Saturday, May 22, 2021

Kingdom of Belgians @ Rodyk Street - New French Gourmet Grocery And Daily Brunch

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Kingdom of Belgians, located at the less bustling end of Robertson Quay, has been awaiting you to have a taste of their Belgium specialities since their opening in January last year. They have revamped the menu recently, serving our beloved brunch daily alongside their popular Belgium favourites. A new partnership has been formed as well, with fine food gourmet grocer LPB Market (formerly La Petite Boutique) to offer a new store showcasing premium French groceries available both on retail and dine in at the restaurant.

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Egg Benedict with Salmon Gravlax with Brioche 4.8/5

Knowing KOB is a casual set-up by Chef-Owner Emmanuel Stroobant, there were certain expectations of the food here, and I wasn't disappointed at all. A common brunch dish such as Egg Benedict ($16) was elevated with a level of sophistication with their housemade Salmon Gravlax. Its deep orangey colour was alluring, to begin with, and its luscious texture, which was further boosted by tangy hollandaise and rich oozy egg yolk, was simply divine. Savoury and herbaceous with dill, it was perfect with the buttery and sweet brioche as the base.

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Plat du Jour 4/5

A heartier brunch dish like Plat du Jour ($18) would probably have you returning to KOB. The half of a roasted spring chicken itself was pleasingly tender. I love the creamy bacon and mushroom sauce made using the juice from roasting the chicken, imbuing layers of flavour into a simple dish like this.

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Blue Cheese Moules 4.2/5

Be sure to try one of their Moules ($24 for starters/$38 for main). We had the Blue Cheese Moules that came extremely pungent (in a good way!). Creamy and rich with blue cheese, there is no other way to savour the broth than sopping it with the accompanying sweet and buttery brioche.

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Braised Pork-Beef Meatballs 4.8/5

And I'm so in love with their Boulet Liegeois ($24)! A Belgian classic, their Braised Pork-Beef Meatballs are served with caramelised shallot, raisins in beef jus. Like a well-made burger patty, the meatballs were very well seasoned, incredibly juicy, and its texture maintained a balance between loose and compact with the right amount of lean meat and fats. The jus was superb with flavours lent from infusing cloves and juniper berries. The addition of the shallot and raisins lent a pop of tart sweetness that cut the dish's richness.

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Spiced Apple Tart 4.5

For dessert, the Spiced Apple Tart ($14.00) will make your day. The spiced caramelised apple encased within the thin, flaky shortcrust pastry was deeply infused with spices such as nutmeg, cinnamon, star anise, a lot more so than many which I ever had, which to me was even tastier.

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Before heading out, perhaps you might want to grab a few gourmet items from the LPB Market. They house a rotating selection of more than 50 different types of artisanal cheeses along with other quality products, including charcuterie, fresh dairy and meat, and award-winning wines. Famed signatures include the highly popular Truffle Brie, Saucisson, Country Paté, and Salmon Rillette. Else, online shopping is also available on https://petiteboutique-sg.com/.

Photos and 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. Note: This is an invited tasting.


Kingdom of Belgians
8 Rodyk Street
#01-05/06
Singapore 238216
Tel: +65 66340500
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Chinatown (DT Line, NE Line), Tiong Bahru (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Tue-Sun: 10am - 1030pm
(Closed on Mon)

Direction: 
1) Alight at Chinatown MRT station. Take Exit C. Walk to bus stop along Upper Cross Road, Opposite Subordinate Court (Stop ID 06171). Take bus number 51 or 186. Alight 2 stops later. Cross the road. Walk towards the river. Cross the river. Walk to destination. Journey time about 12 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Tiong Bahru MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to bus stop at Tiong Bahru MRT station (Stop ID 10169). Take bus 123. Alight 4 stops later. Walk towards the river. Cross the river. Walk to destination. Journey time about 14 minutes. [Map]

Tuesday, May 18, 2021

Happy Pot (锅锅乐) @ Ah Hood Road - Launches 1 Metre Long Mookata Platter With 1kg Worth Of Food

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Nestled within HomeTeamNS club Balestier, Happy Pot (锅锅乐) offers both hotpot and barbecue options with mookata sets and a variety of ingredients. They have recently launched their special 1 Metre Platter Set ($29.90+) featuring 1kg worth of food.

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The mookata set comes with a creamy and milky tonkotsu broth, and pork fat cubes are provided to get the barbeque grills ready. The 1m long wooden board showcases six varieties of proteins, with meats such as chicken, pork and seafood. While it was meant to share between 3 to 4 diners, we felt that the amount sufficed for two.

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The chicken and pork meats were well-marinated, and we enjoyed the prawns, sotong rings and asari clams too. It was made even better when the food was paired with their homemade sweet, tangy chilli sauce.

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There is also a selection of mixed vegetables and other familiar hotpot ingredients, such as the sausages, mushrooms, cabbage, crab sticks, glass noodles and eggs.

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Photos and words by Crystal. A girl who likes to eat, photograph, and write about food, and dreams about travelling around the world one day. Note: This is an invited tasting.


Happy Pot
HometeamNS-JOM Balestier
31 Ah Hood Road
#01-06
Singapore 329979
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Toa Payoh (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Sun: 4pm - 10pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Toa Payoh MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to HDB Hub. Continue walking to Orange Tee building. Cross the road at the overhead bridge further down the road. Turn right at Toa Payoh Swimming Complex. Cut across the park and take across the expressway using the overhead bridge. Cross the canal and walk to destination. Journey time about 20 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Toa Payoh MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to Toa Payoh Bus Interchange (Stop ID 52009). Take bus number 139. Alight 4 stops later. Walk to destination. Journey time about 15 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. Cut through the cluster of HDB flats and carpark towards block 103 onto Ah Hood Road. Continue walking until the end of Ah Hood Road. Journey time about 15 minutes. [Map]