presence of another joint serving chicken Ramen.

Ambience:

Even the entrance to the toilet feels welcoming

Like all Ramen stores, Matsuri Ramen has the obligatory Japanese decorations around its store, along with the every-bit-as-obligatory Japanese music playing over the speakers. Unlike the gargantuan proportions of Ramen Champion though, Matsuri Ramen probably has a maximum seating capacity of 18 people in its store, although there is outside seating available as well. This evokes a sense of homeliness, which is compounded by the all-Japanese staff, consisting of all of 3 men. In fact, as I had my meal, I witnessed a friendly conversation in Japanese between a staff member and a customer. 

Besides this, we did receive rather efficient and friendly service from all the staff in general, highlighting that the above-mentioned incident wasn’t just a countryman-specific one-off. The overall willingness of the staff to interact with their customers and their attentiveness to them is much appreciated and makes diners feel welcome, which is unfortunately lost in most of the more commercialised Ramen joints here.

Quality and Taste:

The menu, with other options as well. Pork broth menu not shown

Sakura Chicken with Spring Onion Sauce ($7.00, free of charge via J Passport until 27th June)
This dish was served chilled, which provided a refreshing contrast from my Ramen (more on that later). It doesn’t look like a particularly big portion, but this is attributed more to the generous serving of spring onions covering it, and was substantial enough for my girlfriend and me.  In general, the chicken was well-marinated, veering a little on the salty side, although this wasn’t enough to be overwhelming.

Despite its title stating the sauce to be spring onion, it probably isn’t composed of that alone, as I could taste prominent hints of ginger too. The combined effects of these two flavours, along with the cool temperature of the dish, resulted in it being a sheer delight to eat while enjoying the Ramen.

(On a side note and as a point for comparison, this really reminded me of the wine chicken served by dimsum restaurants.)

Rich Soup with Tamago ($13.90)

Unlike the hard-hitting heaviness of pork-based broths, the chicken broth used here relied more on subtlety, with its herb-like undertones and spring onions creating a sweet fragrance. The flavour of chicken was unsurprisingly apparent too, though I did feel that even when taking chicken’s naturally lighter flavour into account, it remained just a bit too light for my liking.

Rich Soup with Tamago ($13.90)

The noodles were unusually curly, almost maggimee-esque, which I suppose is for the purpose of having more soup cling on to it, given the broth’s lighter nature. However, I felt like they were a little overcooked as they didn’t really provide much resistance to the bite.

A poster set meal at Matsuri Ramen

I found the chicken chashu rather unremarkable, which was a letdown considering its grilled exterior. Don’t get me wrong, the texture was done alright, it’s just that it was lacking a little in flavour, and I much prefer the chicken in spring onion sauce.

The promising grilled chicken chashu skin

The flavoured egg was one area in which they could have gotten away with an infusion of strong flavour but didn’t, rendering it quite a disappointment. Despite the yolk being done pretty well, I really feel that the chefs could have seasoned it more to make it stand out against the rest of the light ingredients.

Value:

I really like the fact that the prices shown on the menu are net prices, in which case the Ramen is cheaper than the industry’s average price, and which also subverts my expectations that Mozart-listening chickens would cost the consumer more. The price of $13.90 for the Ramen feels about right, although I have some gripes with the misnomer “Rich Soup”. As for the side dish, I felt that it was a fantastic promotion, but its usual price is on the pricey side, especially given its portion.

Overall:

As a whole, Matsuri Ramen does deliver on its promise of being a healthier version of Ramen, and I didn’t end the meal feeling bloated like I would when eating Bario, for instance. It serves a refreshing take on Ramen, one which I do appreciate. It’s clearly a small operation, which I feel gives it a certain kind of homely, old-school charm. Matsuri Ramen isn’t helped by its less accessible location, which is about 250m from Clarke Quay MRT, and most Singaporeans wouldn’t be accustomed to its chicken broth. Still, I hope that it isn’t overlooked because of these, as it is a nice change-up from oily pork broths and a welcome addition to Singapore’s Ramen scene.

Kitchen staff hard at work

FOODIE’S RATING
Quality & Taste(75%)	7.0	Healthy isn't bland by any means
Value (15%)	7.3	Low net prices are much appreciated
Ambience & others (10%)	7.7	Cosy, unpretentious atmosphere
Total	7.1	A solid 7, not just for the health-conscious

Address:

7 North Canal Road (along a stretch of shophouses between Raffles Place MRT and Clarke Quay MRT, although Clarke Quay is nearer)

Opening Hours:

Mondays to Saturdays: 11:30am to 3pm, 6pm to 10pm

Closed on Sundays and public holidays

Itacho Sushi (Bugis Junction): two and a half out of three ain't bad...

Intro:

Itacho's paper mat teaches you how to eat sushi properly

I'm a big fan of sushi and because of that I can be quite demanding when it comes to judgement, so before I start the post proper, let me just say that Itacho is a great Sushi Restaurant and that anyone who claims to like sushi will not likely regret trying it out.  It does not score on every level, but it hits more than enough yardsticks to put it on a class far above that of a particular popularized conveyer belt sushi restaurant (hint: think green logo) that is well received in Singapore for reasons unknown...well, maybe it's because most of us do not actively seek out good sushi and hence don't really know better; if that's the case, then please allow this post to show you what sushi should really be like.

When it comes down to it Sushi is a really simple dish, and therein lies the farce.  Simple it may be, it is also extremely difficult to get right.  The less ingredients a dish involves, the less factors one has at one's disposal to control its taste.  That means that every phase and ingredient involved in its preparation must be done as expertly as possible in order to produce a delicious meal.  Of course, that goes for almost every type of food, but these matter especially so in cooking simple foods.

I believe that there are 3 key factors when it comes to preparing Sushi, namely:

1. Freshness of the ingredients used

2. Quality of the cuts used

3. The skill and effort put into crafting the sushi. 

~3.5. (and of course cleanliness is a universal factor)

Itacho scores well for the first two criteria but perhaps not so much the third.  I will explain why below.

Quality and Taste:

Fatty Tuna with Spring Onion Roll ($6.50)

This was the first dish that arrived on my table and it is also the prime culprit for my impression on Itacho's lack of skill and effort in crafting Sushi.  As a disclaimer, I did notice that the Rolls in Itacho Sushi are not freshly prepared but are instead taken out of foil wraps from their fridge then put neatly onto plates when ordered.  However, that does not mean the dish will be judged with special leeway.  Any dish that appears on a Restaurants menu should match their standards, if not Restaurants might as well put a (beware of lower quality) sticker beside their lousier dishes.

Roll breaks apart when simply lifted

So, why do I say that this dish is not properly prepared?  First off, there is a lack of balance in its flavor, in that the tuna used was inconsistent and some of the rolls had an overwhelming taste of seaweed.  The rice was cold, again disrupting the delicate balance of the dish.  Lastly, there was a clear lack of physical strength put into rolling the sushi, resulting in a brittle structure that easily falls apart.  The tiny air pockets trapped between rice grains also affect the overall taste slightly.  

With that said, the Sushi does score on many other factors, all of which remained consistent with the other dishes I ordered.  The rice used was of good quality (which is precisely why it shouldn't be served cold to demean its taste).  It had just the right amount of stickiness, chewiness and fragrance. it was also seasoned well by the chef(s) to have just the right mix of vinegar, salt and sugar, resulting in the subtle but sophisticated style of smooth, ever-so-slightly sour-sweetness that any properly done sushi rice should have.  The Tuna was also of good quality, with a robust, fatty taste that melts in your mouth and leaves a delicate lingering aftertaste in your mouth.

Left: Fatty Tuna and Spring Onions Gunkan ($2.80)

Right: Roasted Kagoshima Beef Sushi ($4.80)

This was the second sushi that came.  The components of the sushi are close to exactly the same as the previous roll, but the presence of warm rice made it almost twice as delicious.  The warm rice mixed with the slightly cold Tuna really does work well to complement each other to leave a satisfying feeling on your taste buds.  The balance of ingredients here was better, although a little too much minced tuna was used, disrupting the overall taste of the sushi.  This again owes to what is possibly lazy crafting of the Sushi. 

Luxury~~~

The second Sushi on the plate was the Kagoshima beef Sushi.  This one was great!  The beef used was undoubtedly of high quality as its tough, marbled fats made me anticipate the flavorful natural juices that leaked out with each and every bite.  The addition of some ginger and spring onions really helped to compliment the beef too.  Besides for the mere quality of the beef used, the preparation here is also deserving of praise.  The meat was served as two slices atop the rice rather than a whole piece; this helped with chewing the Sushi due to the natural toughness of the meat and hence its difficulty to cut by teeth.

Left: Fatty Yellow Tail Sushi

Centre: Swordfish Sushi

Tuna Sushi:

Good things come in 3

The Yellowtail Sushi was mild and tender and as with most good Yellowtails, the texture was smooth and just a little tougher than tuna, making for an irresistible  choice for those who prefer lighter flavors.

Some people don't seem to like swordfish due to its rather dense texture and resilience to the bite whilst offering not as much flavor as Tuna.  I however love it for its meatier texture and extremely light salty taste which is best enjoyed with eyelids shut and mind clear over long chewing sessions.  Itacho did not offer what I would consider as extremely good swordfish, but it was delicious nonetheless.  The solid texture was not as apparent here and might be preferable to some who dislike the toughness of normal swordfish. 

Tuna...the epitome of Sushi

At last, we arrive at the Tuna, the fish that truly defines sushi and best reflects the ability of any Sushi Restaurant to pick good fish.  The slice of tuna that Itacho served was definitely from a Tuna that was a notch above most of his friends in the fish market.  The Tuna was subtly flavored-as it should be-and had no stench to it; it was very fresh and had a dense but delicate texture.  The amount of wasabi put into the sushi -as with most of Itacho's Sushi- was just right if not just a little less than ideal.  I wouldn't say this is top notch but it is surely one of the better Tuna Sushi's I've had in Singapore.

Value:

The higher price tag of Itacho's Sushi may scare off more casual Sushi eaters but the quality of the ingredients they use does justify its pricing.  The prices here won't win any over the top bargain awards but it is definitely more than acceptable.

Ambience:

Plastic plate feels just a little cheap

The ambience at Itacho was decent.  Besides the soft, Japanese music in the background, the Restaurant had a clean and refined design that involved lots of lightly colored wood which offered a sense of elegance when paired with the average dim yellow lighting.  However, the cheap looking plastic plates they used for some Sushi did contradict the overall feel a little. 

Chefs hard at work

A bonus point to mention however is how clean the place is.  I was sitting at the counter and noticed how the chefs made a good habit of cleaning up their workstations and equipment after making each Sushi.  This is always good to have at a Sushi place.

Conclusion:

Itacho Sushi nails the freshness and quality of their sushi very well but the amount of skill and effort put into their Sushi is a little half hearted.  Whilst some of the Nigiri were well prepared, such as the Kagoshima Beef, the laziness of the Tuna Roll is a definite offset for their rating. 

Ultimately though, Itacho is a Restaurant that serves up good quality Sushi that most Sushi lovers will most likely love. 

As for those who have only eaten at a certain Sushi chain store I mentioned earlier (think green again), I would highly recommend that you try Itacho out and decide for yourself what Sushi really is. 

FOODIE’S RATING
Quality & Taste(75%)	7.5	I find it hard to give them anything closer to a solid 8 due to some inconsistencies but its great Sushi nonetheless
Value (15%)	6.5	decent value that is more than acceptable
Ambience & others (10%)	7.0	Ambience is pretty good though cheap looking plates hold it back from higher scores
Total	7.4	Easy choice for any Sushi Lover

Outlets and Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Itacho-Sushi/158303486802?sk=page_map

Operating Hours:

Mon - Thu: 11:00 am - 10:00 pm

Fri - Sat: 11:00 am - 11:00 pm

Sun: 11:00 am - 10:00 pm