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Strategically located within Wisma Atria Food Republic on level four, Udon GOEN stall can be easily spotted once you come up from the escalator. Following its first outlet at Vivocity Food Republic which offers a slightly different menu, Udon GOEN opened doors since last November and has new main to their menu - Japanese Tonkatsu Curry Rice. With that many competitors selling curry rice in Singapore, how could they differentiate themselves from the crowd and attract curry fans like us?

An exotic rendition of Japanese noodle in Chinese hot and sour soup, the udon we opted for was springy and delicate. While the broth was easy to consume due to the mild sourness and spiciness, some would argue that the flavours were not distinctly bold enough for a stronger punch. Then again, taste is a very subjective matter!

With a noodle bowl starting from an affordable price of S$3.80, a plate of normal curry rice S$4.80 and big size curry rice S$10.80, it's definitely a stall that you should give a shot while dining at Food Republic Wisma Atria.

Overall Verdict: 7.5/10

Udon GOEN

435 Orchard Road

#04-02/14 Wisma Atria

Singapore
Tel: 6420 6392
https://www.facebook.com/udongoen/

With a humble beginning in Hougang, Nakhon Kitchen would be a familiar name for most with their various outlets in the heartland districts such as Bedok and Ang Mo Kio. While the closest outlet to us is Holland Village, it seems as if they upheld their philosophy of providing quality Thai food at affordable prices.

Let the taste buds do the talking already!

Pandan leaves chicken | S$6/-

One of the must-tries for us when it comes to Thai food is the pandan leaves chicken. With a lovely fragrance that titillated our appetite, we could not help but resort to using our hands to unwrap the crisp pandan leaves to unveil the tender chicken on the inside.

Homemade Thai fish cake | S$6/-

Deep-fried to a golden delicious tone, the Thai fish cake was oozing with juices upon the first mouthful. Beautifully marinated with Thai spices, the flavourful appetiser is guaranteed to please the guests at the table.

Thai mango salad | S$5/-

It is almost a mantra to order the mango or papaya salad during a Thai meal and this was no exception. While we enjoyed the balance in flavours, a light spiciness to the sweet and tang of the green mango, it was an okay dish that managed to whet our appetite though it was definitely not the best we had.

Clear seafood tom yum soup | S$6/-

A bowl of goodness, we thought that the tom yum soup is a must-try. At just S$6, it was a complete steal given the freshness and quality of seafood in that clear broth. While the clear soup looked rather innocent, it packed a strong punch of heat which grew on us after a few spoonfuls.

Pineapple fried rice | S$6/-

A classic and an easy favourite for most, the simple pineapple fried rice hit the right notes for us. Individually greased rice grains, it had the right amount of wok hei and there was a generous portion of the pork floss to top off the dish.

Phad Thai noodles | S$5/-

For those who know me, the Phad Thai is a die die must try for me when it comes to any Thai restaurant. With the right assortment of chilli flakes, crushed peanuts and a wedge of Thai lime, all that was required was the right wok hei to impart the lovely flavours of tamarind and fish sauce to the rice noodles. Spot-on and I would gladly have another plate!

Green chicken curry | S$8/-

With a choice of green and red curries and choice of meat form chicken, beef to prawn, we thought the green chicken curry would be a safe option. The viscous and rich curry had a mild spice level which would be acceptable to most. What we really enjoyed were the tender chicken chunks that just kept me scooping for more! Be sure to pair this with some Thai jasmine rice or even the pineapple fried rice!

Having the right pricing for the dishes is definitely key to drawing the crowd. While Nakhon Kitchen delivers affordable Thai food to the masses, be prepared to be a food nazi as the service was almost non-existent. Not only were we shown some harsh and rather flat attitude when our orders were taken, it was almost impossible to get your glasses refilled with water. I had to eventually head over to the counter to grab the jar to refill our glasses after politely requesting for it twice. Well, one cannot really complain at such prices and oh, did I mention that GST and service charge are waived?

If the above are enough to make you get out to one of Nakhon Kitchen outlets, do be prepared to join the queue!

Nakhon Kitchen

27A Lorong Liput

Holland Village

Singapore 277738

Tel: (65) 6469 6862 

The chicken flesh was stuffed and grilled to beautiful golden-brown on bamboo sticks. The bamboo imparted a natural sweetness to the chicken flesh and the dish was completed with a dip of egg yolk.

Unlike the usual yakitori grilled meatball we usually get, this deep-fried rendition adorned with mayonnaise and plum sauce was a simple pleasure to everyone at the table. Although it was deep-fried, the chicken meatball was crispy and not overly oily, best served as a side dish.

Another side delicacy that's worth trying and a must-order at any Japanese restaurant, the chicken gyoza was stuffed with minced meat pan-fried till crisp and finished with a touch of goma sauce. The juicy flesh was starkly juxtaposed with the crispy dough skin, which made every mouthful a joyful munch.

It is almost a mantra to feature matcha in any classic Japanese dessert. The matcha ice cream served with azuki beans and chewy mochi dusted with kinako 'roasted soy bean flour'. The ice cream was a bit too milky for my liking and I would prefer it to have stronger matcha taste.

A refreshing beverage to go along with the savoury dishes, concocted with yuzu juice, soda and yuzu peel, there's even an alcoholic version filled with 15% of soju available.

When there's not much good food in your area, you would know how blessed you are when you have food that are consistently good at affordable prices!

Overall Verdict: 7.5/10

RamenPlay

#01-03 BreadTalk Mall

30 Tai Seng St 

+65 6444 5516

http://www.ramenplay.com.sg/

If there's one night market that you must go, this is it. Known for the myriad of night markets in foodie heaven Taiwan, this is certainly an understated one! Strongly recommended by the locals themselves, they've stopped us from going to the famous Shihlin and insisted that we visit Ningxia instead while we were asking for directions.

Much smaller yet serving the most number of hits in this compact street. Be sure to try the mochi ice, orh luat mee sua (we like this a lot better than Ah Zhong Mian Xian!), grilled scallops and 月亮虾饼.

2. Din Tai Fung

My favourite Chinese restaurant chain in Singapore, visiting its very first store was a must for me. Indeed, it didn't fail our expectations, with exceptional service and comfort food. Be sure to go early to avoid the snaking queues!

Tip: We went at about 11am on a weekday and thankfully we were seated almost immediately. After we finished at about 12pm, we saw tour buses ferrying hordes of tourists over! :/ 

3. Ice Monster

We went in summer and this was such a pleasant treat. Mango flavored snow ice topped with generous amount of mango cubes, we loved the velvety texture with a strong mango taste. Must-try for mango lovers, it's just shiok especially under the sweltering hot sun!

4. Jiufen popiah icecream peanut wrap

One of those old school treats, it's the perfect combination of peanuts, and ice cream wrapped in a thin popiah. They grate the peanuts on the spot and seeing how much peanuts went in just made us ecstatic, a sinful comfort food that's too good to resist!

5. Danshui fish crackers 

Avoid those fanciful packagings, a chat with the stall owner got us addicted to the plain no-brand fish crackers, that we regretted not getting more! Handmade fish crackers compared to those factory produced and packaged ones, these are more flavourful and crispier.


Forget about the branding and presentation. With this, it's back to the basics, with just good food and sealed plain plastic bags. 

6. Chia Te

When in doubt, just follow the queue. We went in midday and the queue went all the way to the end of the street. We queued for close to an hour and most of their new specials were sold out. In any case, be sure to get your hands on their pineapple tarts. It's really the best in Taiwan.
Tip: second time visiting, we went there at around 7.30pm and to our pleasant surprise, it was almost empty! 

7. Raohe takeaway bento box

Most would think of Raohe night market for their pepper bun, but we had a nicer one recommended by our Taiwan friend at Ruifang (next on the list). While Taiwan is also known for its bian dang he (bento boxes), this was a better one that we've had. Tucked in this small corner in one of the alleys, it's indeed a well hidden treasure. Must try their pork chop bento box!

Directions: From the main exit where you'd spot the famous pepper buns, walk straight till you walk past this stall (on the right side) selling Roast Suckling Pig, then turn left into the alley and walk right to the end. It looks pretty dodgy with a small dining area on elevated platform enclosed in transparent doors, with them handling mostly deliveries.

8. Ruifang Pepper Bun | 瑞芳林記福州胡椒餅

A pit stop on our way to Jiufen, Ruifang is where you can catch a glimpse of the not-so-tourist side of Taiwan if you make your way into the town. Walk all the way in to the 'hawker' and you'll find a maze of small food stalls. Pepper buns are snapped up really quickly here and luckily we managed to snag a few before they ran out of it!

Ruifang Food Street | 瑞芳美食街

9. 肥前屋 Unagi Don

I've never been a fan of unagi but this bought me over completely, despite the arduous 20mins queue under the sun. A simple comforting box of unagi well-marinated for a balanced savoury touch, everything was done just right. And the best guarantee was probably spotting several tables of Japanese dining there, and leaving the place with nods.
With their affordable pricing and food done well, it's no wonder there's a queue! Though do be assured that the queue moves pretty fast 'cos no one really stays for too long in there given the cramped space that was pretty warm. 

10. Wang's Steak

For one of the most successful chains in Taiwan, splurge a little to experience what great hospitality is like. It was one of my most memorable dining experiences with every single touch points done well, excellent and attentive service with a personal touch, paired with decent food.


I was impressed by how service staff took the effort to explain the menu in detail, and upon serving our mains, even helped to slice up our steaks after waiting patiently for our cameras to finish eating. They'd even helped to slice up my portion of ribs, then wrapping the end of the bone with aluminum foil to make it easy for me to eat without dirtying my hands. I'd also spotted them helping to de-shell prawns for another table.


Go there especially if you're celebrating any occasions, and they'd be happy to present you with a small token and snap photos for good old memories.

11. Ximending | 西門町原住民不滿族 大腸包小腸

I've wanted to keep it to 10 places initially, but these are just too good not to share! Hidden in one of the alleys in Ximending, beside Koi and some Teh Tarik place, we chanced upon it the first time while exploring xmd, and I couldn't stop going back.

12. Caramel Latte at Shifen Waterfall

One of the best coffee moments I've had, sipping a cup of warm coffee while enjoying the breeze and view of "Taiwan's Niagara Falls" which is the broadest in Taiwan with vertical cascade. The cafe right beside the waterfall is a worthy try with their signature caramel latte that was really good, and decent waffles! The coffee was done just right with robust coffee in the first sip, finished by the sugary bits at the cap foam when you lick it off your lips.