Gagahoho – Ox Bone Soup Restaurant

Gagahoho Ox Bone Soup restaurant is a Korean restaurant specialising in Ox Bone Soup. One of our fondest memories when we visited Korea was their beef soup. Whether it is in Seoul, Busan or Jeju, there is always an old shop/s that sells traditional soup and we will be happy with just a soup and white rice.

Gagahoho Shop Front

LD found Gagahoho and suggested we give it a try. The front door of the restaurant is decorated like a traditional shop in Korea. The furniture is unique, as some of the tables look like they come with a round hole in the middle, ready for Korean bbq, while the rest are just simple square tables. The most eye-catching decor is the ceiling, decorated with artificial flowers from the entrance to the cashier.

Entrance

Dining Area

The kimchi is unique according to LD. Unlike the usual kimchi that is soft, the version here is housemade, has a strong fermentation and is crunchy. It is uncut and the length can easily reach around 30cm.

KimChi

LD ordered Seoul Beef Soup [$15.90], it comes with a bowl of rice. The soup looks milky white and covered with chopped spring onions and a touch of ground pepper. We can taste the broth has been cooked over a long period and is packed with the essence of the beef bone. However, it can taste a bit bland and you will need to sprinkle some salt to bring up the flavour.

Seoul Beef Soup

The beef brisket is thinly sliced. Although it looks very dry, the meat is very tender.

Thinly Sliced Meat

I ordered Beef Soup Banmian [$15.90]. This broth is the opposite of the Seoul beef soup. It was fully seasoned, when I took the first sip, it was robust, peppery and packed with punch. The noodle is thin, but a bit on the soggy side. The toppings include fried egg, sliced cucumber, carrot and green onions, but there is no beef meat inside.

Beef Soup Banmian 

I was very impressed with the broth in the noodle, I ordered a bowl of rice [$2] to polish off the broth. (*the sliced beef is from LD’s order)

Egg, Cucumber & Spring Onion

Finishing the Soup with Rice - Korean Style

SABA Braised Mackerel [$12.90]. We had this dish last year in Korea and LD likes it. So, she decided to order to try. The fish is nicely braised, and all the seasoning and spices are absorbed into the firm flesh. Initially, LD thought the sauce would be very spicy, however, it is closer to sweet and spicy. The spiciness level is around 7/10.

SABA Braised Mackerel

Do take note that Gagahoho does not serve free water or tea, so you need to order a drink for yourself. Service is efficient and friendly.

Menu

Overall, it was one of the better places to have Ox Bone Soup. We’ll definitely return when we have a craving for the soup or to try other items on the menu. Geonbae!! Cheers!!

Food & Drink: 7.75/10

Value: 7.75/10

Service: 7/10

Ambiance: 6.75/10

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

Gagahoho Ox Bone Soup

175 Bencoolen St

#01-57A, Burlington Square

Singapore 189649

T: +65 6518 4157

W: https://www.quandoo.sg/place/gagahoho-ox-bone-soup-97546

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

IG: @Gagahoho_sg

OH:

Tue – Sat: 12.00 – 22.30

Sun: 12.00 – 21.30

Closed on Mondays

Meat N’ Chill – 8th Year Anniversary A la Carte Buffet [MEDIA INVITE]

Meat N’ Chill celebrates its 8th year anniversary by throwing All-You-Can-Feast A la carte buffet with free flow of Hofbrau beer. This LIMITED TIME ONLY anniversary barbeque buffet will showcase Meat N’ Chill (‘MNC’) Signature dishes for you to savour.

Known for its succulent ribs and gourmet steaks, MNC is also not shy with its serving portions for its main meals.

Here is the short version of the menu for the All-You-Can-Feast A la carte buffet:

Mains: Smoked Duck, Picanhas Steak, The Meanest Pork Ribs in Town, 14-hour Smoked Brisket, Pork Belly and Australia Grass Fed Striploin Minute Steak.

Sides: Grilled Pineapple, Grilled Shrimp, Sausage, Mac n Cheese, Grilled Bread, Garden Salad, Cherry Tomatoes, Buttered Corn and Truffle Fries.

Drinks Hofbrau Beer or water.

We have tried the pork ribs at MNC a few times already. It is well-marinated, tender and succulent with a bouncy bite to it. The texture of the meat is not soft and mushy, instead, it has a nice bounciness to it. Just the way LD like her bbq pork ribs. The sauce is sweet with a solid tanginess to it.

BBQ Pork Ribs, Minute Steak & Grilled Pineapple

For the steak, we both picked the Picanhas Steak compare to Australia Grass Fed Striploin Minute Steak. Both of the steaks are cooked to the point of medium rare, however, the tender and juicy texture of the picanhas steak won us over. The minute steak is harder and will need more chewing.

Smoked Duck & Picanhas Steak

Picanhas Steak

The 14-hour smoked brisket is just irresistible. The cut of the brisket is thick and it delivers that Melts-In-Your-Mouth sensation, infused with the smoky flavour. #Beefgasm. Must Order!

14-Hour Smoked Brisket

14-Hour Smoked Brisket

Moving to the sides, we strongly recommend grilled shrimp. It is crunchy, lightly seasoned and perfectly cooked. We wanted to order more, but looking at the dishes crowding the table, we exercise restraint.

Grilled Shrimp

Mac n Cheese, loaded with bacon, mushroom and more cheese. It is delicious, but the downside is it only come in one size which is big. Better if you come in a big group to share this.

Mac N Cheese

The sausages are tender and juicy, while the grilled pork belly is a bit hard to our liking. I prefer my pork belly to be thick and slowly grilled over the fire to let the fats melt.

Pichanhas Steak, Sausages & Pork Belly

I always like to have grilled pineapple when consuming huge amount of meat. Not only it is good as a palate cleanser, but it also helps to minimise the “jelakness” from all the fats. The cherry tomato marinated with balsamic vinegar also provided a well-balanced side dish for the buffet. Served chilled, the sweetness of the tomatoes is enhanced with herbs, olive oil and balsamic vinegar dressing. LD simply love their tomatoes so much that she tried to ‘fish’ out from Chef.

Grilled Pineapple & Marinated Tomatoes

The truffle fries have a crispy exterior followed by a soft interior, but it can be better if MNC added a bit more shaved cheese on top. The grilled bread brings a nostalgic feel of traditional coffee shop Western food, of course, the version here is much better.

Grilled Bread, Truffle Fries, Ketchup, Buttered Corn and Garden Salad

The Garden salad is fresh and simple, while the buttered corn can do with more charred in it.

To spice up the dishes, you will be served different sauces such as mushroom sauce, red wine, bbq sauce, ketchup and salt flakes.

Not forgetting the Free-Flow of Hofbrau beer.

Hofbrau Beer with The Spread
Image Credit: Meat N' Chill

Overall, the All-You-Can-Feast A la carte buffet allows us to try out different signature dishes by Chef Bruce in MNC. It is available for limited time only. So don’t miss out on it. Cheers!!

Meat N’ Chill All-You-Can-Feast A la Carte Buffet

When: From 27 April 2023 (Limited Time Only)

Day: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday Only

Time: 12.00 – 14.00; 17.00 – 20.30 (By Reservation Only)

Price: $59.90++

Thank you very much Protegie and Meat N’ Chill Team for hosting us.

Food & Drink: 7.75/10

Value: 7.5/10

Service: N/A (Media Invite)

Budget per Person: $51 - $80

Meat N’ Chill – Steak N’ Ribs Restaurant

805 Bukit Timah Road

#01-04. 6th Avenue Centre.

Singapore 279883

T: +65 8812 4455

W: https://meatnchill.com/

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

IG: @Meatnchill

OH:

Tue – Sun: 11.30 -14.30; 17.00 - 21.00

Closed on Monday.

Menu available online

Friends Café HK – Classic Cha Chaan Teng Comfort Food

It was our second try to visit Friends Café HK (‘FC’) at Sembawang, and it was more of an unplanned visit as we are waiting to pass time. Our 1st try was thwarted after we saw the queue to get into FC. This time around, it seems the hype has settled and we manage to get a seat easily.

Friends Café HK

From the outside, you will be welcome by the Friends Café signboard in Cantonese, brighten up by the light box with jade green colour as the background. I can’t read Chinese or Cantonese, so I need to rely on LD to confirm the place. Well, for those who do not read Chinese or Cantonese like me, the menu has English as well.

The Menu

Once you enter the shop, you will feel the familiar feel of the place. The décor, starting with mosaic tiles flooring and on the wall, together with the green chairs and steel and wooden table will totally transport you back to the Cha Chaan Teng in Hong Kong. Those who have never been to Hong Kong, think of those scenes from Young and Dangerous movies, God of Gamblers or any HK shows in the 80s or 90s. Well, the Cantopop music from the 80s and 90s definitely set the ambience of the shop.

Part of the Interior

I start my meal with Beef Balls Brisket Horfun ($7.50). I don’t think I ever tried horfun in HK, most of the time I only order the egg noodle or the instant noodle. The broth is robust and packed with MOO MOO flavour, as you can see from the layer of oil on top. The beef balls are smooth and bouncy, while the brisket is fatty, soft and fork tender. Surprisingly, the horfun is smooth and silky, plus it soaks up the essence of the broth. Totally amazed by this dish and it is a must-order here.

Beef Balls Brisket Horfun

Beef Brisket

Beef Ball

The Horfun

LD starts with the Black Pepper Chicken Chop Set ($8.50). The set is served with our choice of 1 side and toast with butter. For the side, LD choose a fried egg. In traditional HK style, the chicken chop is served on top of a big pile of rice. The black pepper sauce, infused with Worchester sauce generously drizzle on top of the chicken chop and occupied half of the plate. The chicken is well-marinated, thick, yet juicy and succulent. The egg is perfectly cooked, with the yolk oozing out in the middle. Meanwhile, the black pepper sauce just binds all the ingredients together. Yummy!

Black Pepper Chicken Chop

Black Pepper Chicken Chop

We decided to share another set dish, Satay Sliced Beef Instant Noodle Set ($8.50). I choose bacon as the side dish plus it is served with toast and butter. For those who never try satay beef HK style, there is no peanut in it. It tasted more like bbq sauce or the beef sauce you find in Hai Di Lau. The beef is tender and soaks up the flavour of the bbq sauce. The instant noodle is al-dente while the light flavour broth allows the flavour of the satay sauce to shine. I feel the bacon is too salty, it just feels alien on the dish. I should have ordered luncheon meat instead.

Satay Sliced Beef Instant Noodle 

Satay Sliced Beef Instant Noodle 

The toast is slathered with lots of butter; however, I was not sure how to enjoy it as we already have lots of carbos. The solution present itself when the Curry Fish Ball ($4.50) arrived. From the look, I can tell you the fish balls are different from HK version but the curry taste is the same. The HK fishball is about the size of a quail egg and dense, while the SG fishball is bouncy, airy and bigger. I prefer the SG fishballs. While LD and I finished the fishballs, I decided to polish the curry using the toast.

Curry Fish Ball

Toast with Butter

Toast with Curry Sauce

For the drink, I have the cold Homemade Milk Tea ($3.50) and LD ordered Cream Soda ($2). FC made their cold milk tea in big batches, bottled it and put them in the fridge. They are smooth, silky and packed with signature HK tea flavour.

HK Milk Tea

Cream Soda

Since we are waiting for time to pick someone, we decided to order desserts. Fish Meat Siew Mai ($3.50) and French Toast (Peanut Butter, $4.50). Although the size looks small, the fish meat siew mai is tasty and bouncy. The texture totally reminds me of the HK version of fish ball, but it is steam instead of deep fried.

Fish Meat Siew Mai

Of all the dishes that we tried that day, the French Toast (Peanut Butter, $4.50) was disappointing. The temperature of the oil is not hot enough, allowing the oil to sip into the middle section of the bread. The exterior is not crispy and the peanut butter was ruined by the oil in the bread. Hopefully, they can improve on the French Toast.

French Toast

Peanut Butter Fillings

Service on the day was friendly and attentive. Luckily, you will not get the Signature HK stern and bo chap (‘I don’t care’) service here.

Overall, it was one of the best HK café experiences that we have had in Singapore. LD gave the Chicken Chop Rice two thumbs up, while I enjoy the Beef Ball Brisket Horfun and Satay Beef Instant Noodle. The HK Milk tea is good and the creamy soda drink is just a nostalgic HK drink. Hopefully, we have more chances to visit them in the future and enjoy the classic HK comfort dishes. Cheers!!

PS: I saw FC posted their homemade Bolo Bao with Butter on Facebook. Looking forward to trying this in the future.

Food & Drink: 8/10

Value: 8/10

Service: 7/10

Ambiance: 8.5/10

Budget per Person: $11 - $25

Friends Café HK

60 Springside Walk

#01-18, The Brooks 1

Singapore 786020

T: +65 8621 1125

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

IG: @_friendscafehk_sg

OH:

Daily 11.30 – 20.30

Cherry & Oak – A Smoking Good Meal

Cherry & Oak (‘CNO’) is an Asian smokehouse, that combines the art of slow-cooking with traditional local dish Nasi Lemak Bakar. The name of the restaurant is derived from the wood logs used to smoke all the food served here. Cherry wood is known for its flavour and colour, while oak wood maintains the temperature of the smoker.

Cherry & Oak

I met up with YP for our regular catch-up. However, LD is not feeling well, so she can’t join us.

Smoked Satay Madura Chicken 

We started the meal with Smoked Satay Madura Chicken ($18), thick chicken cubes marinated with Madura spices and served with peanut sauce. The chicken cubes are succulent, well marinated and filled with a nice smoky aroma. The satay is already good on its own, however, the nutty and sweet peanut sauce, just brings it to another level. How I wish they give us more of the peanut sauce.

Smoked Satay Madura Chicken

Smoked Satay Madura Chicken

Rainbow Sausage ($16) comes with the complimentary Nasi Lemak Bakar. The sausages are original, spinach, beetroot and curry. I am usually a bit apprehensive when ordering sausages because they can be very salty. However, I am glad CNO proves me wrong.

Rainbow Sausages

These handmade chicken sausages are well smoked, juicy and bursting with flavour. The saltiness level is very subtle, allowing the flavours from the marinade to shine. I was surprised by the clean taste of the beetroot and spinach sausages. A must order here.

I can’t remember when was the last time I tried Nasi Lemak Bakar. The version at CNO is as good as it comes. The combination of coconut milk and smoky aroma just whet your appetite. The Nasi Lemak Bakar is served with fried ikan bilis and peanuts plus the sambal. It is also nice with the peanut sauce from the satay Madura.

Nasi Lemak Bakar 

Brisket 200g ($23) comes with the complimentary Nasi Lemak Bakar. The smoked brisket is the main reason why YP and I choose this place. CNO uses pure-bred Black Angus, MBS 3 -4 from Australia. The brisket is soft, juicy and delivers a melt-in-your-mouth sensation. It has a rich beefy flavour and is filled with a beautiful smoky aroma. The best part is it just goes well with the Nasi Lemak Bakar. Yummy.

Brisket

Since CNO is a Muslim-owned establishment, no alcohol is served here. Instead, you can enjoy the mocktails. At that time there was 1 for 1 promotion. I ordered Cassanova ($18) and YP ordered Paloma. Both the mocktails have complex and multi-layer of flavours. A treat to your five senses.

Cassanova

Paloma

The design of the restaurant is based on industrial concept. The cherry wood, oak wood and even the mini smoker are displayed as part of the décor. Some of the seating areas are separated using tall plants, that add nice greenery to the restaurant. The piano tunes playing in the background created a relaxing ambience and a nice environment to catch up with friends. I prefer the indoor seating, however, for those who like the outdoor, there is an al-fresco area available.

Part of The Dining Area

The service is friendly and attentive. Although we order through QR code, the service staff also check with us again to ensure the order is correct. During the meal, they also drop by a few times to ensure the food is ok and if we need anything else. Do take note that reservation is recommended and you will have to put your card as a guarantee for your reservation.

Part of The Dining Area

Overall, we had a great time dining at Cherry & Oak. The food is great and so does the service. The smoked Brisket, Nasi Lemak Bakar and Rainbow Sausages are a must-order here. We’ll surely make a return visit to try the rest of the dishes. Cheers!!

Food & Drink: 8.25/10

Value: 8/10

Service: 8/10

Ambiance: 7.5/10

Budget per Person: $26 - $50; $51 - $80

Cherry & Oak

95 Owen Road

Singapore 218907

T: +65 9119 4074

W: https://www.cherrynoak.sg/

F: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100070937461828

IG: @Cherryoak.sg

OH:

Tue – Sun: 11.00 – 22.00

Closed on Monday

Menu is Available Online