Joo Chiat Place Fried Kway Teow @ Dong Cheng Eatery (Joo Chiat Place) - An Underrated Char Kway Teow Stall Comparable To Outram Park CKT

All of us probably has our own favourite char kway teow stall, and mine is Outram Park Fried Kway Teow Mee at Hong Lim Food Centre. I am glad to discover an underrated Char Kway Teow stall at Joo Chiat Place Fried Kway Teow. It is located in a corner coffeeshop along Joo Chiat Place. In my opinion, it is comparable to Outram Park Fried Kway Teow.

Fried Kway Teow 4.5/5

Two ladies run the stall. The elder one fries the noodles while the young lady is busying de-shelling the cockles at the back of the stall. I suspect they are a mother and daughter team. I observed the stall fry a big batch of noodles for a quick 2 to 3 minutes and put them aside. Then the older lady will fry one plate at a time upon order. Before throwing the noodles, she first cracked an egg, followed by the different ingredients and sauces.

Each plate of Fried Kway Teow here is priced at $4 or $5. It is neither wet nor dry. It is a well-balanced plate of smoky yellow noodles and rice noodles, with cockles, beansprouts, lup cheong, fishcake and egg.

What do I like about the plate of char kway teow here? First, it is not too sweet, having a good balance of sweet and savoury. The texture is not too dry or wet. It is packed with smokiness and is not cloyingly greasy. All in all, everything comes together as a plate of complex yet delicious goodness.

So what is the difference between Outram Park Fried Kway Teow and Joo Chiat Place Fried Kway Teow? Taste-wise, both are very comparable, but Joo Chiat Place is smokier. Outram Park's egg is runnier. Also, I was not too fond of the lup cheong used by Joo Chiat as it has a mushy texture. Last but not least, there is no queue at Joo Chiat. I can't guarantee when more foodies know about the stall, but I only waited for 5 minutes when I was there.

Joo Chiat Place Fried Kway Teow
59 Joo Chiat Place
Singapore 427783
Nearest MRT: Dakota (CC Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 11am - 830pm
(Closed on alternate Wed)

Direction:
1) Alight at Dakota MRT Station. Take Exit A. Walk to bus stop at block 99 (Stop ID 81181). Take bus number 33. Alight 6 stops later. Walk to junction of Tembeling Road and Joo Chiat Place. Walk to destination. Journey time about 18 minutes. [Map]

JU95 @ Boat Quay - A Modern Izakaya Restaurant By A Talented Young Chef

JU95 is a modern izakaya restaurant located at Boat Quay opened for about 3 months. From what I understand, the kitchen is helmed by Chef Louis who supposed to follow a 2 Michelin starred chef to Belgium which was put off due to the pandemic.

Parfait Ju 4.2/5

The Parfait Ju ($15) gives me a glimpse of what the restaurant meant by modern izakaya. The finesse of how the chef beautifully laid the fermented mushroom on a bed of chicken liver paste on top of the koji sable cookies is both stunning in taste and sight.

Stuffed Chicken Wing 4.2/5

The next dish is Stuffed Chicken Wing ($18). It is a lavish take stuffed with foie gras paired with mala dip, unlike the usual.

Hay Smoked Hamachi 4.5/5

Another impressive dish is the Hay Smoked Hamachi ($25). The fresh hamachi is infused with a hint of smokiness paired with padron peppers and leek. The accompanying sweet and sour berry sauce brightens up the enjoyment.

Cold Angel Hair 4.2/5

For some carbo intake, diners can go for the Cold Angel Hair ($24) topped with scallop tartare, truffle, ikura and avruga caviar. Served chilli, the refreshing goodness can be further complemented with the creaminess of Hokkaido uni for an additional $18.

Grilled Baby Squid Donabe 4.8/5

The highlight for the night has to be the Grilled Baby Squid Donabe ($45). The treasure pot comprises seaweed schmaltz, mushroom and ikura. Give it a good toss, and the aroma will hit your senses, followed by complex yet flavoursome flavours from the different ingredients.

Ice Cream Sandwich 4.5/5

I do not have a sweet tooth, but I highly recommend saving space for the Ice Cream Sandwich ($10). Sandwiched between the biscuity shells are sweetened sour cream instead of ice cream, sake soaked cherry and garnished with rose petals. The play of flavours and textures is a unique take of the traditional ice cream sandwich.

I am impressed with the food at Ju95. The dishes I tried are creative and tasty with touches of finesse, giving a modern take of traditional izakaya. Ju95 is one of the best restaurants I have eaten this year, and I recommend you check it out.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


Ju95
41 Boat Quay
Singapore 049830
Facebook
Website
Tel: +65 82012737
Nearest MRT: Raffles Place (EW Line, NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Thu-Fri, Sun: 12pm - 2pm (lunch)
Tue-Sun: 6pm - 1030pm (dinner)

Direction:
1) Alight at Raffles Place MRT station. Take Exit G. Walk towards the river. Turn left and walk along the river bank. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]