Being more than just a national dish and a bowl of noodle soup, Pho carries the tradition and history of Vietnam since the 19th century. Pho has since gone through a series of modification as the years go by, but it remains a well-loved dish by many.

Amongst the many food options in Somerset, we spotted this Que in TripleOne Somerset that serves Pho, Banh Mi, Bun Cha and other Vietnamese dishes. The menu is relatively affordable with nothing over S$10.90.

Aside from the usual chains you see in town, maybe this could be a new choice for you to savour!

Our Beef Pho (S$10.90) came served in a huge bowl; plus points for big portions! We first tried the broth on its own without adding any extra condiments and thought it was too light. Masterchef us started to add various sauces and toppings that were available at the counter in using our “agaration” to create our work of art.

We threw in some hoisin sauce, fish sauce, sriracha sauce, black pepper, two small limes (make do with just one if you don’t like it too sour) and some beansprouts. The flavours were immediately enhanced and the broth came to life.

Out of the few ingredients in the pho, we were bowled over by the beef balls that came with a chewy consistency and a pleasant beefy fragrance.

If pho is not your thing, here’s a rice option. As one of the highlights on their menu, the Grilled Pork Rice (S$8.90) comes with a fried spring roll. It was covered in a sweet sauce, similar to teriyaki or Thai pork skewers, moo ping, but with a firmer texture. The nuts and shallots sprinkled on it added some crunch and a nutty aroma to it.

The lady boss shared that she uses pork collar as it contains less fat but still has a good bite to it. Personally, we thought that a little more fat would have done this dish more justice with a more tender bite and fat-rendered goodness, possibly by using pork belly.

A dipping sauce made with fish sauce, vinegar and sugar that tasted similar to achar was served on the side, and it blended well together with the pork.

This food stall is a one-man show by this Vietnamese lady boss and was previously located at Toa Payoh before shifting here. She prepares everything on her own and we could feel her sincerity in cooking while tasting the food. Her friendliness and hospitality made the dining experience at Que even warmer than the bowl of noodles we had.

111 Somerset Road
#01-K10, TripleOne Somerset
Singapore 238164
Sun to Fri: 11:30am to 8pm
Sat: 11:30am to 3pm
Nearest Station: Somerset

Whenever we talk about Vietnamese food, the first thing that comes to mind is a cuisine that boasts complex heady aromas of fresh herbs and robust flavours that pack a punch yet remain light on the palate.

An amalgamation of fresh and exotic flavours hailing from various regions of Vietnam, newly-established Paper Rice aims to give diners nothing short of the real taste of Vietnam. This new concept by Arteastiq Group—you may know them for their stellar range of brewed teas and art jam spaces—sees a collaboration of colossal proportions, tying in the skillsets of Arteastiq’s award-winning Executive Chef Yip and Vietnamese-born Chef Minh.

Officially opening its doors at Changi City Point on 30 November 2018, Paper Rice takes diners through Vietnam’s rich gastronomic history encompassing the cuisine’s signature clean, exotic and robust flavours. Think nostalgic classics such as the hearty pho, smoky street-style grill and Vietnamese drip coffee, as well as other traditional and uncommon Vietnamese delights.

As part of their launch, you get to enjoy Saigon Export beers at just S$2 and 50% off Kirin beers with any purchase of food from 30 November to 31 December 2018. The best part? That’s probably the least exciting promotion the restaurant has in store. Make sure to read till the end of this article for more details.

STARTERS

Offering a pretty decent selection of starter dishes, these are what we advise you to start with to give you a more restrained introduction to the courses to come.

Vietnamese spring rolls are a must and on their menu, they have more than just the conventional spring rolls available. Feeling undecided? Consider their Spring Rolls Platter. heFeaturing 4 different kinds of spring rolls, the platter comes with two dipping sauces accompanied by rice noodles and greens.

PHO

A quintessential Vietnamese dish, the pho provides hot and meaty comfort in a nutritious bone broth.

At Paper Rice, you can choose from 5 different variations of pho originating from different parts of Vietnam. Apart from meat toppings such as beef, chicken, and pork, Paper Rice also offers a vegetarian option. Regardless of which you choose, each bowl of pho boasts silky rice noodles soaked in a flavourful broth which has been simmered overnight. Served with a heaping plate of crunchy leafy greens and various aromatic herbs, these aromatic bowls of comfort are certain to lift your senses.

RICE VERMICELLI

Rice vermicelli are essentially served dry, keeping the ingredients from becoming sodden. In the mouth, what you get is an ingenious combination of flavours accentuated by a vibrant dressing and exciting textures of beef slices, crunchy peanuts, bean sprouts and fresh herbs.

To bind it all together, stir in a tablespoon or two of fish sauce. One particular offering that we’re stoked to try is their Fresh Rice Vermicelli With Grilled Chicken.

BANH MI

On our recent visit to Ho Chi Minh City, we tried multiple delicious variations of this Vietnamese staple – the Banh Minh, and was thrilled to see this Vietnamese street food featured in Paper Rice’s menu.

Banh mi—which literally translates to bread—is made up of a toasted baguette stuffed with grilled meat and pickled vegetables. At Paper Rice, two classic Banh Mi is featured—the Grilled Pork Banh Mi and the Grilled Lemongrass Chicken Banh Mi.

MEKONG SPECIAL

The restaurant’s ‘Mekong Special’ features a selection of specialty dishes hailing from the Mekong region of Vietnam which has been known for its more pronounced flavour profiles and unique ingredients.

The Deep Fried Seabass with Spicy Lemongrass Peanut Sauce and Signature Hand Pulled Chicken are among the many unique Mekong dishes that grace this section of the menu. A special curation, the dishes here aim to bring nothing but sheer authenticity from pasture to plate.

EGG COFFEE & VIETNAMESE-STYLE HIGH TEA

To round out the entire experience, be sure to order up a cup of hot Vietnamese Egg Coffee. Every sip rewards the tongue with a frothy, creamy foam that provides a subtle sweetness as well as a gentle nuance of egg, all working well to complement the intensely flavoured dark coffee.

An all-day dining destination, Paper Rice also offers Singapore’s first Vietnamese-style high tea set ($32++ for 2) featuring colourful traditional snacks, desserts and pastries served alongside your choice of Vietnamese coffee or Arteastiq’s signature teas.

As part of their opening promotion, diners get to enjoy authentic Vietnamese coffee at just S$1 (with purchase of any food items) from 2pm to 5pm on Mondays to Fridays until 31 December 2018.

GIVEAWAY OF A LIFETIME

In need of a getaway? Visit Paper Rice any time between 30 November 2018 to 31 Jan 2019, share about your dining experience on either Instagram or Facebook as well as post a review on Google or Tripadvisor and you just might stand a chance to win a free 3D2N trip to Danang, Vietnam.

If lounging on pristine beaches and visiting the Instagrammable Da Nang Golden Bridge at Ba Na Hills sounds like the perfect vacation for you, be sure to make a trip down on their opening day (30 November 2018) to stand a 10x chance of winning this prize!

Paper Rice
Changi City Point #B1-26/27
5 Changi Business Park Central 1
Singapore 138617
Tel: +65 6443 1261
Daily: 11am – 10pm
Nearest MRT Station: Expo

This post was brought to you by Paper Rice. 

NamNam Noodle Bar, a relatively new dining concept by the Les Amis Group, features iconic street favourites of Vietnam. It is not uncommon to see long queues at its two branches at Raffles City and Wheelock during meal times.

The idea of the noodle bar is simple, but very clever. I have always lamented that Singapore lacks good Vietnamese eateries, and NamNam managed to fill a gap in the market at the right time.

NamNam Noodle Bar’s pho is delicious – in fact, it is easily the best I have had in Singapore. For me, a good pho is nothing more complicated than a hearty serving of freshly boiled rice noodles with generous slices of beef, all submerged in a bowl of rich and warm broth. The Banh Mi is equally good. The French inspired baguettes are chock-ful of ingredients, and very satisfying.

Vietnamese street food such as pho and banh mi are meant to be cheap, and I am glad that NamNam Noodle Bar has kept the prices very competitive – a bowl of pho is less than S$10, while the Banh Mi is only S$5.90.

In a word: It is a chic quick dining concept.

NamNam Noodle Bar
252 North Bridge Road, #B1-46/47
Raffles City Shopping Centre
Tel: +65 6336 0500
Nearest Station: Raffles City

501 Orchard Road #B2-02
Wheelock Place
Tel: +65 6735 1488
Nearest Station: Orchard

There was a big hoo-ha at the dining table when I mentioned that it was my first time having the famous Vietnamese Pho. My one and only experience with Vietnamese food was during last Christmas Eve; where I had an impromptu party with dweam and monoxious at NUOC Vietnamese Restaurant Orchard Central.

When they asked me which Liang Seah Street Restaurant to go for dinner, I suggested Madam Saigon Vietnamese Restaurant as I wanted to try the Pho.

A platter of Spring rolls ($17.90), which is a popular Vietnamese dish, appeared on the table. Luckily, they didn’t disappoint: the semi translucent raw spring rolls went well with the sauce; as for the deep fried ones, we agreed that deep-fried food always taste good.

The Vietnamese Fried Calamari ($9.50) was very different from the ones that I had before. For one, it wasn’t round and they were broke down into strips, bearing a close resemblance to fries. It was a very addictive snack/appetizer, and we enjoyed it with the light dipping sauce.

Coming back to the Vietnamese Pho ($8.90), I thought that Madam Saigon’s rendition was not too bad. But Arissa who tasted Pho in Melbourne thought otherwise. Valerie definitely didn’t think much of it too, for she had savored the best Vietnamese Pho while she was in Vietnam before; cannot get any more authentic. It was hard to pin-point what was missing, but it was just different from the one they had before. Perhaps, it’s a case of the grass being greener on the other side. But since there aren’t that many Vietnamese restaurants in Singapore, we just have to make do with what we have. If not, get a ticket and fly to Vietnam this weekend for a delicious bowl of Pho.

We tossed lots of raw beansprouts, mint and squeezed wedges of lime into the Pho. There was silence for a a few jiffies, and this life-changing moment of my first banter with Vietnamese Pho has set its page on my history.

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Instead of having Western or Japanese food all the time, why don’t you try Vietnamese food at Madam Saigon Restaurant Liang Seah Street for dinner?

Restaurant Review
Madam Saigon Vietnamese Restaurant
30 Liang Seah Street Singapore
Tel: +65 6333 9798