Nosignboard Sheng Jian @ Northpoint City - New Flagship Shanghai Sheng Jian Bao Specialty Shop By No Signboard Group

No Signboard, known as the original creators of Singapore's White Pepper Crab with over 40 years of heritage, has launched the group's latest casual dining concept - Nosignboard Sheng Jian at Northpoint City. It specialises in the popular Shanghai Sheng Jiao Bao and a whole lineup of Northern Chinese dim sum and dishes.

Tricolour Sheng Jian Bao 4.2/5

The highlight definitely has to be the Sheng Jian Bao here which boosts a delightfully chewy texture. There are four flavours here. They are the Signature Popping Juices ($5.50 for 3pc), Chilli Crab and Pork ($6.30 for 3pc), Spicy Dried Shrimp ($5.80 for 3pc) and Vegan Sheng Jian Bao ($5.30 for 3pc). Are you spoilt of choices? Then go for the Tricolour Sheng Jian Bao ($10.80 for 6pc) to get a taste of a variety of the Sheng Jian Bao. My favourite has to be the signature popping juices pan-fried bun for its savoury and juicy pork filling.

Spicy Chicken in Sichuan Style 3.5/5

Besides the Sheng Jian Bao, the restaurant also offers a selection of other tasty dishes, rice and noodles. We had the Spicy Chicken in Sichuan Style ($7.80) served chilled. It comes in fiery-looking Sichuan Mala spicy sauce prepared in a blend of Sichuan peppercorns, spices and chillies. I find the sauce lacks the aroma of a good Kou Shui Ji, though.

Famous Wu Xi Braised Pork Cube 4/5

The Famous Wu Xi Braised Pork Cube ($14.80) fares much better. The braised pork belly cubes are fork-tender and coated in a deliciously thick, luscious red sauce with sweet vinegar.

Fried Noodle with Scallion & Dried Shrimps 3.8/5

The Fried Noodle with Scallion & Dried Shrimps ($6.80) looks plain without any accompanying ingredients. Still, it is packed with exquisite flavours from scallion oil and dried shrimps.

Crispy Rice with Chill Crab Meat Sauce 3.8/5

Crispy rice is well enjoyed in Northern China, traditionally eaten on its own or with a rich dip or gravy. At Nosignboard Sheng Jian, the Crispy Rice with Chill Crab Meat Sauce ($14.80) is given a local touch by pairing the Chinese rice crisps with Singapore chilli crab dip.

Deep Fried Radish Pastry 4.2/5

Besides the sheng jian bao, the other item on the menu that I enjoyed a lot is the traditional Shanghainese pastry - Deep Fried Radish Pastry ($5.80 for 3pc). Inside the light and buttery, flaky pastry is a savoury filling of flavourful white radish.

Chilled Coconut Papaya Pudding 3.5/5

The Chilled Coconut Papaya Pudding ($4.80 for 3pc) stands like the Marina Bay Sands towers. I enjoyed this simple dessert because it has two of my favourite fruits: coconut and papaya.

Crispy Purple Sweet Potato Balls 4.2/5

A delightful dessert is the Crispy Purple Sweet Potato Balls ($4.80 for 3pc) served warm. Inside the crispy sphere's skin is soft custard filling to end the meal on a sweet note.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


Nosignboard Sheng Jian
Northpoint City
South Wing
#01-137/138
1 Northpoint Drive
Singapore 768019
Tel: +65 66659959
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Yishun (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 10am - 930pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Yishun MRT station. Take Exit C. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

Flaming Chicken Pot (雞煲火鍋) @ Yishun Street 72 - Unique Chicken Pot Plus Hotpot Concept

Having explored the East and West in our previous meetups, the foodie gang decided to go to the North in our recent catch-up. We decided to check out Flaming Chicken Pot (雞煲火鍋) at Yishun Street 72. The unique concept combines both chicken pot and hotpot, which the founders took a year to perfect the recipe before opening the stall.

Flaming Chicken Pot offers two types of chicken pot on their menu - Black Pot and White Pot. They come in 3 sizes - Single Pot ($9.80), Half Chicken ($28) and Full Chicken ($38). It also has a $58 set menu whereby customers get a half chicken black pot and white pot, with 3 choices of meat items and another 3 choices of vegetable items. For our visit, we ordered a whole chicken black pot as well as a whole chicken white pot.

White Pot 4/5

Our half chicken white pot comes with ingredients such as tender chicken pieces, pig stomach and red dates. The soup base tasted somewhat like a mixture of pig stomach and chicken soup, a sweet version of the usual peppery pig stomach soup.

Black Pot 4.2/5

The black pot is more towards the dry version, similar to gong bao chicken sauce. Premium Moutai wine is added to the pot and set ablaze at the table before marinated chicken pieces are added to cook together in the pot. It is quite a spectacular sight. However, we didn't really taste the moutai. What we tasted was a savoury, and rich sauce that goes well with a bowl of steamed rice. It is a bit spicy, though.

I mentioned earlier that Flaming Chicken Pot is a unique concept combining chicken pot and hotpot because you can also order ala carte ingredients to have it like a hotpot. From the meat section, we picked sliced dory fish, handmade beef meatballs, handmade pork meatballs, pork belly slices, premium beef slices and prawn paste. As for the vegetables, we had tang-o, cabbage, black fungus, enoki mushroom, tofu and lotus root.

I was told that the stall has limited portion each day. Hence it is better to call and make a reservation to avoid disappointment.


Flaming Chicken Pot (雞煲火鍋)
Hiap Hoe Eating House
Blk 747 Yishun Street 72
Singapore 760747
Tel: +65 88148151
Facebook
Nearest MRT: Yishun (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 5pm - 11pm
Sat-Sun, PH: 11am - 11pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Yishun MRT station. Take Exit D. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

Pak Mandor Nasi Lemak @ Yishun Street 61 - Cheap & Good Nasi Lemak In Yishun

So it is no more a secret there is a hidden gem selling Nasi Lemak in Yishun. Residents in Yishun should be familiar with Pak Mandor Nasi Lemak at Yishun Street 61. Not only is the nasi lemak popular in the neighbourhood, it is also delicious and value for money.

Hidden inside an unassuming coffeeshop at block 645, I ordered a plate of Nasi Lemak for only three dollars. For three dollars, you get to pick 4 items. I chose the egg, ikan bilis, fish cake and chicken wing to go along with the green coloured rice. The rice which has been infused with pandan and coconut milk, is fragrant and fluffy.

Besides the fragrant rice, the chicken wing and chilli sauce stood out too. The deep-fried chicken though slightly on the dry side, is very crispy. You can hear the crackling sound aloud when you bite into it. The chilli sauce also complements the nasi lemak. It has the right balance, not too sweet or spicy.

By the way, I heard that the stall usually sold out by 12pm. So do be there early if you do not want to be disappointed.


Pak Mandor Nasi Lemak
Blk 645 Yishun Street 61
Singapore 760645
Facebook
Nearest MRT: Yishun (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sat-Sun: 6am to 2pm
(Closed on Fri)

Direction:
1) Alight at Yishun MRT station. Take Exit E or C. Walk to Yishun Bus Interchange. Take bus 812. Alight 4 stops later. Walk to destination. Journey time about 15 minutes. [Map]

928 Laksa @ Yishun Central - My Number One Laksa In Singapore

Yishun is probably one of those neighbourhoods that I seldom venture for my food hunt. Having worked in the area for several years, I also have some favourites in the area. One of them is laksa from 928 Laksa in Yishun Central. It's one of my favourite laksa places in Singapore.

What makes the bowl of laksa stand out here is the thick and creamy broth. Unlike most places, the broth was rich with coconut milk. What we describe locally as very lemak, packed with deep-fried shrimp fragrant. For an even more enjoyable taste profile, I would recommend adding the sambal chilli

Besides getting to choose the type of noodles for the bowl of laksa, one will find an abundance of ingredients in the bowl. There are fish cakes, tau pok, crab stick, egg and cockles in it.

I am not sure how long 928 Laksa has been around, but it definitely has been a long time. I remembered having it regularly back in early 2000 when I was working in the vicinity. There is always a long queue at the stall, so be prepared to queue up for more than 20 minutes if you want to savour the delicious bowl of laksa.


928 Laksa
Blk 928 Yishun Central 1
#01-155
Singapore 760928
Tel: +65 97319586
Nearest MRT: Yishun (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 830am - 7pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Yishun MRT station. Take Exit E. Cut through the building. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

Pizza Maru @ Northpoint City – Korea’s Largest Pizza Chain Makes Debut With Their Popular Pizzas And Korean Fried Chicken

The world's largest Korean pizza chain, Pizza Maru arrives at our shores, offering an impressive selection of their popular Korean pizzas, fried chicken and more. With 530 franchises sprouting around the country, as well as existing branches in the United States, Hong Kong and China, Pizza Maru launches its first Singapore outlet at Northpoint City, the latest shopping-residential development in Yishun where crowds have been steadily thronging the area.

Their immense popularity is due to the patented well-being pizza doughs, healthy ingredients and special flavours. Their green-tea wellbeing pizza dough, which is fermented for more than 48 hours with micro-algae chlorella, as well as 12 kinds of natural grains including rye, black rice, barley and oats, making each slice of their pizza a delightfully nutrient-packed one. The quality over at the Singapore franchise is maintained as authentic and consistent as possible with flour and most of the ingredients directly imported from Korea as well.

Real BBQ Chicago 4.5/5

Under the Chicago Pizza category, we had the Real BBQ Chicago ($26.80/regular 9”) which features a special thick puffy pizza crust made using fibre-rich, antioxidant-packed black rice dough and stuffed with cream cheese mousse. The pizza is further layered with double mozzarella cheese, string cheese before topping with chicken chunks, roasted onion, mushrooms, tomato, potato, honey, and sprinkled with almond flakes, icing sugar and BBQ sauce. The black rice dough boasts a pillowy soft texture with an addictive chewy bite to it and a cream cheese surprise within. The copious amounts of different cheeses present in the pizza resulted in a pizza slice with so much cheese stretch when a piece is pulled out. While the generous amount of tender and juicy chicken chunks, together with the multiple complements added to the pizza contributed a great medley of rich flavours and textures that elevated the dish to a sublime calibre. Their Black Rice dough pizzas are definitely something not be missed if you’re dining at Pizza Maru.

Mango Ocean 4.2/5

The Mango Ocean ($19.80/regular 9”; $23.80/large 12”) is under the Premium Pizza category which features a pizza crust made using green tea dough. The pizza is layered with mozzarella cheese, before being topped with fresh seafood including the juicy shrimps, scallops, squids, and other complements of mushrooms, mango, broccoli, black olive, pilaf and spicy buldak sauce. The green tea dough boasts a soft chewy texture with very subtle hints of the green tea flavour which was overwhelmed by the generous blanket of mozzarella cheese and spicy buldak sauce. We were told that the green tea dough used focuses more on the well-being benefits it provides rather than the prominence of the green tea taste itself. Although mango is not a usual choice for pizzas, the freshness and juiciness of the sweet mango cubes added complement the assortment of savoury seafood well, rendering an execution excellence with a perfect sweet-savoury balance and additional spicy notes from the spicy buldak sauce.

Supa Hot Dak Ganjeong 4/5

The highlight of Pizza Maru does not just end with their selection of pizzas. They are also lauded for their Korean fried chicken as well. The Supa Hot Dak Gangjeong ($16.80/6pcs; $29.80/12pcs) features juicy chicken and an extremely crispy skin with a robust spicy flavour from the coating of the hot sauce. It comes with a choice of level 1 or 2 spiciness. So if you’re up for a heat challenge, go for the level 2. (Note: Picture is not representative and only displays a sampling portion of the dish.)

Honey Butter Coat 4.2/5

For the non-spicy version, go for their Honey Butter Coat ($16.80/6pcs; $29.80/12pcs) which features the consistently well-executed crunchy juicy chicken with generous amounts of fragrant honey butter powder, constituting a sweet-savoury combination that works perfectly. (Note: Picture is not representative and only displays a sampling portion of the dish.)

Onion Tartar 4.2/5

The Onion Tartar ($16.80/6pcs; $29.80/12pcs) features its undeniably crispy juicy chicken. It comes with dollops of aromatic onion tartar sauce and onion strips on top which provides an additional crunch. (Note: Picture is not representative and only displays a sampling portion of the dish.)

Spam Tower 4/5

A deconstructed approach to the usual bibimbap rice bowls, the Spam Tower ($12.80) comes in a bibimbap tower of chicken spam slice, generous amounts of fried kimchi, bell pepper, onion, cabbage, mushroom, egg and seaweed on a bed of fragrant rice, before being sprinkled with heaps of potato crisps, parmesan cheese and drizzled with siracha sauce. The crispy potato crisps complement the tenderness of the chicken spam, softness of the well-seasoned fried kimchi and crunchiness of the other complements perfectly, as sharp spicy accents of the siracha sauce kick in between the medley of ingredients. The Spam Tower embodies the korean style with finesse, blending the well-thought interplay of flavour and textural variations within the dish immaculately.

Nok Cha Latte 4.2/5

The Nok Cha Latte ($6.90) comes in a glass of milky matcha latte perfumed with a rich matcha taste which has a good bitter-sweet balance that I really enjoyed. The two dango balls on a stick sitting atop the drink has a soft chewy mochi-like texture, albeit rather tasteless.

Nok Cha Waffle Ice Cream 4/5

The Nok Cha Waffle Ice Cream ($11.90) features matcha flavoured waffles with a fluffy interior and slightly crispy exterior. A distinct matcha taste with a bitter undertone, the waffles also came with azuki beans and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. However, a choice of the matcha flavoured ice cream would be a better option to further accentuate the green tea flavour of the dessert.

The latest entrant from Korea, Pizza Maru is set to take Singapore by storm with their award-winning pizzas and fried chicken. With the first outlet already seeing long lines of diners at meal times, there are plans going well under way to launch more outlets somewhere with a more central location this year. Note: Pizza Maru is pork-free, lard-free and is currently applying for Halal certification.

Words and photos 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.


Pizza Maru
Northpoint City (South Wing)
1 Northpoint Drive
#B1-192/193
Singapore 768019
Tel: +65 62544307
Facebook
Nearest MRT: Yishun (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 11am - 930pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Yishun MRT station. Take Exit C. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]