Bai Nian Niang Dou Fu (百年酿豆腐) @ Viva Business Park - Handmade Yong Tau Foo That Always Has A Long Queue

Bai Nian Niang Dou Fu (百年酿豆腐) which has its flagship stall at Albert Centre Food Centre has extended its business and opened branches at People's Park Food Centre and Viva Business Park in Chai Chee. The queue at their flagship stall has always been long, hence it is good that they have expanded their business allowing many patrons to try their handmade Niang Dou Fu. During my visit to the Viva Business Park branch, there was already a queue when I reached there.

Niang Dou Fu Soup 4.2/5

A bowl of the Niang Dou Fu Soup ($5.50) comes with 7 different pieces of bite size Niang Dou Fu and noodles. In it, you can find prawn ball, pork ball, bitter gourd, beancurd, white, black and gold beancurd rolls stuffed with pork, fish, prawn and squid filling. All these are freshly made and cooked on the spot. The highlight among the various ingredients is actually the prawn roll that is made from tiger prawn flesh. It has an enjoyable bouncy texture. The soup itself is light and tasty.

Niang Dou Fu Dry 4/5

Besides the soup version, the stall also offers the dry version. Similar to the soup version, the dry version comes with the 7 different handmade niang dou fu. Replacing the soup, is the sweet sauce and chilli sauce. Personally I prefer the soup version as the sweetness of the sauce kind of masked the appreciation of the ingredients.

Chicken Wing 3.5/5

You can complete your meal with the Chicken Wing ($6 for 4pc). I like the honesty that I get 4 drumette and 4 wingette. Some stalls probably only get you 2 of each, which is actually only 2 chicken wings. Over here, you get the 4 whole chicken wings for $6. The wings are big and juicy too. I can taste five spices in the crispy batter, which is quite flavourful. However the crust from the batter is a bit too tough.

Bai Nian (百年) Niang Dou Fu
Viva Business Park
750 Chai Chee Road
#01-25
Singapore 469000
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Nearest MRT: Bedok (EW Line), Kembangan (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 730am - 9pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Bedok MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to bus stop at Bedok MRT station (Stop ID 84039). Take bus number 222. Alight 2 stops later. Walk to destination. Journey time about 6 minutes [Map]

2) Alight at Kembangan MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to bus stop at Kembangan MRT station (Stop ID 83062). Take bus number 2, 7, 24, 25, 26, 28, 30, 33, 67 and 854. Alight 3 stops later. Walk to destination. Journey time about 10 minutes. [Map]

Folklore @ Destination Singapore Beach Road - Unveils New Heritage Dishes

Celebrating its first anniversary, Folklore at Destination Singapore has unveiled a wider repertoire of heritage dishes from the Peranakan, Eurasian, Malay and Chinese. Chef Damian D'Silva continues to warm the hearts and stomachs of diners, with more family recipes that he has consolidated throughout the years.

Sayur Lodeh 3.5/5

First we start with a classic Malay dish, Sayur Lodeh ($16). The young jackfruit is cooked in a blend of wet spices consists of shallots, candlenut, blue ginger, belacan, tumeric and lemongrass until soft. Beancurd, tempeh and sukun is also added into the broth.

Opar Ayam 4.2/5

The Opar Ayam ($24) is known to be originated from Indonesia. The kampong chicken is cooked in a non-spicy blend of wet spices, ground cumin and coriander until fragrant. It is rich and hearty dish with tender chicken pieces.

Ayam Goreng 4.2/5

The other chicken dish on the menu is the Ayam Goreng ($24 for half). The spring chicken is marinated overnight with cekur, galanghal, shallots and dried spices. It is then deep fried to crispy before serving. The aroma from the spices and the crispy skin are just too good to resist. Not forget to have it together with the homemade chilli dip to get the lift in the whole enjoyment.

Ambiler Kacang with Pork Belly 4.5/5

The Ambiler Kacang with Pork Belly ($16) is a Eurasian dish with Malay influences. The mildly spiced curry-like dish is cooked with pork belly and long beans. What I enjoyed is the tanginess from the strained tamarind liquid that is added to the rempah paste which is very appetising.

Sotong Masak Sambal Belado 4.2/5

Sometime simplicity is the best and we can taste from the Sotong Masak Sambal Belado (market price). The squid is cooked in fiery sambal simply made from just red chillis and tomatoes. A little dash of lime further accentuates the flavour.

Ikan Assam Surani 5/5

My favourite dish for the night goes to the Ikan Assam Surani ($30). The baby threadfin fish is cooked in a grounded paste of tumeric, shrimp paste, shallots, garlic and chillies. This results in a slightly sweet and sour gravy that goes so well with the fish. I was told that preparation requires meticulous slicing of ingredients used for the paste to specific sizes, to coax out the intricate nuances from them. A lot of effort is needed to cook this lost Peranakan recipe.

Prawn Sambal with Petai 4/5

The Prawn Sambal with Petai ($26) is originally a Malay dish but nowadays it has been adapted by the Chinese, Peranakan and Eurasians. While Petai has many health benefits, it has a distinct taste that is not well like by many. Hence this is both a fragrant and piquant dish that is subjective to individual. Anyway as for me, this is having the best of both world.

Braised Pork Trotters with Mooi Chay 4/5

In celebration of the Nation's 53rd birthday, Folklore introduces a weekday set lunch at $30 for 2 pax
that includes drinks and dessert. The National Day Special is changed every week and during our visit, we had the Braised Pork Trotters with Mooi Chay. Other National Day Special includes Nasi Minyak with Lamb Rendang and Sayur Lodeh (6-10 August), Dry Goat Curry with Briyani and Dhalcha (13-17 August), Nasi Ulam (20-24 August) and Eurasian Birthday Noodles (27-31 Aug).

Chilled White Fungus, Papaya Sweet Soup 4.2/5

With all the chillis and spices, the Chilled White Fungus, Papaya Sweet Soup ($12) is the perfect dessert to wash that all down. In the refreshing sweet soup, one can find ingredients such white fungus, papaya, longan, almonds, red dates and candied winter melon.

Once again, I am impressed with the new dishes introduced at Folklore. A dinner at Folklore is not just about good food but the discovery of that lost recipe and the history behind it. There is no other place that cook the old way from scratch without shortcuts or compromise, and with a lot of souls.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


Folklore
Destination Singapore Beach Road
(Beside Golden Mile Complex)
700 Beach Road
Level 2
Singapore 199598
Tel: +65 66792900
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Nearest MRT: Nicoll Highway (CC Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 12pm - 230pm, 6pm - 930pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Nicoll Highway MRT station. Take Exit A. Take the overhead bridge to Beach Road. Turn right onto Beach Road.Walk to destination. Journey time about 8 minutes. [Map]