Kelim Dakdoritang – First Spicy Garlic Chicken Stew in Singapore [MEDIA INVITE]

Kelim Dakdoritang (‘KD”), established in 1965, is one of the oldest and largest Dakdoritang brands with 50 restaurants in Korea just opened its first outlet in Singapore. KD is known for its garlic-loaded spicy garlic chicken stew, which is prepared according to a time-honoured recipe passed down through generations.

Kelim Dakdoritang

Kelim Dakdoritang

While the team was preparing our Spicy Chicken Stew ($36.90, S, 2pax) in the kitchen, we were served 2 types of banchan (Korean side dishes). Radish Kim Chi and Bean Sprout. Each diner will also get a special dipping sauce. Although KD only serves 2 banchans compared to other Korean Restaurants in Singapore, both banchans match the dish we are about to eat and we did not miss much.

Radish Kim Chi

Beansprout

When the spicy chicken stew arrived at the table, the first thing I notice was the huge lump of minced garlic, sitting on top of the spring onions, rice cakes, potatoes and chicken. We were recommended to take some of the garlic and mix it with the dipping sauce.

Spicy Chicken Stew

Spicy Chicken Stew

Heated on the stove in the table, we start digging into the stew once it reaches the boiling point. We started with the rice cake. It is chewy, bouncy and absorbs a bit of the robust flavour of the stew. Surprisingly, the fiery-looking stew is not spicy. (Spiciness rating, 3 /10).

Rice Cake

The Chicken

The chicken is tender, juicy with a nice bounciness. While the potato is still slightly hard, it soaks up the flavour of the stew. While the ingredients in the stew are flavourful enough on its own, I suggest you dip into the dipping sauce. It just gives the meat a different taste of sweetness, plus the smell of the garlic becomes sweet.

The Potato, Rice Cake & Chicken

We clarified with the KD team, that the spiciness level for the Spicy Chicken Stew is set at 0. If you are a daredevil and like it super spicy, you can ask them to add the spiciness level, up to Level 5 when ordering.

Kalguksu

Kalguksu

During the meal, we added the Kalguksu ($5) to the stew. After 5 minutes, we took out the noodles and the texture was soft yet bouncy and soaks up the flavour of the broth nicely. There are other toppings that you can add to the stew, such as Udon, Ramyeon, Potato, King Oyster Mushroom, Enoki Mushroom, Quail Egg and Sausage.

Kalguksu

Kalguksu

The stew also comes with fried rice. Using the leftover broth topped with the rice and seaweed mixture and cooked at the table.

Fried Rice

Fried Rice

During the media tasting, LD and I also tried Dakbal – Spicy Chicken Feet ($19.90). The fiery red stew looks more intense compared to the chew stew. Don’t let the look deceive you, when I tried it, the spiciness was very mild (Spiciness rating, 3 /10). The skin is gelatinous and the taste reminds me of the Indonesian Chinese version of Curry Chicken.

Dakbal - Spicy Chicken Feet

Dakbal - Spicy Chicken Feet

Dakttongjip - Fried Chicken Gizzard ($15.90). I am a fan of chicken gizzard, but I am a bit confused with their version here. Although the gizzard and the crispy batter are tasty, they seem to be distant. It’s like eating 2 separate dishes. I don’t recommend this.

Dakttongjip

Hotteok – Pancake with Brown Sugar 2ps ($9.90). The version here is slightly different than those sold on the streets in Korea. The Hotteok is crisp externally, a bit chewy internally and filled with seeds. At KD, they added brown sugar for additional sweet flavour, making it a complete dessert dish instead of just a snack.

Hatteok

Overall, it was a great experience trying out the dishes at Kelim Dakdoritang. LD and I return the following week for another session of Spicy Chicken Stew and we are glad to report the standard is the same as during the media tasting.

Part of Dining Area

We also tried Jumeokbap – DIY Flying Fish Roe Seaweed Rice Ball ($9.90) & Grilled Semi Dried Squid ($20.90). The portion of the rice is big and they are generous with the ingredients of seaweed and flying fish roe.

Jumeokbap

Jumeokbap

Meanwhile, the Grilled Semi Dried Squid is chewy, tasty yet easy to bite off. The mayo and the dipping sauce enhance the flavour of the squid. Yummy.

Grilled Semi Dried Squid 

Thank you very much CQ Works and Kelim Dakdoritang Team for the tasting invitation.

Food & Drink: 8/10

Value: 7.5/10

Service: N/A (Tasting Invitation)

Ambiance: 7/10

Budget per Person: $26 - $50

Kelim Dakdoritang

14B Kensington Park Road

Singapore 557265

T: +65 6241 4241

W: https://www.kelimdakdoritang.com.sg/

F: https://www.facebook.com/KelimDakdoritang/

IG: @kelim_sg

OH: Daily 11.30 – 14.30; 17.30 – 22.00

iSTEAKS Diner – Quality Steak for Every Occassion

NZ Ribeye @ iSTEAKS Diner

There is no price for guessing what is a restaurant called iSTEAKS Diner served or its most recommended dish. Started in a coffee shop environment, iSTEAKS builds its reputation by serving quality steak at a reasonable price.

Currently, iSTEAKS have two outlets in Serangoon Garden and Holland Village. They have significant followers, so seats can be very scarce during peak dining hours.

Display Chiller at Order Counter

LD and I visited them regularly about once a month or more to have a quick meal and satisfy our steak cravings. Three things that always make us return to the branch at MyVillage: consistent quality steak, awesome side dishes and it is nearby our home.

Part of Dining Area - Order Counter, Open Kitchen and Drinks Counter

When you order your steak, the staff will ask you how do you like your steak and type of sauce you want. Mushroom or black pepper. We always like our steak medium rare and we don't like any sauce on our steak. If you ask us to choose, rock salt and a dash of lemon will be good enough for us. So we will ask them to separate the sauce.

Our favourite order here is their NZ Ribeye, 250g cut ($23.50). Cooked to medium rare, the meat just juicy, succulent and melts in your mouth. You can expect a consistent spread of marbling throughout the steak when you bit into it. It is just superb and simply delicious. #Beefgasm

NZ Ribeye, 250g cut. Sides: Mash Potatoes + Spinach & Sesame Salad

NZ Ribeye, 250g cut - Medium Rare

The next favourite is their AU Ribeye 100 days GF ($27.50). It is a good cut and you can expect a juicy and succulent meat with each bite. In comparison, to the NZ Ribeye, the texture is meatier and require a bit more exercise of your jaw. However, you will be rewarded with fuller Australian beef flavour.

I have a few sides that I will normally choose from French Fries, Mash Potatoes, Macaroni & Cheese or Spinach & Sesame salad. LD prefer Baked Potato, Cauliflower Cheese, or French Beans. In total there are 18 sides to choose from and you can choose two sides base on each order of your grill item.

NZ Ribeye, 250g cut. Sides: Baked Potato and Cauliflower Cheese

For those who like cheese, the Macaroni & Cheese and Cauliflower Cheese will be highly recommended. The simple thick cut French Fries will satisfy the junk food crave in all. I like the Spinach & Sesame salad due to the combination between bitter and sweet from the spinach and the dressing.

Of course, this does not mean that other items in the menu are not good. We have tried their AU Lamb Shoulder ($16.50), AU Lamb T-Bone ($26.50) and Fried Fish Fillet ($10). I would recommend the lamb T-bone than the lamb shoulder as the meat is more tender and less gamy. The fried fish is huge in size, but for $10 don't expect any quality fillet in it.

AU Lamb Shoulder. Sides: Baked Potato and French Fries

iSTEAKS does not charge service charge, so they just serve you the no fuss and no frill service like in a coffeeshop. They will deliver your order to your table when the food is ready, following the number given after you ordered. Drinks are self service from the drink counters. Cutlery and other condiments are available from the condiments station. A small warning, they are packed during meal times and weekends.

Drinks - Self Service

Overall, iSTEAKS Diner is definitely a place to go for quality and no fuss steak. We personally recommend that you order the grilled meat from the four-legged animals, compare to the rest. Cheers!!

Food & Drink: 8/10

Value: 8/10

Service: N/A (Self Service)

Ambiance: 7.25/10

Budget per Person: $11- $25, $26 - $50.

iSTEAKS Diner

1 Maju Avenue

#02-03/04/05/06 MyVillage at Serangoon Garden

Singapore 556679

T: +65 6285 8839

W: https://www.isteaksdiner.com/

F: https://www.facebook.com/iSteaksDiner

IG: @isteakdiner

OH:

Sun – Thu & PH: 11.00 – 23.00

Fri, Sat & Eve of PH: 11.00 – Midnight

Menu available online.

Other Outlet:

17A Lor Liput

Holland Village

Singapore 277731

T: +65 6463 3165

OH:

Sun – Thu & PH: 11.00 – 23.00

Fri, Sat & Eve of PH: 11.00 – Midnight

[CLOSED] Jalan Petaling – Famous Malaysian Street Food in Singapore

KL Seafood Hokkien Mee

Jalan Petaling Famous Malaysian Street Food (“JP”) in Serangoon Garden is another culinary showcase by Long Jiang Culinary. JP is inspired by the famous Petaling Street, popular for its food heaven and shopping in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Jalan Petaling Famous Malaysian Street Food

A must try here, of course, their KL Seafood Hokkien Mee ($8.80). A signature dish of Jalan Petaling in Kuala Lumpur. The version here definitely comparable to the famous joint in KL. The unique thick yellow noodle absorbs the sweet, thick dark soya sauce gravy. You can taste the “Wok Hei” plus a generous portion of crispy and fragrant pork lard gave a nice burst flavour between bites. The seafood is fresh, complement the noodle nicely.

KL Seafood Hokkien Mee

KL Seafood Hokkien Mee

Claypot Stir-Fried Silver Noodle (Mee Tai Mak- $6.80). One of the most common dish found in “Chee Cheong Kai”, a popular nickname of Jalan Petaling given by the local. The Mee Tai Mak, cook in the similar dark gravy and served with a raw egg. The raw egg added the smooth silkiness in this dish. I find this dish a little too sweet and the Mee Tai Mak feels slightly mushy to my liking. I like it when the silver noodle is harder as it got more bits to it.

Claypot Stir-Fried Silver Noodle (Mee Tai Mak)

Seafood Lor Mee ($8.80). A dish that I was particularly fond of during my frequent visits to a Malaysian restaurant in Clayton, Victoria. I loved this dish because of the thick, silky robust broth that is filled with egg. In JP, the noodle used is the same as the KL Hokkien Mee. The broth is tasty but a bit more diluted and missing the OMPH. I know it is not fair to compare, however, I prefer a thick gooey Lor Mee style gravy and more punch in it.

Seafood Lor Mee

Seafood Lor Mee

Steamed Rice Roll with Yong Tofu and Curry Gravy ($6.80). The rice roll served in different ways, but the one with curry and yong tofu seems to be the more appetizing. Nothing much to say about the rice roll as it is factory made, while the curry is spicy and aromatic. Not a lot of coconut milk is used in the curry, as it has a lighter texture.

Steamed Rice Roll with Yong Tofu and Curry Gravy

The yong tofu are homemade with a good bounce and it is delicious. JP used minced pork and salted fish fillings, instead of the regular fish fillings. The Yong Tofu also served per piece at $1 each. You can choose from Stuffed beancurd, Stuffed Eggplant, Stuffed Bitter Gourd, Stuffed Chilli, Stuffed Beancurd Skin.

Yong Tofu

Rice Roll with Sweet Sauce

During our multiple visits, we found that Hakka Soy Sauce Chicken (SGD $16 Half, $30 Whole) is highly recommended. The braising sauce is robust and aromatic, while the chicken is braised just nice. The skin of the chicken is silky, smooth and springy. The meat is just succulent even for the breast part. At the cuts closer to the bone you can see some trace of blood. This is common and it shows that the chicken is cooked just right. The braising sauce is also a perfect companion for the white rice. Yum Yum.

Hakka Soy Sauce Chicken - Half

The Bak Kut Teh ($8) here is definitely the JB style. Herbal with a slight hint of pepper. The pork ribs are on the thinner side or less fat, resulting some of them tasted dry.

Bak Kut Teh

Located on the second floor of myVillage, the restaurant is filled with lots of natural light and nice outdoor scenery. The décor simple, following the current trend of industrial vibe. Service is a combination of self-service with the sauce and chillies, plates and cutleries while there are always service staff to take and serve your orders.

Part of Dining Area

Overall, Jalan Petaling is definitely a place worth a visit. LD and I have returned here several times and the food is easily likeable. Their signature KL Hokkien Mee and Hakka Soy Sauce Chicken are definitely on top of my recommendation. Cheers!!

Food & Drinks: 7.75/10

Value: 7.5/10

Service: 7.25/10

Ambiance: 7.7510

Budget per Person: $11 - $25, $26 - $50

Jalan Petaling

Famous Malaysian Food Street 茨廠街美食

1 Maju Avenue

#02-01/02, myVillage

Singapore 556679

T: +65 6634 2288

F: https://www.facebook.com/JalanPetalingFamousMalaysianStreetFood/

IG: @JalanPetaling

OH: Daily 10.30 – 22.30

Hajime – A Memorable Oink Oink

Hajime Tonkatsu & Ramen

Hajime Tonkatsu & Ramen is a Japanese restaurant in MyVillage opened by Chef Tan-San. Chef Tan-San is the first Singapore Chef send to Japan to master the art of Tonkatsu. He is also the first Executive Chef of Tonkichi and Tampopo, whose names are synonymous with quality Japanese food in Singapore.

Chef Tan-San Bio

Premium Pork Loin ($21.90 for set menu) is a signature dish of Hajime. The crusted deep fried Japanese pork chop that basically melts in your mouth. The lighter part of the meat is more meaty and lean, while the darker part with the fats is just sublime. This is what you called #Porkgasm!!

Premium Pork Loin

The set meal comes with free flow of Nigata Rice and fresh cabbage. The combination of cabbage and salad dressing just opens up your appetite. Tonjiru soup is the tonkotsu broth that has been simmer for 12 hours. Expect a mild milky pork soup that sooth the throat when you slurp it.

Premium Pork Loin Set