Jin Ji Teochew Braised Duck (金记潮州卤鸭) @ New Upper Changi Road - New Stall In The East

Jin Ji Teochew Braised Duck (金记潮州卤鸭) has come a long way since 1980 at Smith Street Food Centre. It has expanded its business and recently opened a new outlet at New Upper Changi Road, bringing its traditional Teochew braised duck dishes to the East.

Braised Duck Bento Set 4/5

Food has to evolve with time and Jin Ji Teochew Braised Duck is probably the first stall to introduce the Braised Duck Bento Set ($8) in Singapore. The bento set comes with 3 ball-shaped yam rice, braised duck. offals, salted vegetables, cucumber, radish and lava egg. You may called it gimmicky but I think it is smart thinking of re-packaging a traditional dish and giving it a refreshed look. I guess it turned out successful as it got quite a fair bit of attention from the media.

The new stall was slightly more than a week old when I visited for dinner. I could not really fault the yam rice, tender braised duck and the lava egg. However, I thought the offals were not braised long enough, failing to absorb the richness of the braising sauce.

Kway Chap Set 3/5

Besides the bento set, I also ordered the Kway Chap Set ($4) to try. Once again, and you probably can tell from the color, the ingredients do not seen to have braised long enough to absorb the richness of the braising sauce. Th rice sheet was also on the thicker side and the accompanying broth tasted rather bland. This is not the usual standard I know of, probably it needed more time to smooth out the whole operations and quality consistency of the products.

Jin Ji Teochew Braised Duck (金记潮州卤鸭)
Blk 56 New Upper Changi Road
#01-1314
Singapore 461056
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Nearest MRT: Tanah Merah (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Thu: 11am - 8pm
Sat-Sun: 10am - 8pm
(Closed on Fri)

Direction:
1) Alight at Tanah Merah MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to bus stop at Tanah Merah MRT station (Stop ID 85099). Take bus number 2, 9, 14, 24, 31, 35, and 45. Alight 1 stop later. Walk to destination. Journey time about 6 minutes. [Map]

Taiwan Railway Bento (台湾铁路便当) @ CT Hub (Kallang)

Railway bento was brought into Taiwan by the Japanese in the first half of 20th century when it is under Japan colony. Since then it has remains popular until present day, commonly sold in railway stations and inside train cabins. I have always been fascinated by all these bento with all the different ingredients that they have packed into the box. Having travelled on the railways in Taiwan and eaten a couple of them which all turned out to be very delicious, I was quite excited when I heard that Taiwan Railway Bento (台湾铁路便当) at Kallang has brought in these type of Taiwanese railway bento into Singapore.

Currently they have 2 outlets, the other outlet is at International Plaza. The one at International Plaza is more of a takeaway or express outlet while the one at Kallang has proper sitting area to enjoy your meal. It even comes with complimentary soup which is refillable.

Stew Pork Belly Bento 4/5

The Stewed Pork Belly Bento ($6.80) is served in a wooden bento box accompanied with a piece of tau pok, a slice of Taiwan sausage, half a braised hard boiled egg, cooked and preserved vegetables. I like the used of wooden bento box giving it the exact authentic railway bento feel. It was explained that the wooden bento box helps to absorb the moisture preventing the rice from getting soggy so fast. There is also health and environmental benefit of it over styrofoam box. The pork belly was pretty flavourful and tender. What stood out for me in this lovely rice box is the used of pearl rice and preserved vegetables imported from Taiwan.

Fried Intestine 4/5

Besides the bento, Taiwan Railway Bento also serves other side dishes such as the Fried Intestine ($3.50), Century Beancurd ($3.50) and Railway Chicken Wings ($3.50). Among the three side dishes I tried, my favourite is the fried intestine. You don't commonly get this in Singapore because of the labour intense in preparing the intestine so that they don't have a smell. Fried to a nice crisp and seasoned with salt and pepper, this is quite a delightful bite.

Century Beancurd 3/5

One of my favourite Taiwanese side dishes is the Beancurd with Century Egg. When I saw this on the menu, my first instinct was to order it. Unfortunately the version here is given a spicy twist which is not to my liking. The beancurd was not as chilled as per what I have like too.

Railway Chicken Wings 4/5

The Railway Chicken Wings is marinated with Nam Yee or red fermented beancurd. It can be an acquired taste for some but I adored it. Big and juicy, this is definitely a winner for me.

Fried Chicken Cutlet Bento 3.8/5

The sight of the huge fried chicken cutlet will bring a smile to everyone. The fried chicken cutlet is bigger than the bento box itself. While the Fried Chicken Cutlet Bento ($6.80) is value for money with its huge servicing, compared to Hot Star Large Fried Chicken and Shilin Taiwan Street Snack, I think it is still shy of its competitors. I felt that the batter is a hint too thick.

Chicken Rice Bento 4.2/5

You probably can find this only at Taiwan Railway Bento offering Hainanese Chicken Rice Bento ($4.80/$6.80). One of their popoular bento box, this shows that they have hit the right business model catering for the local palate. The cooking technique used for the poached chicken is commendable retaining the tenderness of the chicken with jelly like skin. The rice was also fragrant and fluffy.

Taiwan Railway Bento is still focus mainly on its takeaway and catering business hence seating area is quite limited especially at their express outlet at International Plaza. Even dine it, it is served in the bento box itself without the lid. If you want to dine in a more comfort environment, my advice is to visit the Kallang outlet. Taiwan Railway Bento also has a delivery service. You can find out more from the website.


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Taiwan Railway Bento (台湾铁路便当) 
CT Hub
2 Kallang Avenue
#02-16
Singapore 339407
Tel: +65 65380019
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/railwaybento
Website: http://www.railwaybento.com
Nearest MRT: Lavender (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 11am - 8pm

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 2 stops later. Walk to traffic junction. Cross the road to Kallang Bahru. Walk along Kallang Bahru to destination. Journey time about 8 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Lavender MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to V Hotel Lavender. Turn left onto Horne Road. Continue down Horne Road. Turn right onto Hamilton Road. Walk to the end of Hamilton Road. Cross the road onto Kallang Bahru. Walk along Kallang Bahru to destination. Journey time about 15 minutes. [Map]

LP + Tetsu @ Tanglin Mall

Hot News! The restaurant LP + Tetsu at Tanglin Mall by One Michelin Starred Chef Laurent Peugeot introduced probably the most affordable set menu ever by a Michelin starred chef. Not only that, at LP + Tetsu one can have a choice of Japanese or French cuisine created by the lauded chef. These set menus range from $28, $35 and $45. It is understand that the menu will be changed monthly without compromising in quality.

Before starting our meal, we were presented with the amuse bouche. An interesting showcase of the delicate culinary execution of the Michelin starred chef restaurant. After browsing through the menu, I decided to go for the 3 course Encounters French menu ($45) which also has a 2 course meal at $35.

Sanma Sushi 3.8/5

The 3 course Encounters French menu comes with a choice of starter, Salmon in Tartart or Sanma Sushi. I decided to go for the Sanma Sushi even thought I have ordered the French set menu. Since I was given a choice and the restaurant is known for both its Japanese and French fare, I might as well try both the culinary styles. The Sanma Sushi was served on a bed of raphanus sauce and topped with yuzu miso. The execution of the sanma sushi was more robust compared to the usual clean flavours of sushi.

Duck Breast 4.2/5

For the main, I was given the choice of John Dory or Duck Breast. I went for Duck Breast since I already had fish for my starter. It was a excellent choice with the beautifully cooked duck meat served with miso red fruits and chiogga beetroot. Picking bone out of the dish I thought the sauce was a bit on the salty side. It seemed like the chef prefers bold flavours in his dish.

Chocolate Beetroot 4/5

Last of the 3 course meal has to be dessert. There were 3 choices and I decided to go for the Chocolate Beetroot with Blood Orange Sorbet. I was a good choice with the rich creamy chocolate and tangy sorbet wrapping up my 3 course meal on a sweet memorable note.

Premium Bento Box 3.8/5

If you prefer Japanese over French, LP + Tetsu also offers a value for money Premium Bento Box ($28). The bento box comes with a selection of sashimi, rosu katsu, vegetables pickles, mesclun, rice and miso soup.

French Yusheng 3.5/5

Conjunction with the upcoming Chinese New Year festivities, the restaurant has also created a French and Japanese rendition of the traditional yusheng. The French Yusheng comes with truffle, caviar, vegetables, beetroots imported directly from France in a refreshing French dressing. The melange of expensive ingredients was an unique and interesting change from the tradition. It had textures but the taste may be too refined for the Asian palate that is used to the traditional taste.

Japanese Yusheng 4.2/5

The Japanese Yusheng comes with  a variety of seafood such as tuna, scallop, salmon and more. The Japan version will cater more to the locals with the sweet and tangy flavours that is very similar to the traditional yusheng.

For the folks working around Tanglin area this is a deal definitely not to be missed. Starting from 6 November 2013, the set menus will be available to patrons during lunch time and even for early dinner from 6pm to 730pm daily.


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LP+Tetsu
Tanglin Mall
163 Tanglin Road
#03-18
Singapore 247933
Tel: +65 68363112
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LPTETSU
Website: http://www.lptetsu.com/
Nearest MRT: Orchard (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 1130am - 230pm, 6pm - 1030pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Orchard MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to bus stop along Orchard Boulevard, opposite Orchard Parksuites (Stop ID B09022). Take bus number 7, 77, 106, 111, 123 or 174. Alight 3 stops later. Cross the overhead bridge. Walk to destination. Journey time about 15 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Orchard MRT station. Take Exit E. Walk towards Wheelock Place via ION. Exit Wheelock Place and turn left towards Liat Tower. Continue onwards to Forum Shopping Mall. Walk further down to Orchard Parade Hotel. Turn left onto Tanglin Road. Continue walking down to the end of Tanglin Road to Tanglin Mall. Journey time about 20 minutes. [Map]