SPRMRKT After Hours x ENJOY Eating House and Bar [MEDIA INVITE]

From Jalan Besar to Dempsey Hill, SPRMRKT teams up with Enjoy Eating House and Bar to Bring Authentic Singapore Cuisine to Dempsey. Known as a lifestyle destination, SPRMRKT united its loves for food, retail and art during the day. These “after-hours” collaborations will celebrate Modern Singapore cuisine and leave diners with nostalgic happy memories and “SHIOK” feeling.

SPRMRKT

The Window to
SPRMRKT After Hours x Enjoy Eating House and Bar

We kick off the meal this evening with Kueh Pie Tee [$18]. A traditional Peranakan appetiser, the “atas” version. Jicama braised in prawn and conpoy stock, handmade pastry shells and fresh prawns Paired with shredded egg, sweet soy and house garlic chilli. For me, this crispy mini cup is always a welcome starter. It is a “flavour bomb” that delivers exciting flavours and textures, especially when the ingredients are upgraded, especially the fresh prawns and the thick cut of jicama. I like mine without chilli, opposite to LD.

Kueh Pie Tee

My Creation

Chonky Chicken Satay [$20]. Juicy and succulent spice marinated jumbo size chicken thigh, served with homemade ketupat (rice cake). A restaurant standard of satay, each bite of the satay is bursting with spices marinates, accompanied by ketupat dip in coconut milk for that umami richness. Though the satay is already very nice on its own, the creamy peanut sauce increases the “Shiokness” to this dish and the pineapple puree balances the rich creamy flavour nicely.

Chonky Chicken Satay

Enjoy Hokkien Mee [$34]. Masterfully created by Chef Joel, infused with Wok Hei (Breath of Wok). Lots of ingredients such as Wild-caught “Ang Kar” prawns, pork belly, squid, pork lard and secret rich prawn broth. For those who like things spicy, don’t forget their housemade chilli. Yummy!

Enjoy Hokkien Mee

Crispy Local Barramundi in Chef Joel’s Red Curry [$29]. A thick slice of deep-fried sustainable sea-farmed local barramundi fillet, house coconut curry sauce and sauteed local vegetables. I like the deep-fried fish as it has crispy exterior, followed by soft and flaky flesh. The red curry is rich, fragrant and spicy, however, due to the plating style, the red curry and the fish seem distant. You have to scoop the red curry sauce to the fish, to ensure you get the right taste, unlike the traditional curry dish.

Crispy Local Barramundi in Chef Joel’s Red Curry

The Flesh

To accompany the meal, we had Pandan Negroni Cocktail [$14] and Milo Dinosaur Mocktail [$14]. The cocktail is refreshing with a twist of local flavour, while the Milo Dinosaur is enhanced with Vanilla infused syrup.

Pandan Negroni Cocktail

Milo Dinosaur Mocktail

Overall, it is an exciting project for SPRMRKT After Hours, where the diners can enjoy Modern Singapore cuisine with Chef Joel’s signatures. The Enjoy Hokkien Mee is a die die must try!! Cheers!!

The Bar

Outdoor Dining Area

SPRMRKT After Hours x Enjoy Eating House and Bar

When: Every Thursday – Sunday

Time: 17.00 – 22.00

Location: SPRMRKT Dempsey

Thank you very much Chef Joel & SPRMRKT Team for hosting us.

Food & Drink: 8/10

Value: 7/10

Service: N/A (Media Invite)

Ambiance: 7.5/10

Budget per Person: $26-$50; $51 – 80

SPRMRKT x ENJOY

8 Dempsey Road

#01-15a

Singapore 247696

T: +65 8129 8166 (WA for Orders & Reservations)

W: https://sprmrkt.com.sg/

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

IG: https://www.instagram.com/sprmrkt

OH:

SPRMRKT After Hours:

Thu – Sun: 17.00 – 22.00

Menu available online

Zhup Zhup by One Prawn & Co – The Ultimate Comfort Food [MEDIA INVITE]

One Prawn & Co, known for its Japanese Tonkotsu-style broth prawn noodles and earned a Bib Gourmand spot in the Michelin Guide Singapore 2022 and 2023, is rebranding to Zhup Zhup by One Prawn & Co (“Zhup Zhup”)

Zhup Zhup Store

Their famous Gao-Gao prawn broth has brought enjoyment to many diners and turned them into loyal customers. Executive Chef / Owner Gwyneth Ang and her team have expanded the menu at Zhup Zhup to include the ultimate comfort food.

The Menu

Claypot Lobster Paofan ($58), An entire lobster, prawns, Asari clams and Japanese rice poached in their umami-packed prawn broth. Topped with egg floss and Japanese rice that has been specially dehydrated (not fried) in-house for a lovely textural contrast.

Claypot Lobster Paofan 

The overall dish is so comforting, LD and I cleaned the whole claypot till the last drop.

Claypot Lobster Paofan - Individual Serving 

The Lobster

The Last Drop

The Paofan also come in the seafood version ($16). Poached in Zhup Zhup’s signature prawn broth, loaded with prawns and Asari clams.

Claypot Hokkien Mee ($14). Chef's recommendation, the yummy ingredients include prawns, Asari clams, thick vermicelli, yellow noodle, plus Zhup Zhup umami prawn broth.

Claypot Hokkien Mee 

It is an amazing Hokkien Mee. Pack with flavours and loaded with hips of ingredients. The ingredients are about the same as the cards, I wish they have the option of adding extra noodles.

Claypot Hokkien Mee 

Not forgetting, Singapore’s favourite Zi Char dish, Har Cheong Gai ($9). Crispy externally and the mid-wing fresh is juicy, succulent and bursting with prawn paste marinate. Yummy.

Har Cheong Gai

Overall, Executive Chef / Owner Gwyneth Ang and her team have created a delicious comfort food to add to their menu. Using their Signature prawn broth, the paofan and claypot Hokkien mee are amazing. The same can be said with their Har Cheong Gai. There are more reasons to visit Zhup Zhup as they are now open from 11.00AM to 09.00PM. Cheers!!

A full review of their Tonkotsu Prawn Noodles is available here.

Thank you very much Protegie Consultancy, Chef Gwyneth and Zhup Zhup Team for hosting us.

Food & Drink: 8.5/10

Value: 6.5/10

Service: N/A (Media Invite)

Ambiance: 6.5/10

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

Zhup Zhup by One Prawn & Co

458 Macpherson Road

Singapore 368176

T: +65 9878 8897

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

IG: @Zhupzhup_by_oneprawnnco

OH: Tue – Sun: 11.00 – 21.00

Closed on Sundays

Hokkien Man – A Refine Hokkien Mee

Hokkien Mee with Fried Egg

Our first encounter of Hokkien Man Hokkien Mee (“HKHM”) was about a year ago. LD got a craving and decided to give this place a try. We reach there around 2 PM, however, they are sold out and almost finish cleaning and washing for the day. At the end, we ate the wanton mee from the stall beside it.

Fast forward this year, we went down to Toa Payoh for an unplanned visit around 11.30am. We decided to give them a call, the lady boss took our order 2 medium Hokkien Mee ($6; $5 for S & $7 for L) and told us it will be ready in 35 minutes.

The Stall

Since it was Saturday, parking there was so horrible as there were lots of people visiting the wet market and 2 hawker centres. I had to drop LD first to chop table and proceeding to other nearby car parks to find a parking lot. Thus, we only need to wait for another 10 mins, after checking-in with HKHM for a buzzer to confirm the order.

LD order my HKM with extra fried egg ($0.50). The HKM come loaded with ingredients and extra gravy on the plate. Some might call it “wet version”. I give the gravy a sip and I like the sweet, robust and umami flavour. I also feel certain that there is no MSG in it.

Hokkien Mee with Fried Egg

The noodle is al-dente, while the white noodle is crunchy, it absorbs the stock nicely. The prawns, sotong and sliced pork belly are evenly spread, making in an enjoyable meal. Two things that we notice missing are the strong “Wok Hei” flavour and the crispy pork lard bits.

Hokkien Mee with Fried Egg

The Noodles

For the chilli, LD feels it lacks the Power (Spiciness), that she give up eating the chilli. Meanwhile, the crispy fried egg is a must order here. Not only it gives a different texture to the plate, I find it very comforting and yummy on its own. I will probably order 2 fried egg next time to top up my Hokkien Mee. LD told me they also have abalone topping for an additional of $5 for 3-4 mini abalones.

Sliced Pork Belly

CBK Verdict: It is a delicious HKM, however, it is unlike your traditional version of HKM. Although the ingredients are the same, the taste is gentler, like it is assembled with a fine-dining touch instead of zhi char flair. Let’s just call this Hokkien Man signature Hokkien Mee. Cheers!!

Food & Drinks: 7.25/10

Value: 7.5/10

Service: N/A (Self Service)

Ambiance: N/A (Food Centre)

Budget per Person: $0-$10

Hokkien Man Hokkien Mee

Blk 19 Lor 7 Toa Payoh

#01-264 Kim Keat Palm

(19 Brewcoffee Coffeeshop)

Singapore 310019

T: +65 8798 1525 (For Ordering)

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

IG: @Hokkienman.hokkienmee

OH:

Thu – Tue: 10.00 – 14.30 (or When “The STOCK” run out)

Closed on Wednesday.