Bugis Junction Food Trail 2013: Kazokutei

Kazokutei, originated from Osaka, and is well known for its udon. Now, there is no need for us to fly all the way there as we can sample Kazokutei's handmade noodles, right here in Singapore via any of its three outlets; at Bugis Junction, Plaza Singapura and Bishan Junction 8.

menu

from top: zaru soba, sushi and udon (tasting portions only)

cute sushi

Both the soba and udon, were served chilled.

soba

udon

The soba was refreshing and it slides up easily when slurped. Udon was chewier but in a good way. There's just something about the udon that makes you want to eat more.

Here are pictures (showing actual portion) of two items from its menu, courtesy of Kazokutei:

Mix Zaru and Mix Tempura set (@$12.90++)

Shokado Wazen (@$16.90++)

Kazokutei

Location: #02-49, Bugis Junction
Tel: 6338 0187
Website: http://www.kazokutei.com.sg

Bugis Junction Food Trail 2013: Siam Kitchen

Siam Kitchen is located at Level 2 of Bugis Junction and is halal-certified.

Started off with a small bowl of Tom Yum Talay (Tom Yum Seafood Soup). The soup has a tolerable spiciness level that was quite shiok to drink. It's sourness was just right to give it a tangy edge.

Tom Yum Talay

Besides tom yum soup, there were also the salads as appetisers; green papaya salad and mixed salad with beef.

green papaya salad with shrimp flakes (@$7.50++)

Thai mixed salad with NZ beef fillet (Yum Neau Song Kreung) @$8.50++

Both salads are strongly flavoured and I favoured the green papaya salad more for its appetite whetting abilities, while the beef fillets in the Thai mixed salad were tender with a beefy taste.

Also sampled the Deep Fried Whole Garoupa Fish (Pla Gao Tod Sam Road). The fish meat has been filleted out into smaller chunks, so that was quite convenient to eat, and the remaining whole fish bone (including head and tail) was also deep fried to a crisp and presented together on the same plate. Nice. It's quite addictive, popping those fish chunks into the mouth...

Deep Fried Whole Garoupa with chili dip (@$23.90++)

The Siam Siam Grilled Combo Platter comes with four types of meat; chicken, beef, squid and prawns, and grilled to a smokey flavour. Liked the tender chicken, while the beef was slightly dryer.

Siam Siam Grilled Combo Platter (@$22.90++)

Siam Kitchen

Location: #02-46, Bugis Junction
Tel: 6337 3777
Website: www.siamkitchen.com.sg

Bugis Junction Food Trail 2013: Nanxiang Steamed Bun Restaurant （南翔饅頭店）

Located at Level 2 Bugis Junction, right infront of the escalator. Maiden visit! Not sure why, but when I think of Nanxiang, the brain will conjure up a picture of a humongous xiaolong bun, complete with straw to sip up the soup...

Actually, Nanxiang is a town near Shanghai, and is considered the birthplace of xiaolong bao.

restaurant's logo (like a thumbs up~)

table setting

Without further ado, pictures of appetisers:

Nanxiang Drunken Chicken (@$8.50++)

Shanghai Spicy and Sour Soup (@$8.50++)

The drunken chicken was tender and tasted yummy. Not much of wine taste though.

First impression of spicy and sour soup? It was sharply sour! Was informed that the version served here has been tweaked to suit local tastebuds. Meaning that it's less spicy and less oily. Added some black vinegar (available on each table), and the soup's taste became much more agreeable~

Next, was xiaolong mantous or xiao long bao (小笼包).

hot hot hot! Nanxiang Signature Steamed Bun

eat it with vinegar and ginger shreds

Served piping hot, so do eat it with care.

The Nanxiang brand xiao long bao has been around for more than a 100 years, and we're tasting the latest version, so to speak.

鲜肉小笼 (fresh pork dumpling) @$8.80++ for 6 pieces

Dainty little pockets of pork and soup. The soup tasted light with pork meat flavour. The dumpling skin was rather chewy.

Next, was the supersized (comparitively lah..) King Sized Nanxiang Crab Roe Steamed Soup Bun.

King Sized Nanxiang Crab Roe Steamed Soup Bun (蟹黄汤包) @$7.80++

Braving tongue scalding temperatures, we sipped the soup using the straw. Verdict? "鲜"! Which means fresh. Not just any fresh, but sea-fresh. Makes sense? Not the usual strong umami taste of seafood but a lighter sweet kind. Liked this very much!

simply good soup

Next, we sampled the braised lion head (狮子头). Actually thought "狮子头" as a mushroom dish but turned out to be a pork meatballs dish.

braised lion's head

cut section reveals soft, tender meat

Enjoyed the lion's head meatballs, immensely. Tender, bouncy and tasted chestnut bits as well. Sweet,  fresh, and lightly flavoured.

If you need carbs, why not try the "粉皮" (fen pi) dish. It is kway-teow like, but a little firmer and more translucent. Probably tasteless on its own, these starch sheets allowed the crab roe broth to shine through. Eat it with black vinegar for extra oomph. There's a mee sua (rice vermicelli) version of this as well.

fen pi in crab roe broth

almost translucent starch sheets

Nanxiang Steamed Bun Restaurant （南翔饅頭店）

Location: #02-53, Bugis Junction
Website: http://www.nanxiang.com.sg/