SIFU - Hong Kong Dining comes to Bugis Junction
There
is a new eatery in town, and if you have an sudden inkling for affordable Hong Kong cuisine in a casual environment, look no further than SIFU at Bugis Junction.
Formerly occupied by Mos Burger, this café-restaurant casual dining offers a modern yet relaxing ambiance. The delicious aroma of their freshly-baked pillow buns from their in-house bunnery fills the surrounding atmosphere, enticing your senses for a bite or two.
You are instantly greeted by the bright and classy decor, reminiscence of the many eateries that I've come across during my travels to Kowloon or Hong Kong island itself. I felt as if I was transported to the former British colony but with familiar Singaporean faces. And that fresh bakery smell. I'm ravenous already!
There are ample seats for any sized groups to congregate, thanks to the clever use of built-in couches. The seats of the chairs are also wide, and that's really great for ladies to have their bags placed next to them without feeling uncomfortable.
Rows and rows of handmade soft pillow buns greet you as you walk into SIFU. Whether you are dining in or just want to pick up some delicious pillow buns, you can be sure there's no messy convergence between dine-in or take away customers.
As you open the bun up, you'll see a hallowed shell with the ingredients at the base. You get just the right amount of dough and ingredients that is neither heavy nor overpowering in taste. A tip I received from their staff - for those who prefer to take away, you can still get the perfect taste by microwaving the buns at medium heat for 20 seconds.
Another signature dish at SIFU, the Caramalised Roasted Ribs are delicious and fall-off-the bone-tender. I could have a whole slab, but at $3.90 a rib, I'll think twice about ordering a full slab. But after a quick mental calculation, the price is comparable if you would to order at any American ribs franchise. By serving per rib, you can order the number of ribs to your fancy or group size. For that, you can fine-tune your order and still have appetite to try the other delectable dishes on the menu.
All of SIFU's ribs are imported either from Europe and even North America. You can be sure that these ribs are meaty, juicy and tender.
Similar to the fatty-pork Kong Bak Pau, SIFU's version here is filled with caramelised roasted pulled pork. The plain soft white bun, crispy green lettuce and roasted pulled pork is a great combination when eaten together. Some of the meat texture was a Beef Jerky tough. Be prepared to wrestle with the meat as your teeth sinks into this soft beauty.
A no-frills but delicious plate of blanched vegetables with fried garlic and mushrooms. You simply cannot go wrong with this. The vegetables used here are young; the stalks are tender and crunchy, and the black mushrooms are soft with a slight sweetness and flavour. This dish goes very well on its own or as a side dish.
A full meal in a bow! This can even feed 2 people! A rich, hearty comfort dish with generous servings of ingredients, such as marinated chicken breast, fat juicy prawn dumpling and bean skin. The broth is carefully prepared by the chefs each day. It is boiled for over 8 hours with pork and chicken bones in a precise 3-step process. This is where all that flavourful goodness come from, giving a surprisingly light flavor that does not feel salty or heavy. The marinated chicken was tasty on its own, without the flavours getting diluted in the soup. All this is served with their special bee hoon (a cross between vermicelli and local bee hoon). Each ingredient in this dish is prepared separately and only added at the time of serving. Such attention to detail!
I asked how they got their beef so soft and tender. Their answer? Cooking the meat for 6 hours to tenderize and absorb the flavors of the herbs and seasoning.
Ending the evening on a sweet note is the highly recommended Milk pudding with caramel and "sawdust" (finely crushed salted biscuit.) An ingenious creation from the Group General Manager herself, this milk pudding is silky smooth with a firm texture. As you scoop right through the crunchy salted biscuit, caramel layer and milk pudding, you get an explosion of sweet, milky and saltiness crunch. Although I'm not quite a fan of milk pudding, I surprised myself by finishing the entire container! This is a MUST TRY even if you are not a fan of sweet desserts.
SIFU is a highly recommended place to bring your family and friends, whether it's for lunch, dinner or just to a light bite. As for me, I'll be sure to return for another helping of Milk Pudding!
SIFU's attention to detail is a testament to the quality and love that goes into each and every dish. Here are a couple quick facts that you probably didn't know.
You are instantly greeted by the bright and classy decor, reminiscence of the many eateries that I've come across during my travels to Kowloon or Hong Kong island itself. I felt as if I was transported to the former British colony but with familiar Singaporean faces. And that fresh bakery smell. I'm ravenous already!
The inside of SIFU is spacious and you don't feel squeezed-in. There is ample space to walk even if it is full house. I especially like the neat layout that is casual and homely.
There are ample seats for any sized groups to congregate, thanks to the clever use of built-in couches. The seats of the chairs are also wide, and that's really great for ladies to have their bags placed next to them without feeling uncomfortable.
Rows and rows of handmade soft pillow buns greet you as you walk into SIFU. Whether you are dining in or just want to pick up some delicious pillow buns, you can be sure there's no messy convergence between dine-in or take away customers.
Handmade
Pillow Bun
First off, SIFU's spécialité - Handmade Pillow Buns. There are four flavors; Char Siew (Roasted Pork), Sweet Custard, Azuki (Japanese Red Bean) and Yuzu Cheese. These soft pillow buns are just the right size and they don't overpower your appetite. The Char Siew bun has just the right amount of sweetness and meat, while the Azuki's bean paste was silky smooth with bits of whole red bean; the Yuzu Cheese was velvety smooth with a tinge of saltiness and nuttiness.
SIFU makes these buns pillowy-soft, and it is in the technique of wrapping the filling to leave an air pocket cavity above the filling of the base, thereby giving the bun its soft bite. Each bun is handcrafted individually to perfection in a process that takes 98 minutes! So be prepared to wait if you happen to be there and the place is packed.
SIFU makes these buns pillowy-soft, and it is in the technique of wrapping the filling to leave an air pocket cavity above the filling of the base, thereby giving the bun its soft bite. Each bun is handcrafted individually to perfection in a process that takes 98 minutes! So be prepared to wait if you happen to be there and the place is packed.
As you open the bun up, you'll see a hallowed shell with the ingredients at the base. You get just the right amount of dough and ingredients that is neither heavy nor overpowering in taste. A tip I received from their staff - for those who prefer to take away, you can still get the perfect taste by microwaving the buns at medium heat for 20 seconds.
Crispy
Prawn Toast
When I first saw the Crispy Prawn Toast, I thought the next dish was Yong Tau Foo. The crispy prawn toast came with a nice flavored prawn texture atop a thick slice of deep-fried bread. Although it has a rich flavour from the minced prawn, the bread was a little too saturated with oil for me. Despite the oily after-taste, this dish is great as an appetizer and for sharing.
Caramelised Roasted Ribs
Another signature dish at SIFU, the Caramalised Roasted Ribs are delicious and fall-off-the bone-tender. I could have a whole slab, but at $3.90 a rib, I'll think twice about ordering a full slab. But after a quick mental calculation, the price is comparable if you would to order at any American ribs franchise. By serving per rib, you can order the number of ribs to your fancy or group size. For that, you can fine-tune your order and still have appetite to try the other delectable dishes on the menu.
All of SIFU's ribs are imported either from Europe and even North America. You can be sure that these ribs are meaty, juicy and tender.
Salad
with anchovies and Japanese Dressing
A simple salad of fresh greens with savory sesame dressing and topped with fried anchovies. I like the salty crunchiness from the anchovies and this makes a satisfying side dish for anyone who must have some greens in their diet. Perfect on its own or as an accompaniment with other dishes. Some may find this a little pricey for such a seemingly 'simple' dish.
Pulled
Pork Ribs Chinese-style Slider
Similar to the fatty-pork Kong Bak Pau, SIFU's version here is filled with caramelised roasted pulled pork. The plain soft white bun, crispy green lettuce and roasted pulled pork is a great combination when eaten together. Some of the meat texture was a Beef Jerky tough. Be prepared to wrestle with the meat as your teeth sinks into this soft beauty.
Vegetables
with mushrooms and garlic
A no-frills but delicious plate of blanched vegetables with fried garlic and mushrooms. You simply cannot go wrong with this. The vegetables used here are young; the stalks are tender and crunchy, and the black mushrooms are soft with a slight sweetness and flavour. This dish goes very well on its own or as a side dish.
Signature
Roasted Chicken Thigh and Shrimp Dumpling Soup Noodles
A full meal in a bow! This can even feed 2 people! A rich, hearty comfort dish with generous servings of ingredients, such as marinated chicken breast, fat juicy prawn dumpling and bean skin. The broth is carefully prepared by the chefs each day. It is boiled for over 8 hours with pork and chicken bones in a precise 3-step process. This is where all that flavourful goodness come from, giving a surprisingly light flavor that does not feel salty or heavy. The marinated chicken was tasty on its own, without the flavours getting diluted in the soup. All this is served with their special bee hoon (a cross between vermicelli and local bee hoon). Each ingredient in this dish is prepared separately and only added at the time of serving. Such attention to detail!
Pork
Chop Noodles
Not your regular Pork
Chops and Noodles. Here you get a crispy palm-sized pork chop, freshly shredded lettuce sitting on a bed of noodles in a thick sauce. A simple yet tasty dish, the pork chop is conveniently cut right up to the bone, so you get to see the entire serving without the meat rolling all over. You know you are getting your money's worth with this dish.
Beef
Stew Rice
Another of SIFU's signature dishes, the beef is super tender and served in a rich, thick gravy and accompanied with big chunks of carrots and radish. Although I found it really rich and tasty but a tad oily, my sensitive nose picked up a whiff of beef when I split opened a chunk. But since I love beef, I'm pretty much forgiving to this. However some may find this quite a put-off. This is where the spring onion garnishing come in to mask out the strong beefy smell. So mix the dish well before you dig in. Served with white fluffy rice and garnished with 2 slices of quails eggs, this dish will no doubt be a hot favorite.
I asked how they got their beef so soft and tender. Their answer? Cooking the meat for 6 hours to tenderize and absorb the flavors of the herbs and seasoning.
Milk
Pudding
Ending the evening on a sweet note is the highly recommended Milk pudding with caramel and "sawdust" (finely crushed salted biscuit.) An ingenious creation from the Group General Manager herself, this milk pudding is silky smooth with a firm texture. As you scoop right through the crunchy salted biscuit, caramel layer and milk pudding, you get an explosion of sweet, milky and saltiness crunch. Although I'm not quite a fan of milk pudding, I surprised myself by finishing the entire container! This is a MUST TRY even if you are not a fan of sweet desserts.
SIFU is a highly recommended place to bring your family and friends, whether it's for lunch, dinner or just to a light bite. As for me, I'll be sure to return for another helping of Milk Pudding!
SIFU
QUICK FACTS
SIFU's attention to detail is a testament to the quality and love that goes into each and every dish. Here are a couple quick facts that you probably didn't know.
- It takes 98 minutes for each Pillow Bun to be handmade and baked from dough to bun
- The
Oxtail and Pork Belly dishes are slow-ccoked in marinade for 6 hours
- SIFU's Signature soup-based dishes involves a 2-step process to prepare eg. the Roasted Chicken Thigh and Shrimp Dumpling Soup Noodles soup is boiled for 8 hours
- All dishes are handmade from scratch by the chefs and bakers eg. fish pockets and dumplings alike
- Up to 50kg of beef is used each week!
- To ensure that every bite packs a punch, the Toasted Ni Yau Ju is modified to ensure that each freshly baked bun has large "holes" to soak up the melted butter and condensed milk
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
SIFU
Hong Kong Dining Room
#01-69, Bugis Junction
200 Victoria Street
Singapore 188021
Opening hours: 11:30am to 10:00pm (Daily)
Telephone: +65 6337 7613
Attire: Casual
#01-69, Bugis Junction
200 Victoria Street
Singapore 188021
Opening hours: 11:30am to 10:00pm (Daily)
Telephone: +65 6337 7613
Attire: Casual
Good! maybe next time round, getting more other flavour(s) to try!
ReplyDelete(If the fillings of the bun can be a little more, then i say is perfecto!)