Po Restaurant @ the Warehouse Hotel - A Refined Modern Singaporean Concept

Known for its modern interpretations of Singaporean and Chinese classics, Po Restaurant is the flagship restaurant of The Warehouse Hotel, where people gather and bond over its famous popiah and other signature dishes.

Popiah with Fresh Flower Crab 4.8/5

Naturally, Popiah was the first course of our evening. We had the Fresh Flower Crab ($52) popiah, with plump flower crab meat as a topping. All options, including the Classic ($32) and Prawns ($42), come with 4 skins, classic toppings, and condiments, serving 1-2 persons. Seeing the platter of popiah ingredients laid out on our table was just as exciting as wrapping our own and tucking them in. All the popiah platters include fresh handmade wheat skins, specially sourced for their desired stretchy and chewy texture, stewed pork and vegetable filling, lettuce, beansprouts, as well as all the toppings and sauces. A vegetarian option ($32) is available as well.

The popiah filling, which includes jicama, carrots, and Holland peas, is hand-cut, resulting in a tender but not mushy texture despite being stewed and caramelized over four hours. There was a rich and savoury depth to it and a textural enjoyment thanks to the addition of pork, dried shrimp, and bamboo shoots. Lettuce and beansprouts provided freshness, served alongside a condiment platter that included crispy flatfish, giving the popiah an extra moreishness. The sweet sauce had a subtle honey-malt sugar taste, binding the savoury elements with the skin harmoniously. By the time I was done putting all the ingredients, my popiah was the size of a burrito and deeply satisfying.

Nyonya Prawn Salad 4/5

Next, we had some starters from the menu: Nyonya Prawn Salad ($24) and Gobi 65 ($20). The Nyonya Prawn Salad was mouthwatering with a piquant dressing concocted with sambal, plum sauce, and calamansi. Alongside fresh and crisp organic lettuce, succulent tiger prawns, and crunchy cucumber cubes, tomatoes pickled with plum sauce were thrown in, adding to the delectable texture and flavour. Crispy shallots and sakura ebi accented the salad with umaminess.

Gobi 65 3/5

Gobi 65 consisted of nuggets of fried cauliflower marinated with spices and curry leaves. The flavour was more curry-forward than expected, and while a side salad was provided to lift the flavours, the dish would have been more exciting with a creamy dip or something similar.

Beef Cheek Rendang 4.5/5

For mains, the Beef Cheek Rendang ($40) is a taste of a century-old recipe, and the execution definitely did the recipe justice. The Angus beef cheek was succulent and fork-tender, intensely flavoured with a concoction of 11 different spices. Served with sago chips and coconut milk crumbs, the latter added an enjoyable sweetness akin to crushed coconut candy.

Stir-Fried Brinjal 4.2/5

Stir-Fried Brinjal ($22) felt homely. The generous dose of stir-fried minced pork and dried shrimps, coupled with thinly sliced crunchy ladyfingers, gave this brinjal dish a considerable amount of texture. There was also basil in it, but it was too mild to impart any noticeable flavours.

Nasi Lemak 4/5

We also had the privilege of trying an off-menu item known among Po's regulars: Nasi Lemak, served with sambal telur buried in a reasonable amount of sweet-spicy sambal. The rice was aromatic and not overly rich with coconut, with a comforting soft bite. Served alongside are the quintessential crunchy peanuts and refreshing cucumber slices.

Kueh Kosui 4/5

Summing up our meal was the Kueh of the Day ($18), handmade daily specials from the kitchen (limited portions available), featuring Kueh Kosui. Only rice flour and palm sugar were used, making it gluten-free. They had a wonderful soft texture, though not the usual wobbly kind. The palm sugar is specially sourced from Jawa Timur, which is pure and has no sugar added. That said, we felt the kueh would be even more yummy if it were a little less sweet.

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.


Po Restaurant
The Warehouse Hotel
320 Havelock Road
Singapore 169628
Tel: +65 6828 0007
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Nearest MRT: Havelock (TE Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 7 - 1030am, 12pm - 3pm, 6pm - 1030pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Havelock MRT station. Take Exit 4. Turn left and walk down Havelock Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 8 minutes. 

Papparich Plus @ Plaza Singapura

The popular Malaysia restaurant, PappaRich has opened its latest outlet at Plaza Singapura. Unlike the other outlets, PappaRich Plus offers additional items on their menu which will delight the taste buds.

Kampung Fried Rice 4/5

Sweet & Sour Crab Meat with Fried Rice 3/5

In the new meal at PappaRich Plus, is two fried rice dishes. This is suitable for people on a rush and still wanting to have something substantial. I tried both the Kampung Fried Rice ($10.90) and Sweet & Sour Crab Meat with Fried Rice ($11.90). I preferred the kampung fried rice because of the aromatic wok hei coated in each grain. It may look rather plain and ordinary but this is one good yummy dish.

Ayam Masak Merah 4.5/5

The Ayam Masak Merah ($12.90) is one dish that I enjoyed a lot. The succulent chicken was cooked in a special paste and topped with onion, red and green pepper. The highlight has to be the yummy sauce that accentuated the poultry.

Four Heavenly Kings in Sambal Belacan 4.2/5

Sounds like a dish that is fit for the king but the Four Heavenly Kings in Sambal Belacan ($11.90) basically is just aubergine, lady fingers, long beans and four angled beans cooked with hot and spicy sambal concoction and fragrant dried shrimp paste. If you can take spicy you will enjoyed this crunchiness greens.

Sambal Aubergine 3.5/5

Another sambal dish on the menu is the Sambal Aubergine ($9.90) that is first roasted before being cooked in a hot and spicy sambal concoction. If egg plants are not cooked probably they can be mushy, however this still comes with a nice crunch with a thin crisp on the skin.

Curry Fish Head 4.8/5

Among all the new dishes, my favourite goes to the Curry Fish Head ($34.90) using red snapper fish. The curry fish head is served with lady fingers, tomato wedges and egg plants infused with a very aromatic curry spices of and fragrant coconut milk. I would say the curry is quite similar to the Indian version using over 20 different types of spices. If you are a curry fish hed lover, this is one dish that is not to be missed.

Pappa Chendol 4/5

PappaRich also offers a selection of desserts on the menu too. For the dinner tonight, I had the Chendol ($3.90) which was perfect for all the spicy food I had.

Mentioned in my previous post when I visited PappaRich at Suntec, I like the quality consistency in the different outlets as well as the reasonable pricing. I am glad that they have added the new items. In fact I hope that it will be introduced across the different outlets too.


PappaRich
Plaza Singapura
68 Orchard Road
#01-35
Singapore 238839
Tel: +65 67359323
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PappaRichSg
Website: http://www.papparich.com.sg/
Nearest MRT: Dhoby Ghaut (CC Line, NE Line, NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 10am - 10pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Dhoby Ghaut MRT station. Take Exit B, C, D E or F. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

Sek Tong Gai (食通街) @ Tanglin Halt

When I heard from a friend that even Les Amis chefs like to visit Sek Tong Gai (食通街) to eat after a late night service, I was eager to visit the restaurant and check out the food there. I had a foodies meetup session with Nat, Elaine and Elle so I took the opportunity to suggest checking out the restaurant. Armed with my camera and a group of friends, we headed down to the Sek Tong Gai which was formerly known as Sin Lee Chinese Cuisine in Tiong Bahru.

Spinach with Tang Hoon in Claypot 4.2/5

Usually I will order the 3 eggs with vegetables whenever I eat at Chinese restaurant. The Spinach with Tang Hoon in Claypot ($21) is a delicious alternative. Cooked in a tasty broth together with dried scallops and dried shrimps, the claypot is jam packed with flavours and textures with the silky smooth tang hoon infused with the rich flavours.

Claypot Chicken with Salted Fish 4.2/5

This may look like three cups chicken but no it is actually Claypot Chicken with Salted Fish ($18). While the chicken may not be very tender, the savoury sauce marriage the chicken perfectly with the salted fish lifting the flavour to a whole new level of enjoyment.

Steamed Pork Ribs 4.2/5

I have to admit I was not very keen to order the Steamed Pork Ribs ($21) initially as I thought it would be just an ordinary home cooked dish. I was glad that the rest of group persisted or I would have missed savouring this delicious dish. While the timing of cooking the pork ribs can be a bit better, what impressed me most is the sauce used. It was so good and flavourful that I had to resist ordering a bowl of rice to go with it as I am cutting down on my carbo intake.

Soon Hock in Claypot 4.5/5

For me the star of the dinner is the Claypot Soon Hock (market price) cooked with beancurd, minced meat, mushroom and brinjal. For the size of the fish we had that night, it cost us $97. The beancurd was silky smooth and the brinjal was not too mushy that still had a crunch. Lastly the fresh soon hock was moist and tender.

I am glad that I have finally try the Cantonese cuisine at Sek Tong Gai (食通街). I left feeling not only satisfied but impressed with the dishes I had. It may seen like some ordinary zichar dishes but I can tell that there were many thoughts in each dish especially how they were beautifully paired with the different sauces.


Sek Tong Gai
47 Tanglin Halt Road
Singapore 141047
Tel: +65 64744547
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sektonggai.sg
Nearest MRT: Commonwealth (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon: 6pm - 2am
Wed-Sun: 6pm - 2am
(Closed on Tue)

Direction:
1) Alight at Commonwealth MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk straight to Sheng Siong. Turn right and walk towards Tanglin Halt Road. Cross the road and walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

Hwa Seafood @ Tagore Lane (Upper Thomson Road)

At the quiet stretch of Upper Thomson Road where Tagore industrial is located, the former 3M building facing the road has been replaced by the new building 9@Tagore. The new building has an open air food court that housed a Zi Char stall, Hwa Seafood. If I am not wrong, this is the same Hwa Seafood Restaurant that is formerly located at Novena Ville.

Seaweed Soup 3.5/5

Dinner began with a bowl of piping hot Seaweed Soup. I wasn't expecting the soup to be loaded with many other ingredients such as fish slices, fish cake, eggs and tofu. It was more like a bowl of seafood soup than seaweed soup. Nevertheless I welcomed the generosity.

Claypot Brinjal with Salted Fish 4/5

The Claypot Brinjal with Salted Fish was pretty well executed. I enjoyed the fact that the brinjal was not overcooked and became too mushy. It still has a bit of crunch to it. Brinjal itself was quite bland but the melange of minced meat and salted fish added flavours and textures to the whole dish.

Bittergourd Beef 3.5/5

I thought the combination of Bittergourd and Beef was something different from the usual bittergourd and pork ribs. The beef which was stir fried with bittergourd in a black bean sauce was actually quite tender and delectable.

Cereal Prawns 4/5

Hwa Seafood probably served one of the best Cereal Prawns I ever had. The fresh and succulent prawns paired with the fragrant cereal was simply a match in heaven.

If this is Hwa Seafood that has moved from Novena Ville, I felt quite sad that it has relocated to a Zi Char stall in a food court from an air conditioned restaurant. The new location is also not that accessible or near to any MRT station. I can see that business has since took a hit, it was not as crowded as before. I hope they will manage to see through the bad times and the crowd will be streaming back.


Hwa Seafood
9@Tagore
9 Tagore Lane
Singapore 787472
Nearest MRT: Marymount (CC Line), Ang Mo Kio (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
TBA

Direction:
1) Alight at Marymount MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to Upper Thomson Road towards SPC Petrol Kiosk direction. Take bus number 167 or 980 across the road (Stop ID B53021). Alight 10 stops later. Walk to destination across the road. Journey time about 25 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Ang Mo Kio MRT station. Take Exit C. Walk to bus interchange (Stop ID B54009). Take bus number 138 or 169. Alight 10 stops later. Walk to destination across the road. Journey time about 25 minutes. [Map]