88 Pocha @ Holland Village - Korean Street Food In A Vibrant Pojangmacha-style Eatery

Newly joining the variety of dining options in Holland Village is 88 Pocha, brought in by a South Korean chef who has been living long-term in Singapore. Chef hopes to introduce the Korean Pojangmacha (covered wagon) culture and recreate the taste of his favourite Korean street food. The eatery is vibrantly styled with bright blue and red plastic dining furniture and has K-pop tunes playing through the space.

The menu is interestingly categorised into A, B, C, D and E, alongside canned drinks, alcoholic options and desserts. Each category is priced in tiers, ranging from $8.88 to $28.88. We tried a couple of dishes across the categories.

Gimmari 3.5/5

We started with the Gimmari ($8.88), which came in a portion of 4 pieces. Gimmari is fried seaweed rolls with a filling of glass noodles. Albeit crunchy, we found them too pricey for the size.

Sausage Gimbap 3.5/5

Rolled in seaweed with rice, sausage and cheese filling, the Sausage Gimbap ($11.88) had a pleasant mild aroma of sesame oil.

Corn Cheese Ramyeon 3.5/5

Their Corn Cheese Ramyeon ($11.88) reminded us a lot of the instant Samyang Volcano Noodles, with a milder heat. The noodles are tossed in the spice and topped with kernels, cheese, seaweed strips and sesame seeds. It wasn't too surprising in terms of taste, and we wished there was more to it at this price tag.

Kimchi Pancake 4/5

Despite being a little oily, the Kimchi Pancake ($15.88) impressed me with its taste. The pancake was done nicely thin with a good crisp all around. Their rendition has less batter, with more kimchi and melted cheese laid on top.

Half Fried Chicken 4.2/5

The Half Fried Chicken ($15.88) was done surprisingly well. Served with a side of sweet chilli sauce, each piece of fried chicken was fried to a spot-on crunch while retaining juicy meat within.

Oden Soup 4/5

Lastly, we had the Oden Soup ($18.88). We appreciated how the Korean fish cake soup was served in a kettle over a gas stove that kept it hot throughout our meal. We wished they were a bit more generous with the comforting soup. We enjoyed the intentional slight heat in the soup and the sticks of soft Korean fish cakes.

Beverages

For drinks, we opted for the canned drinks of Haitai Pear Juice ($3.88) and Milkis ($3.88). If you are interested in alcoholic beverages, you can expect a selection of Suntory highball creations, bottled beers, classic makgeolli and soju.

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


88 Pocha
26A Lor Mambong
Singapore 277685
Tel: +65 62359950
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Nearest MRT: Holland Village (CC Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 1130am - 3pm, 530pm - 12midnight
Sat-Sun: 1130am - 12midnight

Direction:
1) Alight at Holland Village MRT station. Take Exit B. Turn left and walk to Lorong Liput. Turn right onto Lorong Liput. Walk down Lorong Liput and turn right onto Lorong Mambong. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes.[Map]

NiuNiu Tea & DuDu Rice @ Whampoa Drive Food Centre - Taiwanese And Korean Street Food In Hawker Centre

I first get to know NiuNiu Tea & DuDu Rice during Covid when it is doing home delivery. Since then, it has moved on to opening a hawker stall at Whampoa Drive Food Centre selling Taiwanese-Korean street food cuisine. It is a combination that is unique to the local hawker scene.

You may wonder why Taiwanese and Korean street food. It is quite simple as these are food close to the heart of Ryan, the young hawker stall owner. Ryan's parents are from Taiwan, while his wife is Chinese-Korean. If I am right, the interesting stall name is named after his two daughters too.

Lu Ru Fan 4/5

The bowl of Lu Ru Fan ($4.70) comes with braised pork, a whole braised egg and pickled vegetables on top of fragrant pearl rice. The braised pork leaned towards more fatty parts, which is my preference for a bowl of braised pork rice. However, the braising sauce is a bit on the light side. I prefer it to be richer.

Oden 4.2/5

To go with my bowl of braised pork rice, I also ordered a bowl of Oden ($1.50 for 3pc) from the oden bar, whereby customers can pick their oden from a selection of assorted Eomuk, Daikon, Konjac, assorted Balls and assorted Sausage. Surprisingly, I enjoyed the unique pairing of braised pork rice with a bowl of soupy oden. It's like how Chinese usually like to have soup for their meal.

Besides what I had, the stall also sells other items like Taiwanese Mee Sua, Taiwanese Crispy Chicken Cutlet, Tteokbokki and Gimbap.


NiuNiu Tea & DuDu Rice
Whampoa Drive Food Centre
Blk 90 Whampoa Drive
#01-82
Singapore 320090
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Nearest MRT: Farrer Park (NE Line), Novena (NS Line), Toa Payoh (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Sun-Thu: 12pm - 830pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Farrer Park MRT station. Take Exit G. Walk to bus stop at Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple (Stop ID 07211). Take bus 130. Alight 5 stops later. Cross the road. Walk down Balestier road towards Whampoa Drive. Turn left onto Whampoa Drive. Walk to destination. Journey time about 20 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Novena MRT station. Take Exit B. Cross the road and walk to bus stop opposite Novena Church (Stop ID 50031). Take bus 21 or 131. Alight 6 stops later. Walk down Balestier road towards Whampoa Drive. Turn left onto Whampoa Drive. Walk to destination. Journey time about 20 minutes. [Map]

3) Alight at Toa Payoh MRT station. Take Exit A or B. Walk to Toa Payoh Bus Interchange (Stop ID 52009). Take bus 145. Alight 6 stops later. alk down Balestier road towards Whampoa Drive. Turn left onto Whampoa Drive. Walk to destination. Journey time about 20 minutes. [Map]

Kiyoshi @ Amoy Street - Family-style Japanese Restaurant With Wholesome Dishes

Kiyoshi 清 at Amoy Street is a newly opened family-style Japanese restaurant which focuses on bringing light and wholesome meals to customers. On the menu, you will find sashimi, donburi, soba, yakitori and bento sets.

Tofu & Avocado Salad 3.8/5

Expect starters such as this Tofu & Avocado Salad with Sesame Dressing ($11.80), an ever-popular combination of avocado and tofu to provide the right amount of fats and protein for texture and nutrients all in one salad.

Yakitori 2.5/5

To spruce up its offerings, you can also find Yakitori items such as Yakitori Chicken ($2), Cheese Maki (Mozzarella Cheese wrapped with Bacon) ($3.50), Buta Bara (Pork Belly with Teriyaki Sauce) ($2.50), 'Black Angus' Ribeye ($7.50), Shishamo and Chicken Wings. Other than the Cheese Maki and Shishamo, which provided lip smacking savoury and fatty goodness, the rest of the items were mostly disappointing, ranging from undercooked, mediocre to overcooked, tough meats.

Salmon Kabuta Shioyaki 3.5/5

Fortunately, on the other hand, the Salmon Kabuta Shioyaki ($11.80) was on point. Simply grilled with salt and not doused with teriyaki sauce like many would do, the cartilage was quite well broken down, and the collar meat was moist and juicy.

Tekka Tataki 3.8/5

Tekka Tataki $14.80 was another dish that I quite enjoyed.  The homemade special dressing was citrusy and complemented the raw tuna well.

Salmon Mentai Roll 3.5/5

Salmon Mentai Roll ($12.80) is a crowd-pleasing dish which will satisfy your craving for a sweet and rich mentaiko sauce edged with alluring smokiness. Wrapped with fried ebi and shredded cucumber, these crunchy elements contrasted well with the mouth-filling salmon and creamy mentaiko mayonnaise. Your taste buds will be stoked.

Tempura Zaru Soba 3.5/5

For mains, we tried some soba and udon dishes. Tempura Zaru Soba ($18.80) was decent. It would be even better if the tempura batter for the Ebi was slightly thinner.

Salmon Ikura Cha Soba 3.8/5

My favourite dish would be this Salmon Ikura Cha Soba ($20.80) - the cold sauce went really well with the raw salmon, with bursts of umami-ness from the roes. One more slice of salmon will perhaps make this is more filling and wholesome.

Oden 2.8/5

Oden ($22.80) is a seasonal item not on the menu. It is served with Inaniwa Udon. To me, Inaniwa Udon has to be treated with care to preserve its smooth and velvety texture. In places which I had tried, it is usually served as the star of the dish, accompanied by elements of your choices. For this dish, presenting it in a clump on curly mess surely didn't do justice to this fine quality udon. As for the Oden itself, I appreciate that it is loaded with ingredients such as meatballs, fishcakes and cabbages, but the dashi tasted more like cabbage soup.

While it is is quite common to find a mainstream Japanese restaurant in malls, it has been quite some time since we last had an independent casual Japanese restaurant in this area. Kiyoshi 清 will be a good alternative for gatherings, especially for families on the weekend.

For orders, please call 6223 0995 or email enquiry@kiyoshi.com.sg or 93666 419. Order online on their website https://inline.app/order/kiyoshi/amoystreet. Minimum order of $30. Islandwide delivery is available at $11. Free delivery for orders above $100.

Photos and words by Si An. A girl who is allured by travelling, loves the feel of freedom, smell of the rain and the aroma of fine coffee and food. Note: This is an invited tasting.


Kiyoshi
75 Amoy Street
Singapore 069894
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Nearest MRT: Telok Ayer (DT Line), Tanjong Pagar (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Thu: 11am - 3pm, 5pm-10pm
Friday: 11am - 3pm, 5-1030pm
Sat: 5pm - 1030pm
Sun: 5pm-10pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Telok Ayer MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to Amoy Street. Turn left onto Amoy Street. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Tanjong Pagar MRT station. Take Exit G. Walk down Telok Ayer Street. Turn left onto Amoy Street. Walk to destination. Journey time about 8 minutes. [Map]

NOKA by Open Farm Community @ Funan Mall - First Rooftop Urban Farm-To-Table Japanese Restaurant

NOKA, which means farmhouse in Japanese on the rooftop of Funan Mall, is the sister restaurant to Open Farm Community. It is the first of its kind restaurant, offering a farm-to-table concept with its own rooftop urban farm. The farm spans over 5,000 square feet in partnership with Edible Garden City.

Plum Blossom Cocktail 3.5/5

My dinner started with the Plum Blossom Cocktail, which is a very refreshing and appropriate drink for Singapore's humid weather.

Refreshing Tomato Salad 4.5/5

We also have some salads, to begin with. First up is the Refreshing Tomato Salad ($15) which uses ox heart organic tomatoes from Malaysia and garnished with rooftop herbs. The clever use of the yuzu pepper vinaigrette perks up the sweetness of the tomatoes.

Organic Mushroom Salad 4/5

A tribute to the beautiful produces from the rooftop farm is the Organic Mushroom Salad ($18) using golden mushroom and kale from harvested from the farm to table. Holding the plate of salad together is the delicious fresh wasabi dressing.

Kampong Yakitori 4.2/5

We moved on to the snack bite menu, starting with the Kampong Yakitori ($12). The tender charcoal-grilled chicken thigh is so good that I am screaming for a mug of beer to go with it.

Cod Popcorn 4.5/5

You can throw the popcorn chicken aside, the Cod Popcorn ($18) will wow you even more. Soft in the inside and crispy on the outside, it is coated with a layer of sweet chilli sauce. The combination of the textures and sweetness makes it a very addictive snack bite topped with rooftop herbs, spring onion and roasted sesame.

Charcoal Calamari 4.2/5

Next is the black gold which is actually Charcoal Calamari ($15). It is another well-received dish with the dining group. Not forgetting the Japanese garlic aioli dip at the side, which enhances the whole appreciation of the black tempura squid.

Tuna Taku 3.5/5

If you need your carbo intake, there is the sushi bar that offers a variety of sushi. We had the Tuna Taku ($25) which consists of fatty tuna, tuna tartare, takuwan pickle, rooftop herbs, spring onions and rice cracker. It is satisfying but not something that will make you jump from your chair.

Koji Ton-Toro 4.2/5

For the mains, the Koji Ton-Toro ($38) stood out with its lemon garlic pepper sauce that goes really well with the tender pork jowl that has been marinated in rice fermentation culture. It is paired with kale and roasted potato at the side.

Black Cod Saikyo-Yaki 4.2/5

Cod marinated in miso is a classic combination which NOKA executed excellently in their own interpretation. What's unique with the Black Cod Saikyo-Yaki ($38) is the pairing with pulut hitam furikake and sea grape, giving the dish the additional boost in flavours and textures.

Oden 4.5/5

My favourite dish for the night has to be the Oden ($20). It is hearty, comfortable and most importantly, delicious. In the bowl, there is wagyu beef, daikon radish, satsumaage, itokon, tomato and okura. I think I can have this every day. I would recommend adding a bit of the mustard into the soup, lifting the flavour.

Wafu Parfait 3.5/5

Lime in the Coconut 3/5

To end the meal, we tried a couple of desserts. We had the Wafu Parfait ($15), Lime in the Coconut ($15) and Yuzu Cheesecake ($15). The desserts do look very pretty in terms of presentation. However, the flavours to be more vibrant to match up with the presentation.

Yuzu Cheesecake 3/5

As you probably have noticed, NOKA uses traditional Japanese cooking techniques for the farm-to-table concept. Besides the a la carte dishes we tried, NOKA also offers three-course set lunch at $45++ and omakase at $150++ per diner.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


NOKA by Open Farm Community
Funan Mall
109 North Bridge Road
#07-38/39
Singapore 179097
Tel: +65 68774878
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Website
Nearest MRT: City Hall (EW Line, NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 1130am - 230pm, 6pm - 10pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at City Hall MRT station. Take Exit B. Turn left onto North Bridge Road. Walk down North Bridge Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 mins. [Map]

Mustard Seed Pop Up @ Potong Pasir - Kaiseki Style Private Dining That Is Worthy For The Long Waiting List

Lately I have been checking out a number of private dining places such as Lucky House and Fat Fuku with my foodie friends. We are lucky to score a table at Mustard Seed Pop Up in August because a group cancelled their booking. Currently Mustard Seed is already booked out for the year. The private kitchen is helmed by Chef Ming Kiat who has worked and learned his craft at Goto and Candlenut. He left Singapore to work as a chef at the Singapore High Commission in Australia before returning home to start Mustard Seed.

Watercress Chawanmushi 4.2/5

We were given a glimpse of Chef Ming Kiat's culinary philosophy starting from the first dish, using local ingredients to create Japanese Kaiseki style dishes. Instead of dashi, he cleverly uses watercress broth to make the smooth and silky Watercress Chawanmushi. In it, there are also mushroom, tender chicken cubes and junsai (a kind of perennial water plant that grows in shallow ponds and swamps).

Fried Frog Legs Hakka Style 4.8/5

The aroma of the Fried Frog Legs already makes me drool even before they are served. The lightly  battered frog legs are inspired from the local Har Cheong Gai. The fermented shrimp paste works beautifully with the tender frog leg meat. Squeeze a bit of the calamansi to liven the whole flavour.

Milk Bun 4.5/5

Grouper in White Curry 4.2/5

Next we have Grouper in Japanese White Curry with Milk Bun. The highlight is the soft and fluffy milk bun. It is so good that we asked for more. Unfortunately there was no extra. I was hoping for more bread to wipe up the delicious white curry.

Yong Tau Foo, Oden 4.8/5

Another favourite dish of mine is the Japanese twist of Oden, Yong Tau Foo style. The broth is made from boiling ikan bilis and yellow bean. In the bowl of light and refreshing soup, you can find radish, homemade ngoh hiang, eggplant with cuttlefish paste and tofu.

Pork Belly with Local Condiments 4.5/5

After the bowl of comforting oden, we are served Pork Belly with Local Condiments. The local condiments are homemade cincalok, achar and sambal chilli ikan bilis. This is to pair with the braised pork belly and have it together with the vegetable, like a wrap.

Duck Meatball Curry

Wrapping up our savoury dishes is the Duck Meatball Curry. The duck meatball is made from a mix of breast and thigh meat. Water chestnut is also added for the additional crunch. The tasty red curry which is mildly spiced, complements the duck meatball excellently, as well as the Koshihikon Rice.

Guava, Cucumber and Yuzu Sorbet 4.5/5

Before moving to dessert, we had the refreshing Guava, Cucumber and Yuzu Sorbet for palate cleanser.

Pulut Hitam with Sake Lees Ice Cream 4/5

Even for our dessert, Pulut Hitam with Sake Lees Ice Cream incorporates both local and Japanese influences. The sake lees ice cream is a fermented curd from the remnants of sake making. The sweetness of the sake lees ice cream replaces the vanilla ice cream or coconut milk that is usually used in the traditional dessert.

I understand Mustard Seed is fully booked until end of the year already. Do check out his website if you are planning to make a booking. Good luck in making a reservation.


Mustard Seed Pop Up
Blk 121 Potong Pasir Ave 1
Singapore 350121
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Website
Nearest MRT: Potong Pasir (NE Line)

Torikin (鶏金) @ Crown Centre (Bukit Timah Road)

Torikin (鶏金) at Upper Bukit Timah is actually the first venture of the Ishida Kikaku Group outside Japan. Torikin opens its door in November 2014 and has been serving up collagen-enriched chicken hotpots, known as Hakata Mizutaki.

Daikon Salad 3/5

Dinner at Torikin started on a healthy note with the Daikon Salad ($9.80) which comes with a refreshing crunchy texture.

Oden 4.5/5

One of my favourite dishes at Torikin is their Oden ($14 for 5pc). There are items such as Fish Cake, Konjac, Boiled Egg, Radish etc. The light, soy-flavoured dashi broth completes the whole enjoyment.

Hitokuchi Gyoza 3/5

I was not quite impress with Hitokuchi Gyoza ($8). The gyoza was too small for my liking and appreciate the stuffing due to the ration of the gyoza skin to the filling inside. Saying that the yuzu pepper blown us off, which seems to go well with everything on the table.

Hakata Tonpeiyaki 4/5

Cooked on a sizzling hot plate, the Hakata Tonpeiyaki ($22.80) is made up of cabbage, sliced pork, egg and topped with mayonnaise, tonkatsu sauce and spring onion. Lesser batter, more eggy, this is surprisingly good.

Mizutaki Hotpot 4.2/5

Last but not least the signature Mizutaki Hotpot ($70/$100/$135). We first sample the light, refined taste of the stock that is made daily from Sakura chickens and boiled for more than 6 hours.

Next we get to try the tender chicken parts from the hotpot. For a more robust taste, the tangy homemade ponzu sauce can be added. And not forget, you can also have it with the yuzu pepper.

The third way of enjoying the hotpot is to cook the other ingredients such as the minced chicken balls, mushroom, cabbage and tofu in the hotpot.

The final way to enjoy the hotpot is to crack an egg into the broth to thicken it and rice is added for a rich concoctin of nutritious porridge. You can also choose to add noodles instead of rice. Definitely a wholesome and comforting ending to the dinner.

Karintou Manju 4.5 and Ice Cream 3/5

For dessert, we have the Matcha and Yuzu ice cream as well as the Karintou Manju ($5 served with ice cream). The Karintou made from flour, black sugar and azuki tasted a bit like the Chinese butterfly fritter. It is so popular that we are left with the only piece by the time we ordered our dessert.


Torikin (鶏金)
Crown Centre
557 Bukit Timah Road
#01-14/16
Singapore 269694
Tel: +65 64655908
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Nearest MRT: Botanic Gardens (CC Line, DT Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 6pm - 11pm
Sat-Sun: 12pm - 3pm, 6pm - 11pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Botanic Gardens MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to Bukit Timah Road. Turn left and continue on Bukit Timah Road. Continue walking until destination. Journey time about 10 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Botanic Gardens MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to bus stop at Botanic Gardens (Stop ID 41021). Take bus number 66, 67, 151, 154, 156, 170 or 171. Alight one stop later. Walk to destination. Journey time 5 minutes. [Map]