Kim Bak Chor Mee (金肉脞面) @ Balestier Road

After Tony aka JohorKaki blog about Kim Bak Chor Mee, I made my way down to Kim Bak Chor Mee at Balestier Road to check out the stall that serves one of Singapore's favourite food. Accordingly to Tony's blog, the stall uncle (Mr Ng) eats his own noodles everyday, that is what he learnt from his master. This is to ensure he likes his own food before servicing it to others. Unfortunately I did not get to sight the uncle doing so but I do get to have a brief chat with him. He recited the same teaching from his master.

Bak Chor Mee 4/5

Unlike most stalls, the Bak Chor Mee here is served as such that the ingredients are separated from the noodles with the minced pork, lean pork, pork balls and pork liver in the soup bowl. As to ensure that the ingredients are not overcooked in the bowl of delectable soup, I was advised to quickly transfer the ingredients over to the bowl of noodles.

Bak Chor Mee 4/5

As you can see from the bowl of noodles filled is filled to the brim with ingredients. A worthy note is the mushroom. The mushroom is thickly sliced, well braised and has a nice bouncy texture. This bowl of slurping goodness uses little vinegar unlike the popular Tai Hwa allowing one to appreciate the aroma from the pork lard more.

Bak Chor Mee 4/5

The bowl of noodles may not wow in you an instant, you need to toss the noodle together with the specially made chilli sauce to slowly appreciate how the different components come together making it a good bowl of bak chor mee. I would say it has a more rustic taste compare to many other places where the flavours are more robust.

Mr Ng aka Mr Bak Kut has been in the trade since the age of 11, he is now in his 60s. He is better known as the founder of the popular Sing Hing Seafood Bak Kut Teh stall from the demolished Lakeview Food Centre near MacRitchie reservoir. That is also how he got his nickname Mr Bak Kut.


Kim Bak Chor Mee (金肉脞面)
558 Balestier Road (Junction of Ah Hood Road)
#01-400
Singapore 329874
Nearest MRT: Novena (NS Line), Toa Payoh (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Sat-Thu: 730am - 3pm
(Closed on Fri)

Direction:
1) Alight at Novena MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to Irrawaddy Road. Walk towards Ren Ci Community Hospital direction along Irrawaddy Road. Walk to the end of Irrawaddy Road to Balestier Road. Turn left at Balestier Road. Walk to traffic light. Cross the road and walk to destination. Journey time about 15 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Toa Payoh MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to Toa Payoh bus interchange (Stop ID 52009). Take bus number 139 and 145. Alight 2 stops later. Walk to destination. Journey time about 10 minutes. [Map]

3) Alight at Toa Payoh MRT station. Take Exit C. Walk to bus stop at Toa Payoh MRT station along Toa Payoh Lorong 2 (Stop ID 52189). Take bus 56, 105 or 153. Alight 1 stop later. Cross the canal. Walk down Jalan Dusun. Turn left onto Balestier Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 10 minutes. [Map]

Pacamara Boutique Coffee Roasters @ Upper Thomson Road

This is a backlog post which I sold how allows it to slip down the whole list of articles to be published. Probably because I decided there is no urgency to feature Pacamara Boutique Coffee Roasters at Upper Thomson Road since it has been reviewed numerous times and even to the extend that some claimed the cafe to be their best cafe of 2014.

Latte 4.2/5

Stepping into Pacamara Boutique Coffee Roasters, I can understand why so many cafe hoppers love this place. The cafe has the Aussie feel. Beautifully decorated in white with wooden furniture, I felt as if I am in Melbourne, sipping my cup of Latte ($4.50/$5/$5.5) which comes in three different sizes of 3oz, 5oz and 7oz.

Truffle Fries 4/5

I am not a big fan of Truffle Fries ($8) as I don't think it is worth the extra cost to pay for a few drops of essence. Nevertheless I still gone with the group and ordered this. The fries were deep fried to nice crisp but yet not overly oily.

Deep Fried Mid Wings 4/5

I remembered have a similar rendition of the Deep Fried Mid Wings ($8) at Sunday Market. However, the version with a more crispy exterior batter fares better while also retaining the juiciness. Once again this is not something I would usually order, I felt it is not value for money with the skinny wings for that price I need to pay.

Quinoa Salad 3.8/5

For a healthy brunch, one can go for the Quinoa Salad ($15) that comes with quinoa, edamame bean, pique pepper, baby spinach, sweet corn and pomegranate with lemon vinaigrette dressing. The colour combination is very pleasing in sight. If only the seasoning can be a bit bolder that will give the dish a much needed lift.

Red Velvet Pancakes 2/5

Food that looks pretty does not mean it will taste good. This is exactly how we felt with the Red Velvet Pancakes ($16) served with mascarpone and fresh berries. The pancake itself was rather bland and dry. In the fact the tastiest components on the plate are the berries.

Salted Caramel Banana French Toast 4.2/5

The Salted Caramel Banana French Toast ($16) was the opposite of the red velvet pancakes. It may look messy but it tasted so delicious. The soft brioche french toast was drizzled in a salted caramel sauce and topped with caramelized bananas and whipped cream.

Truffle Benedict 4.2/5

I really felt cafe food are over priced, just take for example the Truffle Benedict that costs $18. I am not saying the food is not good but I probably can't afford to eat it everyday. A breakfast dish is as expensive as a dinner main. Anyway back to the food itself. Two free range poached eggs with truffle hollandaise sauce sits on a bed of wilted spinach, smoked ham and brioche. A beautiful combination that brought sunshine to the plate.

Oven Baked 5 Cheese Macaroni 4.2/5

Last but not least another worthy dish to try is the Oven Baked 5 Cheese Macaroni ($18). The five cheese used are parmesan, feta, emmental, mild cheddar and mozzarella. The macaroni is also infused with honey ham and mushroom, finished with a dash of truffle oil. I love my cheeses and this has the cheesiness that I enjoyed while not too overpowering with a nice harmony. Being oven baked, the macaroni may turned dried but this is still well timed. By the way, I don't understand the need to display the types of cheeses used for the dish on the wooden plank.

Overall Pacamara Boutique Coffee Roasters is a nice cafe to check out. It has ticks all around (Ambience, Coffee, Food and Service.). No wonder it is one of the more popular cafes for cafe hopping in Singapore.


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Pacamara Boutique Coffee Roasters
185 Upper Thomson Road
Singapore 574333
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pacamarasg
Nearest MRT: Upper Thomson (TE Line)

Opening Hours:
Tue-Sun: 9am - 11pm
(Closed on Mon)

Direction:
1) Alight at Upper Thomson MRT station. Take Exit 4. Walk down Upper Thomson Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]