Co Chung – Delicious Vietnamese Food

We were looking for a Vietnamese restaurant with our friends that serve a good broken rice dish. A quick google search landed us at Co Chung at Boat Quay, which is the second outlet of Co Chung. The first outlet is located in B2, Plaza Singapura.

Co Chung @Boat Quay

Co Chung is founded by Aunty Chung (Mommy & Head Chef) and Khanh LV. Pham, the daughter in law. When Miss Pham settled down in Singapore with her husband, she decided to bring the authentic Vietnamese taste and made her MIL’s dream become reality by serving Aunty Chung version of Vietnamese food to the foodies in Singapore. I am glad they did.

The Bar

Pho Beef Noodle Soup ($11.50). We were impressed by the presentation. The pho is served in three parts, the rice noodle and uncooked sliced beef in the bowl, the boiling beef soup and beef balls in an Arabic Coffee Maker pot, and the dipping sauce. Once the pho arrived at the table, we took the photos in double-quick time and pour the hot soup into the pho.

Pho - When it is served

The hot broth slowly cooked the rare sliced beef, allowing it to retain the juicy and succulent texture. The broth tasted clean, yet sweet and robust at the same time; while the rice noodle is thin, silky and delectable. Not forgetting the bouncy beef balls that packed with flavours. It is probably one of the best Pho Bo that we ever tried in Singapore.

Pouring the Broth

Pho - Ready to Eat

Grilled Pork Banh Mi ($9.96). The baguette is light and soft. The pork is well marinated, tender and bursting with flavours. Meanwhile, the combination of the homemade mayonnaise, homemade pate, fish sauce, pickles, scallion oil veggie and cilantro made this sandwich a flavour bomb. They are very generous with the fillings, but I feel it can be better if the bread has a more crisp exterior.

Grilled Pork Banh Mi

Grilled Pork Banh Mi

Vietnamese Broken Rice ($12.50). The dish that leads us to Co Chung. True to its name, most of the long-grain rice on the plate is broken, while the grilled pork is well marinated, tender and bursting with flavour, just like the Banh Mi filling. Completing the broken rice dish are the homemade meatloaf (made from shredded pork and pork skin); fried egg and pickle. The sauce for this dish is made from special condensed fish sauce. It reminds us of the version that we usually have in a Vietnamese restaurant in Melbourne. Yummy!

Vietnamese Broken Rice

Vietnamese Broken Rice

Bun Cha Ha Noi ($12.80). The dish made famous by Anthony Bourdain and past US President Barack Obama. The story goes that when Obama and Bourdain were in Vietnam at the same time, Obama reach out to Bourdain and ask him to bring him to try the local food. So Bourdain decided on a Bun Cha spot in Hanoi and the rest is history.

Bun Cha Ha Noi

LD and I tried this dish during our visit to Hanoi. I find the dish to be delicate and more like a Vietnamese version of somen. The thin rice noodle (like bee hoon) and fresh vegetables are dipped inside the dipping sauce made with fish sauce, sugar and vinegar; then filled with grilled pork, grilled meatball and green papaya pickle.

The Dipping Sauce / Broth

Since rice noodle is soft, light and silky, they acted as a sponge that absorbs the delicious dipping sauce. The grilled pork and grilled meatball are well marinated and delicious; however, it is not as fragrant compared to the one served in the broken rice and banh mi. There is an option to add the noodle, I regretted my decision not to add the extra noodle, as it is not enough to go around. However, I am glad I can to enjoy this dish without going to Hanoi.

Grilled Pork Belly in the Dipping Sauce

Vietnamese Nem Nuong ($8.50). Grilled minced pork sausage on a lemongrass stick. Looks like a chicken drumstick, aromatic and delicious. The sausage-like texture is firm, yet juicy internally. The charred on the exterior drew out aromatic flavour from the seasoning.

Vietnamese Nem Nuong 

Fresh Spring Rolls ($2.95 each, min 2). Our favourite appetizer in a Vietnamese restaurant, also known as summer roll. The skin is springy while the fresh ingredients filled the roll almost to the point of bursting.

Fresh Spring Roll

Thin Cabbage and Chicken Breast Salad ($9.50). Thinly cut cabbage, white onion, chicken, sweet and sour flavour. A healthy dish with a nice multi-texture. I like sweet and sour flavour, but it seems like missing something. Roasted peanuts maybe?

Thin Cabbage and Chicken Breast Salad 

Vietnamese Milk Coffee ($6.80, Cold). It is solid and powerful, yet absent of any bitter taste. It sure perks me up for the day.

Vietnamese Ice Milk Coffee 

We visited Co Chung at Boat Quay on a Sunday afternoon. While most of the shops in the neighbourhood are closed, Co Chung is buzzing with diners. The indoor area of the restaurant is decorated with Vietnamese lanterns, lights and clay roof tiles. The outdoor seating area is without decoration. The tables and chairs are made from solid wood. While the restaurant provides a tabloid-size printed menu, the order and payment were done through a QR code and app on your phone. The service was friendly and efficient.

Part of the Indoor Seating Area

The Menu

Overall, I am glad that we choose Co Chung. The food here is authentic and delicious and will return to try the rest of the dishes. One of them is Cha Ca La Vong, Vietnamese turmeric fish with noodles. Cheers!!

Cha Ca La Vong

Food & Drink: 8.25/10

Value: 7.25/10

Service: 7/10

Ambiance: 7.25/10

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

Co Chung Vietnamese Restaurant

@Boat Quay

5 Lor Telok

Singapore 049018

T: +65 8876 8137

W: https://cochung.oddle.me/en_SG/

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

IG: @Cochungvietnameserestaurant

OH:

Mon – Fri: 11.00 – 15.00; 17.00 – 22.00

Sat & Sun: 12.00 – 22.00

Other Branch:

68 Orchard Road

#B2-20, Plaza Singapura

T: +65 8876 8137

OH: Daily 11.00 – 21.00

Signs A Taste of Vietnam Pho – Seriously Good Pho

Pho has always been a comfort food for me and LD. The piping hot beef broth, with silky rice noodle and sliced beef, just cuddle our taste buds and satisfy our hunger perfectly. We found Signs A Taste of Vietnam Pho (‘SP’) when we were googling for Pho places around the city area.

Signs A Taste of Vietnam Pho

Located at B2 Orchard Gateway, there was not much foot traffic passing by the store over the weekend. However, SP is still full of diners. Luckily, the turnover is very fast and we were seated in less than 15 minutes.

Once we submitted our order, the food comes in less than 5 minutes. Fresh Spring Rolls – Pork with Prawn ($6, 2 rolls). Also known as rice paper roll, it is plump and packed with fresh ingredients. You got lettuce, carrot, cucumber, thin rice noodle, boiled pork and boiled prawn. The unassuming peanut sauce is tasty and packed a spicy kick. Yum

Fresh Spring Rolls – Pork with Prawn

Fresh Spring Rolls – Pork with Prawn

I ordered Beef Feast Combo Pho Bo ($10). The meat includes sliced beef ribeye, brisket, tendon and lean sliced beef. The sliced beef is tender and succulent, while the brisket and tendon cooked just right making it, soft yet bouncy. The rice noodle is smooth and silky, swimming in the clear looking robust beef broth. It reminds me of the home-cooked Pho we tried previously, instead of the usual restaurant version.

Beef Feast Combo Pho Bo

Sliced Beef Ribeye & Sliced Lean Beef

Beef Tendon

LD ordered Sliced Beef Ribeye + Balls Pho Bo ($10). The sliced beef ribeye and sliced lean beef are also tender and succulent. The meatball is alive and bouncy. LD drops one of the beef balls and it was bouncing on the table and to the floor like a ping pong. Luckily, I manage to scoop it up before someone stepped on it.

Sliced Beef Ribeye + Beefballs Pho Bo

The Rice Noodle

The décor of SP is open and filled with simple dining tables and chairs. The place is painted in bright orange and decorated with Vietnamese lantern lights and Vietnamese paintings. The service is friendly and efficient. The owner and service staffs have hearing disabilities; therefore, they communicate in Sign Language and writing. This is probably how the name of the store come about.

Menu 1

Menu 2

Overall, SP delivers comforting Vietnamese food with a taste of home. The Pho is delicious and we did not feel any MSG attack after our meal. We will return to visit when we are around the city next time and also try their Banh Mi. Cheers!!

Food & Drink: 7.5/10

Value: 7.75/10

Service: 7/10

Ambiance: 7/10

Budget per Person: $11 - $25

Signs A Taste of Vietnam Pho

277 Orchard Road

#B2-15, Orchard Gateway

Singapore 238858

T: +65 8685 4838

F: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063539954578

OH:

Mon – Sat: 11.00 – 20.30

Closed on Sunday

Super Ngon – Home Cooked Pho

Beef Noodle Soup Special

Super Ngon is a wall in the hole Vietnamese Noodle Café that located along the same stretch of the One-Michelin-Star Bak Chor Mee in Singapore. We found this place by chance when LD has her Pho cravings again.

Super Ngon

Once you enter the shop, it feels like you are transported back to a similar noodle shop in Hanoi. It is cosy, minimalist yet intimate. In the afternoon, the place is well lit by natural lighting shining through the floor to roof windows. The menu is very small, focused Beef Noodle Soup, Chicken Noodle Soup, Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls (Rice Paper Roll) and drinks.

The Menu

I ordered the Beef Noodle Soup Special ($ 8.90) and LD ordered the Regular Beef Noodle Soup ($7.90). The portion of the rice noodle for regular and special are the same. The difference is in the meat / toppings.

Beef Noodle Soup Special

For the special beef noodle soup, the toppings include tendon, beef brisket and rare beef. The beef soup looks cloudy, yet robust and packs with the essence of the beef. A slurp of this broth will make you go MOOO!!

Tendon and Brisket

Brisket

The rice noodle has a slight rough in texture when you slurp on it, while the tendon is tender and crunchy at the same time. I like the beef brisket as it is tender and deliver solid beef flavours. The rare beef cuts are thick, making the texture to be slightly chewy and hard. In terms of tenderness, it loses out to the brisket. That said, I like my special beef noodle. The taste is very close to those we find in Hanoi.

The Rice Noodle

LD ordered the regular beef noodle as she only wants the sliced beef for toppings. According to her, the chilli sauce here is superb. Combine it with the hoisin sauce, it is very Shiok!! From the taste and presentation, we find the Pho served here is more towards a homemade style.

Beef Noodle Soup Regular

The Shiok Chilli

We also ordered the Vietnamese Fresh Spring Roll ($4, 2 pcs). The rice paper roll here is thick, bursting with its fillings until looks out of shape. The fillings are fresh and you can taste the herbs together with the prawns and pork. Instead of the peanut sauce, it comes with fish sauce dips.

Vietnamese Fresh Spring Roll

Vietnamese Fresh Spring Roll

Vietnamese Drip Coffee Iced ($3.50) is very solid. Thick and strong, with the sweetness level of the condensed milk adjusted to Singapore level. The best part, it is served ready to drink and I don’t need to wait for it to drip finish.

Vietnamese Drip Coffee Iced

Overall, we highly recommend Super Ngon for your Pho fixed. It feels non-commercial, more like dining at Vietnamese household. I’m going to try their Chicken Noodle Soup next time. Cheers!!

Food & Drinks: 8/10

Value: 8.5/10

Service: 6.5/10

Ambiance: 6.5/10

Budget per Person: $0 - $10; $11 - $25.  

Super Ngon Vietnamese Noodle Café

466 Crawford Lane

#01-08

Singapore 190466

T: +65 9644 7039

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

IG: @Super_ngon

OH: Daily 11.00 – 21.00

Highlights of 2014

Hello 2015! Yes, what a better way to start the new year with a quick recap of the highlight of foodgasm session in 2014.

Sarnies - The Fry Up

For Breakfast to Brunch, we really need to mention Sarnies, Symmetry and Sunday Market. Sarnies Aussie Big Breakfast are so memorable, it really fills you for the whole day and give me the nostalgic feeling of my days in Melbourne. Symmetry provide us with a more classy version of cafe Brunch. More cutting edge plating while maintaining awesome flavours.

Symmetry - Hickory Corned Beef & Hash

Sunday Market is unique with their modern food with Thai flairs in their dishes. Their Bangkok Toast desserts and Thai Ice Milk Tea are just YUMMM!!.

Mrs Pho – Just Like Mamma Used To Cook

Mrs Pho

Quoting from the website of Mrs Pho, “There is no Bastardisation nor is there any fusion on the menu here – It's traditional Vietnamese Food, just like how Mamma used to cook”. This quote itself says it all on what's on offer at Mrs. Pho written Anthony Bourdain's flair.

Decor

So Pho – So Good Halal Vietnamese Food

So Pho - NEX

In the past few years, more and more Vietnamese restaurants seems to open up in Singapore. Although the growth was not as exponential as the upper class Ramen invasion in SG, Vietnamese PHO follow the slow yet steady path to win the stomach of Singaporeans. Although it is no very obvious, to get a Halal Vietnamese food can be a challenge for our muslim friends, especially when pork feature prominently in Vietnamese cuisine. Fortunately, Katrina Holdings see the opportunity in the market and introduce So Pho.

The Table Setting

Little Devil has a bit of Vietnamese Food cravings when we were in NEX, so we decided on So Pho.

Moc Quan – Flavours of Ho Chi Minh City in Singapore [MEDIA INVITE]

Moc Quan

Thank you very much to Jeff Koh the Owner / Chef of Moc Quan for the invitation.

Jeff is a self-taught Chef who believe that the best way to experience Vietnam is through their street food. Each of the dedicated Street Food Chefs, spend their whole life mastering / perfecting their craft in delivering their own version of their dish. Over the past three years Jeff has explore Vietnam and learnt from these Chefs their secret recipe and found love and passion for Vietnamese street food along the way. After several years of learning, he finally feels that he is ready to bring back the flavours of Ho Chi Minh for us to savour in Singapore.