Da Pang Congee Base Hot Pot (大胖粥底火锅) @ Bukit Batok - Tuck into Comforting & Unique Charcoal Hot Pot Bases Such As Wintermelon Seafood and Congee

Da Pang Congee Base Hot Pot (大胖粥底火锅) is a fresh addition to the hot pot scene, nestled within a coffeeshop at IBIZ Centre, located between Bukit Batok and Jurong East. Its unique broth bases set Da Pang apart from other hot pot spots.

In addition to their signature hot pot offerings, they also serve Fried Hokkien Sotong Prawn Mee ($6/$8/$12), prepared in a slightly wetter style.

When you visit Da Pang, the ingredients for the hot pot are neatly packed and available for self-service from display refrigerators.

With a basket in hand, diners can enjoy a 'shopping trip' experience, selecting their preferred ingredients and bringing them back to the table. Each item is cling-wrapped and organised by categories such as vegetables, seafood, and meats, making it easy to choose.

The ingredients are priced according to the colour of the plates: White ($1) for mostly vegetables, Green and Yellow ($3), Orange ($5) for a selection of house-marinated meats, and Red ($8) for premium items.

Right in front of the stall, you'll find a variety of condiments, along with free-flow cabbage and xiao bai cai in these vintage baskets. Live crabs are also available at $10 each, which will be prepared by the staff upon order.

We were pleasantly surprised by the range of fresh ingredients, which came in more substantial portions than we've experienced in other similar hot pot eateries.

Wintermelon Seafood Hotpot 4.2/5

We opted for the Wintermelon Seafood Hotpot ($32) as our base for our meal. We sipped the broth before adding any ingredients and enjoyed how flavourful it was. This base features a carved winter melon centrepiece, filled with prawns and la la clams, surrounded by watermelon cubes. The broth itself had a comforting, well-balanced herbal sweetness married with seafood flavours. I particularly liked how it was not overly salty.

Da Pang offers a variety of other broth bases, including Lala Hotpot ($18/$28), Prawn Hotpot ($18/$28), and Lala & Prawn Hotpot ($22/$32). These bases can be paired with different soups such as Clear Soup, Tomato Soup, Herbal Soup, or their Specialty Congee base. If you're interested in trying the Wintermelon Seafood Hotpot, it's best to call ahead and reserve it at least a day in advance.

Some of our favourite ingredient picks included marinated pork paste, prawn paste, marinated chicken, dumplings, and green bamboo shoots. The clams, prawns, and winter melon that came with our soup base were satisfying, too.

Broth refills are complimentary, and the attentive staff were quick to assist with this. We also learned that instead of breaking down the winter melon, you can leave it boiling whole and dip your ingredients into it. The winter melon is cleverly carved with a tunnel inside, allowing the ingredients to cook thoroughly.

We concluded our meal with a piece of fried egg floss that soaked up the soup!

Although Da Pang is not located in the most accessible location, we had an enjoyable meal and look forward to returning.

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.


Da Pang Congee Base Hot Pot (大胖粥底火锅)
IBIZ Centre
32 Old Toh Tuck Road
#01-17
Singapore 597658
Tel: +65 8788 5812
Instagram
Nearest MRT: Clement (EW Line), Beauty World (DT Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 11am - 2pm, 4pm - 11pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Clementi MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to bus stop at Clementi MRT station (Stop ID 17171). Take bus number 106. Alight 5 stops later. Walk to destination. Journey time about 15 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Clementi MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to Clementi Bus Interchange (Stop ID 17009). Take bus number 173. Alight 5 stops later. Walk to destination. Journey time about 16 minutes. [Map]

3) Alight at Beauty World MRT station. Take Exit C. Walk to bus stop at Beauty World MRT station (Stop ID 42151). Take bus 41. Alight 6 stops later. Cross the road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 15 minutes. [Map]

4) Alight at Beauty World MRT station. Take Exit C. Walk to bus stop at Beauty World MRT station (Stop ID 42151). Take bus 173. Alight 7 stops later. Cross the road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 16 minutes. [Map]

OMMA Korean Charcoal BBQ @ Cheong Chin Nam Road (Bukit Timah) - Singapore's First Wood-Fire Korean Charcoal BBQ's 2nd Outlet

OMMA Korean Charcoal BBQ has recently opened its second outlet at Bukit Timah. Pride itself on being Singapore’s first wood-fire Korean Charcoal BBQ. Selecting natural wood charcoal that burns smokelessly, diners get to choose from five types of carefully selected wood to enhance the flavours of the ingredients.

You have 5 options of wood to choose from: Applewood, Cherry, Pecan, Hickory and Jarrah. Opt for any to cook your meal for only $3 per 30g. We started with Hickory Firewood ($3/30g), specially selected to go with the Japan A4 Grade Beef Ribeye ($81/180g). Hickory is meant to cut through the fattiness of meats to cook with punchy smokiness thoroughly. With such a high-quality piece of meat, it was such an experience to be able to barbecue it using real firewood.

For variety, a recommended item will be the Special Beef and Pork Set ($105). The set includes Iberico Pork Collar, Pork Belly, Beef Ribs, Beef Striploin, Steam Egg, Kimchi Soup and Side Dishes.

We continued with the beef before switching the Hickory Firewood to Apple Firewood as we moved on to the pork. The smell of the burning Apple firewood was extremely alluring, adding a wonderful aroma to the meats.

The accompanying piquant kimchi soup, steamed egg, and side dishes are ideal fillers in between bites to complement the meats or while waiting for them to be done.

With over 60 ala carte options starting from $8.80 and set menus from $49, there is also fresh seafood such as prawns, mussels and even oysters.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


OMMA Korean Charcoal BBQ
20 Cheong Chin Nam Road
Singapore 599744
Tel: +65 65139553
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Website
Nearest MRT: Beauty World (DT Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 1130am to 1130pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Beauty World MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk straight to Cheong Chin Nam Road. Walk down Cheong Chin Nam Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

Koon Signatures @ Bukit Timah - More Than Just Traditional Bak Kut Teh

Koon Bak Kut Teh at Bukit Timah opened its door in 2012, serving traditional Bak Kut Teh and other home-cooked dishes. As competition within the industry gets tougher, its founder Moses, decided to revamp the outlet by improving its interior and ambience, and most importantly, incorporating dishes that deviates from his usual classics. With the transformation, it has also renamed the restaurant as Koon Signatures.

Mushroom Buns 3/5

I thought these Handmade Mushrooms Buns gels pretty well with Bak Kut Teh concept. I was half expecting it to taste like our typical Chinese mushroom bun with custard filling but it turned out to be minced mushrooms filling which lean towards the flavour of a western mushroom soup. I like the filling but the texture of the bun was a little too soft.

Classic Bak Kut Teh 3/5, Braised Phoenix Claws 3.5/5

The Classic Bak Kut Teh ($6.50) was decent though it is supposed to be its core dish. The soup was peppery but slightly watered down. I like the Braised Phoenix Claws much more. They were fatty and not too highly flavoured with the braising sauce. The fried you tiao seemed to have an additional layer of crispiness to it, definitely one of the better ones I ever had.

Modern Braised Meat Rice 4/5

I would say its Modern Braised Meat Rice ($8.90) outshines its classic. Wholesome with sauteed cherry tomatoes and mushrooms, the melt-in-your-mouth braised pork didn't seem to leave any trace of fats in my mouth, and no lingering porky flavour. The crunchy pickled cucumber slices added to the pleasure. In CBD area, this would have been a hit.

Char Siew Chicken 3/5 and Deep Fried Pork Belly 3.5/5

Koon's signatures include Char Siew Chicken ($8.90) and Deep Fried Pork Belly ($8.90). Ordering the Signature Platter ($16.90) will get you both. The Char Siew Chicken was quite successful in getting the char siew flavours right, especially those desirable burnt ends. But I find the glaze too much on the meat which made it a little too sweet. The pork belly was like KFC's original chicken, which has a thin layer of crisp crust that stays even after a while.

Superior Chicken Stew 3/5

The Superior Chicken Stew ($8.90) with fish maw serves as a very comforting meal for one. It looked promising but the soup didn't taste as rich as expected, nor it has the consistency of a nourishing fish maw soup.

Kale 4/5

I love its Braised Kale with Superior Stock ($11.90)! So much that I could finish the entire plate. The kale was pretty much being left alone, only lightly flavoured with garlic and pork belly to mellow out its rawness.

Black Sesame Lava Cake 3/5

One of its latest creations is this Black Sesame Lava Cake with Glutinous Rice & Gelato ($11.90), which has a slight Japanese feel to it. The black sesame was rich but the sweetness level was way over the limits, especially after a meaty meal. I love the unsweetened glutinous rice which combines well with the gelato. Still, with such comprehensive spread that caters to different crowd, Koon Signatures is a great option for a casual family gathering.

Words and photos 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.


Koon Signatures
10 Cheong Chin Nam Rd
Singapore 599735
Tel: +65 64630111
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Website
Nearest MRT: Beauty World (DT Line)bak

Opening Hours:
Daily: 11am - 2am

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

Joo Seng Teochew Porridge @ Upper Bukit Timah - Popular Teochew Porridge At Upper Bukit Timah

If I am looking for comfort food or supper near my home, Joo Seng Teochew Porridge at Bukit Timah will always come to my mind. I actually have not been back there for a while due to the construction of the Downtown line. With the completion of the Downtown line, traffic flow are smoother now and it is also easily accessible by the MRT.

Braised Duck 4/5

Braised Pork Belly 4/5

It was an impromptu meet up with my friends for dinner since they were near my neighbourhood. We ordered quite a number of dishes to go with our porridge. We could not resist ordering their braised items such as the Braised Duck, Pork Belly, Tau Pok and Pig Intestines. I always find that the rich flavour of the braised ingredients go well with the comforting bowl of plain porridge.

I enjoy Teochew porridge for the fact that I can still bite into the rice grains. Most Toechew porridge places also allow you to have it with more or less rice water, up to individual's preference.

Steamed Sotong

The Steamed Sotong was fresh and not overcooked (chewy). It has an enjoyable firm but yet bouncy texture.

Chap Chye 3/5

The Chap Chye may not be the best but it has been cooked to a nice soft texture. It also comes with crunchy black fungus.

Chye Poh Egg

Salty on its own but the Chy Poh Egg goes very well with the porridge. Somewhat crunchy from the preserved turnips, held together by the fluffy egg omelette.

After so many years, Joo Seng Teochew Porridge is still standing tall. The restaurant is always packed with customers whenever I visit the place in the evening. This is the go to place for Teochew porridge for many people staying in the West, even for night owls as the restaurant is opened until 4 in the morning.


Joo Seng Teochew Porridge
14 Cheong Chin Nam Road
Singapore 599738
Tel: +65 64630768
Nearest MRT: Beauty World (DT Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 930am - 4am

Direction: 
1) Alight at Beauty World MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk straight to Cheong Chin Nam Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

Buta Kin @ Beauty World Food Centre - Cheap Japanese Ramen at $6.90 And Below

When I heard that there was a new ramen stall at Beauty World Food Centre, I gathered a few foodie friends to check out to check out the stall. Buta Kin at Beauty World Food Centre offers 5 types of ramen/udon dishes and 4 different Japanese curry dishes on their menu with most items not more than $6. Sounds like a steal isn't it? Let's us find out whether the taste matches up to the price.

Special Tonkotsu Ramen 3/5

The most expensive item on the menu is the Special Tonkotsu Ramen ($6.90). Diner has a choice of either ramen and udon. The bowl of ramen comes with 3 slices of pork belly, black fungus, half boiled egg and seaweed. Why the ingredients are generous, the taste was rather lacklustre. The broth lacked the robustness of good tonkotsu soup based. It felt more like have a bowl of Chinese La Mian instead.

Tonkotsu Black 2.8/5

Same goes to the Tonkotsu Black ($6) which comes with a slice of char siew and black fungus, it is disappointing. This is not Japanese ramen at all. Both the noodles and soup is way of the mark of the standard ramen.

While the presentation and price of the Japanese ramen is very attractive, the taste was a let down. Unless you are satisfy with just a bowl of average la mian disgusted as Japanese ramen at a reasonable low price, I would advise giving this a miss.

Buta Kin
Beauty World Food Centre
144 Upper Bukit Timah
#04-41
Singapore 588177
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Nearest Station: Beauty World (DT Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 11am - 9pm

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

You Peng Noodle Dumpling House @ Beauty World Food Centre - Value For Money Xiao Long Bao, $7 For 10 Pieces

You Peng Noodle Dumpling House is located on the fourth floor of Beauty World Food Centre. The stall sells a variety of dumplings and noodles here. In my recent visit, I decided to patron the stall and try their Shanghai Fresh Meat Juicy Steamed Bun or more commonly just known as Xiao Long Bao.

Shanghai Fresh Meat Juicy Steamed Bun 3.5/5

A set of the Shanghai Fresh Meat Juicy Steamed Bun ($7 for 1 set) comes with 10 pieces of the piping hot xiao long bao.

Shanghai Fresh Meat Juicy Steamed Bun 3.5/5

The first thing I did is to pick up the xiao long bao on its tip using my pair of chopsticks. The skin was rather thick but resilient. You probably can tell from the picture. It could also be the reason why the xiao long bao was able to hold quite a lot of the soup it in.

Shanghai Fresh Meat Juicy Steamed Bun 3.5/5

While the pork filling is quite substantial, it had a porky taste which threw the experience off. I ended up dunking the xiao long bao in the dipping vinegar sauce to mask the porky taste.

For a mere $7 to get 10 pieces of xiao long bao is quite a bargain. If care is taken in the preparation to better remove the porky taste of the filling, I would have enjoyed it more. Nevertheless, I would like to go back and try their other dumpling and noodle dishes on the menu for a more complete review of the stall.


You Peng Noodle Dumpling House
Beauty World Food Centre
144 Upper Bukit Timah Road
Level 4, #04-23
Singapore 588177
Nearest MRT: Beauty World (DT Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 1030am - 9pm

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

Hong Wen Mutton Soup @ Beauty World Food Centre - Old School Teochew Mutton Soup

Located on the fourth floor of Beauty World Centre is this old school Teochew mutton soup stall that seems to have been around for ages. Hong Wen Mutton Soup is founded by stall owner, Mr Tan's father back during the days at the demolished old Seventh Mile market. Mr Tan now runs the stall at Beauty World Food Centre while his brother has another stall in the nearby Bukit Timah Food Centre.

Mutton Soup 3.5/5

Mutton Soup 3.5/5

The Mutton Soup ($5) has a sweet herbal flavour with lots of shredded ginger masking the gamey taste of the mutton. However I find the soup too sweet to my liking. The mutton chopped into small pieces fell off the bone with ease. It was very tender and did not have any gamey taste. However I thought the serving was a bit small with only a few miserable pieces of mutton. I can't blame Mr Tan as I understand he used good quality mutton from New Zealand and he needs to watch his cost.

While I did not quite enjoy the bowl of mutton soup from Hong Wen Mutton Soup, I could tell that it has its own loyal supporters throughout the years. During my visit, I noticed a steady stream of customer patronizing the stall.


Hong Wen Mutton Soup
Beauty World Food Centre
144 Upper Bukit Timah Road
Level 4, #04-20
Singapore 588177
Nearest MRT: Beauty World (DT Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 11am - 8pm

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