Dim Sum Haus @ Jalan Besar - Delicious And Affordable Handcrafted Dim Sum In Singapore

Nestled along Jalan Besar Road, Dim Sum Haus has been around for a number of years, known for their freshly prepared dim sum, extensive menu and affordable pricing. Apart from dim sum, congee, fried rice, and HK-style noodles are also available.

Baked Salted Egg Custard Bun 4.2/5

The Baked Salted Egg Custard Bun ($6.80) was baked perfectly with a crispy bun crust. You get a nice flow of the rich and creamy salted egg custard lava upon breaking it apart.

BBQ Pork Bun 3.8/5

The BBQ Pork Bun ($5) comes with soft white buns filled with a generous amount honey glazed BBQ pork meat.

Truffle Siew Mai 4/5

The Truffle Siew Mai ($6.90) is a luxurious twist on a classic favourite. The addition of truffle lends an earthy aroma to the tender siew mai.

Crispy Shrimp and Mango Roll 4.2/5

Crispy Shrimp and Mango Roll ($6.10) is easily one of our favourite dishes. Deep-fried till golden brown on the outside and drizzled with mango sauce, it is filled with plump juicy prawns and mango chunks, rendering each bite sweet and savoury.

Crispy Shrimp Rice Roll 4.2/5

One of our favourites is the Crispy Shrimp Rice Roll ($5.80), made fresh from scratch, with the skin folded twice to hold the crispy fried shrimp. The fried shrimp added a nice crispiness to contrast the softness of the rice rolls, while the sweet and savoury soy sauce was light and complimented the rice rolls well.

Twin Swan 3.5/5

The Twin Swan features two deep-fried yam balls with two paper swan heads placed on top of them. While the exterior is nicely crisped, we wished the yam flavour was more pronounced.

Fried XO Carrot Cake 3.8/5

The Fried XO Carrot Cake ($8.60) comes in a plate of carrot cake cubes fried to a nice crisp texture and cooked in fragrant XO sauce.

Mango Sago 4/5

End the meal on a sweet note with the Mango Sago ($5.60). It is a refreshing and satisfying dessert, filled with mango chunks and pomelo, perfect for the hot weather.

Photos and words by Crystal. A girl who likes to eat, photograph, and write about food, and dreams about travelling around the world one day. Note: This is an invited tasting.


Dim Sum Haus
57 Jalan Besar
Singapore 208809
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Nearest MRT: Jalan Besar (DT Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon: 930am - 1030pm
Tue-Sun: 930am - 530am

Direction:
1) Alight at Jalan Besar MRT station. Take Exit A. Cross the road and walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

Ms Durian @ Jalan Besar - New Standalone Bakery And Cafe Specialising In All Things Durian

If you are a durian fan, Ms Durian is a bakery and cafe you will definitely want to look out for. The team started with a small shop at Potong Pasir in 2019 before expanding to this new space at Jalan Besar in February. Their new standalone space has indoor and outdoor seating and offers diners freshly made items of all things durian.

Apart from their signature sweets, Ms Durian has also launched a new variety of savoury dishes with mains such as Pan-seared Salmon ($29) and Smoked Duck Eggs Benny ($22), as well as sharing dishes like Fried Cheese ($18) and Grilled White Corn ($12).

Mao Shan Wang Durian High Tea Set

One of Ms Durian's signatures is their Mao Shan Wang Durian High Tea Set ($45/pax). Two high tea sessions are daily, at 1pm and 3pm. Each set has four desserts, three savoury items, and a tea pairing. Do note that it is mandatory for each person at the same table to order a set each. We sampled a few items from the set, starting from the top with the ones with the least durian intensity before the stronger ones after. First was the Fried Durian. This bite had a rich durian filling with coconut sauce to pair with it. Next was the Durian Craquelin, a mini version of one of their best-selling creations. We loved the crisp and light outer layer, paired with a sweet durian centre.

We then moved on to the Durian Macaron, which had a soft and chewy shell, before finishing with the Durian Cheese Mousse that came topped with brown butter crumble. I would have liked a stronger cheese mousse here for contrast; otherwise, it was a pleasant dessert.

Durian Ice Blended 4/5

The Durian Ice Blended ($10.50) is a new introduction to their beverage list. You can have it two ways - the first is as it is served, while the second is being paired with grounded white sesame. I thought it could be blended more smoothly, and the addition of white sesame was negligible, but we enjoyed how it was rich yet not overwhelmingly sweet. It works well in satisfying the durian craving and doesn't leave you feeling heaty after finishing the whole glass.

Durian Coffee 4.2/5

Each bottle of Durian Coffee ($12.50) is made to order, done with a combination of creamy latte and durian. The espresso notes hit strongly initially, while the durian notes come in at the end. The team worked on attaining a well-balanced ratio here.

Creme Brulee with Mao Shan Wang Durian Ice Cream 3/5

Ms Durian offers a couple of plated desserts, including the Creme Brulee with Mao Shan Wang Durian Ice Cream ($18.50). While we enjoyed the rich, creamy ice cream and crunchy macadamia nut brittle, we found the vanilla essence too strong in the custard and the torched sugar layer too thick. The team was very open to feedback, so we look forward to an improved version!

Mao Shan Wang Durian Tiramisu 4/5

Made with freshly pulled espresso and an additional touch of rum, Ms Durian's Mao Shan Wang Durian Tiramisu ($18.50) is intentionally kept more bitter. We liked the intensity of the coffee and its contrasting pairing with the thick and sweet durian mousse. The ladyfingers were of a harder texture, which would be better if they were soaked further for a softer texture.

Whisky Mao Shan Wang Durian Cake 4.5/5

The Whisky Mao Shan Wang Durian Cake ($14.50) features a triple-layered Mao Shan Wang durian between whisky-infused sponge cake, topped with meringue. The whisky leaves a subtle whiff, while the crisp meringue gives a complementary touch of sweetness. The durian was rich but not too sweet, which we greatly enjoyed.

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.


Ms Durian
11 Kelantan Road
Singapore 208604
Tel: +65 69620057
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Nearest MRT: Jalan Besar MRT (DT Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon, Wed-Thu: 9am - 6pm
Fri-Sun: 9am - 10pm
(Closed on Tue)

Direction:
1) Alight at Jalan Besar MRT station. Take Exit A. Turn right and walk down Jalan Besar Road towards Kelantan Road. Turn right onto Kelantan Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

Jin Jue Seafood @ Jalan Besar - Cantonese Style Seafood Zi Char That Opens Until 5am

Just across the busy cluster of eateries in Jalan Besar is the new brightly lit signboard of Jin Jue Seafood. Specialising in Cantonese-style seafood zi char, it has a homely space with a reasonably priced menu. It operates till 5am daily, serving as another supper spot you can booklist.

Red Snapper Fish Head Steamboat 4.5/5

The signature of Jin Jue Seafood would be their charcoal Red Snapper Fish Head Steamboat ($38). The fresh snapper slices are deliberately served separately to avoid having the fish break up throughout the meal and for diners to be able to have them fresh upon cooking. We especially enjoyed the broth's herbal notes, which resulted from the addition of goji berries and dang gui.

You have vegetables like yam, seaweed and Chinese cabbage in the base. You can opt to top up for additional ingredients to go along, such as Prawns ($18/5 Pieces), Spinach ($6), Enoki Mushrooms ($4) and more. We appreciated our pot was promptly refilled and that they provided the actual broth for refills instead of watered down base or water.

Lemongrass Pork Ribs 4.2/5

It looked unassuming, but the Lemongrass Pork Ribs ($18) was quite a crowd favourite. The sweet-glazed exterior had a nice slight crunch, while the meat was tender and easily torn off from the bone. The hints of spice also had us wanting more. We didn't mind it, but as its name suggests, we expected the lemongrass flavour to be much more pronounced than it was.

Stir-fried Dried Scallops & Kailan 3.5/5

The Stir-fried Dried Scallops & Kailan ($15) had stir-fried kailan beneath deep-fried kailan. Adding dried scallops helped lend an umami touch, but we found the dish as a whole too oily.

Curry Fish Head 3.8/5

I haven't had that many curry fish heads to compare, but my dining companions found Jin Jue's Curry Fish Head ($35) pretty satisfying. It came with a generous portion of vegetables like brinjal and ladyfinger, along with crisped beancurd skin. The curry leans more milky and creamy, and we thought the spice could be more assertive.

Black Pepper Crab 4/5

We were impressed by how fresh the Black Pepper Crab (Seasonal Price) was, the meat was firm and sweet, and it came with a good amount of roe. Their black pepper sauce leans sweeter, with a medium spice level from the chilli and peppers used.

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.


Jin Jue Seafood
369 Jalan Besar
Singapore 208997
Tel: +65 65303689
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Nearest MRT: Bendemeer MRT (DT Line), Farrer Park (NE Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 5pm - 5am

Direction:
1) Alight at Farrer Park MRT station. Take Exit H. Walk towards Kitchener Link. At Kitchener Link walk to Petain Road. Turn right at Petain Road, walk towards Jalan Besar Road. Turn left at Jalan Besar Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 8 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Bendemeer MRT station. Take Exit A. Left right and walk to Kallang Bahru towards Lavender Street. At Lavender Street, turn right and walk towards Foch Road. Turn left onto Foch Road and walk towards Jalan Besar. Cross the road at Jalan Besar. Walk to destination. Journey time about 8 minutes. [Map]

Happy Congee (满粥了) @ ARC 380 (Jalan Besar) - Hong Kong Style Chee Cheong Fun And Congee By Former Mui Kee Consultant

Together with my foodie friends, we went down to the food court at ARC 380 on a weekday morning to check out Happy Congee (满粥了), specialising in Hong Kong style congee and chee cheong fun. I understand Seng Kor, a former consultant of Mui Kee Congee in Singapore, is behind the stall offering wallet-friendly congee and chee cheong fun.

Hong Kong Boat Congee 3.8/5, Black Iberian Pork Congee 4/5, Seafood Abalone Congee 3.8/5

We tried a couple of congee on their menu. We ordered the Hong Kong Boat Congee ($6), Black Iberian Pork Congee ($5) and Seafood Abalone Congee ($8). You get a whole abalone for the seafood abalone congee for a mere $8. For the black Iberian pork congee, I felt the pork's savoury sweetness enhances the smooth congee, elevating the flavour. The Hong Kong boat congee comes in second with the bouncy cuttlefish and peanuts for that additional textural contrasts and flavours.

Mushroom 4.2/5

The stall also offers a small selection of snacks to go along with the congee. We had the Mushrooms ($3.80), which is huge, plump and juicy, packed with lovely braising sauce. Other snacks available on the menu are abalone, pickled vegetable, peanut, egg and dough stick.

Char Siew Rice Noodle Roll 3.5/5

Besides congee, another highlight at Happy Congee is their Hong Kong style Chee Cheong Fun. The rice roll is made using the traditional method by laying a cloth on a steaming tray, following with pouring the rice batter onto the cloth, cooking and folding it into a roll.

Rice Noodle Roll with Dough Stick $4

For those that missed travelling to Hong Kong, the Rice Noodle Roll with Dough Stick ($4) and Char Siew Rice Noodle ($4) will bring back fond memories of those yum cha time in Hong Kong. The rice noodle roll with dough stick will delight customers with its crispy and smooth textures, complemented by the flavorful soy sauce and sesame.

Tripe Sauce Rice Noodle Roll 4.5/5

My favourite is the Tripe Sauce Rice Noodle Roll ($3.50) drizzled with sweet and peanut sauce and topped with sesame. The lovely sauce goes very well with the silky smooth chee cheong fun. Both adult and kid will love the combination. It is a taste I am familiar with, bringing back a lot of childhood memories.

Mala Chicken Shred Rice Noodle Roll 4/5

If you are into spicy, you will enjoy the Mala Chicken Shred Rice Noodle Roll ($5). It is a new take of the tradition, incorporating the popular mala sauce into the dish. I was sceptical about the taste, but it turned out the fragrant mala sauce goes well with the rice noodle roll.


Happy Congee (满粥了)
ARC 380
Bgain 380 Food Court
380 Jalan Besar
Sinagpore 209000
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Nearest MRT: Lavender (EW Line), Bendemeer (DT Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 830am - 230pm, 530pm - 830pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Lavender MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to bus stop at Lavender MRT station (Stop ID 01311). Take bus number 133 or 145. Alight 3 stops later. Walk to destination. Journey time about 10 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Bendemeer MRT station Take Exit A. Turn right and walk to traffic junction of Kallang Bahru and Lavender Street. Cross the road at the traffic junction. Turn right and walk down Lavender Street. Walk to destination. Journey time about 8 minutes. [Map]

Subrosa Private Dining @ Jalan Besar - Exclusive Farm-To-Table Fine Dining Experience Without An Ostentatious Price Tag

With home private dining getting popular in Singapore, a new private dining restaurant concept has sprung in the F&B scene. One such new establishment is Subrosa Private Dining at Jalan Besar. The private dining restaurant is helmed by both Executive Chef Steven Snowdon from London and Consulting Chef Francis Lee from Singapore, offering an amalgamation of East and West. A 7-course menu is priced at $128 for lunch and $168 for dinner.

Artisan Bread Selection

Our 7-course dinner started with a selection of homemade Artisan Bread. However I was drawn to the homemade Truffle Butter that was arousing my senses while waiting for the bread to be served. I have to refrain myself from picking up another piece of the bread to finish up the truffle butter.

Fresh is Best 3.8/5

Next we moved to a cold starter, Fresh is Best. The fresh and sweet scallop is paired with fermented melon, cucumber, dill, lemon and smoked trout roe. I applauded the chefs effort in making his own pickled and fermented fruits and vegetables. It did give the dish a vibrant taste. However I thought there was a bit too much flavours at work masking the natural sweetness of the scallop.

The Cocktail 4/5

We were in luck as the crabs were just delivered the morning of our visit. The Cocktail comes with crabmeat that has been painstakingly removed from its shell. It is presented in a glass with aerated shrimp. The richness of the aerate shrimp tastes almost like crab roe. The bloody mary tomato is a lovely touch to cut through the richness.

Quaking Cod That 4/5

The Quaking Cod That is another dish on the menu that showcases the influences of both East and West. The fat and buttery cod fish is wrapped in a layer of nori and topped with ginger and shimeji. This is served together with an aromatic duck consomme. An interesting combination that replicate the Asian steamed fish.

Palate Cleanser 4.2/5

Before moving on to our next course, we are served the palate cleanser which is Lychee Sorbet with morello cherry granita, chocolate mint and preserved mandarin orange. It is a well received break to refresh the palate after all the rich flavoured dishes.

Oh 'Dang! 4.8/5

After travelling around the world , we are back home with Oh 'Dang!, a local rendang dish consists of ox cheek, carrot puree, purr and topped with coconut flakes. The fork tender ox cheek took me by surprises with its texture and robust rempah. I didn't expect the restaurant to be serving me such a well executed local dish.

Remember Mee 3/5

The other locally inspired dish is the Remember Mee or Hokkien Mee a luxurious take using the  lobster with yellow noodle and bee hoon. I don't quite get the idea when the broth is pour into the plate at table side. It fell short of my expectation as the noodles didn't get to absorb the robustness of the broth. The pro is it comes with pork lard.

Tropical Passion 4.5/5

Wrapping our 7-course dinner is the Tropical Passion. When I first read the menu, I thought I will be served a plate of fruits with the description just mentioning the dish consists of coconut, mango, lime and passionfruit. It was a pleasant surprise with the exquisite presentation.

You probably has the same doubt as me what makes Subrosa different from other restaurants? Apparently you can’t just walk in and you need to make reservation 2 days prior. Hence it is categorised as a private dining restaurant. I also understand the chefs are flexible with their menu and they will try to accommodate to your request within the capability.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


Subrosa Private Dining
369 Jalan Besar
Singapore 208997
Tel: +65 66100555
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Nearest MRT: Boon Keng (NE Line), Lavender (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
11am - 12midnight

Direction: 
1) Alight at Lavender MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to Horne Road. Turn left onto Horne Road. Walk to the end of Horne Road. Turn right onto Tyrwhitt Road. Turn left onto Beatty Lane and walk to Jalan Besar Road. Cross the road and walk to destination. Journey time about 12 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Boon Keng MRT station. Take Exit C. Turn left onto Boon Keng Road.  Walk to Bendemeer Road. Turn right onto Bendemeer Road. Walk down Bendemeer Road to Jalan Besar Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 12 minutes. [Map]

CHAR Restaurant @ Jalan Besar - The All New Premium Slow Roasted Kurobuta Char Siew

CHAR Restaruant is started back in 2014 by two Vietnam born brothers Anthony and Alvin Ung who used to live and work in the United Kingdom before re-locating to Singapore. The duo opens their first restaurant at Guillemard Road  before moving to their current location at Jalan Besar. CHAR restaurant is known for their unique twist on traditional Chinese roasts such as char siew, roast pork and roast duck, accompanied by a sizeable Cantonese-based menu.

Passionfruit Prawn Ball 4/5

Our dinner started with some Passionfruit Prawn Ball ($22) which is shelled, lightly dusted in flour and deep fried to an enjoyable crunchy and crispy texture. The prawns are then coated in a sweet and tangy passionfruit dressing, for a refreshing finish.

Signature Double Boiled Chicken Soup 4.5/5

Cantonese cuisine is known for the soup and not to be missed is the Signature Double Boiled Chicken Soup ($10). The bowl of soup comes with chicken pieces, morel mushrooms, white cabbage and dried scallops. The comforting bowl of soup has a milky consistency, packed with depth. This is achieved from boiling chicken bones and cartilage for hours. Do note that limited bowls are available per day.

Signature Char Siew 4/5

The Signature Char Siew ($6 per 100g) is the brothers' original creation for their restaurant opening. A minimum order of 300g is required. Using pork belly for their char siew, I was told the balanced ratio of lean and fat undergone 3 different stages of cooking to achieve the tenderness and moist. During the last stage, a special marinade consists of 30 different ingredients is infused into the pork belly. The char siew texture indeed is very soft, almost felt like having a piece of fat. The sticky dark sauce was really sweet, in fact a bit too sweet for me.

Premium Slow Roasted Kurobuta Char Siew 4.5/5

The brothers' latest creation is the Premium Slow Roasted Kurobuta Char Siew ($20 per 150g) which is only available during dinner and needed be to reserved beforehand. Only 10 portion is available each day. Using the premium kurobuta pork belly, it has a higher lean to fat ratio with marbling. It gives the char siew a firm yet moist bite. It is then slow roasted over a combination of charcoal and sweet lychee wood, giving it an aromatic smoky flavour.

Black Garlic Stewed Chicken in Casserole 4/5

Give me a bowl of rice, that is my thought when the Black Garlic Stewed Chicken in Casserole ($15.80) is served. The claypot comes with pieces of chicken thigh and oyster mushroom braised in a dark sauce consisting of oyster sauce, dark soya sauce and sugar. The roasted black garlic cloves provided a nice caramelised sweetness to the dish.

Fresh Wild Yam with Pork in Sambal Sauce 4/5

The Fresh Wild Yam with Pork in Sambal Sauce ($13.80) is an interesting dish incorporating fresh wild yam with pork slices, celery and green peppers in sambal belachan sauce. Although sambal belachan is used, it is not as spicy as I thought. In fact it is well balanced, with a nice wok hei aroma. My favourite element is the crunchiness of the wild yam.

Charcoal Beancurd with Spinach and Wild Fungi 4.2/5

From crunchiness, my attention moved to the silky Charcoal Beancurd with Spinach and Wild Fungi ($14.80).  Freshly made daily from scratch and infused with charcoal powder, the beancurd is first steamed and then deep fried. A light broth consisting of oyster sauce, dried scallop and wild mushrooms is drizzled over the beancurd, giving it a coat of shine for a wonderful dish.

Crispy Egg Noodles with Kurobuta Pork 4.5/5

Last but not least we have the Crispy Egg Noodles with Kurobuta Pork ($16.80) to wrap up the dinner. I enjoyed how the egg noodles managed to soak up the delightful broth while still have a slight crisp to it. The jewel on the crown is the lightly pan-fried Kurobuta pork.

Besides the roasts and Cantonese dishes, CHAR restaurant offers a selection of ciders and ales specially handpicked by the Ung brothers. Everyday there will be three ales and a cider by draft at $14 per pint and $8 for half a pint. On top of that, there are bottle ales and ciders at $15 and $14 a bottle respectively.


CHAR Restaurant
363 Jalan Besar Road
Singapore 208994
Tel: +65 68427759
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Lavender (EW Line), Boon Keng (NE Line)

Opening Hours:
Tue-Sun: 1130am - 230pm, 6pm - 10pm
(Closed on Mon)

Direction: 
1) Alight at Lavender MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to Horne Road. Turn left onto Horne Road. Walk to the end of Horne Road. Turn right onto Tyrwhitt Road. Turn left onto Beatty Lane and walk to Jalan Besar Road. Cross the road and walk to destination. Journey time about 12 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Boon Keng MRT station. Take Exit C. Turn left onto Boon Keng Road.  Walk to Bendemeer Road. Turn right onto Bendemeer Road. Walk down Bendemeer Road to Jalan Besar Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 12 minutes. [Map]