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

Bruno’s Pizzeria & Grill – Neighbourhood Italian Restaurant

Vesuvio Pizza

Bruno’s Bistrot / Pizzeria & Grill (‘Bruno’) restaurants begin its operations in 2010. Bruno’s restaurant initial focus is on serving Italian food. The restaurant has been operating under the radar, serving the neighbourhood crowd around their restaurants without much fanfare and publicity. In 2018, Bruno’s took over the corner establishment in Serangoon Road that used to be a popular bistrot and started their French Bistro.

Bruno's Pizzeria & Grill at Tanjong Katong

This review is solely on their establishment in Tanjong Katong.

We came in a group of six, so we decided to share some starter and pizza. Our meal started with a complimentary basket of bread, served with olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette. Nice chewy baguette, dipped in the traditional Italian way.

Complimentary Bread Basket

Burratina Cheese with rocket salad and Parma ham ($22). Smooth and creamy burrata drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette and olive oil. Instead of the usual sliced tomatoes, Bruno serves this dish with sliced cherry tomatoes, rocket salad and sundried tomatoes. I like the additional sun-dried tomatoes that introduce intense tangy flavour to this dish.

Burratina Cheese with rocket salad and Parma ham

Margherita Pizza ($16.90). A simple pizza that will test out the quality of the ingredients in a pizzeria. The crisp and chewy dough, topped with delicious tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and basil. The version here definitely passes the test, though it can be better if they add an extra sprinkle of the mozzarella.

Margherita Pizza

Diavola Pizza ($19.90). Made for the meat lovers. Generous with salami and cut chillies as it covered most of the top part of the pizza. I find the salami is missing the smoky aroma and it is too tangy for my liking.

Diavola Pizza

Vesuvio Pizza ($19.90) - The toppings include mozzarella cheese, cherry tomatoes, shaved parmesan cheese and rocket salad. This pizza will suit vegetarian nicely.  The combination of mozzarella and shaved parmesan present a rich creamy and umami combo in this dish. The bitterness from the rocket salad cuts through the richness and pungentness from the cheeses, while the cherry tomatoes bursting with sweetness.

Vesuvio Pizza

For the mains, I ordered Spaghetti Bolognese ($19.90). A traditional spaghetti recipe served with beef ragu that is cooked over a long period. The pasta is cooked to al-dente making it easy to twirl and slurp. Meanwhile, the minced beef in the ragu has breakdown nicely and absorbs the flavour of the tomato and wine nicely. All the ingredients are bind nicely with the rustic shaved parmesan. Do take note that the pasta portion is huge and can easily satisfy two people.

Spaghetti Bolognese

LD ordered Seafood Risotto / Risotto Ai Frutti Di Mare ($26). LD’s favourite risotto. The arborio rice is cook till al-dente as it absorbs the stock and tomato sauce. The rice is plump, creamy and bursting with flavour in each bite, enhance further with the intense flavour of sundried tomatoes. The seafood is huge and generous in portion, however unfortunate on that day the mussels are stale. If not for the mussels, it is a great dish indeed.

Seafood Risotto / Risotto Ai Frutti Di Mare

The rest of the group ordered Linguine Aragosta ($25.50), Ragu Tortellini ($28) and Grilled Ribeye ($35). Since I did not try it, I will just show you the photo.

 Linguine Aragosta

Ragu Tortellini

Grilled Ribeye 

The décor of the restaurant reminisces of a traditional Italian restaurant. The traditional wooded chairs and checkers table cloths amplify the experience. Special offerings are written on the blackboard hanging on the walls of the restaurant. In summary, the restaurant is very cosy complemented by friendly service staff. Please note that if you are bringing a cake for a special occasion, there is a service charge for it.

Part of the Dining Area

Wall Decor

Overall, Bruno’s Pizzeria and Grill is like your neighbourhood Italian restaurant. The food is good but not super fantastic, however, the portions are extremely generous. A restaurant that you can return regularly with your family or order takeaway for a big feast. Saluti!! Cheers!!

Food & Drinks: 7.25/10

Value: 8.25/10

Service: 6.75/10

Ambiance: 7.25/10

Budget per Person: $26 - $50

Bruno’s Pizzeria & Grill

344 Tanjong Katong Road

Singapore 437113

T: +65 6440 4525

W: https://brunospizzeria.kitchen/

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

IG: @Brunospizzeria

OH: Daily 12.00 – 14.30; 18.00 – 22.30

Menu is available from their website.

My Briyani House Marine Cove – Unveiling New Menu [MEDIA INVITE]

Lamb Shank Briyani

My Briyani House is an Indian Restaurant concept by Mr Teh Tarik Group. It serves a wide range of traditional and authentic Indian dishes as well as the iconic Teh Tarik. My Briyani House is also MUIS Halal Certified Restaurant.

My Briyani House @Marine Cove

My Briyani House at Marine Cove just revamps its menu and ready to tantalise our taste buds. The start dish for this new line menu is Lamb Shank Briyani ($13.80 for 1 pc, $25 for 2pcs).

The lamb shank is cooked over a long period as the flesh is almost fork-tender and easily fall off the bone. It is tasty and only has a little gamy taste. The briyani rice is fluffy, al-dente and flavourful. The spices are just right to ignite the aroma instead of overpowering the whole meal. The best part is to dig out for the lamb gravy at the bottom of the briyani rice.

Lamb Shank Briyani

Sambal Prawn ($8). Crispy and crunchy prawns. The sambal sauce has a multilayer and distinct spicy and sweetness. The sambal prawns are good with any type of rice, it can easily be a “rice thief” dish here.

Sambal Prawn

Masala Squid ($8). Aromatic and coated with creamy and delicious masala curry. The squid has a good bite to it, followed with a slight chewiness. 

Masala Squid (Left) and Sambal Prawns

Chettinad Chicken ($8). This chicken dish sure packs of punch. The gravy is solid and absorbs well into the flesh. The chicken use is a bit too small for my liking, as the meat tasted a bit firm. The gravy from this chicken and masala squid goes nicely with the Butter Naan ($4).

Chettinad Chicken

The butter naan is aromatic and buttery. I like the chewy bread-like texture and the aromatic butter inside. Of course, it works wonder to polish the gravy from the Chettinad chicken and masala squid.

Butter Naan

Curry Fish Head ($28). The new signature dish here. The fish is fresh and cooked in spicy and tangy curry. There is no coconut milk inside this curry, so the curry fish head does not feel heavy. The curry spices stand out, together with a tangy and spicy flavour. In case you are wondering, the curry fish head is catered to Singaporean taste as the recipe was finetuned by Mr Mok, the owner of Mr Teh Tarik Group.

Curry Fish Head

Other than the briyani, we ate the fish head curry with the plain prata ($1.40, min 2 pcs). The plain prata is crisp and fully and if you let it swim in the curry fish head, it is a perfect vessel to savour the curry fish head.

Curry Fish Head

Vegetarian Briyani ($7.50). This vegetarian briyani is a medley of flavour and texture. The rice is fluffy and al-dente, accompanied by crunchy and juicy vegetables. The sweet flavour extracted from the vegetables together and spices just work wonder. As there is no meat in this briyani, this dish feels light and you won’t feel guilty when you scoop more of it.

Vegetarian Briyani

Side dishes that we tried include Papadum, Lady Finger Poriyal ($2) and Mixed Vegetable Thoran ($2). The mixed vegetable is sweet and crunchy. Combine with the attractive fresh colour, it is easily paired with white rice of briyani.

Mixed Vegetable Thoran and Papadum

I can’t comment much on the Lady Finger Poriyal, as I did not taste it. Lady finger just not of my liking. Papadum is crunchy with the right saltiness.

Our Meal, Lady Finger Poriyal at top roght

Of course, the meal here won’t be complete without the Signature Ice Teh Tarik ($2.50). Smooth milky texture followed with a strong tea flavour. Yummy!!

Signature Iced Teh Tarik

The décor of My Briyani House is simple, almost like a food court style. The place is very spacious and one of the attractions here is the kids’ corner. It is open 24 hours, so you can enjoy it any time of the day.

Indoor Seating Area

Kids' Corner

Outdoor Seating Area

Overall, I like the new menu of My Briyani House. It combines the popular Authentic Indian dishes with local dishes as well. There have been improvements compare to the last time I was here for my prata fix. Do take note that this new menu is only applied to My Briyani House @Marine Cove. Cheers!!

New Menu 1

New Menu 2

New Menu 3

New Menu 4

Thank you Chef Mel Dean and My Briyani House for hosting us.

Food & Drinks: 7.5/10

Value: 6.5/10

Service: N/A (Media Tasting)

Ambiance: 6.5/10

Budget per Person: $0 - $10, $11 - $25

My Briyani House @Marine Cove

1000 East Coast Road Parkway

#01-04, East Coast Park. Marine Cove

Singapore 449876

T: +65 6742 5522

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

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

IG: @Mybriyanihouse

OH: 24 Hours

I Want My Noodle – Asian Fusion Bakmi

My Fried Duck Noodle @ I Want My Noodle

I will dedicate this post to my uni friend HK. A rice and noodle fanatic. I will probably never find or try I Want My Noodle if not because of his crazy cravings for Bak Chor Mee in Orchard Road at 8PM in between his shopping spree in Singapore.

I Want My Noodle

As per usual, I did my research before I wrote this review. I found out that the noodle here is made from scratch daily. The owner, Derrick Kuah left his cosy job, to pursue his love in F&B Business. He learns the noodle-making skills from his Mother-in-Law in Indonesia for a few years and perfected it in Singapore. The noodles are made daily using flour, egg and water, without using alkaline.

The Flour

Since we were very hungry, we ordered a few noodles to share. My Truffle Oil Noodle ($9.90). Dry noodle topped with braised mushroom, onsen tamago, bak choy and drizzled with truffle oil. The presentation is Instagram worthy, as the onsen tamago is cooked to perfection.

My Truffle Oil Noodle 

The noodle reminds me of Bakmi Keriting, popular Indonesian curly egg noodle. Also similar to the noodle used in Kolo Mee. The noodle is cooked to al-dente, bouncy, tasty and delicious on its own. Of course, it is absent of any alkaline taste. Once you break the egg and tossed it with the noodle, it adds to the silkiness of the noodle. The truffle oil is mild, yet it works in tandem with the braised shitake mushrooms.

My Fried Duck Noodle ($15.90). An interesting fusion noodle dish. The noodle is served “kosong”, only tossed in oil and flavoured oil. The fried duck is crispy externally and fork-tender internally. The special herbs are well infused till the flesh, showcase an excellent confit skill. Served together with the duck is fried tofu filled with vegetables. For chilli lovers, there is a special homemade chilli to go with the noodle and duck.

The Noodle "Kosong"

The Duck, Tofu and Chilli

My Aromatic Prawn Noodle ($14.50). A dry version of prawn noodle, complete with the crispy pork lard and chilli. It is also served with stick prawn crackers and a slice of lime. The prawns served are big tiger prawns and the chilli is powerful. On top of it, the sauce tossed in the noodle is fragrant and flavourful, even without the chilli.

My Aromatic Prawn Noodle 

The Prawn Noodle Chilli

From all the three noodle dishes, I find the noodle portion is very small. If you are a big eater like me, I suggest you add an extra serving of the noodle for $2.50.

Handmade Meatballs Soup ($6.90, 5 pcs). The pork ball is juicy, tasty with a bit of crunchiness externally. The broth is robust, sweet and you can taste the radish in the pork soup.

Handmade Meatballs Soup

The restaurant is décor industrial theme and it is very open. I like the antique bicycle at the front. The seating area is spacious, while the outside of the noodle house is filled standing posters showcasing the menu or the ingredients. Service is minimum. Once you get the menu, you place the order on the cashier and make payment first.

The Kitchen

Overall, the freshly made egg noodle here is definitely a winner. I will come back for their duck confit noodle and also try their famous double roast noodle, plus taking better photos. Taking into account the freshly made egg noodle daily, the pricing is reasonable. Just consider how much you will pay for freshly made ramen or pasta. Cheers!!

Menu - Page 1

Menu - Page 2

Food & Drinks: 7.5/10

Value: 7.5/10

Service: 6/10 (Media Tasting)

Ambiance: 7/10

Budget per Person: $11 - $25

I Want My Noodle

1 Scotts Road

#03-14/15, Shaw Centre

Singapore 228208

T: +65 6235 2331 / 9758 3037

W: http://iwantmynoodle.com/

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

IG: @Iwantmynoodle

OH: Daily 11.00 – 22.00 (LO 21.00)