881 XO Fish Head Bee Hoon

We thought we went to the wrong place as we could not spot any signboard that says 881 XO Fish Head Bee Hoon. Instead we saw XO crab bee hoon. Nonetheless, we did a double check with the menu and unit number. Yes, this is the correct eatery located besides the Original Gui Ling Gao Shop diagonally opposite Boon Tong Kee Chicken Rice. 

A hot 36 degrees late Sunday afternoon see more empty tables than customers but it means quick service. A super quick one. Our sambal potato leaves ($8) arrived in less than 6-8 min after ordering. A dark plate of green that looked potentially "young" (not those old and chewy) turned out only mildly spiced. 

Next up the Signature XO fish head bee Hoon ($10 for small/ $18 for medium/ forgot the price for large) which did not seem to arouse any hungry appetite. The milky broth was light, I meant very light, thus those with an inclination towards heavy seasoning will not bat an eyelid on this. But I think the charm of this unassuming plain dish is that the more you eat, the more you enjoy it. 

Strangely, I noticed the liquor fragrance emerging gradually and I found myself slurping up spoonfuls after another, something which I rarely do. My family agreed that it might not be as tasty as Hong Kong Street Zhen Ji but this was still a pretty good bowl especially with the fresh fish head. I can imagine how delicious it would be if the peppery kick was stronger. 

Maybe because I hadn't had Char Kway Teow for ages. The Moonlight Horfun ($5.50), which I changed last minute from San Lao Horfun, were more robust than the fish head bee hoon and not overly sweet nor salty. Not outstanding but a decent plate to go with their minced Chilli sauce.

I had expected the least from the deep fried hei zor but it turned out to be the star dish that night. Filled with generous amount of chunky chestnuts and prawn bits, the golden rolls were crisp without any trace of grease. But the rolls seemed to be quite a poor conductor of heat as the innards remained piping hot even towards the end of the meal, so do be warned in case of a scalded tongue. 

881 XO Fish Head Bee Hoon 

412 Balestier Road

Singapore 329805

Tel: 62545768 

Ramenplay : All-New Japanese Shabu Experience

There are so many ramen houses in Singapore but I think none would have conceive the idea of adding shabu-shabu, (Japanese hot pot usually eaten during winter) to its existing menu.


Ramenplay, a brand by BreadTalk and Sanpou Co.Ltd, has launched an all-new Shabu Shabu sets where customers can personalize their own by choosing between Australia striploin beef or Brazilian pork collar for the meats and Clear/Kimchi for the soups, alongside a staple, raw egg and pickles.

The fire from the Kimchi Soup was not as intense as I thought, but enough to pique my tastebud and made it difficult for me to stop slurping spoon after spoon into my mouth.

Made with chicken bones and shoyu, the Clear Soup did not disappoint too. It had a very pleasant sweetness that emerged gradually as the assorted vegetables of carrots, cabbage, leeks began to soften and release the flavors into the soup. Both soups also include tofu and trio of mushrooms; hon shimeji, shiitake and enokitake. 

The meat may be the highlight of the meal but the best moments of a shabu shabu experience comes only at the end when you add in rice/udon into the leftover broth. I highly recommend the premium Niigata Koshihikari rice instead of the udon because it soaks up the broth better.

The only problem is to exercise self-discipline not to  finish your rice right from the start. Throw the entire bowl of rice into the hot pot at the end, break in the egg, wait as the grains simmer to form a delicious pot of "risotto". 

The soup can be topped up for free while additional meat or rice/udon can be served with an extra charge if one is craving for more. Considering the price tag of $13.90/$14.90 for the pork and beef set respectively, I think the set is really very value-for-money, which is in fact, a consistent trend in their regular menu featuring Kyushu ramen, donburis and crispy gyozas, etc.


I decided to leave those to the next visit and doused the heat of the shabu-shabu with the Matcha Ice Cream Warabi Mochi ($6.80 ala carte/$4.80 with any order of main course). A quick sweet fix to a satisfying meal.

Ramenplay

Available all day at Jem and Novena Square and after 5pm at BreadTalk IHQ.

Novena Square Outlet

238 Thomson Road #01-05 Singapore 307683

Sun-Thu 11am-10pm

Fri, Sat and eve PH 11am-10.30pm

For other outlet details and more info, visit www.ramenplay.com.sg