Lao Beijing @ Square 2 (Novena) - New 6-Course Ultimate Roast Duck Indulgence Set at $88++

Lao Beijing at Novena Square 2 has served classic Chinese dishes since 1996, with a menu that blends familiar favourites with contemporary interpretations. For a limited time, it is introducing its Ultimate Roast Duck Indulgence Set, a six-course meal designed for weekday gatherings with family, friends or colleagues.

Ultimate Roast Duck Indulgence Set 4.2/5

Priced at $88++ for 4 persons, the set is available for both lunch and dinner from Monday to Friday. Diners can also top up just $1++ per person for a bowl of Hot and Sour Soup.

Cherry Tomato

Smashed Cucumber

The meal begins with two appetisers: the Cherry Tomato Infused with Roselle and Smashed Cucumber with Sesame Oil, Garlic and Chilli. The Smashed Cucumber ($7 à la carte) was garlicky, while the chilled Cherry Tomatoes ($8 à la carte) were an appetising start, sweet with a tang from the roselle.

Hot and Sour Soup with Shredded Chicken

For just $1++ per person with the set, the Hot and Sour Soup with Shredded Chicken makes a comforting addition. The thick, warm broth has spicy, tangy notes, with tofu, shredded chicken, carrots, and black fungus.

‘Mapo’ Tofu with Sliced Fish

The ‘Mapo’ Tofu with Sliced Fish ($18 à la carte) brings together silky tofu and tender fish slices in a fermented bean paste-based sauce with minced meat. It had a savoury, mildly spicy profile that paired well with rice.

Stir-Fried ‘Kai Lan’ with Minced Garlic

Next was the Stir-Fried ‘Kai Lan’ with Minced Garlic, a simple dish done well, with crunchy kai lan. The seasoning was just right.

Lao Beijing Peking Duck

The highlight of the set is naturally the signature Lao Beijing Peking Duck, made using premium Irish ducks from Silver Hill Farm in Ireland. The duck undergoes extensive preparation, including marination and air-drying, before roasting. We enjoyed the contrast of the crisp skin and tender meat, and found it perfect for those who enjoy their Peking Duck with a fattier bite. The Peking Duck is also available separately at $98 for a whole duck or $55 for half.

Signature Claypot Rice

Pair all the dishes with Lao Beijing’s Signature Claypot Rice, which is slow-cooked in duck bone broth for a deep savoury flavour. Toppings of coriander, spring onions, and crispy shallots added extra aroma, and we appreciated how well the rice was cooked.

Firecracker Chicken Nest 4/5

On top of the set, we also tried the Firecracker Chicken Nest ($30). The deep-fried diced chicken is tossed in dried chilli and peppercorns, served with “chilled eggs” made of sweet mango purée. We liked the chunkier bites of meat, though the mango purée could be a touch less sweet.

Photos and words by Jo. A girl who loves her Mala (麻辣) at Da La (大辣) and a good cup of matcha latte. Note: This is an invited tasting.



Lao Beijing
Square 2
#02-80
10 Sinaran Drive
Singapore 307506
Tel: +65 6358 4466
Facebook
Instagram
Website
Nearest MRT: Novena (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 11am - 3pm, 5.30pm - 10pm
Sat-Sun: 11am - 5pm, 6pm - 10pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Novena MRT Station. Take Exit A. Walk to the destination. Journey time is about 3 minutes. [Map]

Shiok Pot @ Bukit Timah Interim Food Centre - A Mother’s Bold Career Switch from MNC to Hawker

Tucked away at the unassuming end of Bukit Timah Interim Food Centre is a newly opened hawker stall that comes with a story worth knowing. Meet Shiok Pot, started by 40-year-old Pei Jin, or PJ, who made a bold career switch from working in a corporate MNC to becoming a hawker after losing her job.

For someone who had a stable corporate career, starting from zero in the hawker trade was certainly not the obvious next step. PJ has no culinary training and no family background in the hawker business. What she does have is a love for cooking — and plenty of encouragement from her family, especially her daughter. Her daughter loved her cooking so much that she encouraged her mum to become a hawker and share her food with more people. That simple encouragement eventually pushed PJ to take the plunge.

At Shiok Pot, PJ serves hearty one-pot meals where diners can customise their meal by choosing their soup base, meats, and staple. Everything is cooked together with vegetables and tofu, making it a fuss-free, comforting one-pot meal.

Diners can choose from four soup bases: Original, Tomato, Sauerkraut, and Mala. For proteins, diners can choose two meats from Beef, Pork, or Chicken, then select one staple from Instant Noodle, Yi Mien, Thick Beehoon, Yellow Noodle, or Rice. It is essentially a build-your-own hotpot, but served as an individual portion, convenient for those who want a warm, filling meal without the commitment of a traditional hotpot.

Original Pork Bone Soup 4/5

For my first pot, I went with the Original Pork Bone Soup ($8.90) with beef and thick beehoon. The broth has a pleasant pork-bone depth and a savoury profile, balanced by the natural sweetness of the cabbage and corn. The soup also has a slight milky creaminess, giving it a comforting quality without making it overly rich. The beef was a substantial addition to the bowl, while the thick beehoon soaked up the broth well. With the vegetables and tofu thrown into the pot as well, there is quite a lot going on in a single serving. What stood out to me was the portion size. At $8.90, the bowl is fairly generous and makes for a hearty meal, especially for those looking for something warm and filling.

Sauerkraut Soup 3.5/5

For the second pot, we tried the Sauerkraut Soup ($8.90) with pork, chicken and Yi Mien. Again, the portion was generous, with a good mix of meat, noodles, vegetables, and tofu, making it another substantial one-pot meal. The sauerkraut broth has a light sourness that gives the soup a different character from the more comforting pork bone version. Personally, I felt the sauerkraut tang could be more pronounced. A little more acidity and perhaps some spiciness would also give the broth an extra kick and make it more distinctive.

That said, PJ shared that this is one of the soup bases she is still tweaking based on customer feedback. It is understandable for a newly opened stall to continue refining its recipes, and it will be interesting to see how the Sauerkraut Soup develops over time.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get to try the Tomato Soup, mainly because the portions were more generous than expected and we were already quite full after the two pots. From what I understand, the Tomato Soup is also one of the more popular choices among customers, alongside the Original Pork Bone Soup. That gives me a reason to return and try it on another visit.

I wouldn’t say Shiok Pot is currently one of those hawker stalls that I would travel across Singapore specifically for. However, for residents living around Bukit Timah and those working in the area, Shiok Pot offers something quite appealing. This hearty, customisable one-pot meal is generous and reasonably priced at $8.90. More importantly, the story behind the stall is rather heartwarming.

What started with cooking for the love of her daughter has now become an opportunity for PJ to share her food with a wider group of diners. It is a bold move for a 40-year-old mother to make such a drastic career change, especially without culinary training or hawker experience. The food may still be evolving as PJ gathers feedback and fine-tunes her recipes, but the passion behind Shiok Pot is clear. Sometimes, a new chapter begins not because you planned for it, but because life gives you no choice but to start again.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


Shiok Pot
Bukit Timah Intermin Food Centre
2A Jln Seh Chuan
#01-075
Singapore 599213
Nearest MRT: Beauty World (DT Line)

Opening Hours:
Tue-Sun: 11am - 8pm
(Closed on Mon)

Direction:
1) Alight at Beauty World MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to the destination. Journey time is about 3 minutes. [Map]